Review: Wait For Me by An Na

Title: Wait for Me
Author(s): An Na
Genre: YA Contemporary, family, romance
Page Count: 192
Publisher: Speak

The Summary: Teenager Mina plays the Perfect Straight-A Model Asian daughter, but she knows more than anyone that this is a lie, and her chances at getting into Harvard are basically nil. Suna is Mina's deaf sister, dependent on her sister and starving for a glimpse of any affection from her mother, who leaves her in neglect. The presence of Ysrael, a new employee into their family's laundromat brings about a whole new chain of events as the two start cracking the mold they fit into their lives...

The Review: Wow, this is a complicated book to review. Let me say first that above all else, this novel haunted me. Having read An Na’s The Fold before, I came into this book not quite prepared for this much darker tone presented in this novel. I’m not sure whether my emotional response had more to do with Na’s writing or simply her subject matter, but the story and Mina’s voice lingered long after I put down the book, always at the back of my mind.

Review: Boys Without Names by Kashmira Sheth

Title: Boys Without Names
Author(s): Kashmira Sheth
Genre: MG Contemporary, India, Child slavery
Page Count: 318
Publisher: Balzer + Bray

I received an Uncorrected Proof copy from Edi
The Summary:For eleven-year-old Gopal and his family, life in their rural Indian village is over. We stay, we starve, his baba has warned. So they flee to the big city of Mumbai in hopes of finding work and a brighter future. Goal is eager to help support his struggling family until school starts, so when a stranger approaches him with the promise of a factor job, he jumps at the offer...

-Summary taken from 1st paragraph of Backcover

The Review: After reading Boys Without Names, I do believe that Kashmira Sheth is now firmly solidified as my new must-read MG author. She reminds me of Cynthia Kadohata, actually, and that is no small praise on my part because I practically worship the ground Kadohata walks on. Except, you know, Sheth would be a South Asian version, and her stories more… uplifting in tone. Less painful moments wherein I feel like my heart is being wrenched out of my chest as I stare desolately at the page with the text blurring as my eyes well up. I wouldn’t say happier because the two books I’ve read by Sheth (Keeping Corner and this book, respectively) deal with serious matters, but I can trust that unlike Kadohata’s works, no one is going to die, no one is going to have to be severed permanently from a loved one – in short, at the end of the Sheth novel, I probably won’t be a sobbing mess. If I’m crying, I’m crying tears of joy over the triumph of our beloved protagonists. They’re very similar in style (close 1st person narration, simple free-of-flowery-language and evocative lines that cut straight to the matter and grab you by the heart, but Kadohata has a stronger voice whereas Sheth’s narration is cleaner and almost lyrical in its simplicity) but diverge more drastically on their tone (Kadohata – sadder, Sheth – happier). I don’t prefer one style over the other, just that I find the comparison interesting and that now I know which MG author to go to if I want to read about a charming protagonist going through life’s hardships, but do not want to cry my eyes out.

Anyhow, on the actual novel itself, I am simply in love with Sheth’s writing style. It’s just so clean. When you take a sentence out of the context, they are almost deceptively dull and simplistic, a basic noun-and-verb sentence construction with the occasional adjective. But put her sentence structures together and then you see Sheth’s full mastery of the English language, how her words are carefully chosen to make the most out of what she wants to say. I felt like there was not a word used that was wasted, that her phrases were carefully weighed to produce the fullest effect possible. Everything was just so smooth and clean and flowed so nicely, you can’t help but sink into the story, time passing you by as you leaf your way through the pages.

Sequential Art Review: Le pacte des yokai (Natsume Yuujinchou) V. 1 by Yuki Midorikawa

I've been meaning to do manga/manhwa/bédé/comics type reviews for this book blog, but finding the right approach to reviewing them proved to be difficult because I read manga/etc very differently from the way I read a novel. I’m still kind of messing around with how I’ll approach this type of review, and there’ll probably be changes in my review format before I find my footing. (For one thing, hopefully they'll become SHORTER over time. *dies x100*) Please tell me about your thoughts on this review, especially if you’re not familiar with manga and if you found any of it confusing.


Title: Le pacte des yokai V. 1 – trans. The Pact of Yokai [1] (Original title : 夏目友人帳 Natsume Yuujinchou – trans. Natsume’s Book of Friends.)
Creator: Yuki Midorikawa trans. by Yuki Kakiichi
Genre: Shoujo[2], drama, supernatural, episodic, slice-of-life
Serialized magazine: Lala
Publisher: Hakusensha (Japanese publisher), Édition Delacourt (French publisher)

Summary: Orphaned teenager Takashi Natsume has always been able to see the yokai since he was a child. His life becomes complicated when a notebook, inherited from his deceased grandmother Reiko, falls into his hands. This notebook contains all the names of the yokai his grandmother has defeated in battle, names which allows Natsume to control the yokai and determine their life or death. This powerful inherited notebook brings Natsume new friends and foes as other yokai seek the notebook either to free themselves or to possess the notebook and all the power it contains.

TL;DR: A fantastic debut to a great series, with evocative art, a sweet protagonist to root for, and heartfelt stories that with grab readers by the heart, this is a manga series no one should miss out on.

Review: The Demon's Covenant by Sarah Rees Brennan

Title: The Demon's Covenant
Author(s): Sarah Rees Brennan
Genre: YA Supernatural, Family, Romance
Page Count: 440
Publisher: Simon & Schuster

The Summary:Mae always thought she was in control, but in the past few weeks control has turned into chaos. She’s learned that her brother Jamie has magical powers and that Gerald, the new leader of the Obsidian Circle, is trying to persuade Jamie to join the magicians. The same magicians who tried to kill Mae and Jamie last month in London. The magicians who get their power by feeding people to demons.

Mae turns to brothers Nick and Alan to help her rescue Jamie, but they are in danger themselves. Every magician in England now knows what Nick really is—and they all want him dead.

Nick’s new power has also caused a rift between the brothers. In the weeks they were gone something terrible happened, something that haunts them both. With Nick as unreadable as ever and Alan making secret bargains with a demon, Mae finds herself attracted to both brothers—though she knows she can’t trust either of them. The magicians are closing in on one side and the dangerous, seductive Goblin Market is tempting her on the other, and Mae has to form her own plan to save them all. She's going to find that the price she must pay is more than she ever imagined.

The covenant is binding. There is no escape.

- From US Hardcover

Note: This is a second book in the trilogy. I've done my best to omit spoilers for both the First and Second book in this review, but there are some hints for one of the big reveals for the first book. If you're a complete spoiler-phobe then please proceed with caution.

The Review: Before I begin, I think I ought to confess how this book utterly ruined my week. People, I had plans. I was going to write up multiple reviews here, do more memes, leave comments on posts, go out into that big blue room with the giant yellow fireball in the ceiling and actually socialize with friends and family, but no, ever since I read The Demon’s Covenant last Tuesday, I could think of nothing else. I cancelled all plans, my to-read posts on google reader is at this atrocious triple digit number, and basically I’ve neglected everything just so I could read this book over a total of four times in six days and a small part of me whispers that if I didn’t have to spend a good chunk of my day going to work, the reread count would have at least been double. I even loved this book so much that I went and dug up a copy of the FIRST book to reread as well. (For the record, I reread it twice in these six days. Apparently my revelation for the week was that a day not reading SRB’s writing was a day wasted.) I harassed my family with constant squeals and sighs as I made a public spectacle of myself going all emotional over the book, roping my siblings into listening to various passages I re-enacted for them, whipped out the book from my purse (yes, I lugged that hardcover book everywhere with me) to wave its gorgeous cover in front of the faces of my friends, and even called a friend long distance the second she told me she finished the novel so that I could TALK ABOUT THIS BOOK with someone. This is the kind of sequel that makes the first book a better rereading experience. In fact, this is probably the most amazing sequel book I’ve ever read, and just a really amazing YA book overall and I love it to bits and it’s going to make it on my top 20 books I read this year, I know it, I can feel it in my bones.

I was actually surprised that I loved this book so much, because I wasn’t wow’ed by the first book. I mean, I really enjoyed it, but it wasn’t my favourite read of the year or anything. The first book had its moments of emotional intensity, and a really fast paced plot, (It reminded me of The Hunger Games’ pace, but with a much more careful eye at her choice of words, and interesting metaphor usage. Yes, I am indeed implying that Sarah Rees Brennan writes better than Suzanne Collins.) but for the most part I was mostly swept by apathy towards all the characters unless their name was Alan or Nick (For the record, I liked Jamie’s lines, but I didn’t get attached to his character like the way I did with Alan or Nick.). In many ways, Nick’s world was very small, with very few people he considered important in his life, and this apathy towards anyone who wasn’t his brother was reflected throughout the writing of the first book and ended up generating a lack of story connectivity for me unless it was an emotional moment between the brothers. I also found the dialogue rather forced, with Nick’s lines trying a little too hard to be sarcastically funny (which looking back, I think was on purpose as it was Nick’s way to try to make Alan happy, but I didn’t see it this way a year ago) and the worldbuilding wasn’t to my taste. (Briefly, I prefer my fantasy based strongly on a body of related folklore/mythology instead of a mishmash of different myths/stories mixed together, and the magic here, while neatly laid out, feels a little flat in its tidiness and simplicity.)

