Cover Review (5): Delirium

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 both love and have read the book: Delirium, by Lauren Oliver. 

More of my Cover Crazy posts.  
My Delirium book review. 

First things first, I need to apologize for the crappy photo. I never remember to take pictures during the day when I have natural lighting on my side. My photo really doesn’t do this cover justice. Trust me, it is beautiful in person.

Unfortunately, this is not the cover that will appear on Delirium (I’ll get to that cover later). This is the cover that appeared on an early ARC and I wish they had gone with this one. This cover captures the essence of the book in so many ways.

To start, this girl totally looks like a Lena to me (the name of the main character). I think there’s some Alexis Bledel/Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants movie influencing my feelings on the name (that character’s name was Lena, right?). I think Alexis Bledel and this cover model both share similar qualities. She looks so sweet and innocent. I couldn’t imagine this girl hurting anyone, but I can completely see her discovering the idea of love for the first time. There is a tenderness and emotional vulnerability to her, but she also looks like she has a quiet strength.

Her posture makes her look open and almost surrendering. The wind catches her hair and her arms are spread ever so slightly, as if she is ready to lift off like the birds flying in the background. Her face is tilted upward toward new possibilities. Her entire stance screams to me “Transition,” like she is on the cusp of some great change. Her shoulders and arms are free, but her body is weighed down by the heavy black fabric of her dress. Looking at this cover, I wonder where this girl is headed and if she will be able to break free from the weights holding her back.

The cover has an almost ominous feel with the dark colors and heavy clouds in the background. The dreary feel and almost smothering clouds hint at the dystopian nature of the story. The model’s bright, youthful face and open, almost hopeful posture are a stark contrast to this background. There are no chains in this cover, but I can almost see her pulling her arms free of a set of shackles as she reaches toward something better.

The title is the final touch on this cover and one I find particularly beautiful. The key in breaking the dystopian oppression in this story is not knowledge or some sort of violent protest. The core of this story is love, and the swooping, airy font evokes an almost swooning feeling of romance. The word “delirium” speaks to unrestrained emotions, with the emotion of love conjured by the delicate font.

These features underscore the emotionality of the model’s face and posture while also heavily contrasting with her stiff and restrained dress. The idea of such an airy font and chaotic word cast the clouds in a new light. Not only oppressive, they also almost seem to be a stormy portent, hinting at the inner storm the main character may be experiencing.

The cover ultimately chosen does very little for me in comparison. I probably wouldn't be very interested in reading this book based on the official cover. The focus here is on the font, which is hard and jagged with curlicues that don’t quite match the boldness of the font. The focus is also on the author's name instead of the title, which removes the importance of the word "Delirium." Written all in capital letters, this font makes a strong statement and suggests a far more violent and determined stand than the slow and romantic awakening that actually occurs in the story. The successes of the model in the first cover, so integral to the cover and connected to the story, are completely lost in this new cover. Her face is barely visible, but she is looking downward, completely removing all feelings of awakening and hope that were so beautifully captured in the first cover. I am disappointed with this choice.

What do you think about these covers? Do you like them? Dislike them? Do they make you want to read the book? Do you prefer the ARC cover or the official cover?

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

Interested in my thoughts on the book? Check out my Delirium book review.  

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Book Review: The Education of Bet by Lauren Baratz-Logsted

The Education of Bet, by Lauren Baratz-Logsted
Release Date: July 12, 2010
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children
Pages: 192
Received: Library
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars 
Author's Page
Amazon Page 
Goodreads Page

Summary

The 1800s were not a good time for women in want of an education, as young Bet well knows. Inspired by her desire to learn, Bet jumps at the opportunity to attend boarding school. The only catch? Bet must disguise herself as her cousin Will in order to gain admittance. Donning the garb of a young man and lowering the pitch of her voice, Bet believes she will have no trouble blending in. But boys will be boys, as the old adage says, and Bet soon learns it takes more to be a boy than a swaggering walk. She soon finds herself struggling to navigate the unspoken social rules of boys, but her biggest challenge arises when she realizes she has fallen in love with her roommate.

