ARC Review: The Madman's Daughter by Megan Shepherd

Publisher:  Balzer + Bray

Publication Date:  January 29th, 2013

In the darkest places, even love is deadly.

Sixteen-year-old Juliet Moreau has built a life for herself in London—working as a maid, attending church on Sundays, and trying not to think about the scandal that ruined her life. After all, no one ever proved the rumors about her father's gruesome experiments. But when she learns he is alive and continuing his work on a remote tropical island, she is determined to find out if the accusations are true.

Accompanied by her father's handsome young assistant, Montgomery, and an enigmatic castaway, Edward—both of whom she is deeply drawn to—Juliet travels to the island, only to discover the depths of her father's madness: He has experimented on animals so that they resemble, speak, and behave as humans. And worse, one of the creatures has turned violent and is killing the island's inhabitants. Torn between horror and scientific curiosity, Juliet knows she must end her father's dangerous experiments and escape her jungle prison before it's too late. Yet as the island falls into chaos, she discovers the extent of her father's genius—and madness—in her own blood.

Inspired by H. G. Wells's classic The Island of Dr. Moreau, The Madman's Daughter is a dark and breathless Gothic thriller about the secrets we'll do anything to know and the truths we'll go to any lengths to protect.

(Courtesy of Goodreads)

If you looked up the definition of "Gothic Novel", you might find a picture of The Madman's Daughter, but while this book may be just that, it is so much more...  I will admit that when I decided I was interested in reading this book for review, I had no idea what it was about, or even which genre it fell into.  I liked the cover.  And I liked the little blurb on the cover, "In the darkest places, even love is deadly."  Between those two things I was pretty much sold.  It didn't matter that I'm not really into Gothic Thrillers or Historical Fiction.  It didn't really matter to me that it was inspired by The Island of Dr. Moreau by H.G. Wells, a book I never really liked much.  I gave The Madman's Daughter a chance because I liked the cover.  That is something HarperCollins does so well; They lure me in with their gorgeous covers, making me want to read books I normally wouldn't pick up, and you know what?  I've yet to be disappointed, and this book is no exception.  The Madman's Daughter was phenomenal!  I could not put it down, and now I am chomping at the bit for the as-of-now unnamed, second book in the trilogy, which will be based upon The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson (which I did quite enjoy).  So... What did I like so much about The Madman"s Daughter?  Let's see...

First off, the characters were great!  I really liked Juliet.  She was strong and independent, and she had a lot of spunk for a girl living in the era that she did.  As for the love interests, I adored everything about Montgomery.  It seemed like Megan wanted us to have mixed feelings about him, but I never did.  As for Edward, I just always knew there was something off about him, but I never expected him to be the man he turned out to be.  Juliet's father, Dr. Moreau was brilliantly written as well.  His descent into madness (well, further descent, as it becomes clear that he has always been a bit mad) was an awesome ride.  I would have to say that the "natives" of the island were the most interesting characters though.  They were so key in the unfolding of the mystery and the pace of the story, that collectively, they were a single character, in addition to their own individual stories.  Which brings me to the next reason I loved this book!  The story- it was creepy as hell.  The world building is so good, that even the parts in London had me feeling like there was something lurking in every shadow, but London was nothing compared to the island.  Then there was the fact that Megan Shepherd is really a master at writing suspense.  I spent much of the time reading this book with knots in my stomach, ready to jump at the turn of the page.  All that aside though, it was the story that made this book.  It starts out by painting a picture of what Juliet's life has been like since her father had been run off with accusations that he performed a number of unnamed medical atrocities.  First she lived with her mother, who out of necessity, became the mistress of a wealthy man- basically a high-class prostitute.  When Juliet's mother died, she was turned out onto the streets to fend for herself, as her extended family wanted nothing to do with the daughter of a madman.  She got a job cleaning at the university and a room at a boarding house, but things were far from easy for her.  While spending the evening out with some students at the university, she inadvertently comes across one of her father's drawings, and this sparks the hope in her that he is still alive.  She traces the drawing back to a pub where she finds not her father, but the now grown house boy from her childhood, Montgomery, who is in town getting supplies to take back to the island inhabited by her long-lost father.  After a situation occurs that puts Juliet on the run, Montgomery is forced to take her along with him, to the island in the Pacific, where her father is staying.  Well, the island is full of surprises and oddities, with the natives being the only a small fraction of it.  The story unfolds with surprising fluidity given the fact that this is Megan's debut, and I found that even the unbelievable ended up appearing completely plausible.  There was action, romance, mystery, and intrigue, and I could not stop turning the pages.  In the end, I was left, mouth agape, wondering what had just happened.  Then I experienced a bit of denial, looking for more pages that HAD to be there.  Then I was just heartbroken... I do hope for resolution in book number two, but something tells me it will take a totally different direction than I expect it to, and that I will be singing its praises because of it...

My Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ½ 

Grade Level Recommendation:  I think this book is fine for middle school and up, although I think older readers will appreciate it more.  For this reason, I say it's best suited for grades 8 and up (ages 13+). 

ARC Review: The Trouble With Flirting by Claire LaZebnik

Publisher:  HarperTeen

Publication Date:  February 26th, 2013

Franny's supposed to be working this summer, not flirting. But you can't blame her when guys like Alex and Harry are around. . . .

Franny Pearson never dreamed she'd be attending the prestigious Mansfield Summer Theater Program. And she's not, exactly. She's working for her aunt, the resident costume designer. But sewing her fingers to the bone does give her an opportunity to spend time with her crush, Alex Braverman. If only he were as taken with the girl hemming his trousers as he is with his new leading lady.

When Harry Cartwright, a notorious flirt, shows more than a friendly interest in Franny, she figures it can't hurt to have a little fun. But as their breezy romance grows more complicated, can Franny keep pretending that Harry is just a carefree fling? And why is Alex suddenly giving her those deep, meaningful looks? In this charming tale of mixed messages and romantic near-misses, one thing is clear: Flirting might be more trouble than Franny ever expected.

(Courtesy of Goodreads)

Oh, Claire LaZebnik, I so love the way you write!  Each time I read one of your books, I come away with a overall feeling that all is right with the universe, and that true love really does exist.  Trust me, THAT is a huge accomplishment, because I am possibly one of the most jaded people ever when it comes to love.  I absolutely DETEST Valentine's Day, get totally grossed out when my friends express their gushy feelings toward their significant others on Facebook, and believe that the true and everlasting love of a single person is a total myth.  Now, a true and everlasting love of cupcakes, well, that is another story...  Moving on.

About a year and a half ago, I reviewed Claire's YA debut, Epic Fail, and LOVED it (read my full review HERE). Claire has several other Chick Lit titles under her belt, as well as some non-fiction titles dealing with Autism (check out her Goodreads profile HERE), but I believe that YA is her forte; She has a real knack for understanding the minds of the characters she writes, as well as those of her target audience.  Plus, I love that her YA novels have been loose retellings of Jane Austen novels, because I believe that they will open the minds of a new generation to reading those dusty, old, WONDERFUL books!

So, The Trouble With Flirting?  All I can say is that I adored it.  (Actually, that isn't ALL I can say, but it sounded good.)  I just happened to be sick the day after I received it in the mail *coughs*, and read it straight through in one sitting!  It is a loosely based, modern retelling of Mansfield Park, and I thought it was near perfect.  Mansfield Park isn't my favorite of Jane Austen's books, nor is it my least favorite; Actually it falls right in the middle for me.  That meant one very important thing for me while reading The Trouble With Flirting... I had an open mind to the story, because I didn't feel a tremendous urge to compare and nitpick, as it pertained to the original, because this story is very loosely based on the original, and if it had been, say, Emma, I may not have been so okay with liberties.  That said, I am not going to do a play-by-play comparison. I'm just going to tell you the reasons I loved it.

Obviously, I was drawn to it because it's a modern retelling, so the story was big for me.  I loved it.  I loved that the protagonist, Franny, was at this summer theater camp, not as an actress as she would have liked to have been, but as an assistant to the costume designer, her spinster aunt.  You see, Franny's family can't afford to send her to college, let alone an expensive summer camp, so she is spending her summer earning money to help fund her education.  When Franny arrives at the Mansfield Summer Theater Program, she runs into her old friend from middle school, Julia Braverman.  This is when she finds out that Julia's brother, Alex, is also there; Alex, Franny's forever-crush, and the first boy she ever had it bad for... As Franny catches up with Julia and Alex, she meets other students and begins to build an awkward social life (after all, she is "the help", and these teens are all rich, beautiful, and sophisticated).  Enter Harry Cartwright, a roguish ladies man, who has the eye of every girl at Mansfield, except Franny, who is firmly pining for the attached Alex.  Well, of course, that means Harry sets his sights on the one he can't have, Franny... The story continues in ways that I wouldn't have expected it to, and it left me feeling very satisfied in the end.  Honestly, if you had asked me at the beginning, I would have said that, without a doubt, I knew how it would end, and it makes me happy to know that I would have been dead wrong.

