Book Review: Second Star

Release Date: May 13, 2014
Author: Alyssa B. Sheinmel
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)
Length: 248 pages
Source: eGalley from NetGalley

A twisty story about love, loss, and lies, this contemporary oceanside adventure is tinged with a touch of dark magic as it follows seventeen-year-old Wendy Darling on a search for her missing surfer brothers. Wendy’s journey leads her to a mysterious hidden cove inhabited by a tribe of young renegade surfers, most of them runaways like her brothers.

Wendy is instantly drawn to the cove’s charismatic leader, Pete, but her search also points her toward Pete's nemesis, the drug-dealing Jas. Enigmatic, dangerous, and handsome, Jas pulls Wendy in even as she's falling hard for Pete.

A radical reinvention of a classic, Second Star is an irresistible summer romance about two young men who have yet to grow up--and the troubled beauty trapped between them.

    

Review:

Protagonist: Wendy Darling's brothers have disappeared. Being surfers who constantly chased the next big wave she and her parents believed that's what they had done, until they never came home. Even though the case is closed and her parents believe her brothers are dead she hasn't given up hope. After graduating high school she finds herself looking for them and stumbles upon a group of squatters led by the charismatic Pete. Soon she finds herself even closer to figuring out what happened to her brothers, but soon enough her search leads her to Jas a local drug dealer and Pete's nemesis. I really like Wendy. Ever the optimist she never gives up hope of finding her brothers, even when almost everyone else says that she should. She's a strong and stubborn character who even when she finds herself caught between two guys never loses sight of her goal. I really enjoyed her journey and her development as this story unfolds.

Romance: Here's the thing, there's a love triangle in this book. Now normally I'm not a fan of love triangles since it's usually very easy to tell where the main character's heart lies. As they are sorting out their feelings for two people the reader usually already knows which makes it very aggravating to constantly read their indecision. However, even as the second love interest, Jas, becomes a contender for Wendy's heart, I was never quite sure where the story was going to go. I could see pros and cons with both guys and I love how the author did a fantastic job of making sure that the reader couldn't quite see who she'd choose. Since this is a standalone there is a choice made in this book, it's done in a nice and realistic way, neither of the romances was really rushed and since this is such a short book there wasn't really any agonizing over Wendy's choice. I'm very happy that there was not only a love triangle done right, but one done right in a standalone nonetheless.

World-Building: Going into this book all I knew about it was that it was a contemporary Peter Pan retelling, and I thought that it sounded like a nice summery book. However, I wouldn't call this a retelling. Much like some other "retellings" I've read, such as Gena Showalter's Alice in Zombieland, this is more inspired by the book rather than a straight up retelling. Characters share the same names, some even share similar motivations, but the story is almost completely different. That's not a quality I disliked, as the story was very compelling, but I kind of felt that if the author gave the characters different names I wouldn't have been able to really pick up on a Peter Pan vibe. That being said the author did create a fantastic story filled with surfing, romance, and mystery. The writing is so incredible is nearly made me want to drive out to the nearest beach and go surfing.

Predictability: This book did a pretty bang-up job in terms of predictability. At first I thought I had all the answers about where this story was going to go, but before I knew it I began doubting nearly everything. There was a fair bit of foreshadowing, but not really all that much which gave a sense of unknowing to the story. There are quite a few twists and turns to this story, some that aren't that hard to see coming, and a more that feel more like a wave crashing into you. Overall, it was a very twisted story and I was delighted to see how unpredictable it could be.

Ending: *sighs* This ending wasn't quite what I expected or hoped for. In the final climax of the book, there are quite a few twists, but it's almost over before it really begins. Then we have a fairly long cooldown period where things don't quite get wrapped up. If this wasn't a standalone novel I wouldn't have cared as much, there would still be time to fully wrap things up, and while there was enough wrapped up so that I wouldn't go crazy, it still wasn't enough. This really disappointed me because since this is such a short novel it felt like there was still space to finish the book in a much more complete way, and while I respect the author's right to end it where she did and almost understand why she did, I just can't help this sense that this story isn't quite finished.

Rating:

I feel bad for knocking a star off the rating, but how the story ended really bothers me. If the story up until that point hadn't been so phenomenal I wouldn't have cared so much, but because I loved it so much the disappointment at not getting a completely wrapped up ending was that large. All in all though if you're looking for a great summer read with some classic influence I'd highly recommend adding this one to your list!

Omnibus Review: The Grimm Diaries Prequels 10.5-14.5

Release Date: June 27, 2013
Author: Cameron Jace
Publisher: Independently Published
Length: 146 pages
Source: Borrowed eBook

10.5) Happy Valentine’s Slay by Wee Willy Winkie The real Sandman Grimm sheds a light on what happened in Jawigi, and tells about how some of the teens in Sorrow spend their Valentine’s Day.

11) Children of Hamlin by the Devil The Devil tells the story of the Piper of Hamlin, who he really is, the historical events he witnessed, and his relationship to Ladle Rat. Most of all, why they call him the Black Death.