Review

Ah, I feel like a drug pusher with all of my Lauren Baratz-Logsted posts. "Hey, hey you, blogger, ya wanna read something good? Come on, I got something for you." After reading The Twin's Daughter (Twin's Daughter review, Twin's Daughter cover review) I'm pretty sure I entered into cheerleader status. Now it's safe to say that I'm in full on fangirl mode. 

I didn’t intend to finish this book so quickly. I planned on going to sleep at a perfectly reasonable time. I got in bed and thought to myself, “I’ll just read the first chapter.” Pfft, famous last words of readers everywhere! Well, one chapter turned into two, which turned into three, and then four. By the time I realized how late it had gotten I was so invested in Bet’s story that I decided to just ignore the clock and read until the end.

And what an ending! But wait, I’m getting ahead of myself. I should start at the beginning. Bet captured my heart from the very first. She’s sweet and loyal with a backbone of steel. Bet saw an opportunity and she seized it, despite all the dangers and all of the arguments to the contrary. I admired her bravery, but I also adored her for her weaknesses. Bet begins the book as a terribly naïve and sheltered girl. She expects boys to behave one way, but soon realizes her assumptions were very wrong. She is charmingly stubborn at first, but eventually she learns to adapt to these realities and triumph over them.

Then there is James, Bet’s roommate. I can completely understand why Bet fell for him. He is so sweet and attentive, but also admirable in that he always stays true to himself. James early on recognizes Bet’s oddities and decides to take her under his wing to protect her from bullies. Of course James believes Bet to be Will, and so his acceptance of Bet’s strange ways is all the more noble. In this manner, we see that James is not simply nice to Bet because he finds her attractive, but rather because he is a good person. 

The supporting “good” characters are beyond charming. I loved them. They sometimes seemed a little too good to believe, but that didn’t bother me one bit. They were the type of people I'd fantasize about if I were to picture a "perfect" cast with myself as the star. Loving, supporting, understanding, accepting, helpful, and fun. This was a happy book through and through, and I loved that. This is the kind of book that warms my heart, makes me smile, and earns itself a spot on the Special Shelf.

This happiness is what I liked best about The Education of Bet. The characters nestled their way into my heart. With each passing scene I felt the smile on my face growing wider and wider. I had to stifle giggles to make sure I didn’t wake anyone. Each scene was perfectly crafted in a way that was both entirely relatable (in emotion, if not in situation- though wouldn't that situation be fun?) and wholly enjoyable to read. I wasn’t expecting much from such a short book, but I am happy to say I totally underestimated Bet and her story.

 

 Explanation of rating system: Star Rating Key 

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In My Mailbox (5)

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.

 I've been trying to practice some restraint by not ordering a whole bunch of books (especially considering I still have books not only from last week, but from the week before that....and the week before that!) Some restraint does not equal complete restraint (come on, me? Restraint? Ha!), so here are the books I got this week:

From the library:

(Click on the image to make it larger)

The Healer's Apprentice, by Melanie Dickerson

 For Review (from the lovely author):

Wind and Fire, by Cheryl Landmark

Author's Page

Anyone read any of these books? What were your thoughts? 

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.

And don't forget to join in on my event, Busting the Newbie Blues! We're having a ton of fun!

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Recap: 12/5 to 12/11

In case you missed anything, here's a recap of what was posted during the week of Sunday, December 5th through Saturday, December 12th:

Things You Don't Want to Miss:

My event Busting the Newbie Blues where new and established bloggers meet and share their experiences in the blogging world. It's been a ton of fun, so be sure to join in! Runs December 3rd through December 31st.


