Follow Friday (6)

Q. What book that hasn't been turned into a movie (yet) would you most like to see make it to the big screen, and who would you like cast as your favorite character?

This is actually something I have thought about frequently (some might say obsessively). I would rather see standalones on the big screen rather than series' because I feel a two hour movie cannot adequately depict an entire series. A series need to be serialized in a TV show for maximum effect (i.e. The Vampire Diaries).

But I digress. So, books I would like to see as movies ... Shut Out by Kody Keplinger I think would be awesome. I recently read and reviewed The Beginning of After by Jennifer Castle. That would make a good, dramatic movie. I could see Demi Lovato tackling that role.

I'm gonna cheat a bit and say which of my favorite series I think would make killer TV shows:

Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead
The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting
Nightshade by Andrea Cremer

All three have stellar casts with interweaving storylines that could easily be dissected into an hour-long show on a weekly basis.

Waiting on Wednesday (13)

"Waiting On"  Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking  the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week I'm waiting on....

Incarnate

by: Jodi Meadows

Here's the Goodreads blurb:

NEWSOUL
Ana is new. For thousands of years in Range, a million souls have been reincarnated over and over, keeping their memories and experiences from previous lifetimes. When Ana was born, another soul vanished, and no one knows why.

NOSOUL
Even Ana’s own mother thinks she’s a nosoul, an omen of worse things to come, and has kept her away from society. To escape her seclusion and learn whether she’ll be reincarnated, Ana travels to the city of Heart, but its citizens are suspicious and afraid of what her presence means. When dragons and sylph attack the city, is Ana to blame?

HEART
Sam believes Ana’s new soul is good and worthwhile. When he stands up for her, their relationship blooms. But can he love someone who may live only once, and will Ana’s enemies—human and creature alike—let them be together? Ana needs to uncover the mistake that gave her someone else’s life, but will her quest threaten the peace of Heart and destroy the promise of reincarnation for all?

Why I need to read this one:
Here's the weird thing, guys: I'm not a believer in reincarnation at all, but something about this book is pulling me in. I think the plot is original and it has the potential to be an incredible read for this winter. And that gorgeous cover doesn't hurt.

Incarnate will be released 1.31.2012 by HarperCollins

Review: Shut Out by Kody Keplinger

Title: Shut Out

Author: Kody Keplinger

Publisher:  Poppy

Publication Date: 9.5.2011

Pages: 273

Genre: Contemporary

Series: No

Source: Finished copy for review from publisher

Rating: A-

Summary (from Goodreads):

Most high school sports teams have rivalries with other schools. At Hamilton High, it's a civil war: the football team versus the soccer team. And for her part, Lissa is sick of it. Her quarterback boyfriend, Randy, is always ditching her to go pick a fight with the soccer team or to prank their locker room. And on three separate occasions Randy's car has been egged while he and Lissa were inside, making out. She is done competing with a bunch of sweaty boys for her own boyfriend's attention.

Lissa decides to end the rivalry once and for all: she and the other players' girlfriends go on a hookup strike. The boys won't get any action from them until the football and soccer teams make peace. What they don't count on is a new sort of rivalry: an impossible girls-against-boys showdown that hinges on who will cave to their libidos first. And Lissa never sees her own sexual tension with the leader of the boys, Cash Sterling, coming.

Inspired by Aristophanes' play Lysistrata, critically acclaimed author of The Duff (Designated Ugly Fat Friend) Kody Keplinger adds her own trademark humor in this fresh take on modern teenage romance, rivalry and sexuality.

Review:

I don’t know if there was a person more excited than me to find out Kody Keplinger was putting out a new novel this fall. I fell hard and fast for The DUFF last year, and when I read the premise of Shut Out, I was elated. Keplinger just has this amazing way with words. She can piece together a story and make it magical and raw at the same time.

I love the premise of a boys vs. girls war. Something about is just so fun and so dramatic. I knew there would be touching moments, hysterical moments, and a fun mixture of both. Keplinger did not disappoint me at all in that regard, and the characters of this book are so entertaining to read. Lissa is snarky and fun, but she hides this vulnerable side that Keplinger reveals at just the perfect moments. She is a great narrator and gives us a great insight into the Hamilton High world.

My only complaint (and I hesitate to use that word) is that I felt the romance between Cash and Lissa developed way too fast. She was totally in love with Randy and then just … wasn’t. Granted, I know his betrayal was horrific and I didn’t expect Lissa to keep pining for him, but her newfound love with Cash felt somewhat forced. I would have liked to see it fleshed out a bit more. As individual characters, Cash and Lissa are fabulous.

