Review: Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea

LOOK AT THAT COVER.

Combine a run-down mansion by the sea, a family full of secrets, and a morally ambiguous love interest, and what do you get? A book that feels like it was designed specifically for me. And I'm probably not the only one who will feel that way about Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea.

I think possibly my favorite thing about this book is the setting, which is completely mind-boggling for me. I'm not a setting person; I'm a character person. I would rather have a vivid picture of the characters-- what they look like as well as who they are-- in my head than an image of the setting, which is why I'm amazed by Tucholke's ability to make me care about the setting here. It's as if Echo and Citizen Kane (the mansion, for those not privy to the lingo just yet) are characters in themselves. You can practically taste the salt in the air and the coffee wafting up from the guest house. You can hear the waves crashing on the rocks and the creaking of the Citizen's decaying floorboards. You can see the overcast skies and the iron gates and the town that does its best to ignore the existence of evil within its borders.

The rest follows naturally. The story is built on the foundation of Violet White's grandmother and her warnings about holding hands with the Devil. "You stop fearing the devil when you're holding his hand." Good luck forgetting that first line when River West comes to town and begins holding Violet's hand almost immediately. No, you'll never completely trust River. You'll wonder why every time Violet goes to confront him about something, she suddenly feels all warm and fuzzy toward him and can't quite think of why it is she thought she had to confront him. You'll think River is controlling and dangerous. But then he'll stand up for her against her sexist brother, or Violet will catch him looking at her with warmth and adoration in his eyes, and you'll stop trying to figure him out. River is a mystery. He's a devil you kind of want to be holding Violet's hand… and so does she.

Mixed in are some vivid secondary characters like Violet's neighbor, Sunshine, and a little boy named Jack and his Town Drunk of a father. They all, in addition to being unique and well-drawn, have stories of their own. Eventually there is one other character who was my personal favorite, but I won't spoil who it is-- I'll just say this character is an interesting and natural addition to the story, and he brings some of River's secrets to light.

I give Devil 4.5 stars because it doesn't quite live up to my 5-star expectations, but keep in mind that my 5-star expectations are very high. The characterizations were a little too on-the-surface for me sometimes, in that they didn't sneak up on me. I didn't find myself halfway through the book and realizing that somehow, without my knowing it, I became attached; my attachment to the characters was never a surprise, which is kind of a bummer for me. But, like I said before, I'm a character person. I have very specific needs.

All in all I can't wait for the next book (what?! I thought this was a standalone when I read it, and then I find out… but no matter. I'm not one of those people who is bothered by finding out a book is not a standalone but the first in a series), and for everyone else to read this gothicgothicGOTHIC cliffside horror mystery romance.

★★★★½

Review: Untold by Sarah Rees Brennan (spoiler-free)

A little story about the cover: I like my covers to match.
I was upset when I found out it would not match the first book.
I still like the original cover of Unspoken better, but am happy to accept this one.

Oh, lawd, this book broke me.

And put me back together.

And broke me again.

Several times.

What is there to say about Sarah Rees Brennan's writing that I didn't already say in my Unspoken review? The woman is hilarious. This book may be even funnier than Unspoken. But the woman is also evil, and Untold may also be even more heartbreaking.

Characters

I'm a sucker for a good character. Any good character, really. But these aren't just any good characters. You're going to wish you had a Kami Glass, Lady Sleuth, in your life. Kami is not only witty and entertaining, but she has the endearing quality of being so objective that she sees both the best and the possible worst in everyone. She's no damsel in distress, but she's not an invulnerable stone either. You're going to simultaneously want your own Jared Lynburn and hope that you never, ever get one. He's a bad boy but he doesn't really know why. He's full of anger and despair but also lightness and vulnerability similar to Kami's. You're even going to love the overly-boy-friendly Holly, who most other books would have turned into a teenaged nemesis in a frenzy of girl-hate. She's wide-eyed but also logical, friendly but also lonely. All of the characters are so beautifully complicated, I could go on and on, but I'll spare you. Just. Yes. Good.

The above is a direct quote from my Unspoken review. Every single sentence of that still applies, but this time I won't spare you. Because now I have to talk about Angela, Rusty and Ash too. I love Angela because she's a total badass without even trying-- no, really, she does not try. If there's something that Angela has to try to do, she does not do it (I had a kind friend point out that Angela and I are spirit sisters in that way). That's the Montgomery way. People are scared of Angela because one glare says she can end you and then immediately take a nap-- not because it took so much effort, but because being awake isn't really her thing. Angela likes having people scared of her, because it means they won't mess with the people she loves. Rusty is similar in that if you make him do a thing, he will request a snack and a nap. He takes exactly two things seriously: Angela and Kami. If you make one of them cry, he will punch you. And then he will make a joke about his dashing good looks and irresistible charm.

As for Ash, I was never quite sure how I felt about him before, but I know now. He is a beautiful squishable puppy dog. He is the non-Lynburn Lynburn, where Jared is the Lynburn non-Lynburn. Don't make that face at me! I am making sense!

Pacing, plot and all that good stuff

Well, I stayed up until 3:30a.m. to finish it. So.

The hacky sack

I already mentioned the breaking and the putting back together and the re-breaking. The hacky sack is back. Literary masochists, I call upon thee to preorder this book right now! You will not be disappointed! You'll laugh (a lot), you'll want to strangle some people (mostly Jared, "the most infuriating idiot in all the land"), you'll dance with glee and throw imaginary sparkles into the air because finally everything seems good and right, and then you'll realize there are too many pages left. Too many pages. TOO MANY PAGES.

And once again you'll be lying on the cold, hard ground, shaming no one but yourself because you knew SRB was trouble when she walked in. You let yourself hope for too much, and then she did that thing she does, because she gets her lifeblood from your tears.

But it was fun, and I'd do it again. And not just for the part where Jared and Ash both decide they want Rusty.