Something else I really loved about this book were the characters and character development   Claire went out of her way to show us that people aren't always who they appear to be on the surface, and that everyone should be given the benefit of the doubt.  I became so caught up in the details of each character, that I found myself thinking of them as friends.  The interpersonal relationships between the characters would not have been so key had the characters themselves not been developed so well.  Of course, I loved Franny.  She was just a great girl.  Sure she was insecure and made a few poor choices, but she always owned up to them, and tried to fix any damage she may have caused.  Aunt Amelia really surprised me a lot, as did Isabella, and the boys.  I only had one character pegged from the beginning, and that was Marie; She was pretty much the very necessary, if cliche, romantic antagonist.

Like I said before, I found this book to be near perfection.  It was light, sweet, and so upbeat, I couldn't help but close it with a ginormous smile on my face.  It was like the feeling you have when you've just finished an airy, delectable pastry; Satisfied, yet craving more.  That is exactly how I feel about Claire's writing, and I can't wait to read what she has coming next!

My Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★  

Grade Level Recommendation:  This is perfectly fine for middle school and up.  There are a couple of hot and heavy make-outs, and some mention of a few morally questionable girls, and there are a few characters who smoke and drink, but overall, it it pretty benign stuff.  I would say it is fine for grades 6 and up (ages 12+).

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Favorite Characters In the Fantasy Genre

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme brought to you by The Broke and the Bookish. Each week a new Top Ten list topic is posted and book bloggers fill in their own choices. I'm a list girl (as in, I don't function without them), so I thought this would be a good choice for me!  This week's topic was "Top Ten Characters In X Genre".  I picked Fantasy for a couple of reasons.  First, I don't read a ton of fantasy, so it would easier to narrow my favorites down to ten, and second, some of the greatest characters ever imagined come from the genre.  So, here they are...

YA Litwit's Top Ten Favorite Fantasy Characters

1.  Harry Potter~ I adore the Harry Potter books, and I loved being along as Harry grew from this young boy, to the kick-ass man he became.  Harry Potter is not only my favorite Fantasy character, he is one of my all-time favorite characters of ANY genre.

2.  Sirius Black from Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling~  I think Sirius is one sexy wizard!  I adored him as a character and role model for Harry.  I just wish his time with the series had been longer.  I missed Sirius in the final books.  :-(

3.  Katsa from Graceling by Kristin Cashore~  Katsa is my favorite kick-ass female character ever.  She is who I would aspire to be if I lived in a fantasy realm.  So powerful, but also principled, and super-smart.  She doesn't need anyone to protect her or take care of her, but she allows it because of love.

4.  The Darkling from Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo~ Wow!  I'm not sure I've ever been so hot for a fictional character, especially a villain, but that Darkling...  Oh wow!  I sincerely hope we see a lot more of him in future books.

5.  Hatter Madigan from The Looking Glass Wars by Frank Beddor~  Another sexy fantasy guy.  I imagine that if a movie were to made of this series, that Jude Law would play Hatter, and let me tell you, I LOVE Jude Law.  Hatter Madigan isn't only sexy though, he is totally kick-ass too!

6.  Hermione Granger from Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling~ So I really wanted to mention Hermione higher up, but I thought it was weird to make this list about my love for Harry Potter.  I love Hermione because she reminds me a bit of me as a girl.  I too was a kind of a know-it-all (because I did), and was awkward tuned pretty.  Hermione is so relatable.

7.  Celaena from Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas~  Talk about kick-ass!  This girl is the most notorious assassin in the world.  She's so notorious that people would never even suspect she's a girl.  I loved her, and can't wait for more!

8.  Karou from Daughter of Smoke & Bone by Laini Taylor~ Karou is one of those characters that it is impossible to find fault with.  She just manages to handle everything thrown at her with a sort of grace.  Now, I haven't read Days of Blood & Starlight yet, so I don't know if things stay that way, but from what I know of her, I love her!

9.  Avry from Touch of Power and Scent of Magic~ Another kick-ass girl who I think rules.  This girl puts her life on the line regularly to heal others.  She is such a noble person, but she also knows how to use her brain, and she knows how to fight if she needs to.

10.  Miri from Princess Academy and Palace of Stone by Shannon Hale~ I loved both of these books and Miri had everything to do with that.  She was smart, independent, and resourceful.  She knew she could have a life that any girl would dream about, but she chose instead to help those in her village, and surrounding areas have a better life.