Fans of The DUFF definitely don’t want to miss Shut Out. I must add that Shut Out doesn’t have the explicit sexual scenes and conversations that made Keplinger’s debut novel so risqué, and that’s not at all a criticism. I felt Shut Out had a more mature, toned-down vibe that will still resonant with young readers while keeping the interest of an older (aka Non-Teen) audience. I feel much more comfortable sharing Shut Out with my fifteen-year-old cousin than I did with The DUFF.  Keplinger is a gifted writer, and I love how her style is maturing and evolving. I cannot wait for her next book.

Buy: Amazon

In My Mailbox (10)

Hosted by Kristi @ The Story Siren, this is a great way to share the reads I got this week by purchasing, trading/swapping, or for review. All links lead to Goodreads. Since I haven't posted one in a bit, this covers the last month.

For Review:

Shut Out by Kody Keplinger

Dark Eden by Patrick Carman

Frail by Joan Frances Turner

The Shattering by Karen Healey

Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

The Secret Sisterhood of Heartbreakers by Lynn Weingarten

The Pledge by Kimberly Derting

Swapped/Traded/Bought:

Eve by Anna Carey (Read my review HERE)

The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson

Torrent by Lisa Tawn Bergren

Won:

Imaginary Girls by Nova Ren Suma

Flying Blind by Deborah Cooke

Thanks to Little, Brown; HarperCollins; Penguin; Simon & Schuster; Teens Read and Write; and Kit Lit Frenzy

Review: Eve by Anna Carey

Title: Eve

Author: Anna Carey

Publisher: HarperCollins

Publication Date: 10.4.2011

Pages: 336

Genre: Dystopian

Series: Yes (Eve #1)

Source: ARC from a friend

Rating: A-

Summary (from Goodreads):

The year is 2032, sixteen years after a deadly virus—and the vaccine intended to protect against it—wiped out most of the earth’s population. The night before eighteen-year-old Eve’s graduation from her all-girls school she discovers what really happens to new graduates, and the horrifying fate that awaits her.

Fleeing the only home she’s ever known, Eve sets off on a long, treacherous journey, searching for a place she can survive. Along the way she encounters Caleb, a rough, rebellious boy living in the wild. Separated from men her whole life, Eve has been taught to fear them, but Caleb slowly wins her trust...and her heart. He promises to protect her, but when soldiers begin hunting them, Eve must choose between true love and her life.

Review:

Another day, another dystopian? While dystopian novels seem to be all the rage (vampires are so 2010), how many different ways can a futuristic world be altered to make mankind suffer? When I thought I had seen it all, Anna Carey went and surprised me. Don’t get me wrong, it has the whole “evil government that looks like it’s trying to save the world while really executing a nefarious scheme” dynamic, but this just seems … darker. I feel like the way Carey upped the ante (making young girls slaves to repopulate the world after a devastating plague and young boys just slaves period) was so dramatic and unlike anything else I’ve seen.

I’m sure it’s at this point that you are recalling Wither by Lauren DeStefano, but Eve has something that Wither doesn’t have: an innocence that breaks your heart. Eve, our main character and narrator, is so naïve to the ways of the world, I genuinely feared for her. She spent most of her life in School, believing she would graduate and then go on to learn a trade and live in the city for the rest of her days. At School, she was taught about the evils of men who only want one thing from women. When Eve discovers what is really happening, she flees. Of course on the road she does meet men (and boys), and that’s where things get interesting.

Seeing this world through Eve’s eyes was like watching a child learn things. Seeing her interact with new people and find her way was exciting. She was extremely bright, but extremely sheltered. She also trusted too easily, and it came around to bite her in the butt a couple times—hard.

As with any good novel, there is a romantic element. Caleb is a great romantic interest—especially for Eve. He is so patient and kind with her, teaching her that men (well, not all men) don’t want that one thing from a girl. I will say that the romance fell a little flat for me, but this is the beginning of a trilogy. It’s pretty freaking complicated to create a new world, a new government regime, characters, plot, and a love story. Now that the ground rules have been established, I have the utmost confidence that Carey will have me falling hard and fast for Caleb and Eve in book #2.

Buy: Amazon

Follow Friday (5)

Q. Do you have a favorite series that you read over and over again? Tell us a bit about it and why you keep on revisiting it?
Twilight by Stephenie Meyer is a series I can't seem to help rereading. I can read my favorite parts over and over. I even got selfish enough that I have a hardback set for myself and a paperback set to loan out. I honestly don't know why I'm so drawn to these books.

