REVIEW: Free to Fall by Lauren Miller

            What if there was an app that told you what song to listen to, what coffee to order, who to date, even what to do with your life—an app that could ensure your complete and utter happiness?

            What if you never had to fail or make a wrong choice?

            What if you never had to fall?

            Fast-forward to a time when Apple and Google have been replaced by Gnosis, a monolith corporation that has developed the most life-changing technology to ever hit the market: Lux, an app that flawlessly optimizes decision making for the best personal results.

            Just like everyone else, sixteen-year-old Rory Vaughn knows the key to a happy, healthy life is following what Lux recommends. When she’s accepted to the elite boarding school Theden Academy, her future happiness seems all the more assured. But once on campus, something feels wrong beneath the polished surface of her prestigious dream school.

            Then she meets North, a handsome townie who doesn’t use Lux, and begins to fall for him and his outsider way of life. Soon, Rory is going against Lux’s recommendations, listening instead to the inner voice that everyone has been taught to ignore—a choice that leads her to uncover a truth neither she nor the world ever saw coming.

            This review is a little difficult for me to write, because I honestly on the fence about Free to Fall by Lauren Miller. It was good, but it did not enthrall me. There was never really a point when I absolutely could not put the book down. The writing wasn’t bad or boring, and neither was the plot. Yet again and again I found reasons to put the book down. This is one of the reasons why the book did not get a higher rating.

            Another reason was the love story. A young adult book should never end with a couple in a position where they’re basically already in “old-married-couple” status. That’s just not how it works. Love develops in YA because that’s how the real world is: you love and you learn. So it definitely iffed me when they were such a set-in-stone couple but they barely knew each other. On top of that, Rory kept a major secret from North for basically the entirety of the book and somehow it didn’t bother him nearly enough when he found out. I’m not buying it. And then North is a hacker? How convenient is that?

            The next thing was Dr. Tarsus’ allergy to gelatin. It just felt one of those things that got added in to heighten the intensity and elevate the plot. If Dr. Tarsus is allergic to gelatin then she’s allergic to a lot more because you have no idea what animal byproducts you’re getting when you consume gelatin. It was a rushed add-in, and there was not enough research put into it. While the product the gelatin was put into was well researched (all the bio-tech products were well written), I’m mainly speaking of Dr. Tarsus when I throw out the words “not well researched”. Her character was written as a shapeshifter, and she served that purpose well but was not well written I feel.

            I wasn’t a huge fan of Hershey’s character. I’ve read some reviews where she was a lot of peoples’ favorite, but she was a rat to me. She was a rat in the beginning, a rat when Rory found out her secret, and a rat in the end when she was…you guessed it, a rat. Yet everyone quickly forgave her in the end and I almost threw the book out the window. I just wanted to shake Rory till her head fell off.

            The next thing was Miller’s description of the Fibonacci sequence that tied her whole book together. I never ever understood what picture she was trying to paint in my mind. I had no idea what the sequence looked like throughout the entire book. I literally just looked it up because I forgot to every time it came up in the story (which was a lot mind you). Could she not have alluded it to a conch shell or something?

            The last thing that really got me was Rory’s mother’s knowledge of the secret society. It was sort of explained in the book, but I didn’t like how it was just thrown in. How could Rory’s mom know about the layout of the secret society’s lair? The girl must have had an IQ greater than 10 Einsteins combined. I think I would have liked to read her story more.

            I actually had a lot more bad to say than I initially thought I did. I didn’t think I’d end up with such a long review, but here we are. The bad reasons and my lack of a desire to stay invested in the book are really what brought the book down to three stars. What gave it that redeeming half star, you ask? What brought the book from mere mediocrity to decency? The detail.

            While I’m not a huge conspiracy-thriller reader, this book made me appreciate the genre. There are a lot of twists that need to occur, and big reveals that need to happen. That’s something that Miller did incredibly well. The world felt very real. It seems like a completely plausible reality for our very near future. So the detail with the conspiracy and the biotech world really sold the book for me. While I was not a huge fan of the interpersonal relations between all of the characters, the plot and world inevitably sold me the book.