So this is my list.  What genre did you choose?  If you chose Fantasy, did we share any?  Do you think I forgot anyone?

ARC Review: Uses For Boys by Erica Lorraine Scheidt

Publisher:  St. Martin's Griffin

Publication Date:  January 15th, 2013

Anna remembers a time before boys, when she was little and everything made sense. When she and her mom were a family, just the two of them against the world. But now her mom is gone most of the time, chasing the next marriage, bringing home the next stepfather. Anna is left on her own—until she discovers that she can make boys her family. From Desmond to Joey, Todd to Sam, Anna learns that if you give boys what they want, you can get what you need. But the price is high—the other kids make fun of her; the girls call her a slut. Anna's new friend, Toy, seems to have found a way around the loneliness, but Toy has her own secrets that even Anna can't know.

Then comes Sam. When Anna actually meets a boy who is more than just useful, whose family eats dinner together, laughs, and tells stories, the truth about love becomes clear. And she finally learns how it feels to have something to lose—and something to offer. Real, shocking, uplifting, and stunningly lyrical,  Uses for Boys  is a story of breaking down and growing up.

(Courtesy of Goodreads)

Uses For Boys came as a total shock for me.  I've mentioned before that YA Contemporary is not my favorite genre, and although the genre seems to top my annual "Best of" list every year, and although there are several authors of the genre who I call favorites, I dislike far more YA Contemporaries than I like.  It has to be something special for me to love it.  When this book arrived in my mailbox unexpectedly, I thought, "Oh! Pretty cover!", but I wasn't sure I would read it.  Then I saw it was blurbed by the fantastic Ellen Hopkins, who happens to be one of my favorites in any genre, and I was sold.

Here's the deal.  Uses For Boys is ugly.  It's raw, gritty, real, and heartbreaking.  The protagonist, Anna, is one that just tears you up.  She is disconnected and naive.  She is so lonely and desperate for love and attention, and she relies heavily on the only guidance she has ever received... The poor example of her self-absorbed, bed-hopping, several times married mother.  Her reality is stark, cold, and unforgiving, and although she experiences a small bit of light and hope through her sometimes friendship with Toy, and fledgling relationship with Sam, as the reader, I was left wondering if it would ever be enough.  When I picked this book up, my expectations were based on the cover, and the cover told to me expect a YA Romance.  Well, nothing could have been more misleading.  This book is a coming-of-age story about a girl who is coming of age under the harshest of circumstances.  Anna's voice was tragic and and crushingly despondent.  I had so many feelings while reading this book, and I have to say, that the good ones were few and far between.  I can't say that I enjoyed this book, because much of it was difficult to read, from a subject-matter standpoint, but I found it compelling nonetheless.  I thought it was extremely well written in a beautifully simple way that is not often found, especially in YA.

My Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ 

Grade Level Recommendation:  This book is for high school students and up.  There are harsh circumstances, many instances of drug and alcohol abuse, abortion, and many sexual encounters, including sexual assault.  I would say this book is best suited for ages 15 and up (grades 10 and up).

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Favorite Romances

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme brought to you by The Broke and the Bookish. Each week a new Top Ten list topic is posted and book bloggers fill in their own choices. I'm a list girl (as in, I don't function without them), so I thought this would be a good choice for me!  Now, it has been awhile since I've posted any memes because my time has been really stretched since I went back to work for the first time in 11 years, but I'm getting better at the time-management thing, and working back into a groove.  That said, I felt like this was a great week to pick 'Top Ten Tuesday' back up, because I just love this week's topic (which is funny because I'm really not the gushy, romantic type, and I absolutely DETEST Valentine's Day), so here goes...

YA Litwit's Top Ten Favorite Literary Romances

1.  Scarlett O'Hara and Rhett Butler from Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell~ Gone With the Wind is my all-time favorite book.  I've read it at least a half dozen times, and will undoubtedly read it many more, and the biggest reason I love it so much is the relationship between Scarlett and Rhett.  He is also my #1 book boyfriend.

2.  Mia and Adam from If I Stay and Where She Went by Gayle Forman~ I have so much love for this couple!  The ups and downs, and the way things come full-circle.  It was amazing to me how intensely the emotions could be portrayed on paper, and between two people so young. I cried big, ugly tears during both books, for different reasons, but I was always rooting for them to end up together.  Read my review of Where She Went HERE.

