Cover Review: First Impressions (2)

If I saw these books on the shelves, I would totally want to read them based on their prettiness alone. But a pretty cover doesn't always tell you what the book is actually about, does it?

Initial thoughts: *Jaw drop* Beautiful! The flowers and dress are so pretty. I love how it's illustrated and almost looks like a comic book. Ooooh, look! A mummy!

What I expect: British lady, mummies, mystery, and romance. Looks like it will be a light and fun book.

Magic? Probably a little. I'm getting "magic curses" vibes from that mummy.

Historical? Totally, just look at her dress!

Reality: This was a light and fun story, but it had a much younger tone than I was initially expecting (more younger YA/MG than the solid YA I thought it was). There is a touch of magic and it does take place in England. Overall, the cover gives a pretty good idea of what the story is about. 

Initial thoughts: Love that dress! What is she running away from?  

What I expect: I don't really have much to go on, but she looks like she's running away from something, so I guess I expect persecution of some sort?

Magic? Something about her makes me think she's a witch, but other than that this cover really doesn't scream "I HAVE MAGIC!!"

Historical? Yes, this feels like an historical, even though I can't place when that dress would have been in fashion. For some reason I get a Salem witch trials feel from it all, but I don't know why because they certainly wouldn't have been wearing dresses like that then.

Reality: She isn't a witch (though she does have magical powers), she isn't being persecuted, and this doesn't take place during the Salem witch trials (though it is set in the past and in America). The tone of the book doesn't really match the movement or immediate distress of the cover, but it is a darker story and I do get a sense of that darkness from the cover.

Initial thoughts: Pink! Flower! Pretty!

What I expect: A story rich in atmosphere with lots of description. The position of her hands make it look like she's offering the flower, so maybe there is some similar offering in the book?

Magic? The bright colors seem magical, but other than that, no, there isn't anything that would lead me to think magic is a part of the plot.

Historical? Probably. Set in India.

Reality: While the cover image doesn't really reflect the central role magic plays in the plot, it does totally capture the lush atmosphere and Heather Tomlinson's immersive writing. I think it's a good match.

Initial thoughts: Swirly snow! I love stormy, wintry weather.

What I expect: Russia! Something fun, but also maybe a little serious too like the Gemma Doyle trilogy. I definitely get an "impending storm" vibe, which is exciting but also makes me wonder if there's a cliffhanger.

Magic? Maybe! That swirling snow looks like it has a magical twinkle, don't you think? 

Historical? While it's possible it could take place in modern times, my money is on historical.

Reality: The tone of the book matches my impressions (light, but also serious) and the pieces are definitely being put in place and the storm "gathering" in this installment. There are fantasy elements, but the paranormal smorgasbord of vampires, spellcasters, and necromancers is not made apparent by the cover. It does take place in Russia though (during the late 1800s). 

When you look at these covers, what are your first impressions? How do they line up with what the book is actually about?

Remember those "almost historical fantasy" books we mentioned in our discussion post? The "generic medieval village" and similar "Anything Goes-er" books? Ruby has a list of some of her favorites to share with you today! Stop by to see what she's picked and share your favorites!

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Book Review: Wrapped by Jennifer Bradbury

Wrapped by Jennifer Bradbury

Release Date: May 24, 2011

Publisher: Atheneum

Pages: 320

Received: ARC from Publisher

Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars

Goodreads Page

Summary

From Goodreads:

Agnes Wilkins is standing in front of an Egyptian mummy, about to make the first cut into the wrappings, about to unlock ancient (and not-so-ancient) history.

Maybe you think this girl is wearing a pith helmet with antique dust swirling around her.

Maybe you think she is a young Egyptologist who has arrived in Cairo on camelback.

Maybe she would like to think that too. Agnes Wilkins dreams of adventures that reach beyond the garden walls, but reality for a seventeen-year-old debutante in 1815 London does not allow for camels—or dust, even. No, Agnes can only see a mummy when she is wearing a new silk gown and standing on the verdant lawns of Lord Showalter’s estate, with chaperones fussing about and strolling sitar players straining to create an exotic “atmosphere” for the first party of the season. An unwrapping.