XOXO Tia

REVIEW: Tithe by Holly Black

            Sixteen-year-old Kaye is modern nomad. Fierce and independent, she travels from city to city with her mother’s rock band until an ominous attack forces Kaye back to her childhood home. There, amid the industrial, blue-collar New Jersey backdrop, Kaye soon finds herself an unwilling pawn in an ancient power struggle between two rival faerie kingdoms—a struggle that could very well mean her death.

            First off, Merry Early Christmas everybody! Second, Tithe by Holly Black is hands down one of my all-time favorite books ever. That being said, there are still a few things that could have been better, favorite author/book or not.

            The first thing that still jars me a little to this day, even after many a reread, is the awkward continuation of the book after the tithe ceremony. It was just such a good time to end the book but then it weirdly continued on. Sure, there was still more of the story to be told, but it just felt like the end of book one.

            Granted, I totally understand book deals and all that mumbo jumbo so there probably wasn’t a potential two-book deal or anything even though there needed to be one. The rest of the story had to be told, but with it came an uncomfortable hump in the story.

            Another thing that bugged me was the very end of the book. Seriously, Kaye? If you’ve read the story, you’ll understand my frustrations with her.

            Aside from that, there’s only praise from me. However, if this were any other book, that hump in the middle would have docked the book at least one whole star. It’s that awkward.

            Let’s get to the characters: they’re grungy and flawed and totally real. A lot of people will call these urban characters too over the top and unreal, but hellooooo it’s a book and I’m not entirely unconvinced that urban teens aren’t identical to those in the book.

            I think Kaye is an awesome protagonist. She’s lived her whole life on the move and not only has this made her fiercely independent, but also quite sassy. And I love sassy. She straight up commands a faerie knight to kiss her ass. Lovely.

            Corny is also a great character, mainly because he’s such a raw character. He’s homosexual, but not in the overly effeminine sort of way that is way overused. Corny is such a ****ed up character (excuse my wingding), and that’s refreshing. You don’t get to read a lot of characters like Corny, especially not in YA.

            Then there’s Roiben, with whom I am completely in love. Sure, it’s a little unreasonable. I’m a piddly blogger, and he’s a sexy faerie knight in love with a pixie. It could still happen!

            All of the characters were great though, and that definitely helped my eyes glaze over the awkward plot humps and hurries. It’s Black’s first solo book, so there’s obviously going to be a few mistakes. The fact of the matter, however, is that this book is dark and gritty when not so many are in the YA world (at least not back when Tithe was published). It really opened not only my eyes, but also those of the YA readership to the dark potential of faerie tales, and that’s a rather amazing accomplishment.

            There are plenty of people either on the love side of the Tithe fence or the hate side. Not many dare to sit on top of the fence, including myself. I’m clearly living in a condo on the love side, and that’s not likely ever going to change. Tithe is definitely a great book to check out if you love stories involving dark matter and faeries. Happy Holidays and Happy Reading. May your presents be plentiful with books.

XOXO Tia

REVIEW: Born Wicked by Jessica Spotswood

            Everybody knows Cate Cahill and her sisters are eccentric. Too pretty, too reclusive, and far too educated for their own good. But the truth is even worse: they’re witches. And if their secret is discovered by the priests of the Brotherhood, it would mean an asylum, a prison ship—or an early grave. Before her mother died, Cate promised to protect her sisters. But with only six months left to choose between marriage and the Sisterhood, she might not be able to keep her word…especially after she finds her mother’s diary, uncovering a secret that could spell her family’s destruction.

            Desperate to find alternative to their fate, Cate starts scouring banned books and questioning rebellious new friends, all while juggling tea parties, shocking marriage proposals, and a forbidden romance with the completely unsuitable Finn Belastra. If what her mother wrote is true, the Cahill girls aren’t safe. Not from the Brotherhood, the Sisterhood—not even from each other.

            I really did not think I was going to like this book, but it just goes to show that my love of witchery reigns true and forevermore. Why didn’t I think I was going to like this book? Two words: historical fiction. Granted, it’s actually a historical alternate universe so I don’t think I’ve conquered my fears and hatred for history just yet. The whole historical alternate universe thing was incredibly abrupt and jarring. I had no idea what I was getting into with this one apparently, and I was not let into the world gently. Once I got through the first few chapters of bad introduction to alternate history, I was rather hooked.

            I’ve never fancied myself a lover of religious tones or of British historical tones. With Born Wicked, it really worked. And well. What tied everything together so perfect weren’t so much the witches but what they represented: feminism. In a book so laden with power solely in the religious sect, there had to be oppression and a sort of historical dystopian feel.

