Book Review: The Case for Jamie (Charlotte Holmes #3)

Release Date: March 6, 2018
Author: Brittany Cavallaro
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Length: 368 pages
Source: Purchased Book

The hotly anticipated and explosive third book in the New York Times bestselling Charlotte Holmes series.

It’s been a year since the shocking death of August Moriarty, and Jamie and Charlotte haven’t spoken.

Jamie is going through the motions at Sherringford, trying to finish his senior year without incident, with a nice girlfriend he can’t seem to fall for.

Charlotte is on the run, from Lucien Moriarty and from her own mistakes. No one has seen her since that fateful night on the lawn in Sussex—and Charlotte wants it that way. She knows she isn’t safe to be around. She knows her Watson can’t forgive her.

Holmes and Watson may not be looking to reconcile, but when strange things start happening, it’s clear that someone wants the team back together. Someone who has been quietly observing them both. Making plans. Biding their time.

Someone who wants to see one of them suffer and the other one dead.

    

Review:

Protagonists: Jamie Watson and Charlotte Holmes are very broken people, and after the tragic and unexpected death of August Moriarty, everything has fallen apart. It's weird not seeing these characters together for a rather large portion of this book, but what I found interesting is that we really get to see Jamie try and figure himself out. After August's death he's been a mess and while having Charlotte there might have made things better in the short run, in the long run, things might never have evolved in Jamie's character. Charlotte remains her ever enigmatic self, but I really appreciated the range in her character that we get to see from this book.

Romance: When it comes to the main romance of this series, I understand that the relationship between Jamie and Charlotte isn't the healthiest, but the great part is that it's still a relationship that can be developed. I want to see them happy and I want a happy ending for them, but their, for lack of a better term, complicated relationship is not exactly the softest nut to crack... is that even a saying. Anyway, their complex relationship is fantastic and I loved seeing it evolve and change over the course of this book. I'm completely obsessed with this atypical relationship and I really love where the author takes their relationship in this book.

World Building: So, whereas the first installment in this series put a large focus on the mystery element and the boarding school, and the second book was all about diversifying the relationships as well as solving the mystery of Leander Holmes' disappearance, this story really just felt more character driven than anything. I enjoyed the book and the story the author provides, I just wish there was more of a mystery element here, however, Lucien Moriarty has always been the big bad of this series and a mystery wouldn't exactly be compelling if we already knew for a fact who was behind it all. This story still has some shocking moments which I'll get to in a bit and I appreciated how we got to see Sherringford again, as it's where this story began, still, this story has a very large scope and it's interesting to see how far this series has come.

Predictability: Looking back on this book, other than the obvious, I couldn't really see where this story was going. I mean there were some pretty dramatic reveals in this book despite not having a central mystery. Lucien's plan for Jamie and Charlotte is extreme and there are some very unsettling things he's done in this book.

Ending: The final climax of this story went quite a bit faster than I expected, in fact, I remember going into the cooldown period feeling like I was missing some closure to the story, something that I didn't expect to get from the climax cooldown. The final climax itself, while quick, was still very tense and I wasn't 100% sure where the author was going to take the ending. Oh, and that little bit of closure I felt I didn't get, well the epilogue to this book is pretty spectacular.

Rating:

Going into this review I thought about giving this story a lower rating because I missed that central mystery to this story, but in the end, there's no way a central mystery could have compellingly worked out, and I have to say the story is freaking incredible!

Book Review: Stolen Secrets

Release Date: September 19, 2017
Author: L.B. Schulman
Publisher: Boyd Mills Press
Length: 304 pages
Source: ARC from Publisher

When Livvy's mother abruptly moves the family across the country to San Francisco, sixteen-year-old Livvy is shocked to find that she's been lied to. Instead of working for a bakery, her mom is actually taking care of Adelle, Livvy’s grandmother who she thought was long dead. Suffering from Alzheimer’s, Adelle begins to shout strange things, mistake her own name, and relive moments that may have taken place in a concentration camp. When Livvy and her new friend, Franklin D., find journal entries from the Holocaust in Adelle’s home, Livvy begins to suspect that her grandmother may have a shocking link to a notable figure-Anne Frank.

This intriguing book has gut-wrenching plot twists and a strong heroine, making this a compulsively readable mystery.

    

Review:

Protagonist: Livvy Newman has always been the "responsible" one in her household. With her mother having been an alcoholic for as long as Livvy can remember, she's taken up the more parental role, however, when her mother moves them across the country with the promise of a great job, Livvy can't do much about it. Upon arriving in San Fransisco, Livvy notices her mom acting a bit off and soon discovers one family secret after another. On the whole, I liked Livvy, she's a fairly complex character, someone who prefers fact to fiction and needs order to her life. She's a bit flawed though not in a totally off putting way. She can be selfish and distant to people, but those are the things that get worked on over the course of the story.