The world building still isn’t to my taste, to be honest, but I don’t care about any of that because, my gawd, the characters just blew me away here. I was doubtful about this character POV change to Mae, whom I had a mostly reserved reaction to in the first book, but this story from Mae’s POV was so good . It gave me all the very human moments that neither Nick nor Gerald (who was also considered as a possible narrator for Book 2 and I praise the heavens that this didn’t happen) could have provided, and I got her now, understood her in the ways I couldn’t gleam out of Nick’s narration in Book 1. Mae is totally a female protagonist you can root for, determined and good hearted and funny and all-around fun, and how she doesn’t sit around being a passive narrator and takes measures into her own hands. I’m sorry I doubted the strength of Mae as a narrator for even a second, or Sarah Rees Brennan’s ability to make her sympathetic. Because if there is only one thing I could name in terms of the author’s strengths in her writing abilities, the first and foremost thing that comes to mind is her way of drawing her characters so vividly, through amazing interpersonal character interaction that not only brings out the protagonist’s characteristics, but the other person she’s interacting with as well. Mae’s POV illuminated the very raw and achingly beautiful brother relationship between Alan and Nick that was different from the first book, but in no way less powerful. I love how we got to really know a good slew of people in this novel that we didn’t get in the first book, and there was none of that character disconnection I felt in the first book, which I believe probably stems from the fact that Mae herself is anything but apathetic towards the people she meets and interacts with around her. The experience of reading this novel was just so intense, because you feel like you really got these characters, and you care so much and there’s so much stuff happening and thrown at the character’s way, and you want everything to work out so bad. I wish I could explain this ability of Sarah Rees Brennan’s more clearly, but I’m not skilled enough with my words to do so, and instead I’m going to direct you this reaction post to The Demon’s Covenant that explains the character interaction thing in this novel much better than I have done here.

A large part of The Demon’s Covenant dealt with the idea of consequences. To the best of my abilities in talking about this without spoiling, in the first book people were willing to do the “wrong” thing to “protect” the important person in their lives, and in the second book, it deals with what happens after you do the unforgivable thing. Sarah Rees Brennan doesn’t hesitate to blur the line between Good and Bad, complicating her characters with varying shades of grey, and I really enjoy that, how not only does she challenge the rights and wrongs but is willing to take this a step further and examine the good/bad decisions her characters have made.

I really, really love the theme of family in this trilogy. Of course Nick and Alan was very lovely, and my fondness towards darling lying Alan continues to grow. I really enjoyed seeing the sibling interaction between Mae and Jamie, as a lovely contrast to Nick and Alan, and of course on its own right. It’s nice to see siblings in YA novels who don’t hate each other or the stereotypical Annoying Younger Sibling vs. Distant Older Sibling. I mean, they fight, but they love each other, the kind of family bond siblings share, and they always come through for each other no matter what. I'm so glad we got a better handle of Jamie in this book, because while I liked his lines in the first book, I didn't feel like I really got to know him. All that is rectified in this book. I loved how he was gay without making the whole coming out and what not stuff a Big Issue and he gets a love story and everything, and it was just really, really well done and I want him to be happy. I also enjoyed Mae’s interactions with her mother. Mae’s mom is seriously badass. I may have been a little in love. Actually all the women were rather badass in this novel. No helpless damsels as victims here. Sin in particular was my favourite. (Who is gorgeous and a dancer and an older sister and good with knives and incidentally biracial in the Not Making Race A Dominant Part of Her Identity way and will be the narrator of the third book! So excited!)

I also loved the string of makeout scenes in this novel, but that may be influenced by the fact that I am shallow. Also these kissing scenes were just really hot and sizzling in general. Mmmmmm... *coughs* Er, the fight scene was brilliant too! Very intense, especially the one on the bridge. The dialogue here was much smoother and flowed well to boot, and this book made me laugh and gush sniff and broke my heart and brought it back together all at once. I honestly can’t recommend it enough.

The Verdict: If you’ve read the first book and haven’t put the second book on your to-read this 1) there is something very wrong with you and 2) RECTIFY THIS TERRIBLE AND HEINUOUS ERROR OF YOURS NOW. If you’ve haven’t read the first book, read that first, and then run immediately to grab a copy of the second book. Theorectically I suppose you could read the second book without having read the first, since there’s enough context to pick up what’s going on without getting too lost, but it spoils the first book terribly and the experience of reading the first book would be utterly ruined, so I don’t suggest this. This is one of those rare special sequels that not only tops the first book in every way, but makes the first book better by proxy, and you’d be missing out if you skip out on reading covenant. Plus, the US version is all repackaged with a new gorgeous look with some amazingly beautiful cover models, and HOW CAN YOU RESIST THAT. Dark, intense, funny, and heartwrenching, the story will stay with you long after you’ve finished reading it. And it'll also make you want to commit ritual sacrifices to get your hands on the third book.

Rating: 5/5
Enjoyment: Look, I’ve read this over FOUR TIMES already since having bought it less than a week ago. If this doesn’t make it obvious that this is the book I enjoyed reading the most so far this year, I don’t know what will.

Title and Cover Discussion: EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS IS BEAUTIFUL. EVERYTHING. I’M SO HAPPY THE US COVERS GOT REDESIGNED. I am in love with the font style and colour choice, the dynamic movement of the models, the beautiful blue flames of beauty, the twirling white dress. I am no longer jealous of the UK covers, as this beats the UK version, hands down. I loved it enough to pay full price for the hardcover, which I wasn’t supposed to do since I’m making an attempt to “save money” but I couldn’t let the precious book out of my hands. (I do miss the secret cover of the first US hardback though, as I was kind of hoping for the same thing with the second book, but blue flames make up for everything.) Although now I’m all ~*conflicted*~ since I don’t have matching covers and I want a matching set for this trilogy and don’t know whether or not I should go and collect this trilogy with the UK covers or US, but I am thoroughly off topic by now so I’m just gonna shut up and give this whole package an A

Title: A
Cover: A+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Review: Freak Show by James St. James

Title: Freak Show
Author(s): James St. James
Genre: YA Contemporary, High School
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Puffin

The Summary: Meet Billy Bloom, new student at the ultra-white, ultra-rich, ultra-conservative Dwight D. Eisenhower Academy and drag queen extraordinaire. Actually, “drag queen” does not begin to describe Billy and his fabulousness. Any way you slice it, Billy is not a typical seventeen-year-old, and the Bible Belles, Aberzombies, and Football Heroes at the academy have never seen anyone quite like him before. But thanks to the help and support of one good friend, Billy’s able to take a stand for outcasts and underdogs everywhere in his own outrageous, over-the-top, sad, funny, brilliant, and unique way.

The Review: I will not lie, this book made me feel like I was on the sugar high of my life. (btw this is not a bad thing. I love my sugar!) Probably because our protagonist is outrageously funny, witty and all around awesome. I basically giggled my way through this book as Billy swoops in with theatrics and charisma pouring out of the pages, demanding you pay attention as she puts sequins onto her face. It’s like life and reality keep shoving Billy all this crap, but does our star of the story take this lying down? NO, BILLY BLOOM WILL ALWAYS BOUNCE BACK. She gets up again and again, striving to be true to herself. * She will come back at you, with more sparkle and charm than before, and win the heart of her audience. She certainly won my heart, at any rate.

Looking back, there were a lot of intense issues raised in this novel, and Billy had to go through some experiences of abuse and abandonment that was so very wrong. And yet, I do not recall feeling once deep bouts of angst or moments I wanted to cry in this novel. In fact, I mostly felt that sugar high happiness I mentioned previously, even during the bad times. (Okay, a bit towards the end I felt a little like crying and hurting a certain bastard, but then our author gave us the sweetest, darling ending ever of cute and happiness, and I totally forgot about the jerk, who totally wasn’t worth the expenditure of my anger, at any rate.) When faced with bigotry, bullying and abuse, she fights back with her endless supply of humour and refuses to change herself. And for the really scarring moments of her life, she relays them in this dream-like, disconnect fashion, implying that what’s past has past, and what’s important is moving on. I might be wrong about this, but this novel, above all, conveys the message that life’s too short to let bigots bring you down, and Billy’s attitude of never apologizing or changing herself, of bouncing back is so uplifting to see. How can you not help but root for her?

My favourite part about this novel though, outside of Billy’s narration, is the sweet romance that builds between Billy and the Golden boy of the school, the star football player, Flip. At first it just seems like your average crush that probably won’t go anywhere. But then towards the middle of the novel they start to become friends, and it’s so sweet and adorable as Billy learns about the person behind Everyone’s Nice, To-Go-To Guy. (I really like what he had to say about love and like, wherein – paraphrased, mind – he says it’s so easy for him to fall in love with a hot guy, liking someone was far more difficult, and how that made Flip special. No lie: I aww’ed *is such a sap*) Flip himself is sweet too, and he was so very typical dumb hot jock on the surface, but the author gives Flip such character nuances through Billy’s eyes, and I loved him very much as we start seeing his character grow and all the sweet, endearing moments he shares with Billy.