★★★★★

Review: Clockwork Princess. I have waited so long.

This review is going to be... difficult. Here are some things you should know about me in advance:

1. I hate change. I hate change as much as Holden Caulfield hates change. I hate change as much as the Doctor hates change. I just really. Hate. Change.
2. I hate goodbyes. Especially when it comes to saying goodbye to my favorite characters. I don't like being forced to do it.
3. I try really, really hard to be positive. But sometimes I just can't.

That said, what you're going to get here are two different reviews written by the same person (me), about the same book. Review #1 is my positive side rearing its optimistic head. Review #2 is my selfish side, who can't stop focusing on things I wish had been different.

Review #1

Clockwork Princess was everything I expected it to be and more. Which says a lot, coming from a girl who has been counting down since December 11, 2011, when I finished Clockwork Prince. I've spent the past 15 months in a general state of anxiety over these characters' lives-- lives that infiltrated my music, landing me with a 22-song playlist entitled "worse than demon pox," lives that have been in my mind for so long now I've forgotten what it was like not to have them there. I've made friends over these lives and I've thought about these lives as if they were a part of me. Because they are. And now I've turned the last page on these lives. This is all I get.

And I'm okay with it.

This book completely blew me away. The attention to detail is nothing short of extraordinary, and as usual, the characters come to life on the page. I admit I was caught off guard by Jem and Will's tendency to trade places in this one-- Jem being the reckless one and Will being the responsible one for a change-- but it was realistic too. Will couldn't have gone on acting as he always had; there was no reason for it. He didn't have to be that person anymore, the person who distances himself using calculated cruelty and measured thoughtlessness. In that person's place is the person whose heart is broken. He's not going to be the same unstoppably snarky Will who could make a joke out of any situation. To have portrayed him as that person would have been a disservice to the character, for it would have made him seem invulnerable even after everything that has happened to him.

He's pushed everyone away for five years, believing it to be for their own good if nobody loved him. He finally opens himself up to the girl he loves, and finds out she's engaged to his best friend. He believes she doesn't return his feelings, and he can't even talk to the one person he wants to talk to about it because that person is the one causing him pain. No, the Brighter Burning Star is not going to shine quite so bright anymore.

"The hero's journey is not from weakness to strength, but from strength to weakness." Will Herondale is the definition of this. And, make no mistake about it, he is the hero of this story. He and Tessa may have decided that he was not a hero-- one of my favorite scenes in any book, ever-- but they were looking at it from the perspective of real people. To them, they are not characters in a book, so Will is not a hero any more than anyone is a hero. But we, as readers, can view Will the way he views Sydney Carton or Heathcliff-- though we know he is not the same as them. That's right, folks: Will Herondale is not Sydney Carton. He is better. He had reasons for his self-hatred and the way he acted, more than Sydney Carton ever did. Will's love for Tessa is not the kind that prevails only through destruction-- he would give his life for her happiness, but Tessa refuses to be Lucie Manette. They prevail together. Their love gets them through a war; all Sydney Carton's love for Lucie got him was an honorable death.

As for Jem... well, he is steady, as always. He has not changed much, except to become happier and also sicker. He faces unafraid the shadows that creep closer to him every day. He's an open book. This is what I love about Will and Jem: their stark contrast to each other. Where Jem is light, Will is dark. Where Jem is a flame, Will is a star. Where Jem is strong in the face of crippling weakness, Will is weak in the face of crippling strength. [before you go telling me that "crippling strength" doesn't make sense, think about it. Will has always had to be strong, to never show vulnerability, and it nearly ruined his life.]

As for the ending, "bittersweet" doesn't even begin to explain it, though it's probably the word that comes closest. Everybody gets what they want, but everybody has to sacrifice something. My favorite thing about it, though? One relationship really stands out. My favorite relationship. To me, it was always clear why Will and Tessa loved each other, but in this book they lay it out for everyone to see. They don't let there be any doubters left, nobody left to say "but why does Will have such strong feelings for Tessa?" or "but how can Tessa love Will when Jem is so much nicer?" He loves her because she's infuriatingly inquisitive and stubborn, because she listens to him and makes him laugh and remembers his words, because she loves the same books as he does, and because she could never help but see the good in him. She loves him because he says the things she thinks but would never say, because he loves the same books and has a remarkable memory for quotes, because he thinks up ridiculous songs and sees the truth in everything, and because they are unusual in the same ways.

This ending was perfect because it gave everyone what they wanted the most, without being too Happily Ever After. Tessa's immortal; she cannot have either boy forever. But she got a lifetime with Will, and Will with her-- that was all he ever wanted. He deserved his happy ending, and he got it. Jem, presumably, gets the same: the lifetime he promised Tessa a long time ago. We don't know where it goes, but we don't really need to-- Will and Tessa ended up together (Tessa insisting that Will be only Will, not a polite version of himself), and then Jem and Tessa ended up together. Happy, but with a price.

Review #2

I'm not going to take back the positive things I said in Review #1 about the book itself, but in this review I'm going to be selfish and state my grievances about things I wanted and did not get.

I wish that Clockwork Princess had not lacked the humor that both Clockwork Angel and Clockwork Prince had. No matter how depressing Clockwork Prince was at times, no matter how much Will hated himself, he could always be counted on for a well-timed joke. I miss that about him. He's still the same, he's still got that Herondale bitter humor, but he seems to be hiding it now that he's stopped hiding other things about himself. Clockwork Prince was a better kind of pain.

I wish that I had never had to say goodbye to Will Herondale. I was hoping the spirit in Tessa's angel, after leaving the star mark on Will, would extend its protection to him, and that that would somehow make him immortal too. I didn't want to see him age while Tessa didn't, and it kind of seemed like Cassie wrote herself into a corner with Tessa's immortality. While I appreciate that nobody cared that he looked old enough to be her grandfather even though he was her husband (because they were Will and Tessa) I wanted things to be different. I wish that his death had been an active scene instead of a remembered one-- that I could know what his last words to Tessa were, how he felt about his life, whether he wished he could stay with her. For so long now I've felt like I understood him, and then in his last moment he became a distant story from 70 years ago.

