Book Tour Review & Giveaway: Cascade by Maryanne O'Hara

Title: Cascade
Author: Maryanne O'Hara
Genre: historical, literary fiction
Series: N/A
Pages: 384
Published: April 30 2012
Source: Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours for review
Rating: 4.5/5

A novel of art and desire in the 1930s

It’s 1935, and Desdemona Hart Spaulding has sacrificed her plans to work as an artist in New York to care for her bankrupt, ailing father in Cascade, Massachusetts. When he dies, Dez finds herself caught in a marriage of convenience, bound to the promise she made to save her father’s Shakespeare Theater, even as her town may be flooded to create a reservoir for Boston. When she falls for artist Jacob Solomon, she sees a chance to escape and realize her New York ambitions, but is it morally possible to set herself free?

Fans of Richard Russo, Amor Towles, Sebastian Barry, and Paula McLain will savor this transporting novel about the eternal tug between our duties and our desires, set in New York City and New England during the uncertain, tumultuous 1930s.

"There are so many ways of drowning, my dear."

-Cascade, p. 2

Duty versus desire, women's rights versus traditional gender roles, personal freedom versus drowning in responsibility - these are all themes handled so well in Maryanne O'Hara's involving look at life in small-town 1930's Depression. With a subtle touch and a keen eye for detail, this is an author that easily creates an in depth look at a town with its glory days quickly fading as the Depression marches on. With an obvious Shakespearean influence (Desdemona, anyone?), O'Hara's version of life in Cascade, Massachusetts wrangles with so many themes and ideas, but manages to pull them off nearly perfectly. Loosely based on the real story of the Quabbin reservoir, this fictional town full of fictional people reads and feels quite real from beginning to end.

This is a story that brings life and meaning to the art mentioned. As someone who is not particularly gifted at any form of it, I was pleasantly surprised at how well O'Hara conveyed the importance of art to main character Desdemona. With her gorgeous but spare prose, Maryanne O'Hara extends Desdemona's passion to the audience with ease; from the mention of Dez's own artistic creations to those that inspire her, the passages about art and color are some of the most compelling of the entire book. I found myself curiously Googling pieces mentioned by the characters, and loving them -- especially The Course of Empire by Thomas Cole. Particularly apt in a story about a town that has seen better days and in current decline, Cole's work is a subtle forshadowing for the story being spun about the town in question. In a Depression-era novel like this one, it's always refreshing to see a little joy in the characters lives and the artistic side of Dez's life clearly was one for Cascade.

Cascade is a slower-moving and paced novel. It's not action packed or fraught with immediate tension; rather O'Hara slowly but ably builds several conflicts and miscommunications that add into a larger resolution. These are themes and ideas that have been explored before, and will be again, but Cascade manages to be original in how it presents the issues it explores. The Depression is key to what happens to the town of Cascade and in Dez's personal life, but it's fully on the periphery, rather than a main focus for the story. This is a novel mostly concerned with the lives of Dez, her husband and fellow artist Jacob than in detailing the hardships across the country during the '30s.

Though there are some things in Cascade I am not too fond of reading about, adultery especially, but in this author's capable hands, it was pretty palatable. It works for the novel because of how much depth the author imbues in her characters and their disparate wants and needs. You can't really say there is a "bad guy" or antagonist in the story - rather Asa's wants and needs just don't meet up with Dez's life wishes and create a more meaningful struggle between the two of them to find a middle ground. Dez's cheating isn't about revenge or boredom - it's about feeling trapped in a complicated situation and who found someone she could truly connect with. It just wasn't the man she was married to. In another writer's hands, the affair would not have been so easy to understand or digest. I applaud Maryanne O'Hara's talent and characters for making it so real and not tawdry.

Cascade is a lovely historical novel. Fully-fleshed out characters, a vibrant, if declining town, and compelling storytelling make this 368-page novel read almost too fast. As a novel it is involving and detailed, as a debut it is double impressive. This is an author with a lot of talent and one who isn't afraid to take risks with her story and her unusual characters. If you're on the fence about reading it, don't be. This is one that will stick out and remain memorable for long after it is finished.



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Virtual Book Tour Schedule

Monday, April 29

Review & Giveaway at Peeking Between the Pages

Tuesday, April 30

Feature & Giveaway at Passages to the Past

Wednesday, May 1

Review & Giveaway at Sharon’s Garden of Book Reviews

Thursday, May 2

Review & Giveaway at Flashlight Commentary

Friday, May 3

Review at Tiny Library

Wednesday, May 8

Review & Giveaway at Confessions of an Avid Reader

Thursday, May 9

Review at A Bookish Affair

Review & Giveaway at The Relentless Reader

Friday, May 10

Guest Post & Giveaway at A Bookish Affair

Monday, May 13

Review at Write Meg

Tuesday, May 14

Review at Kinx’s Book Nook

Review & Giveaway at Bippity Boppity Book

Wednesday, May 15

Review at Raging Bibliomania

Thursday, May 16

Review & Giveaway at Ageless Pages Reviews

Friday, May 17

Review & Giveaway at The Blue Stocking Society

Monday, May 20

Review at Amused By Books

Review at Oh, For the Hook of a Book!

