When the Sea Turned to Silver by Grace Lin

*When the Sea Turned to Silver was released Tuesday, October 4th and is now available!*

When the Sea Turned to Silver by Grace Lin. Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2016. Paperback. 384 pages.

*I received a physical ARC of When the Sea Turned to Silver courtesy of Little, Brown in exchange for an honest review.*

When the Sea Turned to Silver is a beautiful, magical story filled with adventure and a wonderful fairy tale-like storytelling atmosphere. It was only after reading this that I discovered that it is in fact a companion novel to Lin's When the Mountain Meets the Moon, but fortunately this has no bearing on following or understanding this book.

Lin's story starts with Pinmei, granddaughter of her small village's beloved storyteller. The peace that currently inhabits her village is destroyed, however, when her grandmother is taken by the Emperor's soldiers and Pinmei takes it upon herself to embark upon a journey to save her. Pinmei herself is an extremely endearing and relatable character, and her friend Yishan brings even more color and excitement to the story.

Along the journey, the author has both Pinmei and her grandmother intersperse the story with many short tales about much of the myths and lore of their culture. I loved these stories, and they blended in well with the current action of the plot, as well as truly brought the culture of the setting alive.

I found Pinmei to be a wonderfully complex and intriguing character. She not only discovers her own gifts and strengths, but she also makes deep, lasting relationships with many of the other characters. I actually felt as though all of the characters in this book were complex and underwent a variety of dynamic changes, whether big or small.

Lin writes with a poetic, almost lyrical prose that makes it just about impossible to not to keep turning pages. When the Sea Turned to Silver is a truly a magical story, and I don't know how else to describe it. It is exciting and filled with delightful characters.

Overall, I am giving When the Sea Turned to Silver four stars!

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Lock and Key: The Initiation by Ridley Pearson

*Lock and Key: The Initiation will be released Tuesday, September 20th!*

Lock and Key: The Initiation by Ridley Pearson. HarperCollins, 2016. Paperback. 386 pages.

*I received a printed ARC of Lock and Key courtesy of HarperCollins in exchange for an honest review.*

Sherlock Holmes is a well-loved detective character that has been featured in countless books, television shows, movies, and many other forms of entertainment. James Moriarty is the prolific criminal mastermind and nemesis of Holmes, and his role has been increased in many subsequent works of fiction based off of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's original.

Lock and Key brings the classic feud of Sherlock Holmes and James Moriarty to the present day, where the two attend Baskerville Academy and are placed together as roommates. The two do not hit it off, and James takes an immediate dislike to Sherlock's observant and somewhat arrogant nature. The story kicks off when the headmaster of the school announces that a valuable Bible has been stolen, and not long after this announcement James begins to receive mysterious red envelopes with difficult riddles that he must attempt to solve.

The story, however, is not narrated by James, - as one might expect - but is instead narrated by his younger sister, Moria. I found this to be quite a clever idea, and it worked well for a majority of the novel, though it did become a bit confusing in certain narrative events and seemed to be forgotten about sometimes. I also would have liked to read this story from  James' perspective, considering the book is essentially centered around him and his own journey from a loyal companion to his sister at their home to a harsh, troubled boy at their new boarding school. Despite this, reading from Moria's perspective gives the reader some unique perspectives on various events that occur, and also shows us how both James and Moria change over the course of their stay at Baskerville, though in two very different directions. It makes me wonder if it would have been possible for James to not become as hateful as he did, or if this was just in his nature.

Pearson excellently captures Sherlock's sharp, impossibly intelligent mind and also greatly enhances his arrogance - in fact, Sherlock is not the most likable character in many instances. But then there is also the rather unlikable James Moriarty as well, who acts as both a contrast and a similar character to Sherlock. Both boys are stubborn and fairly sure of themselves, and neither one likes to show any form of weakness, which in fact seems to be a weakness in itself.

My main problem with Lock and Key was how long-winded it became. I appreciate the fact that Pearson put so much effort into creating an extremely intricate story with many details, but it just became too confusing as the book progressed past the promising beginning. I found myself somewhat bored in many various periods of tediously long explanations and dialogues. This is marketed as a children's book, but I can see younger readers becoming a bit bored with this one, despite the initial hook and strong beginning.

For mystery fans, Lock and Key is filled with a perfect combination of ingredients: anonymous clues in the form of riddles, a secret society, enigmatic characters, and a slew of difficult problems to solve. Overall, I am giving Lock and Key three stars; while it was enjoyable, the confusing parts in the latter half of the novel and extensive explanation hindered my enjoyment a bit too much for me to give it more stars.

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Hero of the Empire by Candice Millard

*Hero of the Empire will be released Tuesday, September 20th!*

Hero of the Empire by Candice Millard. Doubleday, 2016. Paperback/softcover. 416 pages.

*I received a printed ARC of Hero of the Empire courtesy of Doubleday in exchange for an honest review.*

This is the third nonfiction book that Candice Millard has written, and with it she continues to prove just how adept and talented she is at writing about important historical figures in a thrilling and informative manner.

I received an ARC of Hero of the Empire prior to reading any of Millard's other work, but I enjoyed Hero of the Empire so much that I immediately went and picked her up her two former works, The River of Doubt and Destiny of the Republic, and fell absolutely in love with her writing. Millard has a remarkable way of creating gripping nonfiction narratives about lesser known or studied events in the lives of these notable men - events that, in a way, seem to define who they are and highlight many of their most admirable qualities.

In Hero of the Empire, Millard focuses on the period of Winston Churchill's life in which he is captured as a prisoner of war and his subsequent escape. I'm sorry to say that I am - or was - woefully ignorant regarding much of Churchill's life and history, but he is one of the many figures that I have been wanting to read more about. Suffice to say, I had absolutely no idea that he was once captured as a prisoner of war. 