Basically, I just wish the epilogue had not happened. I wish Jem had stayed a Silent Brother-- or better yet, just died. I'm not saying this because I wanted Jem to die; I'm saying this because I have always been used to the idea that he would. I always thought Jem was too. He believed in reincarnation, and it just doesn't seem consistent to me that he suddenly decided to throw away his next life, where he was sure he'd meet Will and Tessa again, for longevity.

The only way to describe how I really feel about the ending is subverted. I had things that I knew would happen and things that I hoped would happen, and yet I feel like I've been played. I cared too much about one person, when the ending was written for people who couldn't choose. It was written to satisfy everyone with mild feelings, and in the process it alienates everyone with strong feelings.

I know I should be happy for the characters, for their happy endings. None of them were dissatisfied with what they had in the end. I should be happy because Magnus says the first one always hurts the worst, and Will was the first one. But I can't help it-- to me, it's always been Will and Tessa. I feel like the epilogue undermined everything these three books had built, like it's not fair that Will had to be the one who died first. Will, the one who was always the most alive, ends up being the one glossed over first. Meanwhile, Tessa is young forever and Jem gets his youth back, and they get their second chance. The irrational side of me kind of sees this as a cop-out. Will and Jem never get their second chance. I feel betrayed on Will's behalf. For me, no one would be able to follow Will Herondale. No one would be enough after that-- not even Jem Carstairs.

All in all.... yeah. Like I said, this was difficult for me to write. I can't choose a side. While I appreciate every single thing about this book and I think it's about as genius as a fantasy/paranormal book gets, the ending was just not what I wanted, and I can't help but take that into consideration. The choice not to find a way around Tessa's immortality seems less about the story and more about the message, which is a problem for me. 

★★★★½

That missing half-star pains me.

Review: The Madness Underneath (SPOILERS)

***THIS IS NOT A SPOILER-FREE REVIEW***

I know I always start my reviews by saying that I'm probably not ready to write the review, but this time I really mean it. (Warning: I will probably also really mean it if I write one for Clockwork Princess)

It's going to be difficult for me to write this review about the whole book when all I really want to do is scream about the ending, but I shall bravely venture forth and ignore the tiny wailing Mandrake in my mind as best I can.

The Madness Underneath picks up three weeks after the events of The Name of the Star. I did not reread TNotS before reading TMU, but I was pleasantly surprised to find that my brain had lost very few details so the reread wasn't really necessary (thank you, o freakish memory). Rory is living with her parents in Bristol, and she's not super excited about it or the fact that she has to see a therapist who wants to learn Things about her Personality. She's also feeling a bit lonely, as one does when one has been taken away from her school friends and her after-school-ghost-locating friends, and bored, as one feels when one is shirking her academic duties. She's so lonely and bored, in fact, that she attempts to befriend a ghost who is apparently from the 1970s and not at all impressed by the fact that she can see him. I say "attempts" because, sadly, this friendship cannot be: one touch and poof, her groovy new BFF is gone forever. That's right, ladies and gentlemen, Rory has become a human terminus.

And there are more ghostly murders happening.

And they're not all done by ghosts.

And Rory's not stopping until she ends it.

I seriously loved Rory in this book. Maybe I just forgot how much I loved her in the first book, but DANG. I have never read a main character like her before-- one whose absolute favorite thing in the world is telling stories. Usually you just assume that about a narrator, right? I mean, if they're narrating the story, you may feel comfortable assuming that they like telling stories. But to Rory, it's like a drug. She gets weird. She likes telling those stories, like the ones about her Southern family that make people uncomfortable, or the ones that she thinks will shock someone enough to make them come out of a coma-- sorry, that was the ending slipping in there a little. *slaps hand* BACK ON TRACK.  Her favorite story in the world to tell is the one about how she once pet a taxidermied dog, thinking it was alive. Just saying.

Anyway, it's not long before Rory's back at Wexford, casually failing all of her classes... but she's kinda got other concerns, like sleeping until noon, getting drugged by therapists, and, um, popping homicidal ghosties. That was not a euphemism. She insists on being part of the team this time around, and being a human terminus gives her the leverage to do so. She's not going to take herself too seriously, but she's going to make darn sure nobody else thinks she's a joke.

And then, of course, there are Boo, Callum, and Stephen. Or, as I like to call them, Stephen. Don't get me wrong, I love Boo and Callum, but poor, unsmiling, serious Stephen has a special place in my heart. As Rory would say: Because, Stephen. This is the part where I get superspoilery so if you have not read the book yet, you should depart now. Or maybe you should have departed back before I said the thing about the coma.

It's now occurring to me that this book seemed really short. It's already gone in my brain as one of those books that I REMEMBER reading, but I don't remember spending any time reading. I don't think that makes sense. Sorry, the end kind of stole much of my brain functionality.

You see, this was my brain on The Name of the Star: "This Stephen is the exact opposite of Rory in every way. She's talkative and weird, he's quiet and serious. I now ship this for no reason other than it would be totally awesome."

This was my brain between the books: "I hear someone dies. I bet it's Jerome. There's no way it's going to be Stephen. Maureen knows we love him, but I don't think she knows we love him *that* much."

And this was my brain on The Madness Underneath: "Stephen didn't even give Rory his phone number and he signed his text message '-s.' And she knew who it was. That is so adorable I can't even. She risked the school's alarm 'Because, Stephen.' High adorability factor. Oh, Jerome, go away. Hey, Jerome is gone! HEY STEPHEN (not the Taylor Swift song), RORY'S AVAILABLE! You know you want her Stephen. Steeeeephen*. Oh look, Rory's making a move. SHE IS MAKING A MOVE. Lol, she said he wouldn't want to kiss her, and then she did it anyway. She's like Stephen, I don't care what you want. BUT HE WANTED IT. My ship is canon. *floats away*

two pages later: *falls back to earth and hits the ground hard*...what? No. This is not happening. You wouldn't do this to me. I trusted you, Maureen. All this time you've been obsessing about shipping, I thought you knew that a shipper's heart is fragile. I thought you cared about us, Maureen. You have betrayed me. But more importantly, you have betrayed Story."

