Splintered

I'm on a roll! Third review of the day. I didn't lie when I said that I wasn't slack on the reading front during my holiday. Anyhow, this book was particularly interesting. If you don't know, I have a thing for both re-tellings and Wonderland, so I present to you:

Splintered by A. G. Howard

Genre: Young Adult, Re-telling, Paranormal Romance
Pages: 371
Favourite Quotes: "Jen said some guy asked you but you didn't want to go. Why not?" I shrug. "I have this character flaw? Called dignity?"
"No one knows what he or she is capable of until things are at their darkest."
"Sometimes a flame must level a forest to ash before new growth can begin. I believe Wonderland needed scouring."

Alyssa Gardner hears the thoughts of plants and animals. She hides her delusions for now, but she knows her fate: she will end up like her mother, in an institution. Madness has run in her family ever since her great-great-great-grandmother Alice Liddell told Lewis Carroll her strange dreams, inspiring his classic Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.
But perhaps she's not mad. And perhaps Carroll's stories aren't as whimsical as they first seem.
To break the curse of insanity, Alyssa must go down the rabbit hole and right the wrongs of Wonderland, a place full of strange beings with dark agendas. Alyssa brings her real-world crush - the protective Jeb - with her, but once her journey begins, she's torn between his solidity and the enchanting, dangerous magic of Morpheus, her guide to Wonderland.
But no one in Wonderland is who they seem to be - not even Alyssa herself.

I am weak when it comes to re-tellings, particularly those that have writing as eloquent and enchanting as this one. And the plot? Consider me sold. However, before I go on, if you happen to own a hardcover copy, remove the dust jacket. You are welcome. Personally, I prefer to read hardcover books without the dust jacket and, every now and then, you get these wonderful books that have these fantastic yet simple designs hidden beneath their covers. I was pleasantly surprised with what I've found underneath this one. Also, let me take a moment to give a shout out to the author, Anita Grace Howard, for her vivid imagination and her ability to accurately grasp a fascinatingly morbid and gruesome Wonderland. It has been a very thrilling ride and I thank you for it.

Now, to the story itself. The concept of a curse following the descendants of Alice Liddell intrigued me, and I regret not reading this book sooner, since I've had it for almost a year now. I can't even decide what my favourite aspect of the book is - the warped versions of the Wonderland characters, the matching explanations linking it to the original book, or the characters and events themselves. I mean, Alyssa is an artist that uses dead bugs for her creations. Or, in her words: "I've been collecting bugs since I was ten; it's the only way I can stop their whispers. Sticking a pin through the gut of an insect shuts it up pretty quick." Ladies and Gentlemen, that was the opening line. I hope that gives you an understanding over just how difficult it was for me to rip myself away from this book, though I had to on several occasions. It's one of those books that force you to step away for a minute to absorb the sheer detail so that you can accurately grasp the mass of awesomeness that it's made of. To be honest, I wouldn't be surprised if the book was made of Netherling dust, it's that unique.

I mean, the history the book deals with alone is massive. There's the history of the Red and White court, the thing I cannot name because it's a spoiler and the other thing I cannot name because... Oh, well, let's just say that the history is massive, okay?

There's also a love triangle. I personally have grown to dislike those a lot, but I think this book pulls it off, mainly because I feel that Jeb represents Alyssa's humanity, whereas Morpheus represents the part she plays in Wonderland. I don't actually like Jeb as much as I think I should. It's become a theme to have a very protective character boyfriend thing, and I just really disliked Jeb for some of his actions. And his relationship with Taelor... But he does come through at some points (*cough* recognition *cough*), so I'm going to peg my feelings as skeptical.

Morpheus is another story entirely though. He's shady, to say the least, but I adore him. He is easily my favorite character, to be honest, though I should probably condemn him for some of his actions. But no, I think he's a genius and a very well written one at that. You can never quite tell where his motives are, and that keeps you on your toes. I love it.

Alyssa? I love her reasonableness. There are things I don't like about her, such as the swooning over Jeb in inappropriate situations, but other than that I think she is a great character and very intelligent at that. I like what she did to her Wish (it's not a spoiler since I don't tell you what she does, ha!) and her defiance to what is happening, while not morphing into a rebel without a cause. The way she narrates things is excellent to and you can really see the emotions she feels lift off the page.