Of course, I adore the writing. Not so much because it’s sophisticated or pretty, but it captures Billy’s drama queen persona so well. James St. James doesn’t pull any stops; he brings on the capslock, the italics, the exclamation marks with unabashed zeal and fervour. And I love every second of it! I suppose theoretically one can be put off by this kind of writing, but I had too much fun reading this to take anyone’s criticisms on the capslock crazy seriously. I personally say that all the nay-sayers just need to find themselves a sense of humour. And I thought this novel covered a lot perfectly even sequencing that made sense. The novel passes by the three main stages of new-girl-in-town, romantic development, and then her empowerment as a transwoman and reaffirmation of identity sprinkled with flashbacks. (I especially love the third part of the novel, wherein Billy declares loud and proud that gender is a choice and sticks it to the Bible Belles of the school who won’t accept her or label her as a freak.) I suppose it’s all kind of predictable, but the theatrics of our lead character will keep readers entertained throughout the reading experience. Above all, Billy is a very sympathetic teen voice with very high school-esque concerns ranging from finding your place in the high school social hierarchy and what to wear for prom. You can’t help but love her.

And finally, this book may possible contain the best football game commentary ever. None of that game plan technical ramblings that no one cares about, and focuses instead on Flip, Flip, and more Flip. Our protagonist totally got her priorities down pat.

The Verdict: So much outrageous fun! You like YA contemporary and comedy? A sweet romance? Drama queen personas? If so, run and get a copy of this novel NOW. I had an absolute blast reading this.

Rating: 4.5/5
Enjoyment: !!!100+++%!!!

Title and Cover Discussion: I’ll say upfront that I have no way of weighing on this objectively. Every time I see this cover, the pink glow radiates off and colours my vision, and just looking at the pink cover of happiness makes me so, so happy. The sound of the title makes me smile and giggle like a fiend. I kind of, sort of, maybe remember a time when I first saw the cover and recoiled, but I decided that my past self simply had no taste. Am not going to rate this, and any criticisms of the pink cover of awesomesauce gets a LALALA CAN’T HEAR YOU from me. 8D

*I am purposely using the ‘she’ pronoun because it is pretty clear that the gender Billy identifies with is female.

Review: Split by Swati Avasthi

Title: Split
Author(s): Swati Avasthi
Genre: YA contemporary, family, abuse
Page Count: 280
Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf

The Summary: Sixteen-year old Jace Witherspoon arrives at the doorstep of his estranged brother, Christian, with a re-landscaped face (courtesy of his father), $3.84, and a secret.

He tries to move on, going for new friends, a new school, and a new job, but all his changes can't make him forget what he left behind. His mother is still trapped with his dad. And his ex-girlfriend is keeping his secret--for now.

Turns out there are some things you can't just walk away from.

Swati Avasthi gives us a riveting portrait of what happens after. After you've said enough, after you've made the split--how do you begin to live again? Readers won't be able to put this intense page-turner down.

--from the cover flap

The Review: I fell deep into this novel from page one. The thing I really enjoy in YA lit is that a lot of them take you deep inside the character’s psyche, and this novel delivers on this aspect in spades. Perhaps it might seem problematic, to identify so much with a bruiser - because, make no mistake, our narrator Jace does show signs of abusive behaviour – but I really appreciate the way the author handles this, getting us to fall in love with Jace while calling out his behaviour, and saying outright that it’s wrong. Too many times have I seen the boyfriends of YA lit showing “bad boy” abusive tendencies, that we are supposed to accept solely on the fact that he is the Love Interest, and can’t do wrong. This take on the bad boy is very refreshing.

And to look at the flip side, I also appreciate the fact that we get sensitive portrayals of Jace and Christian’s mother, who has stayed with their father for a very long time. There is no “Why is she still with him?” victim-blaming questions, but probes deeper, fleshing out her personality, her ties with her sons, and we readers get a realistic portrayal of their mother, her psyche. There are not inherently good or evil people: there is wrong and right actions, and owing up to what you have done wrong. By portraying her characters in this light, Avasthi makes her cast intricately complicated, and also that much more human.

I really liked Avasthi’s take on the meaning of family in a broken household, and the interactions between the two brothers in particular. In Sarah Rees Brennan’s post about this novel, she gives us a nice sentence on the deep probing Avasthi delves into in the interactions between the two brothers – one who stayed and one who ran away from home. “It isn’t a question of what you sacrifice, with family – it’s a question of who you sacrifice, and the answer is someone you love.” There’s that tension when these two severed brothers meet again, of not knowing where you stand, of tenderness towards familial ties. It was a relationship that was without a doubt, severely broken, but I as a reader found myself willing for things to work out, hoping desperately as I flipped through the pages.

This novel is one of those extremely character-driven types (ie. the ones I enjoy very much), and we spend all our time in Jace’s head. Honestly, I wouldn’t have it any other way. He was a very raw, intense character, and you can practically feel his anger bubbling on the edges, and with Avasthi’s deft hand she paint his narrative in a sympathetic fashion. I don’t believe I must agree with all of the protagonist’s actions or that they must be a good, upstanding person in order for me to enjoy their narrative; all I ask is that they have strong, convincing personas that fly off the page, and Jace fits this bill in spades. Of course, as we are in Jace’s head so much, we don’t really have a sense of the characters in the periphery, but the characters we do get to see are deeply complex and believable, whole beings.

Okay, let’s talk about the women! I love the women that surround Jace’s narrative. Both Jace and his brother are drawn towards “strong” women, ones who stand up for themselves, and I’m all for it. The women here aren’t, you know, the trophy love interest, their reward for being the Big Damn Hero, but fully fleshed out characters who not only interact with our boys, but react back. As much as this is very much a book about a boy, it is also about a boy who has significant interactions with other human beings, a lot of which are made up of women. This is no All-Boys-Exclusive-Adventure novel that forgets half the world’s population, and I’m all for it. I really enjoy watching Christian and Mirriam interact. Can I say how much I love Marriam? I mean, she’s not perfect, she’s bossy, and always sticks her nose into places, but she’s also very sincere, and does her best to help people. (Actually, she kind of reminded me of Hermione from the Harry Potter series, except, you know, an adult version who is less of a bookworm, in a mature relationship and of South Asian descent. AKA she is much cooler) I also liked how she was ethnically Asian and it wasn’t like, a big deal or the focal point of her existence; and how she didn’t feel like a token POC character (even though she is the only one who is explicitly stated in the text to be POC) because she was a very well-rounded character with agency.

I also really like the budding relationship between Dakota and Jace. It was kind of sweet and awkward in the will-they-won’t-they aspect, and I just enjoy seeing Jace’s joy around Dakota, hanging around her solely because he likes being next to her and how they go around being cute together over photography and dances and whatnot. I think a lot of his interactions with Dakota are him trying to start over for himself, changing the direction of who he can become into something better. I like how it’s not easy, but how sincere Jace is, how hard he is trying.

I personally had no pacing issues with this novel, but I’m starting to acknowledge that any concerns over pacing flies out the window for me when I get engrossed in a character-driven novel. With these types of books, the pacing could be all over the place, but I wouldn’t care a smidgen because I would be so in tune with the character’s mindset and character development starts to take precedence over any concerns over objective analysis on the sequence build-up. In other words, take my words on the pacing in this novel with a grain of salt. What I can tell you though is that Avasthi builds up character development very skillfully not only through character interactions, but in weaving key flashbacks into present events at opportune moments. Nothing felt out of place. As much as this novel explores dark issues and broken families, it is also a tale of hope and change. The ending was utterly satisfying, and I am looking forward to new works by this promising new voice in the YA market.

The Verdict: A dark, emotional, and ultimately uplifting novel that will grab readers by the heart. Our protagonist Jace is a compelling and strong voice that will captivate YA readers as they experience his struggles and pains. The character interactions are brought vividly to life by Avasthi’s talent as she asks probing and important questions about domestic violence and abuse. This novel will make you think, laugh, cry, and root for the characters with all your hearts. Highly recommended, especially to those YA readers who like their contemporary lit fare on the “edgy” side of the spectrum or those into character-driven storylines.

Rating: 4.5/5
Enjoyment: 100%

Title and Cover Discussion: I think the title is serviceable, but not particularly memorable. However, I confess that I am biased against one-word titles, my lack of enthusiasm may be influenced by this factor. With the cover, it looks very plain on the surface, but what I find interesting is the dual image of the two figures in profile if we look at the sides. I think the keys and character side profiles is a very interesting cover concept, but I’m afraid that it’s not the most polished cover execution. It’s a little too rough around the edges for my liking. In other words, there’s nothing wrong with the title or cover, persay. It’s just that I don’t find them particularly grabbing, and if I passed this novel by in the bookstore without prior knowledge of it, I may have just passed over it.