Tuesday, May 21

Interview & Giveaway at Oh, For the Hook of a Book!

Wednesday, May 22

Review & Giveaway at The Worm Hole

Thursday, May 23

Review at A Book Geek

Friday, May 24

Review & Giveaway at The Picky Girl

Monday, May 27

Review & Giveaway at The Novel Life

Tuesday, May 28

Review & Giveaway at Always with a Book

Review, Guest Post & Giveaway at The Lit Bitch

Wednesday, May 29

Review at Turning the Pages

Thursday, May 30

Guest Post at The Novel Life

Friday, May 31

Interview & Giveaway at Cheryl’s Book Nook

Monday, June 3

Review at Words and Peace

Tuesday, June 4

Review at Historical Tapestry & Adventures of an Intrepid Reader

Giveaway at Words and Peace

Wednesday, June 5

Review & Giveaway at A Chick Who Reads

Thursday, June 6

Review at The Little Reader Library

Friday, June 7

Review at A Novel Review

Book Tour Review: Blood Between Queens by Barbara Kyle

Title: Blood Between Queens
Author: Barbara Kyle
Genre: historical fiction
Series: Thornleigh #5
Pages: 448
Published: April 30 2013
Source: Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours for review
Rating: 3.5/5

Following her perilous fall from a throne she’d scarcely owned to begin with, Mary, Queen of Scots, has fled to England, hoping her cousin, Queen Elizabeth, will grant her asylum. But now Mary has her sights on the English crown, and Elizabeth enlists her most trusted subjects to protect it.

Justine Thornleigh is delighting in the thrill of Queen Elizabeth’s visit to her family’s estate when the festivities are cut short by Mary’s arrival. To Justine’s surprise, the Thornleighs appoint her to serve as a spy in Mary’s court. But bearing the guise of a lady-in-waiting is not Justine’s only secret. The weight of her task is doubled by fears of revealing to her fiancé that she is in truth the daughter of his family’s greatest rival. Duty-bound, Justine must sacrifice love as she navigates a deadly labyrinth of betrayal that could lead to the end of Elizabeth’s fledgling reign…

Compelling and inventive, Blood Between Queens artfully blends history’s most intriguing figures with unforgettable characters, bringing to dazzling life the fascinating Tudor era.

With Blood Between Queens, the fifth book in her Tudor-era series centered on the fictional Thornleigh family, Barbara Kyle again shows she is no newcomer to the historical fiction genre. Her grasp on the history, on the characters and historical figures involved and on plotting are top notch and ably showcase a well-developed and thought-out novel. Though it is far from the first in the popular and long-running Thornleigh series, Blood Between Queens works well as a standalone novel;one that readers who have not read the first four can still easily pick up and immerse themselves in. A strong novel, with an invented but intelligent main character, this latest Thornleigh adventure ties in action, pirates, secret love affairs, family feuds, treason and rebellion all neatly into a detailed plot that never really lets up.

Justine Thornleigh, née Grenville, is young, smart, secretive and conflicted young noblewoman with a secret past she fears being revealed. Caught between her adopted family and the father who abandoned her eight years before, her life winds up being a key element in a far more dangerous struggle than the deadly family feud that has entrenched her birth family and her adoptive one since before her birth and later illicit adoption. Between two strong-willed cousins, who both happen to be Queens, Justine finds herself with an expected sympathy for the plight of the thrice married and twice widowed Queen of Scots. At odds with her upbringing and family belief in the rightful rule of Queen Elizabeth, Justine's actions complicate more than just her own life, but the fate of England itself. Deftly handled, the maneuvering and manipulation of Justine from several sides keeps tension high and the outcome, even for those familiar with the history, interesting.

Barbara Kyle is also adept at intermixing fact with fiction, period details with key plot elements. The mixing of fictional and real, both characters and events, adds a fresh element to a story that has been told dozens of times before. Her ability to create a vibrant world, in which her characters operate, provides a well-realized and described version of the Tudor court. It, and these characters, may be well-trod territory, but Kyle keeps it interesting with new developments and some slight twists on the mythos of the Virgin Queen. Under this author's pen, the conflicts of Justine to find the right path, of Elizabeth to do right by her fellow monarch without sacrificing her sovereignty, of Mary to be treated as she wishes, are universally well-written and fresh, despite the familiar ground.

