Review: Eve Hallows and the Book of Shrieks by Robert Gray

Publication Date: November 8^th, 2011

Createspace

Format: Paperback, 252 pages

RATING: 4 out of 5 Stars

SUMMARY

For fourteen-year-old Eve Hallows, life can be summed up in one word—horrible. She has the most horrible friends. She lives in a horrible old castle. Even her family is a bunch of horrible monsters.

However, in the monster-inhabited world of Gravesville—a world where messages are sent through Ouija boards, jack-o’-lanterns get facials to suit their moods, and the worst thing Eve has to deal with are those annoying zombie tourists who overrun her favorite graveyard during the Halloween season—horrible means wonderful. And everything for Eve is perfectly horrible.

But her life is about to go head over heels when a mysterious group known as The Source starts terrorizing Gravesville. Now she must move to the human world—where everything is opposite ... and for Eve, that's absolutely adorable!

Eve’s family is on the move; away from Gravesville, away from the comfort and familiarity of the life she’d ever known. Being the only human living among monsters, she predicted life in the human world would turn out ‘adorably’ wrong. When she found out the real reason why her family is in escrow, she reluctantly accepted that they didn’t have a choice. She only hopes that her gorgon of a mother could resist not turning anyone into stone, or her father wouldn’t have to shift too often into another life form. She also worried about her ghoul of a brother Sam, who has to learn to adapt to a cemetery devoid of other monsters he normally plays with. But above all things, her family’s biggest problem is finding the humans responsible for murdering vampire families. Little by little, Eve’s list of suspects starts to grow, clues started to manifest and at the crux of the mystery, the real motive why a group of humans called The Source, is determined to obtain the book shrieks - a powerful book that has the ability to create scary, evil monsters. 

This book was an absolutely delightful read! I’ve never really been much of an MG reader but I was pleasantly surprised how much I enjoyed it. Is it wrong to say that I expected the onset of boredom when I first read the synopsis? It’s horrible, I know. I kid you not, once I got going, the pages flew in no time. The perfectly paced sequence of events made this book a fast read (a good indication that my kid will absolutely love this!). 

The author captured the voice of a fourteen year-old human girl mixed up in a family of monsters. There's a lot of matter-of-fact humor, which are sometimes not even supposed to be funny. The writing is very straight-forward, which I think had something to do with the author’s intent on giving Eve a genuine voice (trust me, he succeeded in spades). I love the family dynamics between the lone human and the monsters; it was cute and endearing. 

VERDICT: Eve Hallows is highly imaginative without being too complex for its target audience.

Fall in love with Eve, her friends and her family of adorable monsters. Lose yourself in a light read that will remind you of those days when your English teacher just want you to read something, anything. This book is it. The one that you wish you read when you were in grade school. I for one, am pushing my daughter to read this and you know what? She didn't need much convincing once she saw me laughing at some of Eve's antics. 

In My Mailbox #33

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by The Story Siren, which showcases the books we've purchased, borrowed and received in the mail this week. This is the 33rd episode of HOARDERS, Books Edition.

________________________________________________________________________

FOR REVIEW

Changeling by Philippa Gregory

The Wicked and the Just by J. Anderson Coats

(Much love to Simon & Schuster Canada, Thomas Allen)

 (Much love to NET GALLEY, Hyperion, Edgmont, Harlequin and Angry Robot)

FROM Anne Eliot 

Gah. This woman knows GRATITUDE. Seriously. She's so great! 

Three signed copies of Almost, a Thank You card and a necklace. I have no words. Speechless.

Storm (The Elemental Series) by Bridgid Kemmerer

The Story of Us by Deb Caletti

Unraveling by Elizabeth Norris

Masque of the Red Death by Bethany Griffin

The Selection by Kiera Cass

The Last Echo by Kimberly Derting (2 copies - don't ask.)

The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa (2 copies - don't ask.)

Social Suicide by Gemma Halliday (not in the picture)

Jasper Jones by Craig Silvey

7 Clues to Winning You by Kristin Walker

Darkest Knight by Karen Duvall

The List by Siobhan Vivian

The Drowned Cities by Paolo Bacigalupi

Revived by Cat Patrick

Liberator by Richard Harland

The Rising (Department 19) by Will Hill

The Vampire Shrink by Lynda Hilburn

What's in your mailbox?