Reviews:

The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle, by Avi 

Paranormalcy, by Kiersten White

Betrayal, by Gillian Shields

Cover review: Immortal

Memes:

In My Mailbox

Cover Crazy

Forget Me Not

Tween Tuesday

Waiting on Wednesday

Book Blogger Hop

Spotlight: 

Small Review Busts the Newbie Blues

What's Your Status? Is a new meme created by Zakiya from Butterfly Feet Walking on Life where we recap our reading week. Here's how my week went:

Finished:

Cloaked in Red, by Vivian Vande Velde 

Forgive My Fins, by Tera Lynn Childs 



Currently Reading: 

Leaving Paradise, by Simone Elkeles

The Vespertine, by Saundra Mitchell

Miss anything last week? Click to see what happened in previous Recap posts.

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Book Review: Betrayal by Gillian Shields

Betrayal (Immortal #2), by Gillian Shields

Release Date: August 3, 2010
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books

Pages: 359

Received: Library
Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars
Amazon Page 

Goodreads Page

WARNING! This review contains spoilers for book 1: Immortal.

Click if you would like to read my Immortal review
Click if you would like to read my Immortal cover review

Summary

Picking up where the first book ended, Evie and her friends attempt to find a way to free Sebastian from the pact he made over a century ago. As Evie struggles to learn the secrets of the Mystic Way, Sebastian rapidly degenerates and begins to descend into darkness. Complicating things for Evie is the evil sisterhood hoping to gain power through their bond with Sebastian. Evie knows she must win this race against time, or lose Sebastian forever.

Review

In some ways this sequel is a definite improvement over the first book, Immortal. I had written in my review for Immortal that I had trouble connecting with Evie. Those problems were mostly gone in the second book. While Evie does not manage to fully attach herself to my heart, she has developed into a character I enjoy reading about. I was rooting for her as she tried to save Sebastian, and I felt for her when she ran across problems and uncomfortable situations.

Unfortunately, as Evie strengthened as a character, Sebastian and Evie’s friends weakened. Agnes, perhaps my favorite character from the first book, wasn’t even in this second book. Helen and Sarah, two characters I liked very much in the first book, were both far less developed in Betrayal. They read a lot more like interchangeable lackeys than the strong and likable girls they were in the first book. I was disappointed with this, as I really did like both of them in Immortal.  

Sebastian was an even bigger disappointment for me. In the first book he was charming, but also kind of scary. He had a reckless madness about himself and he always seemed to be balancing on a tightrope of morality, poised to tip off at any moment. He was the perfect Byronic character and truly embodied Gothic fiction. This dangerousness was exciting and made him an interesting character to read about. In Betrayal, Sebastian is a specter of himself. He’s lost his edge. Part of my disappointment stems from my own expectations, which perhaps isn’t entirely fair to the author. I’ll explain.

To me, the setup to Betrayal seemed to hint at, well, betrayal (I guess that’s a little more than a hint). The cover is filled with fire, the title is betrayal of all things, and the tag line reads, “Your heart tells you to trust, your head tells you to run.” The plot has Sebastian sliding into madness, temptation, and the dark side. I was totally expecting and hoping for an impassioned madman who would be truly dangerous to Evie. I was looking forward to reading about them sparring and trying to outwit one another. I wanted to see the dark side of Sebastian and the strength of Evie as she faced off against him and battled for his soul. Basically, I wanted Sebastian to go bad (think Angel when he turns into Angelus and delights in messing with Buffy’s head. Yeah, I’m a gigantic Buffy dork).

Instead I got a neutered Sebastian. Crippled, crying, and entirely too good. His slips into cruelty are fleeting and they’re treated more like how you would look at a beloved elderly person who suffers from dementia and sometimes lashes out at you. Yeah, it hurts, but you can’t and don’t blame them. You pity them, and that’s exactly what Sebastian was: Pitiful. He wasn’t even charming or attractive like he was in the first book. I was totally disappointed, but again, that is probably in large part due to my own hopes and expectations and not the author’s writing.

The plot also suffered in comparison to the first book. A lot more happened in Immortal, plus the mysteries and slow exploration of the secrets of the past were a lot more exciting. In Betrayal, the mysteries and villains were predictable and easily overcome, so this book lacked much of the tension of the first. I did still enjoy this plot, just not as much as the first book.