12) Tooth & Nail & Fairy Tale by Jack Madly Jack Madly stole a sack full of baby teeth from Bluebeard’s enchanted castle, which reminds him of when he first met the Tooth Fairy when he was a child; a memory he wishes to forget.

13) Ember in the Wind by the Little Match Girl All the Little Match Girl wants is to sell her matches so she uses the money to eat and find shelter from the cold. But no one in the cruel city of crowded London helps her. Eventually, she learns something about who she really is, and it changes her life forever.

14) Jar of Hearts by the Queen of Sorrow The Queen of Sorrow, still trapped in the Dreamworld summons Cassandra, the fortuneteller, to ask her about the identities of Lost Seven. The problem with Cassandra is that she’s cursed that her predictions will never be believed. The Queen is still determined to believe her, but it will cost more than she can bargain for.

14.5) Welcome to Sorrow, a bonus prequel

  

Reviews:

Happy Valentine's Slay: So this story was weird. It's told from the POV of Sandman Grimm... the REAL Sandman Grimm. However once we get some backstory on him, along with some really heavy handed foreshadowing he launches into a Valentine's Day story that features a lot of my favorite characters from this series. However, the third person point-of-view changes so much and the story goes on weird tangents so often that the story itself just sort of falls flat. The characters are great, and it's awesome to see them all interacting, it's just that things were kind of boring and with things moving around so often it took a while for the story to sort of meld into something enjoyable. However toward the end things really started to get interesting...

Rating:

So yeah, if this story was told differently or things had sort of come together quicker I may have enjoyed this story more, but in the end it just feels like a hodgepodge of random information that just sort of melts into a story by the end.

The Children of Hamlin: This story, in a sense, takes place right after the last one. It's told from the point of view of the Devil. In it he tells the story of the Piper, much the same as I've heard before, though with a few Grimm Diaries tweaks added here and there. The big thing though is how the Piper fits into the larger story and who he is, or will be, to Ladle. The story itself is richly described. I've come to terms with the voice of the Devil and that he won't be this purely evil being, and that he's more of this devilishly silly character. The way he tells this story adds a levity to the otherwise somber tale. And then at the end there is quite a bit of information that helps expand this world even further and points the origins of certain things.

Rating:

So for the most part I really liked this story it was a lot more entertaining and easier to keep up with than the previous prequel and it sort of combines the two types of prequels usually told, one more plot related and another that's a fun and twisted version of an old classic. My only point of contention is that there were just a few times when the story sort of lulled and the background information to the story felt a bit too heavy handed.

Tooth & Nail & Fairy Tale: So... this tale is probably the weirdest in this set so far. In this tale we find Jack who has just stolen a bag of baby teeth from Bluebeard, and then goes into a tale about how Jack sort of stumbles onto three children in a school about to go to the dentist's. In this tale Jack helps them escape the demonic dentist and in the process runs into the Tooth Fairy. It's, like I said, a rather strange tale but it does a lot to foreshadow and build up to some really cool things  The story and mythology itself is actually pretty entertaining. There are a few twists here and there that I really loved and I like how this world keeps growing and we learn the backstories of certain characters.

Rating:

So this is another one that was a lot of fun, but just sort of lagged in a few areas. Overall I enjoyed it, I just wasn't swept away by it.

Ember in the Wind: So the story of The Little Match Girl is a tragic one, there are endings in which the girl has a happy ending, but it's usually because she dies and goes to heaven. This story however is a bit different. Going into this story I didn't know what to expect, I knew it was a story in which this young match girl discovers her destiny but I did't know much beyond that. It doesn't take long however to figure out who she really is and what her role in everything might be. What I really loved though was that it never felt like the author was trying to hide her destiny or pretend that the heavy handed foreshadowing was just supposed to be a teaser for the big reveal. It just all sort of made sense. This story got me very excited for the main series and this character's role in it.

Rating:

I was utterly entranced by this tale. It's enthralling, entertaining, and has a bit of a somberness to it. You feel sorry for the main character until everything is revealed and then I got a bit jealous of her.

Jar of Hearts: This story takes place a bit after Jawigi and tells the story of how the Queen of Sorrow enlists Cassandra to tell her who the Lost Seven are. The trick with Cassandra though is that while her predictions are always accurate, albeit sometimes vague, anyone who asks the question will never believe the prediction. Now, while this story got off to a bit of a rocky start, I was anxious and excited to learn who the Lost Seven are. However, since this is a series that thrives on the idea of the unreliable narrator, it's impossible to know for sure who the Lost Seven are, regardless though by the end it is fairly clear who five of the Seven are, though two remain very vague and their descriptions could apply to more than one person. I found the infusion of Greek mythology very fun and the character of Cassandra is very entertaining. I love how the Queen continues her deceit and how you never quite know what's up her sleeves.

Rating:

So if it wasn't for the bumpy start I would have really loved this tale. It answers a few burning questions and leaves some things left to be pondered.