3.  Wanderer (Wanda) and Ian from The Host by Stephenie Meyer~ I know there are a lot of Twilight haters out there, but believe me, The Host is a different book, and if you didn't know better, you would swear it was written by a different author.  I loved The Host, and one the main reasons I did was that the relationship between these two characters was built on so much more than the mutual attraction that is the foundation of most YA romances.  They really had to get to know one another intimately in order to fall in love, and it took time and patience, and the experience of reading their growth as a couple was that much more rich because of it.

4.  Avry and Kerrick from Touch of Power and Scent of Magic by Maria V. Snyder~ This is a relatively new series, and one that hasn't gotten tons of attention, but let me tell you, it is amazing (especially if you are a Fantasy fan).  That said, the romance between these two is great.  No insta-love here, and that makes me happy.  Plus, Kerrick is sexy as hell.  Read my review of Touch of Power HERE and Scent of Magic HERE.

5.  Karou and Akiva from Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor~ It pains me that I haven't gotten a chance to read the sequel to this book, Days of Blood and Starlight, because I loved this book, and Karou and Akiva had so much to do with that.  If ever there was a pair of starcrossed lovers!  Wow! Will they come back together after the terrible truths that the first book revealed at the end?  Some of you know, but please don't tell me....  Read my review of Daughter of Smoke and Bone HERE.

6.  Katsa and Po from Graceling and Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore~ Love these books so much (and I know Fire is part of the trilogy, but Katsa and Po aren't much more than mentioned).  I adore Katsa, and Po is just...  Katsa is one lucky lady, because it is so evident in all that he does, that Po absolutely adores her with all he has.  It is also quite clear, although in Katsa's rather cool way, that she feels the same.  It's so easy to overdo the romantic element in a story, and Kristin gets it just right.

7.  Anne Shirley and Gilbert Blythe from Anne of Green Gables, Anne of Avonlea, etc. by L.M. Montgomery~  Gilbert Blythe was my very first book boyfriend at the tender age of nine.  I thought he was the perfect boy.  He accepted Anne for who she was, and was just adorable in my imagination.  Add to that the innocence that is so lacking in today's world (and even in the world on nine-year-old me), and I was completely enamored.  Anne and Gilbert's relationship is one that created an almost impossible standard for any boy in my real life to live up to.  36 year old me still swoons a little for Gilbert.

8.  Lena and Ethan from The Caster Chronicles by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl~ Another starcrossed couple who I adore.  How anyone could even dare to compare them to Edward and Bella, I don't know.  I only pray that the Beautiful Creatures movie stacks up well to the book, and that the on-screen chemistry between the leads is even close to as electrifying as it was in my imagination.  I'm sad that this series is over, but I'm sure both authors have other great romances up their sleeves...  Read my reviews of Beautiful Creatures and Beautiful Darkness HERE.

9.  Tessa and Will and/or Tessa and Jem from The Infernal Devices by Cassandra Clare~  I have never been so conflicted over a love triangle.  Usually I LOATHE them, and in a way this one is no exception, but the difference here is that I also love this one.  I could see Tessa with either of them, so I guess it will come down to how Clockwork Princess pans out.  Read my review of Clockwork Prince HERE.

10.  Magnus and Alec from The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare~ I think most would feature Clary and Jace on this list, and don't get me wrong, I love them, but Magnus and Alec hold my heart for this series.  Cassie Clare can write romance, because I think she gets human emotion, whether it's hetero or not, love is love...  I adore this couple and I truly hope they end up together forever. Read my review of City of Fallen Angels HERE, and my review of City of Lost Souls HERE.

Runners-Up

(because I just could NOT leave these ones out)

Izzy and Simon from The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare

Jace and Clary from The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare
Ana and Sam from Incarnate by Jodi Meadows (REVIEW)
Anna and St. Clair from Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins
Lola and Cricket from Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins (REVIEW)
Ron and Hermione from Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling
Emerson and Michael from Hourglass (REVIEW) and Timepiece (REVIEW)by Myra McEntire

So... These are my Top Ten (err... 17) Favorite Literary Romances.  Are there ones that you believe should be on this list?  Do you agree with any (or all) of mine?  Do tell!

**Don't forget to enter my GIVEAWAY for a hardcover copy of NOBODY and a paperback copy of EVERY OTHER DAY, by Jennifer Lynn Barnes, by clicking HERE!! Ends Sunday, February 17th. USA/Canada**

GIVEAWAY! Win TWO Books by Jennifer Lynn Barnes!

