Black Heart by Holly Black

DO NOT READ THIS REVIEW WITHOUT FIRST READING WHITE CAT AND RED GLOVE. I do not want to spoil the magic that is reading Holly Black’s Curseworkers series for anyone.

Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books (Simon and Schuster)
Pages: 296
Series or Stand Alone: Book Three in Holly Black’s FLAWLESS Curseworkers trilogy
Summary: Cassel Sharpe knows he’s been used as an assassin, but he’s trying to put all that behind him. He’s trying to be good, even though he grew up in a family of con artists and cheating comes as easily as breathing to him. He’s trying to do the right thing, even though the girl he loves is inextricably connected with crime. And he’s trying to convince himself that working for the Feds is smart, even though he’s been raised to believe the government is the enemy.
But with a mother on the lam, the girl he loves about to take her place in the Mob, and new secrets coming to light, the line between what’s right and what’s wrong becomes increasingly blurred. When the Feds ask Cassel to do the one thing he said he would never do again, he needs to sort out what’s a con and what’s truth. In a dangerous game and with his life on the line, Cassel may have to make his biggest gamble yet—this time on love.

Review:
I have been looking forward to this book since the first time I read the last page of Red Glove. That is all.
Despite a remarkable criminal history as both a con artist and an assassin, Cassel Sharpe is attempting to turn his life around. Going against the community he grew up in, the girl he loves, and his own intuition, Cassel trains with the Feds in order to find a different use for his dangerous transformation powers. Only, it turns out that the Feds want exactly the same things from Cassel that the Mob did. With the help of Lila and his unreliable brother Barron, Cassel has to figure out who’s playing him and how he can possibly live free from ties to people who want to use him.
Just when you thought that the Curseworkers books couldn’t get any better, Holly Black slapped you in the face with the “gosh you’re wrong” stick and handed you a copy of Black Heart. Her characterization is flawless. Cassel continues being plagued by internal conflicts, with his crime upbringing battling with his desire to be a good person and help the Feds. This, of course, becomes even more complicated when the Feds begin to manipulate him and he no longer knows who is in the right. Does Cassel ever just sit around and brood about how difficult his life is, even though is one of the few characters I think might just deserve to? NO! He is constantly thinking about his situations, the people he cares about around him, and acting in order to preserve their safety (though not usually his own, as can definitely be evidenced by some of his choices). That’s why he’s so wonderful.
Then we have Lila. Fierce, used-to-be-a-cat-for-awhile-but-is-better-now Lila, who is now officially a part of the Zacharov crime family with a second smile to prove it. Now that she’s come out of her emotion working (thanks to Cassel’s mother) she’s pretty pissed, making her even more of a force to be reckoned with. But Lila also has a well expressed vulnerability that doesn’t get in the way of her totally kicking ass and taking names.
I was stressed out throughout a significant portion of this book. I find a high literary stress level to be a wonderful sign for a book--if I’m stressed out about a character, it means that I care immensely about them. It means I’ve forgotten that a character, say Cassel Sharpe, is entirely the figment of someone’s imagination and therefore has a future already outlined for him. With his situation with the Feds and his familial ties to organized crime, I could not figure out how Cassel was going to avoid being used as a transformation working pawn for the rest of his life. The story that results from this is a fantastic, action/mystery/magic-driven tale that made me hurt every time I had to put the book down.
With Black Heart, Holly Black proves that there’s a damn good way to create the perfect end to a trilogy. The entirety of Cassel Sharpe’s story is brilliantly executed with a well-imagined alternate world, awesomely grey characters (meaning not black and white-nothing is simple in these books), and plots that just don’t quit. In case you haven’t noticed, I would recommend this series to anyone and everyone.

Rating: 5 - woo!

Red Glove by Holly Black

DO NOT, I REPEAT, DO NOT READ THIS IF YOU HAVE NOT READ WHITE CAT. WILD SPOILERS FOR THAT BOOK ABOUND.

Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry (Simon and Schuster)
Pages: 325Series or Stand Alone: Book Two in Holly Black’s AMAZING Curseworkers trilogy
Summary: Curses and cons. Magic and the mob. In Cassel Sharpe's world, they go together. Cassel always thought he was an ordinary guy, until he realized his memories were being manipulated by his brothers. Now he knows the truth—he’s the most powerful curse worker around. A touch of his hand can transform anything—or anyone—into something else.
That was how Lila, the girl he loved, became a white cat. Cassel was tricked into thinking he killed her, when actually he tried to save her. Now that she’s human again, he should be overjoyed. Trouble is, Lila’s been cursed to love him, a little gift from his emotion worker mom. And if Lila’s love is as phony as Cassel’s made-up memories, then he can’t believe anything she says or does.
When Cassel’s oldest brother is murdered, the Feds recruit Cassel to help make sense of the only clue—crime-scene images of a woman in red gloves. But the mob is after Cassel too—they know how valuable he could be to them. Cassel is going to have to stay one step ahead of both sides just to survive. But where can he turn when he can’t trust anyone—least of all, himself?
Love is a curse and the con is the only answer in a game too dangerous to lose.