My Two Cents

You'd have to be living under a rock not be abreast of what's been going on lately. I normally sit here with popcorn and watch the drama unfolds but I thought that I'm doing a disservice to anyone who cared enough for my opinion on things if I'll continue to sit idly by. So here are my two cents - and they're only probably worth that much. 

On The Story Siren's Plagiarism

YES, she committed the greatest no-no in this community and the literary world. 

YES, I'm disappointed. 

YES, she lost some of my respect.

Her credibility and integrity have now been put into spotlight. A lot of us are left to question just how much of her opinion would now matter to us. Sadly, I admired her - truly. But in light of the events this week, I am looking at her differently.

Having said that, I am also very disappointed with the way some of us reacted. She was crucified; some were like vultures, picking her apart while she was flayed in the open. Well, I am not going to that. Does that mean I support plagiarists? NO. Hell. NO. It means I'm going to take her gravest sin and learn from it. 

Am I going to stop doing IMM as a protest to her blog? NO. I've always called mine Hoarders anyway. If I ever do decide in the future to go and create my own, I'm going to give credit where credit is due. To the bloggers who started their own versions: Good for you. I just hope you won't miss the fact that your versions are still inspired by hers and Pop Culture Junkie's IMM. If you think that by leaving IMM as a part of my regular posts is an act in support of plagiarists, well, I can't do anything about that. That's entirely your opinion. I've learned that we, humans are pretty much set in our ways; once an opinion is formed, there's no taking it back or dissuading us to the contrary. I believe Mr. Darcy said something to that effect. Smart man.

On The Fifty Shades Series

I'm a big supporter of authors who are starting out, regardless of their beginnings. I followed this fan fiction religiously. Was I surprised when she decided to publish? NO. Was I surprised by the unbelievable popularity it’s been getting? YES. It’s mind blowing. Love them or hate them, Twi-hards are and will always be an incredible army of support for those fan fiction authors.

But the books are not for everyone. Don't like it? Don't buy it. Don't read it. Simple as that. Is she riding the coattails of Stephenie Meyer's Twilight? YES. Do I think she's infringing on SM's work? No. Reality is, The Fifty Shades characters are not vampires, not werewolves. They're all human. Try to ignore the fact that these books are based on fan fiction, and what do you get? I know it’s impossible. But it is what it is. Many are crying foul and copyright infringement. I am still at a lost.

I loved the fan fiction. I loved the books. Were they perfectly written? NO. To be honest, I'm really not a good judge. I’m only a technical reader when the mistakes are glaringly obvious. I don't nit pick and I'm sorry that when I read them, I didn't know any better. But in my opinion, the series did their job. I read to escape; to read a reality that I know will never be for me. I've read them but never did review them. It's a difficult task; I have a conscientious duty to always be honest on my reviews. I fear I cannot do that with these books.  She's not the first fan fiction writer who pulled their work for publishing. But because she's gotten astronomically popular, she's become an example of what not to be, somewhat. I believe this happened to Cassandra Clare with her Mortal Instruments series. Question still remains, is it theirs or not? 

I have questioned how E.L. James feels about this - the fact that it is and it isn’t an original fiction. How much creds can I give an author whose characters were inspired by another person's work? Not much. But cheers on her successes and good luck on her future endeavors. My fervent hope is that she writes something that she can truly call her own and that it will be just as successful.

On Authors Behaving Badly.

All I can say is, I quickly lose my respect for authors who can't handle criticisms well. I also think that there are harsh reviews out there. But heck, it's the nature of the business. Give and take, people. Let’s just learn to co-exist and not turn our love for reading into something nasty.

The Things I learned About the Community and Myself.

• Dog eat dog.
• Respect is hard to earn.
• No matter how hard I work on my reviews, it probably won’t mean much - because good reviews will not get me followers. And I’m okay with that. Follow me because you’re interested in what I have to say, not because I’m bribing you.
• I can’t read under the pressure of obligation.
• I need to STOP requesting ARCs. 

Much Love,

Joy xoxo.

