ARC Review & Finished Copy Giveaway: Charm and Strange by Stephanie Kuehn

Title: Charm and Strange

Author: Stephanie Kuehn

Rating: 4 Stars

Release Date: June 11th, 2013

Frankly speaking, I am at a loss for words when it comes to Charm and Strange. On one hand, I think this book is brilliant. Its narrator is unreliable and by the end, you are just as shocked and confused and he himself is, I suspect, if not more. Furthermore, the ambiguous ending had my mind reeling with its realistic quality and the lack of romance was surprisingly refreshing. I have never seen the issue this book tackles expressed in this way before – or even thought to see it expressed this way, really – which makes Charm and Strange easily the most original and creative debut I've probably ever read.

On the other hand, though, I have to admit to being slightly disappointed by the time this book neared the end. For chapters upon chapters, I was hooked, chilled to the bone and achingly afraid that my eyes were about to burst any time into the tears I could just feel in the back of my eyes, pushing against my skull, but they never came. Somehow, the transition between the two parts of this book – “Before” which makes up roughly 85% of the novel and “After” which makes up the ending - was too jarring and that last 15%, though still very good, was not what I expected. I wanted something to simply drive all that feeling home, despite my fear of it because I was so emotionally attached to this, but it didn't. Instead, that last part felt like an objective description of events instead of the intense psychological probing the first part of this book had been.

And yet, I am in utter awe of Kuehn's ability. Charm and Strange follows the story of Win, a teenage boy who believes he may be a wolf. As Win’s story unravels, every chapter alternates between the present and a collection of past memories. At first, these memories seem disjointed and out of place, but as the novel continues, the harsh reality of the pages hit you in the gut. It is intense. It is scary. It is life. Kuehn is one of those few authors who is able to transition from past to present seamlessly and this only adds to the depth and beauty of her debut. From the beginning, she sets a dark tone, one that inspires curiosity, but also caution. And yet, despite this latter emotion, Kuehn ensures that her readers are well and truly sucked into her tale. I have never had a family like that of Win, never known anything in my life that is similar to his experiences, and yet it felt like I had. It felt like I had this older brother, this younger sister, these three cousins...it felt so real. And it is this ability of hers, to mold the uncertain past into a palpable reality that renders this novel so brilliant. If, like me, you ache for books to make you truly feel emotion, Kuehn is one of the few authors who succeeds extraordinarily well.

Honestly, I am so, so impressed. Charm and Strange may not have been everything I wanted from it, but I went into it with high expectations, not knowing if this was contemporary or paranormal or something in-between, and it delivered. At this point, despite the ambiguity of my review (you will thank me later, I promise you), I can only tell you this: read it.

International Giveaway! 
6/8-6/22

I was lucky enough to receive a finished copy of this novel before the publication date from the kind people over at St. Martin's Press and although I absolutely LOVE this book, I really want other readers to have the opportunity to discover it as well - and soon! Hence, the giveaway. I know I don't do a lot of these, which is why I've made the giveaway international. As always, please don't cheat - I do actually check the entries - and GOOD LUCK! :)

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Review: Catch of the Day by Kristan Higgins

Title: Catch of the Day 

Author: Kristan Higgins

Rating: 4 Stars

Sometimes, one book is enough for you to tell that an author is about to become your favorite. Catch of the Day may not be my favorite romance book around, and really, it isn't much of a romance book at all, but Kristan Higgins may be one of my favorite authors, merely because she chose to step out of the typical bubble of romance and explore something entirely different with this book. If, as I suspect, she's done the same with her other novels as well, then the two of us are on the way to becoming fast friends. Quite simply put, Higgins writes a novel with heavy emphasis on family, with protagonists who are struggling to find their way, and hunks whose love stories are so very understated, but still manage to make you swoon.

From the very first page, Higgins has us laughing as she regales to us the tale of her protagonist, Maggie, and her woefully misplaced crush on the priest, Tim. As a protagonist, Maggie is hilarious. With her naivety and big mouth, she often finds herself in embarrassing situations, but she treats it all with a smile and serves the people of her small town, Gideon Cove, with a constantly cheerful face. Yet, despite her volunteering, successful restaurant business, and adorable dog, Maggie yearns to settle down and have children, much like her twin sister, Christie. Usually, I tend to turn all feminist on women - or characters - who have no ambition in life but to find a husband. Quite thankfully, Maggie isn't one of those ladies. Instead, she's a fiercely independent and headstrong protagonist who simply wants something a little more from her life. Although she hasn't had much luck in the romance department, she truly makes an effort and tries - for herself and not for the countless neighbors (or her mother) who remind her that her time is flying by fast. And yet, the reason I enjoyed this book so much is not so much because of Maggie, but more so because of her growth. As the novel wears on, Maggie slowly comes to realize that despite everything, she is perfectly content with her life just the way it is. Sure, she'd love it if she met someone and fell madly in love and married and had kids, but it isn't integral to her happiness. And I love this. I love books that assert the fact that us humans can find happiness in our lives, no matter our age.