Millard writes in an incredibly fluid  manner that makes it easy to follow along with the current political and social issues occurring at the time of the story. Rather than dumping the reader into a setting and time period in which they may or may not know its history, she takes time and great care to make sure that the background of any conflicts, struggles, and political happenings are clearly explained and allow the subsequent events to make sense. At times, it almost starts to feel as if Millard is going off on a tangent about a topic that is only slightly relevant, but right when you think it's gone too far, she brings everything right back around to Churchill and his journey and it all suddenly makes sense. 

Millard's description of Churchill is, in my opinion, perfectly well-rounded. She doesn't paint him in a black and white manner as being a solely a 'great man' or a 'bad man,' but instead provides and unbiased look at his qualities and personality traits - positive and negative. Churchill initially comes off as a rather arrogant man, and I had never liked that aspect of him. I felt how he treated people was often rather rude and inappropriate, but Hero of the Empire gave me a much more well-rounded look. It let me see both the negative and positive sides of his qualities; for instance, he may have been a bit arrogant and acted in a superior manner, but he was also steadfastly loyal and a born leader. He knew how to take charge and create well-formed plans that would allow him to succeed, all of which are admirable qualities that create a good leader. 

One of my favorite aspects of Millard's writing that works extraordinarily well in Hero of the Empire is her insights into the cultural and political events of the time. She doesn't just tell you a heroic and miraculous story about Churchill, she instead tells a story that also analyzes the motives, attitudes, and events of everyone involved in the period. She explains the why the British are involved in this issue, she describes the attitudes of the Boers and their history in South Africa, and she also brings great attention to the native African tribes living in the area, who are the original inhabitants of the area. I loved how deeply she went into the background of these various groups of peoples, and I particularly enjoyed her research on some of the African tribes, such as the Zulu and Xhosa. Millard covers all bases, which makes for a nonstop and wonderfully readable book.

Overall, I am giving Hero of the Empire four-and-a-half stars for its riveting narrative and superb writing.

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Dear Mr. M by Herman Koch

*Dear. Mr. M is now available!*

Dear Mr. M by Herman Koch. Hogarth, 2016. Paperback. 448 pages. 

(I am majorly digging this cover, by the way.)

*I received a printed ARC of Dear Mr. M courtesy of Hogarth and LibraryThing in exchange for an honest review.*

This is the second book I've read by Herman Koch (the first being The Dinner) and I can already tell that Koch has a very unique and very distinct writing style that is all his own. Putting this writing style into words is extremely difficult, but for me it always elicits extremely mixed feelings. While I may not be overly enamored with the story itself, the ideas that Koch plays with and the unique storytelling methods he uses are enough to capture me and keep me reading.

In Dear Mr. M, Mr. M is an aging writer whose 'glory years' are slowly starting to fade, but who also still has a strong older fan base and thus still partakes in interviews and book signings. We are informed of two of his most popular books, 'The Hour of the Dog' and 'Payback.' The former was written after his first divorce, and was seen by many as discussing too many intimate details regarding the divorce, while the latter is based on a different real life story: the story of the disappearance of a history teacher after he involves himself in an affair with one of his students.

I don't want to go into too many details regarding the specifics of the plot, since I feel that much of the entertainment in this book revolves around your own discovery, so I'm going to be a little vague. The story jumps around quite a bit, and although this is a tad confusing, it somehow worked for the story, as the plot itself and the way in which the story is unfolded is very patchwork-like in nature, and thus the jumping points of view worked well to match the atmosphere. This plot is extraordinarily intricate and sometimes feels hard to follow, but as long as you just jump in and commit to the ride, things eventually start to pay off.

Koch writes really odd characters. They aren't very likable people. They're often harsh, honest to a fault, and basically just not the nicest people out there. Just like in The Dinner, I started off thinking I liked a few of the characters, only to discover just how disturbing or unkind they really were as time went by, which is an odd feature of Koch's writing that is also rather endearing, as it creates an immense amount of mystery and intrigue to the entire story.

I loved Koch's insights into human nature, our motives for doing various things, how we perceive events, and even how physical attributes affect our lives, even if we do not consciously notice it. He tends to go off onto what feel like tangents to contemplate these ideas, but he never strays too far from the story, and somehow manages to work everything into one larger idea. This book also focused on lot of the art of writing itself, such as what works in fiction versus what happens in reality (i.e. unbelievable coincidences), and this also really made me think about a lot of various ideas.

My only critiques center around the fact that I do think Koch could have edited out a few areas that seemed to go on to long. Koch tends to focus on minute details and subsequently spend a few pages discussing them. He also dives off into a few areas relating to Dutch politics and history, which I assume might be more interesting to those living in the Netherlands (maybe?), but that really could have just been cut right out for me. I had no idea what was going on and, frankly, I didn't much care.

Critiques aside, this was overall a fairly solid book. While I did find myself feeling a bit confused or lost at times, the strength of this novel lies in the story and twist and turns, and for those reasons I am giving it three-and-a-half stars.

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Like a River Glorious by Rae Carson

*Like a River Glorious will be released Tuesday, September 6th!*

Like a River Glorious by Rae Carson. Greenwillow, 2016. Paperback. 432 pages.

*I received a printed ARC of Like a River Glorious courtesy of Greenwillow in exchange for an honest review.*

You can find my review for Walk on Earth a Stranger (Book One) here!

Western themes are definitely not normally something I'm a big fan of, but I fell in love with Walk on Earth a Stranger, and after finishing it I knew that I would be eagerly awaiting the sequel. I probably needed a little bit of a refresher before starting, but fortunately I wasn't too lost and was soon right back in the swing of things and enjoying myself once again in this world Carson has created.

The first book left off as Lee and the rest of the group finally made it to California, and Like a River Glorious picks up right after that. Because of her gift, she has the potential to become a flourishing gold miner, but of course nothing is ever easy when you have an evil uncle that wants to kidnap you and force you to use your powers for him.

