Review: White Cat by Holly Black

Series: Curse Workers #1

Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry

Publishing Date: Jan 1st, 2010
Pages: 310

Summary: The first in a trilogy, this gritty, fast-paced fantasy is rife with the unexpected. Cassel comes from a shady, magical family of con artists and grifters. He doesn’t fit in at home or at school, so he’s used to feeling like an outsider. He’s also used to feeling guilty—he killed his best friend, Lila, years ago.

But when Cassel begins to have strange dreams about a white cat, and people around him are losing their memories, he starts to wonder what really happened to Lila. In his search for answers, he discovers a wicked plot for power that seems certain to succeed. But Cassel has other ideas—and a plan to con the conmen.

Rating: 4 stars

My first impression upon finishing this was "Well. That was interesting."

Some rambling thoughts:

I liked the writing. It fits the genre and the story and is, for me, a welcome change in Black's usual writing style. So if you didn't like her previous novels and are thinking of skipping this one because of it, think again. You'll be surprised.

I also now get why everyone cites this series as an example of well-written male POV. It is good. That's probably why I didn't completely identify with the narrator on an emotional level. I never do when it's a well-written male POV. And I guess I'm not supposed to, because why would I think the way he does? He's a guy. Duh.

Plot-wise, the novel is solid. It's intriguing, it's exciting, it makes sense and I want to find out more. It's basically everything you can ask from a book, to be honest. And it flows really well, too. Like sometimes you'll see Cassel noticing random things and it doesn't really serve any purpose in the story, but I find that refreshing because when everything is relevant in a narration, the plots gets way too predictable.

Something interesting happened, though, despite my lack of falling in love with Cassel: I started to "adopt" his way of thinking. When confronted to a situation that would have been perfectly normal for a regular person, I was screaming in my head "nooooo Cassel don't do the normal thing! It's baaad! You should never trust anyone, ever, trusting is wrong!"... Which is not how I feel in real life. And for me, that's proof of a consistent, immersive and well-done characterization, one that pulls you in despite yourself.

If you still need a reason to open this book, I'll give you one: Black does subtle but in-depth world building. Example: She mentions the odds of being a curse worker is one in a thousand. BUT then how is Cassel's entire family gifted? WELL SHE EXPLAINS IT. You heard that right. I know I'm way too excited about this, but so many authors leave gaping plot holes that have to be later explained in an interview. And she didn't! Yay world building!

I still feel like there was a little something missing, though, but I'm not sure what. It might just be the male POV messing with my brain.

Oh, and after reading book 2 and 3, I can definitely tell you that if you feel hesitant about Cassel after book 1, you definitely won't after book 2. Promise.

Review: Stay by Deb Caletti

Series: Stand-alone

Publisher: Simon Pulse

Publishing date: April 5th, 2011

Pages: 320

Buy it: Amazon

Summary: Clara's relationship with Christian is intense from the start, and like nothing she’s ever experienced before. But what starts as devotion quickly becomes obsession, and it's almost too late before Clara realizes how far gone Christian is—and what he's willing to do to make her stay.
Now Clara has left the city—and Christian—behind. No one back home has any idea where she is, but she still struggles to shake off her fear. She knows Christian won't let her go that easily, and that no matter how far she runs, it may not be far enough...

Rating: 4 stars

This would normally earn 3.5 stars from me because I rate books based on how I felt about them, not how well-written they are or how awesome the plot/characters are. But I can't in good conscience give this less than 4 stars. I can't bring myself to. So I'm rounding up. And you know what? I don't mind, because this book deserves it.

This is a story about love, loss, family and overcoming your fears. It's the strength of a father-daughter relationship, the hope of a young adult just coming out of her shell and a budding love story sprinkled with humor and heart-wrenching writing.

