Book Review: Harbinger, by Sara Wilson Etienne

Etienne, Sara Wilson. Harbinger. 309 p. G.P. Putnam's Sons. 2012. Hardcover $17.99. ISBN 9780399256684. 

This book marks my second review for the 2012 Debut Author Challenge hosted by the Story Siren.

Harbinger is original, unpredictable, and very different from anything else I've seen on the YA shelves lately. In fact, with its supernatural elements and psychological suspense, this title reminds me of those classic Lois Duncan novels from the '70s and '80s-- which I loved. So if you're in the mood for something strange and fascinating, this book might just be your cup of tea.

Although Faye isn't happy when her parents enroll her in a discipline-heavy boarding school for troubled youth against her will, even she has to admit she might be insane. She has visions of floods, and she and her schoolmates wake up each morning with blood red hands and no memory of what transpired the night before. What's really going on at Holbrook Academy?

Vivid imagery, short chapters, and a relentless procession of twists and turns engage the reader, and the tension doesn't let up until the book's conclusion. And it is a true conclusion-- bucking the current YA trend, this one's a standalone, not a trilogy.

The writing is tight, with brisk pacing and a strong, eerie sense of setting. I enjoyed Faye's role as a possibly unreliable narrator, with her uncertain mental state. Supporting characters are fairly well-rounded, though I found the large cast challenging to keep track of at times. There is an element of romance in this story, but it doesn't overtake the other plot elements, making this title a good choice for anyone growing weary of the typical paranormal romance formula.

Sara Wilson Etienne has made a memorable debut with Harbinger, and I look forward to seeing what else this creative new author has in store. I had the pleasure of meeting Sara at the Passion & Prose conference last month-- stay tuned for her appearance on the Authors are ROCKSTARS! podcast soon!

Book Review: The Dead of Winter, by Chris Priestley

Priestley, Chris. The Dead of Winter. 224 p. Bloomsbury USA. 2012. Hardcover $16.99. ISBN 9781599907451.

This engaging, atmospheric gothic novel is the perfect antidote to the 80-degee weather we've been having here in Southern California lately. I mean, it's JANUARY. I'd like to feel the cold!

Well, despite the unseasonable temperatures, reading The Dead of Winter made me want to wrap myself in a heavy blanket and sit in front of a roaring fire to keep warm. It's deliciously chilling!

The plot neatly comprises nearly all the familiar Victorian gothic tropes: an orphan, a gloomy old manor with a tortured owner; a helpful and loyal servant; a tragic ghost. Oh, and moors. In short, it's pretty awesome.

This book reads like an homage to classic gothic novels, and could be a great introduction to Poe or the Bronte sisters. Occasional SAT words encourage vocabulary building, but short sentences and a fairly straightforward plot make the old-fashioned writing style very approachable for a young reader.

The ambiguous ending works well with the tone of the novel, and the overall effect is genuinely creepy, but not exactly scary-- a solid pick for a middle schooler who likes ghost stories. 

The Dead of Winter was published in the UK in 2010, and will hit US bookstore shelves on January 31. ARC for review provided by Bloomsbury USA via NetGalley.

Book Review: Anna Dressed in Blood, by Kendare Blake

Blake, Kendare. Anna Dressed in Blood. 316 p. Tor. 2011. Hardcover $17.99. ISBN 9780765328656.

For whatever reason, I ignored the buzz about this book, even though there was a LOT of it. But once my library’s copy came across my desk, I found myself absolutely hooked from the first page. I love it when a book takes me by surprise like that!

The premise is awesome: a creepy Victorian house haunted by the wrathful spirit of a murdered teenage girl who kills anyone who enters the house... except our ghost-hunting main character, who’s there to put an end to her slaying spree? HELLO, SIGN ME UP.

And the book delivers on that awesome premise, making for a fast-paced, genuinely engaging read. Really, I have no idea why I didn’t pick it up sooner.

Anna Dressed in Blood reads like a really awesome episode of the TV show, Supernatural-- before the show got all convoluted with demons and angels, back when it was just monster-hunting, I mean. There’s lots of legends and lore, and the horror is pitch perfect in this book. There are some genuinely chilling scenes and really creepy, gruesome imagery-- things I’d cover my eyes to avoid watching on a screen, but don’t traumatize me in print. Scary, but fun!