The tension in the book is surreal. There's the time limit to remove the curse, due to Alison, and the pressure to get Jeb back into the real world. Also, the tension between Morpheus and the Alyssa is rather intriguing as well, especially their history (I did say there was a lot of history). And the Red Queen! Don't get me started on her. The revelation on who everyone was and what that meant... It was unfathomable and absolutely perfect. I absolutely loved the complexity of the plot and I'm thrilled that there it's actually a trilogy. So, my advice to you? Get on that band wagon. Get on it now - you won't regret it (except for the wait for the next two books, that is. I know, I'm close to crying myself.)

Dead to You

A friend of mine, Smeagol, bought this book when we visited a nearby book store during our holiday. So, shout out to her for resigning to the fact that I won't stop grabbing it whenever she isn't looking. It's difficult to room with me once I have my eyes set on a book of yours, I admit. I'm not sorry.

Dead to You by Lisa McMann

Genre: Contemporary Young Adult
Pages: 288
Favourite Quotes: "Maybe you don't have to remember something for it to be true. For it to exist."

Ethan was abducted from his front garden when he was just seven years old. Now, at sixteen, he has returned to his family. It's a miracle. At first. Then the tensions start to build, and his family starts falling apart all over again. If only Ethan could remember something, anything, about his life before, he'd be able to put the pieces back together. But there's something that's keeping his memory blocked. Something unspeakable.

Despite my enthusiasm to read this book, and my refusal to give it up, I'm still torn on whether or not I actually like it. There were only three things that I truly liked about this novel: the scene between Ethan and his mother, the relationship between Ethan and Grace and the complexity of Blake's personality. So, I shall begin there. Ethan's mother's steadfast belief in him and the scene they shared (if you read the book, you know which one I mean), really warmed me. I thought it was an excellent display of both their characters and it was a really promising aspect of the story line, which is why I was upset that the author didn't pursue it (but we'll get to that later). The relationship between Grace and Ethan was easily my favourite, especially their lunch box messages. That was perhaps the best part of the book because it felt real and really stood out as such. Blake's personality was, from Ethan's point of view, very foul and not at all likable, but I felt myself drawn to him. I think it's mainly because I tried to grip the characters in a point of view that wasn't Ethan's, since his narration didn't really appeal to me at all. He had his moments of course, but, well, nope. Out of all the characters, I think Lisa McMann did the best with Blake because he is the only reasonable and realistic character out of the lot. He makes the most sense and was the only one that actually showed any kind of character development. Of course, I disliked him at first, because I couldn't quite grasp his reluctance to be happy at his brother's return, but I warmed up to him quickly once I understood his point of view. I can't tell you what that is though, since it's a spoiler, but I think it's the only bit of the plot that actually mattered. Which is why I am going to go into the 'meh' part about my feelings over this book now.

I don't exactly dislike Ethan, but I thought his character was ridiculous. He has been missing for nine years and comes back only to ogle the girl next door? I'm sorry, but that just doesn't work out for me. He might be a boy, but I found this so out of place and downright offensive, let alone stereotypical. I'm not a boy, but I can assure you that sex isn't the main topic in their minds, especially when faced with a family you have lost for nine years. I think the most profound moment he had is when he stated that he "Feels like I'm in a play and I don't know all my lines." It was ruined though, with his constant lust for Cami and flashbacks to his sex life. He had potential, but he didn't arise to it. In fact, I think his character development regressed. A lot. And isn't that the whole point? To see a character change when faced in a certain event? He just became shallower, in my opinion, and more indifferent to what was happening until he was actually threatened by the events. SPOILER ALERT: He just runs away from his problems.

No. Just no.

I'm not even going to get started on Cami. Again, failed to arise to potential. Really, the only two characters that stood out to me were Grace and Blake. And when a six year old and her lunch box as well as an attention seeking 13 year old show more complexity and importance than the main character, who was missing for nine years and is - in theory- attempting to regain his footing in his family - then you know that the book just hasn't worked out the way it should have. And the ending? I think the author was aiming for a dramatic cliff hanger but ended up just stopping the book half way through. I suppose what bothers me most about this book is the lack of potential in everything. The writing itself, I found, suited the book well (Lisa McMann effectively used very simple writing to get the story across, so her writing wasn't the problem), but the lack of exploration and the half-hearted plot ruined it.