            Interesting? I certainly thought so. Plus, I’m a sucker for a book with a good level of oppression. Everything in the world was perfectly cast under the light of this oppressive religious sect. The more unorthodox places overseas where women wear pants and live with other women, and the fact that being a lesbian or someone against the Brotherhood is almost treasonous. This could have just been a historical alternate world where the women’s suffragette begins before the twentieth century. But then Jessica Spotswood went and threw in one of my all-time favorite tropes: witches.

            Witches are not a bad addition to this world though. They give sense to the story. This is a time when witches were already persecuted in real history, so just buffed up that and added some depth created, literally, a whole world of writing possibilities.

            All in all, I can go ahead and just say that the world of this book is amazingly succinct with the tropes utilized. I really loved the world even though it was difficult to get in to (but I don’t think I particularly enjoyed the first chapter and how the book got started). Another thing I loved were the characters. They were amazing and completely real.

            An important trope in this story is family, or better yet sisters. The conversations and quarrels between the three sisters in the book are so real, I could see it happening between my own sister and I, only with less magic (though I not saying we wouldn’t try). Each sister was incredibly different in her own way, but you could still tell they were related. And not just because they all lived in the same house.

            I hated whom I was supposed to hate, and loved who I was supposed to love, which is really what good stories are supposed to do. Now to the love triangle. I know, love triangles really need to stop already. They are the most overused trope ever, but we keep reading them. While this story did have a love triangle, it never really felt like one.

            There was Paul, the boy from Cate’s childhood who understood her past and has recently come home from school in New England. I just want to throw in that I hated him right when he mentioned he courted others girls before her. Rude! But he came back to Chatham to ask Cate to marry him. He didn’t even have the gall to come home after Cate’s mother died. If anyone was unsuitable for Cate, it was Paul.

            Finn, on the other hand, is there for her. He’s rather like the Darcy to her Elizabeth in a way. Sure, they don’t seem to get along when first introduced together to us readers, but love and feelings still develop. Here’s why there’s not really a love triangle and Cate belongs with Finn:

            When Cate and Paul were together, Cate was young and spirited. She was wild and adventurous. Once her mother died, Cate had to step into her mother’s shoes in you will. She became less of an out-spoken spirited and more mentally spirited. Paul wanted to marry the girl who used to do dares and climb trees recklessly. Cate is no longer that girl and she knows it even though Paul is too dull. Stepping into her mothers’ shoes, Cate has become a reserved spirited, or rather just incredibly similar to her mother. Stepping into someone’s shoes has a funny way of turning you into that person as we’ve learned from Adam Sandler The Cobbler.

            Cate’s mother was the spirited and reckless type, and was a pawn for the Sisterhood. She had to become more reserved and married a quietly reckless man who fought the Brotherhood secretly. When Cate stepped into her mother’s shoes, she too needed to follow in her mothers’ footsteps and fall for a man that was a quiet fighter and that was not Paul. It was Finn Belastra, the boy whose mother owned a bookstore (outrageous!) with banned books hidden inside!

            So to me, there was never a love triangle. It was always clear to me at least that Paul was never a contender, but books will be books and triangles will always be drawn in the sand.

            In the end, this book was great. The feminism, the oppression, the witchcraft, the secrecy, the tea parties, the forbidden love. It was all for me, and I loved it all. The only issue I had was the beginning of the book. The first few chapters almost turned this book into a DF, but I trudged through and thank goodness I did! I was seriously really worried I was going to hate this one, but the feminism and witches won me over.

XOXO Tia

REVIEW: The Girl from the Well by Rin Chupeco

            I am where dead children go.
            Okiku is a lonely soul. She has wandered the world for centuries, freeing the spirits of the murdered dead. Once a victim herself, she now takes the lives of killers with the vengeance they’re due. But releasing innocent ghosts from their ethereal tethers does not bring Okiku peace. Still she drifts on.
            Such is her existence, until she meets Tark. Evil writhes beneath the moody teen’s skin, trapped by a series of intricate tattoos. While the neighbors fear him, Okiku knows the boy is not a monster. Tark needs to be freed from the malevolence that clings to him. There’s just one problem: if the demon dies, so does its host.

