(Blog Tour) Book Review: The Vyne

The Vyne: Mystery of the Hidden Ember by Daniel Walls

Description and cover art courtesy of Goodreads.

Publication Date: 3 January 2011

I received a copy of The Vyne from the author as a participant in the Teen {Book} Scene Blog Tour.



DESCRIPTION
A chilling, heart-wrenching tale of colliding worlds and forbidden love, The Vyne reinvents steampunk-fantasy for a whole new generation.


MY THOUGHTS

The Tweet
The Vyne mixes adventure, romance and a fantastic villain to create a solid YA steampunk-fantasy novel.

What Worked (for me)
What I liked most about The Vyne was how character rich the story was. Despite being the villain, I really like the character of Count LePrey. He believed in his ideals and convictions so much that he wasn't able to see the difference between right and wrong. He was willing to do anything to accomplish his means, even killing.

I also liked the steampunk-fantasy aspect of the story. I've been wanting to read more of this genre and was interested in The Vyne because it sounded like a great example. And it was. I loved the world building and experiencing a different society and culture through reading the story.

What Didn't Work (for me)
My only disappointment with The Vyne is that I didn't feel much investment or connection with the main characters of Scar and Ash. Not only as individuals, but also as a couple. I thought it was a little unrealistic that Ash fell in love with Scar so fast and so easily. While this non-connection did affect my feelings for the book as a whole, I still enjoyed the adventures that Ash and Scar found themselves in.

Overall
The Vyne is a good steampunk-fantasy novel and I think fans of that genre would enjoy this book. Despite it being a little confusing at times, the predicaments that Scar and Ash find themselves in (and the characters they meet on the way) make a good story.

MY RATING IS 3 STARS

Interested in getting your own copy of The Vyne? Then fill out the form below! One lucky winner will receive their own copy of The Vyne. Contest open internationally until 18 February 2011.

(ARC) Book Review: Tutored

Tutored by Allison Whittenberg

Publication Date: 14 December 2010

I received a copy of this book through Star Book Tours.


Description
Wendy Anderson and Hakiam Powell are at opposite ends of the spectrum—the social spectrum, the financial spectrum, the opportunity spectrum, you name it. Wendy lives in an all-white suburb of Philadelphia, where she’s always felt like the only chip in the cookie. Her dad, who fought his way out of the ghetto, doesn’t want her mingling with “those people.” In fact, all Wendy’s life, her father has told her how terrible “those people” are. He even objects to Wendy’s plan to attend a historically black college. But Wendy feels that her race is more than just the color of her skin, and she takes a job tutoring at an inner-city community center to get a more diverse perspective on life.

Hakiam has never lived in one place for more than a couple of years. When he aged out of foster care in Ohio, he hopped a bus to Philly to start over, but now he’s broke, stuck taking care of his cousin’s premature baby for no pay, and finding it harder than ever to stay out of trouble. When he meets Wendy at the tutoring center, he thinks she’s an uppity snob—she can’t possibly understand his life. But as he gets to know her better, he sees a softer side. And eventually—much to the chagrin of Wendy’s father and Hakiam’s cousin—they begin a rocky, but ultimately enlightening, romance.


My Review
Loved: The fact that Allison Whittenberg has written a book that features POC (People Of Color) as the main characters. Tutored is a breath of fresh air in a genre where most of the books written and published center around Caucasian characters. Whittenberg explores how the lives of African-Americans from different classes can be very divergent. I also loved how the author showed that even though Wendy was well off and did not want for most things, this did not necessarily mean that she was happy. Being the only African-American in her suburban neighborhood was difficult for her.

Liked: The contrast of Wendy's father's character with Hakiam. Wendy's father had grown up in a bad neighborhood and had used this as motivation to improve his situation as an adult. While I didn't agree with his attitude regarding other blacks who lived in the same conditions he grew up in, I liked how he used his poor upbringing to inspire himself to do better and be successful in adulthood. In contrast, Hakiam didn't seem to have any motivation to improve his situation. He felt that this was his future and he just needed to accept it. Whittenberg was able to capture the two different ideals that poor African-Americans have today.