Nevertheless, despite that prevalent theme, I won't deny that I adored the romance in this novel. Catch of the Day focuses primarily on Maggie and her relationships - whether it be with Father Tim, a good friend; her beloved sister, Christie; her parents, who are finding their own paths in life too, despite their age; her old neighbors; the staff at her restaurant; or just the people of her small town. As such, the true romance element in this novel doesn't jump out immediately and when it does, it remains muted and subtle, fading easily into the background as the interactions between Maggie and the strong-but-silent Malone are few and far between. Yet, this only creates an entirely realistic setting between these two. Maggie and Malone are not the young eighteen to twenty-somethings bombshells of New Adult who hook up and are surprised as they begin to fall for each other. No, the relationship between Maggie and Malone is unexpected, surprising, and awkward. It is filled with silences, but also with sweet moments. With truthful confessions, and even a little unnecessary drama. And yet, at the end of the day, I was wholly invested. One of the things I love about it is that Malone never enters Maggie's life and changes her or vice versa. Maggie and Malone retain their individual lives, but they make room for each other too. Although they fall in love with one another, despite Malone's long silences and surly glances, their lives change because of themselves and their own wishes.

Of late, I seem to be obsessed with novels where the protagonist finds themselves and what they want from life all on their own. And I love that that idea is repeated in this book not once, but twice. Sure, Maggie ultimately comes to terms with her life, but so does her mother. Higgins dares to explore the contentious relationship between a thirty-something woman and fifty-something mother. And while I myself cannot relate directly, I know for a fact that a woman's relationship with her mother is something that is constantly growing, constantly changing. I see it with my own grandmother and my mother and someday, I'll see it mirrored in my own life too. For me, Higgins broke so many typical barriers of romance and truly created a novel that was heartfelt, inspiring, and still ever-so-slightly full of swoon. While I will admit that the ending to this was too abrupt and a scene or two was slightly cliche, Catch of the Day was the perfect spring-into-summer read. Kristan Higgins, I will have more of you in my life. (Malone, you too!)

Review: Live Through This by Mindi Scott

Title: Live Through This

Author: Mindi Scott

Rating: 2.5 Stars

I have very mixed feelings when it comes to Live Through This, but my most overwhelming emotion is simply disappointment. There is no denying that Scott's sophomore novel is a struggle to get through, full of emotion and nuanced writing that truly brings to light the psychological horrors of abuse, but at the same time, it could have been so much more. When the novel begins, Coley experiences a shocking moment – one that she wishes she shared with a boyfriend instead of her abuser. It becomes very obvious that Coley’s abuser is someone very close to her, which makes her situation all the more complex. And yet, after this gripping scene, the next half of the novel is devoted to details of Coley’s every day life, from her dance practices to her blooming romance with a saxophone player, Reece, to a vacation she spends skiing.

For me, this is possibly the weakest part of the novel. While I appreciated that Scott took the pains to paint for us the image of a seemingly normal girl who hid the truth of abuse and later shattered her life with her continued abuse, I felt strangely detached from the tale. Quite simply put, Coley did not capture me. I felt sympathy for her and her difficult position, but not much else. Coley and her elder brother, Bryan, have always stuck together ever since their mother re-married and gave birth to triplets, but I could never understand why Coley and Bryan detested their step-father the way they did. As far as evil step-fathers go, Tony doesn’t even deserve to be on the list. It was small aspects of the story like this one that simply didn’t connect together for me and I found myself questioning Coley more than I did immersing myself in her tale.

And yet, I cannot deny that the manner in which Scott writes this story of abuse is raw and powerful. It is eerily frightening and honest, making this a novel that truly is for older readers. In addition to the carefully written plot line of abuse, though, I appreciated that Scott took the time to discuss sex and sexuality in this book, especially as it pertained to teenage girls. Instead of the classic sex discussion between girlfriends, Scott took it further to explore the idea that it is okay for girls to seek sexual pleasure – a concept that seems to elude most of YA and disappear amidst slut-shaming. Even the so-called “slut” or “anti-heroine” of this novel is explored in increasing depth, which increased my respect for this book immensely.