Review: Run From Fear by Jami Alden

Publication Date: February 28^th, 2012

Grand Central Publishing

Format: E-ARC, Net Galley

RATING: 3 out of 5 Stars

SUMMARY

With each step she takes, he tracks her every move, waiting for the perfect time. The perfect revenge. Until then, he'll watch her . . .

RUN FROM FEAR

More than anything, Talia Vega wanted to leave behind her harrowing past. Moving eight hundred miles away, she succeeded . . until the one man who knows her darkest secrets wanders into the restaurant where she works. Now the agonizing memories come crashing back-along with an undeniable desire for Jack Brooks, the ex-Green Beret who rescued her from a sadistic monster two years ago.

Jack Brooks knows that showing up unannounced is a purely selfish move. Talia doesn't need his protection anymore, but he can't get the raven-haired beauty out of his mind. And when a twisted madman is hell-bent on resurrecting her torturous past, Jack vows to do anything to keep her safe-even risk his own life to save the only woman he's ever loved.

Two years after Talia Vega survived the harrowing kidnapping and torture from the hands of a psychotic, sadistic serial killer, she was managing a semblance of life that she put together for her and her sister, Rosario. She was content for the most part until a man from her past showed up bringing with him some memories and feelings she wished were buried right along with the man who almost killed her. She’d rather not owe Jack Brooks any more than she owed her life, but when a copycat serial killer started targeting young women with the same MO as her tormentor, she didn’t have a choice but to turn to him again.

I didn’t realize this book was a series when I requested it from Net Galley. The premise was interesting and I was looking forward to the romance angle. The hero and the reluctant damsel in distress caught my attention right away.

This was when I realize that perhaps bypassing books 1 and 2 was not such a good idea after all. I didn’t have any in with these two characters – didn’t know what they were like in the previous books. I liked the innate chemistry between the two, however, the attraction seem a bit imbalanced. Jack seemed more into Talia than she was.

Talia is a frustrating character to read; she was too prideful. I think there are strong female characters and then there are those who are just too stubborn to accept help. I get that Jack took his guardian role to the extreme but Talia seemed too caught up reading into his intentions.

I was able to follow the story for the most part; I never once felt lost while reading. Sure there were characters that I wished I knew beforehand but I credit the author for quickly glancing over the previous books just enough to be able to go along. 

VERDICT: I don’t read much suspense geared toward the adult audience (sad, I know), so this one had some pretty disturbing scenarios, in my opinion. I think the author has a great ability for this genre and I’m willing to spend some money to check out her other works.  

Review: Point of Retreat by Colleen Hoover

Publication Date: February 25^th, 2012

Self-Published

Format: Kindle Edition

RATING: 4 out of 5 Stars

SUMMARY

A follow-up novel to Slammed, by Colleen Hoover.

Hardships and heartache brought them together…now it will tear them apart.

Layken and Will have proved their love can get them through anything; until someone from Will’s past re-emerges, leaving Layken questioning the very foundation on which their relationship was built. Will is forced to face the ultimate challenge…how to prove his love for a girl who refuses to stop ‘carving pumpkins.’

This book happened some months after Slammed; dust settled, they lost their mom, Will and Lake are working hand in hand to keep their little household together but NOT. They're parents, older siblings, protectors, care-givers; sometimes, keeping a relationship intact was hard but they must do what they have to do. The clichè, "life throws you curve balls" couldn't be any more appropriate for these two.  

Point of Retreat pretty much followed the same formula used in Slammed; beautiful prose, hilarious situations, snarky dialogues. I was almost bored to tears. Almost but not really. Heh.

I just want to say that I’ve fast become a fan of Ms. Hoover. It can’t be that easy trying to sustain the awesomeness of Slammed to this sequel. Well, she didn’t disappoint. However, I’d like to say that I cried more in Slammed than I did here. Surprising, given what ‘almost’ happened to Lake. And heck, these two almost didn’t happen!

She introduced some new characters that made this series even more of a delightful read. The opinionated 11 year old, Kristen and her mother completed their not so conventional family.

And of course, the highlight of this book is still Will’s Slam. Goshdarnit, boy. YOU OWN ME. Completely, even though your lie of omission almost did you in. What the heck were you thinking? Don’t you know anything about women at all?