Review:
I continue my reread of the Curseworkers series in preparation for reading Black Heart. I also continue to gush about how much I adore these books in an embarrassing fashion. Just kidding, you have to have book shame in order to be embarrassed about something like that. I support these books 100% and will continue shouting it from the rooftops in a shameless fashion.
Life just isn’t going Cassel Sharpe’s way. You think it would--he finally found out that he’s an incredibly transformation powerful worker, one of the rarest worker types that exists. Lila, the girl he previously thought dead, is very much alive and completely in love with him. Only the reason for Lila’s feelings is the magical touch Cassel’s mother gave her making her hopelessly devoted to him--and making it so Cassel now has to stay away from her. When Cassel finds out that his oldest brother Phillip has been murdered, he knows he has to find the killer. Problem is, both the Feds and various crime families want to recruit him for his extraordinary abilities. Cassel has to try to work outside of both in order to find out the truth--before more people are hurt in the process.
They just. Keep. Getting. BETTER. This was another re-read for me, but it was like I was reading the book for the first time. If I thought I really needed to know what happened at the end of White Cat, it was nothing compared to needing to know the answers to the questions in Red Glove. Who is Phillip’s killer? What does Cassel choose, helping the Feds or joining the Zacharovs in a life of crime (this time one he actually chose?)? All right, I knew the answer to these questions, but I raced through it to figure out how Cassel managed to get there.
While I’m here, bonus points for a murder mystery! Holly Black did the whole mystery thing right when Cassel tried to figure out his missing memories and what happened to Lila in the first book, but took it to a new level when Cassel had to figure out who killed his mob worker brother. SO GREAT!
Obviously, the characters are still amazing. I adore Cassel, who is still discovering pieces of missing memories (for instance, where his least favorite chair came from...) and dealing with staying away from Lila when all she wants to do is be near him for all the wrong reasons. Their relationship is painful and amazing. Lila is a strong female character despite being cursed into devotion to Cassel. I was happy to see more of Sam and Daneca, especially since more backstory and depth was given to Daneca.
Red Glove is the perfect continuation of the Curseworkers series by Holly Black. This is one series that I was happy knowing it was going to be a trilogy--one or two books with Cassel, Lila, and their companions is certainly not enough. I’m going to doubt that three will be enough for me, but I’m looking forward to reading the conclusion to Cassel’s story.

Rating: 5 - shelf of favorites

White Cat by Holly Black

Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books (Simon and Schuster)
Pages: 310
Series or Stand Alone: Book One in Holly Black’s FABULOUS Curseworkers Series
Summary: (from goodreads.com) The first in a trilogy, this gritty, fast-paced fantasy is rife with the unexpected. Cassel comes from a shady, magical family of con artists and grifters. He doesn’t fit in at home or at school, so he’s used to feeling like an outsider. He’s also used to feeling guilty—he killed his best friend, Lila, years ago.
But when Cassel begins to have strange dreams about a white cat, and people around him are losing their memories, he starts to wonder what really happened to Lila. In his search for answers, he discovers a wicked plot for power that seems certain to succeed. But Cassel has other ideas—and a plan to con the conmen.

Review:
I re-read White Cat so that all the details were fresh in my mind so I could properly enjoy the third book, Black Heart, when it was released. Also, I loved this book so much that I really couldn’t wait to re-read it. I have it on my kindle (thanks to its $2.99 sale price) and I recently bought a copy in a store at a low bargain price in the event that I need to lend it to someone.
In a world in which working magic is known and outlawed, Cassel Sharpe is a liar and a con artist. Skills like his were learned from childhood while surrounded by magical organized crime and his emotion-manipulating con artist of a mother. Cassel’s entire life is spent pretending to be something he’s not--pretending it doesn’t matter that he’s not a curseworker like the rest of his family, pretending he’s a normal teenager at his boarding school, pretending not to be bothered by the memory of the last time he saw his childhood friend and love Lila--dead, with him standing above her, holding a knife. Cassel starts sleepwalking and having dreams about a white cat. Once he notices that people around him are being memory-worked. Cassel knows he must find out the truth about what happened to Lila--and what’s been happening to him before more people get hurt.
We all know I adore this book, so I’ll just cut to the chase. The storyline is fantastic. I’m a fan of urban fantasy. I love seeing the world we know tweaked by magic and supernatural beings. In Cassel’s world, curseworking is outlawed. Everyone, worker or not, must wear gloves in order to prevent bare hand contact. Organized crime plays a major role in this book, with many of the characters involved with the Zacharov family. The government is attempting to make it so that everyone must be tested for abilities, causing worker rights advocacy groups to fight for privacy. Holly Black’s worldbuilding, though built into a recognizable reality for us, is fantastic. Politics and crime are just like they are in our world--except that magic plays a major role.
I know I’ve spoken about my love for Cassel in Top Ten All Time Favorite Characters and Top Ten Favorite Narrators, but I can’t let this review go without shouting it from the rooftops again: I LOVE CASSEL SHARPE’S CHARACTER. Holly Black created an incredibly believable male voice and a perfect unreliable narrator to boot. Cassel lies and cons people, all while carrying a huge burden and a tangle of internal conflicts. All he wants is to be a normal teenage guy, not just act like one. Oh, Cassel. Good luck with that one.
Even though I had already read this book, I had to race through the end to find out what happened again (and maybe I finished it while I was supposed to be working, what of it?). Holly Black’s White Cat is a great start to the Curseworkers trilogy and a brilliant urban fantasy novel. I’d recommend it to anyone who might listen to me. Now, ON TO Red Glove!

Rating: 5 - whoever thought this didn’t end up on my shelf of favorites clearly hasn’t listened to me speak


NOTE: I was able to meet Holly Black at BEA yesterday and it was the BEST THING EVER!!! She was absolutely fantastic and I was able to talk to her about how much I adore these books. Woo!