I am so pleased to be able to offer up a great little prize pack to one of my lucky followers!

Up for grabs are two great books by Jennifer Lynn Barnes!  In case you are unfamiliar with her work, she is the author of more than ten books, including the popular Raised by Wolves trilogy (Raised by Wolves, Trial by Fire, Taken by Storm), and the two books offered up today!

 The winner will receive a hardcover copy of her latest release, NOBODY, which is a Sci-Fi/Paranormal unlike anything else I've read (read my review HERE), AND a paperback copy of the fabulous EVERY OTHER DAY, which is a Paranormal Thriller with a truly kick-ass heroine (read my review HERE). 

To learn more about Jen, you can visit her BLOG or view some of her videos at EgmontUSA's YouTube Channel.

This giveaway is open to followers with mailing addresses within the US and Canada, and ends Sunday, February 17th.

Best of luck!

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ARC Review: Nobody by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Publisher:  EgmontUSA

Publication Date:  January 22nd, 2013

There are people in this world who are Nobody. No one sees them. No one notices them. They live their lives under the radar, forgotten as soon as you turn away. 

That’s why they make the perfect assassins.

The Institute finds these people when they’re young and takes them away for training. But an untrained Nobody is a threat to their organization. And threats must be eliminated.

Sixteen-year-old Claire has been invisible her whole life, missed by the Institute’s monitoring. But now they’ve ID’ed her and send seventeen-year-old Nix to remove her. Yet the moment he lays eyes on her, he can’t make the hit. It’s as if Claire and Nix are the only people in the world for each other. And they are—because no one else ever notices them.

(Courtesy of Goodreads)

When I got the review request for Nobody, I was really excited.  I had only ever read one of Jennifer Lynn Barnes's books, Every Other Day, and I LOVED it (read my review HERE).  I was super-excited when I received it in the mail, and then I went to Goodreads to mark it as a "Currently Reading" book, and stopped dead in my tracks...  There were some downright awful reviews on this book, and many were from bloggers I know and respect.  That left me torn.  Do I read it because I've already committed to it, even though I really don't want to now?  Do I just skip it, and read something else?  What to do?  Clocking in at 400 pages, it was a book I was really reluctant to bother with if I was going to hate it...  Well, the conscientious side of me won out- I accepted the review request, and I was going to keep my word, and at the very least, read it...  Well, I'm glad I did, because I really liked Nobody (I also affirmed my policy to not post reviews of 2-star and lower books on my blog for fear of turning off someone who might have loved the book I hated).  I didn't love it quite as much as I did Every Other Day, but I thought it was a great, entertaining story that was well worth the time spent, even at 400 pages.

I found the premise of Nobody quite intriguing.  Basically, Nobodies are people that go through life without the world around them noticing that they are even there.  They aren't physically invisible, but they might as well be.  They can even commit murder in a crowd of people without anyone even processing that they were present.  No witnesses, which makes them perfect assassins...  Nix is a Nobody and has been trained his entire life to be just that.  He is unparalleled at what he does, until he is sent to take out Claire.  Claire is also a Nobody, although she has gone through life without knowing this.  All she knows is that people, even her parents, don't seem to notice her.  Then one day she gets this feeling that someone is watching her- a feeling utterly foreign to her- and she sees her would-be assassin, and he sees her.  They REALLY SEE each other, and that doesn't happen to either, EVER.  Because Nix is so thrown by this realization, he botches the attempt, and the story moves forward from there...  We learn there are other types of people besides Nobodies; There are Nulls, who are their opposite- larger than life, charismatic, and can bend anyone to their will without any effort at all.  Then there are the Sensors, who are the only ones who can see Nobodies and Nulls for who what they are.  The Institute has a long history of using Sensors to keep the normal people, the general public, blind to such abnormalities.  The Institute, however, is rife with corruption and secrets, and as things unfold in this book, it becomes a very compulsive read, and I found it nearly impossible to put down for a variety of reasons.  The plot moved quickly and made sense of what could have come across as nonsensical if it hadn't been so expertly executed.  Claire and Nix were great characters, and both grew on me tremendously as the story progressed.  Some reviewers complained about their inability to connect with either of them, but I think that was part of the appeal for me.  It's hard to connect with a person who has never really experienced any kind of human connection.  That person is going to seem somewhat flat to people who have had the joy of human bonding and the myriad of emotions that go along with it.   I found myself really absorbed in the growth both characters showed through experiencing a bond with another human for the first time.  I enjoyed seeing things through their eyes, feeling how they felt going through life alone and unnoticed, and then finding  one another, and for the first time feeling seen, and more importantly, feeling connected.  Normally, I detest insta-love or attraction, but in this case it is more than reasonable.  This book isn't all romance though.  Not even close.  It is action, conspiracy, mystery, and a full on story of survival.  Anyone who enjoys a fast-paced sci-fi adventure, that really makes you wonder if things aren't always as they seem, will enjoy Nobody.  I honestly can't, for the life of me, figure out why the negative reviews...

My Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ 

Grade Level Recommendation:  This book was graphically violent at times, and there was some sex, although not graphic in nature, by any stretch.  I would say this book is best suited for grades 7 and up (ages 12+), although as a more liberal parent, I would gladly allow my 6th grader to read it.

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ARC Review: The Archived by Victoria Schwab

Publisher:  Disney-Hyperion

Publication Date:  January 22nd, 2013

Imagine a place where the dead rest on shelves like books.

Each body has a story to tell, a life seen in pictures that only Librarians can read. The dead are called Histories, and the vast realm in which they rest is the Archive.

Da first brought Mackenzie Bishop here four years ago, when she was twelve years old, frightened but determined to prove herself. Now Da is dead, and Mac has grown into what he once was, a ruthless Keeper, tasked with stopping often—violent Histories from waking up and getting out. Because of her job, she lies to the people she loves, and she knows fear for what it is: a useful tool for staying alive.

Being a Keeper isn’t just dangerous—it’s a constant reminder of those Mac has lost. Da’s death was hard enough, but now her little brother is gone too. Mac starts to wonder about the boundary between living and dying, sleeping and waking. In the Archive, the dead must never be disturbed. And yet, someone is deliberately altering Histories, erasing essential chapters. Unless Mac can piece together what remains, the Archive itself might crumble and fall.

In this haunting, richly imagined novel, Victoria Schwab reveals the thin lines between past and present, love and pain, trust and deceit, unbearable loss and hard-won redemption.

(Courtesy of Goodreads)

I read this book quite awhile ago, but just haven't been able to review it.  I've written several versions out longhand, but nothing ever seemed good enough.  That said, I am not going to promise a great review, because I honestly don't think I can properly do this amazing story justice.  Here is my attempt...

When I finished reading The Archived back in November, my brief Goodreads review read, "Absolute perfection!  I know it's only November of 2012, but I predict that this will make my 'Best of 2013' list!".  As of now, it is still in the number one spot and holding strong.  The Archived just had so much going for it.  The writing was superb, the story was fantastic, and the characters were amazing.  It was packed with so much emotion, yet still had enough action, adventure, mystery, and intrigue that it never felt heavy, and never, ever stalled.

The thing that I loved the most about this book was its originality.  Books, in general, fall into genres because they mostly draw off of the same themes.  This applies especially to YA; If something gets a lot of attention, it gets beaten to death (look at all the vampire books that came out in the wake of Twilight's success, dystopians on the heels of The Hunger Games).  Sure, authors build on these themes, and make them their own, and I'm not saying that there haven't been amazing books written because of this type of inspiration, because there HAVE been, but I absolutely love it when a TRULY original idea comes along to knock my socks off.  Victoria Schwab did this when she wrote The Archived.  I loved the idea that when a person dies, the details of who that person was and the life they lead- their history- is archived by Historian, to be read by Librarians.  I loved that there is a legacy left behind by each person, whether they knew it or not.  As you all know, I am a lover of books (duh).  That said, the idea of the history of every person being shelved and possibly read and learned from, like a book, sometime in the future, really appealed to me.  I knew from the moment I saw the synopsis that I needed to read it, and I don't think I've ever jumped for joy over receiving an ARC in the mail like I did when I received this one (Thanks SO much, Disney Publishing!).

So this book has a great idea behind it.  I read books that start with a great idea, and fail when it comes to execution, all the time.  Did this one?  No effing way!  Here's why...