And this --> “Sometimes, two people have to fall apart, to realize how much they have to fall back together.” SOBSOBSOBSOB

VERDICT: Laugh out loud funny, weep until gooey snots run down from your nose. This book took me to extremes but heck, I’ll take that ride again. Ms. Hoover, please ma’am, can we have some more?

Review: Shadows on the Moon by Zoë Marriott

Publication Date: April 24^th, 2012

Candlewick Press

FORMAT: ARC, 447 pages

RATING: 4 out of 5 Stars

SUMMARY

A powerful tale of magic, love, and revenge set in fairy-tale Japan.

Trained in the magical art of shadow-weaving, sixteen-year-old Suzume is able to re-create herself in any form - a fabulous gift for a girl desperate to escape her past. But who is she really? Is she a girl of noble birth living under the tyranny of her mother's new husband, Lord Terayama? Or a lowly drudge scraping a living in the ashes of Terayama's kitchens? Or is she Yue, the most beautiful courtesan in the Moonlit Lands? Whatever her true identity, Suzume is destined to use her skills to steal the heart of a prince in a revenge plot to destroy Terayama. And nothing will stop her, not even the one true aspect of her life- her love for a fellow shadow-weaver.

A book I read in 

gloom 

Shadows on the Moon 

A girl 

A bird 

Cloaked in darkness 

Revenge: 

Borne out of hatred 

Borne out of love 

A whore 

in a princess gown
innocence gone.

The previous poem was my lame attempt at Haiku. I apologize.

Let me talk about the book.

Well, it's as exquisite as the Japanese culture and as poignant as their art and their poetry. I’ve never been to Japan but Ms. Mariott took me there with this book. The best part is that it’s during a less populous era and technology hasn’t yet made a boom. It’s also of a time when prostitution was almost a delicate art form.

Her writing is beautiful and descriptive without saying too much. I especially loved the imagery of the falling cherry blossoms. She captured everything that was both beautiful and ugly about the women of Japan in those times; where the subservient learned to scheme for survival and where the parents themselves use their daughters to further social status by pimping them to the prince. I supposed that's still a practice anywhere in the modern world in one way or another. 

You will not like Suzume right away.

You will not pity Rin for every burn, every cut, every clumsy fall she’ll take as a drudge.

You will, however, look at Pipit the way Otieno sees her (with reverence and wonder).

And you will be taken by Yue’s extraordinary beauty instantaneously.  The sum of these personalities will give you a deeper understanding as to why Suzume/Rin/Pipit/Yue did what she had to do.

VERDICT: Do not go into this book expecting the fairy tale of Cinderella. Otherwise, you will be sorely disappointed. The romance was sweet, magical and natural at the same time. You learn about a culture, so beautiful it will take your breath away and some repulsive that you'll wonder how it was so accepted at the time. Over all, this book was an education - a journey to a place and a time rich with tradition, and a culture who held women at a contradicting pedestal (that of a high-priced whore worthy enough to be a known royal mistress), and you will learn about the mystical ability of shadow weaving. Shadows on the Moon took a beloved fairy tale and spun with some shocking realism - just enough to make the happily ever after even more worth it.  

In My Mailbox #32

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by The Story Siren, which showcases the books we've purchased, borrowed and received in the mail this week. This is the 32nd episode of HOARDERS, Books Edition.

_________________________________________________________________________

In which I squee'd like a fangirl. 

Almost by Anne Eliot

On the Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta

Yep. That's me - in the ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. It's the never ending gratitude. You rock, Anne. That is all. I had no prior knowledge that she was going to do this. She was actually a little bit scared that I would freak out because she asked me after the fact. Lol.

And as if my IMM this week couldn't be any more epic than it already is, Melina Marchetta sent me a SIGNED paperback copy of On the Jellicoe Road. Yes, THAT Melina Marchetta - the goddess divine, Melina Marchetta.

FOR REVIEW

Thanks to Simon & Schuster Canada for this ARC! TMI in 3..2..I may have pee'd in my pants from excitement when I saw this.

Between the Lines by Jodi Picoult and Samantha Van Leer

In which I totally lost it at the bookstore.