Lee is just as fiery and strong as she was in Walk on Earth a Stranger, but this time she has a whole new slew of issues to deal with, such as dealing with her Uncle Hiram and her struggle to come to terms with the horrible treatment of the Native Americans that are forced into slavery, which I will touch upon a bit more later. Lee's strong, endearing character is still perfectly intact: she's independent and bold, but she is also aware that she's not perfect and doesn't have a way to fix everyone's problems. I love that Lee is just a really good person as well; she truly cares for others and wants to help them by eradicating their suffering.

Along with Lee, Jefferson is pretty high up there as a favorite character. I love his determination in both pursuing Lee and doing what he can to keep everyone safe. His respect for Lee is wonderful, and although he does continue to ask her to marry him, I appreciate that he respects her unsure stance on marriage and her dislike for conventional marriages in which a woman becomes 'property' to men. I also just want to note that the rest of Carson's supporting characters are all just as well-developed and entertaining as Jefferson and Lee, and I sincerely enjoyed watching them all develop and their relationships with one another flourish.

I think Carson did well in capturing the horrible treatment of Native Americans. The fact that Jefferson himself is half-Cherokee fits into this really well, as it allows us to see even more perspectives, since Jefferson himself isn't in the same position of those in California who had their land taken away, but is still affected and hurt by these actions all the same. However, I'm hoping that the final book in this trilogy actually spotlights Native American culture and their lies a bit more, as this book mostly kept them in one view - as slaves.

This book moved pretty fast, and I feel like not a lot happened in a lot of time. By that, I mean that I feel like the story was stuck in one place for a majority of the time, and I suddenly found myself surprised to be 3/4 of the way done. I'm not sure if the book moved too fast or if it was jsut that easy to get sucked into, but at least we can say it held my attention! The ease in which I read this book was largely due to Carson's flowing, elegant writing. She crafts gorgeous prose that takes her readers for an adventurous ride, something that she has been a master at since her first trilogy, The Girl of Fire and Thorns.

Now, I had some questions about Lee's gift that I had hoped this sequel would answer, but unfortunately it didn't answer some of them, such as why Lee has this gift and whether or not she is the only person in the world with a gift like this? However, Like a River Glorious did indeed explore more of Lee's power and showed how strong and powerful it can truly be, which was definitely what I wanted. Carson also explored more of the supporting characters, and though there still could have been a bit more, I think she did a really good job creating a unique array of characters that truly brought life to the story.

Overall, I will be giving Like a River Glorious four stars!

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Labyrinth Lost by Zoraida Córdova

*Labyrinth Lost will be released on Tuesday, September 6th!*

Labyrinth Lost by Zoraida Córdova. Sourcebooks Fire, 2016. Ebook. 336 pages.

*I received an ARC of Labyrinth Lost courtesy of Sourcebooks Fire and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.**

I always hate saying this, but I really, really wanted to love this. Surprisingly, I was fairly disappointed. Even as I write this review, I still feel really torn about how I feel about this one. It was imaginative, exciting, and full of life, but it was also full of some plot holes, awkwardly created characters and character development, and some dialogue that frustrated me quite a bit. Not to mention I felt the entire storyline felt somewhat formulaic.  

We'll start with the positives: Los Lagos. What a gorgeously created and intricately designed world! The visit to Los Lagos is pretty much what I was most looking forward to in this book - I was excited or the Latin-American culture along with folklore and the imaginative world that could be created from this, and on this level I was not disappointed. Córdova also has an incredible imagination and writing style that truly comes to life when is describing the world within her book. The dialogue itself wasn't always the best, but her narrative and prose is much more elegant. The diversity of the characters was also a huge plus, and I enjoyed Córdova's attempts at incorporating a variety of elements that aren't overdone already in many books.

Now, moving on to some of the things I didn't like about the book. The beginning of Labyrinth Lost hooked me pretty well, but that initial interest and excitement began to die off as I neared the middle of the book. The elements themselves were exciting, such as the faeries and other creatures they encounter, but it was the conflict and plot itself that suffered. The story didn't feel like it was going anywhere or being moved forward, and I was quickly losing interest. As I mentioned earlier, the plot started to feel too obviously formulaic: run into one conflict, miraculously resolve it, move on to another, miraculously resolve it, and so on. It just wasn't overly understandable to me.

I didn't love Alex. Her refusal to accept her magical powers was beyond frustrating to me, but that's probably just my own issue. I don't have to love a character to enjoy a book, but I didn't care about her all that much either. Her development was jilted and lacking in depth. I never established enough of a connection to feel that she deserved my worry or interest, and, let's be honest, I almost would have preferred this story to have been written about Nova, whom I personally felt had a much more interesting story. Though I did find his constant brooding and 'you have no idea what I've been through' statements a bit over the top, even though he did indeed have a difficult past. I wouldn't mind some more background and story based on Nova.

I also didn't care for Rishi - or rather, perhaps I just didn't understand the point of Rishi's character enough to move past that and care for her. I sort of feel like she was only thrown into the book to provide some comedic relief and a friendship to Alex - a friendship that I almost feel could have been taken out without too much notice.

Every good story such as this also needs a strong, frightening villain to match, but sadly, the villain in this book - The Devourer - didn't really do that. I don't feel like I ever got to see enough of her to truly understand her desires or feel something more than just a surface-level hatred. She felt a bit more stereotypical, which was somewhat of a disappoint compared to the rest of the imaginative elements of Labyrinth Lost.

((potential spoilers ahead - the following paragraph only!))


I love that Córdova added a female/female pairing, we really need more types of sexuality represented in books, and I think it's awesome that she added that in. But I didn't think the chemistry between the two worked. I understood that they were strong friends before the events of this book, but we just went from Alex having not-so-obvious feelings towards Rishi to sudden 'oh wow, I love her.' There was very little chemistry, and all the sweet things they said to each felt so incredibly forced and unnatural. It just didn't fit.


((end spoilers))

Overall, Labyrinth Lost is an imaginative story with many unique and refreshing elements, but lacks in character development and and a strong storyline. For these reasons, I am giving Labyrinth Lost three-and-a-half stars. 

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Darktown by Thomas Mullen

*Darktown will be releases on Tuesday, September 13th!*

Darktown by Thomas Mullen. Atria Books, 2016. Paperback ARC. 384 pages.