My other complaint is with the writing. In both this book and the first, Shields evokes a heavy, florid style designed to take the reader to the wild and emotional moors of Gothic fiction. I love this style, and Shields does a good job at transporting the reader (she’s even better in the second book). This is the case, at least, until one of her characters says something completely modern like “Yeah” or “Dad” (as opposed to “Yes” or “Father”). Whenever this happens, I find myself jarred out of the atmosphere she had so elegantly created. This seems especially unnatural because the characters will mix a very modern style of speaking with a very 1800s style of speech and so it sounds pretty unbelievable.

Still, despite all that, there’s something about this series I like a lot. It’s hard for me to put my finger on why, but despite all the flaws, I still find myself craving the series. I’m caught up in the Gothic whirlwind of danger, secrets, magic, and romance. I want to go back to Wyldcliffe and roam its halls with Evie, dodging and spying on the evil teachers. I want to listen in as Evie unlocks the mysteries of the Talisman and the Mystic Way. Even with all my complaints, I’m excitedly awaiting the third book in the series, set for publication in August of 2011.  

 

Explanation of rating system: Star Rating Key 

You might also like: 

Review of Immortal

Cover review of Immortal

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Book Review: Paranormalcy by Kiersten White

Paranormalcy, by Kiersten White
Release Date: August 31, 2010
Publisher: HarperTeen
Pages: 335
Received: Library book
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars 
Author's Page
Amazon Page 
Goodreads Page

 Summary

As a teen working for the International Paranormal Containment Agency, Evie spends her days catching and tagging all sorts of paranormal baddies. Never questioning her duties, Evie goes along with the agency’s activities until the arrival of a completely new paranormal changes her world. Calling into question everything she thought she knew, Lend, the hot new paranormal, challenges Evie to reconsider her actions. He also comes with devastating news: Someone has been systematically murdering paranormals, and Evie and her friends could be next.

Review

I loved, loved, loved this book. Loved it. Why? In large part because of Evie. She’s such a super sweet character and so well developed. I could easily see myself hanging out with her. She’s hilarious (really, I was laughing so hard throughout this book), but she’s also sensitive. The story is told in the first person with Evie narrating, so we get to know her really well. She’s light and bubbly, but she also has depth. She’s been raised in a pretty cold environment without ever really having anyone to love her for herself.

At first blush she may seem a little too stereotypical teenager with her love of shopping, teen drama television shows, and pink fashion (all things I think are actually kind of fun). Going deeper, though, you really get a sense of her separation from all these normal teenage things and so her interest in them seems less superficial and more sad. She seems to try so hard to create normality and love around her because the reality of her life lacks all of that. My heart breaks for her, especially as she uncovers the secrets and prophesies throughout the book.

Evie isn’t the only thing I loved about this book. I mentioned the humor, but I really need to reiterate this. I was so darn happy reading this book. I kept smiling and giggling and smirking. I dare anyone to read the first page and not, at the very least, crack a smile. Go on, I’m serious. I dare you. Look, I’ll even give you a link.

Ok, did you read it? Well, did you smile? I read that first page in the library, closed the book, and walked straight to the checkout line. I knew I was going to love the book based on that first page alone, and I was right. Kiersten White’s writing style is so fluid and fun, but she also really knows how to keep suspense high. There was this one scene (don’t worry I’m not going to give anything away) where Evie encountered the big bad of the story and I was all prepared to start screaming myself. It was tense! But also so much fun! I don’t know how White manages to combine the two, but as a reader I am so glad she did.  

But those aren’t the only reasons I loved this book. Yeah, there’s more. There’s all those other characters. Evie is great, but so is pretty much everyone else. Evie’s best friend (a mermaid!) is so sweet and such a fun character. She speaks through a voice translating computer, all monotone and with any curses bleeped over. She was hilarious. I was so glad Evie had a friend like her. Then there’s Lend. He’s a good guy and his paranormal ability is really very cool. I hope we get to see it used more in the sequel. That’s all I’m going to say about him. Don’t want to spoil anything for you. And the big bad? Jeez, I can’t say anything about that one without giving stuff away, so I’ll just say that I LOVE what White did with this character.