In conclusion, I think the book was okay, though it has quite a lot of faults and didn't arise to my expectations of it. It's a quick read and it does have its moments, so I wouldn't say that it's a terrible read. It's okay, but it could have been so much better.

Girl of Nightmares

*peeks around the corner, shamefaced* Uh, hi guys. *leans back quickly to avoid tomatoes* I'M SORRY OKAY. I thought that I would be able to access my blog during my holiday but I was mistaken (doesn't happen often, heh ;3) So, yes, I'm still alive. Also, no, I didn't spend two weeks reading the same book. If it amends my hiatus, I'd like to let you know that I read quite a lot of books. I also bought a lot of new books during my holiday, which I'll quickly devour and bring to you! Anyhow, to the overdue review! *cautiously steps out of hiding*

Girl of Nightmares (Anna #2) by Kendare Blake

Genre: Young Adult Horror
Pages: 332
Favourite Quotes: Again, Kendare Blake offers a series of favourites to me, and since I can hardly go and quote the whole book, I will provide you with a single quote that broke me apart, burned my individual bits to crisps and dunked them in to a solution of my tears. SPOILER WARNING (to see the quote, highlight the gap below):

"And then I let her go."

It's been months since the ghost of Anna Korlov opened a door to Hell in her basement and disappeared into it, but ghost hunter Cas Lowood can't move on.
His friends remind him that Anna sacrificed herself so that Cas could live - not walk around half dead. He knows they're right, but in Cas's eyes, no living girl he meets can compare to the dead girl he fell in love with.
Now, he's seeing Anna everywhere: sometimes when he's asleep, and sometimes in waking nightmares. But something is very wrong... these aren't just daydreams. Anna seems tortured, torn apart in new and ever more gruesome ways every time she appears.
Cas doesn't know what happened to Anna when she disappeared into Hell, but he knows she doesn't deserve whatever is happening to her now. Anna saved Cas more than once, and it's time for him to return the favor.

Perhaps it was good that I had so much time to reflect on what I would say about this book. I assume you've read my review of Anna Dressed In Blood and are aware of how many feels I have over these characters, the story line and the author's writing. Well, multiply that by infinity and you have what this book made me feel. Yeah, you read that right. The first book tore me apart, but this one propelled my feels to another solar system. And despite all the time I had, I still don't know how to string 26 letters into a couple of paragraphs that could accurately describe the sobbing ball of emotions I morphed into during the read, let alone the book itself.

But I'm trying.

Girl of Nightmares is, true to its genre, a hauntingly striking sequel. I have read many conclusions or sequels to books that have left me unsatisfied and without closure. As you might have guessed, this book, despite ending with several loose ties, was not one of those books. In fact, it turned its ending into an art form. I have yet to encounter a book that pulls an ending off quite so well and effortlessly at that - giving the reader closure but yet in a way that haunts them for weeks to come. Kendare Blake has truly mastered writing, with her clever and spell binding words, as well as her ability to portray characters, their turmoils and relationships realistically. She writes to the level of real that you cannot help but wonder whether it is you that's actually fictional, as opposed to the characters.

Anna was largely absent for most of the book, yet the book is written in a way that gives that absence a presence more dominant than Cas, who narrates the entire book. And let's not get started on how she is portrayed when there - Kendare Blake manages to make her presence known in a game of double torture from victims Anna and Cas. To be honest, I don't even know who hurt more - Anna, who was literally on fire at one point, or Cas, who had to watch the ordeal helplessly. To give you an example, there is this: "In the sixth row of the theater, in the third chair in, Anna winks at me. Or maybe she just blinks. I can't tell. She's missing half her face." If there was any line that described Cas's desperation to what's happening, then this is it.

There was a fair share of heart wrenching sadness in this book, but we cannot forget the moments that turned my crying sob-ball into hysterical laughter. There was one moment in particular, where I lost my shit, " 'No way. Don't you get it, Cas?' He looks at me disgustedly. 'I ate the fucking gingersnaps.' " It was brilliant. Brilliant indeed. Believe me, when you get to that part, you'll be done. Just done.