And then I went a little bit Callum, like, HE WAS FINE. IT WAS JUST A SMALL INJURY, HE WAS TOTALLY FINE. IT'S NOT FAIR THAT AFTER EVERYTHING HE'S BEEN THROUGH, THIS IS WHAT DID IT. And I added a little AND HE DID IT FOR RORY. HE CRASHED HIS CAR ON PURPOSE TO SAVE RORY AND THEN... NO. I HATE EVERYTHING.

I just don't know what to do with myself until I get the next book, which we learned yesterday is called The Shadow Cabinet. (Oh, I also had a revelation about why The Madness Underneath is called The Madness Underneath: there is literally madness underneath. It's where all the ghosts are coming from.) I mean, she said book 3 will address The Thing That Happened. HOW? They'll probably find Stephen's ghost, right? But then what? Rory can't touch him because she's a terminus! Will they think more about what Jane and her cray-cray cult said about "destroying death"? Does it mean BRINGING PEOPLE BACK TO LIFE? Because if so, I'm all for it. They need to bring Stephen back. Not just so my ship is canon again, but because Stephen is important. Throughout the whole book, he was Rory's rock. He was the one she called when she had a problem, or a theory, or if she needed anything. Stephen's the one who takes care of things. And that was before there was anything romantic between them. It's just who he is. And yes, it's his fatal flaw that he does everything himself (I feel you, bro. INTJ represent), but who's going to do it if he's not there? Just on the few pages at the end where he's gone, you can feel the weight of his absence. It doesn't make sense that he's not there. He's one of those characters: you don't realize how important he is until he's gone, and then you can't wrap your head around the fact that he's gone. Also it's just a serious injustice that he went comatose literally hours after they became canon. I mean, what is that.

Let's recap the things that give me hope:

• the book explicitly mentions the words "destroy death" but never elaborates on what they mean. It's probably important.
• The Thing happened at the end, not the beginning. Usually when Things happen at the end of a book (especially the second book in a series), it is either reversed or made more bearable in the next book
• Story became canon
• I'm big on analyzing the first and last words/sentences in books, and the last sentence was "And I will find Stephen." This doesn't just tell me that Rory's first priority is finding Stephen's ghost, but that her priority is finding Stephen. Like maybe she can get him back.

This book could have been so much longer, but it used its few pages well and did not waste time. It's already gone down in my head as one of those books I vaguely remember reading, because I flew through it so quickly.

★★★★★

*- I did have a moment where I noticed how Stephen's head injury wouldn't stop bleeding and he wouldn't go to the hospital, and I was like, "don't tell me he's going to sleep and not wake up."  I brushed it off because I thought if Stephen was going to die, it would be at the hands of some murderous ghost.

Book Review: The Evolution of Mara Dyer

It's possible that I'm not ready to write this review yet. But I'm going to do it anyway because what is the point of getting an ARC if you don't review the book?

So I'm not one of those people who usually start a review by saying how I came to own the book. What  made me decide to buy it? Did I order it online? Did I go to a bookstore and hear it call out my name? No. Nobody cares. But for this one, I feel like I have to tell you the story. Because I was not expecting it. I had resigned myself to waiting another 15 days before I could get my hands on this book, and while I was anxious, I was fine with that. I mean, Michelle Hodkin is following me on Tumblr, so I already felt kind of awesome and important, you know? So why not just wait like everybody else?

And then on Monday I got home and there were three packages on the table. One, I was expecting. The other two were mysterious. They were both from Simon & Schuester, so I did the math in my head. Simon & Schuester... publishing... hey, The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer is from Simon & Schuester... oh hey, what if this is The Evolution of Mara Dyer?! No, it can't be. It must be something else. So I opened the first package, and there, in my hands, was this glorious unexpected book that I've been looking forward to for eight months now. I jumped around and yelled "WHAT!" at least 8 times. And then I opened the other package, having no clue what to expect because why in the world would they send me two?! Well, I don't know, but they sent me two. More jumping and yelling.

I was so excited I completely forgot about my dentist appointment (the hygienist called me 3 minutes after I was supposed to be there and asked if I was on my way). I flew out the door, went to the dentist, came back, and read.

250 pages.

Suffice it to say I was hooked. Well, we saw that coming, right? Considering my review of the first book?

The next day I woke up and read. Then I went to school. Then I came home and read until I finished it. And then I was sad.

Anyway. Review. That's what this is.

Everything I loved about The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer, I also loved about The Evolution of Mara Dyer. Mara is still the deliciously unreliable narrator-- you feel like you can trust her, but there are moments of doubt. At least for me, there were times when I was like, "What if everyone else is right? What if I only believe Mara because she's the one telling the story?" Which is, like, the BEST question to ask yourself while you're reading a book or watching a movie or, heck, even listening to one person's side of a story. Do you trust the narrator just because they're the narrator? Or do you trust her because she's the only one who can tell this story correctly?

Also, I love that Mara comes a little more unhinged in this book. I'm really going to try to avoid spoilers in this review because the book isn't even out yet, so I'll just say that, well, she kind of had a right to go a little bit nuts. When there's only one person in the world who believes a word that comes out of your mouth, and you're doing things you don't remember, and you can KILL PEOPLE WITH YOUR MIND, a little bit of insanity probably comes with the territory. I say "a little" because it's not like Mara is completely off her rocker; she does have that one person who believes her. Who's going through all of it right there with her. And that's all she really needs to keep her from completely losing it.