**I received a printed ARC of Darktown courtesy of  Atria Books in exchange for an honest review**

Darktown is set in Atlanta, Georgia in 1948. The police department has hired eight black cops to police 'Darktown,' and although they do act as the authority there, they have no real power to make arrests, nor are they even allowed to drive squad cars or work out of the main police headquarters. If they need to arrest someone, they have to call for backup from their white fellow officers, most of whom do not care to help them out. As soon as I received Darktown in the mail, I was intrigued by how intense it sounded and also curious to see how Mullen would handle this topic. This book was not only a stark, informative look at the treatment of blacks, but also provided a note of relevancy to some issues facing us today.

Our main characters are Boggs and Smith, who attempt to witness a black woman, Lily Ellsworth, being physically abused by a white man; this woman eventually turns up dead, but the white man is not charged. In response to this outrage, Boggs and Smith decide to perform their own investigation, which they must do somewhat quietly and without any direct police help.

We also have the white cop duo of Dunslow and Rake. Dunslow is your stereotypical racist pig, complete with an unattractive body and a downright disgusting attitude. This was actually one area that sort of disappointed me about the story. Why did the main racist antagonist have to be so stereotypical? I feel like a much bigger effect could have been made if Mullen had made this rather despicable man have a somewhat more attractive or intriguing in his demeanor, mainly because not every racist man is going to be like this, and I think it's important for us to realize that racism is alive and present in any number of people. 

The second cop, Rake, becomes a much more redeemable character as we see him interact with Boogs and Smith. In the begining of the book, we become aware that Rake doesn't really approve of how Dunslow treats black people, and he even halfheartedly attempts to get him to stop beating a black man, but he doesn't really do anything. Fortunately, he finds a bit of courage throughout the story to try to do what is right, though he is by no means a perfect character. 

Darktown is much more focused on the racial aspect of the setting and plot than the crime itself, so if you are looking for a pure crime mystery, this isn't quite it. In fact, I think it's much more interesting because of the topic and questions it tackles, and I definitely would recommend this book because of that. The only somewhat disappointing aspect of this was that the focus on racism dominated so much that it almost reached a point in which I felt the characters were overshadowed. Now, I understand that racism itself is indeed a huge issue that dominates so many aspects of life today, but I had hoped to try to see more out of the eyes of some of the characters than I did. I felt like I knew most of the characters, but there was just some aspect that felt like I was kept at an arm's length, which made it somewhat difficult to become fully invested in the story at times. 

Overall, I am giving Darktown four stars for superb handling of an intense and highly relevant topic. 

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Girl in Pieces by Kathleen Glasgow

*Girl in Pieces by Kathleen Glasgow is now available!*

Girl in Pieces by Kathleen Glasgow. Delacorte Press, 2016. Paperback. 416 pages.

*I received a print ARC of Girl in Pieces courtesy of Delacorte Press and First in Line in exchange for an honest review*

I'm not really sure what I expected when I started this book, but it definitely wasn't what I read. Girl in Pieces is not your average story of a girl who is struggling, but instead feels like so much more. Based on the synopsis, I already expected this to be a heavy book, but it was even heavier and more intense than I expected. This book hit deep and was hard to read at times, but also impossible to put down.

First, I thought this was a great portrayal of mental health. Charlie goes through so many ups and downs and they are all completely sporadic and unpredictable. She may take ten steps forward one day, three steps back the next, and then no steps either way after that; the unexpectedness of everything was truly spot-on. You can feel her descent and her tiny victories and the guilt and shame she feels when she thinks she has messed up. Charlie wants to get better, she is trying really hard to follow the rules laid out by her doctor, but sometimes she just messes up, and that is normal and realistic. This is actually something that I really liked about Charlie - she never seemed to be intentionally self-destructive. She truly wanted to better herself and do what it takes to become better, but she was trapped by feelings of being damaged and unable to be loved 'like a normal person.'

In a weird way, I also sort of liked the fact that Charlie was essentially kicked out of her psychiatric hospital because her insurance funds disappeared. How realistic and lifelike is that? I've never read a book about psychiatric wards and mental health that really touched much on that aspect, and I think that's so important. So many people seem to forget or skim over the fact that to be in a psychiatric ward or receive quality help can be extremely expensive or require insurance, so sometimes those that need the help the most can't get it, and that's a horrible problem in our society that has yet to be resolved.

Glasgow's prose - wow. It's effortlessly brilliant and emotional. It flows in a poetic fashion at times, but other times it is raw and blunt and cut up. No matter what, though, it is almost always captivating to read. Glasgow does not shy away from heavy topics, and instead treats them with the care and occasional force needed to make a point. There are certain areas where we seem to get a more harsh inner dialogue from Charlie and it reads so passionately and is so emotionally charged - it's really just some superb writing.

One of my only issues with this book was my connection with Charlie due to the writing style, however. At most points in the book, I felt completely sucked in, right there with Charlie, feeling what she was feeling, experiencing those events in her life. But at other times I felt rather disconnected and as if I was watching everything happen from outside of a foggy window, if that makes any sense. So while I didn't mind the writing or my connection to the story, this somewhat uneven narration drew me out of my reading concentration sometimes.

Overall, I am giving Girl in Pieces four stars for its brilliant capture of mental health issues and a girl struggling to make something more of her life, as well as the wonderful writing used to tell this story. I definitely recommend this one!

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The Secret Book of Kings by Yochi Brandes

As I'm writing this post, it is approximately ~96 hours post my wisdom teeth extraction (all four removed, all majorly impacted), and as much as I would love to say that this whole process has been a total piece of cake, it's pretty much been the opposite. I've been doing a liquids-only diet since Thursday, and let's just say that that is not a way that I want to continue living, and I could never willingly do one of those liquid detox diets. Here's to hoping for solid foods today!