The Vampire Academy series by Richelle Mead is another one that I have read several times. I love, love, love those books. They are so well planned out and the characters are so multi-dimensional. I could read them forever. One of the reasons I haven't read Bloodlines (even though it's sitting on my shelf) is because I'm terrified it won't live up to the original series.

Follow Friday (4)

Q. It's that pesky magic book fairy again! She has another wish: What imaginary book world would you like to make a reality?
Is it weird that I immediately think of dystopians? Like Divergent or The Hunger Games or Eve? I know it's twisted that my dream world would be a world where something is fatally flawed, but to me, that's fascinating. So maybe I'd love this world if I could just ... visit? Maybe pop in and then return to my nice, comfy, non-apocalyptic world?

Or maybe something just more Sci-Fi heavy, like Across the Universe by Beth Revis or Glow by Amy Kathleen Ryan? I could handle living on a huge spaceship (OK, maybe this is simply my Farscape and Firefly addictions being realized).

TGIF (3)

TGIF @ GReads is a great way to meet new bloggers. Feel free to leave me a comment and I'll be sure to pop over to your blog and follow you back!

This Friday's Question:

Book Disappointments:

Have you ever come across a book you were so stoked to read, but it failed miserably in your eyes? 

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sadly this is the disappointing reality of avid readers (like me). Most recently, a book that horribly disappointed me was Tris and Izzie by Mette Ivie Harrison, and I said as much in my review. I'm a huge fan of Arthurian legend, and Tristan and Iseult have this amazing story, which I felt was botched horribly in this adaptation.

Another one that fell flat for me was Elizabeth Eulberg's Prom and Prejudice. Her adaptation of Pride and Prejudice was just ... wrong. The characters were unbelievable and the plot so contrived. I get that it's a remake, but I felt she never owned her own characters. They got stuck in this weird limbo of being original and carbon copies of their predecessors.

Waiting on Wednesday (12)

"Waiting On"  Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking  the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week I'm waiting on....

Fracture

by: Megan Miranda

Here's the Goodreads blurb:

Eleven minutes passed before Delaney Maxwell was pulled from the icy waters of a Maine lake by her best friend Decker Phillips. By then her heart had stopped beating. Her brain had stopped working. She was dead. And yet she somehow defied medical precedent to come back seemingly fine - despite the scans that showed significant brain damage. Everyone wants Delaney to be all right, but she knows she's far from normal. Pulled by strange sensations she can't control or explain, Delaney finds herself drawn to the dying. Is her altered brain now predicting death, or causing it?  

Then Delaney meets Troy Varga, who recently emerged from a coma with similar abilities. At first she's reassured to find someone who understands the strangeness of her new existence, but Delaney soon discovers that Troy's motives aren't quite what she thought. Is their gift a miracle, a freak of nature-or something much more frightening? 

Why I need to read this one:
Something about this book just is pulling me in. It's caught my attention and I want to read it NOW. Maybe because I'm somewhat fascinated by near-death experiences, I don't know. And isn't that cover killer?

Fracture will be released 1.3.2011 by Walker Books for Young Readers

Review: If I Die by Rachel Vincent

Title: If I Die

Author: Rachel Vincent

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

Publication Date: 9.27.2011

Pages: 342

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Series: Yes (Soul Screamers #5)

Copy: ARC swapped from another blog

Rating: A+

Summary (from Goodreads):

No one wants to be this teacher’s pet . . .

Everyone else is talking about Eastlake High’s gorgeous new math teacher, Mr. Beck, but Kaylee Cavanaugh has bigger things on her mind. Kaylee’s a banshee—her scream is a portent of death.

But the next scream might hit too close to home. Kaylee’s borrowed lifeline has almost run out.

Yeah—it’s a shock to her, too. So to distract herself from her own problems, Kaylee is determined to defend her school against the latest supernatural threat. That hot new teacher is really an incubus, who feeds from the desire of unsuspecting students. The only girls immune to his lure are Kaylee and Sabine, her boyfriend’s delinquent ex-girlfriend. Now the unlikely allies have to get rid of Mr. Beck…before he discovers they aren’t quite human either.

But Kaylee’s running out of time, and those who love her will do anything to save her life.

Anything.

Review:

I have been loving Rachel Vincent’s Soul Screamers series since I got my hands on book 1 last year, and her most recent installment might just be my favorite book of the entire series. At the very least it’s a game changing book for Kaylee, Tod, Nash and company.