There are several side plotlines that help to propel the novel - there's the missing seafarer Adam Thornleigh, the murder of a friend of Justine's - but the main focus of the novel is on Justine, as she is caught between her past and her future, her Queen and the woman she feels an unanticipated kinship for, her birth father and the man who raised her. A fast, adventure-filled read, with Blood Between Queens Barbara Kyle will not disappoint longtime fans of her Thornleigh series, and managed to create a new one. The first four are also fairly cheap for ebook, so this is one series I will continue, due to how much I enjoyed the latest offering.

Virtual Book Tour Schedule

Monday, April 29
Review & Giveaway at Luxury Reading
Feature & Giveaway at Passages to the Past

Tuesday, April 30
Review at Bitches with Books
Review at The Broke and the Bookish

Wednesday, May 1
Guest Post & Giveaway at The True Book Addict

Thursday, May 2
Review at The True Book Addict
Guest Post & Giveaway at Let Them Read Books

Friday, May 3
Review at Let Them Read Books
Review & Giveaway at Peeking Between the Pages

Monday, May 6
Review at Broken Teepee
Review at Bibliophilic Book Blog

Tuesday, May 7
Review & Guest Post at The Lit Bitch
Guest Post & Giveaway at Broken Teepee

Wednesday, May 8
Review at One Book at a Time
Review & Giveaway at Always with a Book

Thursday, May 9
Review at Sharon’s Garden of Book Reviews
Review & Interview at A Bookish Libraria
Review & Giveaway at Book of Secrets

Friday, May 10
Review, Guest Post & Giveaway at Drey’s Library
Interview at The Maiden’s Court

Monday, May 13
Review at Oh, for the Hook of a Book!

Tuesday, May 14
Interview & Giveaway at Oh, for the Hook of a Book!

Wednesday, May 15
Review at Ageless Pages Reviews
Guest Post at The Musings of ALMYBNENR

Thursday, May 16
Review at Turning the Pages

Friday, May 17
Review at Enchanted by Josephine
Guest Post at Turning the Pages

Top Ten Tuesday #9 - Top Ten Books Dealing With Tough Subjects

 


Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created here at The Broke and the Bookish.


















This week's topic is Top Ten Books Dealing With Tough Subjects. There are many, many good Issue books, but these are the ones that really got to the heart of me.

#1. Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson

The first ten lies they tell you in high school. "Speak up for yourself--we want to know what you have to say." From the first moment of her freshman year at Merryweather High, Melinda knows this is a big fat lie, part of the nonsense of high school. She is friendless, outcast, because she busted an end-of-summer party by calling the cops, so now nobody will talk to her, let alone listen to her. As time passes, she becomes increasingly isolated and practically stops talking altogether. Only her art class offers any solace, and it is through her work on an art project that she is finally able to face what really happened at that terrible party: she was raped by an upperclassman, a guy who still attends Merryweather and is still a threat to her. Her healing process has just begun when she has another violent encounter with him. But this time Melinda fights back, refuses to be silent, and thereby achieves a measure of vindication. 

In Laurie Halse Anderson's powerful novel, an utterly believable heroine with a bitterly ironic voice delivers a blow to the hypocritical world of high school. She speaks for many a disenfranchised teenager while demonstrating the importance of speaking up for oneself.

I read this book years ago, and it still remains a novel that brings to my knees, metaphorically. It's simple, powerful, and so well-written. Anderson can write, and though she has many novels, this will always remain her best.

#2. Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein

I have two weeks. You’ll shoot me at the end no matter what I do.

That’s what you do to enemy agents. It’s what we do to enemy agents. But I look at all the dark and twisted roads ahead and cooperation is the easy way out. Possibly the only way out for a girl caught red-handed doing dirty work like mine — and I will do anything, anything, to avoid SS-Hauptsturmführer von Linden interrogating me again.

He has said that I can have as much paper as I need. All I have to do is cough up everything I can remember about the British War Effort. And I’m going to. But the story of how I came to be here starts with my friend Maddie. She is the pilot who flew me into France — an Allied Invasion of Two.

We are a sensational team.

Oh, Elizabeth Wein, you know how to break a heart. With just a phrase, be it "Kiss me, Hardy" or "fly the plane, Maddie" or even "I have told the truth." you can convey so much. This book, to me, is about true friendship, real love, honor, and sacrifice. It's brutal and beautiful and so hard to read, from the casual mentions of torture, to the lengths these two girls will go to for one another.


#3. Vaclav and Lena by Haley Tanner

Set in New York's Russian émigré community, Vaclav & Lena is a timeless love story from a stunningly gifted young novelist.