Title: C+
Cover: B

Review: Very LeFreak by Rachel Cohn

Title: Very LeFreak
Author(s): Rachel Cohn
Genre: YA College, addiction, character-driven
Page Count: 303
Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf

The Summary: Meet Very LeFreak, playlist maker, party planner, heartbreaker, good-time girl who can't get enough good time.

Mute Button? As if.

Off button? Never.

-- from backcover

The Review: As much as I enjoyed this novel, I suspect that it isn’t for everyone. Very’s voice is very pronounced, and it’s a bit hard to get into at first because she’s just so intense and almost offputting with her out there, off-kilter personality, but if you adjust to “Very speed” you’ll find a most enjoyable novel. In fact, I ended up enjoying this novel for its extremely character-driven story, and Very’s over the top antics. And I loved that despite how off-kilter and out there Very can be, there’s a part about her that makes you think that you can see a bit of yourself in her character. (On the flip side, if you never warm up to Very then you’re never going to enjoy this novel. Your enjoyment is mostly definitely dependant on how much you like the main character here.)

I actually reallyyyyy liked the fact that Very was totally open about sexuality. I know that given Very’s personality, she would probably resist all attempts at labels, but she comes across to me as pansexual, which is totally cool in my books. Also, it’s just so refreshing to see female characters who own their sexuality and are not portrayed as evil!whores (usually next to the nice virgin female protagonist) because of it. I’m also extremely happy that this technological addict protagonist of ours is depicted as totally a social extrovert and gorgeous to boot. I haven’t read much YA books with techno addicts as part of the cast, but usually in animanga and stuff, girls who like techno, internet or gaming related things are depicted as these super hideous, socially awkward people.

While this book is very much an All-Very on-the-spotlight show 24/7, we get a nice cast of diverse characters with strong personalities that make a lasting impression. I really love the growing relationship between Very and Lavinia-who-is-really-Jennifer. (this book totally passes the bedchel test, btw. ♥) MAJOR ENDING SPOILERS: [ It’s so nice to see relationships that start off with two people actually being FRIENDS first, instead of you know, jumping into the whole love-at-first-sight thing. They kill me with their cuteness.] I love seeing their banter, and the way Lavinia shakes her head at her impossible friend but sticks with her to the end. And the boys! Cuddly-yet-total-sore-loser Bryan, to green eyeliner French-Canadian-Chinese Jean-Wayne, and extreme, sultry, gorgeous Vikram. All delightful, fascinating interactions. I ate up the dialogue in this novel like cake.

I really enjoyed this novel’s use of technology. I know all the pop culture references could end up sounding dated, but for me I really connected with it. And I’d like to think that the descriptions of the way Very was obsessed would override the dated aspect that may arise in readers of the future diving into this novel. And that obsession with technology totally rang true for me. Incidentally I connected with the playlist and music stuff less, because I only casually listen to USian music, but I found them enjoyable even if I didn’t know a lot of the songs mentioned, because the song titles were cues enough to understand what Cohn was trying to get at. I’ve seen reviews saying that they found the first part lacking/boring/confusing, but I confess that I really enjoyed it. I liked the depiction of campus life. It conveyed all that rush and buzz of March Madness in the undergrad’s life, and how you should really be writing this paper but end up using media to block out all the pile of assignments that are overwhelming you. (Who has gone through undergrad and NOT done this? If anyone says otherwise they’re liars) I also think this part was necessary for the second part to ring true because we need to see Very’s high before she crashes in order to embark on a journey with her to deal with her addiction.

The second part was most excellently done without being preachy as well. It was less on how Technology Addiction Is Bad, and more focused on Very unpacking her emotional baggage and trying to forge a new, healthier path for herself, trying to change for the better. I surprisingly enjoyed all the Keisha-the-counselor and Very interactions, and I liked how Keisha lets Very sort things out for herself, and guides her when Very asks for advice. There was a lot of hilarious anecdotes in this second half as well. One of my favourite interaction scenes, besides the Lavinia ones (which carry on being awesome into the second half), was the confrontation moment between Very and her aunt. It was awkward yet sweet, the tender attempts at bonding with your estranged family relation. (I’m a total sucker for family moments, in case my followers haven’t realized yet, lol.)

I really enjoyed the writing too, because it captured Very’s voice so beautifully in the Very Narration. (Har har, my puns are fail) I loved her splattered tangents, her fluid exchange from real life experiences to her constant text-ing, her endless and highly amusing fantasies with El Virus. Even the use of capslock was totally effective. (I was with Very 100% on her rage over Bryan. That may say something more about me than I’d care to admit though, lawl.) It’s so original and fun, and I just had a blast reading this from front to back. And I’m resolved to read more of Cohn’s works after this (Can you believe this is my first exposure to Rachel Cohn?! Blasphemous, I know)

The Verdict: SO MUCH FUN AND AWESOME. I had a great time reading this novel. I love the voice, the characters, VERY HERSELF, I know it’s hard to get into at first because it’s just so out there, but seriously, so much fun, everyone should at least give it a shot. All those negative reviews are LIES, LIES I TELL YOU I think undergrad students will enjoy this novel a lot, especially if you’ve just got passed March Madness, and finished with the last of your exams. (I mean, it was fun to read this, but I think if I read it during March some of her procrastination experiences mayyyy hit a little too close to home, lol. Er, not that I am an extreme procrastinator or anything like that!! <- lies lies lies) I can’t wait to check out more of Rachel Cohn’s works!

Rating: 4/5
Enjoyment: 100%!

Title and Cover Discussion: omg, the cover is SO PERFECT. Unique, strange, and memorable, and embodies the whole novel snugly like a glove. And I personally think the cover is drop dead gorgeous. The cover model’s got some seriously beautiful hair, and I am simply in love with the font. It’s the kind of cover that makes me stop and reach out for a copy in the bookstore. 8D

Title: A++++++
Cover: A!

Review: Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver

Title: Before I Fall
Author(s): Lauren Oliver
Genre: YA Contemporary
Page Count: 480
Publisher: HarperCollins

The Summary (in my own words): It was supposed to be a regular school day like any other. Chilling out with her friends, partying it out after school. But then Samantha Kingston died -- and wakes up the next morning of the exact same day of her death. Seven repeats of the day you die. Seven chances -- is it enough for a person to change their lives?

The Review: This was honestly one of the most beautifully written novels I’ve ever read. In fact, I’d say it’s probably the most well-written debut YA novel of 2010. When I heard about the hype and how this novel made its way to the bestseller list, I was afraid of overhype, of being disappointed. But I was wrong. It was everything people said it’d be. And more, so much more.

From the summary, I had no intention of reading this novel. I mean, reliving one day over and over, how interesting can it be? But then, when I was hearing all the excitement bubbling over this book around the time HarperTeens was putting up a 100+ page preview for this novel, I decided to give it a shot. I sank right in. Everyone who lauded praise upon praise over Oliver’s writing was absolutely, irrevocably right. I cannot describe just how beautiful Oliver’s prose is, because I am not talented by half enough to explain it. It’s just – so incredibly beautiful, lush, tangible, delicious prose. Like, we get the exact same day described to us, and every time Oliver described the weather, the scenery that has not changed, she still manages to evoke different and varied sentiments, seven different ways of describing the exact same scenery that works and never, ever gets old. I flew through the pages, completely absorbed in Sam’s world.

I, like a lot of people who’ve read this novel, really enjoyed watching Sam’s transformation. I liked how her Mean Teen Girl persona was so very believable, and how she desperately tries to change her fate makes her grow as a person. All the changes in Sam felt believable, and it’s to Oliver’s credit that she develops this transition and character growth in ways that don’t stretch believability and even invoking sympathy, while always remembering that Sam is far from being a Nice Person. Also I liked Oliver’s convincing portrayal of high school life in general. It felt right and honest. And the high school scene isn’t completely whitewashed. While none of the prominent characters were POC, there were hints at the minor background characters being of Asian descent, which I’m pretty down with, personally.

I have seen many people citing the romance as one of their favourite aspects of this novel. I do enjoy the sweet romance unfolding between Kent and Sam (Who can NOT love Kent? Seriously adorable and sweet, that one. Totally boyfriend material.), but I’ll admit that it’s the portrayal of female friendships/interactions fostered and broken was that truly won my heart. (Why didn’t anyone tell me this book passes the bedchel test?! Sheesh, I’ve very disappointed in all of you. Jks) Yes, they’re Mean Girls, but the friendship that the four girls have is so genuine and true. They can be awful to others and sometimes even to each other, but we know that they truly liked each other, that they’re friendship wasn’t a sham. And Sam doesn’t just interact with her clique. We see her interact with the school’s residential “slut” (who was given a personality and breath, and it should be noted that there is absolutely no slut-shaming messages in this novel, which I totally appreciate), the sophomores, etc. In all of Sam’s interactions between different people during that seven repeats of the same day, we see this theme of hope permeating and blooming, that potential for making a difference, and the interactions Sam has with the girls around her were my favourite messages of hope. I especially enjoyed the Juliet Sykes interactions, the unveiling of secrets, and how even when things weren’t going so well, people have hope for change. SPOILERS AHOY: [I really liked the transformation of how Sam began to connect her salvation through saving Juliet, which started off very self-centric, but then transformed into a genuine wish for Juliet’s well being, and her sincere but awkward attempts at being “nice” was wonderful to see. That’s another thing I really appreciate about Sam’s transformation. It wasn’t that she suddenly became a “nice” good girl or anything - but that she starts to make this effort to be kind that won me over.]