            There aren’t a lot of books that come around with fresh writing in the young adult world. The young adult world is largely controlled by trends. Rin Chupeco’s The Girl from the Well brings a lot of things into the genre that had not previously been there.
            The Girl from the Well reads like a horror film, which is reasonable since the legend Okiku belongs to be the same legend from which the film The Ring was born. I knew from the first chapter, when I was introduced to Okiku and her spine-tingling profession that I was going to love the book. Girl who hangs upside down and kills murderers? Sign me up! But not only are there a lot of really spooky scares, but the writing is superb. Plus, the Japanese lore shined through beautifully, as did all of the characters.
            There weren’t a lot of things I thought could have been done better, honestly. The only thing that stuck out to me as annoying was the lack of emphasis on the fact that if the demon inside Tarquin dies, he dies too. This wasn’t really showcased well; only in tiny little actions do we see it. I definitely think the ending could have used a little more build up in this department to make the ending pop better. Then there was the awkward shift between the U.S. and Japan that was obvious. There was just too much of a lapse in time between leaving the U.S. and finally going to Yagen Valley, and it was awkward.
            But that’s pretty much it for the cons. The characters were all amazingly well rounded, and the method of making Okiku the narrator/protagonist/omniscient POV was perfect. There were so many places that we as the readers needed to be, and Okiku being the main character provided for that.
            This might be my shortest review because the book was just brilliant. The lore, the horror, the characters, the plot. I loved it all. Plus, it’s still NaNoWriMo while I’m writing up this review, and that means I’m a little busy. But at least I’m not neglecting my other duties. Seriously, though, check out this book if you love horror even slightly as much as I do. I think this book could bring some great new ideas and stories to the young adult genre.

XOXO Tia

REVIEW: Doll Bones by Holly Black

            Zach, Poppy and Alice have been friend for ever. They love playing with their action figure toys, imagining a magical world of adventure and heroism. But disaster strikes when, without warning, Zach’s father throws out all his toys, declaring he’s too old for them. Zach is furious, confused and embarrassed, deciding that the only way to cope is to stop playing…and stop being friends with Poppy and Alice. But one night the girls pay Zach a visit, and tell him about a series of mysterious occurrences. Poppy swears that she is now being haunted by a china doll—who claims that it is made from the ground-up bones of a murdered girl. They must return the doll to where the girl lived, and bury it. Otherwise the three children will be cursed for eternity…

            Now I won’t lie. This review might just be a little bit of a love letter to Holly Black, so be forewarned. Ever since I first read Tithe, I fell in love with Black’s style of writing.  She’s always able to turn the most mundane, non-special of settings into something completely magical. With Tithe there was the industrial-ness of the setting that made it deadly for the fae, but then there was still the magical undertones and secret world. Doll Bones really brought me back to that enchanting feeling, but in a new way.

            The setting in Doll Bones is really anything but magical. All the magic occurs in the minds of the three main characters—Zach, Poppy and Alice. I really connected with these three because I was absolutely one of those kids that played make-believe with dolls for “too long,” but I never really stopped. I just moved mediums and became a writer! But it was amazing to get to see this ordinary world through the eyes of a group of friends with extraordinary imaginations.

            Since the world was ordinary, there wasn’t a lot of apparent magic, just whatever the kids came up with. There was, however, that little pinch of creepiness that Black likes to sow in all of her book. Most all of the adults, when looking at the friends, saw four kids instead of just three because of Eleanor the haunted bone china doll. It was the perfect amount of eerie to take the book to the next spooky level.

            The book was really a perfect look at childhood and growing up (and how much it sucks). This quest to lay the china doll to rest is sort of these kids’ last chance to be together and go on adventures like they’ve done so often throughout their lives so far. This is the last quest before they have to grow up, and that makes the book almost even more terrifying.

            What I would have really loved to see in this book is a more omniscient POV. The majority of the story is told through Zach’s eyes and that made him immediately a dynamic character. Poppy and Alice, however, were not so dynamic. I found myself getting confused as to which girl was which, and I think getting to see a little more about them would have been great. Of course, at the same time I loved the mystery of being in one, singular person’s POV.

            I honestly didn’t find much else to be wrong with the story. I think everything worked really well and I absolutely adored it. Holly Black has yet to let me down.

XOXO Tia