This is the start of it all, Agnes’s debut season, the pretty girl parade that offers only ever-shrinking options: home, husband, and high society. It’s also the start of something else, because the mummy Agnes unwraps isn’t just a mummy. It’s a host for a secret that could unravel a new destiny—unleashing mystery, an international intrigue, and possibly a curse in the bargain.

Get wrapped up in the adventure . . . but keep your wits about you, dear Agnes.

Review

High expectations are a very bad thing

That cover had me trained like one of Pavlov's dogs. Every time I saw that beautiful picture I was immediately gripped by the burning desire to read the book. And the blurb! Historical fiction with political intrigue, mummies, and curses! GIVE ME THAT BOOK! So I could barely contain myself when I got an ARC.

And then...oooh, I couldn't wait for the book to be over. Talk about a 180.

Where is the adventurous girl I was promised?

Agnes kept finding herself in positions where she could have been KICK BUTT, but she either 1) Went on a feminist rant, 2) Went on a "We need to respect foreign cultures" rant, or 3) Did something unbelievably stupid. Sometimes she combined responses. I hate to say it, but Agnes wasn't very bright.

(and, ok, I'm all for the equality of the sexes and respect and all that, but I don't want to be lectured about it. Again, and again.)

You know how in horror movies the girl you know is going to die expends all her energy running in exactly the wrong direction and doing the exact wrong thing? But you also know that if she wasn't Too Stupid To Live that there wouldn't be any movie. That's Agnes!

Except she doesn't die, unfortunately.

In the situations described, there is one clear, perfect, absolutely right response. But if Agnes did this, then there would be no book. So of course she doesn't do it (and her reason for not doing it is the equivalent of a child stomping her foot, pouting, and deciding to do things HER way. Even though her way is dumb).

Oh yeah, and she also randomly recites Jane Austen quotes in various languages as a sort of nervous tick. Who the heck does that???

I'm booooorrrreeeddd

Who's the whining child now? That would be me. Because I got a plot that bored me to tears. Agnes and Caedmon (her romantic interest) spend a ton of time sleuthing, except...they don't actually do anything. The bulk of the fun detective work and research goes on behind the scenes. Every once in a while there's a convoluted info-dump about the Rosetta Stone or Ancient Egypt that somehow conveniently gives them all their answers but doesn't actually make a lot of sense, at least to me.

And all that time spent together conducting secret research and only the barest, tiniest, miniscule tingling of swoon? Tragic! Caedmon had the potential to be a great love interest, but he wasn't developed enough for me.

Oh, and the villain? *groan* Super obvious from the start.

Are you a stickler for accuracy?

If you are, then get your eye twitch ready. There are so many historical inaccuracies here. Honestly, I would have overlooked them if the plot and characters were better. Wrapped is very "historical fiction lite" with the focus more on the adventure than the history. As long as you know not to expect historical accuracy, then I don't think this should be a major hindrance.

What DID bother me a lot is the description of a certain object's mechanism that plays a crucial role in the climax, but doesn't actually make any sense AT ALL. Those objects don't work like that and the way the author describes it not only isn't accurate to the object, but it isn't accurate to PHYSICS. To pin the entire (beyond predictable) climax on NONSENSE was just the final straw of stupidity for me.

If that wasn't bad enough, I'm expected to swallow the most absurd ending ever. Ok, sure, Agnes (who was completely blind to the obvious villain and consistently failed to come to logical conclusions) was able to put together a mystery that had stymied Napoleon (and all of France), England, and Ancient Egypt (that's three countries). And then she's enlisted by England to be an elite super spy??? Suuuurrre.