Vaclav and Lena, both the children of Russian émigrés, are at the same time from radically different worlds. While Vaclav's burgeoning love of performing magic is indulged by hard-working parents pursuing the American dream, troubled orphan Lena is caught in a domestic situation no child should suffer through. Taken in as one of her own by Vaclav's big-hearted mother, Lena might finally be able to blossom; in the naive young magician's eyes, she is destined to be his "faithful assistant"...but after a horrific discovery, the two are ripped apart without even a goodbye. Years later, they meet again. But will their past once more conspire to keep them apart?'

I read this book over a year ago, but I think about it weekly, still. It made my heart hurt. This book... wow. For just being 272 pages, this is a lot of book. My heart grew three sizes (Oh, Vaclav) and I was entirely charmed by this story. This was beautiful and the ending was particularly poignant and moving.

#4. Wild Awake by Hilary T. Smith

 Things you earnestly believe will happen while your parents are away:

1. You will remember to water the azaleas.
2. You will take detailed, accurate messages.
3. You will call your older brother, Denny, if even the slightest thing goes wrong.
4. You and your best friend/bandmate Lukas will win Battle of the Bands.
5. Amid the thrill of victory, Lukas will finally realize you are the girl of his dreams.

Things that actually happen:

1. A stranger calls who says he knew your sister.
2. He says he has her stuff.
3. What stuff? Her stuff.
4. You tell him your parents won’t be able to—
5. Sukey died five years ago; can’t he—
6. You pick up a pen.
7. You scribble down the address.
8. You get on your bike and go.
9. Things . . . get a little crazy after that.*
*also, you fall in love, but not with Lukas.

Both exhilarating and wrenching, Hilary T. Smith’s debut novel captures the messy glory of being alive, as seventeen-year-old Kiri Byrd discovers love, loss, chaos, and murder woven into a summer of music, madness, piercing heartbreak, and intoxicating joy.

Hilary T. Smith is a force to be reckoned with. This book is made of Tough Subjects - death, murder, grief, family alienation, drugs, mental issues... and for the most part, this is an author that carries them off so humanly.  Wild Awake is a whirlwind of a novel and if I can ever coherently discuss it, the review will come. And it will be glowing.


#5. If I Stay/Where She Went by Gayle Forman

 It's been three years since the devastating accident . . . three years since Mia walked out of Adam's life forever.

Now living on opposite coasts, Mia is Juilliard's rising star and Adam is LA tabloid fodder, thanks to his new rock star status and celebrity girlfriend. When Adam gets stuck in New York by himself, chance brings the couple together again, for one last night. As they explore the city that has become Mia's home, Adam and Mia revisit the past and open their hearts to the future-and each other.

Told from Adam's point of view in the spare, lyrical prose that defined If I Stay, Where She Went explores the devastation of grief, the promise of new hope, and the flame of rekindled romance.

Both If I Stay novels are listed but really, Where She Went was more of a Tough Subject read for me. Adam is wrestling with human issues, whereas Mia's struggles in book one were more.. supernatural? His sadness, ambivalence and depression are horrifically sad to read about because you know he used to be different than how he is now.

#6. The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien

  

They carried malaria tablets, love letters, 28-pound mine detectors, dope, illustrated bibles, each other. And if they made it home alive, they carried unrelenting images of a nightmarish war that history is only beginning to absorb. Since its first publication, The Things They Carried has become an unparalleled Vietnam testament, a classic work of American literature, and a profound study of men at war that illuminates the capacity, and the limits, of the human heart and soul.

I had to read this book as part of an AP class in high school and it haunts me. The sadness, the boredom, the humanness and the inhumanity of what these men went through... I had to read certain sections for class, but it was my choice to read the entire thing. It's resonated with me ever since.


#7. If I Lie by Corrine Jackson

 A powerful debut novel about the gray space between truth and perception.

Quinn’s done the unthinkable: she kissed a guy who is not Carey, her boyfriend. And she got caught. Being branded a cheater would be bad enough, but Quinn is deemed a traitor, and shunned by all of her friends. Because Carey’s not just any guy—he’s serving in Afghanistan and revered by everyone in their small, military town.

Quinn could clear her name, but that would mean revealing secrets that she’s vowed to keep—secrets that aren’t hers to share. And when Carey goes MIA, Quinn must decide how far she’ll go to protect her boyfriend…and her promise.

The military and vets are close to home for me; my brother is a two-time Marine veteran. I loved how much depth and thought went into If I Lie. It made me think, it made me cry, and it brought up certain things that need to focus more on in daily life.

