Book Review: Wake Unto Me by Lisa Cach

Wake Unto Me by Lisa Cach
Release Date: March 31, 2011
Publisher: Speak
Pages: 304
Received: Library
Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
Goodreads Page

Summary

From Goodreads:

A haunted castle, a handsome young man dead for four hundred years, one heck of a scary portrait of a witch, and a treasure hunt -- not to mention a princess for a roommate! -- all await 15 year old American girl Caitlyn Monahan when she earns a scholarship to a French boarding school.

There are secrets behind the stone walls of Chateau de la Fortune, buried for centuries along with the mystery of who killed Raphael, the charming ghost who visits Caitlyn at night. But as Caitlyn unearths the history of the castle, nothing scares her as badly as the secret she learns about herself, and the reason she was chosen to come to the Fortune School.

And nothing breaks her heart as badly as falling in love with a dead guy.

Review

As much fun as it is to hear about book long before their release date, it can also be a really bad thing. In the case of Wake Unto Me, I was so looking forward to reading about that charming ghost who visits Caitlyn at night but the reality didn’t live up to my expectations.

Can I strangle her, please?

CAITLYN! Ugh, I so hated her. She’s very angsty and she looks down on almost everyone around her because she’s convinced that she’s “special” and doesn’t belong with the rest of the inferior people around her.

The peons of Caitlyn’s world include not only her classmates, but also her entire living family…who clearly love her and go out of their way to treat her well. Right off the bat I hated the main character and wished nothing but very uncharitable thoughts on her.

Now, before you get too disappointed, keep in mind that I’m not the age of the target audience. When I was that age, I probably would have eaten this angst-fest up. Caitlyn reminded me very strongly of Jessica from Amelia Atwater-Rhodes’ book Demon in My View. I loved that book when I read it as a teen, and even though I kind of roll my eyes at Jessica now, I have enough nostalgic love to keep me rereading that book. So consider that when reading my thoughts on Caitlyn, for what it’s worth.

The ghostly romance that wasn't

I was expecting a ghostly romance, but that isn’t really what happens here. The guy is not a ghost. Instead, there’s time travel through Caitlyn's dreams. Ok, I could get on board with that given how much I love time travel, but I was disappointed that I was sold a ghost romance and then not given one.

The romance was also 100% INSTA love (major emphasis on the "insta"). It all happened so fast and that, combined with a lack of character development, made it so I couldn’t get into their romance at all.

Not only wasn’t he a ghost, but the guy himself was also just ok. There wasn’t anything wrong with him, but he wasn’t much more than a sketch of a generic caricature. I couldn’t help but compare him to Marcello and the guys in Lisa Bergren’s River of Time series (an EXCELLENT historical time-travel romance) and he just fell completely flat in comparison. I don’t even remember his name.

I would like it more if I actually understood it

There is so much potential here for this to be an awesome story. The plot points are fantastic and there are some truly original parts here. The problem is that none of it was developed enough for me. The delivery of information felt convoluted and unevenly paced.

I read through chapters and chapters about boring and irrelevant stuff like Caitlyn complaining about the food or her inability to find her classrooms and then there’s a dump of tons of information. The information chapters were great and I definitely enjoyed reading them, but the deluge of information that was only somewhat explained left me really confused.

It was fun reading about the historical parts and piecing them together, but I’m not sure I ultimately understand how it all works. I don’t get Caitlyn’s power and why it happened to HER of all people. I can’t ask my questions here without giving out major spoilers, but suffice it to say I have a ton of questions.

I think these questions were explained and I just didn’t understand the explanation, so it’s not like I’m supposed to have them and wait for a sequel for the answers. I don’t even remember them all now and, honestly, I don’t really care.

The historical parts were fun for me, but I think you really do have to be into history for them to be appealing. Frustratingly though, it also wasn't filled with historical factoids. So, it was pretty much too much historical fic for someone who doesn’t like that genre, but not enough for someone who does want that genre.

