Waiting on Wednesday (10)

Button from Bewitched Bookworms.

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've altered things a little to include one book that hasn't come out yet and one but that has already been published but I still haven't gotten around to reading yet.

Waterfall by Lisa T. Bergren
Release Date: February 1, 2011
Publisher: David C. Cook
Pages: 352

Goodreads Page

From Goodreads:

American teenager Gabi Betarrini accidentally finds herself in sixteenth-century Italy.

Knights. Swords. Horses. Armor. And Italian hotties!

Most American teens want an Italian vacation, but the Betarrini sisters have spent every summer of their lives there with their archaeologist parents. Stuck on yet another hot, dusty dig, they are bored out of their minds... until they place their hands atop handprints in an ancient tomb and find themselves catapulted into the sixteenth-century—and in the middle of a fierce battle between knights bent on killing one another.

Knights, swords, horses, Italian hotties? Um, yes please! Plus, it's historical fiction and time travel. I am so looking forward to this!

I'm not sure if I'll be able to get my hands on a copy anytime soon, but if I can, I'm going to read this for a few of my challenges:

• Most Awaited YA Releases 
• 350 Page Book Challenge
• YA Historical Fiction Challenge

The Seer and the Sword by Victoria Hanley
Release Date: 2000
Publisher: Laurel Leaf
Pages: 352

Goodreads Page

From Goodreads:

Legend states that there exists a mighty sword that makes its possessor invincible to his enemies. But there is a curse on anyone who lifts the sword for conquest. King Kareed of Archeld goes after this sword anyway, winning it from the King of Bellandra. When he returns home from battle, he brings his daughter, Princess Torina, two special gifts. One is a unique crystal, in which she can view visions of the future. The other gift is the defeated king’s son Landen, who is to be her slave. 

Torina immediately releases Landen, who becomes a member of the King’s army and her close friend. But trouble is lurking in the kingdom of Archeld and people are accusing Landen of plotting against the King. Torina refuses to believe he would hurt her family. Then Torina begins seeing deadly visions in her crystal. Can she save her father’s life and the future of her kingdom?

This book was recommended by two of my favorite bloggers. It sounds like my kind of high fantasy. I can't wait! (Wish it had a better cover though).

As a bonus, The Seer and the Sword will qualify for a bunch of challenges:

• Wish I'd Read That Challenge (read books you wish you've read but haven't yet)
• Into the Old World Reading Challenge (read books published prior to 2009)
• 350 Page Books Challenge (read books with 350 or more pages)

While you are waiting for your books, you can learn 

How To Make Anchor Text

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Book Review: Real Mermaids Don't Wear Toe Rings by Helene Boudreau

Green Bean Teen Queen hosts a meme on Tuesdays called Tween Tuesday where great books for tweens are featured. This Tuesday, I am going to feature a book that, while categorized as YA, seems better suited to tweens: Real Mermaids Don't Wear Toe Rings, by Helene Boudreau.

Click here for more of my Tween Tuesday posts.

Real Mermaids Don't Wear Toe Rings by Helene Boudreau
Release Date: November 9, 2010
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Pages: 206
Received: Library
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars 
Goodreads Page

Summary

From Goodreads: 

Freak of nature takes on a whole new meaning...

If she hadn't been so clueless, she might have seen it coming. But really, who expects to get into a relaxing bathtub after a stressful day of shopping for tankinis and come out with scales and a tail?

Most. Embarrassing. Moment. Ever.

Jade soon discovers she inherited her mermaid tendencies from her mom. But if Mom was a mermaid, how did she drown? Jade is determined to find out. So how does a plus-size, aqua-phobic mer-girl go about doing that exactly? And how will Jade ever be able to explain her secret to her best friend, Cori, and to her crush, Luke?

This summer is about to get a lot more interesting...

Review

This was a cute book, but definitely should be categorized as MG instead of YA. Jade is 14, but her voice and situation read much more like she is in middle school. While the story is cute, I think YA readers may find themselves a little bored and unable to fully connect with Jade. Some MG books are written in such a way as to appeal to all ages, but I don’t really think that is the case with Real Mermaids Don’t Wear Toe Rings.