The Book of Blood and Shadow by Robin Wasserman

Publisher: Random House Children’s Books
Pages: 448
Series or Stand Alone: Stand Alone
Summary: It was like a nightmare, but there was no waking up. When the night began, Nora had two best friends and an embarrassingly storybook one true love. When it ended, she had nothing but blood on her hands and an echoing scream that stopped only when the tranquilizers pierced her veins and left her in the merciful dark.
But the next morning, it was all still true: Chris was dead. His girlfriend Adriane, Nora’s best friend, was catatonic. And Max, Nora’s sweet, smart, soft-spoken Prince Charming, was gone. He was also—according to the police, according to her parents, according to everyone—a murderer.
Desperate to prove his innocence, Nora follows the trail of blood, no matter where it leads. It ultimately brings her to the ancient streets of Prague, where she is drawn into a dark web of secret societies and shadowy conspirators, all driven by a mad desire to possess something that might not even exist. For buried in a centuries-old manuscript is the secret to ultimate knowledge and communion with the divine; it is said that he who controls the Lumen Dei controls the world. Unbeknownst to her, Nora now holds the crucial key to unlocking its secrets. Her night of blood is just one piece in a puzzle that spans continents and centuries. Solving it may be the only way she can save her own life.

Review:
I read the description for this book MONTHS ago, which of course means that by the time the book came out, I ordered it from the library, and held the copy in my hand, I had no idea as to what I was getting into. And this one was certainly a more complicated story than I was expecting (in a good way)!
Nora’s part of a group of students working to translate Latin documents with her best friend Chris and boyfriend Max. Their activities are horrifically disrupted when she finds Chris brutally murdered, his girlfriend Adriane alive but entirely devoid of life, and Max missing. When the police turn to Max as their principal suspect and Nora begins receiving mysterious notes from him, she and Adriane end up in Prague, chasing any clues that could lead them to Max. They end up finding a world of secret religious societies, death, and a Divine machine that could end up costing them their lives.
Robin Wasserman seriously did the damn thing when it came to The Book of Blood and Shadow. This book was incredibly written--I can’t even imagine the amount of research that must have gone into writing this book. I definitely sensed a more literary vibe from it. I’m not sure if that was due to the complexity of the story or Nora’s maturity, but regardless this book demands respect.
I felt that the characters in the story were unlike anything I’ve seen in young adult fiction to date. Nora was an incredibly mature protagonist without having to constantly tell us that she was mature. She keeps everyone, including the reader, at a distance--while reading I was privy to her thoughts (the book is in first person), but I felt like she wasn’t a total open book. To create a more closed off character without actually alienating the reader is quite impressive.
I think one of the reasons that The Book of Blood and Shadow is so utterly different from other books out there is the fact that Nora and Adriane end up on an epic quest that isn’t spurred by their discovery of supernatural abilities (unless you count Nora’s Latin-to-English translating, that is) or any sort of paranormal activity. I found that the entire plot was made scarier by the fact that every character, being wholly human, was incredibly vulnerable to the very real danger surrounding them.
Robin Wasserman’s The Book of Blood and Shadow was a fantastically complicated, dangerous mystery with a historical background story woven in through translated letters. Who killed Chris? Why is there a secret society gunning for a bunch of teenage Latin translators? Can Nora trust anyone around her? The mysteries are all unraveled in this awesome book.

Rating: 5 - absolutely fantastic

Imaginary Girls by Nova Ren Suma

Publisher: Dutton Juvenile
Pages: 348
Series or Stand Alone: Stand Alone
Summary: Chloe's older sister, Ruby, is the girl everyone looks to and longs for, who can't be captured or caged. When a night with Ruby's friends goes horribly wrong and Chloe discovers the dead body of her classmate London Hayes left floating in the reservoir, Chloe is sent away from town and away from Ruby.
But Ruby will do anything to get her sister back, and when Chloe returns to town two years later, deadly surprises await. As Chloe flirts with the truth that Ruby has hidden deeply away, the fragile line between life and death is redrawn by the complex bonds of sisterhood.
With palpable drama and delicious craft, Nova Ren Suma bursts onto the YA scene with the story that everyone will be talking about.

Review:
I read Nova Ren Suma’s Imaginary Girls closer to its release date last year, but I decided to re-read it in preparation for a library event hosting her for a dinner/discussion/signing last month. I am very happy that I revisited this one!
Chloe’s sister Ruby is the girl every boy wants and the one every girl wants to be. A few words can get her whatever she wants--but not even she can stop Chloe from being sent away after she comes across the body of a dead classmate. Two years later, Chloe returns to vast differences--and shocking similarities to life before finding London’s dead body. What she discovers will have her questioning death and sisterhood until she discovers the truth.
There are so many fantastic things about this book. I loved the relationship between the two sisters and how unhealthy it was. Ruby treated other people like dirt in order to give herself and Chloe whatever they could wish for. She begins acting like a crazy, overbearing mother to Chloe but doesn’t explain why. The fierce adoration between the two is admirable--they are the only ones that truly love one another; other examples of love in the novel are either shallow or forced on the person by Ruby’s very being. This creates a clear internal conflict for Chloe. She knows what Ruby does is wrong, but loves her and sees how she is attempting to protect her. The complexity of the relationship between the two is so well done. I always applaud an author who sets out to create a well constructed relationship between two characters not based in romantic feelings. Friendships and siblings for the win!
I loved that this is another young adult read that utilizes magical realism! I feel like there aren’t enough out there. I enjoyed the basis for the tale being the creepy legend of Olive, a spooky ghost town that exists entirely underwater that sometimes claims souls for their own.
I thoroughly enjoyed Chloe’s almost-unreliable narrator status--the reader can never know what is true because Chloe begins questioning everything she knows. One of my favorite lines: “Ruby’s stories didn’t have morals. They meant one thing in the light and one thing in the dark and another thing entirely when she was wearing sunglasses.” (51)
I encourage everyone to read Nova Ren Suma’s young adult debut Imaginary Girls! It’s a great magical realism tale, a great story about what it means to be sisters, and just a well written book all around. Bonus: it’s coming out in paperback in a few weeks!