#8. Gone, Gone, Gone by Hannah Moskowitz

In the wake of the post-9/11 sniper shootings, fragile love finds a stronghold in this intense, romantic novel from the author of Break and Invincible Summer.It's a year after 9/11. Sniper shootings throughout the D.C. area have everyone on edge and trying to make sense of these random acts of violence. Meanwhile, Craig and Lio are just trying to make sense of their lives.

Craig’s crushing on quiet, distant Lio, and preoccupied with what it meant when Lio kissed him...and if he’ll do it again...and if kissing Lio will help him finally get over his ex-boyfriend, Cody.

Lio feels most alive when he's with Craig. He forgets about his broken family, his dead brother, and the messed up world. But being with Craig means being vulnerable...and Lio will have to decide whether love is worth the risk.

This intense, romantic novel from the author of Break and Invincible Summer is a poignant look at what it is to feel needed, connected, and alive.

Hannah Moskowitza, you are a liferuiner. And I mean that in the best of ways. It is one of the biggest sorrows of my life that I will never be able to write as well as this woman does. The strength of her characters, their struggles and small triumphs... brought me to tears. Not many books have taken on snipers, especially ones that targeted American citizens, but Moskowitz has no fear.

#9. Sisterhood Everlasting by Ann Brashares

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Ann Brashares comes the welcome return of the characters whose friendship became a touchstone for a generation. Now Tibby, Lena, Carmen, and Bridget have grown up, starting their lives on their own. And though the jeans they shared are long gone, the sisterhood is everlasting.

Despite having jobs and men that they love, each knows that something is missing: the closeness that once sustained them. Carmen is a successful actress in New York, engaged to be married, but misses her friends. Lena finds solace in her art, teaching in Rhode Island, but still thinks of Kostos and the road she didn’t take. Bridget lives with her longtime boyfriend, Eric, in San Francisco, and though a part of her wants to settle down, a bigger part can’t seem to shed her old restlessness.

Then Tibby reaches out to bridge the distance, sending the others plane tickets for a reunion that they all breathlessly await. And indeed, it will change their lives forever—but in ways that none of them could ever have expected.

As moving and life-changing as an encounter with long-lost best friends, Sisterhood Everlasting is a powerful story about growing up, losing your way, and finding the courage to create a new one.

Growing up doesn't just stop when you hit a certain age. It's a lifelong process, and Brashares takes her adult characters on as many risks and struggles as she did when they were teens. Life is not always perfect or happy, and Sisterhood Everlasting isn't afraid to do what you least expect.

#10. If You Find Me by Emily Murdoch

There are some things you can’t leave behind… A broken-down camper hidden deep in a national forest is the only home fifteen year-old Carey can remember. The trees keep guard over her threadbare existence, with the one bright spot being Carey’s younger sister, Jenessa, who depends on Carey for her very survival. All they have is each other, as their mentally ill mother comes and goes with greater frequency. Until that one fateful day their mother disappears for good, and two strangers arrive. Suddenly, the girls are taken from the woods and thrust into a bright and perplexing new world of high school, clothes and boys.

Now, Carey must face the truth of why her mother abducted her ten years ago, while haunted by a past that won’t let her go… a dark past that hides many a secret, including the reason Jenessa hasn’t spoken a word in over a year. Carey knows she must keep her sister close, and her secrets even closer, or risk watching her new life come crashing down.

Neglect and abuse are hard to read about. And Murdoch spares no punches in this look into the difficult lives of Carey and Jenessa. It's an ultimately uplifting novel, but there are darker themes and events that take place.

Honorable mention: Without Tess by Marcella Pixley, The Butterfly Clues by Kate Ellison, How to Save a Life by Sara Zarr

Review: Night School by C.J. Daugherty

Title: Night School
Author: C.J. Daugherty
Genre: young adult, mystery, contemporary
Series: Night School #1
Pages: 400
Published: January 2012
Source: publishers via edelweiss
Rating: 2/5

Allie's world is falling apart...

She hates her school. Her brother has run away. And she's just been arrested.

Again.

Now her parents are sending her away to a boarding school where she doesn't know a soul.

But instead of hating her new school, Allie finds she's happy there. She's making friends. And then there's Sylvain, a suave French student who openly flirts with her. And Carter, the brooding loner who seems to have her back.

Soon, though, Allie discovers Cimmeria Academy is no ordinary school. Nothing there is as it seems. And her new friends are hiding dangerous secrets.

C.J. Daugherty has several things going for her in her debut novel and the first in her Night School series: a chilling, thoroughly Gothic vibe, an interesting and just-convoluted-enough conspiracy theory, and a somewhat rounded main character. Unfortunately for both Night School and its readers, Daugherty loses sight of what she should write about and focuses on mean girls, petty high school drama, "mysterious" boys, and an obnoxious love trianle with Allie at the center. There are kernels of good ideas at play in the novel, but but so much of what's worth time and attention gets lost in the morass of overwritten drama that takes center stage.