Welcome to Sorrow: So this isn't so much a story as it is an expositional vehicle to begin to finally introduce the main series. In this tale we are greeted bu Igor who shows us around Sorrow as it is now, no longer a medieval kingdom full of fairy-tales now it's more of a modern day small town full of fairy-tale characters who will soon wake up from their one hundred year sleep. In it we learn more about the town and the dark mystery it keeps hidden. As a bonus prequel it did well, but honestly I didn't really need a tour around Sorrow, it was a fun little side thing, but for the most part it was pretty boring. Toward the end things started to speed up but that was more so Igor could tease a little for the first main series story Snow White Sorrow.

Rating:

So yeah, there's nothing particularly special about this book, but it's not awful either, and since it was a bonus shorter prequel I'm not going to do too much complaining.

Book Review: Alice Takes Back Wonderland

Release Date: September 28, 2015
Author: David D. Hammons
Publisher: Curiosity Quills Press
Length: 283 pages
Source: Review Copy via NetGalley

After ten years of being told she can't tell the difference between real life and a fairy tale, Alice finally stops believing in Wonderland. So when the White Rabbit shows up at her house, Alice thinks she's going crazy.

Only when the White Rabbit kicks her down the rabbit hole does Alice realize that the magical land she visited as a child is real.

But all is not well in Wonderland.

The Ace of Spades has taken over Wonderland and is systematically dismantling all that makes it wonderful. Plain is replacing wondrous, logical is replacing magical, and reason is destroying madness. Alice decides she must help the Mad Hatter and all those fighting to keep Wonderland wonderful.

But how can she face such danger when she is just a girl?

Alice must journey across the stars to unite an army. She discovers that fairy tales are real in the magical world beyond the rabbit hole. But they are not the fairy tales she knows.

Fairy tales have dangers and adventures of their own, and Alice must overcome the trials of these old stories if she wants to unite the lands against Ace.

With the help of Peter Pan, Pinocchio, Snow White and heroes old and new, Alice may have the strength to take back Wonderland.

    

Review:

Protagonist: When our story begins Alice is just leaving Wonderland and reentering the real world. After that she's put on medication and goes to counseling to quell these delusions she has. Over time, even she begins to doubt Wonderland's existence, then, 10 years after she left Wonderland, the White Rabbit appears. She's thrown back into a Wonderland she doesn't know, on that has changed and shifted to become more logical and orderly, and has lost most of it's wonder. Alice now has to assemble an army of fairy tales and take back Wonderland. Alice is a fantastic character, at first she comes off witty, but not someone to always take charge, she does sometimes, but you can't really rely on her to lead. However over the course of the book she becomes more sure in herself, her motivations, and her decisions. She grows into a character born to lead her army into war for Wonderland.

Romance: So there's actually very little romance in this book. In fact it's so subtle that I didn't fully realize it was romance until Alice and her love interest kissed. I was sort of vaguely aware but I had figured that it was more that I wanted them together than actually thinking their interactions were intentionally romantic. The romance is good, the characters fit and have some great chemistry, but I just wish it'd been more obvious that they were flirting or that the romantic tension was more palpable.

World-Building: Surprisingly this adventure takes place mostly outside of Wonderland. Since most of the wonder has been sucked out of Wonderland, Alice needs to find and army to join her in her fight to overthrow the Ace of Spades. Along the way she teams up with familiar fairy tale characters such as Peter Pan, Pinocchio, Snow White, and Robin Hood all of whom are twisted versions of the classic characters we know and love. Even though we didn't get to see that much of Wonderland I did really enjoy getting to see this vast world and learn how it works. As I said before, these aren't the fairy tales you're used to. Some have become more modern while some keep the same feel of the classic story they come from, and some are a bit of both.

Predictability: So, in terms of the identities or sometimes dual identities of certain characters, those surprises were pretty easy to figure out. There was a lot of foreshadowing for them and by the time the big reveal happened I either had it figured out or the author over killed on the foreshadowing so much that any surprise I could have had was gone a long time ago. That's not to say that I was never surprised during this book. On the contrary, there were many times throughout this book that I wasn't all that sure what was going to happen and definitely during the grand finale I was so unsure of how everything, if anything, would turn out well to give our characters their Happily Ever After.

Ending: So I was relieved that this book ends with a spectacular battle. With as much build up as we had I would have been very annoyed if the ending just sort of sorted itself out without much fighting and casualties. While the final battle isn't as epic as I would have wanted it to be, it was pretty darn epic, and the fallout of it was stressful enough. This doesn't have a perfect or idealistic ending, I was surprised with how surely the author stuck to the whole "not everyone gets happy endings" shtick. The book does however tie up most if not all loose ends which was fantastic, and while it was a bit sad to say goodbye to this world even after only one book, it was a bittersweet one.

Rating:

While I really enjoyed this story, I felt the romance could have either been more pronounced or taken out, the foreshadowing could have been less heavy handed at times, and we could have seen a bit more of Wonderland. Other than that however, this book is chock full of magic, fairy tale twists, and all the action and adventure you could want, oh and flying, there's lots of flying!