Recommendations and why I didn't just DNF

Simply put, I kept reading because I just don't learn. After half a book of Great Set Up and then STUPID RESPONSE, I should have figured that pretty much every great set up would be followed by a stupid response, right? Only I didn't. I kept holding out hope that each new awesome set up would be met with an equally awesome response. Because, the thing is, this book really does have a boat load of potential.

I do think younger readers would enjoy Wrapped a lot more. The historical inaccuracies, TSTL qualities, and Agnes's naivete probably wouldn't bother them as much. The "flatness" of the characters is also better suited for a younger audience. Older readers who don't have such high expectations as I had (mine were sky high) will also probably like this more than I did. Really, I think what it will all boil down to is whether or not you click with Agnes. Obviously, I did not.

Explanation of rating system: Star Rating Key 

Do you have any questions about Wrapped that I haven't addressed? 
Feel free to ask in the comments!

Looking for another book like this? 

You might like: 

Click on the cover to go to my review.

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Waiting on Wednesday (8)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine where we all feature upcoming books we're eagerly anticipating.

I have altered this feature a little to include one book that has not been released yet and one book that is already published, but I still haven't read. 

The cute WoW button comes from Bewitched Bookworms.

Wrapped by Jennifer Bradbury
Release Date: May 24, 2011
Publisher: Atheneum 
Pages: 256

(Above publication information from Goodreads)
Author's Page 
Amazon Page
Goodreads Page

From Goodreads:

Agnes Wilkins is standing in front of an Egyptian mummy, about to make the first cut into the wrappings, about to unlock ancient (and not-so-ancient) history.

Maybe you think this girl is wearing a pith helmet with antique dust swirling around her.

Maybe you think she is a young Egyptologist who has arrived in Cairo on camelback.

Maybe she would like to think that too. Agnes Wilkins dreams of adventures that reach beyond the garden walls, but reality for a seventeen-year-old debutante in 1815 London does not allow for camels—or dust, even. No, Agnes can only see a mummy when she is wearing a new silk gown and standing on the verdant lawns of Lord Showalter’s estate, with chaperones fussing about and strolling sitar players straining to create an exotic “atmosphere” for the first party of the season. An unwrapping.

This is the start of it all, Agnes’s debut season, the pretty girl parade that offers only ever-shrinking options: home, husband, and high society. It’s also the start of something else, because the mummy Agnes unwraps isn’t just a mummy. It’s a host for a secret that could unravel a new destiny—unleashing mystery, an international intrigue, and possibly a curse in the bargain.

This sounds like a really fun historical fiction book. International intrigue? A curse? I can't wait to unwrap this book. And, who am I kidding, I'm totally in love with that cover. I was so captured by the girl, her pretty dress, and the flowers that I didn't even notice that creepy mummy!

Luckily reading this one will help me knock out a few of my challenges: 

• YA Historical Fiction Challenge
• Most Awaited YA Releases Challenge

Dead Friends Forever by J. R. Turner
Release Date: October 31, 2008
Publisher: Quake
Pages: 272

(Above publication information from Goodreads)
Author's Page 
Amazon Page
Goodreads Page

From Goodreads:

Skater Kaylee Hensler might not be Miss Popular, but there are some friends a girl can do without. When the decaying ghost of a murdered girl decides they need to be total BFF s, Kaylee will sacrifice the trust of her family, her swim coach s respect, and any hope of a date for the Harvest Dance. And oh yeah... discover that super-evil entities are nothing at all like they are on TV or in the movies. Aside from seriously bad attitudes, they not only like to kill...but replay the killing again and again for all eternity.

To avoid that fate, she'll have to rely on her wheelchair-bound friend Davey, the mysterious Madame Maggie, and the surprising depth of her own power. Will Kaylee survive, or will she become someone else's DFF: Dead Friend Forever?

This sounds like a great mix of fun and scary. As much as I'm a wimp when it comes to ghosts, I still have a hard time passing up a good ghost story. The third book in the Extreme Hauntings series Detour 2 Death comes out next month.

While you're waiting for your books, you can learn 

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