I thought Oliver used the idea of the time loop most effectively to showcase Sam’s character transformation. The possibilities of the littlest changes in your actions to bring about change in your day fascinated me as well. The story unravels steady and slow, picking up speed towards the climax with that emotional ompf that will grab at the reader’s hearts. I never once felt that the story went too slowly, or got repetitive. The climax and the ending stayed with me for a long time, and left me hungering for more. This is the kind of novel that will convert new readings into instant fans of the author. With her writing being so polished, I can’t wait to see what she does with her next book.

The Verdict: Believe the hype, people, and grab yourself a copy of this amazing novel. The writing will blow you away, and the characters will enchant you. Definitely one of my favourite debut novels this year.

Rating: 5/5
Enjoyment: 100%

Title and Cover Discussion: I LOVE THE TITLE. It’s simple and memorable, and fits very well with the story. As for the cover, I’m a bit lukewarm on it. It feels so… normal, somehow? But I kind of like the unnatural stillness of the cover model, a curtained deadened quality to her next to the warm yellow colours in the cover. The font was very nice as well.

Title: A
Cover: B

Review: Crossing by Andrew Xia Fukuda

Title: Crossing
Author(s): Andrew Xia Fukuda
Genre: (YA) Mystery, Suspense, Coming-of-Age
Page Count: 213
Publisher: AmazonEncore

I received an ARC from the publicist.
The Summary: A loner in his all-white high school, Chinese-born Xing (pronounced “Shing”) is a wallflower longing for acceptance. His isolation is intensified by his increasingly awkward and undeniable crush on his only friend, the beautiful and brilliant Naomi Lee. Xing’s quiet adolescent existence is rattled when a series of disappearances rock his high school and fear ripples through the blue collar community in which he lives. Amidst the chaos surrounding him, only Xing, alone on the sidelines of life, takes notice of some peculiar sightings around town. He begins to investigate with the hope that if he can help put an end to the disappearances, he will finally win the acceptance for which he has longed. However, as Xing draws closer to unveiling the identity of the abductor, he senses a noose of suspicion tightening around his own neck. While Xing races to solve the mystery and clear his name, Crossing hurtles readers towards a chilling climax.

(from the backcover)

The Review:While I don’t think this book is marketed as a YA novel, I think it will do well among the YA reader circle. The raw emotional experiences shown to us through Xing’s narration can resonate well with anyone who remembers high school, its isolation and the wish to fit in. The requisite love story and dreams of our underdog taking the singing lead will also ring familiar and true to those who enjoy their YA high school setting stories. And I believe that those who loved Justine Larbalestier’s Liar will enjoy the way this suspenseful story, for we once again get an unreliable narrator telling the tale, but not because Xing is a liar. Xing, instead, comes across as unreliable because he does not speak out for himself. He unravels his side of the story in the narration, but he never defends it wholeheartedly, letting other people’s assumptions dominate. It gives the readers the choice of who you are going to believe is telling the true story of events. I found this unreliability in the narrationf very interesting, because the whole time we can feel Xing seeking validation: for his innocence, for his potential to be more than the stereotype. But when it’s not given, he crumbles, and lets others and their opinions take over. It’s painful to watch, and it made Xing feel so real to me.

I’ll confess that I have no handle in the whole mystery/suspense genre. I suck royally at guessing who is the real killer and all that jazz that goes with this genre. Instead, I connected very deeply with Xing’s emotional development and his desire for his singing talent to be recognized. For me, this book was all about the broken, failed American Dream. How the promises and dreams that lured in immigrants failed spectacularly for Xing and his future. Xing had all this potential, was depicted as such a happy kid before arriving in the States, and all his painful experiences shattered him, ruined his voice, and how absorbing all that hate directed his way for simply looking Chinese with the wrong accent warped and changed him.

All the reflected experiences of growing up as an Asian immigrant felt extremely familiar to me. This is not saying that my experiences as a Chinese-Canadian is the same as the one depicted by Xing or by the one another Chinese character in the school, Naomi, as the experiences of Asians in North America are varied and diverse, but there is that thread of familiarity that struck real for me. For instance, the description of accents: “Her English was Julie Chen perfect; mine was Jackie Chan cumbersome.” (5) I could literally hear exactly what Fukuda meant by the difference in their accented English, and feel that chasm of difference it makes between the two, how the way you talk can make the difference between peer acceptance or ostracism. There is that fine line you have to thread, to look and speak a certain way so that you are “Canadian” or in this context, “American” enough, and when you fall too far away from this line standard you become too ethnic, too Chinese, too Other, the perpetual foreigner. Xing’s struggle with that fine line resonated deeply with me, and it made all his failed dreams in America hurt that much more. Every time we got a scene wherein Xing wished to look white, to have those blue green eyes and blond hair, how he equated that with acceptance, it stung raw because that could be my brother, my sister, my cousin, any of my Chinese-Canadian friends growing up who didn’t feel like they belonged enough.

Also, more of a sidenote, but I really liked the author’s choice of giving his narrator the name Xing Xu. I suspect the use of “X” in the name is very deliberate on the author’s part because it’s one of the transliteration of Chinese-to-English that gets most of your (white) teachers/authorities baffled and confused, resulting in very embarrassing but also very common attempts at pronunciation of your name during roll call in front of the classroom for the world to hear. It’s not uncommon to see Chinese immigrants adopted “English” names, and I appreciate how this detail was woven into the story, the roll call experience of getting your name butchered and asking to be called something else instead to avoid this. (fyi, Xing asks to be called Kris in this situation.) What I mean to say is that the details of Xing’s Chinese-American experience is so precise and woven in without making it the big moving storyline of the novel, and it was really nice to see.

The Verdict: An amazing read. Readers who enjoyed books like Liar or works by Robert Cormier should run to grab a copy of this novel. You’ll connect deeply with our narrator’s psyche, and I personally can’t wait for future projects by this talented new voice in the publishing market.

Rating: 4.5/5
Enjoyment: 100%

Cover and Title Discussion: I liked the idea of the shadowed silhouette within a snowy scenery, as snow and winter features prominently as a motif in this novel, but I suspect if ever the publishing house wishes to repackage this novel as YA, they’ll need a flashier cover. Also, I thought the red star could have been incorporated better. The title font is okay, but I thought the positioning of the title was awkward. Same goes for the author’s name. I also suspect that I’m too fond of the old cover concept that was released a while ago, one with the dual image of one closed eye with tears running down, but when you look closer it’s footprints walking into the snow. *shrugs* Oh well, there’s nothing terribly wrong with the cover design as a whole, but it’s also not particularly eye-grabbing either. As for the title itself, I thought it’s okay, but also kind of easily forgettable. I confess that when I recommend this novel I forget what the title of the book was, and would refer it to people as “that debut suspense book by the author Andrew Xia Fukuda” (I remember author’s names better than titles, usually) instead.

Cover: C+
Title: C+

ETA by popular demand, this was how the old cover looked like. Feel free to tell me what you think.

Review: It's Not Summer Without You by Jenny Han

Title: It's Not Summer Without You
Author(s): Jenny Han
Genre: YA Coming-of-Age, Romance, Family
Page Count: 275
Publisher: Simon & Schuster

WARNING: Spoilers for Book 1

I received an ARC from a contest.
Summary: Last year, all of Belly's dreams came true and the thought of missing a summer in Cousins Beach was inconceivable. But like the rise and fall of the ocean tide, things can change-just like that. Suddenly the time she's always looked forward to most is something she dreads. And when Jeremiah calls to say Conrad has disappeared, Belly must decide how she will spend this summer: chasing after the boy she loves, or finally letting go

Review: Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Title: Purple Hibiscus
Author(s): Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Genre: YA contemporary coming-of-age
Page Count: 307
Publisher: Algonquin Books

The Summary: In the city of Enugu, Nigeria, fifteen-year-old Kambili and her older brother, Jaja, lead a privileged life. Their Papa is a wealthy and respected businessman; they live in a beautiful house; and they attend an exclusive missionary school. But, as Kambili reveals in her tender-voiced account, their home life is anything but harmonious. Her father, a fanatically religious man, has impossible expectations of his children and wife, and severely punishes them if they're less than perfect. Home is silent and suffocating.
When Kambili's loving and outspoken Aunty Ifeoma persuades her brother that the children should visit her in Nsukka, Kambili and Jaja take their first trip away from home. Once inside their Aunty Ifeoma's flat, they discover a whole new world. Books cram the shelves, curry and nutmeg permeate the air, and their cousins' laughter rings throughout the house. Jaja learns to garden and work with his hands, and Kambili secretly falls in love with a young charismatic priest.