The evil but maybe not evil sisterhood thing also felt like a caricature with no original meat. They came into the story early on and then disappeared for most of the book. They didn’t serve much of a purpose outside of only tenuously explaining why Caitlyn is special. They had so much potential to be awesome, but their history, function, and goals were never fully explained. I don’t even know if they’re good or not.

Bottom line

I was disappointed by the mystery, but it did grab my attention well enough to keep me reading in spite of a main character I couldn’t stand. I can totally see why people would like the book because the basic story is pretty great (especially the "big reveal").

For me though, this felt way too much like a draft that needed more revisions. The original parts were wonderful, but were overshadowed by lack of development and too many cliches.

I don't know if this is supposed to be a standalone or not. It wraps up as if it is a standalone, but who can tell these days. If there is a sequel, I don't know, I guess I might give it a try through the library to see if the writing has caught up to the ideas.

Explanation of rating system: Star Rating Key 

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

Looking for another book like this? 

You might like: 

Click on the covers to go to my reviews.

Tweet

Book Review: Song of the Sparrow by Lisa Ann Sandell

Song of the Sparrow by Lisa Ann Sandell
Release Date: May 1, 2007
Publisher: Scholastic
Pages: 416
Received: Purchased copy
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
Goodreads Page

Summary

From Goodreads:

The year is 490 AD. Fiery 16-year-old Elaine of Ascolat, the daughter of one of King Arthur's supporters, lives with her father on Arthur's base camp, the sole girl in a militaristic world of men. Elaine's only girl companion is the mysterious Morgan, Arthur's older sister, but Elaine cannot tell Morgan her deepest secret: She is in love with Lancelot, Arthur's second-in-command. However, when yet another girl -- the lovely Gwynivere-- joins their world, Elaine is confronted with startling emotions of jealousy and rivalry. But can her love for Lancelot survive the birth of an empire?

Review

I don’t like verse novels

I should say right off the bat, I really dislike poetry. This is one of those "Smart Points" I should lie about and say I totally love poetry, right? Oh well. Abstract poetry annoys me. I can tolerate the poems that tell stories, but I always end up wishing they had been written as a novel or short story instead. So verse novels? Not my thing at all.

If I’m going to read a verse novel, there has to be something really compelling about it. In this case, it was the combination of Arthurian retelling and that beautiful cover. I’m a sucker for both of those things.

Mixed feelings

As far as verse novels go, I liked this one well enough. It wasn’t overly poetic at all. It was actually very literal and sort of like a novel that was printed funny. I’m not sure how fans of verse novels would like this approach, but I appreciated it. I tried to ignore the strange line breaks and read it straight through. Approaching it like that, it was almost like reading a regular novel.

I think I was able to connect with the characters as well as would be possible for me reading a verse novel. I didn’t connect anywhere near as well as I would have with a great novel, but I wasn’t expecting that. I wasn’t even expecting to connect with them as well as I did, so ultimately I was pleasantly surprised.

The story was good, but if you’re a stickler for Arthurian retellings adhering to the legend, well, you’re going to be disappointed. It’s very different. I was torn on the author’s approach. On one hand I’m stomping my feet and petulantly crying, “NO! THAT’S NOT WHAT HAPPENS AT ALL!!”

But…on the other hand, I like the story she told. I like the way the author re-imagined the characters. I liked the ending she created. I liked the romantic pairings. I liked the events. I just liked the whole story (even though it was wrong).

Conclusions

The book wasn’t life-changing and I’m not sure how well I’ll remember it in years to come, but overall I liked it. I had a good experience that surpassed my, admittedly low, expectations. I would probably re-read it again at some point. If you’re like me and verse novels aren’t really your thing, then this might be a good book to start with.

Explanation of rating system: Star Rating Key  Tweet

Recap 8/13 to 8/19

In case you missed anything, here's a recap of what was posted Saturday, August 13th through Friday, August 19th. 

+ A special cover post coming up this Saturday
(with something special in it for you!)