So, Noah Shaw, you've done it again.

Thank you for not changing in this book. You're still the bad boy who smokes and swears and fights and denies no incriminating factoid. Thank you for having more layers than anyone but Mara would give you credit for. Thank you for being good at being bad, but also for being good at being good. Thank you for getting along with Mara's brothers, even when she's not around. Thank you for your arrogant, devilish grin. And thank you for hiding your fear, for never doubting Mara no matter how much the two of you doubt yourselves, for always showing up when she needs you, and for helping her be the tiger that bites when you rattle its cage.

Seriously, guys. Their relationship in this book is SO GOOD. And every time it gets to the point where Mara feels like she can't do something without Noah, and I groan a little bit, she makes herself do it without him, and I sigh with relief. She doesn't let herself be that girl, and he doesn't let her be that girl. Which is perfect. They support each other and they're better as a team, but they aren't the kind of team that falls apart when they're not together. Mara constantly feels like he doesn't need her as much as she needs him, but he shows her that it's not true, and that gives her strength. Their relationship gives her strength, hardens up her edges a little-- while it gives his edges a much-needed softening. That's called BALANCE, people!

One relationship that is worse in this book than in the first book: Mara's relationship with her older brother, Daniel. I loved how close they were in the first book, and they're still pretty close, but they're kind of keeping each other at a distance in this one. Daniel because he's worried about Mara (understandably), and Mara because Daniel doesn't believe the truth, so she can't tell him the truth. They're still always on each other's sides, but I just wish he could've been one more person who doesn't doubt her. I understand why he does, but that doesn't mean I like it. Their relationship isn't as easy and relaxed as it was in the first book.

Oh, and then there's Jamie. Yes, Jamie's back! The same old banter between him and Mara. The same sense of humor and slight anger issues, but with all new depth to his character as a fatal flaw in his worldview is exposed and we get to learn more about who he really is. My blog needs some kind of bell for !!!character development!!! so I can ring it every time something like this comes up in one of my reviews. *happydancing*

Anyway. The plot this time around is much more intricate and requires a lot more dot-connecting than the first book, which is always fun. The scenes in Mara's new "school" were a little slow for me, but not so slow that I even thought about putting the book down. Ever.

I love the new developments in this book and I can't wait to see where they lead in the next one. And THE ENDING, WHAT THE HECK. No spoilers, but I didn't see it coming. I had to reread a certain part and then I felt like it was some kind of optical illusion or mind trick, because I definitely missed the most important thing the first time I read it. Just ONE WORD changed everything. I can't even. My stomach dropped, my eyes watered, and my mouth could not form words for the rest of the night. I'm in denial (no really, I don't believe it. I'm not intentionally refusing to believe it, I just don't). And the best part is that the same exact thing happened to Mara. She had to read it again. Her eyes watered and I'm guessing her stomach dropped. And, if I know Mara, she doesn't believe it either.

Which is another thing I love about this book. Maybe I'm more like Mara than I thought, but it is so easy to go through things with her, to understand her, even considering how much you wonder about her reliability as a narrator. One second you're like "Mara, that can't really be what happened, you're telling tales," and the next second you're like, "MARA, WE NEED TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS."

Overall rating: ★★★★½

I deducted half of a star because 1) Certain chapters threw me off a bit (I won't say more than that because spoilers), and 2) Daniel. But otherwise I'M SQUEALING WITH DELIGHT AND ANGST. And wondering what changed between the ARC and the final version?

Book Review: The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater

Guys. GUYS.

This is going to be another one of those times when I completely gush about a new book and say just about nothing negative in regard to it, because it is PERFECTION. Five stars, again. And trust me, it's really hard to get 5 stars from me. Yes, this is going to end up being one of those books that I put on a pedestal and turn all red in the face if ever I see or hear a negative word about it.

So this is a little backward, but The Raven Boys was my first Maggie Stiefvater book. I've never read the Shiver series, and I own The Scorpio Races but haven't read that yet either. So I went into this book completely blind and not really knowing what to expect. But HOLY CRAP is my mind blown. I'm writing this review two days after finishing the book because I've been having trouble even forming the right words.

Let me just organize my thoughts into categories here. Of course, I must start with my most important category:

CHARACTERS

The characters in this book are some of the best I've ever encountered. Like, they're so flawed and real but also still characters in the sense that they're exciting and new, and can't really be compared to anyone in real life. Of course these are just vague descriptions of a bunch of characters, so I'll go character-by-character.

First, there's the main character, Blue. I just love her. She doesn't take crap from anyone. She has a pretty leash-free relationship with her mother, and doesn't really listen even when her mother does tell her what to do. She stands up to the macho raven boys with a quick wit and no fear, which would be impressive even if she weren't a mere five feet tall. She isn't too keen on doing what's expected of her, but she always does the sensible thing. It's almost like she thinks about her feelings even more than she actually feels them, because she likes to be in control of them.

Then there's Gatsb-- I mean Gansey (sorry, my brain has involuntarily made connections between Gatsby and Gansey). I hardly even know how to explain what a perfect character he is, because he's so complicated and unexpected. Imagine meeting a guy who's been filthy rich his whole life. He goes to an all-boys' private school, uses his money to get what he wants, and condescends to people who aren't as rich as him. But the thing is, the condescension is completely unintentional. He doesn't realize he's doing it. And his relationship with money isn't quiet so simple either-- it's not just that he has so much of it that he doesn't think twice about throwing it at anyone who can do something for him; it's that he's never known any different. He's jealous of the people who haven't had money their whole lives, because he secretly wants to be normal. Sure, he's in-control, suave, confident Gansey. But he's also just Gansey, the boy who wants to carve his own path. The boy who gets excited about things, who wishes he hadn't been raised to use three- and four-syllable words that nobody else knows, or cherish ridiculous things like fancy cars and glass plates, or ride in private helicopters without realizing that it's a little excessive. And he cares so much about his motley little group of friends, because of the feeling he got when he met each of them-- that it was just right. He may seem like the type whose head guides his every move, but Gansey's heart is what really does it.