When a military coup threatens to destroy the country and Kambili and Jaja return home changed by their newfound freedom, tension within the family escalates. And Kambili must find the strength to keep her loved ones together after her mother commits a desperate act.

-- from GoodReads.Com

The Review: I was been told to read this book years ago by someone with a reading taste I trust, but for some strange reason I kept on putting it off. Then a couple months ago I was reminded to read this book by the author’s brilliant speech “The Danger of a Single Story” (watch it, especially if you have even the tiniest interest in storytelling) and I was like, how did I not get around to reading her works yet? So I finally checked the book out of the library earlier this month and damn, what a haunting read. Beautiful, intense, and I was a fool for not having read this sooner.

This is a story revolving around the domestic abuse of the narrator’s father. And yet, this is not a story of melodrama angst and heartbreak. Yes, there is a lot of anguish and pain and sadness in this novel, but underneath these painful moments is a spark of joy, and laughter. The premise of the story is not that of a victim enduring abuse, but a girl who gets a chance to step away momentarily from a world in which her and the whole family is subjugated to the mood swings of the father, as Kambili forges a world for herself in which she can start laughing without having her father’s opinions pervading and influencing her every move. Her transformation from the fearful daughter desperate to please her father to a girl who can smile and laugh on her own whim was an extraordinary journey that I’m so happy to have had to pleasure of reading. Purple Hibiscus is the kind of novel that the reader won’t forget soon after reading.

The novel sticks really close to Kambili’s head, so I’m thinking that the potential reader’s enjoyment of the novel is very dependent on much you like or sympathize with Kambili. I personally thought Kambili was a lovely protagonist, and loved being inside her head. I love seeing how timid and quiet she was at first, and then how she grew from thereon out. We’re so in her head and her personal problems and concerns that the problems with the riots and censoring in contemporary Nigeria take a backseat, but I don’t think this is a detriment to the novel at all. Reading from Kambili’s perspective was like having a glimpse at her innermost thoughts, a peek at her private diary, and there’s something so honest about the narration that I just completely fell in love with. This novel does more than just capture an amazingly authentic teenage voice – it moves you with its sincerity and honesty.

I really enjoyed the character interactions in this novel as well. Kambili and Amaka’s rocky cousin relationship was interesting to watch, as they start to step away from their misunderstandings of one another. And the rest of the family interactions were great too. I really liked how family was so central to this novel. It was really interesting to see the contrast between Kambili’s family and her aunt’s family, from the obvious differences (abusive relationship vs. loving relationship etc) to much subtler ways, like how Kambili’s family household is very quiet, versus her aunt’s boisterous laughter that rings around her own household. There was also some very nice class differences explored in this novel, which is nice to see. But my absolutely favourite aspect of this novel was the achingly sweet budding romance between Kambili and Amandi, a priest. Their growing affection for each other felt so natural, and the author captures the emotions of teenage first love so well. If I must compare her portrayals of first love with another YA author, it’d be Jenny Han, but more The Summer I Turned Pretty-esque as oppose to Shug-like. We are convinced by their portrayal of first love because it’s very honest. Also, Adichie writes like a dream, and the way she selects her words to describe that feeling of first love is so perfect and beautifully original.

The afternoon played across my mind as I got out of the car in front of the flat. I had smiled, ran, laughed. My chest was filled with something like bath foam. Light. The lightness was so sweet i tasted it on my tongue, the sweetness of an overripe bright yellow cashew fruit. Pg. 180

Doesn’t that just make you want to pick up the book ASAP?! Even if my not-very-elegantly-phrased review is not convincing you, read it for the beautiful, lush prose, at the very least.

The Verdict: One of the most beautiful pieces of fictive narratives I’ve ever had the pleasure of reading. Painful, sweet, and a spark of hopeful joy – the reader will sink into Kambili’s mindset right away as she forges a life for herself. I’ve been told that as this was Adichie’s first novel, her later works are much better. Which makes me really excited because as her writing is already so amazing here, I can’t wait to see how she tops it in Half a Yellow Sun

Rating: 5/5
Enjoyment: 100%!

Title and Cover Discussion: One of the things I didn’t get to talk about in the review was the purple hibiscus motif, which was subtly woven into the story to lead us to some of the novel’s most memorable scenes. Anyhow, the title is brilliant and if you’re curious about how Adichie uses the purple hibiscus as a symbol, I say read it to find out. 8D As for the cover... I don’t know, I’m really sick of cut-off female faces, and on top of that, the black-and-white photograph doesn’t do it any favours. Another cover has the hibiscus in actual purple, but I don’t really want to rate a cover if I haven’t seen it with my own two eyes. (I find that seeing covers online and in real life is two very different experiences.) Soooooo I’m going to cheat on the cover ratings and drop them. I just don’t feel fair with faulting a cover when there’s another one out there that may be better. It just brings too much attention to the old cover, ya know? Feel free to share your thoughts on the cover, or anything you want.

Title: A+!

This counts for the Social Justice March Challenge and POC Challenge

Review: A Spy in the House by Y.S. Lee

Title: The Agency: A Spy in the House
Author(s): Y.S. Lee
Genre: YA historical mystery
Page Count: 335
Publisher: Candlewick

Disclosure: Review Copy sent to me by Sarah Rettger
The Summary: Rescued from the gallows in 1850s London, young orphan (and thief) Mary Quinn is surprised to be offered a singular education, instruction in fine manners — and an unusual vocation. Miss Scrimshaw’s Academy for Girls is a cover for an all-female investigative unit called The Agency, and at seventeen, Mary is about to put her training to the test. Assuming the guise of a lady’s companion, she must infiltrate a rich merchant’s home in hopes of tracing his missing cargo ships. But the household is full of dangerous deceptions, and there is no one to trust — or is there? Packed with action and suspense, banter and romance, and evoking the gritty backstreets of Victorian London, this breezy mystery debuts a daring young detective who lives by her wits while uncovering secrets — including those of her own past.
--From GoodReads.com

The Review: Woah, where to start? I love this book, and I’m not confident that this review will do the book just. Well, first things first, as I suspected from following Y.S. Lee’s blog tour, the setting was AMAZING. I felt like I was transported in time to 19th century London. Everything felt so tangible, the grime and stink and grit of the city, and the house Mary was assigned to just felt so real, like I could imagine myself walking through its kitchen and corridors and what have you. Best of all, the setting felt like such an integral part of the story, a story that couldn’t take place anywhere but in that time period and in that city, that context. It’s not just, you know, Victorian window dressing to make everything look pretty and get an excuse for the ladies to wear pretty frocks. I wish more historical novels set in the Victorian era read like this book.

I’ve seen quite a number of reviews giving attention to the banter between Mary and James, saying that this is their favourite aspect of the novel, and while I too enjoy good banter (and the ones between Mary and James were really good), those didn’t make the novel for me. I mean, I do like the Mary and James interaction because they were just really well-written and fun, but this wasn’t an aspect of this novel that made the reading experience so memorable for me. Nor was it the mystery aspect, as I confess I have absolutely no taste or sense for mystery/detective written narratives. Some of the stuff that really stuck out for me was not really mentioned in the reviews I have read, such as the basic concept of the Agency Lee brought in. I love the idea of an all-female intelligence force giving opportunities to young women in Victorian England who may not otherwise have access to. It’s such an interesting and empowering aspect into the story, and I kinda wish we got to have a story that took place IN the school, a bunch of girls gathered from all walks of life learning and dreaming for a future in a kind of Victorian boarding school way. (This is because I am partial to school setting narratives) Anyhow, what I’m trying to say is that the concept of the Agency really appealed to me, and I hope that the workings of the Agency gets fleshed out as we get more books in the series.

The other thing I really like about this novel was just Mary herself. I found her fascinating and relatable, a really interesting yet flawed character. It’s been a while since my favourite character turned out to be the narrator of the whole story, and it’s really nice to always be on the narrator’s side for once, lol. I liked her brashness, her wit, how she takes action without always thinking things through clearly. I also liked that, even though she’s not exactly the conventional leading lady for a Victorian England setting, Mary still fits into the historical setting without feeling like a “modern” day woman transported in time. Mary, despite not being conventional, is still very much shaped by the Victorian era she lived in, and I appreciate that. I enjoyed all her interactions with the rest of the cast. There’s a nice amount of character development in this book, wherein people change as they encounter and talk with others, and getting to see all of this from Mary’s perspective was lots of fun. Not only did we get to see other people change, but we can also pick up on the subtle changes in Mary that she herself may not realize as of yet. In fact, I must confess, the most memorable character interaction scene was not between James and Mary, but this one scene towards the end, with Angelica as they talked about what they want and their futures. In fact, my favourite line came out of that scene! “It’s terrifying to be on the verge of finally getting what you want.” (pg. 281) You know that moment when something you’ve hoped for seems finally possible to attain, how it’s kinda scary but amazing all at once? This moment of interaction just brought back all those emotions: of self-reflection and hope and a dash of fear for the unknown. (I do know that this comes up with Cass too, but I happen to like this moment of interaction more. I suspect because this one was more dialogue-y?) I really liked seeing how Angelica grows in Mary’s eyes, from the spoiled sullen girl she was assigned to, to the lady with a goal to fulfill.