With all that being said, I'm feeling fairly lucid at the moment, so this review should be plenty coherent, as I did proofread is a fair amount of times, but just in case there is anything a big confusing... we all know why. Now, on to the review!

**The Secret Book of Kings will be published Tuesday, August 23rd!**

The Secret Book of Kings by Yochi Brandes. St. Martin's Press, 2016. Ebook. 416 pages. 

*I receved an ARC of the The Secret Book of Kings courtesy of St. Martin's Press and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*

The Secret Book of Kings is an intricate and carefully crafted historical fiction story set within a Biblical era context. The story follows the character of Shlom'am as he grows up and makes many discoveries and journeys. While I started off this book strong with every intention of reading the whole thing, I slowly felt my interest begin to wane about a quarter of the way through  - something in the book kept me reading, so I did end up finishing it, but I'm not sure what exactly it was that kept me going.

This book is filled with information regarding the time period and the various peoples and lands that existed, which provided a very realistic and thoroughly created setting, which is an aspect of Brandes' writing that I admire. She clearly takes her time with research and the development of her world and setting. However, while I enjoyed much of this background information, I have to admit that often felt rather overloaded by the sheer amount of information and small details, and a result sometimes found the story hard to follow. I grew bored at times and had a hard time drawing myself back into the story.

The characters that Brandes brings to life are all rather alluring when we are first introduced to them, and almost every single character seemed to have a unique, interesting background story that was actually rather interesting to explore. The problem that I had with some of the characters, such as Shlom'am, is that they seemed to end up being rather flat. What I mean is there is initial potential with their personality and role in the story, but as the story progressed, I didn't really become more interested or excited about them - it wasn't very dynamic or multi-dimensional. Also, with such a large cast of characters, it was hard to keep track of certain people, especially since some seemed quite similar to others.

I feel that The Secret Book of Kings suffered a bit through the translation, and perhaps that is why certain parts and dialogue felt jilted and stiff. I wish I could have read this in its original language, as I feel that that would make some areas of the book flow better than what I read.

I would recommend this book to those who are strong historical/Biblical fiction fans rather than those who are casually interested in the genre. Overall, Brandes is clearly a talented and detail-oriented writer, but unfortunately was unable to completely hold my interest, and thus I will be giving The Secret Book of Kings three stars.

Buy the book!

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The Wicked Boy by Kate Summerscale

The Wicked Boy will be published Tuesday, July 12th!

The Wicked Boy by Kate Summerscale. Penguin Press, 2016. Ebook. 352 pages. 

**I received a copy of The Wicked Boy courtesy of NetGalley and Penguin Press in exchange for an honest review.**

Despite its fascinating premise, I'm sorry to say that The Wicked Boy did not live up to my expectations. The story setup is fascinating: an investigation of the child murder case in which Robert Coombes murdered his mother, was found guilty, and was sent to an infamous criminal asylum. Was Robert mentally insane when he killed his mother? Was he influenced by the world around him and the 'penny dreadfuls' he was so fond of reading? What caused this horrific murder?

I was so excited to dig into this intriguing historical case, but I had an extremely difficult time even finishing this book; most of the time while reading it I found my thoughts starting to drift off, which is never a good sign. Her writing is rather matter-of-fact, which wasn't actually the entire problem, but it certainly contributed to it. On the one hand, this rather blunt writing style fit the eeriness and cruelty of the story of the murders, but on the other hand it made what could be a fascinating story somewhat lifeless and forgettable.

There's not really any mystery to the story since the crime is admitted and we know how it plays out. Because of this, the story itself needed a bit more intrigue and suspenseful writing, which it lacked. Similarly, I feel like there was a great deal of padding throughout the story, particularly in the latter half. Now, if you're someone who is interested in historical and/or criminal cases and don't mind reading a more academic-style narrative, then you might really enjoy this and find it quite fascinating, so I would encourage you to pick it.

What I did really enjoy was the information itself: the mental health system, the culture of the period and location, and the profiles of those involved with the story. It is clear that Summerscale performed thorough research and put a great deal of time and effort into this, which I certainly commend her for. If the information had been written in a slightly more appeal or captivating manner, I think this book would have easily been much more enjoyable, but unfortunately it lacked the intrigue I needed.

Overall, I'm giving The Wicked Boy two-and-a-half stars, because despite the intriguing premise and well-researched information premise, the book lacked any drive or passion and thus made this quite a slog to get through.

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The Outside Lands by Hannah Kohler

Happy Fourth of July to all my fellow Americans (and to those that aren't in America, I still wish you a lovely day)! I had planned to wait and post this review until closer to its release date, but it was the most American-themed book I've read so far this year and I wanted to go a little with the Fourth of July theme, so here we are! 

The Outside Lands by Hannah Kohler. St. Martin's Press, 2016. 304 pages. Paperback/Softcover.

**I received a copy of The Outside Lands courtesy of St. Martin's Press in exchange for an honest review.**

The Outside Lands was wholly unexpected and entirely satisfying in a dark, realistic way. Based upon the brief blurbs I read about The Outside Lands, I had no idea that it would become such a bleak, deeply moving book. Kohler writes with an elegant simplicity that will draw you in and wrap you around this story before you even realize what hit you. If I were sum up this book with one singular word, it would be 'haunting.' This book is like a ghost that quietly seeps into your mind and soul, drags out your emotions, and openly displays the darkness that exists within all of us and the within the world around us.

This is an honest, raw book set during the turbulent years of the Vietnam War. We are given a frank view of the experiences of those deployed along with those stuck back at home, left to wonder and wander aimlessly around, unaware of what is occurring elsewhere. Jeannie and Kip are our two protagonists, siblings who lost their mother in a tragic freak accident at a young age and are still fighting to regain normalcy in their lives. The two still have their father, but they never truly seem to recover from this loss, which is entirely understandable. This is a book where everyone seems to lose themselves, no matter whether they are a main character or a minor supporting one, and it is interesting to see how each copes with their fate. There is much imbalance in the atmosphere as each character struggles to come to grips with the changing times and with who they are.