And I’m still not finished explaining all the reasons I loved this book. I’m a, how should I say this, I’m a “throw it all in the pot” kind of girl. When I eat rice, for example, I don’t want just plain rice. I want my rice to have a ton of stuff in it. Cranberries, mushrooms, onions, chicken, whatever. Throw it all in and I’m happy.

 I’m finding I also like my books like that. Not with food (then I’m just super hungry every time I read), but with paranormals. I love that publishers are printing so many different paranormal stories: we’ve got werewolves, vampires, mermaids, fairies, and so on. It’s great. Only thing is, they’re each neatly sectioned off into their own little books. Kiersten White took all those major players, threw them together, and even added a bunch more of her own. I loved it! Even better, it all worked. It didn’t feel jumbled or awkward at all.

I especially liked how White made her fairies. They were mysterious and dangerous, seriously dangerous. I liked that so much more than the delicate sparkly fairies of a lot of other series. How am I supposed to swoon over a fairy guy if he resembles body glitter? I love glitter. Don’t get me wrong, I’m actually kind of obsessed with glitter and anything sparkly (put it on a pretty cover and I could stare at it all day stroking the cover with a dazed expression mumbling “Pretty….” Think a sparkle zombie).

But on a hot guy? I may be kind of old school here, but I want my men to be described with words like “rugged” not “disco ball.” Likewise, if you'd use a word to describe a ballerina, then I don't want that word used to describe the guy I'm supposed to find attractive. Reth, the second love interest and a fairy, might have been gorgeous (and I’m so not complaining about that), but he was in no way, shape, or form delicate. Um, can you tell I liked this character? I hope and suspect we’ll see a lot more of him in the second book (Sorry Team Lend girls, I loved Lend, but I’ve got a thing for the bad boys).

Finally, the last thing I loved about this book is the mystery. We’re fed little bits and pieces as the story progresses. A hint here, a cryptic statement there. I know Reth was bad news for Evie and she was right to try to avoid him, but I really just wanted her to tase him until he spilled the beans…in clear and complete sentences! He was such a tease with all of his little sly statements. Jerk! (I loved him.) Eventually most of these tid bits add up to an interesting conclusion that I really wasn’t expecting at all. Actually, there were a number of curve balls thrown here that I didn't see coming. I can’t wait to see how this is developed in the sequel.

 I still have a ton of questions I’m hoping will be answered in the sequel (Supernaturally, coming out much too far away in September 2011), but this first book did wrap things up well. I hate it when I’m left hanging right in the middle of a storyline with zero answers. Paranormalcy didn’t do that. We get closure in a lot of areas, but significant parts of the storyline are still left open. Fans of Lee Nichols’ Deception (my review) will love Paranormalcy (and if Paranormalcy sounds good to you, then be sure to check out Deception if you haven’t already read it!)

 Explanation of rating system: Star Rating Key 


You might also like: 
Another review of Paranormalcy posted today by Mizz Yasmin

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Book Blogger Hop (3)

Book Blogger Hop is a weekly meme hosted by Crazy-for-Books where book bloggers answer the weekly question and hop around to other blogs and see what other bloggers have to say. The goal is to discover new blogs, "connect with other book lovers, make new friends, support each other, and generally just share our love of books!"

This week's question is:

 "What is the thing you like most about reading book blogs?  Is it the reviews, author guest posts, articles, giveaways, or something else entirely?"

What I like best is the community. Sharing ideas, discussing books, getting to know one another. More specifically to content, I most look forward to thoughtful reviews. Can't say I mind the giveaways, either!

 

In case you missed it, be sure to check out my event Busting the Newbie Blues hosted here from December 3rd through December 31st. It's been a ton of fun and I'd love to see you there!

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