Reviews

Wisdom's Kiss by Catherine Gilbert Murdock
Enclave by Ann Aguirre


(Click on the links to go to my reviews)

Memes

In My Mailbox
Waiting on Wednesday

Features

Review Comparison Submissions: Enclave by Ann Aguirre
Still open!

Tips & Tricks: Q & A Edition

What's Your Status?

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

Entwined by Heather Dixon


(Click on the link to go to Goodreads)

Review (and review comparison) to come at the end of the month. I liked Entwined, but not nearly as much as I was hoping I would.

Currently Reading

Torrent (River of Time #3) by Lisa T. Bergren
(Click on the link to go to Goodreads)

I have only 30 pages (THIRTY!) left to read, but I had to sleep. Normally I would just push right through, but I don't want to have even a tinge of muzzy-head going on and miss anything. I adore this series, and Torrent is the perfect conclusion. But, but, *sob* it's the conclusion! Please, please let Lia and Luca's story be published. Who do I have to bribe to make sure that happens???

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

Tweet

Tips & Tricks: Q & A Edition 2

Your questions answered

In every Blogging Tips and Tricks post there is a link to a form where you can submit questions for future Tips & Tricks posts. Sometimes these questions require lengthy responses and so I have answered them in a full post, but others are shorter and don't really need a long post explanation. For these shorter questions I've decided to compile a few and answer them all in one post.

Q:How do you do the email thing when you've answered a comment on your blog?  Do you do it manually or is there some way of doing it automatically?  I'd love to be able to answer all my commenters too.

Unfortunately, I don't use an automated system. I manually send out emails when I reply to each comment. It's pretty time consuming, but I consider it time well spent given how many people like it.

I have, however, enlisted the help of my computer whiz of a fiance to see if he can come up with a way to make the emails automated. If there's a way to do it, then I'm confident that he'll find it (the only question is when will he actually get around to doing it!) If he figures out a way, then I'll be sure to pass that knowledge along to all of you.

Q: Are you on Facebook, Google+, Twitter, etc?

Nope, I'm sorry! But it warms my heart that so many of you have asked. I am on Goodreads, so please feel free to friend me there!

Q: I want to make a link that people can click so they can email me. How do I do this?

Easy peasy. Just copy this code:

<a href="mailto:myemailaddress@optonline.net">Email Small Review!</a>

Then replace the email address in pink with your own email address and the words in blue with whatever you want the link to say.

Now if you want a button people can click on to send you an email, copy this code:

<a href="mailto:myemailaddress@optonline.net" target="_blank"><img alt="Small Review" src="http://i51.tinypic.com/34gwkm9.jpg"/></a>

Then replace the email address in pink with your own email address and the link in blue with a link to the picture you want to use as your button image.

Click here to make a request for a future Tips & Tricks post.

The form is anonymous, so please don't feel shy at all! 

These tips and tricks posts are a bi-monthly feature, so it may take a little time to answer your question, but I WILL answer it!

I'm certainly not an expert, but I'll try my hardest to explain what I do know and research what I don't know.

Click here to read previous Tips & Tricks Posts 

Tweet

Waiting on Wednesday (31)

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 that has already been published but I still haven't gotten around to reading yet.

The Orphan of Awkward Falls by Keith Graves
My Double Life by Janette Rallison


Goodreads description of The Orphan of Awkward Falls (September 28, 2011):

When thirteen-year-old Josephine moves to Awkward Falls she can't help but snoop around the dilapidated mansion next door. She finds a little more than she bargained for when she is captured by the strange characters who live there: an ancient automaton who serves as a butler, a cat patched together with a few odd parts, and most surprising of all, a boy named Thaddeus Hibble.

Meanwhile, the most feared patient in the Asylum for the Dangerously Insane is on the loose. Fetid Stenchley has escaped in the most dramatic fashion, and there is only one thing on his mind...revenge. Unfortunately for Thaddeus and Josephine, he's headed their way. Can these unlikely friends stop Stenchley before he destroys them all?