Then we've got Nic-- I mean Adam. The level-headed, "elegant"-looking kid from the not-a-trailer park, whose private school sweater has a pull on the shoulder because he can't afford a new one. The most trustworthy one for Blue, it seems, but oh, did I mention these characters are complicated? Yes, Adam has a dark side. I won't tell you what it is, but he's both the most innocent and down-to-earth raven boy of the bunch and possibly the most off-his-rocker. Gansey is the leader of the group, but Adam is the only one to whom Gansey ever defers. He respects Adam's opinions on all things, and Adam forces himself to see the best in Gansey, reminding himself that he doesn't mean to be condescending. His devotion is tested and tested again, and the beautiful thing is that I can't tell you it's never broken. Adam is not flawless, he has his weak moments, and he's all the more perfect because of it.

Then there's Ronan. The brute who nurses a baby raven back to health. The raven named Chainsaw who has also made appearances in his dreams, because his head is only a safe place for a chainsaw. He's got a secret and we don't know what it is. He seems tough and heartless, but he's also the person who tried to teach Gansey how to fight to protect himself, and the person who defended Adam in a situation when nobody else would dare get involved. Mostly in the first book Ronan is a mystery, but I have a feeling we'll be learning a lot more about him in the next one.

Then you've got a bunch of eccentric supporting characters, and I'll just say that you hardly even have to look to see who's talking because you can tell just by what they're saying. Which is a feat in itself.

PLOT

The plot in this book is extremely twisty and confusing and I wouldn't have it any other way. It was impossible to guess what was going to happen, because half the time you're still trying to figure out what just happened. You're waiting for Blue's prophecy (that her kiss will kill her true love) to come true, but at the same time it's possible that you've already seen it. You're wondering if she's really going to fall in love with Gansey (sure seems like it), or if that was a misdirect. You're wondering what's going on in the magical world and what it has to do with the real world. My favorite thing is looking for connections in stories, and this book gives me a whole crapload of that. So I'm happy.

ROMANCE

IT IS ABSOLUTELY PERFECT. Do not go into this book thinking it will be a romance novel, because you will be doing yourself a serious disservice. Yes, the main hook is the whole thing about Blue being destined to kill her true love, but it is not about the romance. At least not in the first book. In this one, Blue starts seeing Adam, and it's completely innocent and adorable but it also has dark undertones because Adam's got some issues that Blue doesn't know about, and Blue knows that she's either going to kill Gansey or fall in love with him. Her relationship with Adam, believe it or not, allows her relationship with Gansey to develop, because she gets to spend time with him as friends. She gets to learn about who he really is before simply assuming that she's going to fall in love with him. It gets to be her choice (no insta-love!!!!!!!!). Gansey becomes the only person she tells about the prophecy, because at this point, to her, he seems so detached from it. I felt like this was the perfect way to start their relationship without really starting it-- and without really confirming that there will even be a relationship.

SETTING

Unique, interesting, transporting, clear, and kind of a character in itself.

WRITING

Beautiful. Flawless. More, please.

I think I'm going to stop myself before this becomes ridiculously long and gushy. I just had to say something because I can't stop thinking about this book and these characters and their relationships and okay bye.

★★★★★

Book Review: Unspoken by Sarah Rees Brennan

You know how in every teen movie ever, there's always that party that gets way out of hand and giant dudes end up throwing around breakable things with no concern for their fragility? And 9 out of 10 times, that thing ends up smashed to bits? Well, Unspoken by Sarah Rees Brennan is a pair of giant dudes, and my heart is that breakable thing.

Why am I telling you this? Well, I think you should read the book. HEY, don't give me that look. I'm not crazy. I want you to read it because, sure, I am selfish and do not like to be alone in my misery. But also because I am selfless and want other people to experience good things. And Unspoken is a good thing. A very good thing. And also a thing that will use your feelings like a hacky sack. But let's start with the good things first:

HUMOR

This was, without a doubt, the first time I've laughed hysterically at a book (for what is probably not considered a normal amount of time) since I read the animal crackers scene in The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer. And I still have times when I think about that scene at any random moment in the middle of the day and turn into one of those crazy people who seems to be laughing for no reason at all. So yeah. This book is funny (even if you don't have the memory of Sarah unbuttoning her cardigan whilst doing a dramatic reading from it, as I so vividly do). My favorite spoiler-free hilarity:

Kami strode through a froth of daisies to a half-fallen wall that might once have been part of a fortress, but was now a tumble of stones studded with spiky yellow blooms. She bent down, rummaging in the wild tangle of garden around her feet, and chose a pebble. A large pebble. Kami wound her arm back, took careful aim, and threw.
The "pebble" crashed through both glass and curtain.
There was the creak of an old sash window being thrust open, and Jared's head and shoulders appeared at the window. "Hark," he said, his tone very dry. "What stone through yonder window breaks?"
Kami yelled up at him, "It is the east, and Juliet is a jerk!"
*pause to get laughter under control* [I mean, she just smashed his window open and he pulls out Romeo & Juliet?!]
Jared abandoned Shakespeare and demanded, "What do you think you're doing?"
"Throwing a pebble," said Kami defensively. "Uh... and I'll pay for the window."
Jared vanished and Kami was ready to start shouting again, when he reemerged with the pebble clenched in his fist. "This isn't a pebble! This is a rock."
"It's possible that your behavior has inspired some negative feelings that caused me to pick a slightly overlarge pebble," Kami admitted. 