Jeannie is sort of floating in life. She has a set life with Billy and her young son, Charlie, but she doesn't seem to be a part of this life. There is some piece of her that doesn't quite fit with them, that seems to be yearning for something else - something more. Then she meets Lee, and it seems like this could be just what she needed and was looking for, but again, something isn't quite right. She never quite fits. She wants to be a part of the anti-war movement and a life with Lee, but it's not quite her, and she is too limited in her own life to become any more entrenched in the movement. In the final part of the book, she meets yet another person, and I will not say more than that, and once again it just feels right. But, as history often repeats itself, this can't work either, and she is yet again drawn back to her own life with her husband and child. Jeannie is a relatable character. She is quiet, but she has a subtle strength about her. She is meek and follows the rules around her, but she is not afraid to deviate from her own beliefs and ideas.

Kip is much more bullheaded than Jeannie, but he is still somewhat quiet in his own way, much like Jeannie. Kip is the trouble-maker in the family, always ending up getting into things he shouldn't and acting out. Kip does not wait for a draft and instead enlists himself as a Marine. He is sent off to war where a tragic incident sends him to being accused of a horrific war crime. While Kip and Jeannie differ quite a bit, there are many similarities that can be seen in the way in both are a bit reserved, but both are stubborn and will do what they want.

I was completely taken by surprise by The Outside Lands, as I definitely wasn't expecting this book to affect me or reach me in such a strong way. Overall, I can't help but give it four-and-a-half stars because of its sheer will and ability to tell such a disheartening story in such a simplistic, yet moving way. This is a new Vietnam War-era book that is not to be missed, and Kohler is a new author that is not to be overlooked either.

The Outside Lands will be released Tuesday, August 23rd!

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Smoke by Dan Vyleta

And I Darken by Kiersten White

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**I received a copy of And I Darken courtesy of NetGalley and Delacorte Press.**

And I Darken by Kiersten White. Delacorte Press, 2016. 498 pages. Ebook.

This is a very difficult book for me to review, largely because I really can't decide how I feel about it. On the one hand, it is a gorgeously written, intriguing story that I found myself always wanting to dive back into, but on the other hand, I somehow never truly felt like I understood exactly what the plot was, and I felt as though I was moving exceptionally slowly through it.

The first thing I would like to get out of the way is that describing this book as "fantasy" seems to be a rather loose, incorrect definition in my personal opinion, so don't dive in expecting to find many magical elements. It is definitely historical fiction - I'm not sure why it has so many fantasy tags.

And I Darken tells the story of siblings Lada and Radu, the daughter and son, respectively, of Vlad Draculesti, the current vaivode of Wallachia. The two are essentially abandoned by their father and their native home of Wallachia to be raised in the Ottoman courts, where they meet and befriend a young boy named Mehmed, the son of the current Sultan. Neither child is welcomed much on their birth: Lada, being a girl - and apparently an 'ugly' one at that - is of no use to Vlad, and Radu is a weak, (not strong) boy. The controversy lies in the fact that the enemy of Wallachia, and thus lada and Radu, is the Ottoman city in which they now live, which thus sets up our basic plot.

Lada is not your average badass; she's heard-headed badass taken to a whole different level. She is brutal, angry, and not about to mess around. Her biggest struggle  appears to be the fact that she was born female. Since her birth, she has been dismissed as unwanted and unnecessary, and this is what seems to help fuel Lada's fire to prove her worth and also to prove others wrong. In my opinion, Lada truly fits the definition of a dynamic character, and I applaud White on her character development skills. Lada starts out feeling completely unwanted and lost and thus spends her time fighting and struggling with the world around her. Within the pages of And I Darken, Lada truly seemed to find herself and her place in this world. She becomes a tough woman who knows what she wants and is bold enough to make her feelings heard. She embraces her womanhood by not really embracing it: she technically refuses to acknowledge herself as a woman and desires to be considered equal to all the men around her. Lada isn't the most charismatic or immediately likable character, but she is captivating. She is also apparently based off of Vlad the Impaler, so I am interested to see how "dark" she becomes throughout the rest of this series.

Radu is Lada's foil. He is beautiful, reserved, and soft-hearted. He does not like violence or rudeness, and instead prefers to be friendly with those around him - the complete opposite of Lada's own approach to people. Radu understands the art of befriending one's enemies to gain advantages, whereas Lada follows a more violent and harsh approach. Radu is such an interesting character, and I loved getting to see his own transformation and realizations throughout the story. Radu is also protected or saved by Lada many times throughout the book. In fact, Lada even goes as far to say that no one else will (or can) kill Radu because he must remain only Lada's to kill. Aw, sibling love - though, surprisingly, I understand this: no one gets to hurt my sibling but me.

Mehmed is a character introduced a bit later in the book, and I'm not sure how I feel about him. There are things I like, but also things I don't. I feel like he is a character that you have to decide for yourself how to interpret, so I'm going to skip over my own description and analyses of him for now.

I think my biggest problem with And I Darken is just that I'm still not completely sure what the plot was. It's still a solid, interesting story, but I can't really come up with any particular goal or purpose, other than to tell the story of Lada, Radu, and eventually Mehmed. If you're not a huge fan of books with no major overarching plotline running through it, this may not be your favorite. However, this is a still a solid, entertaining book that I would recommend you pick up and at least give a try. For all the reasons mentioned throughout this review, I am giving And I Darken four stars.

And I Darken will be released next Tuesday, June 28th!

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Security by Gina Wohlsdorf

Security will be released Tuesday, June 7th!

**I received a printed ARC  of Security by Gina Wolhsdorf courtesy of -- in exchange for an honest review**

Security by Gina Wohlsdorf. Algonquin Books, 2016. 288 pages. Paperback/Softcover.

I don't know if it's just been a long time since I've read an exciting, thrilling page-turner or if Security was just that good, but I was completely enraptured with this book. I started it on a Friday night and finished it Sunday evening (it probably would have been sooner, but writing papers and studying for finals interrupted by precious reading - rude).