Romance: I'm going to just level with you, I didn't care one bit about this romance. It wasn't that it was an offensive or aggravating romance, I just didn't care for it. I never felt romantic chemistry between Franklin D. and Livvy, and yes I said Franklin D. because manic pixie dream boy that he is he needs his middle initial acknowledged every time you speak his name. The thing is, he really grated on me in the beginning of this book, he was way too over the top quirky, he came on way too strong, acted kind of stalkerish towards Livvy, all while feeling like the manic pixie trope without the air of mystery that makes it so compelling. To tell you the truth he grew on me, but only as a platonic friend to Livvy. I felt the romance was forced and completely unnecessary.

World Building: The main plot of this story is fantastic! I mean, it's a multigenerational story of three women and their struggles with each other, mixed in with deeply kept family secrets relating to World War II and the Holocaust, that tells a compelling narrative of how one woman's attempt to hide who she really is affected not only her daughter but her granddaughter as well. I was a bit apprehensive of the author writing fiction that would incorporate as historic and important a figure as Anne Frank, but I had faith that she would provide a well and a sensitively crafted piece of historical fiction and I'm happy to say that she definitely delivered. On the whole, I loved the main plot of this book and how everything ran together. We get flashbacks that help provide context and flesh out who Adelle is, or was, and what led her to make certain decisions. All of that was fantastic but was dragged down by a multitude of superfluous subplots. The romance was only one subplot that I felt was unnecessary, but there were quite a few others. Subplots that would either be dropped only to appear at some random time late in the story and almost instantly resolved, or subplots that would be written away for a while so there would be time to focus on the main plot. Everything felt like a big chaotic mess. Ironically, when it came to Livvy's school everything felt very empty. Sure there would be references to teachers and other students, but literally, the only student we see Livvy have any semblance of a conversation with is Franklin D. We hear how she's friends with his friends, which I think are the only other students mentioned by name and it took Livvy a long time to meet them, and how she does interact with them, but we never really see it.

Predictability: This book could be very predictable, well almost all of the time. I don't think there was a single big twist in this book that I didn't call. There were a couple of small ones I didn't, but the author was quite a bit generous with the foreshadowing, in fact, I was rather surprised when I predicted probably the biggest twist in the story because the author put in one too many pieces of foreshadowing early in the book. Interestingly enough I guessed a smaller "twist" that came near the end of the book after having only been a couple of pages in. I did like how the story unfolded even if I did guess what would happen, and it doesn't really take away from the enjoyment of the book.

Ending: Something I found rather odd about this story was that what would typically be the final climax of this story happened much too soon for it to actually be considered the final climax. The scene was an interesting one, but while it did add a bit to the main storyline of the book, in the end, it was the climax another subplot that just felt superfluous, I understand why the author added it, and I do think it sends an important message, but in the end this subplot, as well as most of the subplots in this story, feel more pinned on than incorporated. After what could have been the final climax comes the answers. The answers to every reader's questions. I felt the author handled this section particularly well. The characters' emotions and reactions felt very genuine and well crafted. The ending can be a bit too idyllic at certain moments, but I still greatly enjoyed it.

Rating:

Overall, I really liked this book and found the main plot of the story to be stunning and entrancing, however, the subplots really detracted from my enjoyment and that coupled with a romance I really didn't care about and felt unnecessary, led to my decision to knock off a star, it was almost two but after finishing the book quite a few things that I dismissed as subplots I was able to connect with the overall plot and gain an even greater appreciation for it.

Book Review: The Dire King (Jackaby #4)

Release Date: August 22, 2017
Author: William Ritter
Publisher: Algonquin Young Readers
Length: 352 pages
Source: Review Copy from Publisher

The thrilling conclusion to the New York Times best-selling series the Chicago Tribune called “Sherlock Holmes crossed with Buffy the Vampire Slayer” sends the eccentric detective and his indispensible assistant into the heart of a war between magical worlds.

The fate of the world is in the hands of detective of the supernatural R. F. Jackaby and his intrepid assistant, Abigail Rook. An evil king is turning ancient tensions into modern strife, using a blend of magic and technology to push Earth and the Otherworld into a mortal competition. Jackaby and Abigail are caught in the middle as they continue to solve the daily mysteries of New Fiddleham, New England — like who’s created the rend between the worlds, how to close it, and why zombies are appearing around. At the same time, the romance between Abigail and the shape-shifting police detective Charlie Cane deepens, and Jackaby’s resistance to his feelings for 926 Augur Lane’s ghostly lady, Jenny, begins to give way. Before the four can think about their own futures, they will have to defeat an evil that wants to destroy the future altogether.