I love a book that can navigate two storylines at once. On the surface and in the forefront is Kaylee’s impending death as hinted at in the blurb above. One would think the entire book is a race to scramble and save Kaylee’s life (again), but beneath that, the brewing love triangle (or rectangle if you include Sabine) comes to a head.

For four books Kaylee has been devoted to Nash, even when he might not have deserved it. They’ve been through a lot together, and for four books I relished in their love. For some reason, I kind of saw Tod as Kaylee did—Nash’s brother who helps save the day at the last minute and is always there. It wasn’t until Kaylee started realizing how amazing Tod is that I also started to see it. Now, I know there is a ton of fans out there who are wondering why I wasn’t all aboard ship Kaylee/Tod until now, but at this point I’m ready to captain the damn boat.

I won’t get into the specifics or reveal who Kaylee ultimately chooses (nor will I tell you if Kaylee meets her untimely yet timed demise), but what I will say is that this book blew all the others out of the water. Well into this series, Vincent has created characters I love to love, and she gives each one time to shine. She has taken her time throughout this series to invest in her characters and make them grow, something that really pays off this time around.

Like I said before: this is book 5 of the series so you pretty much know what you’re getting yourself into: vivid imagery, lush details, well-thought our characters, and a plot that will keep you flipping the pages until the early morning hours. If you haven’t read the series … what are you waiting for? I think one of the biggest reasons I love this series is the originality of it all. In a world chock full of paranormal romance that is dominated by the all mighty vampire and werewolf (and faeries), this is a welcome breath of fresh air.

Buy: Amazon

Follow Friday (3)

    


Q. Have you ever wanted a villain to win at the end of a story? If so, which one?

I don't know that they were villains, but I couldn't help but hope Lochan and Maya somehow made it work in Tabitha Suzuma's Forbidden. As a brother and sister in love, it was so wrong, but something about them was just kinda ... perfect. Sigh. I'm still torn about this one.

 

Review & Giveaway: Isle of Night by Veronica Wolff

Title: Isle of Night

Author: Veronica Wolff

Publisher: NAL Trade

Publication Date: 9.6.2011

Pages: 320

Genre: Paranormal, Horror

Series: Yes (Watchers #1)

Copy: Advanced reader copy sent by publisher for review

Rating: B+

Summary (from Goodreads):

When Annelise meets dark and seductive Ronan, he promises her a new life-if she has the courage to chance the unknown. Now, she's whisked away to a mysterious island and pitted against other female recruits to become a Watcher-girls who are partnered with vampires and assist them in their missions. To survive and become a Watcher, Annelise has to beat out every other girl, but she's determined to do so, because to fail doesn't mean dishonor-it means death.

Review:

Whatever I expected when I started reading Isle of Night, it wasn’t this. I guess I expected Veronica Wolff’s novel to be more romance and seduction and what I got was hard-core action and horror. Not that that is a bad thing! Far from it. I think I got used to the sweet, girl-meets-hot-guy-and-they-fall-in-love storyline that most YA vampire-centric novels throw at me. While there is a romantic element to this book, it was most definitely not the front running story.

Annelise is a girl who has been kicked around all her life. She’s crazy-smart, but has never had a chance to escape her nightmare of a life until now. Only it turns out her great escape turns into a huge joke and she’s left in an even worse situation than she was before. Enter Ronan, the guy with all the answers.

Truthfully? I found the beginning to be somewhat ludicrous. I mean, what person gets into a plane with a guy she just met? Hot or not, Annelise just seemed too smart for that. Luckily that is explained later, but I was left wondering what was going on for quite a little while. It actually annoyed me to an extent, and I felt like this could be a deterrent to some readers. Stick with it, and I swear it will make perfect sense.

Once I got a few chapters in, though, I was well and truly hooked. I loved learning about Annelise’s training as a Watcher, as well as the trials she was put through. Some of them literally had me gaping open-mouthed at the pages. It wasn’t long before I genuinely cared for Annelise, and was rooting hard for her to prevail. She’s a strong, smart character that I couldn’t help but like.

One thing I must advise is that I don’t recommend this book for younger teens. It was, at times, quite graphic in the violence. Other than that, it’s a darkly written tale of survival of the fittest. I can’t wait to get my hands on the rest of this series and find out what happens to Annelise.

Buy: Amazon

GIVEAWAY!