And let's not forget the character development. When I say that this book was realistic, I meant it was realistic. These characters don't pretend they are superheroes. They know they can't do everything. They get scared. They show it, and sometimes, they give up for a bit. Because normal people do that. I feel that some authors forget to incorporate that humanity. Of course, not Kendare Blake. She's a master, remember?

This series is a must read. It doesn't matter if you don't read the genre or get scared easily, this book is a must read. Definitely one of my favorite series, from one of my favorite authors, with some of my favorite characters. There are so many things I want to tell you about this book, which I definitely can't because then I'd spoil the whole book, which, I imagine, wouldn't sit well with most of you or me. Either ways, read this beautiful masterpiece. Read it. Now.

And then join the sob fest.

Anna Dressed In Blood

Ladies and gentlemen, I am crushed. Feels are everywhere. I don't even know where to begin. This particular book has been sitting in my book box since the start of the year and I cannot begin to explain how much I regret not reading this sooner. If I'd use star rating, which I don't, I would give this a whole constellation, it was that brilliant. Without further ado, I present to you:

Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake

Genre: Young Adult Horror
Pages: 316
Favorite Quotes: There are several witty and simply awesome quotes. These are random ones I picked out, because I couldn't decide: "Arthur without Excalibur was still Arthur", "But hey, at least we'll have this strange story to tell, love and death and blood and daddy-issues. And holy crap, I'm a psychiatrist's wet dream.", "Imagination has a poor memory; it slinks away and goes blurry. Eyes remember for much longer." Of course, we cannot, absolutely not forget this one awesome line that made me gasp in class: "You fuck - you ate my cat!" (It was a perfect for the situation. Absolutely perfect.)

"It's the old boy meets girl story, if the boy is a wry, self-destructive ghost-hunter bent on avenging his father and the girl is a homicidal ghost trapped in a house full of everyone she's ever murdered..."

Cas Lowood has inherited an unusual vocation: He kills the dead.

So did his father before him, until he was gruesomely murdered by a ghost he sought to kill. Now, armed with his father's mysterious and deadly athame, Cas travels the country with his kitchen-witch mother and their spirit-sniffing cat. They follow legends and local lore, destroy the murderous dead, and keep pesky things like the future and friends at bay.

Searching for a ghost the locals call Anna Dressed in Blood, Cas expects the usual: track, hunt, kill. What he finds instead is a girl entangled in curses and rage, a ghost like he's never faced before. She still wears the dress she wore on the day of her brutal murder in 1958: once white, now stained red and dripping with blood. Since her death, Anna has killed any and every person who has dared to step into the deserted Victorian she used to call home.

Yet she spares Cas's life.

Where do I even begin?

The title. Anna Dressed in Blood. It's beautiful, both in regards to the story and the originality of it, but also in how it sounds. And don't even get me started on that cover or the blood red ink in which the story is printed. (I'm not kidding. Dark red ink. Whoever had this idea needs several pay rises.)

There are few stories that are as original and well rounded as this one, so it is going to be very difficult to describe this book without giving too much away.While the concept of the story was new, it wouldn't have been difficult to fall into the common themes of recent YA books - mainly, unoriginality and romance overshadowing the actual plot. This book did neither. In fact, it did nothing that I expected it to do. First of all, the book is written in first person from the male protagonists point of view. Let's take a moment to appreciate the lovely change from the norm that was, because, let's be honest, girls are running young adult books. Not that that's a bad thing, but it is a refreshing change to have that change. You know what else is a refreshing change? " 'I come in all big and bad, and you use me for a game of handball', I grin. 'Makes a guy feel damn manly. She grins back. 'It made me feel pretty manly.'" We have a hunter here, right? A ghost hunter, one of the rare - if not only - guy that can do what he does. Anna wipes the floor with him. Several times. And that's okay. You know why? Because these characters are damn brilliant, that's why. They're believable. Cas is as tough as he needs to be, without losing his humour or sight of where he's going. But he's also scared. Anna may be one scary little shit, but she still shows more humanity than a lot of books I had skimmed as of late. Friendly reminder: she's not human. Yes, there is a weak tag-along character. No, he doesn't stay an unpopular tag-along character and gets killed off. He isn't brave, but he grows to be. Character development, everyone. Prom Queen? Check. Book that finally acknowledges that not all popular girls are mean and shallow? CHECK. Is she practically useless? Yeah. Does she stay practically useless? No. Why? SHE TRIES.