Manderley Resort is preparing itself for its grand opening day as a premier resort destination with an exceptionally intense and private security system in order to protect every one of its customer's privacy. But like any good thriller, things never go according to plan, and a killer emerges and begins to slowly pick off the staff.

Our main character is Tessa, a strong-willed, hardworking woman who is the hotel manager and, essentially, the woman in charge of all preparations. She takes her job very seriously and executes everything perfectly. Underneath her rough exterior, however, lies deeper emotional ties and secrets that are known only to her, and she does her best to keep these hidden. I liked Tessa; she came across as a very logical, matter-of-fact person who doesn't really waste her time dwelling on insignificant issues or musings of the mind. However, her focus is so intent on the opening of Manderley that it seems to distract her from other issues that may be taking place - namely, the murders of her hotel staff. It was interesting to watch Tessa's character unfold throughout the story, as well as her interactions with her staff. 

The rest of the cast of Security all play a similar role, though each character is equipped with a firm personality to make them distinct from one another. I genuinely enjoyed the interactions that took place between each character and watching how each person reacted in the various circumstances they were placed in. Some are fighters, some are not, and some are just of along for the ride. 

Wohlsdorf's writing style throughout Security was truly exceptional, and despite it's somewhat unorthodox approach (in my opinion), it completely hooks you in and drags you along, whether you want to continue or not. She's sharp and full of wit, but also makes many rather sobering, deeper remarks that will leave you pondering ideas much greater than you imagined when originally going into this thriller. (Also, there are many tributes to Daphne du Maurier's Rebecca, which I found particularly intriguing.)

Part of what made me love this book so much was the writing style and point of view. It takes place from one solitary point of view, but this point of view narrates from the viewpoint of various hotel security cameras throughout the hotel. For instance, one sentence you are watching Tessa talk to someone, and the next sentence the narrator has moved on to talking about what someone else is doing. It can be quite confusing if you aren't paying close attention, and this actually made me more intrigued because I was forced to focus so intently, which thus made it that much more thrilling. I also admired the way in which Wohlsdorf slowly eased us into the identity of our narrator; in the beginning, the narrator is rather vague and you almost don't realize it's first person, but as the story progresses Wohlsdorf slowly reveals more and more about our narrator through his thoughts and musings. 

A special little quirk involving the use of cameras as the point of view that added an extra dimension of detail was that every once in a while the page would be split into two or three columns, each detailing an event that was taking place at the same time as the other. I loved the contrasts and strict dichotomy this created between the different occurrences. I'm not too sure if this format would work out as well on an ebook, but it works wonderfully in the physical format that I read.

My only form of complaint for this book is in regards to the ending. On the one hand, I'm extremely satisfied with the ending, but on the other, I'm also frustrated. I'm not sure if it was really what I expected, but overall it seems to work. It is certainly unexpected, however, and I'll leave you to find out about that yourself if you feel so inclined. 

Overall, I am giving Security four-and-a-half stars for its truly thrilling nature and superb storytelling. 

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Daddy Dearest by Paul Southern

Daddy Dearest will be on sale Wednesday, June 1st!

**I received a review copy of Daddy Dearest courtesy of Paul Southern in exchange for an honest review.**

Daddy Dearest by Paul Southern. 2016. 245 pages. Ebook.  

If you like to have your mind messed with a little bit, then settle in and get comfortable, because this is the book for you.

Daddy Dearest tells the story of a man whose daughter disappears one day while traveling alone down an apartment elevator. The entire apartment building is searched, but she is gone and no one has any clue what has happened to her.

To preface, much of the thriller aspect of this book relies on the unknown and the reader being held in suspense, so I'm not going to go too in-depth content-wise so as not to spoil anything. First, it is essential to read Daddy Dearest very carefully so as not to miss anything, because many details are not explicitly stated and instead left to the reader to infer and understand. I'll admit that at first I felt slightly annoyed by this, but as I progressed into the story and became more acquainted with the writing style, it began to become rather enjoyable and actually helped me make sure I was paying close attention.

Southern does an excellent job of creating the main character's narration. The main character, who remains nameless throughout the story, has a very distinctive personality that is both off-putting and intriguing. Our protagonist is brutally honest about his opinions, and he certainly comes off as semi-racist and sexist at times, which accounts for the off-putting part, but somehow Southern creates such an intricately multi-layered character that you find yourself enraptured in his storytelling and continuing to enjoy the character regardless of these offensive characteristics. His honestly is endearing and gains my respect, but it is also because of what he says and does that makes me lose my respect, leaving me with an overall conflicted feeling regarding the protagonist.

The narration appears, at times, to go off onto many tangents. The main characters gets caught up explaining his opinions or experiences about something, leaving the reader to wonder the what the point of these ramblings are, but then it hits you: these 'tangents' are telling extremely important information about the main character and his own actions - they also show how easily distracted he can be. Halfway through the book, I found myself wondering who I was 'rooting' for. This isn't a black and white book with a straight up good and bad character, but instead involves an ever-present grey area that leaves the reader to develop their own ideas and opinions, which I personally found enticing.

Overall, this was a solid thriller for me, and I would certainly recommend it for anyone looking for something a little different from your average thrillers. It's still high-paced, but it's not overtly high-paced, so there is plenty of room to breathe.

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Smoke by Dan Vyleta

Smoke by Dan Vyleta will be released on Tuesday, May 24th!

**I received an ARC of Smoke courtesy of Doubleday Books in exchange for an honest review**

Smoke by Dan Vyleta. Doubleday, 2016. 448 pages. Paperback/softcover. 

(Note: This was not the cover of the ARC I received [this is the cover I received], and to be honest I'm not sure I like this final one too much. I feel that a more monochromatic/black and white cover would have been much more dramatic and stark and thus more fitting to the story. But anyway, on to the review!)

About a month or two ago I received a package that contained an ARC of Smoke, which I had never previously heard of, and within that package was also an adorable little tin of sweets (pictured below) that I assumed had to do with the content of this book (it did). I thought it was incredibly clever marketing and a fun addition to the story, and it made me that much more excited to dive into this book.