I liked Jade and found her to be a very sympathetic character. Her emotions are clear and easy to relate to, but her voice is a little uneven. Sometimes she is charmingly sarcastic, but other times this wryness is completely absent or just a little off. As a YA character, I’d say this is somewhat uneven writing. On the other hand, as a MG character her indecision and wavering between an innocent young girl and the hint of teenager snarkiness makes perfect sense.

I think MG girls, especially those in similar situations as Jade (sans the mermaid parts) will really enjoy this book. In addition to the mermaid parts, Jade deals with a first crush, getting her first period, troubles with her friend, and learning to adjust to life without her mom. Her troubles are so typical and her emotions and the way she handles these problems will resonate well with MG girls.     

What I liked about the book is that Jade’s parents both play a significant role in the story. I went into the book expecting a fluffy romance, and while there is a little romance, it takes a back seat to Jade’s relationship with her parents. The only thing that bugged me about this was that Jade sometimes seemed like more of the adult, but the whole book is so light and fluffy it’s hard to really be bothered.

The story was sweet, but simple with all of the conflicts finding fairly easy solutions. I think YAs might find things a little *too* simple and easy, but MG readers probably won’t mind. I tried to find a rating that reflects the disconnect between the book’s YA categorization and how it would be as a MG book. As a YA book, I would rate this lower than a 3.5 because it really is too shallow. As a MG book, I would probably give it a 4.

 Explanation of rating system: Star Rating Key  

This book satisfies the following challenges:

• 2011 Library Reading Challenge

Looking for more mermaid stories? You might like: 
Forgive My Fins by Tera Lynn Childs

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Cover Review (10): Mistwood

Cover Crazy is a weekly meme hosted by Tawni at The Book Worms where a beautiful cover is featured each week for all of us to admire. I am going to use my Cover Crazy posts as an opportunity to review a book cover I love or review any cover (even the ones I don't love) from a book I've read. This week's Cover Crazy is for a cover I'm on the fence about, though I really enjoyed the book:  

Mistwood by Leah Cypess

I’m torn about this cover. On one hand, it’s perfect for this book, but on the other I don’t particularly like it. This whole cover is in conflict for me.

I can’t really explain why, but purple is a very good color for this book. It may be because the book focuses on identifying the rightful heir to the throne and purple is a color often associated with royalty. Purple also makes me think of fantasy, a genre this book most certainly falls into. Whatever the reason, I’m pleased the publishers went with a purple cover.

On the other hand, that greenish yellow used for the title font and her eyes? Ew. I don’t like it at all. I think it makes the title a little difficult to read, plus, it’s just kind of an ugly color. Her eyes that color do have the desired effect of making her look “otherworldly” but she doesn’t look like the enigmatic shifter who often took the form of big cats or similar predators. She looks like a lizard. I’m waiting for her to peel off her skin and scarf down a rat like the lizard aliens in the TV series V. Yeah, that’s not a good thing.

The girl is another point of conflict. I don’t find her particularly gorgeous, and in the sea of absolutely beautiful cover models gracing YA books right now, she falls short. Her hair is nice, but it is a far cry from the spectacular flowing hair found on covers like Lauren Kate’s Fallen series or the newly designed Den of Shadows quartet. With the exception of her eyes, she looks pretty plain and maybe even a little strange as a result.

Yet this oddness of her appearance works really well with the character. Isabel is not normal. She is distinctly non-human in her bearing. Something about this comes through to me with that girl. As with the character in the book, I appreciate how different she is and this difference makes her an interesting character. But, also because of this, I don’t necessarily like her. Ditto for the cover model.

The castle, trees, and mist also work really well with the story. Each play an important part and it is accurate and nice to see them represented on the cover. The way the cover model is sort of coming out of the trees and mist is so completely perfect for the character and plot.

And yet…all of these features look sort of poorly cobbled together. I have pretty sucky Photoshop skills, but this cover doesn’t look too beyond my meager abilities. The font also screams “I’M A FANTASY BOOK” and seems a little too corny and reaching. This amateurish vibe rubs me the wrong way and turns me off. I would expect the book to be really cheesy and the publishing/editing to be of B-Novel level. That is a very inaccurate representation of the book, which is unfortunate.  