Allie is a...decent protagonist. She's serviceable, I guess. That's the best I can do with what Daugherty gave me. She had her moments where I wanted to shake her (any time she is swooning over either a creepy or a borderline abusive love interest) but she also had moments where she took a stand (at the dance? With Sylvain? Hell yeah. Unfortunately as the even gets further behind her, Allie gets more forgiving...) and I found myself caring about her. Still, there are multiple issues with Allie's characterization. Of course two totally hot, mysterious and unattainable guys are in love with Allie. Of course. How utterly unexpected. It's just so trite and overdone, and Allie's interactions with both highlight how much more interested Night School is in silly romance and teenage relationships than it is in crafting a taut thriller/conspiracy novel.

It also doesn't help Night School that there are so many plotlines left open and questions unanswered by the final page. It's a frustrating experience for a reader to invest so much time in a four-hundred page novel that, due to those unsatisfying factors, ends up being nothing more than a lengthy introduction; one with little to no resolution. I had trouble with this until very close to the end. The endless mysteries and secrets that EVERYONE besides Allie is in on, the unexplained caste system between the Night School students and the regular students... it did nothing for me. My experience did get slightly better, towards the very end but the utter lack of any resolution is very, very frustrating.

I have Concerns about Cimmeria Academy. (First: what kind of school would provide alcohol - their own brand! - to students at a school dance, hosted at the school? What?!) The author deliberately paints the school in broad strokes; all the better to make her audience curious about its endgame with the students. What is Night School? Why are only some students involved? How are they picked? What do they do? -All of which set up more with expectations than the actual reveal can deliver. When you find out the point, or the barest outline of the point of Night School that is shown in the first book, it's a let down, pure and simple. There's not enough there there; the knowledge imparted to Allie is minimal, and laughable. It comes across as a desperate ploy to ensure continued reading and frustrated me even more. 

The complete lack of a reason for the antagonists motivation also is ridiculous. Readers are just supposed to get that he wants Something and It Is Very Dangerous and he will do anything to get it. Why? What lead up to that and what he does in the book? If you haven't even cracked the cover, you know just as much as I do, four hundred pages later. No one - at least no one interesting and worth reading about, is evil for evil's sake. Give me a villain with reasons, intelligence and believable motivations and you've just upped the appeal of your book. For all that, the minor antagonist? From the events at the dance? That revelation did manage to surprise me, and even if I can't wholly buy into why they did what they did (again: no answers, no real motivations shown), I can appreciate how ably the author pulled it off.

There are some obvious issues with Night School. For all that, I did enjoy aspects of it. The Gothic vibe works well for the story, Allie isn't a complete waste of space, and it's a pretty readable novel. It may be more work that its worth, but then again, I can't promise I won't be drawn into reading the sequel, Legacy, when it comes out. The contents of the first Night School novel can't quite live up to the premise (or that awesome cover) but it's not a complete mess. It just gets lost in the mundane and neglects the ideas and themes that could have made it truly original.
 

Review: The School for Good and Evil by Soman Chainani

Title: The School for Good and Evil
Author: Soman Chainani
Genre: young adult, fantasy
Series: The School for Good and Evil #1
Pages: 496
Published: May 14 2013
Source: publishers via edelweiss
Rating: 3/5

At the School for Good and Evil, failing your fairy tale is not an option.

Welcome to the School for Good and Evil, where best friends Sophie and Agatha are about to embark on the adventure of a lifetime.

With her glass slippers and devotion to good deeds, Sophie knows she'll earn top marks at the School for Good and join the ranks of past students like Cinderella, Rapunzel, and Snow White. Meanwhile, Agatha, with her shapeless black frocks and wicked black cat, seems a natural fit for the villains in the School for Evil.

The two girls soon find their fortunes reversed—Sophie's dumped in the School for Evil to take Uglification, Death Curses, and Henchmen Training, while Agatha finds herself in the School for Good, thrust among handsome princes and fair maidens for classes in Princess Etiquette and Animal Communication.

But what if the mistake is actually the first clue to discovering who Sophie and Agatha really are . . . ?

The School for Good and Evil is an epic journey into a dazzling new world, where the only way out of a fairy tale is to live through one.

First of all, if the awesome book trailer for The School of Good and Evil is what created an interest in Chainani's fiction debut, all I can tell you is this:

 

(Even watching that trailer now, after the fact, I am excited and impressed. And then I remember. And then woe.)