I'm honestly not sure where to even begin describing a novel such as this one. The basic premise of Smoke is both complex and simple at the same time: when people 'sin' (though 'sin' is a very vague and broad word, but I don't have another word to use), they emit smoke and soot that dirties themselves and their surroundings. The varieties of smoke differ according to each person and each particular crime or misdeed that a person commits.

Smoke takes place in a Victorian England type of setting, and the story begins at a boarding school in which young boys are sent to learn to control themselves in order to continue on with their elite, aristocratic families and political wealth. The plot lies in the inevitable doom that Thomas believes lies in wait for him, the rebelliousness of certain characters that want to 'rid' the world of smoke, and the adventures that take place as a result of these varying circumstances.

The multiple points of view in which Vyleta writes was rather unexpected, and although it at first seemed like it would bother me, it actually kept me quite engaged. There are switches between a third person POV and the POV of main characters, such as Charlies, Thomas, and Livia, as well as various other brief minor characters, which adds even more depth and intrigue to the many events and scenes of the story.  Howeverm I did encounter difficulties discerning between the POVs of Charlie and Thomas in the first few chapters. At the beginning of the story, both boys are somewhat similar in their mannerisms, but I largely think that is the expected effect of growing up in such a strict environment such as the one they did. As the novel progressed, the distinctions between each boy began to grown and further push their personality traits away from one another. Charlie begins to distinguish himself a somewhat more controlled and level-headed boy, whereas Thomas is portrayed as more of a 'loose canon,' so to speak. Livia was also a very dynamic character who begins as rather uptight and struggles with her natural urges, or 'sins,' as she begins to develop and move away from her sheltered and strict life.

One area in which I think Vyleta excelled was in the dynamic transformation (though transformation may be a bit too strong here) of each character, which were wonderfully drawn out and detailed. Every change within a character happened very slowly, but very distinctly. One minor gesture or thought would occur, one minor emitting of smoke, and it is immediately apparent that that was a big moment for that character's change in this story.

Vyleta's writing is fairly consistently bleak and dark, which creates an atmosphere that I found immensely compelling and immersive. It became almost to heavy at times, as there is very little relief from the relentlessly dark atmosphere. However, this also keeps the entire storyline consistent - there is no chance to escape to another more hopeful or optimistic world.

Here's my main problem with this book: although I understood the process of smoking and what Livia's mother wanted to do (I won't say more because of spoilers), I always felt like I was missing something. Why exactly was everyone acting so dramatically? Why did the three children feel that they needed to hide out? Everything just felt a bit too drawn out and overly compensated for what the truth drama was. The writing wasn't necessarily disjointed, but every once in a while I had this sense that I was missing something important - and not in a good, mysterious way.

Overall, I am giving Smoke four stars for its unprecedented plot and immersive storytelling. I would have loved to give Smoke five stars, but there was just a bit too much uncertainty and lack of explanation that made this difficult to follow at times.

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The Secret of Dreadwillow Carse by Brian Farrey

The Secret of Dreadwillow Carse is out Tuesday, April 19, 2016!

*I received an ARC edition of The Secret of Dreadwillow Carse courtesy of Algonquin Young Readers in exchange for an honest review**

The Secret of Dreadwillow Carse by Brian Farrey. Algonquin Young Readers, 2016. 256 pages. Paperback/softcover. 

While perusing my Goodreads shelf for this year, I realized I have read quite a few younger-aged aimed books this year - and that I have been enjoying it immensely. These books aren't just fun to read, they are also extremely well-crafted stories that handle a variety of difficult topics in a way that younger audiences can understand. The most interesting aspect in each of these books, however, is that they seem to have messages for all ages and can be easily enjoyed by adults as well as younger kids.

The Secret of Dreadwillow Carse is an exciting fairytale that unfolds itself in a variety of delightful layers as the story progresses.  It covers a variety of heavy topics in imaginative ways with such a deft hand that I am simply in awe of Farrey. The story focuses on Aon, a girl living in the town of Emberfell, and Jeniah, the princess of the land who is soon to become queen as her mother passes on.

Everyone in Emberfell is happy. If someone dies or goes away, that person is basically forgotten about so as not to have any sadness regarding their loss. Sad things do not happen and there is no crying because everything is happy. This sounds like it could possibly be a good thing, but it also sounds, quite frankly, creepy. Aon, however, does feel sadness, which thus makes her feel like an outcast and that something within her is 'broken.' I assume the author intended to use this as a metaphor for depression, but even if he didn't, I think it works itself into the storyline extremely well. While awareness for depression is increasing in the media, it is still somewhat of a taboo in certain families and culture, which makes those that do experience such negative feelings feel like there is something wrong with them. I felt that Aon's struggle with feeling differently than the rest of her town shed an interesting light on how experiencing different moods or emotions than what others think of as 'normal' can really make you feel alienated. I think this book does a good job showing that feeling differently from others is not wrong, but is instead normal and it is important to talk to others about these topics.

Jeniah, on the other hand, is largely separated from the town (until she goes to explore the Carse and meets Aon) and struggles to come to terms with her impending status as queen. Jeniah does not feel that she is mature enough to yet be queen - which I actually find to be quite mature of her - and she struggles to come to terms with how to be responsible for an entire kingdom, as well deal with her newly appointed tutor that does nothing but frustrate her. Throughout the course of the story, Farrey subtly and expertly crafts Jeniah's character from an insecure and unaware girl into a more self-aware and knowledgeable young woman.

Farrey's writing style is very accessible and a joy to read. It is not written in an overly simplistic manner, nor is it too advanced. His words flow smoothly, and there are moments of true beauty within his writing.

I feel as though every kid - or adult -  should read this at some point because of the important topics it covers and for its reminders that it's okay to be sad, it's okay to be inexperienced, and it's okay to not always have the answers. 

As a result, I am giving The Secret of Dreadwillow Carse five stars!

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