Full of hilariously spooky details, surprising twists, and haunting black and white illustrations, Keith Graves delivers a suspenseful and engaging first novel. Inspired by the classic tales of Frankenstein and mad scientists, with a splash of contemporary technology, the wonderfully tense action and gory descriptions will hook boys from the start, while Josephine provides a clever and unique heroine that girls will adore.

Why I want to read it:

It's a Gothic middle grade story that sounds spooky and exciting. I'm curious to see how much inspiration it draws from Frankenstein (another book I love).

Product description of My Double Life (May 13, 2010):

Her whole life, Alexia Garcia has been told that she looks just like pop star Kari Kingsley, and one day when Alexia's photo filters through the Internet, she's offered a job to be Kari's double. This would seem like the opportunity of a lifetime, but Alexia's mother has always warned her against celebrities.

Rebelliously, Alexia flies off to L.A. and gets immersed in a celebrity life. Not only does she have to get used to getting anything she wants, she romances the hottest lead singer on the charts, and finds out that her own father is a singing legend. Through it all, Alexia must stay true to herself, which is hard to do when you are pretending to be somebody else!

Why I want to read it:

I know it's not a very original story anymore, but I have a weakness for these star/normal girl swapping stories. There's just something about stepping into the life of someone else that I like. It's a fun mental exercise that always gets me wondering what would *I* do? Usually there's also some fun scenes where the MC messes up and has to cover up the fact that she isn't who everyone thinks she is. Plus, it's Janette Rallison, queen of the light and sweet romantic comedies.

Have any of you read either of these books? Would you recommend them? 

Tweet

Book Review: Enclave by Ann Aguirre

Enclave by Ann Aguirre

Release Date: April 12, 2011

Publisher: Feiwel & Friends

Pages: 259

Received: Library

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Goodreads Page

Summary

From Goodreads:

In Deuce’s world, people earn the right to a name only if they survive their first fifteen years. By that point, each unnamed ‘brat’ has trained into one of three groups–Breeders, Builders, or Hunters, identifiable by the number of scars they bear on their arms. Deuce has wanted to be a Huntress for as long as she can remember.

As a Huntress, her purpose is clear—to brave the dangerous tunnels outside the enclave and bring back meat to feed the group while evading ferocious monsters known as Freaks. She’s worked toward this goal her whole life, and nothing’s going to stop her, not even a beautiful, brooding Hunter named Fade. When the mysterious boy becomes her partner, Deuce’s troubles are just beginning.

Down below, deviation from the rules is punished swiftly and harshly, and Fade doesn’t like following orders. At first she thinks he’s crazy, but as death stalks their sanctuary, and it becomes clear the elders don’t always know best, Deuce wonders if Fade might be telling the truth. Her partner confuses her; she’s never known a boy like him before, as prone to touching her gently as using his knives with feral grace.

As Deuce’s perception shifts, so does the balance in the constant battle for survival. The mindless Freaks, once considered a threat only due to their sheer numbers, show signs of cunning and strategy… but the elders refuse to heed any warnings. Despite imminent disaster, the enclave puts their faith in strictures and sacrifice instead. No matter how she tries, Deuce cannot stem the dark tide that carries her far from the only world she’s ever known.

Review

I can't write this review. Really, I've tried three times already and I just keep coming up with these sprawling 20 page essays of crap. So I'm breaking things down into categories.

The cover

It's sparkly. I wasn't expecting that. No, this probably isn't all that important outside of my sparkle-obsessed head.

World building

YES FINALLY THANK YOU! Ann Aguirre's world building has two things going for it: 1) It makes logical sense, and 2) I can picture it perfectly. Reading Enclave was like watching a movie unfold before my eyes. Her world is immersive, it's scary, it's oppressive, it's bleak, and it actually makes sense! 

Characters

They make sense, too! I can't say I exactly like Deuce or relate to her, but I do find her intriguing to read about. I loved seeing the world through her first person narration. Enclave's society is like a really screwed up psych experiment (a la Lord of the Flies) with a bunch of malnourished kids calling all the shots. I'm horrified, but I'm totally fascinated. 10000000 points to Ann Aguirre for making her characters and society develop in a way that is actually consistent with human psychology (something a few recent dystopian authors have failed to do).