The Musician's Daughter by Susanne Dunlap

Vampires (compilation of stories from different authors)

Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side by Beth Fantaskey

Eternal by Cynthia Leitich Smith

(These books were all in the $5 bin at my bookstore! Who could resist?)

The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mademoiselle Odile

Thou Shalt Not Road Trip by Antony John

Jessica Rules the Dark Side by Beth Fantaskey

The Calling by Kelley Armstrong

Belles by Jen Calonita

After the Snow by S. D. Crockett

Immortal City by Scott Speer

Under the Moon

Fifty Shades Freed by E.L. James

The Wicked and the Just by J. Anderson Coates

Breaking Beautiful by Jennifer Shaw Wolf

Emerald City by Alicia K. Lepert

Irises by Francisco X. Stork

Pulled by A.L. Jackson

In which I couldn't resist the AUSomeness.

Thyla by Kate Gordon

Five Parts Dead by Tim Pegler

Preloved by Shirley Marr

What's in your mailbox?

Review: Slammed by Colleen Hoover

Publication Date: January 1^st, 2012

Self-Published

Format: Kindle Edition

RATING: 4 out of 5 Stars

SUMMARY

After the unexpected death of her father forces eighteen year old Layken and her family to move across the country, away from everyone and everything she knows, her outlook on life is anything but hopeful.

Enter Will Cooper: the attractive twenty-one year old new neighbor with an intriguing passion for slam poetry. After a night together that turns out to be everything but the expected, both Layken and Will are left with feelings they never knew they could have. Unfortunately in Layken's life, things are never what they seem. Just as quickly as it develops, their relationship is derailed by a shocking revelation, sparking a tumultuous battle between their hearts and their ethics.

As if the dramatic turn of events in her life isn't enough, Layken is slammed again when her mother reveals a secret of her own. A secret so intense, all of Layken's current problems pale in comparison to her seemingly insurmountable future. Unable to confront the changes that lie ahead of her, Layken ignores her conscience as she turns to Will for solace. Struggles ensue as both Layken and Will search for a balance between that which keeps them apart and the feelings that pull them together.

It started like a normal YA romance; girl meets boy, girl gets annoyed by too-forward boy but couldn't stop being all, omg-he's-so-adorbs! In a span of a week, these two creatures found themselves surrounded by floating hearts, y'all. And then, the unsuspecting plot twist came and shot every floating hearts over their heads. How rude.

If you can get past the mild cheddah in the beginning, you'll end up wondering why this book never made it to your Kindle earlier. This turned out to be one of those, omg! Is that the time? How have I read this book in a little less than three hours?! And something else...how did the author manage to make this insta-love romance endearing and not at all annoying?

My eyes are burning and I'm fighting off the urge to tape my lids open.

I should've downloaded the second part of this series right away because, heck, I didn't get much sleeping done after reading Slammed anyway. It was addictive and had the annoying ability to make you think long after you're done reading. And if that's not what will keep you awake, it'll be the heavy pressure on your chest that will not dissipate as fast as you want it to.

The beginning was a lot of telling but as the story progressed, I found myself ignoring it - distracted by the fantastic plotline, beautiful poetry, humorous scenarios and dialogues and lovely, well fleshed out characters. And dear God. Did this book make me cry. A lot.

VERDICT: Two words: WILL COOPER. Gah. Box of tissues required.

Review: Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore

Publication Date: May 1^st, 2012

DIAL BOOKS

Format: ARC, 545 pages

RATING: 4 out of 5 Stars

GOODREADS SHELF: FIRST READS

SUMMARY

Eight years after Graceling, Bitterblue is now queen of Monsea. But the influence of her father, a violent psychopath with mind-altering abilities, lives on. Her advisors, who have run things since Leck died, believe in a forward-thinking plan: Pardon all who committed terrible acts under Leck’s reign, and forget anything bad ever happened. But when Bitterblue begins sneaking outside the castle—disguised and alone—to walk the streets of her own city, she starts realizing that the kingdom has been under the thirty-five-year spell of a madman, and the only way to move forward is to revisit the past.

Two thieves, who only steal what has already been stolen, change her life forever. They hold a key to the truth of Leck’s reign. And one of them, with an extreme skill called a Grace that he hasn’t yet identified, holds a key to her heart.