Rating: 5 - fantastic, shelf of favorites, you know

I Hunt Killers by Barry Lyga

Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Pages: 359
Series or Stand Alone: Book One in the Jasper Dent series
Summary: What if the world's worst serial killer...was your dad?
Jasper (Jazz) Dent is a likable teenager. A charmer, one might say.
But he's also the son of the world's most infamous serial killer, and for Dear Old Dad, Take Your Son to Work Day was year-round. Jazz has witnessed crime scenes the way cops wish they could--from the criminal's point of view.
And now bodies are piling up in Lobo's Nod.
In an effort to clear his name, Jazz joins the police in a hunt for a new serial killer. But Jazz has a secret--could he be more like his father than anyone knows?

Review:
When I got an ARC of this book I was completely jazzed (I’m not punning on purpose here. It’s not my fault that ‘jazzed’ happens to contain the main character’s name). I loved Barry Lyga’s Boy Toy and was ecstatic to hear that he wrote a book about the teenage son of a serial killer. It’s like this one was written for me.

How do I love thee, book? Let me count the ways.
1. Your narrator was fantastic. Seriously. Jasper “Jazz” Dent goes on the list of favorite narrators ever. He can go over and hang out with Katniss Everdeen and Cassel Sharpe. They can all bask in each others’ well-developed awesomeness. Jazz is the teenage son of infamous serial killer Billy Dent, a teenage boy who’s just trying to continue on with his life after his father’s arrest. He’s also a completely unreliable narrator, which is totally awesome.
2. I love how complicated Jazz’s identity is--he’s a charming, attractive, smart young man who is absolutely terrified that he is going to end up to be a sociopathic murderer. He’s constantly worrying about whether or not the feelings and caring he has for other people are legitimate or pale imitations of what he thinks he should feel. Of course, I feel like this worrying PROVES that he’s not an unfeeling serial killer.
3. I love that all of the secondary characters were practically as well developed as Jazz. From his sassy, badass girlfriend Connie to his batshit crazy grandmother, the cast of characters in this book could easily stand on their own.
4. I love that it was a serial killer-flavored murder mystery. I’m not going to say that I was completely stumped, but the mystery was so well done. It was suspenseful and creepy. Barry Lyga clearly did a whole lot of research into painful ways to end a person’s life. And, of course, into the psychology behind a serial killer’s behavior. Seriously, it’s like this book was written for me. Now that I’m writing this, I just want to go re-read it and watch all four Scream films while doing so.
5. I love that this story has a complete ending, but that I still have enough questions about Jazz’s past history and what his future holds that I feel like I need to read the sequel right now.

Not that I really need to say this if you’re reading to the end of this review, but I LOVED THIS BOOK SO MUCH. Barry Lyga’s I Hunt Killers is a thrilling, completely engrossing read that explores the mind of a serial killer’s teenage son and all of the complications his father brought into his life and mind. I just moved it to a more prominent part of the new shelf in my library because I didn’t think it was visible enough. I know that it definitely isn’t for everyone, but if you have the vaguest interest in this book, GO READ IT!

Rating: 5 - shelf of favorites ALL THE WAY

The Disenchantments by Nina LaCour

Publisher: Dutton Children’s Books

Pages: 307

Series or Stand Alone: Stand Alone

Summary: Colby's post-high school plans have long been that he and his best friend Bev would tour with her band, then spend a year in Europe. When Bev announces that she will start college just after the tour, Colby struggles to understand why she changed her mind and what losing her means for his future.

Review:

I heard buzz about LaCour’s second novel early on. This book combined two of my favorite things: bands and road trips. How could I not read it? I always wanted to go on tour with a friend’s band. Unfortunately, all my friends chose to go to college and become things like accountants and teachers. COME ON, GUYS! However, I’d like to note that I’m still young enough to do the whole tour thing, if any of my friends are getting any particularly musical ideas. Ahem.

Colby and Bev have had the same plan for several years: go on tour with Bev’s band the summer after high school graduation, then head over to Europe to chase the dragon or whatever particularly creative/musical people without fear do (by the way, “chase the dragon” to me and my friend Kt means go with the flow and do whatever life takes you, rather than burning drugs to inhale the fumes, which we found out was the actual definition a few months ago, WHATEVER). That is, until Bev breaks the news to Colby on tour: she’s going to college across country in the fall, leaving him without a travel companion and any chance at making alternative plans for fall. Colby has to figure out how to deal with his anger at Bev while being with her 24/7, and figure out what his immediate future holds to boot.

I was expecting a way lighter read, but I was pleasantly surprised by the emotional weight this story held. LaCour did a brilliant job when it came to writing Colby’s confusion and anger at Bev’s rather selfish actions. She created wonderful tension between them, both as best friends and potential love interests. The tumble of thoughts going through his mind trying to figure out his feelings was well done.

While we’re talking about it, I loved the relationship between the two of them. The two are solid best friends and each other’s confidantes--except when it comes to certain items of information. Colby is obviously, yet discretely, in love with Bev, whereas Bev’s feelings are a bit more difficult to figure out. Well executed, complicated relationship.

Nina LaCour’s The Disenchantments was everything I wanted it to be and more. Unexpectedly emotionally complex and a totally type of contemporary story with a believable male narrator in Colby. Recommended!

Rating: 5 - shelf of favorites

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

Publisher: Dutton
Pages: 313
Series or Stand Alone: Stand Alone
Summary: Diagnosed with Stage IV thyroid cancer at 12, Hazel was prepared to die until, at 14, a medical miracle shrunk the tumours in her lungs... for now.
Two years post-miracle, sixteen-year-old Hazel is post-everything else, too; post-high school, post-friends and post-normalcy. And even though she could live for a long time (whatever that means), Hazel lives tethered to an oxygen tank, the tumours tenuously kept at bay with a constant chemical assault.
Enter Augustus Waters. A match made at cancer kid support group, Augustus is gorgeous, in remission, and shockingly to her, interested in Hazel. Being with Augustus is both an unexpected destination and a long-needed journey, pushing Hazel to re-examine how sickness and health, life and death, will define her and the legacy that everyone leaves behind.

