Month: March 2018

If you’re looking for a good mystery to keep you up at night, leave the light on for M.A. Bennet’s S.T.A.G.S.. Fans of high stakes mysteries like Pretty Little Liars will fall in love with this richly told tale, and anyone who enjoys a little fright with their night should consider carving out some time to read it.

Greatest Hits:

Bennet is a master of suspense, weaving a story that keeps the reader continually unsettled without revealing too much at once. Even as the reader begins to piece the puzzle together, watching the protagonist take the journey is rewarding and will keep you on the edge of your seat. The characters each leave distinct impressions behind, and I dare you not to think about them long after you’ve read the last page.

The twists and turns kept me hooked from the start, and didn’t let go, even after I finished reading. It didn’t feel too predictable, and I continually found myself surprised by the way the mystery unfolded. I also loved that at some points, the protagonist questioned her perception of events. It felt really honest and believable, because a real person in the situation she’s in would almost definitely try to talk themselves out of believing what was really happening. Similarly, I liked that she had complex feelings toward her wealthy classmates. She obviously has a lot of moments where she sees the corruption that wealth and power make possible, but she also has moments of wishing she had that glamorous life. Again, this felt really believable. The mix of envy and mistrust and desire definitely made her a relatable character.

Without saying too much about the ending, I will say it is FANTASTIC. I was afraid I would come to the end of the book feeling as though things had wrapped up too neatly, and the author skillfully manipulated that feeling, building the plot to a certain point and allowing the reader to become almost complacent before giving information that keeps things from wrapping into too neat of a bow. I loved it, and it was executed flawlessly.

My Conclusion:

Go read this book! If you love mysteries, it will be a wonderful addition to your shelf. If you never read mysteries, it will still take you for a gripping ride. I highly reccomend this book, and look forward to reading anything by M.A. Bennet that I can get my hands on. Happy reading!

-Kat

If you’re familiar with recent YA hits, you’ve probably heard of Caraval by Stephanie Garber. This book was flying off shelves when I heard about it a few months ago, and it actually took me a while to track down a physical copy for sale. Ordinarily, I would’ve bought a digital copy, but this book is such a beautiful object in and of itself, I wanted a hardcover. Fans of Lauren DeStefano’s Chemical Gardens trilogy will enjoy this richly immersive world and it’s compelling characters.

Greatest Hits:

I personally love stories that spotlight sibling ties and the lengths characters will go to in order to protect their loved ones. The sisters in this story are unforgettable in their fierce love for one another, and their drive to protect one another propells the story forward. Their backstory serves to inform every aspect of their personalities and actions, which I think is a real strength in this novel. Many times with characters who have tragic or difficult backstories, the background information feels seperate from the characters themselves, almost as though it were about someone else completely. With Garber’s characters, everything in their backstories influences the way they behave and interact with each other and the world.

Another great triumph of this story is the setting. The details are rich and varied, giving the reader a real sense of the sensory experience of the setting. In fact, the setting almost becomes a character of it’s own rather than simply a backdrop. Garber describes the setting and characters with such fine tuned technique that the overall effect feels cinematic. Combined with the suspense, the clever misdirects, and the aura of mystery, the story takes on a life of its own. Readers can hardly help but be engrossed by every new piece of information.

The characters the audience roots for are not the only ones who are skillfully fleshed out. Villains so often fall into two categories: flat characters with very simple motivations and little emotional depth, and well-rounded characters who are at least partially redeemed at some point in the narrative (Think Snape). The villains in Caraval are a species of their own. Like the protagonist, they have fully fleshed out backstories that inform their actions and reactions in the world. In the case of at least one character, redemption is far out of reach. This, however, does not make the character any less compelling or interesting to read about, and I find it very impressive that Garber achieved this in one novel.

My Conclusion:

I await more from this author with great anticipation. Her mastery of fiction writing is evident in every aspect of the novel, and I have no doubt that her future works will be equally gripping. Fans of Imaginary Girls by Nova Ren Suma will likely enjoy the intensity of the sisters’ relationship, and anyone in need of a good, immersive story world should check it out. Garber’s world is an opulent escape from reality, and the characters will stay with you for years to come. Happy Reading!

-Kat

Buckle up, lovelies, it’s time to talk about one of my favorite books of all time. Moira Fowley-Doyle’s The Accident Season is perhaps one of the best examples of magical realism that I’ve come across in recent years. Fans of ambiguous magic and not entirely reliable narrators will no doubt find delight in this story, as I have.

Greatest Hits:

The gothic setting of the abandoned house, the weaving of description with imaginative imagery and metaphors (both visual and textual) make this an incredibly immersive story to read. The foreshadowing is done so skillfully that on a first read through, you might not even know you’re being given clues until they begin to tie together.

One incredibly impressive thing I noticed in this story was the romantic tension. Without delving too much into spoilers, what I can say is that the romantic pairings in this story could very easily have come off awkward and forced. The skill it took for the author to write these relationships in a way that felt believable and organic is evident in every scene, every page. Whenever the love interests encounter one another, the book feels electric, and readers are pulled almost magnetically into the midst of their angst-filled character arcs.

Every single character was memorable, to such an extent that arguably, they are all protagonists. In many works, this would’ve made the story feel too vast, too messy to really focus in on. Fowley-Doyle has taken on this ambitious ensemble cast and done it so well that it’s almost possible to forget what a gargantuan task that is for a writer. Even the dialogue, that dreaded thing which so many talented writers fall short on, felt as real and organic as if the author had simply transcribed it from life- as if the characters were alive. And as fantastic as this book was, I have to believe that to the author, they were.

My Conclusion:

Set aside a day to read this book, because you won’t be putting it down until you’ve finished it. This book was thoroghly engaging and perfect for fans of the gothic genre, as well as readers who enjoyed the works of Nova Ren Suma and Rosemary Clement-Moore. Worth buying in hardback or requesting at your local library, this book is one readers will enjoy through multiple reads. Happy reading!

-Kat

Recently I had the pleasure of reading Rin Chupeco’s The Bone Witch. It follows the protagonist, Tea (what a great name, right?) as she discovers and learns to use supernatural powers. If you’re a fan of necromancy, this is the story for you!

Greatest Hits:

This story is as lyrical as they come. The prose style is incredibly lush and feels like the literary equivalent of slipping into a hot bath. Fans of fantasy classics like The Golden Compass will appreciate the way the story unfolds, pulling the reader in with rich characters. Another great strength of this story is it’s visual and sensory details. While a lot of stories could get bogged down with providing descriptions of everything, this book absolutely nails the delicate balance of plot and description.

Possibly the best thing about this book is it’s hero, Tea. She’s fierce and tenacious without falling into the easy cardboard cutout of “strong female character” archetypes, but is instead a fully fleshed out character, written with great care and skill. Tea’s relationship with her mentor is compelling, and the author’s skill with writing interpersonal relationships carries the reader deeper into Tea’s world. The book covers an extended period of time, and yet manages to feel like a slow burn in the best way, allowing the reader to meander through the world and fall in love with it without being hurried along towards the novel’s turning points.

My Conclusion:

This is a beautifully written and thoroughly enjoyable book, which unfolds gradually to reveal it’s wonders for readers. If you love rich descriptions and gorgeously written fight scenes, this is the book for you. I personally can hardly wait for the inevitable sequel, and I highly recommend this book!

-Kat