I liked how Y.S. Lee handled the passing aspect as well. Will not go into details about this as it’s spoilery, but I enjoyed slowly finding out more about Mary’s murky, hidden past, and I hope we get to see more of this family exploration in the next few books. The writing of the novel was fluid and accessible, almost deflecting attention from itself so that the reader can concentrate on the many plot twists thrown our way, which is very helpful. The ending left me satisfied yet wanting more story, new adventures for our leading lady Mary Quinn. (WHERE IS THE CIGAR BOX?! I MUST KNOW. *whimpers*) The sequel just can’t come out fast enough.

The Verdict: Excellent book, and I think everyone should give this novel a try. It was an engrossing read, with a lead character you can root for with all your heart, an interesting premise, and a nice heavy amount of twists to keep mystery fans pondering. I, personally, am dying for the sequel. Is it August yet?!

Rating: 4.5/5
Enjoyment: 100%

Title and Cover Discussion: I know technically this book is called The Spy in the House and the seriesname is called The Agency, but I keep calling this book the Agency in my head. I suspect I’ll start properly calling it The Spy in the House once the sequel comes out though. As for the cover, I’m a bit ambivalent. Passing is a bit complicated to portray when we have face covers, but getting a white model (I think the model is ‘white’? Feel free to correct me) to portraying a passing protagonist is rather problematic. I'm informed that the model is indeed of mixed heritage. I suspect this cover would work better for me if it was an illustrated cover instead, but oh well... It’s visually appealing, I’ll admit. Skipping out on ratings because I’m ambivalent about how I’d rate them. =D

Review: A Million Shades of Grey by Cynthia Kadohata

Title: A Million Shades of Grey
Author(s): Cynthia Kadohata
Genre: MG Historical, War
Page Count: 216
Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Disclosure: I received this review copy from Book Chick City
The Summary: Y'Tin wants nothing more than to spend the rest of his life with Lady, his elephant, and become a elephant handler. But the Vietnam War looms closer and closer into his tribe's every day life. As the Americans leave and the North Vietnamese army marches closer and closer, Y'Tin seeks a way to live and stay with Lady - no matter what it takes.

The Review: Some confessions I must make before I proceed with the review: I love Cynthia Kadohata's works. From the momemt I read the first page of Weedflower back in the cold wintery day of January last year, I fell in love. Kadohata has this wonderful way of capturing her protagonists' voice, and her stories are so intimate, so personal, like the protagonist is speaking to me, and her stories break my heart in all the right places.

Now, despite this love, I was also somewhat apprehensive about this novel. For one thing, as much as I love Weedflower, Kira-Kira, and Cracker: The Best Dog in Vietnam, I did not care for Outside Beauty at all, which was her latest work just before A Million Shades of Grey came out. It utterly failed to impress me. That was the first time I felt that the voice of the protagonist was unconvincing, and voice is the best aspect of Kadohata's writing. I, well, I admit to wondering if maybe Kadohata might be losing her touch. That coupled with the fact that this will be the first novel I read by her with a male protagonist, and I was weary in wondering whether she could pull off a male's voice.

Well, this book just blew all my apprehensions out of the water, and taught me that I should just never doubt Cynthia Kadohata's mastery in writing ever again (I'll just chalk Outside Beauty as an anomaly). It was amazing. Brilliant! It is actually the saddest Kadohata story I've read, and if anyone's familiar with any of her other titles, you know I'm really saying something here.

Y'Tin was a brilliant protagonist. Kadohata proved to me that not only can she completely charm me with her portrayal of a young boy's voice, but capture the child perspective of the war around him in the most convincing fashion. I was in Y'Tin's head the whole way through, and every laugh, every heartbreak Y'Tin went through, I not only sympathized, I felt it inside with him. His heartrendering relationship with Lady, the elephant he trained, was one of the most beautiful animal companion relationships I've ever seen, and I'm saying this as a person who is normally skeptical of animal companionship tales. Y'Tin tells us he cares about Lady more than anything in the world, and you just - you really believe it, and that's why when the events of the novel unravel, it just breaks you - there.

And the story! Wow, what a story. Like all of Kadohata's work, the ride is slow but sure, as she draws you into the lives of her characters then slowly builds up the events, one at a time to a breathtaking climax, and an ending that will tear your heart out. If anyone was worried about this book not being able to pull off the grittiness and ravages of a war setting - since, well, as much as I loved Cracker, Kadohata gave us a very sanitized version of the Vietnam War in that particular book - no need to worry about that here, the horrors of war are shown in all its traumatizing glory! I may or may not have completely embarrassed myself at a dinner party as people saw me bawling in public, book in hand. I like how Kadohata decided to show the war from the Montagnards' perspective, an indigenous tribe living out in the jungle of Vietnam. It offers us a perspective that's outside of the usual Vietcong or American GI perspective, yet still very much a part of the war. Y'Tin's family helped out the Americans, and it was fascinating to see the effects towards the end of the war for this decision, as the Americans left them to their fate and the Vietcongs come closing in. I was reading a review of this book by The Bookbag which argued that it idealized the American GIs way too much and vilified the Vietcongs. Which is a valid interpretation, and I do see shades of that in the story, but I think the reason why it worked for me, this portrayal of the Montagnards helping the GIs is that the Montagnards do not benefit from this aid. The Americans were not at all their knights in shining armour coming to their rescue - it was quite the opposite. The whole story is set around the time when the Montagnards were to fend for themselves, and explores the broken promises of protection made by the Americans, and it was very sad, and very painful to see. We see the slow change in which Y'Tin's peers reacted around him, as the people within his tribe blamed his family for helping the Americans and it's a credit to Kadohata's fantastic writing abilities that she is able to render these moments heartwrenching without overwrought writing.

It's worth noting however that while there were some positive portrayals of the Americans, by contrast there were absolutely none of that when we see portrayals of the Vietnamese people. If they weren't calling the Montagnard savages, they were attacking their villages. I am not too 100% sure of Thorat's ethnicity, who was character portrayed sympathetically, but even so, he was a sympathetic teacher teaching French, a colonial language. (Oh! Sidenote: the French here is all grammatically correct! I say this because I often get annoyed when I find books that don't bother checking their grammar when they decide to have the characters spreaking French in the story.) Hopefully Cynthia Kadohata would consider writing another novel set in Vietnam that gives the side of the Vietnamese more justice.

The Verdict: This is decidedly the best work by Cynthia Kadohata so far, and most definitely my favourite. Clear, crisp writing, a charming protagonist, a sweet animal companion tale, and a war-ridden setting that shatters your heart. After reading this novel, I couldn't get the story out of my head for weeks. This book will make you smile, laugh, cry, and leaves you with a sad, yet hopeful at the end. What more can we want out of a novel, really? This book deserves to be up there and known with the other amazingly wrought war stories such as Markus Zusak's The Book Thief and the like. Run, don't walk, to get a copy of this novel. You won't regret it.

Rating: 4/5
Enjoyment: 100%

Title and Cover Discussion: The title is passable, I suppose. However, the title doesn't give me an immediate connection to what I've read in the story. Which is too bad, since all her other titles (Kira-Kira, Outside Beauty, Cracker, Weedflower) did this so well. But I think it hints at the layers of war being explored, that the side to the story isn't all just black and white, that there's the people not on either sides. Of course, I could be wrong, and those who've read the novel can feel free to share the title thoughts they have about this with me here. I'm all ears! I do love the cover. It's not exactly shiny or anything but it has Y'Tin AND Lady being all BFF there! How can I not love it? ♥ And I passed by the hardcover of this book a while back in the bookstore and the inside of the cover is beautifullll. It is the pattern of the jungle leaves we see on the top of the cover. But I'm not really a fan of the cover for the hardback... What's the difference, you ask? Well, they photoshopped in the 'Asian' hat. Not only does Y'Tin never actually wear that hat in the story, but I get the sense that the hat was pasted on to hint and the ~*exotic*~ Asian-ness. This is not the first time this happened with Kadohata's covers, but they make me sigh. lol, but w/e my version doesn't have the hat on it so YAY HAPPINESS. ♥

Title: B
Cover: A

This counts for the POC reading challenge.