The epic conclusion to the New York Times best-selling Jackaby series features sly humor and a quirky cast of unforgettable characters as they face off against their most dangerous, bone-chilling foe ever.

    

Review:

Protagonist: The final battle is about to begin as Abigail and Jackaby prepare for war over the worlds. With the Dire King planning on ripping the veil from between Earth and the magical realm that exists just beyond, there's a lot on the line and lives are put in serious danger. I love these characters, I mean, I know I titled this section "Protagonist" but I'm going to just gush about these characters for a while. Abigail is one of the fiercest and most strong willed women I've read about, and she's not even much of a fighter, she's proof that being a "strong female character" doesn't always mean being physically strong. I love how brave in the face of all she fears is and how she handles herself in this story. Jackaby is the quirkiest and most charming character I've ever had the pleasure of reading about. He, like Abigail, is also strong in his own way. He's very much a man of the mind and keen Sight, and how he uses those skills to his advantage in this story are astounding. Jenny has sort of had her story told, but she still has a little development left in her dearly departed self. Jenny is another bit of proof that strength isn't always muscle and sinew, given all that she's been through in the previous book, you'd think she'd hole herself up in her room for a while, but no, she's ready to take on even the toughest challenges. Then, rounding out our crew is Mr. Charlie Barker, a member of the Om Caini race, and his involvement in this story, is a bit heavy, while at the same time much lighter than I anticipated. I'll get into more specifics later, but I love Charlie, he's such a paragon of goodness, it's astounding, yet not grating as you'd expect it to be. Charlie knows what he wants out of life and if people around him would give him a second to voice his desires maybe he would get a chance to grasp them.

Romance: So, there is romance in this book, and as says the description Abigail and Charlie's romance does deepen as Jackaby gives way to his feelings for Jenny, but... there's a war about to start and there's not much of a time for romance. I'm serious though, while I did enjoy the romance in this story, that's not the main focal point and that's made abundantly clear, and I'm okay with that. I felt like there wasn't much need for a lot of romance as you know, the world is in danger of imploding or whatever it is that would happen, so I was actually very okay with the light touch of romance this book had, and let's be honest this isn't a series that's known for its romances.

World Building: So, the thing that made Ghostly Echoes my favorite installment in this series, tying storyline in that book to the rest of the series, was something that left me in awe, and the author manages to do it again, this time tying some things back even before the start of the series to Jackaby and his companions and their misadventures in New Fiddleham. In this story, we also learn more about Charlie and his family. We learn the life Charlie left behind and the responsibilities he shirked off to be a police man in America. Getting this look, not only into Charlie, but the supernatural race he belongs to is marvelous. It adds a new layer to the story and while there were elements that we didn't quite see played out and more skipped over, they were elements I still enjoyed nonetheless. This world is incredible and I loved every second of reading about it. We get to delve deeper into the magical realm beyond the veil (I forget what it's called and I'm too lazy to get up and get my book to check.) and learn more about its storied past and why it's separated from the human world.

Predictability: So, I was about to say that this book is full of twists and turns, but honestly other than one twist, maybe two but I called that twist I just gave up on it before it happened, I pretty much called every major twist in this book. Don't get me wrong I second guessed myself A LOT, but I still guessed the twists. The one I couldn't guess, or maybe I could have but didn't, shook me because that twist made me second guess a bunch of other twists that I did correctly guess but wasn't revealed yet. This twist shook the foundation of my prediction skills, and I'm not even sure we got a good enough explanation for it.

Ending: I want to just rant and rave about all the things that happen in this ending, the good and the bad, but no matter how I swing it, I can't say anything without, pretty much, implying spoilers, which I try and avoid doing at all costs. I will say this, the majority of the ending I loved, in fact, while there was one thing I wasn't too keen on, I kind of moved on rather quickly. However, I'll just say that the "Supplemental Materials" which is pretty much code here for epilogue, is what I want to rant and rave the most about. So, if/when you read this book and you want to rant and rave about the end too, I'm here for you if you want.

Rating:

So, I loved this book, yes I wasn't too keen on the ending, but I don't hold that against the author or the story, and honestly, I'm waiting to see what his (the author's) next move is before declaring any hatred toward this beautiful and wonderfully crafted world!

Book Review: The Last of August (Charlotte Holmes #2)

Release Date: February 14, 2017
Author: Brittany Cavallaro
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Length: 336 pages
Source: eArc from Edelweiss

Watson and Holmes: A match made in disaster.

Jamie Watson and Charlotte Holmes are looking for a winter-break reprieve after a fall semester that almost got them killed. But Charlotte isn’t the only Holmes with secrets, and the mood at her family’s Sussex estate is palpably tense. On top of everything else, Holmes and Watson could be becoming more than friends—but still, the darkness in Charlotte’s past is a wall between them.