Review:
I’ve been avoiding this review for awhile. Let’s just establish this: I loved this book, so the problem wasn’t any hesitance to throw a negative opinion out there amongst the abundance of love for this one. It was merely me trying to find a way to express my feelings for this book without rambling on about unicorns and rainbows.
I am a fan of John Green’s works, but I don’t think that every one of his books is faultless. I found that I loved Looking For Alaska, but Paper Towns fell short of my expectations. I adored his story in Let It Snow. Before reading this one, I wondered which side of the line this one would fall on--would I agree with the glowing reviews or would I be disappointed after the hype? I’m happy to say that I enjoyed The Fault in Our Stars so much, it’s going on my Best of 2012 List.
Hazel isn’t making long term plans. She may have gone into remission, but she knows that she is not long for this world. The last thing she’s looking for is a boyfriend, someone that would be left behind when she inevitably makes her exit. That is, until she meets Augustus Waters, an example of teenage boy perfection that understands what it is like to have cancer and won’t give up on his pursuit of Hazel. Together, the two learn how to live their lives to the fullest--regardless of the length of time they have left.
To start, this is not a “cancer book”--the story is more about living life, regardless of how little you have left. But there was no cheese! Having read a book about a teenager with cancer and not having a great experience with it, I was thrilled that this book was so good. It managed to explore how two teenagers might try to figure out living with a disease without being overly sentimental or condescending.
Next up: the characters. Augustus Waters was a perfect male specimen. Obviously not perfect in the sense that he was angelic and untouchably good, but perfect in a very real way. He was witty, confident, and refused to let his illness get in the way or his life. However, his best quality was his unflinching honesty.
Example: (Normally I’d be less spoiler-y, but this quote is absolutely everywhere)
“I’m in love with you, and I’m not in the business of denying myself the simple pleasure of saying true things. I’m in love with you, and I know that love is just a shout into the void, and that oblivion is inevitable, and that we’re all doomed and that there will come a day when all out labor has been returned to dust, and I know the sun will swallow the only earth we’ll ever have, and I am in love with you.” (p. 153)
See? Unflinching, perfectly phrased honesty. Augustus Waters, I think I might love you.
Hazel, the narrator of the story, was a great character as well. She had an incredibly dry sense of humor and dealt with her illness with great reason. She doesn’t believe that teenagers living with cancer should be held up as angelic martyrs and complains that a lot of “cancer books” contain protagonists that demonstrate such behaviors. I loved that she was passionate about books, specifically An Imperial Affliction by Peter van Houten, and that part of the journey Hazel and Augustus take revolves around this story.
Hazel and Augustus had unbelievable and slightly innocent chemistry. Their interactions were incredible. Both are quick with words and very witty, so whether the conversation was about creating a random fake scenario or trading thoughts on their favorite books or movies, it was easily readable.
This book is devastating. At one point, I had to stop reading and get rid of some of the tears. They were obscuring my vision and I legitimately could not read the words on the page. I was so attached to Hazel, Augustus, and their friends and family members from the first chapter, so then end of this book was tough. This was truly an exhibit of John Green’s strength as a writer: creating characters that people care about from the first page, then not being afraid to put them through very real pain.
The Fault in Our Stars was a brilliant book. Beautiful writing, engaging characters, and a story that won’t quit combined to make one of the best young adult books I’ve ever read. I’d recommend this one to both teenagers and adults alike, along with suggesting that they make sure they have tissues in the house when they read it.

Rating: hands down, a 5 - shelf of freaking favorites

Everneath (Everneath, #1) by Brodi Ashton

Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Pages: 370
Series or Stand Alone: Book 1 in the Everneath trilogy
Summary: Last spring, Nikki Beckett vanished, sucked into an underworld known as the Everneath, where immortals Feed on the emotions of despairing humans. Now she's returned- to her old life, her family, her friends- before being banished back to the underworld... this time forever.
She has six months before the Everneath comes to claim her, six months for good-byes she can't find the words for, six months to find redemption, if it exists.
Nikki longs to spend these months reconnecting with her boyfriend, Jack, the one person she loves more than anything. But there's a problem: Cole, the smoldering immortal who first enticed her to the Everneath, has followed Nikki to the mortal world. And he'll do whatever it takes to bring her back- this time as his queen.
As Nikki's time grows short and her relationships begin slipping from her grasp, she's forced to make the hardest decision of her life: find a way to cheat fate and remain on the Surface with Jack or return to the Everneath and become Cole's...