One lucky person will win their own copy of Isle of Night by Veronica Wolff, generously donated by NAL Trade. Sorry, but this contest is for US residents only.

To win, simply reply to this review (make sure you include your email address!). I'll select the winner via random.org on September 30, 2011.

Waiting on Wednesday (11)

"Waiting On"  Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking  the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

 

This week I'm waiting on....

 

 

 

Don't Breathe a Word

by: Holly Cupala 

 

Here's the Goodreads blurb:

Joy Delamere is suffocating...

From asthma, which has nearly claimed her life. From her parents, who will do anything to keep that from happening. From delectably dangerous Asher, who is smothering her from the inside out.

Joy can take his words—tender words, cruel words—until the night they go too far.

Now, Joy will leave everything behind to find the one who has offered his help, a homeless boy called Creed. She will become someone else. She will learn to survive. She will breathe…if only she can get to Creed before it’s too late.

Set against the gritty backdrop of Seattle’s streets and a cast of characters with secrets of their own, Holly Cupala’s powerful new novel explores the subtleties of abuse, the meaning of love, and how far a girl will go to discover her own strength. 

 

Why I need to read this one:

As a longtime asthmatic, I will admit that is the first thing that caught my attention. I know - kinda strange, right? But I can complete relate to literally fighting for air, and I'm wondering how Holly Cupala writes this. And I love this idea that this novel is about a girl learning to find herself.

 

Don't Breathe a Word will be released 1.3.2011 by HarperTeen

Review: Waterfall by Lisa Tawn Bergren

Title: Waterfall

Author: Lisa Tawn Bergren

Publisher:  David C. Cook

Publication Date: 2.1.2011

Pages: 352

Genre: Historical, Time Travel, Contemporary

Series: Yes (River of Time #1)

Source: Purchased from Amazon.com

Rating: A+

Summary (from Goodreads):

In Waterfall, American teenager Gabi Betarrini accidently finds herself in Fourteenth-Century Italy . . . Knights. Swords. Horses. Armor. And Italian hotties. Most American teens want an Italian vacation, but the Betarrini sisters have spent every summer of their lives there with their archaeologist parents. Stuck on yet another hot, dusty dig, they are bored out of their minds... until they place their hands atop handprints in an ancient tomb and find themselves catapulted into the Fourteenth Century and in the middle of a fierce battle between knights bent on killing one another.

Review:

Time to divulge a little known, deep dark secret: It has always been my secret fantasy to time-travel back to medieval times. Seriously, I kid you not. Without even realizing it, Lisa Tawn Bergren tapped into one of my deepest desires, so is it any wonder I am head-over-heels in love with this series?

I was skeptical about reading a time travel book. I love time travel in movies, but in movies I don’t have to imagine the world twisting and melting into something new—the visual is provided for me. I wasn;t certain Bergren could pull it off without the story becoming hokey and laughable. But she did it in spades. I felt like I was taken back with Gabi and Lia.

Take away my geekish fantasies of being whisked to another time and place, this story is rife (See that? Using ‘old’ words) with fantastic characters and gripping action. The novel is told from Gabi’s point of view, and I cannot remember a heroine I have loved more. She is strong, but not so strong that she doesn’t have her moments of genuine breakdown over her situation. I also adored when Gabi used her knowledge of modern medicine to try and help some people. Again, another secret fantasy is to not only go back in time, but to wow them with my awesome “abilities” that we take for granted here (like cleaning a room to help someone with allergies or asthma).

Even though the story is told entirely from Gabi’s first person point-of-view, Lia is just as amazing. I only wish she could have been in more of the book. As for the male lead(s) Marcello and Luca are the reasons I need to build my own time machine or start excavating some tombs ASAP. I miss that age of chivalry and knights, of long dresses and honor.

I honestly cannot figure out why I waited so long to start this series. Thank goodness I bought the second book in the series, Cascade, at the same time. I already started it and am at chapter four. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go finish that book.

Buy: Amazon

Review: Deadly Cool by Gemma Halliday

Title: Deadly Cool

Author: Gemma Halliday

Publisher: HarperTeen

Publication Date: 10.11.2011

Pages: 272

Genre: Contemporary, Mystery

Series: No

Copy: ARC provided by HarperTeen for review

Rating: A

Summary (from Goodreads):

Hartley Grace Featherstone is having a very bad day. First she finds out that her boyfriend is cheating on her with the president of the Herbert Hoover High School Chastity Club. Then he's pegged as the #1 suspect in a murder. And if that weren't enough, now he's depending on Hartley to clear his name. Seriously? Not cool. But as much as Hartley wouldn't mind seeing him squirm, she knows he's innocent, and she's the only one who can help him. Along with her best friend, Sam, and the school's resident Bad Boy, Chase, Hartley starts investigating on her own. But as the dead bodies begin to pile up, the mystery deepens, the suspects multiply, and Hartley begins to fear that she may be the killer's next victim.