A distraction arises soon enough, because Charlotte’s beloved uncle Leander goes missing from the estate—after being oddly private about his latest assignment in a German art forgery ring. The game is afoot once again, and Charlotte is single-minded in her pursuit.

Their first stop? Berlin. Their first contact? August Moriarty (formerly Charlotte’s obsession, currently believed by most to be dead), whose powerful family has been ripping off famous paintings for the last hundred years. But as they follow the gritty underground scene in Berlin to glittering art houses in Prague, Holmes and Watson begin to realize that this is a much more complicated case than a disappearance. Much more dangerous, too.

What they learn might change everything they know about their families, themselves, and each other.

    

Review:

Protagonists: While the majority of this novel is narrated by Jamie, and for the most part, he is the main character, as the story develops and after a certain couple of chapters I felt that if I didn't include Charlotte in the protagonist section as well that would be a disservice to the review. Both these characters are fantastically flawed. What I loved about their flaws are how real they are. It's not like a bunch of misunderstandings and misinterpretations that lead to a bunch of drama between these characters. It's the conscious choices they make and the things they want and fear that they have no control over that guide their stories in this installment. Jamie doesn't want to feel like a sidekick but a partner, however when August Moriarty appears on the scene, a man who is so much like Charlotte already that she views him as an equal and a man she'd previously fallen in love with, that causes Jamie to be mistakenly though understandably jealous and strike out on his own. Charlotte has a personal stake in this mystery and as a Holmes, she doesn't do all that well with personal stakes. One of Charlotte's biggest flaws is that she shares next to nothing with Jamie about the investigation and while she has a justifiable reason for doing so it leads Jamie to feel that she thinks she doesn't need him or that he's a burden. As I said we only get a couple of chapters that focus on Charlotte and while these chapters are certainly enlightening, I feel I can't delve too deep into talking about them and what we learn about Charlotte without giving crucial points of this book away. Despite all the flaws of these characters I really have grown to love them and while they do drive me crazy a lot of the time I really hope for the best with them.

Romance: After I finished A Study in Charlotte last year, I didn't think there was all that much romance in it, however, when I went back to reread it before starting this installment, I felt as though I seriously missed something because there was a lot more romance in it than I remembered, even if it was more subtle than most YA novels. This installment has, even more, romance than the first and while it can be extremely frustrating at times, I felt that from a writing standpoint that it was handled very well. Romance is really where we see the flaws of Holmes and Watson shine, for lack of a better term. For Jamie he just wants to be with Charlotte however, she keeps on giving him mixed signals which frustrate him to no end. Charlotte is suffering from panic attacks and anxiety following her rape at the hands of Lee Dobson. Neither of these things is a flaw really, more elements of who they are, but how they react in response to these things is very flawed but at the same time neither of them is perfect. In fact,  what aggravates me the most about this romance is that there isn't a simple solution. It's not as if a long talk will solve all their problems. while there were definitely fantastic moments to this romance, and moments that made me feel more than I've probably ever felt before, a lot of this romance is like pulling teeth, but it really works to add another layer of complexity to this story.

World Building: It was a bit of a shock to move from a boarding school setting to a winter holiday traveling around Europe in this installment, however, I liked that it added a bit more diversity to the series, instead of Holmes and Watson constantly solving scandalous mysteries while at school. I loved following our heroes around Europe, mainly England and Germany, and while there wasn't all that much that we saw that wasn't a fictionalized house or building, I still felt the foreign local wherever our heroes went. In this installment, we once again find our heroes at odds with the Moriartys, but this time they have a Moriarty on their side as well. August Moriarty, who we learned was Charlotte's older tutor who she fell in love with and after he spurned her affections she framed for drug dealing, is finally introduced and he adds a very complex layer to this story. He's an unwitting rival for Jamie and a nice foil for Charlotte. Out of all of the characters in this series, he's probably in the best head space. As our heroes find themselves tracking down clues to solve this mystery, this time a mystery of art forgery and possible kidnapping than murder, things get more complicated as the mystery of who, what, and where become clearer.

Predictability: Since this is a mystery most of the predictability lies within the mystery itself, however, I felt like we knew almost immediately who was behind the art forgeries, however, what I really liked was that this wasn't exactly about the who, but more the how. that being said, though, as far as the clues leading up to everything was concerned, there wasn't a whole lot of focus on the mystery, or at least not as much as I expected there would be. The mystery was still very captivating and there were a lot of unanswered questions that were confirmed as the story began to wind down from what I presumed was the final climax. There are many twists in this book, some that I saw coming but most that I was utterly blown away by. I really want to go more in depth and talk about how some of these twists made me feel, because a lot of them made me feel very intense emotions, but I don't want to spoil your experience of this book.