“In a mad world, only the mad are sane.” 
                                                                         - Akira Kurosawa

The story began eight years after Graceling; the Lady Queen (Bitterblue) is floundering but doing her best to rule a kingdom in disarray. Monsea is in need of rebuilding, healing and forgetting. There were many hidden truths about Leck's reign of torture and mind control that she needed to know, that her people needed to remember. But there were forces in the works that were just as determined to suppress them. She set out to learn everything there was to learn about a kingdom she knew so little of. Unbeknownst to her advisers, she snuck out at nights dressed as a boy if only to see what was beyond her towers. Along the way she met a couple of truth seekers, moonlighting as thieves who slowly revealed that the atrocities of the dead king hasn't ended. Her advisers advocated to move from the past, but Bitterblue couldn't ignore the strange occurrences in her kingdom. From murdered truth-seekers, suicidal advisers, printing shop arsons and missing royal guards, Bitterblue was resolute to find who was behind it all. It seems someone is determined to hide the past. And as she slowly uncovers the truths she seeks, the list of her trusted people grows shorter.

I am torn; utterly, completely torn.

I expected too much and was given so little of everything I'd hoped this book would be.  And yet, I can't deny that even if it was a disappointment in some aspects, Kristin Cashore still managed to awe, shock, and inspire. As soon as I saw this book in my mailbox, I was eager to start right away. The volume alone had me chomping at the bits. Why shouldn't I be? It's a good character of a sweeping fantasy novel, isn't it? Barring the possibility that Kristin filled its pages with inconsequential babble, I was ready to forsake everything, ignore everyone until the whole thing was read. But my bubble of excitement burst as I got deeper into the book despite the chilling prologue that gave so much promise.

I could say that this book could've used a whole lot of trimming but I'd be lying. Every peeled layer, every single disturbing revelation, and every single treachery Bitterblue discovered were necessary, I thought, to what Ms. Cashore was trying to achieve here. Among other things, this book is about Bitterblue and what kind of person she'd become - who she was and how deep of an impact of having a demented pyscho for a father would have on someone like her. Granted that it was intelligently written and very generous with information, but the fact of the matter is, this book lacked the pulse-racing adventures of Graceling and Fire. Other than the spectacular bridges that Leck had built and the hidden doorways which led to more secret passages, the world building was nothing special - a prototype based on this genre. 

Disappointments aside, I think that Ms. Cashore did her best to make this novel as easy to digest as possible. But for simple readers like me, I'm ashamed to admit that I bypassed talks of ciphers and often wasn't able to follow the intricate webs of lies and betrayals plaguing Bitterblue's kingdom. While I can appreciate the complications of a good mystery in a fantasy novel (see Froi of the Exiles), I had a difficult time enjoying this element of Bitterblue. It was convoluted and much too...exhausting for this reader.

The legacy of Leck's reign was that it was difficult to decipher what was the truth and what was made up. His presence was still palpable even though he was dead. It seemed like her people was still under his fog. Kristin wrote this so well that I couldn't separate myself from the actual truth that he was dead. In the same token, Bitterblue's confusion about the amount of crazies in her kingdom drove me...well, just as crazy. I'm not sure if it was lack of organization or she meant to leave her readers in the same crazy spell as I'd imagined Monsea's people would've been under Leck's ruling.  All I can say is, I had a hard time of it.

The challenge that I face while writing this review stems from the fact that while Bitterblue was written incredibly, amazingly, predictably well, I can't overlook the fact it wasn't the epic fantasy that I've been expecting. And while I'm not an expert judge on what a good fantasy novel should be, I, however, have my own version of it. I need swordfights, men on horses, romance and conquering worlds unknown. Yes, Bitterblue have some of those but it was on the mild side bordering on non-existent. I was even more disappointed for the lack of romance. I just needed more.

Am I being generous for the four star rating? Perhaps. Call me out on being an inconsistent book rate-r, but I can't discredit Bitterblue for its complexities and the writer's unapologetic writing. I admit that giving this such a rating is a contradiction of my policies but heck, despite the challenges I faced finishing this book, I am still in awe of Ms. Cashore's talents.