The book sadly doesn't live up to the awesomeness that advertised it. I'm not even a fan of book trailers, but the promotion department for this book deserves a big raise. The editing department might not. But, if you're just now hearing about this YA/MG fantasy about fairytales and witches and princesses, this might end up being the book for you. It's a tad long, a tad overwrought, but it's got a lot of heart and, at times, can be very entertaining. Soman Chainani creates a vibrant world with two interesting and diverse leads, and I can say they paths and plots he takes them through isn't predictable, though it can be a tad pedantic at times.  The comparisons to Gregpry Maguire's work is apt and appropriate and I can see his fans enjoying this less adult look at magical children.

The School for Good and Magic reminded me of a younger Harry Potter at times. There's the obvious: magical children spirited away for their edification (for either good or ill), there's the obvious good guys, the obvious bad guys, magical beings like werewolves, fairies, and a multi-headed dog inside a mysterious, hidden castle(s). There are pranks, a ball, a love story that is not what you expect, and in the end, a grand battle for the school itself. That all sounds well and good and like fun, and it can be. The main problem is that The School for Good and Evil takes too long to get anywhere. It becomes too predictable to shock readers and the final conflict... well, veered on deus ex machina. That's never a good way to resolve a story readers have spent so much time investing in.

This is a looooong book for almost any genre (I'm looking at you, Epic Fantasy), but for a very young YA/verging on MG fairytale, 496 pages is just much too much. The pacing lags, events feel drawn out or stretched beyond feasibility, and the plot takes too much time to really form. There's a lack of tension and suspense before key events because the author takes too long to develop any sort of meaningful conflict. Outside of plotting and pacing, Chainani is an obviously talented, very visual, writer. Scenes pop and creatures both big and small, humor or non, all burst from the page. The School for Good and Evil can project an image, but fails to deliver real substance to go with how pretty/evil everything is on the surface.

The main characters are adaptable, and pretty well-rounded. There's more to both Sophie and Agatha than what meets the eye, and the author's switcheroo can be pretty clever. However, like most things in this novel, the realizations that come to both girls about their roles in future fairy tales takes far too long to foment into something meaningful. I could have done without the romances that pop up and complicate the girls' relationship and the plot, but Prince Charmings (and Not So Charmings) are to be expected in a novel so concerned with fairytales. The characters are another strong aspect of the novel, and I'm curious to see what will happen after the final events of book one.

The School for Good and Evil isn't a bad book. It's just not as good as you, or I, or that book trailer want it to be. Those looking for a saccharine-ly sweet Disney tale should look elsewhere, and readers in search of a vibrant setting with complex and contradictory characters will find The School for Good and Evil a good fit. There's some room for improvement, and editing, but Soman Chainani has a satisfactory beginning to his new series.

Review Take Two: Roses Have Thorns by Sandra Byrd

Title: Roses Have Thorns
Author: Sandra Byrd
Genre: historical fiction
Series: Ladies in Waiting #3
Pages: 336 (paperback edition)
Published: April 9 2013
Source: publishers via edelweiss
Rating: 3/5

From the acclaimed author of To Die For comes a stirring novel told that sheds new light on Elizabeth I and her court. Sandra Byrd has attracted countless fans for evoking the complexity, grandeur, and brutality of the Tudor period. In her latest tour de force, she poses the question: What happens when serving a queen may cost you your marriage—or your life?

In 1565, seventeen-year-old Elin von Snakenborg leaves Sweden on a treacherous journey to England. Her fiance has fallen in love with her sister and her dowry money has been gambled away, but ahead of her lies an adventure that will take her to the dizzying heights of Tudor power. Transformed through marriage into Helena, the Marchioness of Northampton, she becomes the highest-ranking woman in Elizabeth’s circle. But in a court that is surrounded by Catholic enemies who plot the queen’s downfall, Helena is forced to choose between an unyielding monarch and the husband she’s not sure she can trust—a choice that will provoke catastrophic consequences.

Vividly conjuring the years leading up to the beheading of Mary Queen of Scots, Roses Have Thorns is a brilliant exploration of treason, both to the realm and to the heart.

Reviewed by Danielle.

Roses Have Thorns spans about 25 years, starting when Elin von Snakenborg leaves Sweden in the company of Princess Cecelia, (about 5 years into Elizabeth’s reign) and ending around the time Mary, Queen of Scots, was finally executed. As is often the case with novels covering such a long time period, a lot of things are rushed or passed right over. In addition, Elin, or Helena as she adopts after choosing to stay in England, is a Maid of Honor in the queen’s privy chamber. She’s not on the battlefield at Cadiz or sailing with her friend, Sir Francis Drake. She’s not in meetings with Parliament or watching Mary in the Tower. She’s turning down linens. Because there’s not a lot of direct action, the story comes off a lot like Helena, sedate, consistent, and bland.

