Genre: Fantasy

The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making by Catherynne M. Valente | Mini Book Review

Posted August 20, 2015 by Jana in Book Review, Middle Grade / 4 Comments

The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making Published by Feiwel and Friends on May 10, 2011
Genres: Fantasy
Pages: 247
Format: eBook
Source: Purchased
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Twelve-year-old September lives in Omaha, and used to have an ordinary life, until her father went to war and her mother went to work. One day, September is met at her kitchen window by a Green Wind (taking the form of a gentleman in a green jacket), who invites her on an adventure, implying that her help is needed in Fairyland. The new Marquess is unpredictable and fickle, and also not much older than September. Only September can retrieve a talisman the Marquess wants from the enchanted woods, and if she doesn’t . . . then the Marquess will make life impossible for the inhabitants of Fairyland. September is already making new friends, including a book-loving Wyvern and a mysterious boy named Saturday.

With exquisite illustrations by acclaimed artist Ana Juan, Fairyland lives up to the sensation it created when the author first posted it online. For readers of all ages who love the charm of Alice in Wonderland and the soul of The Golden Compass, here is a reading experience unto itself: unforgettable, and so very beautiful.

This is one strange little book, with language I’m not sure I would have understood at age 11 or 12, which is the age I would recommend this book to. I think it’s too young for teenagers, but I don’t think I would have liked is as a tween, but I was not a fan of fairy tales at that age. I’m sure I would have liked the wyvern’s (dragon) humor and the cute illustrations at the beginning of each chapter, though. As an adult, I found myself being bogged down by purple prose (and too much of it!) and so many details that I was unable to actually keep track of what was going on.

The writing style is very pretty and ornate, but too much so and the language is too advanced for the age group the book is marketed to. September’s voice is very strong and dynamic, but she does not act her age (12) because of the way she talks and the way she acts (she uses an advanced vocabulary, but at the same time is naïve enough to run away with the Green Wind). There were too many details and it was so overly stylized that I found myself spacing out and losing focus. It made me tired. I also felt that referring to September as being “Ravished” was a bit odd and sexual. Overall, I just wasn’t a fan and am not sure who I would even recommend it to because it does not fit into one specific age group.

The Strange Case of Finley Jayne by Kady Cross | Novella Review

Posted July 3, 2015 by Jana in Book Review, Young Adult Fiction / 2 Comments

The Strange Case of Finley Jane by Kady Cross
Published by Harlequin Teen on May 1, 2011
Genres: Fantasy, Steampunk
Pages: 83
Format: eBook
Source: Purchased
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Finley Jayne knows she's not 'normal'. Normal girls don't lose time, or have something inside them that makes them capable of remarkably violent things. Her behavior has already cost her one job, so when she's offered the lofty position of companion to Phoebe, a debutante recently engaged to Lord Vincent, she accepts, despite having no experience. Lord Vincent is a man of science with his automatons and inventions, but Finley is suspicious of his motives where Phoebe is concerned. She will do anything to protect her new friend, but what she discovers is even more monstrous than anything she could have imagined.

My Kindle copy of The Girl in the Steel Corset has this short prequel novella at the beginning, and I had no idea what I was reading until it was over and it was time to move into the full-length novel! I was a tad annoyed that I was not told I was reading the novella, but I can only assume it will be helpful as I move into The Girl in the Steel Corset at a later time.

I think I was fortunate with this novella, even though I was annoyed I was reading it instead of the book (The Girl in the Steel Corset was a required reading for my YA lit course, and so I was frustrated that I had spent 83 pages on the wrong book. But oh well. Moving on.). The Strange Case of Finley Jayne was actually pretty entertaining and has a plot that it not too big or too small for the book. It felt just right to me. We were not rushing through events and details, but it also did not feel like an unnecessary addition to the series. The characters are well developed even though 83 pages is not long enough to get attached to any of them. I like Finley, and am intrigued by her story. I also liked the writing style, and feel like this book was a nice introduction to the series. I know some people read this novella after Steel Corset, so I’m not sure which was the better option. Regardless, I enjoyed it and am planning to read The Girl in the Steel Corset soon.