VERDICT: Bitterblue was a difficult read - in more ways than one. Be forewarned that Leck's crimes and madness were described vividly though not explicitly. My take on Bitterblue? It was intense, powerful, challenging and most importantly, disturbing. 

Review: The Springsweet by Saundra Mitchell

Publication Date: April 17^th, 2012

Harcourt Children’s Books

Format: ARC, 278 pages

RATING: 4 out of 5 Stars

Goodreads Shelf: FAVOURITES

SUMMARY

Heartbroken over the tragic death of her fiancé, seventeen-year-old Zora Stewart leaves Baltimore for the frontier town of West Glory, Oklahoma, to help her young widowed aunt keep her homestead going. There she discovers that she possesses the astonishing ability to sense water under the parched earth.

When her aunt hires her out as a “springsweet” to advise other settlers where to dig their wells, Zora feels the burden of holding the key to something so essential to survival in this unforgiving land.

Even more, she finds herself longing for love the way the prairie thirsts for water. Maybe, in the wildness of the territories, Zora can finally move beyond simply surviving and start living.

Hope springs eternal.

Mourning the death of her beloved, Zora Stewart decided she needed to escape. What better way to forget about the tragedies in her life but to occupy herself with back-breaking labour? Ruined in Baltimore by her own devices, her mother shipped her off to a stead in Oklahoma where farming life flounders due to the scarcity of water. Little did she know, within her lies the ability to call on its sources. But as soon as she availed herself of the remuneration for being "springsweet", guilt and worry soon burdens her as she recognizes hope in the people's eyes and the responsibility of being the person who can possibly give it.  But among all things, she hopes that her stay in Oklahoma will ease some of the grief for the loss of Thomas. 

In the brusqueness of the West, she meets Emerson, a recluse who alleviates some of the pain simply with his presence. Slowly but surely, she starts to find a reason to keep going and finds the pathway toward a life she's meant to live.

Much like its predecessor The Vespertine, The Springstweet is a historical romance with a touch of paranormal. I wouldn't call it subtle, but certainly the characters' abilities are pretty tame in relation to the other books that I've read in this genre (paranormal).  Basically, Amelia's, Nathaniel's, Zora's and Emerson's powers are natural by origin. As in, Amelia's is fire, Nathaniel's is air, Zora's is water and Emerson's is earth/soil.

Nope. Amelia does not breathe fire. She sees the future only in the backdrop of a burning sunset.

No, Nathaniel does not create super storms. He simply 'jumps' and he can be wherever he wanted to be. He's like air. He can be anywhere.

Zora cannot summon a tsunami of water but she knows where she can find them.

And no. Emerson cannot direct earth to open up and swallow his proverbial nemesis. He can grow anything on his command.

Theirs was almost primitive and basic and totally appropriate in the era in which the author chose to tell their stories.

The Vespertine has the Austenesque feel to it while The Springsweet will take you back to the old Frontier. Saundra Mitchell excelled, quite spectacularly in whisking me away to these worlds while staying in the same period. How did she do it? Well, I imagine an incredible amount of strenuous research and profound imagination were involved. Call me insane, but she romanticized the wild, wild West for me.

Zora was a completely different character here compared to who she was in The Vespertine. She suffered losses in which a girl her age would consider impossible to overcome. But she grew up a lot. She lost a lot of her spright but she gained a lot more resolve and strength in spite of all the hardships, both physical and emotional she'd had to endure.

There were two love interests in this book but I wouldn't be so quick to say it's a love triangle. For the first time ever, I'm actually torn that the other guy didn't have a prayer. He was sweet, gentlemanly and had the guts to chase her across the country. And his counterpart - the other guy was a force in which Zora's abilities made more sense and therefore, a part of her that I don't know she can live without...and he's incredibly hot. *sigh* So what's a girl to do? I say it's not a love triangle because Zora didn't really feel anything for the other guy so there wasn't a moment when she vacillated between the two.

The Springsweet is a take off from the other books from my shelves and I loved what Saundra has given us so far. I'm dying to read the next book!

VERDICT:  Sweeping plains, barn-raising, yokels, horse-drawn wagons. The setting was, again highly imaginative yet somehow scarily accurate. If I was turned off by historical romance then, Saundra Mitchell single-handedly changed that for me.