I did read this book, but it wasn’t as a result of the cover (my Mistwood review). Luckily a few of my trusted reviewers gave Mistwood positive reviews or I probably would have passed right over it based on that cover. Funny enough, I have seen this cover featured on a number of “Best Covers” lists, so I’ll be very interested in hearing where your opinions fall. I can see both sides. There’s something intriguing about it, but at the same time I just can’t get over the unpolished artwork. 

What do you think about this cover? Do you like it? Dislike it? Does it make you want to read the book?

Interested in covers? Be sure to check out another Cover Crazy post by Gina from My Precious.

 

Previous Cover Crazy posts:

<---Click on the covers
More of my Cover Crazy posts. 

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Guest Post

I will be guest posting today at Catherine's beautiful blog On the Nightstand. Stop over to see my interview for her Five on Friday feature. While you're there, check out her blog! I have to say, her blog design is one of my favorites.

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In My Mailbox (10)

In My Mailbox is a meme started by Kristi at The Story Siren with some inspiration from Alea of Pop Culture Junkie where we get to post about the books we receive each week through publishers/authors, our own purchases, contests won, and libraries.

 
The cute IMM button comes from Bewitched Bookworms.

All of these free e-books just may convince me to buy an e-reader. I'm not convinced yet, but I'm getting there.

Free E-books from Amazon

Don't Die Dragonfly by Linda Joy Singleton

Starlighter by Bryan Davis

From the Library

Click on the picture to make larger

The Witch's Daughter by Paula Brackston
Choker b Elizabeth Woods
Across the Universe by Beth Revis
(Click on the titles to go to Goodreads)

Free

Click on the picture to make larger

The Road by Cormac McCarthy

I loved this book. If you're wondering, that darker black circle is where the stupid Oprah's book club sticker was. I'm not a fan of putting stickers on books. 

What did you get in your mailbox (or on your library card or credit card)? Feel free to add your IMM links in your comments.

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Book Review: StarCrossed by Elizabeth C. Bunce

StarCrossed by Elizabeth C. Bunce
Release Date: October 1, 2010
Publisher: Arthur A. Levine Books
Pages: 359
Received: Library
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars, Special Shelf
Goodreads Page

Summary

From Goodreads: 

Digger thrives as a spy and sneak-thief among the feuding religious factions of Gerse, dodging the Greenmen who have banned all magic. But when a routine job goes horribly wrong and her partner and lover Tegen is killed, she has to get out of the city, fast, and hides herself in a merry group of nobles to do so. Accepted as a lady's maid to shy young Merista Nemair, Digger finds new peace and friendship at the Nemair stronghold--as well as plenty of jewels for the taking. But after the devious Lord Daul catches her in the act of thievery, he blackmails her into becoming his personal spy in the castle, and Digger soon realizes that her noble hosts aren't as apolitical as she thought...

Review

Wow, I was not expecting to love this book as much as I do. This is a Special Shelf book for sure. At first it was good, but I wasn’t in love with it. I was figuring this was going to be a solid four star book. Then about halfway through, pieces of the puzzle started coming together and I realized StarCrossed was completely blow-my-mind amazing!

Digger, while likable from the start, was someone I could take or leave for the first part of the book. I didn’t dislike her, but she didn’t really make a mark or leave any lasting impressions. There is a reason for this though. She’s a thief and a spy so she is used to wearing disguises and never showing her true self. She was very guarded and I had a hard time attaching myself to her because I didn’t feel like I knew her. As the story progressed, however, Digger’s personality shines through and I found myself caring for her more and more.

 

Digger struggles with balancing morality and loyalty—two aspects she was unused to considering, with the much more familiar drive to survive. Her precarious situation with the blackmailing Lord Dual is tense and angering. I was so worried she was going to get caught or hurt, but at the same time I really wanted her to stick it to him. Lucky for me, Digger is resilient and not about to take abuse from anyone. I loved the subtle (and not so subtle) ways she found to needle Daul. He was truly awful and Digger gave me so many great opportunities to stick my tongue out at him and taunt “Nyah, nyah, nyah, nayh!”

While Digger is the one used to wearing masks, it turns out everyone at the castle is wearing even more dangerous disguises. Some were apparent early on (as they are meant to be), but others were delightfully surprising. Like Leah Cypess’s Mistwood, I didn’t know who to trust and who had a trick up their sleeve. Even with their secrets, so many of these characters became good friends and people I genuinely cared for. I was gasping, cheering, horrified, and delighted as their secrets were slowly revealed.