Review:
Warning: this one is going to be a longer review. I adored this book, and sometimes loving a book causes me to blather on about its awesomeness. Seriously. My friend asked me on the train today what The Hunger Games was about and I didn’t shut up for like five minutes straight. I found Everneath on the debut author list. I was instantly intrigued by its basis in the Persephone myth. I also really like the cover, despite the fact that it’s a girl in a fancy dress. Hate all you want, but the red dress is incredibly eye-catching. And it’s disappearing into smoke! This isn’t the run of the mill fancy dress, this one’s got character.
It’s been six months since Nikki Beckett disappeared without a word. What her loved ones don’t know is that she is in the Everneath, the Underworld in which Immortals like Cole take human subjugates for one hundred years in order to take human emotions to sustain themselves. Nikki’s all but lost--except that she has the memory of a human face that she can’t name, but knows she loves. That is enough for Nikki to retain a bit of emotion and choose to take six months more as a human on Earth rather than become an immortal. Once she’s back in her old life, she has sixth months to say goodbye to her father, her brother, her best friend--and the boy whose face saved her soul, Jack, before she will be dragged back to the Everneath for good.
I loved the story. i read it really fast because I needed to know what happened. I’m wildly curious about what the second one will bring, but I’m going to have to wait quite some time before I get that. The characters were all very different, but not in a so-quirky-you-want-to-die way.
Example: Cole. Cole was not the overly dreamy bad boy who is super evil or the brooding bad boy that only wants to be GOOD but can’t find his way. Cole is concerned with himself and his own ambitions in the Everneath. He very obviously does care for Nikki, but not enough to stop his plans. In a way, Cole’s immortal self is incredibly human. Also, I LOVED that Ashton made the Immortals that lured human subjugates to the Everneath rock stars.
Then there’s Jack. Oh, Jack. His devotion to Nikki was so endearing, considering she tried not to give him the time of day upon her return. I was concerned that he was in danger of being defined by his feelings for Nikki, but Ashton crafted a well-rounded character that was believably selfless and compassionate, especially when considering the treatment high school quarterbacks usually get in young adult books.
The mythology behind the book was very well-imagined, especially since Ashton combined the Hades/Persephone myth with that of Orpheus and Eurydice. Rather than there being a singular “Hades” figure that lures a Persephone subject, there are a host of Immortals that maintain their lives by luring humans into the Everneath and feeding off their emotions for one hundred years (or six Earth months). The situation that occurs after that provides the setup for this book and created a great story for Nikki that goes between hopelessness and hope.
All and all, I adored Brodi Ashton’s debut and am wholeheartedly looking forward to the next installment. If you’re looking for a cool reimagining of a Greek myth, look no further!

Rating: 5 - fantastic!

The Piper's Son by Melina Marchetta

Publisher: Candlewick
Pages: 336
Series or Stand Alone: Once again I say, both?
Summary: The award-winning author of Finnikin of the Rock and Jellicoe Road pens a raw, compelling novel about a family's hard-won healing on the other side of trauma. 
Award-winning author Melina Marchetta reopens the story of the group of friends from her acclaimed novel Saving Francesca - but five years have passed, and now it's Thomas Mackee who needs saving. After his favorite uncle was blown to bits on his way to work in a foreign city, Tom watched his family implode. He quit school and turned his back on his music and everyone that mattered, including the girl he can't forget. Shooting for oblivion, he's hit rock bottom, forced to live with his single, pregnant aunt, work at the Union pub with his former friends, and reckon with his grieving, alcoholic father. Tom's in no shape to mend what's broken. But what if no one else is either? An unflinching look at family, forgiveness, and the fierce inner workings of love and friendship, The Piper's Son redefines what it means to go home again.

Review:

I picked The Piper's Son out because of the cover and Melina Marchetta's brilliant reputation in the young adult community. When I received it from the library and saw that it featured the characters from Saving Francesca, I quickly reread that. Upon noting its brilliance, I became very excited to read The Piper's Son. LOOK AT THAT COVER.

The Piper's Son alternates between Tom Mackee, one of Francesca's friends in the first book, and his young aunt Georgie, both of whom are trying to pick up the pieces of their lives after Tom's uncle and Georgie's brother died. After a drug and alcohol-induced accident lands Tom in the company of Francesca and his high school friends, all of whom he's worked pretty hard to push away, Tom must face everything wrong in his life. This includes Tara Finke, the girl that he ended up loving and did wrong after his uncle's death. Georgie must try to find a way to forgive her ex-boyfriend that cheated on her a while ago and is now the father of her unborn child.

So, you know, they've got some stuff to deal with.

Melina Marchetta's writing was beautiful AGAIN. I don't think I can say "well written" twenty times and have it count for a review. But just know that I'd like to.

Marchetta kept the core characteristics of the people in the books the same, but demonstrates that they have gained levels of maturity since we last saw them five years ago. Tom's character is the same sarcastic musician, but demonstrates great character growth. He has problems being close to people (i.e., mostly Tara Finke, but also Frankie) but grows to recognize it in this book and attempts to rectify it. The third person point of view is a change from the first person in Saving Francesca, but entirely works for the switch in principal character.

This book was totally different than Saving Francesca, but just as good. This one could be read as a young adult OR an adult book. Thomas and company are actually "young adults" at 22 and 23 years old, so I feel like this one could have a lot of crossover appeal. Plus, once again, you can read it as a stand alone.

Another stunner from Melina Marchetta! In The Piper's Son, she takes once again takes on friendship, but adds in grief to create a heartbreaking story about loss and finding the way back home.

As they say in Back to the Beach, one of my favorite movies:

"Whoever said you can't go home again?"

"Wasn't me."

I think Marchetta would agree.

Rating: 5 - fantastic, shelf of favorites status.

Saving Francesca by Melina Marchetta

Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
Pages: 243
Series or Stand Alone: both? The Piper's Son uses many of the same characters, but both could act as stand alone novels if pressed. However, you should read both of them.
Summary: Francesca is stuck at St. Sebastians, a boys' school that's pretends it's coed by giving the girls their own bathroom.  Her only female companions are an ultra-feminist, a rumored slut, and an an impossibly dorky accordion player.  The boys are no better, from Thomas who specializes in musical burping to Will, the perpetually frowning, smug moron that Francesca can't seem to stop thinking about.
Then there's Francesca's mother, who always thinks she knows what's best for Francesca—until she is suddenly stricken with acute depression, leaving Francesca lost, along, and without an inkling who she really is.  Simultaneously humorous, poignant, and impossible to put down, this is the story of a girl who must summon the strength to save her family, her social life and—hardest of all—herself.