• The Characters:  Every single character, no matter how big or small their role was, made a difference in this book.  There wasn't one who was inconsequential, and I think that had a tremendous amount to do with Victoria's characterization.  She made them count.  In fact, some of the characters I went through the book believing to be "minor" turned out to be anything but...  That said, I really formed attachments to the two main characters.  Mackenzie (Mac), our protagonist, was fabulously drawn.  Very human on a very emotional level, but quite kick-ass as well, in her determination to be the best at her job as a Keeper (someone who makes sure Histories who are awoken don't escape the Narrows- an in-between place- into the real world), and eventually make Crew, like her late grandfather.  Her job is incredibly dangerous, very lonely, and quite thankless to boot.  Add to that the fact that she and her parents are dealing with the sudden death of her younger brother, and she is especially fragile.  Then there was Wesley...  *swoon*  Another Keeper close to Mac's age, Wesley is the perfect person to bring her intensity down a level.  She meets him when her family moves to The Coronado, and old hotel with a lot of history, and apparently, a good number of Histories lurking in its Narrows as well.  Which brings me to the setting...
• The World Building:  The Archived is VERY character and plot driven, and honestly, I probably wouldn't have noticed much if Victoria had chosen to neglect the element of world building and setting.  That said, the fact that she spent the time to really give us a rich, descriptive world for this story... I love her for it.  The Coronado reminded me of a very old woman, who you can tell was once a great beauty, by her grace and the vestiges of charm and elegance that you see in her eyes and smile.  I love buildings with history and Victoria did an outstanding job bringing this place to life.  The same is true for the Archive itself.  The pictures I had in my imagination of this library where the Histories were stored, and the layout of it! I was astounded by the detail her words brought forth in my mind.  Finally, the Narrows.  A nightmare on paper...
• The Plot/Pacing/Story:  I will admit that the first couple chapters were slow for me, but after I got through them, it was abundantly clear how necessary those initial chapters and their slow build were.  Once the story did pick up, I felt a undeniable compulsion to keep reading.  The pacing was great, with just the right amount of information held back, to keep me turning pages, with reveals happening at the perfect times, to never leave me feeling frustrated.  As I said early in this review, the story had uniqueness in spades.  So brilliantly different from anything I've ever read.  It makes me want to take up residence in Victoria Schwab's imagination for a day or two (especially given The Archived's vast departure in genre from her debut, The Near Witch).
• The Relationships/Romance:  Although part of the story, which I addressed above, I felt like I had to address these elements separately   First off, can we say, "Yay!" for no love triangles?  Yes, there is a sort-of whisper of one, but it never felt like a true love triangle to me because I don't think it ever felt that way to Mac.  Secondly, I loved that there was no insta-love.  Mac actually questions her feelings about Wesley more than once, wondering if they weren't more to to with the fact that he could relate to her and what she does, and whether they were more out of loneliness than actual romantic inclinations.  I felt like that showed a level of maturity that I wish was present in more YA.  That aside, I really enjoyed the relationship between Mac and Wesley and I can't wait to see where it leads in book number two.  As for the other relationships, I felt intense emotions as it related to Mac's relationship with her grandfather, Da, from whom she took over her Keeper position.  He trained her and vouched for her, even when the powers that be felt she was too young.  He wasn't the warm and fuzzy type, but still made her feel loved, but also left her t figure a lot of what she does out on her own, which made things quite complicated.  Same was true for her connections to her parents and late brother.  Her feelings toward her brother were intense and heartbreaking, and while her feelings toward her parents were strained because of her brother's untimely death and their difficulty coping with it, they were very real.  I also wanted to touch on Mac's relationship with Roland, her sort-of mentor at the Archive.  Another rather complex one, full of secrets, but very rich for its intricacies.  There were some very key twists involving Roland, and I'm glad I paid attention to him from the beginning.  Finally, there was Owen.  I'm not going to say a whole lot about him, but he is a major player in this story, and the emotions he brings forth are puzzling, at best, which is why I found myself so drawn to his story, as it related to Mac's feelings toward him.

Well- that was exhausting, as I actually ended up writing an entirely different review than the any of the ones I had written out longhand.  It turned out to be a conglomerate of all of them... I guess if you get nothing else from this review, get this... YOU MUST READ THIS BOOK!  It is brilliant and it really is perfection.  Victoria Schwab experienced no "sophomore slump" with The Archived!  She will forevermore join the ranks of  likes of David Levithan, John Green, Cassandra Clare, Libba Bray, Ellen Hopkins, and Neal Shusterman, as an author whose books I will read without needing to know anything except that she wrote them.  (Pretty good for someone with two published books under her belt!)

My Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★++++ 

Grade Level Recommendation:  This book is perfectly fine for MS readers and up.  I would even give it to a lot of 5th graders, because content-wise, it is fine.  That said, I think the ideas behind it would be more intriguing to the more mature readers.  Ages 10 and up (5th grade+).

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