Review: 8th Grade Superzero

Title: 8th Grade Superzero
Author(s): Olubgemisola Rhuday-Perkovich
Genre: MG Contemporary Coming-of-Age
Page Count: 324
Publisher: Arthur A. Levine Books

The Summary: For middle schooler Reggie McKnight, being called “Pukey” is the least of his problems. School elections are coming up, but he’s as far away from being school President as he is from shutting down his enemy Donovan or meeting up with the beautiful Mialonie. His friends Ruthie and Joe C. have his back, but let’s face it: Reggie can only be a superhero on the pages of his graphic novel, Night Man.

Then Reggie gets involved with a local homeless shelter, the Olive Branch. Haunted by two of the clients there -- George, a once proud man now living on the streets, and five-year-old Charlie, who becomes his official “Little Buddy” -- he begins to think about making a difference, both in the world and at school.

-- from goodreads, though I omitted the last sentence, as it was spoilery.

The Review: I basically inhaled this novel between the hours from the time I had breakfast to lunch. It was adorable! I wasn’t even put off by the superhero stuff! (Note: Not a fan of superhero genre.) Reggie was lovable, and I really liked how he makes mistakes that not ONLY are acknowledged within the text, but he owns up to his mistakes and apologizes to the wronged party later. It’s nice to see our protagonists not being Always Right. I also liked how Rhuday-Perkovic handled Reggie volunteering at Olive Branch and the homeless residents, how helping out became gradually more and more important to him. And it was tres cool that there were a number of kids in the cast who were concerned with social and/or global issues. It wasn’t done in such a way that I thought these middle graders were acting too old for their age, and also I can see how giving this book to a middle grader can make them think about these issues at hand.

But my favourite part of this novel was Reggie’s relationships with the significant people in his life. I think, out of all of them, Reggie’s buddy relationship with Charlie was the sweetest. (Dora shoes!! ♥) I loved the every changing perceptions of each other, and how their actions influenced each other in good or bad ways. Reggie and Ruthie’s relationship was adorable too. Childhood friendships are the best!! Their love is trueeeeeeeee. (Who’s Mialonie again? =P) I even liked the sibling antagonisms between Reggie and Monica! These moments are always the ones that get me to switch sides from sympathizing with our protagonist Reggie to wholeheartedly supporting Monica. I love Reggie but he’s so clueless about girls. (And also, being a sister, with sibling arguments, I firmly believe that the sister ALWAYS wins. Natch.) Reggie and Monica’s talk was one of my favourite scenes in the whole novel. It was awkward, and loving in the only way squabbling siblings can be, and I love it. I loved seeing how, with siblings, you can be very cruel to one another, but when it comes down to it, you care, even when you don’t show it. I just wish there were more Reggie and Monica scenes. There is just not enough sibling interactions in MG/YA fiction.

If I have to complain about anything though, it’d be the villains. I know it’s from Reggie’s perspective, but Donovan’s villainy was a bit too 2D for me. We got a tiny glimpse of another side to his character, but it was never really developed so that we see Donovan is a character that went beyond his mean bully role. Vicky wasn’t quite as bad in comparison, but still, not as developed as I’d like. Also, while I knew Reggie’s mom was there, her presence wasn’t very strong, especially next to his father and sister. But these are just minor quibbles. The cast more or less satisfies me. I particularly appreciate how there were lots of minor characters around that, while we don’t see a lot of their background, we get just enough of them to feel like they have whole and separate lives beyond Reggie and not like, stock minor characters. =D

I liked the pacing. It was steady and gradual, building up to a good climax and finale. My favourite aspect was the fact that not everything stayed the same, and how we see people and people’s relationship with one another change over the course of the story. I also liked how multicultural the people in the story were, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY how, while their ethnic background is a factor of their identity, it is NOT the dominant driving force of the story. It’s so rare to find POC protagonists with stories that aren’t all about their racial identity, so I reallyyyyyy like that.

The Verdict: If you haven’t read this awesome debut yet you should definitely plan to. Reggie is a wonderful protagonist and it’s cute and funny and FUN and I am already forcing my youngest brother to read this, and basically this book comes highly recommended by me. READ IT!

Rating: 4/5
Enjoyment: 100%

Title and Cover Discussion: The title is absolutely PERFECT. I also am charmed by the cover. I love the colours and the yellow with the dark skyline and silhouette. It's very colour designed oriented, as oppose to, you know, the usual photo stock images or even illustrated covers, so it sticks out for me. I kinda wish the shoes at the top were Dora though. But that's really nothing to kibble over.

Title: A+!
Cover: A

Thank you Zetta, for mailing this to me!
This counts for POC and Debut 2010 reading challenge

Review: Love is the Higher Law by David Levithan

Title: Love is the Higher Law
Author(s): David Levithan
Genre: YA contemporary
Page Count: 176
Publisher: Knopf Books

The Summary: First there is a Before, and then there is an After. . . .

The lives of three teens—Claire, Jasper, and Peter—are altered forever on September 11, 2001. Claire, a high school junior, has to get to her younger brother in his classroom. Jasper, a college sophomore from Brooklyn, wakes to his parents’ frantic calls from Korea, wondering if he’s okay. Peter, a classmate of Claire’s, has to make his way back to school as everything happens around him.

Here are three teens whose intertwining lives are reshaped by this catastrophic event. As each gets to know the other, their moments become wound around each other’s in a way that leads to new understandings, new friendships, and new levels of awareness for the world around them and the people close by.

David Levithan has written a novel of loss and grief, but also one of hope and redemption as his characters slowly learn to move forward in their lives, despite being changed forever.

The Review: After finishing this book, the first thing I was convinced of was that I was a fool for not having tried any of David Levithan's work in the past. I am in love with his writing, I love how he can fluidly change writing styles for different characters and yet still has the same signature Levithan writing underneath it all. Beautiful, lovely prose. I can't praise it enough.

That being said, I thought the linking between characters was a bit flawed, specifically in how Claire fit into the equation. The interactions between Jasper and Peter really came to life, but their interactions with Claire doesn't work half as well. I wanted to like Claire, I really did, but I think her role as a sort of catalyst between Jasper and Peter did her no favours. Levithan kinda assigned her the role of being the one who embodies the hope of post 9/11 and the goodness of humanity, and she's often portrayed as the observer rather than the participant of events. (i.e. the party) It's not that I think she never went beyond her symbolic role as observer and human goodness, but we just didn't see enough of her to get a sense of her personality beyond her designated role. I mean, I know she had a life outside of Jasper and Peter but it was never really shown to us readers. I just wish there was more variety in the shown Claire interactions. Maybe another POV from another character's perspective like Claire's brother or Marisol? I felt like Claire was one of those character sketches that had potential but just didn't go anywhere.

The Peter and Jasper characterization went much better, especially on Jasper's part. I loved Jasper's voice and personality, and how sardonic he was. Also, it's kinda sad, but this is one of the rare times I actually came across a snarky Asian protagonist in the english-written novels I read, so I doubly appreciate it. I'm not too sure how I feel about the portrayal of his parents though, the whole aloof father and overbearing mother thing. It was tipping on the verge of over the top stereotyping, but I decided that this didn't bother me much, and to keep in mind that this was how Jasper viewed his parents, and doesn't necessarily mean the parents are supposed to embody that stereotype themselves.

I liked Peter as well. What a music junkie he was. ♥ And as I mentioned before, the chemistry between Peter and Jasper was so sweet and awkward and I loved it. I thought this love worked out well with the title, a kind of connection formed in spite of the horror and sadness of the events of 9/11. I loved seeing Jasper from Peter's eyes and vice versa, something that didn't shine in at all the same way when we see Jasper or Peter's view of Claire.

The pace of the novel was nice and fluid, not so much in the traditional novel format way but more of the little short stories that build up and intertwine. I only wish that Claire's story was integrated better into this novel. And it brought back the day of 9/11 vividly in my mind, so real was the immediate setting, from the description of the towers and the very real reactions of the people in the city. I appreciated the balance of humour and solemnity and I can't wait to read more of Levithan's works.

The Verdict: A lovely read. While I wish we got more out of Claire, I'm convinced by the end of this novel that Levithan is a master storyteller, with exquisite writing and a lovely ability to switch between humour and sadness flawlessly. The romance between Jasper and Peter was one of the best mix of awkward and sweet love stories I've come across in a long while, and I clearly need to get my hands on more of Levithan's works.

Rating: 3.5
Enjoyment:: 95%

Title and Cover Discussion: LAWL I know that the title fits, but I keep messing up this title. I'm not sure why, but my brain keeps telling me that this book is called "Love is the Higher Order" instead of Law. I'm not sure whyyyyy I think this way, but there you go. And the cover tells you exactly the content of the novel (9/11) but I'll also confess here that the cover didn't connect with me. I'm rarely moved by night city skylines, I'll admit. Soooooo as I have a feeling my personal biases are going to influence the ratings too much to be of any worth to anyone, I'm going to chicken out of the title/cover ratings. Do feel free to tell me what you think of the cover and title though. =D (Surely I'm not the only one who constantly messes up this title?)

Note: Counts for POC reading challenge and GLBT reading challenge