Ending: This ending was not what I expected going in. I thought that for the most part this story would be tied off with a bit of a bow with a few breadcrumbs leading to where the next installment may be going. what I did not expect was what happened. Again, I really wish I could elaborate without spoiling anything, but I feel as though I've already said too much. This book has a very intense ending that made me cycle through so many emotions that I could barely handle it, then, of course, it tops things off by delivering probably the worst and simultaneously best cliffhanger I've ever read. Suffice it to say, that if this review doesn't come off as the most articulate it's because I'm still suffering from the near catatonia this book put me into.

Rating:

My God this book deserves all the stars. I'm still getting over where things ended up and where this story appears to be going. I'm cursing Cavallaro with every fiber of my being for making me feel so many things, not only in the end of this book but all throughout. I can't wait to see what fresh hell she's cooked up for the final installment. P.S. My guess it that the final book with have the name James or Jamie somewhere in it.

The Last of August (Charlotte Holmes #2) by Brittany Cavallaro (WOW #23)

Waiting on Wednesday is a meme hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that everyone’s excited about!

In the second brilliant, action-packed book in the Charlotte Holmes trilogy, Jamie and Charlotte are in a chase across Europe to untangle a web of shocking truths about the Holmes and Moriarty families.

Jamie Watson and Charlotte Holmes are looking for a winter break reprieve in Sussex after a fall semester that almost got them killed. But nothing about their time off is proving simple, including Holmes and Watson’s growing feelings for each other. When Charlotte’s beloved uncle Leander goes missing from the Holmes estate—after being oddly private about his latest assignment in a German art forgery ring—the game is afoot once again, and Charlotte throws herself into a search for answers. 

So begins a dangerous race through the gritty underground scene in Berlin and glittering art houses in Prague, where Holmes and Watson discover that this complicated case might change everything they know about their families, themselves, and each other.

The Last of August releases on February 14, 2017, from Katherine Tegan Books

I'm a huge sucker for Sherlockian inspired books, and when I read the first book in the Charlotte Holmes series last year I got hooked to this sort of unconventional Sherlock tale. The modern day setting, female Holmes, and male narrator in the form of Jamie Watson were all amazing, and to top it off there's very little romance, in fact there's really only a small hint at a romance. I can't wait to see how these characters will evolve in this next installment and the mystery our heroes will find themselves in the middle of!

So, what are you waiting for this Wednesday?

Book Review: Who Could That Be at This Hour? (All the Wrong Questions #1)

Release Date: October 24, 2012
Author: Lemony Snicket
Publisher: Little Brown
Length: 258 pages
Source: Borrowed Audiobook

The adventure began in a fading town. Far from anyone he knew or trusted, a young Lemony Snicket started an apprenticeship for a secret organization shrouded in mystery and secrecy. He asked questions that shouldn't have been on his mind. Now he has written an account that should not be published that shouldn't be read. Not even by you.

Seriously, we recommend that you do NOT ask your parents for this, the first book in his new ALL THE WRONG QUESTIONS series.

Lemony Snicket, in case you don't already know, grew up to be the author of A Series of Unfortunate Events series

    

Review:

Protagonist: Lemony Snicket finds himself involved with a secret organization and under the care of a rather overbearing, quirky, and redundant chaperone. On (as far as I can tell) his first mission for this unnamed organization, Lemony is charged with retrieving a stolen statue, but not too long into the case, it becomes clear that this case isn't as open and shut as it appears. One of my biggest pet peeves and this seems to happen more in books aimed MG and younger, is the idiot adult and brilliant child trope. I understand that this is meant make a younger audience feel special and intelligent, but it doesn't make for a universally appealing book. Lemony is one such child who is unusually bright, and while I like him as a character, but when juxtaposed against comically idiotic adults it makes for a rather unpleasant and groan-inducing cast of characters.

World Building: Going into this book all I knew was that it was about a young Lemony Snicket, though I didn't comprehend just how young he'd be. My first big hiccup with this book was that it begins with the reader sort of dropped in the middle of Lemony's transition to this secret organization that he starts working for. It's a bit awkward and while it's easy enough to forget about once the main plot of the book starts, the beginning of this tale produces more questions than it answers. As this book gets started it's easy to recognize Snicket's rather unique writing style. The world he builds has the same timeless feel as the one in ASoUE, most likely because it IS the same world, but as far as I know the location featured in this book isn't one visited or even mentioned in the series about the Baudelaire orphans. That isn't to say there aren't Easter eggs that connect with that other series, in fact, I'm almost positive that by the time this series ends there will finally be answers to some long-asked questions.