It’s kind of unfortunate that this book has a girl on the cover and a girl’s name in the title, because it's not just for girls-- guys will totally dig it too. It’s got a gruff, street-smart male protagonist who delivers some truly great hilarious one-liners. It’s light on the romance and heavy on the action and suspense. It’s got gore. I know, I know-- the cover and title shouldn’t matter, guys should transcend stereotypes and read it anyway… but I can tell you from experience pitching books to teen guys, most of them are pretty self-conscious about reading a potential “girl” book. Alas! So it might take some convincing, but I would definitely recommend this title to girls and guys.

But speaking of the cover… BONUS! There’s a dead girl depicted, but unlike so many other dead girls on book covers, she’s clearly not a victim. She looks strong and imposing. Dead girl empowerment! It’s about time.

I enthusiastically recommend Anna Dressed in Blood to anyone looking for a slightly scary story to curl up with on a chilly Fall night.

Book Review: The Name of the Star, by Maureen Johnson

Johnson, Maureen. The Name of the Star. 372 p. 2011. Putnam. Hardcover $16.99. ISBN 9780399256608.

Okay, this is another one of those books that should have come equipped with a babysitter so I could drop everything else and read. After a somewhat leisurely beginning, it soon becomes completely engrossing and I could NOT put it down.

I mean, I did, though. My kids didn’t go hungry! But as soon as they were napping... my nose was right back in this book.

New Orleans native, Rory, is off to boarding school in London when her parents relocate to England on sabbatical. She thinks the hardest part will be fitting in with her classmates and keeping up with things like double maths. She didn’t expect to become a witness in the investigation of murders imitating the infamous Jack the Ripper crimes. And why is she seeing people that nobody else seems to notice?

Johnson brings her trademark humor even to this dark premise involving serial murders and the supernatural, playing with the contrast of England and the American South with hilarious effect. Too, I enjoyed the details of Rory’s British boarding school experience and the depiction of feeling like a fish out of water as an American abroad. These aspects of the story will appeal to fans of Stephanie Perkins' Anna and the French Kiss-- only instead of a sweet, cozy romance, you get an edge-of-your-seat paranormal murder mystery! The balance of humor and suspense, combined with tight plotting and strongly driven pacing makes for a thoroughly appealing mix.

Characters are well-developed; I feel like Rory is someone I’d hang out with. Secondary characters are fleshed out, with quirks all their own. Rory’s very earnest roommate, Jazza, is especially adorable. This might be my adult perspective speaking, but I might have liked to have seen more of Rory’s parents. Their absence was necessary for the story, but perhaps a little too convenient. I doubt teens will balk at the fact that Rory is able to easily evade parental influence, however.

Beyond the primary plot, there are some great themes to explore in this book. In particular, Johnson touches upon society’s fascination with the most gruesome things in the media, and how we’ve become desensitized to the horror of it all through sensationalism. The role of the media was instrumental in making the original Jack the Ripper case so famous, and Johnson deftly shows how very little has changed over the years in that regard.

This book is full of fascinating information about the darker elements of London’s history; Johnson must have done extensive research. After I turned the last page of the book, I was compelled to read more on the Jack the Ripper case, abandoned train stations, and the devastation caused to the city during World War II. I love it when an author gets me hooked on topics I hadn’t previously known much about! And I have to admit, it warms my little librarian heart to think that teen readers might be interested in learning more about the history in this book, too.

The story wraps up nicely, but a twist at the very end leaves the reader satisfied yet eager for a sequel. This is an enticing read for fans of the paranormal who may be a little burnt out on paranormal romances. This book is something else entirely, and is refreshingly different.

Book Review: Paranormalcy, by Kiersten White

White, Kiersten. Paranormalcy. 335 p. HarperTeen. 2010. Hardcover $16.99. ISBN 9780061985843.

I can't believe I missed this book when it first came out! Well, actually, I guess I can believe it... I mean-- the cover, guys. It's striking, but it's so super serious, and does not reflect the hilarious tongue-in-cheek tone of the book. I was not expecting to be amused by this book at all, but trust me, this is one of those times when you do not want to judge a book by its cover. This one is TOTALLY funny-- a refreshing change from the typical paranormal fiction.

Evie just wants to be a normal high schooler (with a locker!) but due to her unique talent for seeing underneath the glamour of any paranormal creature, she's been drafted by the International Paranormal Containment Agency. She leads a lonely but mostly content life saving the world from paranormal dangers, until she discovers a startling relevation about herself...