Disliked: I did not feel much of a connection with Wendy's character. With Hakiam, readers were able to see his development, especially in terms of his relationship with his niece, Malikia, but I just didn't feel that Wendy developed much as a character from who she was in the beginning of the story.

Overall: I loved the concept of this story, but I wish that I could have felt more of a connection with the characters, especially Wendy. I think a little more character development could have gone a long way to making this an excellent example of a great story featuring POC.


My Rating: 3 stars

Picture and description courtesy of Goodreads.

Book Review: Witch and Wizard

Witch and Wizard by James Patterson and Gabrielle Charbonnet

Publication Date: 8 October 2009

I purchased this book.


Description
Everything is about to change. The government has seized control of every aspect of society, and now kids are disappearing. For 15 year-old Wisty and her older brother Whit, life turns upside-down when they are hauled out of bed one night, separated from their parents, and thrown into a secret compound for no apparent reason. It's clear that the new government will stop at nothing to suppress Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Being a Normal Teenager.

For the sister and brother, the chaos started when Whit's girlfriend, Celia, was spirited away in a black van, never to be seen or heard from again. Locked inside their cells, the two fear that they have been taken to the very same complex that swallowed Celia and realize that a daring escape is their only hope of survival.

While imprisoned together, Wisty and Whit start exhibiting strange abilities and powers they never knew they possessed. Their new talents lead them to believe that maybe there is a reason they were singled out. Can this newly minted witch and a wizard master their skills in time to save themselves, their parents--and maybe the world?


My Review
Witch and Wizard is an entertaining book that introduces readers into the world of Wisteria (Wisty) and Whitford (Whit) Allgood, two siblings who are accused of being a witch and wizard and imprisoned.

I enjoyed reading this book, but felt there was very little character development. The action scenes are great, but I would have liked to learn more about Whit and Wisty personally. And there is virtually no background on how their society was formed. How was the totalitarian government created? What event or events made it easy for the government to subjugate the citizens? Most dystopian fiction has some starting point as to how the society changed from a democracy into what it is now. Not so with Witch and Wizard. I think the story would have had more depth if there was some explanation and greater character development.

The thing I did like was how the authors took current places and people and changed the names to fit into the idea of an alternate world. References were made to everything from books - The Pitcher in the Wheat (Catcher in the Rye) to music - The Groaning Bones (The Rolling Stones) to museums - POPA (MOMA). The humor behind some of the alternate names or places brought a smile to my face and added a little extra snark to the book.

Witch and Wizard is not a stand alone book. No conclusion was made, and in fact, it reads as more of an introduction into the Witch and Wizard series. While there was a lot of action, very little in the way of events occurred. The majority of the book details Whit and Wisty's imprisonment and subsequent jailbreak. I'm interested in seeing what occurs in the second book. I would hope that readers will learn more about Whit and Wisty, as well as the background of the society they live in. This series could have the potential to be really great if there is more of this in the second book. With the name James Patterson on the cover, I definitely expected a better story.


My Rating: 3 stars

Description and picture courtesy of Goodreads.



Witch and Wizard Book Trailer

Book Review: Nocturne

Nocturne by L.D. Harkrader

I received a copy of this book from Star Book Tours.

Publication Date: 8 June 2010


Description
Flannery Lane is tired of being protected by her Uncle Anatole. After years of studying magic in the back of his bookshop, she's ready for an adventure of her own. Then one day, strange things start happening. A burglar breaks into the butcher's shop, stealing nothing, but leaving the floors sparkling clean. Soon the seamstress's apprentice vanishes on her way home, leaving behind only a shoe still laced at the top. And then worst of all, Uncle Anatole disappears. That night, a young vampire hunter named Pascoe knocks urgently on the bookshop door. Pascoe insists there is a vampire lurking in nearby Blakely Hall. Flanders looks deep into Pascoe's gorgeous eyes and finds herself agreeing to help him. As Flanders tracks the vampire, her feelings for Pascoe grow until she stumbles upon a secret that turns everything she thought she knew about Pascoe--and herself--upside down.