Predictability: I am really happy that I'm able to review this book after the first time I've read it because this section will not only be easier to write but will be a lot more honest. I wasn't expecting this book to be the mystery that it is, nor was I expecting that the overarching story for the entire series would stifle the mystery of this book so much. That all being said, I did really enjoy this mystery and while I was never really completely caught off guard, except for one small moment toward the end, I reveled in watching this mystery unfold and reveal some of, though not all of, it's many secrets.

Ending: One of my favorite mystery tropes is the classic "Parlor Room" scene, where the main character goes through the mystery from the beginning, explaining any clues the reader, or in some cases viewer, might have missed before finally cracking the case and revealing "whodunnit." This book did have a similar type of scene, however, since rather large aspects of this mystery bleed into the larger series storyline, there are some large questions still left unanswered by the end of this book. With this author's track record of leaving seemingly very important questions unanswered I am a bit nervous but I will continue this series, not only because I enjoyed this book, but also because I hope that my burning questions will be answered.

Rating:

It was so much fun to read a new Lemony Snicket book, his writing style is so unique that it's a joy to experience a new tale by him. Unfortunately, there was only so much that nostalgia can do, and since this is a "new to me" tale, not even my nostalgia could cover up some of the tropes that I haven't been a fan of for some time. That all being said I do look forward to the next installment and I hope to find some answers I've been waiting years to discover.

Book Review: World of Warcraft: Traveler (Traveler #1)

Release Date: October 25, 2016
Author: Greg Weisman
Publisher: Scholastic Inc.
Length: 336 pages
Source: Review Copy from Publisher

An epic action-adventure series set in Blizzard's popular World of Warcraft® game franchise. Features a young cast of characters discovering the mysteries and majesty of the world around them.

It's been years since twelve-year-old Aramar Thorne, a clever boy who is never without his precious sketch book, has seen his father. So when Captain Greydon Thorne comes ashore and asks his son to join him at sea, it feels as if someone has redrawn Aram's entire world. At sea, Aram struggles to get along with the Wavestider's crew--especially second mate Makasa, a tough teenaged girl who has been reluctantly placed in charge of him. Just as Aram starts to get his head above water, a band of vicious pirates attack the Wavestrider, turning his world upside down once again. As Aram and Makasa try to find their way home, they encounter creatures both terrible and wondrous, and Aram will seek to understand Azeroth's denizens as he draws them in his sketchbook, forming unlikely friendships along the way. But the journey is hindered by Greydon's compass, which never points north. If the compass isn't leading Aram and Makasa home--to safety--to what destiny is it leading?

    

Review:

Characters: Even though Aramar Thorne is the main character of this tale, the point-of-view for this story is more of the omniscient third person narrator that can move from the inner thoughts of one character to another seamlessly. So while Aram is the main character we do get to see and learn about a whole cast of characters. Of course, we have our protagonist Aram, a boy who is practically forced to join the crew of his long-absent father for a year, Aram has a very complicated relationship with his father, for half or Aram's life Greydon Thorne was a loving and attentive father, but for the other half Greydon wasn't even there having just vanished with no word. Then there's Makasa Flintwill, the second mate of Greydon Thorne's ship and the bane of Aram's existence. Makasa is begrudgingly put in charge of her captain's son, a sulky boy who doesn't take his role on the ship seriously and disrespects her captain every chance he gets. Makasa has a deep sense of loyalty and will use whatever skills she has to follow her captain's orders. On their journey, Aram and Makasa not only meet fascinating denizens of Azeroth who help them along the way, but they are pursued by dangerous foes who will stop at nothing to uncover the secrets that Aram protects.

World-Building: I've tried to write this section many times. Let's be honest, the author didn't come up with this world, but that's not the point. In fact, one of the things that drew me to this book was the fact that one of its main goals is to introduce the World of Warcraft to a younger generation is a fun and exciting way. The lore associated with Warcraft games is extensive and can be at times very confusing due to (arguable) retconning. That being said, I believe the author did a fantastic job at not only bring the World of Warcraft to life on the page but introducing a number of fundamental races and creatures of this world in an easy to follow yet comprehensive way. This is by no means a full guide to this world, in fact, if you go in with next to no knowledge of this world there will be things that either confuse you or pique your interest but I urge you to persevere and after you finish this rich story to either do some more research on things like wikis, or to journey into the world yourself. I was a bit worried at the beginning of this story when it was hard for me to remember that this is a WoW branded novel, but not too far into it, due to the immaculately described world, beautifully illustrated pictures, and colorful characters our heroes meet, it became hard to forget.