This book will hit home, whether you've been in Clara's situation or not. The prose flows perfectly, Clara's characterization is really well done and the plot is poignant yet to the point. I can't even tell you how glad I am to not see this dragged out on 500 pages. Choosing to write the book in chapters alternating from past to present, Caletti draws you into the plot and sets the atmosphere of the novel right from the start. I remember this sense of dread that I kept feeling for whatever would happen with Christian and how it would push Clara to leave town. Also, this is one of the very rare cases when the time jumps didn't bother me one bit. She's just that good.

Clara is a genuinely funny narrator. She adds little annotations in the book, and it brings you closer to her because her annotations are addressed to you, the reader. And they're so cute. Like, after an umpteenth person made a cup of tea and you start wondering just how often people make tea in America, she adds a little note "Everyone in this story, in my life, makes tea." I just want to hug her. Her voice is honest and unique, and she feels so real and fragile yet strong and brave. I don't know how to describe it. I love her.

I'd also like to point out that Clara's dad might just be in close competition with Mia's dad in If I Stay and Juli's dad in Flipped for the award of the most awesome YA dad ever. His characterization is so wonderful. The man is a writer, and it shows, you know? He says deep shit. Seriously. Also he calls Clara "pea". How can you not love him?

And Finn. Oh, how I love Finn. He's the perfect balm to Clara's mangled heart. And his characterization is, yet again, amazing. He's sweet and doesn't push Clara and supports her and is generally perfect. Also, he likes to walk around shirtless. Uhuh. If you want a visual of what he looks like, head over to Nic's my book boyfriend post (and stalk her other posts too, while you're at it.)

Some of my favorite quotes:

"Parents can be such children," Finn said.

"We ought to raise them better."

"I'm in a baked potato mood," Dad said. "Butter. You know, Pea, I love butter. I really love it. My heart even swells a little when I think of it."

I just saw it as praise, falling down now like glittering snowflakes. But it was something else. A drop of poison on gathering snow. That moment in the fairy tale when we know what just happened but the princess doesn't.

See see see? The prose is just <3

To sum it up, this is a well-written, tactful and subtle novel that will definitely make an impression on you. I would recommend it to anyone.

Review: Saving Francesca by Melina Marchetta

Series: Stand-alone

Publisher: Penguin Australia

Publishing date: 2003

Pages: 252

Buy it: Amazon

Summary: Francesca battles her mother, Mia, constantly over what’s best for her. All Francesca wants is her old friends and her old school, but instead Mia sends her to St. Sebastian’s, an all-boys’ school that has just opened its doors to girls. Now Francesca’s surrounded by hundreds of boys, with only a few other girls for company. All of them weirdos—or worse.
Then one day, Mia is too depressed to get out of bed. One day turns into months, and as her family begins to fall apart, Francesca realizes that without her mother’s high spirits, she hardly knows who she is. But she doesn’t yet realize that she’s more like Mia than she thinks. With a little unlikely help from St. Sebastian’s, she just might be able to save her family, her friends, and—especially—herself.

Rating: 4.5 stars

What you need to know about this book: This is a character-driven book. No! Don't run yet. Hear me out. It does start out pretty slow BUT that's because Francesca is confused, a little lost and it takes a few chapters for her to wake up (and for you to start empathizing with her). But once you do, you won't be able to stop reading. Her voice is honest, funny (she's hilarious, seriously) and to the point. It's the kind of book you look forward to picking back up, like, you're doing something and think "oh, I still have to finish this book" and it puts a smile on your face.

What I loved: The realism of the book. Marchetta doesn't gloss over Mia's depression, quite the contrary. She portrays very accurately what it's like to be a teenager, to not quite know where you fit in and how it feels to have adults telling you what to do all the time. To look at a cute boy and think "my god, what a disgusting pig" because no, teenage boys aren't all perfect and just because they're not doesn't mean they're one-dimensional, shallow people.

Why you should read it: Because not once did I not understand/empathize with the narrator. It's like the author mixed up all the ingredients to make a perfect character and here I am, adoring Francesca and cheering for her like a demented fangirl.