 

The plot is fantastic, but one I think I will definitely need to reread (and I am so NOT complaining about that!). There were so many twists and surprises that I’d really enjoy reading the book again with the knowledge of how things turn out. Plus, I will need to do a reread before the sequel comes out. StarCrossed ends well as a standalone (though it also perfectly sets up for the sequel—a sequel that sounds so amazingly exciting!), but there’s just so much that happens that I’ll need a refresher. Usually I’m a little frustrated at the idea of having to reread a book to prepare for a sequel, but in this case I can’t wait to reread it. I may not even last all the way until the sequel’s release!

Another notable point about this book is the setting. Settings aren’t usually something that stand out to me, but this one was palpable. Usually I say if a character is great I’ll be happy even if they’re just sitting there twiddling their thumbs. In this case, the setting is so amazing I don’t care what’s happening as long as I can spend more time there. The majority of the story takes place at the Nemair’s isolated winter castle, and it was described so well that I could practically feel the frigid air and see the snowflakes swirling around me. The castle is gorgeously described and the icy landscape makes for a scene that is both cozy and treacherous.

 

My only teeny, tiny complaint is that I wish there was just a little romance for Digger. There were hints and possibilities, but that’s about it. People who want a story without in-your-face romance will be pleased. Me, I’m hoping there’s some romance in the sequel. Not a ton where it monopolizes the plot, especially with a plot as strong as this one, but just enough to give me  *that* kiss.

I think fans of historical fantasy/magic blends (like Crown Duel by Sherwood Smith) or fantasy dystopians (like Poison Study  by Maria V. Snyder) will probably enjoy StarCrossed. I highly recommend StarCrossed!

 Explanation of rating system: Star Rating Key 




 This book satisfies the following challenges:

• Library Reading Challenge 
• 350 Page Books Challenge
• Wish I'd Read That Challenge

Looking for something similar? You might like:
Brightly Woven by Alexandra Bracken

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Recap 1/15 to 1/21

In case you missed anything, here's a recap of what was posted Saturday, January 14th through Friday, January 21st. 

Reviews:

Delirium by Lauren Oliver
The Luxe by Anna Godbersen
Cate of the Lost Colony by Lisa Klein
Cover review: The Truth-Teller's Tale

(Click on the links to go to my reviews)

Memes:

In My Mailbox

Cover Crazy

Forget Me Not

Waiting on Wednesday

Book Blogger Hop

Features:

Discussion: Librarians: The Naughty Old Grouch

How to Make a Button
Spotlight: Gothic Fiction, part III

Vote: Do you want an email alert when I respond to your comments?

(Poll in the top right sidebar. Closes at the end of the month.)

What's Your Status? Is a meme created by Zakiya from Butterfly Feet Walking on Life where we recap our reading week. Feel free to visit her site and link up your own What's Your Status Posts. Here's how my week went:

Finished:

Real Mermaids Don't Wear Toe Rings by Helene Boudreau
(Click on the link to go to Goodreads)

The Lipstick Laws by Amy Holder
(Click on the link to go to Goodreads)

Currently Reading: 

Minder by Kate Kaynak

(Click on the link to go to Goodreads)

Did Not Finish: 

Rosebush by Michele Jaffe
Page 146 of 326

The mystery never really grabbed me. At 146 pages, I didn't think enough clues were given to draw me into the mystery and I never connected with any of the characters. The main character wasn't particularly likable, but she wasn't someone I hated either. She was kind of just there. Her boyfriend was someone I truly despised. All of the other characters were like the main character: nothing great but nothing terrible. I know as the story goes on each character is supposed to be revealed as having some kind of motive for trying to kill the main character, but I guess that happens later because outside of the boyfriend, none seemed to have any motive to me. I put the book down because I realized that I didn't care about any of the characters. I didn't care if any of them died or if any of them was the killer.

 

I'm considering including only Goodreads links and removing the links to the author's page and the Amazon page. It's a lot of work adding all those links, and they can all be found through Goodreads anyway. Does anyone mind? If enough people mind then I won't change it. 

I've also been considering using the Goodreads/product description instead of writing my own summary. I'll still write my own summary if I think the blurb gives away too much information or is misleading. Any thoughts on this? 

Miss anything last week? Click here to read a Recap. 

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