Unfortunately, Helena just isn’t a very realized character. She does get a few moments of interest, but they revolve solely around the people in her life. It’s scandalous that her fiance is banging her sister in a broom closet or that an actor threatens to turn her engagement upside-down, but she never reacts in a way that makes it more interesting or more sympathetic. Life happens to Helena. Likewise, Elizabeth is portrayed as an omniscient goddess with a heart made of cotton candy and rainbows and a temper like no other, but we rarely see her do anything. We hear a lot about her hopes and dreams undying love for Robert Dudley, but for a book that purports to be “vividly conjuring” the time period, it’s surprisingly light on political intrigue.

There are some tense scenes, dealing mostly with Helena's second husband and where his loyalties lie. I did also really enjoy the scene with Elizabeth and the pins. It was the only time I felt true emotion between the two of them. But, in the end, I just couldn't overcome the odd pacing, (Helena's pregnancies are frequently hand waved away as, "We made love." Serve the queen. Serve the queen. Serve the queen. "Oh yeah, I was by now 8 months pregnant,") and lack of action. 

Top Ten Tuesday #8 - Top Ten Books When You Need Something Light & Fun

#1. Soulless by Gail Carriger (Parasol Protectorate #1)

I admit I've loved all five in the Parasol Protectorate series, but the first holds a special place in my heart. It's where I was introduced to Alexia, fang lisps, Lord Akeldama, and the term "comedy of manners." It was love at first chapter and I reread this when I need some smart humor.

#2. The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch (Gentlemen Bastards #1)

A high fantasy full of cons, sneak thievery, skullduggery and clever men -- and women. Scott Lynch became a favorite author with just two books - this and its sequel, Red Seas Under Red Skies. His wit and humor are subtle but hilarious. I can't wait for the third book to come out later this year, and I reread Lies at least once per year when I need some high fantasy with a dash of comedy.


#3. Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine

I have a lot of fondness for this book. I first read it age 12, and it introduced to the concept of a book crush (hellllloooo Prince Char!). I've never really gotten over him, nor how much fun and whimsy Levine managed to inject into this Cinderella retelling. I've reread it countess times, and in the absence of kids, I push it on my sister's 5th grade students.


#4. The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series by Ann Brashares

It doesn't get much fluffier than this series. But, this series is really good and grew with its audience. Characters fell in love, got their hearts broken, lost their way, estranged themselves from each other, and in the end, it all came together marvelously. I was given this series by one of my very best friends (I love you Megan!), and when I need a pick me up, or a hot Greek guy, or want to remedy my high school nostalgia, this is the series I turn to.



#5. Unspoken by Sarah Rees Brennan (The Lynburn Legacy #1)

I love Kami Glass. I love how she talks, how she thinks, how she writes. All of it. This is a creative and hard to put down book. Brennan does a great job at creating a well-rounded, hilarious, smart character and Unspoken is pure entertainment with some genuine moment of creepiness.


#6. Bet Me by Jennifer Crusie

A fun, silly, sexy bit of fluff, Bet Me is hilarious. It's been a while since I've read it, but it's easy to remember and Crusie is a comedic writer who can also write the hell out of a sex scene. It's entertaining, it's diverting - it's an entertainment packed book.


#7. Graffiti Moon by Cath Crowley

I just love this book. It's so heartfelt and Lucy cracks me up. Crowley has the perfect balance of humor and heart and it comes together so perfectly here.


#8. Gilt by Katherine Longshore (The Royal Circle #1)

What can I say? It's my gilty pleasure. Pardon the pun. It's a pretty superficial look at Cat Howard's doomed reign as Henry VIII's fifth wife, but it reads fast and is truly engrossing.

#9. Movies In Fifteen Minutes: The Ten Biggest Movies Ever For People Who Can't Be Bothered by Cleolina Jones

 

Have you ever read Cleolinda? If not, I highly suggest you do. She's incredibly smart, ridiculous funny, and has a quick wit. Her (online) Movies in 15 Minutes shot her to fame, and landed her this book. It's not quiiiite as good as the online ones (the lose of links to relevant topics was dearly missed) but it is chock full of amusement. I peruse her LJ and her Lost recaps, her Hannibal recaps (EMPATH & CANNIBAL: They Fight Crime!), and reread her M15M constantly. I've been a fan for nearly 10 years and her work never gets old or loses an edge. Troy in 15 Minutes is still my favorite but don't miss 300, King Arthur, Phantom of the Opera, V for Vendetta, or the Avengers.

#10. The Jessica Darling series by Megan McCafferty

I've only read the first three, but Jessica Darling is such a well-drawn, funny, real character it's impossible not to love her and these books. She's goofy, stubborn, well-intentioned, confused and lovely. The humor in this is relateable, as is Jessica. This series is good for a reread anytime I feel down.