The dystopian awakening

Deuce of course realizes her dystopian world isn't as full of win as she had originally thought. In YA dystopians this great epiphany usually comes from the insta-love guy or the quirky best friend. Not here! Yay! More points to Ann! Deuce doesn't really do a 180 in her thinking. She was always very logical, and so when she gets new information about her world, she logically adjusts her conclusions. Hey authors, see how much better that is than relying on quirky throwaway best friend?

Romance

I was loving the romance during the first half of the book. It's a slow burn based on mutual admiration with not a speck of insta-love in sight. Fade is badass, mysterious, and he so nails the "sexy but innocuous touch." But then the author totally KILLED it in the second half! The stupid love triangle rears its head and Fade becomes a complete weenie. Seriously, he becomes that dog that pisses all over itself while rolling onto its back. What's up with THAT? As if that wasn't bad enough, the other guy in the triangle is an ugly scarred up sadistic RAPIST. He's vile in every way. ARE YOU KIDDING ME?? How in the world am I supposed to get on board with that?!

Violence

Heck yeah! Does the idea of post-apocalyptic badass zombie killing sound fun to you? Then you're going to LOVE it in Enclave. Deuce and Fade are both hunters and so they spend most of the book killing zombies (or, in this book, Freaks). The fight scenes were so awesome in that heart-pounding, makes-me-wish-I-could-hit-things-without-hurting-myself kind of way. THIS is what kept my eyes glued to the pages and is the reason I cannot wait for the sequel.

Plot

What? Oh, there's a plot? I'm sorry, I was so absorbed by the fight scenes that I forgot we're actually supposed to be doing something here. So, ok, the plot is actually pretty sparse and unfinished in this installment, but it does set up some interesting questions. If you're cool with that wandering type of plot like in Cormac McCarthy's The Road or Richard Matheson's I am Legend, then I think you'll be just fine with the plot of Enclave. It's even got a bit of a quest-y feel to it.

The fighting and near-constant peril make for a brisk pace that keeps the book from dragging. Short chapters help, too. I was sucked in from page one and couldn't put it down until I had finished (like, a day and a half later...ok, I had to sleep at some point). There were a few things I thought were flat out stupid and out of place (those little creatures, the "dream"), but they were minor and I kind of just ignore them.

Ending

Pretty much a cliffhanger. If I cared about a certain character who is left in peril with their fate unknown then I'd probably be ripping my hair out. As it is, I couldn't care less about that character, so I'm fine with the ending. Things leave off on a turning point, so it's a good place to stop, but this is very much only part one of a story (no story arcs are resolved). I'm totally on board for more zombie-killing action when Outpost is released in 2012.

Explanation of rating system: Star Rating Key 

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

Agree with me? Disagree?
I'd love to hear!
Click here to share your review in the upcoming
Review Comparison!

Looking for another book like this? 

You might like: 

Click on the covers to go to Goodreads.

Tweet

Review Comparison Submissions (8)

Have you written a review for 
Enclave by Ann Aguirre?

I would love to feature your review in an upcoming Review Comparison post! If you would like to participate, please fill out the form below to send me direct links to your reviews!

What is a Review Comparison? 

• I'll read your reviews and list the pros and cons you've mentioned.
• Provides readers a snapshot of the similarities and differences of opinion surrounding the book
• Includes a link to your full review
• Click here to view previous review comparisons. 

If you would like to participate, please send me direct links to your reviews of Enclave.

*~Submissions Closed~*

Click here to suggest a book for the next Review Comparison!
All Review Comparison books are selected based on your suggestions 

Please note:

• Only direct links for the featured books will be accepted.
• The comparison list may include direct quotes from your review.
• All direct quotes will be credited to your blog name. 
• Submission of a link does not guarantee inclusion in the final post. 
• You do not have to be a follower of my blog to submit your review.
• You may submit direct links to your review on Goodreads or other review sites if you are not a blogger.
• Submissions will be accepted until Tuesday, September 6th.

Tweet