Brisk pacing, tight plotting, and a likable main character (okay, let's face it: I completely relate to Evie's pink-sparkly-loving ways and want to know where I can get a hot-pink taser!) make for a highly engaging read.

White includes just about every paranormal creature there is, and gently mocks the stereotypes: My favorite: "Why on earth would a vampire go to high school?" (p. 239) Why indeed? I lol'd.

There is depth and weight balanced with the humor, though, as White puts an inventive spin on the themes of self-discovery and claiming one's power that are so prevalent in YA lit. With a fantastic blend of action, romance, suspense, and humor, there's a little something for everyone here. I can't stop recommending it at my library-- I think I'm going to have to buy a few more copies for the shelves!

The sequel, Supernaturally, just came out at the end of July, so now's the time to get started on this series. And be sure to catch our awesome interview with Kiersten White, along with Andrea Cremer and Stephanie Perkins, at Authors are ROCKSTARS!

Book Review: Hereafter, by Tara Hudson

Hudson, Tara. Hereafter. 416 p. HarperCollins. 2011. Hardcover $17.99. ISBN 9780062026774.

I am a sucker for a good afterlife story, so it's no surprise that I couldn't put down this very readable ghostly romance.

Amelia knows she's been dead for a while, but she doesn’t know much else. She wanders through the afterlife aimless and alone until something happens that changes everything—she witnesses Joshua, a boy her age, nearly drowning in a river... and to her utter shock, he sees her, too.

The story’s pace is leisurely at first, primarily devoted to developing Amelia and Joshua's relationship and establishing the main conflicts. Even though the first portion of the book isn't exactly plot-driven, I found myself captivated by the details of Amelia’s afterlife existence, and loved learning about fragments of her life as she and Joshua uncover them. Thus, I was completely invested in the characters by the time the action ramped up toward the latter third of the book, and absolutely could not put it down.

Elements of this story I particularly liked include the author's clear fondness for the Oklahoma setting, Joshua's attempt at jogging Amelia's memories of her life by playing music from her era (I want to know what songs the author had in mind!), and the tension-filled forbidden romance.

Those who enjoyed other afterlife stories, such as Laura Whitcomb's A Certain Slant of Light, Neal Shusterman's Everlost, and Gabrielle Zevin's Elsewhere, will certainly warm to this one. Although this book is the first in a planned series, its story is wrapped up neatly, with a just a few tantalizing loose threads left hanging to make the reader eager for the sequel. Sign me up!

And can I just say? The cover of this book is absolutely stunning. It fits in with my favorite current trend for YA covers: pretty dresses! The translucency of the figure the perfect way to depict a ghost, and the colors of the sky and water are so eye-catching. I read this as an ebook, but if I’d been strolling down the aisle of a bookstore, I would definitely be drawn in by that beautiful cover.

Hereafter hits shelves today. ARC for review provided by the publisher via NetGalley.

Clarity, by Kim Harrington

Harrington, Kim. Clarity. 242 p. Scholastic Point. 2011. Hardcover $16.99. ISBN 9780545230506.

Left to my own devices, I tend not to read mysteries. Why? Lamest reason ever: when I was a teen, I was all like, OMG, my MOM reads mysteries. So OBVIOUSLY, I can't possibly. I mean, REALLY.

But as I've grown older and wiser, I've come to acknowledge that my mom is totally awesome. And so are mysteries!

Plus, it's part of my professional duty to read in a wide variety of genres so I can provide good reader's advisory to my library teens. And they absolutely devour mysteries. So when I saw an ARC of Clarity at ALA Midwinter, I had to grab it. A teen psychic helps the local police solve a murder in a small town- sounds like something both my library teens and I would enjoy!

The plot of this paranormal, contemporary mystery moves at a brisk pace, and the writing is tight, with no filler. The author has woven the mystery so neatly, with perfectly placed clues and red herrings, that the reader is kept guessing until the big reveal.

The protagonist, Clare, is one of the most awesome book characters I've come across in a while. She's smart and observant- it's totally believable that she can help solve a crime. She's also got some very relatable flaws: she's hot-tempered, impulsive, and holds a grudge. And best of all, she's funny, with one-liners that made me really and truly laugh out loud. Love her! This book's supporting characters are also well developed and three-dimensional. I particularly enjoyed Clare's mind-reading mom- can you imagine growing up with that?