Predictability: My biggest warning to you is that you do not flip through the illustrations before getting to them in the story. On the whole, they don't really spoil anything too huge, but it's those small bits that can the catalyst to spoiling something huge. Now that being said, there were still many times that I was caught off guard by where this story was going. In truth, it wasn't until towards the end that most of the really juicy twists came out, but I'll get to that in a bit. On the whole, this book did a fantastic job of not only foreshadowing things to come but keeping large secrets in the dark until the right time for a very surprising reveal.

Ending: The end of this book was nearly cinematic. Since the author employed an omniscient narrator to tell the story he was able to easily move between various parts of a scene and show the reader this very comprehensive view of just what is going on. The final climax of this story is rather incredible. It happens a bit earlier in the story than I anticipated but it's totally worth it. After all the fuss goes down here comes the twists. Obviously, I'll keep tight-lipped on just what exactly happens, but I will say that if you didn't know this was a series, you'll know it way before the end of this book. This story is just beginning there's still so much left to explore and so many mysteries to still unlock on the way.

Rating:

I LOVED this book, I cannot fully articulate to you just how much. If you're a fan of action, adventure, mystery, and/or fantasy I cannot recommend this book more. If Middle Grade isn't your thing I urge you to recommend this book to someone who you think would enjoy it. This book is too underhyped and that seriously needs to change.

Book Review: Ghostly Echoes (Jackaby #3)

Release Date: August 23, 2016
Author: William Ritter
Publisher: Algonquin Young Readers
Length: 352 pages
Source: Review Copy from the Publisher

Jenny Cavanaugh, the ghostly lady of 926 Augur Lane, has enlisted the investigative services of her fellow residents to solve a decade-old murder—her own. Abigail Rook and her eccentric employer, Detective R. F. Jackaby, dive into the cold case, starting with a search for Jenny’s fiancé, who went missing the night she died. But when a new, gruesome murder closely mirrors the events of ten years prior, Abigail and Jackaby realize that Jenny’s case isn’t so cold after all, and her killer may be far more dangerous than they suspected.

Fantasy and folklore mix with mad science as Abigail’s race to unravel the mystery leads her across the cold cobblestones of nineteenth-century New England, down to the mythical underworld, and deep into her colleagues’ grim histories to battle the most deadly foe she has ever faced.

    

Review:

Protagonist: Abigail Rook has assisted her employer, R. F. Jackaby, on two cases now and when they returned home from their most recent escapade involving a dragon, they find their friend and the ghostly resident of their home, Jenny Cavanaugh, has a new case for them, to solve her murder. Now, as new evidence appears that connects to Jenny's murder, Jackaby and Abigail must uncover new clues and discover not only who killed their friend, but what compelled this person to commit such a violent and gruesome act. Can I just say that I love all of these characters? I mean seriously, I know that Abigail is our narrator and primary character, but even so, it's just as easy to see who all of the major players are underneath and to see their development as this story goes on. None of these characters are perfect, but it's their flaws, no matter how big or small, that make them such realistic and three-dimensional characters

World-Building: Before I get too far into the world building I wanted to address the lack of a romance section. There is romance in this book, Charlie once again makes an appearance and there's a bit of romance between him and Abigail, and since a lot of this book delves into Jenny's past there's a bit of romance that involves her to, but there's not enough of it for me to feel as though it merits its own section. The main hook of this story is the fact that we finally learn more about Jenny and how she ended up dying. This mystery has been teased in previous installments, but I was overjoyed when in the previous book we see it ending with Jenny finally wanting to know what happened to her. as I said before we learn a lot more about Jenny and her life leading up to her death, but interestingly enough we also learn a lot about Jackaby's past and what led up to him becoming the Seer that he is. this book expands this world in immeasurable ways, there's something sinister going on in New Fiddleham and Jenny's murder and the other cases are just pieces of a much larger plot.

Predictability: With this being a mystery novel the predictability or lack thereof is very important. Luckily, this author knows what he's doing. I cannot begin to articulate how amazing this book is. There are so many wonderful twists and even when you think you know everything, even if you think you've uncovered what's going on before it's been uncovered in the story, there's always something else that puts a wrinkle in your perfectly logical prediction. Not that there aren't moments in this book that are extremely predictable, but it always feels like it's meant to be that way, it seems like the author purposely foreshadowed something a bit too easily just so that there could be a twist inside his twist.

Ending: If I didn't know going into this book that this was the penultimate installment in this series, by the time this book ends I would have figured it out. There are actually quite a few climactic moments towards the end of this book and they are unbelievably epic. These moments are when a lot of these characters shine their brightest. After all the dust settles, like with previous installments in this series, we get a taste of what's to come next. I don't want to give anything away, but the taste of what's coming up does feel very final, and like I said this is the second to last installment in this series. This book ends with on of these worst cliffhangers I've ever read (in a good way.) At this point, I want the next installment in this series probably more that I want to breathe.