Review:

Veronica Mars, watch out: there’s a new super sleuth in town and she’s doing it with just as much comedy and snark as you. Hartley Featherstone is one fabulous character, and I adore Gemma Halliday for creating her. This book is a fun, fast, and dazzling read.

As if finding out your boyfriend is cheating on you with the president of the chastity club isn’t bad enough, you find said president’s dead body in your boyfriend ex-boyfriend’s closet. Hartley has some serious issues she’s dealing with, and that’s before the end of chapter 2. While this story could quickly morph into the tragic, emotionally-wrought tale of a teenage girl whose boyfriend cheated, Hartley handles this whole situation with such grace and wit, I fell in love with her immediately.

While Hartley is the lead (and a wonderful one at that), she’s surrounded by a fabulous cast. Josh, the cheater and suspected murderer amused me to no end. He provided a lot of comic relief for me, mainly because his idiotic statements gave Hartley some awesome, one-line zingers. Sam was a great, supportive best friend. I loved her. And Chase? He rocked. I gleefully anticipated any of his scenes. He and Hartley were fabulous together. Their chemistry sizzled on every page.

This is a great read for teens and adults. The pace is quick, the dialogue is sharp, and the plot is tight. This book was a delight to read, and I’ll be recommending it to all of my friends.

Buy: Amazon (Pre-Order)

Review: Fateful by Claudia Gray

Title: Fateful

Author: Claudia Gray

Publisher:  HarperTeen

Publication Date: 9.13.2011

Pages: 356

Genre: Historical, Paranormal Romance

Series: No

Source: ARC from a friend

Rating: A-

Summary (from Goodreads):

It's about a servant girl named Tess in 1912, who wants to escape from the house where she works, and most particularly the lecherous young lord of the manor. But that's not her biggest problem. While on a voyage to America, where she plans to escape and start a new life, she meets Alec, who's ruggedly handsome, fabulously wealthy, intelligent and yet so clearly troubled that she'd rather not fall for him, but she does. That also is not her biggest problem. Alec, it turns out, is a werewolf ... one cursed to change every night, unless and until he surrenders his independence and joins the Brotherhood, a pack of violently misogynistic werewolves who have been tracking him for months. You'd think that would be their biggest problem, wouldn't you?

But no. Their biggest problem -- though they don't know it yet -- is that they're aboard the RMS Titanic.

Review:

I’m fairly certain that by now everyone knows this story has been pitched as werewolves on the Titanic. Having never read a novel by Claudia Gray, I thought, “Well, I like werewolves and the Titanic. Why not?” What I did not foresee was the way this story would drag me under and consume me, making me late for work in my quest to get to the end.

I think I could enjoy any book where the setting was the Titanic. It immediately takes me back to a place in time where things were more regal and majestic. The name of that ill-fated ship alone conjures images of grandiose people looking hopefully towards the future with no clue what fate has in store for them. Needless to say, I was a huge fan of the setting of this book, but setting and circumstance mean nothing without a well-rounded cast to keep me entertained.

I felt so bad for Tess, and I hated how trapped she was. In a time where people were defined by their social class, she is essentially stuck. She’s found work as a servant, but she is treated cruelly by most of the Lisle family, the exception being Irene. Despite her bleak surroundings, she hasn’t lost her heart and that is what endeared her to me most. No matter how bad it got, she kept fighting. I also think her love with Alec will go down as one of my favorite book-romances of all time. They are, simply put, magic together. The way they protect and love each other is the stuff every girl dreams of.

While there is the obvious storyline of Tess and Alec and the Brotherhood, Gray weaves in several smaller storylines that really flesh out and pull this novel together. I loved Irene and Daisy’s stories, and the third class passengers I got to meet aboard the ship. They all enhanced the overall story, and not once did I get confused by all the added characters. Gray does a great job of giving them each their own, distinct personality and voice.

The story started a bit slow for my tastes, but quickly skyrocketed and swept me away. Bottom line: If you love the Titanic, read this. If you love werewolves, read this. If you love a fantastical romance? Read this. You won’t be sorry you bought this one.

Buy: Amazon