The end of this book leaves room for a sequel- and one is coming, hooray! Perception is due out in March 2012. But the story in this first volume is so complete on its own, I didn't even think about the possibility of a sequel until the very end, when it became clear that the author was deliberately leaving a few plot threads unresolved. You know how, sometimes, the first volume in a series feels like it's just setting up the story for the rest of the books? Well, that's not the case here. This is an intensely fun, smart, and satisfying read.

Clarity is available in bookstores now. ARC for review provided by the publisher.

The Vespertine, by Saundra Mitchell

Mitchell, Saundra. The Vespertine. 293 p. Harcourt Children's Books. 2011. Hardcover $16.99. ISBN 9780547482477.

In the summer of 1889, Amelia travels from her home in rural Maine to visit her relatives in Baltimore, with the task of securing a proper marriage prospect. However, she quickly becomes enamored of an intriguing young artist who isn't a suitable match at all, and begins having visions of the future that only appear at sunset. While her mysterious power is entertaining at first, it brings horrifying consequences.

The lush first-person prose in this novel effectively evokes the Victorian era. Tension is sustained throughout the narrative, as the story opens in the autumn after Amelia's ill-fated summer in Baltimore, making the reader immediately aware that something terrible has happened. Set in flashbacks, the plot proceeds toward its dramatic climax at a leisurely pace, with quite a lot about calling cards and dances in between Amelia's visions. Although I wouldn't describe this book as action-packed, it does deliver on the promised tragedy in the end.

There is much to enjoy here- the development of Amelia's relationships with others, for example... the endearing friendship with her cousin, and her forbidden romance that sizzles with small improprieties. The author's detailed portrayal of Victorian-era Baltimore is detailed and feels fully realized, and the descriptions of the fashions of the time are particularly lovely.

Although it leans more toward the historical than the paranormal, this book will appeal to fans of Libba Bray's Gemma Doyle trilogy. And now that I've read The Vespertine, I really want to check out Saundra Mitchell's first novel for young adults, Shadowed Summer!

Look for The Vespertine in stores on March 7. ARC for review provided by the publisher via NetGalley.

Angelfire, by Courtney Allison Moulton

Moulton, Courtney Allison. Angelfire. 464 p. HarperCollins. 2011. Hardcover $17.99. ISBN 9780062002327.

So, you've probably noticed that angels are the new vampires- in YA fiction, anyway. They're all the rage. Somehow I've been missing out on this trend, so I decided to give Angelfire a whirl.

Ellie is a normal girl just trying to enjoy her last year in high school... except that she's been plagued by nightmares lately, where she's wielding two flaming swords and fighting monsters. And she keeps running into this hot guy hanging around. And then the monsters start attacking for real. Before long, her destiny is revealed: she is a reincarnated warrior who has been waging a centuries-long battle against reapers, deadly creatures set on stealing innocent human souls for Hell's army. Oh, and the hot guy? He's her guardian.

With Ellie's conversational first-person narrative chronicling a combination of her day-to-day teen existence, fast-paced action sequences, and a swoony but fairly chaste romance, this book is one that will appeal to the Twilight fans.

Ellie is a far cry from Bella, however. Those who complain about Bella's passivity won't find that same flaw here. When Ellie notices a hot guy sort of stalking her, she totally calls him out on being creepy instead of falling madly in love with him. It's hilarious, actually! I mean, OF COURSE she falls for him later, but hey, it's okay to fall in love with a hot guy after sharing a few conversations and some epic battle scenes, right? I liked the way Ellie and Will's relationship develops.

Besides having a healthy sense of self-preservation when it comes to strange guys, Ellie is a powerful fighter, despite the fact that she would rather be an ordinary teenage girl. When the situation calls for it, she demonstrates some pretty awesome sword-fighting. Those looking for a strong heroine in their paranormal fantasy reads will enjoy Ellie.

Although the character development is solid, the book's writing is occasionally clumsy and the pacing can be uneven. There's quite a bit of telling instead of showing, and long sections of the narrative devoted to explanations of the book's mythology tend to detract from the reading experience. I felt that the book could have benefited from tighter editing. Also, there are a few loose threads (Like: what was up with Ellie's dad?), but I assume these will be addressed in the next two books of the trilogy.

On the whole, though, this is a fun read for fans of the paranormal romance genre.

Angelfire hits stores today. ARC for review provided by the publisher via NetGalley.