CHARACTERS

I'm a sucker for a good character. Any good character, really. But these aren't just any good characters. You're going to wish you had a Kami Glass, Lady Sleuth, in your life. Kami is not only witty and entertaining, but she has the endearing quality of being so objective that she sees both the best and the possible worst in everyone. She's no damsel in distress, but she's not an invulnerable stone either. You're going to simultaneously want your own Jared Lynburn and hope that you never, ever get one. He's a bad boy but he doesn't really know why. He's full of anger and despair but also lightness and vulnerability similar to Kami's. You're even going to love the overly-boy-friendly Holly, who most other books would have turned into a teenaged nemesis in a frenzy of girl-hate. She's wide-eyed but also logical, friendly but also lonely. All of the characters are so beautifully complicated, I could go on and on, but I'll spare you. Just. Yes. Good.

PACING, PLOT & ALL THAT GOOD STUFF

Do not put this book down. It will start making irresistible weepy noises and begging you to come back to it.

You want an awesome concept for a book? Imaginary friend turns out to be real. He's got a weird family. Murders (both human and fuzzy woodland creature-- oh yes, she went there) abound and you think his weird family has something to do with it. Oh, and there's some weird magicky thing happening in the woods, and someone's trying to kill you. You know.

THE HACKY SACK

So, if you're one of those literary masochists (like me), who are not complete until a book has turned you into a puddle of emotions on the floor, I HAVE GOOD NEWS. The end of this book had me unable to form a coherent sentence about it for going on 3 hours. You see, throughout the whole thing, there are ups and downs-- moments that kind of lift you up and make you squee like a schoolgirl, followed by moments that throw that squee out the window and run it over with a large sedan. But nothing will prepare you for the end, when *something* happens and you're like FINALLY and you're walking on clouds and life is wonderful and you're about to slide down a rainbow and then suddenly it's all gone and there is nothing left and, nope, there's no parachute to soften this blow, so you're hurtling to the cold, hard earth that is the end of the book. And then, as my friend Will Herondale would say, you're left lying limply on the ground, trying to remember your own name.*

STOP READING THIS AND BUY IT

No, really. That's all I have to say about it. I hope I sold you on the book, and I hope you love it. But mostly, I hope you fangirl and commiserate with me.

★★★★★

*- I have found this phrase can apply to many different situations. For instance, Will used it to indicate how charmed Aloysius Starkweather would be by him. I have just used it to indicate how broken you will be by the end of this book. Just saying, it's a very versatile phrase.

Book Review: Saving June

So, I've been meaning to write a review of this book almost since the moment I finished it, but at that moment all I really wanted to do was go back and read my favorite parts again. This book immediately went to the shelf on which I keep all of my favorites, like John Green and Stephanie Perkins and, yes, The Hunger Games.

Not that Saving June is really anything like those (especially The Hunger Games). But still, I find it somewhat shocking that a debut author-- with a publisher too small to even put out a hardcover version of the book-- could manage to get on that bookshelf. Especially with a basic concept that's been done so many times before-- the death of a family member. Namely, the sister of the main character.

This book could have ended up just like The Sky is Everywhere. Except for the fact that Harper and her sister never really "got" each other. They weren't best friends. Their last conversation was a bickering match. June's boyfriend was a jerk, and OH, June committed suicide. There's the notion in Jandy Nelson's book, which you'll recall I gave 4 stars, that Bailey's death was unfair because she was full of life (literally, she was pregnant) and wanted to be here. It's unfair because everyone who loved her wanted to be a part of who she became. In Hannah Harrington's book, the questions are somewhat more complex. Is someone's death still unfair to them if they choose it? Or is it more unfair to the people they left behind? Are you allowed to be angry with someone when they end their life and put you through the pain of dealing with it? Should you feel guilty for not having seen the signs? Whose fault is it?

“I've never been good at emotional stuff. Except anger. Anger, I'm good at.” 

And yet, this grief book is only a little about grief. The main character, Harper, has a knack for pushing things down and not letting anyone in. At first I didn't really believe the things Harper tells us about herself-- that she's a delinquent, that nobody is proud of her the way they were of June, that even before June's death she always wore black on black on black. I kind of felt like she was showing more than telling. But as the book progresses, you learn that that's part of Harper's defense mechanism. She wants people to believe she is someone she's not, so that nobody really knows who she is. But at the same time, all she wants is for someone to care enough to get to know who she really is.

Enter, Jacob Tolan. Jake, the mysterious and disrespectful guy at June's wake, who eavesdrops on a conversation Harper has with her best friend, Laney (who we'll get to later-- heads up: she's awesome), and demands to go with them on the road trip to California they have planned to scatter June's ashes in the ocean. It's the one thing Harper can think of to give June the ending she deserved, rather than the ending she gave herself: in the back of her car with a bottle of pills and a lot of exhaust, her ashes split between their divorced parents' houses. June was Jake's tutor while she was alive, the only person who encouraged him to make something of himself ("don't let the bastards grind you down"), and he wants to go to California because he appreciated that. And also he's got a secret.

This is where the book detours from the typical-grief-book outline. A road trip! I love road trip books, especially when they've got pit stops that actually 1) Help the storyline along, and 2) Are fun, entertaining, heartbreaking, or all of the above. This one's got the goods. 

Which include Laney, Harper's charismatic, flighty best friend who has an obsession with old movie stars and wants to be Marilyn Monroe. She and Jake bicker a lot because one accuses the other of living in the past and then the other points out that they're not the only one-- Jake listens to old music and Laney likes old movie stars. They judge each other and at times are really mean, but that's what makes it so much more rewarding when you see them actually come to care about each other. There's a high-drama storyline with Laney that I won't spoil you about, but let's just say Jake kind of becomes the unexpected knight in shining armor.