My Review
Despite the jacket copy, Nocturne is more about magic than vampires. In fact, Pascoe, the vampire hunter, is more of a secondary character and his story is not delved into in much detail. Nocturne is really about Flannery Lane, her search for information on her real parents and the powerful magic she possesses.

I liked the tone that Nocturne is written in. It is not a traditional fantasy novel, but instead reads like a Grimms' fairy tale or similar story. This may not appeal to some, but as a lover of fairy tales, especially those with a dark side to them, I felt it made the story refreshing and gave a different view to the predictable vampire tale. I also liked the character of Flannery Lane. She is written as a strong young female who is not afraid to follow her instincts, even when they go against what her uncle has told her. While this does lead her into trouble, it also presents her with an adventure that in turn reveals her true identity. The one thing I would have liked to read more about is Pascoe. I was intrigued by his circumstances and would have enjoyed learning more about his past and how he got to be the person he is.

Nocturne is a fast and easy read. Although it is classified as a young adult novel, I feel it would appeal more to middle grade readers based on the language in the book, the tone and the way the story plays out. I also feel the ending left a little too much up in the air. This seems as if it may be part of a series because, as a standalone novel, it left too many loose ends at the conclusion.


My Rating: 3 stars

Description and picture courtesy of Goodreads.

Book Review: Manifest

Manifest by Artist Arthur

I received an ARC of this book through We Love YA Tours.

Publication Date: 01 August 2010


Description
When fifteen-year-old Krystal Bentley moves to Lincoln, Connecticut, her mom's hometown, she assumes her biggest drama will be adjusting to the burbs after living in New York City.

But Lincoln is nothing like Krystal imagined. The weirdness begins when Ricky Watson starts confiding in her. He's cute, funny, a good listener—and everything she'd ever want—except that he was killed nearly a year ago. Krystal's ghost-whispering talents soon lead other "freaks" to her door—Sasha, a rich girl who can literally disappear, and Jake, who moves objects with his mind. All three share a distinctive birthmark in the shape of an M and, fittingly, call themselves the Mystyx. They set out to learn what really happened to Ricky, only to realize that they aren't the only ones with mysterious powers. But if Krystal succeeds in finding out the truth about Ricky's death, will she lose him for good?


My Review
Manifest, the debut novel of author, Artist Arthur, tells a unique paranormal teen story. I really liked the concept of this book, but I felt there could have been more character development for Krystal. She comes off as kind of spoiled, always complaining about her mom and step-father. I did feel that her personality became more positive by the end of the book, but that personally it was hard to relate to Krystal as a character.

On the other hand, this is the perfect young adult read. Arthur has managed to truly capture the voice of a teenager. While some of the vocabulary and sentence structure seemed more middle grade than young adult, I liked how authentic Krystal and her friends' characters came off.

I also liked how normal (besides the supernatural powers) Krystal and her friends' lives were. They went to school, had family issues, etc. Some paranormal teen novels are so focused on advancing the plot and creating conflict that everyday activities fall to the wayside. For me, having characters, "go through the motions" so to speak, of normal days despite what may be happening makes a story more realistic. Sometimes I'm reading a young adult book and wondering, why aren't these kids in school or when are they going to eat or they haven't slept in days. It may sound trivial, but it can make a huge difference in my reading enjoyment.

As a debut novel, Artist Arthur has written a good story. I have no doubt that she will improve as a writer and I look forward to seeing how she continues the Mystyx series.


My Rating: 3 stars

Picture and description courtesy of Goodreads.


Manifest Book Trailer