So. Do you like this series? Have you read this novella? I’m curious how it relates to Steel Corset because I read a review that says that the events in this books are never referenced in Steel Corset, and that Steel Corset contradicts some of the events in Strange Case. So is it even worth reading it in the grand scheme of things? I’d love your opinions!

Fairest by Marissa Meyer | Book Review

Posted June 25, 2015 by Jana in Book Review, Young Adult Fiction / 6 Comments

Fairest by Marissa Meyer
Series: The Lunar Chronicles #3.5
Also in this series: Cinder, Scarlet, Cress, Winter, Stars Above
Published by Feiwel and Friends on January 27, 2015
Genres: Dystopia, Fantasy, Retelling, Science Fiction
Pages: 222
Format: Hardcover
Source: Purchased
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In this stunning bridge book between Cress and Winter in the bestselling Lunar Chronicles, Queen Levana’s story is finally told.

Mirror, mirror on the wall,
Who is the fairest of them all?

Fans of the Lunar Chronicles know Queen Levana as a ruler who uses her “glamour” to gain power. But long before she crossed paths with Cinder, Scarlet, and Cress, Levana lived a very different story – a story that has never been told . . . until now.

Marissa Meyer spins yet another unforgettable tale about love and war, deceit and death. This extraordinary book includes full-color art and an excerpt from Winter, the next book in the Lunar Chronicles series.

I’ve never really been a fan of the villain in any story because I don’t usually like the villain! Sure, there have been some exceptions to that rule, but I really wasn’t sure I wanted to learn about Levana and her excuses for being such an awful person. But I love Marissa Meyer and The Lunar Chronicles, so of COURSE I wanted to read Fairest. While I did not love it as much as the full-length novels in this series, I enjoyed Levana’s back story, I feel prepared to read Winter, and I also learned quite a few things about Cinder that surprised me. Bottom line, this book was certainly worth reading! So if you’re on the fence as to whether or not you should, definitely do it. You’ll learn things and more pieces will start to fit into the puzzle.

Levana is EVIL. I mean wow. Pure evil. At times I felt bad for her, but she is seriously a psychopath. I felt bad for her. She went through a lot in her youth, and all of these things helped shaped her to be a ruthless, evil witch she is. She had a horrible upbringing. We hear the heartbreaking story of why she must hide behind an artificial glamour, we hear her experience with being rejected by the man she loved, and her inner feelings and compulsions are brought to light. It’s a very interesting character analysis, and it adds a lot to the story, giving it more of a solid foundation. I do like knowing the why’s and how’s of any situation, and this book gives you that. I’ll never feel like Levana is justified in her actions, but at least I know why she is so crazy.

As always, Marissa Meyer’s writing is flawless and I loved being immersed in this world once again. I’m even more excited for Winter now!

The Sculptor by Scott McCloud | Mini Book Review

Posted May 8, 2015 by Jana in Adult Fiction, Book Review / 0 Comments

The Sculptor by Scott McCloud
Published by First Second Books on February 3, 2015
Genres: Fantasy, Graphic Novel, Romance
Pages: 496
Format: ARC
Source: Publisher (Mail)
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David Smith is giving his life for his art—literally. Thanks to a deal with Death, the young sculptor gets his childhood wish: to sculpt anything he can imagine with his bare hands. But now that he only has 200 days to live, deciding what to create is harder than he thought, and discovering the love of his life at the 11th hour isn't making it any easier!

This is a story of desire taken to the edge of reason and beyond; of the frantic, clumsy dance steps of young love; and a gorgeous, street-level portrait of the world's greatest city. It's about the small, warm, human moments of everyday life…and the great surging forces that lie just under the surface. Scott McCloud wrote the book on how comics work; now he vaults into great fiction with a breathtaking, funny, and unforgettable new work.

The illustrations are well done, and convey a lot of emotion and add a lot to the story, making it more powerful than if words were used alone. I was initially very attracted to the artsy storyline. I was just expecting it to resonate with me more than it did. Being an artist myself, I connected only a little bit (but then again, I am not the stereotypical starving, troubled, tormented artist). David’s favorite medium is stone… so why is he happy when he can work with it as if it were play dough? The best part of art (for an artist) is the creative process. I would imagine that Michelangelo would have been upset if he’d been forced to mold David instead of carve him. I don’t see this as a good deal, especially since he’s traded his life for it. So basically, the plot just did not make sense to me as an artist. I did like the underlying theme of living on borrowed time and what that means, though.