Rating:

This is by far my favorite installment in this series yet. I've been trying to articulate just how and why this is my favorite and I can't, it's so complex and how everything ties together in this book leading to a very explosive cliffhanger just made this book my current favorite of the year so far!

Book Review: Killer Instinct (The Naturals #2)

Release Date: November 4, 2014
Author: Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Length: 375 pages
Source: eGalley via NetGalley

Seventeen-year-old Cassie Hobbes has a gift for profiling people. Her talent has landed her a spot in an elite FBI program for teens with innate crime-solving abilities, and into some harrowing situations. After barely escaping a confrontation with an unbalanced killer obsessed with her mother’s murder, Cassie hopes she and the rest of the team can stick to solving cold cases from a distance.

But when victims of a brutal new serial killer start turning up, the Naturals are pulled into an active case that strikes too close to home: the killer is a perfect copycat of Dean’s incarcerated father—a man he’d do anything to forget. Forced deeper into a murderer’s psyche than ever before, will the Naturals be able to outsmart the enigmatic killer’s brutal mind games before this copycat twists them into his web for good?

With her trademark wit, brilliant plotting, and twists that no one will see coming, Jennifer Lynn Barnes will keep readers on the edge of their seats (and looking over their shoulders) as they race through the pages of this thrilling novel.

    

Review:

Protagonist: Cassie went through a horrible ordeal in the previous book when she discovered that her mentor turned out to not only be her aunt, but the serial killer she and the other Naturals had been tracking. When we first see her in this book, she's not over that experience, but she's trying to move past it making the most out of her life as one of the Naturals and helping to solve cold cases. However once again the Naturals are sucked into an active serial murder case, and like the last time this case hits home with one of their own. Since it had been so long since I read the first installment I wondered if I would have the same connection I had with Cassie, if she would seem different and somehow less after so long a time. In fact, she may have been better than before. There's a lot to love about Cassie, she's flawed sure, but not egregiously so, she cares almost too much and that can get her into trouble, she's impulsive and strong and wants so badly to be there for the people she's come to love. Her development in this fairly subtle, there are moments when it's easily seen, but there's even more going on between the lines on the page and it'll be hard to recognize it until it's already happened.

Romance: I don't remember all that much from the first installment, in fact I felt the need to read a recap of the book before starting this one, but one the thing I did remember was that there wasn't all that much emphasis on the romance and that the love triangle was written very well. While there may be a bit more attention on the romance this time around it still doesn't distract from the main plot of the story, nor does it overshadow it. I'm still not completely sure how to feel about the love triangle, while I still felt it was handled well, there were some moments that bothered me. During the course of this book it becomes clearer where Cassie's heart lies, and that makes her other love interest do and say some douchey things, it's nothing to terrible, more pet peeves of mine, and it's not necessarily because Cassie has feelings for someone else, more about the existing relationship between the two boys.

World-Building: I'm a huge fan of procedural dramas and I love how in many ways these books take inspiration from them. I get the same whodunnit feeling when I'm reading these books as I do when I'm watching shows like Bones and Criminal Minds. My favorite chapters are the "You" chapters where we go into the mind of the killer and learn small things about them, what their doing, and a bit about their mindset. There's actually quite a bit introduced in this book. Obviously we learn more about Dean and his past with his father. We learn about the horrors of his childhood and the things he had to do to survive. We are introduced to key new characters that expand this world and open up new doors we haven't seen before. I cannot stress enough how much I loved seeing these characters interact, learning about them, and watching their development through Cassie's eyes.

Predictability: The big twist in this story of course is about the UNSUB, the person who is committing these gruesome murders and I'll get to them in a bit. First however, I want to talk about the other surprises this book has in store. With all the information we learn comes a great slew of twists. Some of them there is foreshadowing for, however it's no where near enough to actually grasp what the twist is. There are also things that come out of the blue, things that there is no preparation for and seem added for shock value in addition to their other purpose in the story. Finally, there's the killer. I won't say too much but I have to say that I had trouble not trying to psychoanalyze and profile them as I read more about them in the story.

Ending: The ending for this book is a game changer in many ways. As the book comes to a close there is a crazy and tension filled final climax followed by and interesting cooling down period where everything for this case is wrapped up nice and neat. However, there are quite a few cliffhangers. It's nothing that would make readers wait in agony until they got their hands on the next installment, and actually most things have come to a sort of plateaued period. There are still many questions to be answered, and like I said there are game changing things in the end, none of which are all that shocking.

Rating:

Like I said before I was unsure if I would still love this series after so long away from the series. I know my tastes in books has changed and I've become more discerning in what I like and don't like in stories, plus there's also the dreaded sophomore slump where the second book doesn't measure up to the first, but I ended up loving this book and can't wait for the next heart pounding and intense installment.