Throughout the trip, the three of them don't sit around wallowing in their own problems. Jake's music becomes a soundtrack to everything that happens to them, from the crazy drunken philosophical contemplations to the tourist traps to the emotional breakdowns. Harper and Jake's relationship doesn't develop out of nowhere-- half the time they can't stand each other, half the time Harper expects more of him than she's ever let herself expect of anyone, and that scares her. She's suspicious of his real motivation for coming with them (did he have a thing with her sister? If so, how could he like her when she's nothing like June?), and he's hiding something, but they both still manage to be exactly what the other needs. Without, of course, admitting it. Which makes for a highly entertaining dynamic in which last names are used a lot and games of Truth or Dare don't go very well. And an offer from Harper for Jake to sleep in the same bed as her (instead of on the floor) is attributed to a temporary psychotic break of which he must take advantage if he wants to sleep at all.

“You're nothing like your sister," he tells me. "She meant a lot to me, okay? It's true. But the things I like about you have nothing to do with her. You - you are so strong and stubborn it drives me crazy. You're the one going through all this and you still put Laney first every time, instead of throwing yourself the pity party we both know you deserve. You call me out on my shit, and I like that, because sometimes I need someone to call me out on my shit. And you get Johnny Cash, and you take these incredible photos, and everything about you makes me hurt, in a good way, and it blows my mind that someone can be so amazing and not even see it.” 

Sometimes there are male love interests in books that are intended to make readers swoon and want for themselves. Jake Tolan is not that guy. True, I love him. He's supposed to be drop-dead gorgeous, but no, he doesn't really make me swoon. I don't want him for myself-- I want him for Harper. Which is more important.

There's a lot about this book that would satisfy someone who is only looking for a romance, but to that person I'd say they're missing out on a lot if they focus solely on romance. Laney is an extremely well-developed character and, believe it or not, so is June-- who isn't even there anymore. The questions Harper has to ask and answer about her sister's death are thought-provoking, and at the same time it never becomes one of those soggy, bawl-your-eyes-out-and-get-crushed-by-the-weight-of-sorrow novels. It's believably plotted in a way that's not predictable or boring, and the emotional ride is somewhere between floating on waves and riding a rollercoaster. It's heartbreaking at times, yes, and you'll never hear "Let It Be" the same way again, but you come out of it without feeling like you've sunken two feet into the ground. Heck, you'll probably feel a little bit lighter.

“I gaze out at the glittering sea, the breathtaking sky above it, and think of birds and the moment before the fall, and how my sister as a child had been strong enough for the both of us, and I wonder when exactly that changed. I don't know when, but it did. Jake was right - I'm strong in a way June never was. Because I know that I want to be here. Even with the pain. Even with the ugliness. I've seen the other side - marching side by side down city streets with people who all believe they can change the world and the view of the sunset from Fridgehenge and Tom Waits lyrics and doing the waltz and kisses so hot they melt into each other and best friends who hold your hand and stretching out underneath a sky draped with stars and everything else. 

There is so much beauty in just existing. In being alive. I don't want to miss a second.” 

 ★★★★★

Recommended for: Anyone. Specifically fans of John Green, Gayle Forman, Lauren Oliver, Jennifer E. Smith, and yes, The Sky is Everywhere

Another Actual Review: The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer

Brief Summary: Mara Dyer, whose name is not actually Mara Dyer, wakes up in a hospital to learn that she was in a building with her friends when it collapsed and they all died. She doesn't remember anything. She has hallucinations and her mother wants to have her committed, but she convinces her parents to move instead, claiming that if they move away from the place where she's constantly reminded of her friends, she'll do better. So they move to Miami, where Mara and her older brother are enrolled in a stuffy private school with people who do things like put signs on other people's backs. There she meets Noah Shaw, resident bad-boy who for some reason takes an interest in Mara even though she makes it a point to act as if she's not interested in him. He's got a reputation. But, alas, it turns out he's really one of the few people she can trust, and he's got some secrets of his own. Oh, and he has an English (not British) accent.

Review: The more I think about this book, the more obsessed I become with it. I love the idea of a narrator we don't know if we can trust. I mean, I liked that Mara didn't even trust herself most of the time. It's not very often you come across a first-person protagonist with psychological issues this involved. She walks into a classroom and sees the whole thing collapse; she stands in front of her mirror and can have conversations with her dead friends (not that she wants to); she sees earrings at the bottom of scalding hot bathtub water and gets second-degree burns to retrieve them, only to discover that they were in her ears the whole time. Yeah, girlfriend's a little off her rocker. It makes for extreme suspense and entertainment, especially as she slowly recovers her memory of the night that changed everything-- and learns exactly how dangerous she is.

And as if bad-girl Mara weren't enough, enter Noah Shaw. Finally, a bad-boy love interest who is ACTUALLY BAD. He only ever denies one rumor about himself, indicating that he did, in fact, earn his reputation. Hallelujah! I'm so sick of stories where the leather jacket-wearing, edgy and brooding boy is just misunderstood and actually does things like write poetry and practice celibacy. Noah Shaw fights, threatens, has one-night stands, defiles children's books, and smokes cigarettes. Because he can. Are any of these less-than-desirable qualities the reason why Mara won't let herself fall for him? No. She won't let herself fall for him because she thinks he will break her heart. And then because she thinks she's a danger to him. I'll take "characters on antipsychotics who actually have logical reasons for not falling in love" for 200, please. Who is Mara Dyer? That is correct! (Also a good question.)

This book has an irresistible balance between dark-and-twisty and throw-your-head-back-and-laugh-hysterically. Two words: animal crackers. I was cracking up for 3 pages. And then you've got your awesome supporting characters, like Daniel, aka Mr. Perfect, who's witty and the kind of older brother any girl would want; and Jamie, the dreadlocked foreboder who amusingly warns Mara against getting involved with Noah-- but remains her friend even when he thinks she's ignored his advice. Wait, she does something he disagrees with and he doesn't unfriend her?!? I know, right?! I loved him and his one-liners and his condescending terms of endearment.

Basically, this book is unlike anything you've probably ever read. And you should read it. And then you should buy animal crackers and start calling people "asscrowns."
Since I make the rules on my blog, I give this book 4.5/5 stars. NOW GIVE ME THE SECOND ONE.