I did not love the characters. I found David to be whiny and selfish and vain, found his character to be very uninspiring. His deal with Death comes from a selfish, egotistical place, and he only gets worse as the story goes on. He does not learn and/or grow. He turns his love, Meg, into a vessel instead of a person, which bothered me a lot.

(This book contains R-rated content and graphic images of nudity and sexual situations. You’ve been warned!)

The Story of Owen by E.K. Johnston | Book Review

Posted January 30, 2015 by Jana in Book Review, Young Adult Fiction / 1 Comment

The Story of Owen: Dragon Slayer of Trondheim by E.K. Johnston
Series: Dragon Slayer of Trondheim #1
Published by Carolrhoda Books on March 1, 2014
Genres: Fantasy
Pages: 312
Format: eBook
Source: Purchased
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Listen! For I sing of Owen Thorskard: valiant of heart, hopeless at algebra, last in a long line of legendary dragon slayers. Though he had few years and was not built for football, he stood between the town of Trondheim and creatures that threatened its survival. There have always been dragons. As far back as history is told, men and women have fought them, loyally defending their villages. Dragon slaying was a proud tradition. But dragons and humans have one thing in common: an insatiable appetite for fossil fuels. From the moment Henry Ford hired his first dragon slayer, no small town was safe. Dragon slayers flocked to cities, leaving more remote areas unprotected. Such was Trondheim's fate until Owen Thorskard arrived. At sixteen, with dragons advancing and his grades plummeting, Owen faced impossible odds armed only with a sword, his legacy, and the classmate who agreed to be his bard. Listen! I am Siobhan McQuaid. I alone know the story of Owen, the story that changes everything. Listen!

This book was a required read for my Young Adult Literature class as part of my MLIS program.

So… I’m not going to write a formal review of The Story of Owen. I’m just going to post my thoughts that I wrote for a couple assignments in my class. Unfortunately, this book was not my favorite. Its had its moments, but overall I had some complaints I could not reconcile.

1. It started out very slowly for me, and never really picked up very much. Maybe things were a bit slow going because the author took her time to build the world. She spent a lot of time going through historical elements to establish dragons as a part of life, and we also read flashbacks to get to know Siobhan and Owen better. I like worldbuilding a lot, but I felt bogged down by so many details and information dumps.

2. I can imagine the author had to do a lot of research to figure out ways to add dragons to history. And I did find some of these historical facts interesting and even cool, but there was just too much.

3. One interesting thing I am slightly confused by is Owen’s need for a bard. It almost seems as
though the author is trying to make Owen’s story a tall tale of sorts, that people talk about for generations… like John Henry. It’s definitely a unique plot mechanism, but I’m not sure I like it.

4. I do love Owen’s and Siobhan’s friendship. They have this mutual caring and admiration for one another that I think is sweet. There are some very tender moments throughout.

5. There’s a very strong “girl power” message throughout the story. The story is dominated by powerful, strong ladies. I think it’s refreshing, and I wonder if the author had a reason for doing this. I think this would be a great book to recommend to girls who are looking for strong heroines.

6. There’s suggestions of possible romance throughout the book, but it never develops into the full-blown romance/infatuation that is so typical in books for young adults. I’m not complaining. I find it refreshing that the author has chosen to hook readers with strong friendships instead.

7. Siobhan’s and Owen’s personalities might be the reason for this lack of romance. To me, they both act younger than the book says they are. I was very surprised when Siobhan drove the two of them or offered to pick Owen up for something, but then remembered she’s old enough. It could just be that these two are a little behind socially and friendship feels more natural than romance.

8. The ending was definitely my favorite part of the story. I can’t even really say why, I was just very happy with how everyone ended up.

9. I can see The Story of Owen having a wide appeal because it is not gender specific and it has lots of different story elements (homosexuality, adventure, bravery, friendship, tradition, history/alternate history, perseverance, familial relationships, etc.).

All in all, I’m a romance girl! I think the lack of romance, which would not have worked in this story anyway so I’m glad the author did not add it, combined with the huge info dumps that ripped me out of the story are my biggest complaints. But I also did not really connect with the characters. I never felt anything for any of them. So really, things were just a mess for me.