"I look past them to where Will and his friends are sitting, and he catches my eye for a moment and smiles. It's a weird smile, but it reaches his eyes and I bottle it. And I put it in my ammo pack that's kept right next to my soul. The one that holds Mia's scent and Justine's spirit and Siobhan's hope and Tara's passions. Because if I'm going to wake up one morning and not be able to get out of bed, I'm going to need everything I've got to fight this bastard of a disease that could be sleeping inside me."

Do you love her yet?

Why you need to read it right now: This is the kind of book that goes somewhere, you know? Even if not everything is resolved, you see the characters maturing and it gets you a little teary-eyed because you feel like you were there, right along with them as they tried to make sense of life. And you wish them the best, and you're sad to let them go.

It's a short book, but one that will definitely stay in your heart for a long time.

Review: Unearthly by Cynthia Hand

Series: Unearthly #1

Publisher: HarperTeen

Publishing date: Jan 4th, 2011

Pages: 435

Buy it: Amazon

Summary: In the beginning, there's a boy standing in the trees . . . .
Clara Gardner has recently learned that she's part angel. Having angel blood run through her veins not only makes her smarter, stronger, and faster than humans (a word, she realizes, that no longer applies to her), but it means she has a purpose, something she was put on this earth to do. Figuring out what that is, though, isn't easy.
Her visions of a raging forest fire and an alluring stranger lead her to a new school in a new town. When she meets Christian, who turns out to be the boy of her dreams (literally), everything seems to fall into place—and out of place at the same time. Because there's another guy, Tucker, who appeals to Clara's less angelic side.
As Clara tries to find her way in a world she no longer understands, she encounters unseen dangers and choices she never thought she'd have to make—between honesty and deceit, love and duty, good and evil. When the fire from her vision finally ignites, will Clara be ready to face her destiny?
Unearthly is a moving tale of love and fate, and the struggle between following the rules and following your heart.

Rating: 4 stars

This is my first Angel Book, and after hearing so much about Hush, Hush, Fallen and the likes, I wasn't expecting much. And I have to say I was pleasantly surprised by this story. It was well-written, with likeable, engaging characters, an intriguing (if not very original) plot and a good mythology to back it up.

I found the pacing perfect. The plot was revealed pretty quickly and I didn't have any problem getting into the book, which hasn't happened in quite some time. The heroin, Clara, is a strong, funny narrator and I really enjoyed getting to know her. I love her relationship with Tucker, the push and pull, the teasing, everything. The unravelling of the romance between them was sweet, believable, very well-done and I adored reading about their summer adventures. It was like I was there with Clara, feeling the summer heat on my skin, the freedom of being a teenager newly in love, and this, combined with the supernatural elements make for a very interesting story.

I also liked seeing Clara trying to find her purpose and figure out what she could and could not do as an angel blood. Her mother, Maggie, acts as a guide and for once, I didn't dislike the parental figure. Actually, Maggie is quite awesome, and seems to have a very intriguing back story that I can't wait to find out more about.

One thing I didn't like was the love triangle. It felt forced. There is no competition between Tucker and Christian, and I felt like the attraction between Christian and Clara was poorly handled. It's not a problem or fridge-magnet attraction (actually, Clara handled that really well. Like I said, I love that girl), it's just that I didn't see the point of introducing Christian as a potential love interest. It wasn't exploited fully, neither in one way nor the other, and even if it's obvious we'll know more about it in book 2, I'm left feeling confused and wanting more.

Also, while I liked the fact that Clara met other angel bloods in Jackson Hole (I'm being very vague here to avoid spoiling), at the end of the book, I wondered: what are the odds of finding several angelic creatures in a town that small (about 20,000 inhabitants, if I remember correctly)? Are angel bloods that common, or is there a particular reason they all seem to gravitate there? I would have liked the author to at least elude to an answer, because right now, it looks like it's all a big happy coincidence.

Despite that, I really enjoyed Unearthly. It was a quick, compelling read and I couldn't put it down. I'm really looking forward to reading the sequel.