Review:

This isn't my first time at this rodeo. I just couldn't stay away. JK, I went to read The Piper's Son and saw that one of the first lines on the jacket said, "The characters from Saving Francesca are back--" And that's where I sighed, put the book down, and went to check out Saving Francesca. I remembered NOTHING of reading this book the first time (which happened to a few books I tried reading in college, the attention span just wasn't there).

I AM SO HAPPY I REREAD THIS BOOK, GUYS. I needed to be aware of how awesome Melina Marchetta is. I know that I was obviously going to read The Piper's Son, and that both Finnikin of the Rock and Jellicoe Road are on my to-read list, but I needed to be aware of how good Saving Francesca was. Otherwise, I would have gone on mistakenly thinking that it was forgettable.

Saving Francesca tells the story of Francesca, a girl whose rocky transfer to a previously all-boys school has been her biggest problem--until her mother refuses to get out of bed. In the throws of depression, Mrs. Spinelli can no longer act as the glue keeping her family together. Francesca's home life is in shambles, her old friends don't seem to give a crap about her, and life at St. Sebastian's School for Boys is no picnic. The boys don't want to deal with the girls and the other three girls in attendance weren't Frankie's friends at her old school. Eventually, Frankie bursts out of the quiet persona she acquired when hanging out with her old friends and befriends the girls AND the boys, creating friendships that anyone would envy and a support system to hold her up during the tough times she faces.

I want Francesca to be my best friend. For real. Or, at least I want her to be my high school self's best friend, because it would be weird for my 22 year-old self to be best friends with someone who has yet to go to college. She's a strong, well written female character that deals with a myriad of real issues. One of her biggest peeves ends up being the fact that people assume that she's a personality-less pushover because she's quiet in school. Frankie, I feel you. That was like my high school life. When the boys start mocking her and trying to push her buttons, she pushes right back. Even better, she becomes their best friend! Each of these characters is given depth, no matter how minor they might be. You go, Marchetta! That is not an easy task. I've read books recently where the PROTAGONIST lacks depth. Marchetta's writing brings each and every one of her characters to life.

Marchetta also brings up an important piece of information about friendships: friends don't have to like the exact same things or act the exact same way. Frankie often debates everything under the sun with Thomas, Siobhan, and the rest of the St. Sebastian's teens. These people do not have superficial things in common; they're friends simply because they enjoy each other's company and have come to care deeply for one another. Marchetta writes real friendships, and she does it well.

Also, she's not sappy about it. You'd think with the subject matter, it would be a big giant chorus of "THAT'S WHAT FRIENDS ARE FORRRR"--but it's not. It's funny. It's witty. It obviously gets sad at times, what with Francesca's family falling apart, but it's deep.

I'm going to stop vomiting rainbows, unicorns, and happiness all over this review at this point. If you dig contemporary YA, READ SAVING FRANCESCA. Melina Marchetta is a brilliant writer and crafted a fantastic novel about family and friendship. Highly recommended.

Rating: 5 - fantastic. shelf of favorites status.

The Secret Sisterhood of Heartbreakers by Lynn Weingarten

Publisher: HarperTeen
Pages: 337
Series or Stand Alone: I believe series?
Summary: If there’s an upside to having your heart broken, it’s this: A broken heart makes you brave.

The first day of sophomore year doesn’t go the way Lucy planned. After a summer apart from her boyfriend, she’s ready to greet him with a special surprise and instead gets a shocking one in return: He’s breaking up with her. Beyond devastated, Lucy has no idea how she’s going to make it through homeroom, let alone the rest of her life.

Enter three stunning girls with the unnatural ability to attract boys and an offer Lucy can’t refuse: They can heal her heart in an instant. And then she’ll be one of them—a member of a sisterhood that is impervious to heartbreak and has access to magic distilled from the tears of brokenhearted boys. But to gain their power, Lucy must get a guy to fall in love with her the old-fashioned way, and then break his heart in the next seven days.

While the sisterhood may need another Heartbreaker, Lucy’s only desire is to get her ex back. But how far is she willing to go, and who is she willing to cross to get what she wants?

Review:

Lynn Weingarten is awesome. I met her after reading Wherever Nina Lies (her previous book, which everyone should go out and read because it too is awesome) and she was totally fun, bubbly, and down to Earth. When I heard about her next novel, I automatically added it to my to be read list. I was lucky enough that Lynn sent me an ARC of The Secret Sisterhood of Heartbreakers back in October. I read it back when I first got it, then read it again when I bought the book on release day at the end of December.

Lucy Wrenn, the protagonist in The Secret Sisterhood of Heartbreakers, gets her heart broken within the first chapter of the book. She is approached by a group of three beautiful, confident girls that have an offer: if Lucy can bring them the tears of a boy whose heart she breaks within seven days, they will use their magic to heal Lucy's broken heart. Otherwise, the memories of this deal and her knowledge of magic would disappear. At first Lucy is hesitant, but she decides to use the advantages at hand in order to get her ex-boyfriend Alex back. Lucy ends up learning a lot about herself and those around her--and breaks an unexpected heart in the process.

If I could describe this book in one word, it would definitely be whimsical. Weingarten's words evoked thoughts of fairy tales--but don't be mistaken. This book is not something completely fluffy rolled in sugar, there are darker aspects at work, adding a completely different dimension to it. There are supernatural aspects involved (re: magic) but the darker aspects come from a wholly human place. The willingness of the girls to toy around with the feelings of others, regardless of their intent to make these boys more empathetic beings, is kind of a dark concept. Firmly in the morally grey. Their activities are not because of magic; the things the Heartbreakers do are merely enhanced by magic. Lucy's exploration of the morality of their activities within the story made the book far deeper than it could have been without it. There are a darker aspects, but Weingarten's writing is light and easy to read--a great combination.