I don't think I have to go into further detail on my character love. All the kudos for them, all the kudos indeed.

Now, this book has romance in it, as I've mentioned. It's there, budding. But it doesn't properly manifest until about two hundred pages in. That's right. There actually is a plot around Cas who has other important things in his life that don't involve love - and  even when it gets to that, he understands the severity of it. Both do. The hints of romance gave the best balance to the strong but vulnerable double character that both Anna and Cas were (although, spoiler alert, Anna was literally two characters).

From the originality of it all, the spell binding concept, the gasps and witty lines, the budding romance and terrible history of Anna, the underlining seriousness and fear, and just the sheer beauty of this book, I cannot tell you anything other than read it. Yes, it's a horror novel, but don't worry - while there's quite a bit of gore and terror, it's not terribly bad. It's light enough to get you through the day (though I wouldn't advice it for the lighthearted as a midnight read).

The suspense from this book nearly turned me into a ghost, so you better give yourself plenty of time to devour this wonderful piece of literature. You won't regret it - the questions and wonder and feels this book gives you are endless. Which is precisely why I am diving straight into the second book. So, if you will excuse me, I have to go and cure those feels of that ending (yes, I really just alluded to this. You must go get the book now to understand what I'm talking about. No, I'm not sorry.)

The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight

We are doing this. The first ever post. The first ever review. The first.

Originally, I thought I would begin by reviewing my favorite book. Then I laughed. And then I sighed. Let's be honest here, practically everyone's favorite book is from the Harry Potter series. It's quite redundant, therefore, to even go there. So, instead of figuring out just which book besides Harry Potter would claim the pedestal, I figured I'll simply grab a random book from my book box and go with it.

So, here we are. *dramatic gesture*

The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith

Genre: Contemporary Young Adult Novel
Pages: 236
Favorite Quotes: "There's always a gap between the burn and the sting of it, the pain and the realization", "It's not the changes that will break your heart; it's that tug of familiarity", "It's one thing to run away when someone's chasing you. It's entirely another to be running all alone."

Today should be one of the worst days of seventeen-year-old Hadley Sullivan's life. Having missed her flight, she's stuck at JFK airport and late to her father's second wedding, which is taking place in London and involves a soon-to-be stepmother Hadley's never even met. Then she meets the perfect boy in the airport's cramped waiting area. His name is Oliver, he's British, and he's sitting in her row.

A long night on the plane passes in the blink of an eye, and Hadley and Oliver lose track of each other in the airport chaos upon arrival. Can fate intervene to bring them together once more?

Quirks of timing play out in this romantic and cinematic novel about family connections, second chances, and first loves. Set over a twenty-four-hour-period, Hadley and Oliver's story will make you believe that true love finds you when you're least expecting it.

I stumbled across this book in the 'new books' section in my local library last year. The cover drew me right in - the bold writing, the catchy title, the background setting. Not least to say the one intriguing sentence on the back cover: "Who could have guessed that four minutes could change everything?" I knew this book was going to be amazing.

I wasn't wrong.

This is Jennifer E. Smith's debut novel (she has released a couple of more books by now), and let me tell you, she's doing everything right. Her writing is incredible, everything you really want in writing, to be honest. It's witty, eloquent, original and very, very entertaining. The story, despite featuring some darker aspects still manages to be light and colorful. Her characters are endearing and real. The sheer skill in which Smith manages to depict emotions is unbelievable. She has you bawling your eyes out one minute, an anxious and emotional wreck, and before you're even done with your feels you're already laughing hysterically at the character's antics. It's brilliant.

I loved the concept of time and chance in this. The inner monologue that Hadley has when she considers what is happening around her as well as her feelings and the relationships (or lack thereof) she builds around her never feel rushed or forced, which sadly seems to be becoming a trend in recent romance novels. The memories she has from the past never feel out of place and, honestly, I found her character development superb.

Oliver was excellent too, of course. I fell in love with his personality, he's just genuinely charming and cheeky (seriously now, we all live for this). The way he manages to engage himself in this strange relationship with Hadley also seemed so natural (I know I keep going on about how real the characters seem, but they really do!). And their relationship? Feels. All the feels.

Go pick up a book kittens, you won't regret it. From the character's quirks, the endearing story line, and the incredible writing, it's a must read.