The cast of characters is varied and well developed. Lucy captures the wonder of first love perfectly, down to her adoration of each and every tiny aspect of Alex's personality and appearance. She's definitely naive, but learns about the situation she's in and the people involved quickly, never losing herself in the process. Her best friend Tristan perfectly embodies the friend on the sidelines of a relationship without being pathetic or clingy. The Heartbreakers--Olivia, Liza, and Gil--become Lucy's friends (at various portions of the story) but still seemed to retain a certain ethereal detachment fitting of people that healed their own broken hearts by magic rather than time.

The Secret Sisterhood of Heartbreakers was a great opening to a series--but have no fear if you are adverse to series. Weingarten ties the story up within the first novel, so it could act as a standalone if you are so inclined. Personally, I can't wait for the next installment. If you're looking for a different take on the supernatural, definitely pick this one up. Lucy and her friends were a refreshing change from the world-ending love of vampires, werewolves, faeries, etc populating the shelves today. Pick this one up--you won't regret it.

(Side note: I love the cover. Confetti = awesome.)

Rating: 5 - shelf of favorites.

Clockwork Prince (Infernal Devices #2) by Cassandra Clare

Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books (Simon and Schuster)
Pages: 504
Series or Stand Alone: Book Two in the Infernal Devices trilogy
Summary: The special Collector’s First Edition will include a never-before-seen letter from Will to his family!

In the magical underworld of Victorian London, Tessa Gray has at last found safety with the Shadowhunters. But that safety proves fleeting when rogue forces in the Clave plot to see her protector, Charlotte, replaced as head of the Institute. If Charlotte loses her position, Tessa will be out on the street—and easy prey for the mysterious Magister, who wants to use Tessa’s powers for his own dark ends.

With the help of the handsome, self-destructive Will and the fiercely devoted Jem, Tessa discovers that the Magister’s war on the Shadowhunters is deeply personal. He blames them for a long-ago tragedy that shattered his life. To unravel the secrets of the past, the trio journeys from mist-shrouded Yorkshire to a manor house that holds untold horrors, from the slums of London to an enchanted ballroom where Tessa discovers that the truth of her parentage is more sinister than she had imagined. When they encounter a clockwork demon bearing a warning for Will, they realize that the Magister himself knows their every move—and that one of their own has betrayed them.

Tessa finds her heart drawn more and more to Jem, though her longing for Will, despite his dark moods, continues to unsettle her. But something is changing in Will—the wall he has built around himself is crumbling. Could finding the Magister free Will from his secrets and give Tessa the answers about who she is and what she was born to do?

As their dangerous search for the Magister and the truth leads the friends into peril, Tessa learns that when love and lies are mixed, they can corrupt even the purest heart.

Review:

The second installment in the Infernal Devices trilogy topped my very short Christmas list this year, for obvious reasons. After a quick reread of Clockwork Angel, I made short work of Clockwork Prince.
Everything's going to hell at the London Institute. Now that the occupants know who the Magister is, they have to stop his plan--but before they can do anything they have to find out what his plan is. If that wasn't enough, Benedict Lightwood is attempting to gain control of the London Institute. Charlotte has a fortnight to track down the Magister using only the help of those immediately around her or she forfeits her leadership. Will is disappearing to Magnus Bane's to track down the demon that wrecked his life. While Will is off attempting to rectify his life, Jem and Tessa are getting closer--as in, a lot closer (I also don't apologize for any Roswell references I make). As if all of THIS weren't enough, a traitor is discovered in their midst--and Tessa's jerkwad of a brother pops up again. Lord. Cassandra Clare doesn't mess around. She did say that the point of a second book in a trilogy is to tear everything apart...
Clare continued to expand on the excellence that was Will, Jem, and the friendship/parabatai-ship between the two. More was revealed about Will's past and his tendency to push everyone that could be close to him away. Clare expertly demonstrates the emotional depth to his character through writing from Magnus Bane's perspective. The most important thing is that his new vulnerability does not negate his snarky humor.
Jem, on the other hand, demonstrates emotions that I wouldn't have thought characteristic of Jem--namely, anger and lust. Clare's best scenes for this surround a moment in which Jem loses his temper with Will and punches him, something completely out of the ordinary for even-tempered Jem. The character development for the two of them is awesome.
And Jessamine. Poor, spoiled Jessamine (again). When Jessamine's character was introduced in Clockwork Angel, I thought she was going to be a snobby, off-to-the-side character whose sole purpose was to make judgmental comments. I was wrong and found that I really liked her character for going against the normal Shadowhunter mentality. In Clockwork Prince, Jessamine goes above and beyond what I thought she would. It's interesting to see how the others react to her actions.
The only characterization that I couldn't get on board with with Tessa's. In the first Infernal Devices book, Tessa demonstrates a lot of courage and a wit to match Will's. While Tessa does retain some of her previous characterization, I felt that she melted a tiny bit into the "Oh god, two boys are in love with me." (If this were Friends, "My wallet's too small for my fifties, and my diamond shoes are too tight.")I did not like that she spent so much time thinking about how she shouldn't have feelings for Will when she so clearly did. It kind of felt like one of my friends was talking this out with me, trying to convince herself of something by telling me over and over and over. This happens to be one of my least favorite things. Tessa, don't turn into a crazy girl! I can only deal with so many of those. Also, girl, check yourself before you wreck yourself. Some of the things you're doing ain't right. I hope Tessa gathers her senses about her and goes back to her more awesome self in the third installment, Clockwork Princess.
Even though I had some issues with Tessa's character, Clockwork Prince entirely lived up to its predecessor. Clare makes insanely readable books that feature characters a reader can get easily attached to, and Clockwork Prince was no exception.

Rating: 5 - once again, fantastic. Shelf of favorites status for the win.