Live Through This honestly has a lot to offer to readers, but its abrupt ending left me wanting more. It wasn’t enough for me to read about Coley’s situation and her journey into accepting that it was wrong, despite the fact that she cared for her abuser; I wanted to see Coley deal with the after effects too, not to mention her abuser as well. Not only did I finish this book with too many questions, but as I mentioned before, many small plot points didn’t connect together for me in the cogent way I wanted them too. In some ways, I believe there is too much in this story, from abuse to friendship issues to jealousy to best-friend-who-is-a-boy-but-just-a-friend…somehow, all of this didn’t connect in the seamless manner I wished. Thus, while Live Through This manages to be an excellent novel in terms of exploring an abusive relationship, it isn’t the perfect or emotionally-gutting book I was expecting. If you’re up for a read that is most certainly very different, though, in a mostly good way, then Live Through This is definitely for you.

ARC Review: The Pirate's Wish by Cassandra Rose Clarke

Title: The Pirate's Wish (The Assassin's Curse, #2)

Author: Cassandra Rose Clarke

Rating: 2.5 Stars

Release Date: June 4th, 2013

It seems to be a trend this year that every series finale disappoints me, in one way or another. As such, it was probably foolish of me to expect any better from The Pirate's Wish, but I did. I had high expectations for this novel - very high expectations - and while I certainly enjoyed the quick read it provided, it isn't the memorable novel that its predecessor was. And, frankly, I think this conclusion could have been better - a lot better - but I suspect that those thoughts belong solely with me. If The Pirate's Wish hadn't resorted to using some of the classic trends I dislike, perhaps this novel would have worked out better for me. Perhaps. 

The Pirate's Wish starts off directly where The Assassin's Curse ends with Ananna and Naji stranded on an island, waiting for their pirate friend, Marjani, to pick them up so they can somehow break the curse Naji is under. Within the first three chapters of this book itself, a few important events occur that more-or-less chart the course for this novel and, consequently, my enjoyment of it. First and foremost, Ananna finds and befriends a manticore, striking a deal to deliver her back to her homeland if she refuses to eat Ananna or Naji. While the friendship between this protagonist and mythical beast cannot rival those in other novels such as Stormdancer, it is a cute addition to the tale that I found myself greatly enjoying. It is then, though, that the manticore convinces Ananna to kiss Naji in his sleep, thereby fulfilling one of the three tasks they must complete. And Ananna does. And, at that point, all hell breaks loose. 

What The Pirate's Wish has in plentifold is creativity, action, and drama. Clarke continues to amaze me when it comes to the sheer span of imagination she has. Like its predecessor, this installment continues to impress in terms of world-building, magic, and new faces and realms both. Additionally, with a crew of pirates, action is never far behind and, once again, I greatly enjoyed this feature. Yet, side-by-side with these is a rather heavy dose of drama. Ananna, from the beginning of this novel itself, is cast as a heroine facing unrequited love and, as such, her mood swings and feelings for Naji are constantly changing - enough to give me a headache. Although Ananna is still the headstrong heroine we fell in love with in The Assassin's Curse, she has a new, mopier side to her too that we now get to see. Yay. -.-

Quite honestly, Ananna is the sole reason I was so disappointed with this novel. Although I sympathize with Ananna's situation, I wish that her character could have grown from this event, not remained static. Ananna could have developed to be the type of protagonist who doesn't allow a small set-back to overturn her life, but unfortunately, that isn't the case. Ananna makes a big deal out of Naji not loving her back, constantly putting herself down and jumping to the conclusion that no man can ever love her. Furthermore, she resorts to childish behavior, ignoring Naji and taking every opportunity she has to flirt with other men in an effort to make him jealous. Not only is this a typical trend in literature, it's one I've grown exasperated with. All the more, I wish the purpose of The Pirate's Wish was to convey to readers that girls can be headstrong and find meaning in life from themselves or others around them, not men. While Ananna does have some very interesting conversations with Marjani (fine, one to be exact), none of this courage is exhibited through her actions and she relies on Naji to feel good about herself, all throughout the novel. Folks, I cannot tell you how much it physically pains me to see a bright, strong, and ambitious girl reliant on a man to feel happy. Physical. Pain. 

Yet, Clarke continues to use very standard tropes when it comes to the romance in this novel. As a fantasy author, she relies on magic to mysteriously throw her characters together instead of conversation or character development. While there continues to be plenty of tension between Ananna and Naji, when you strip away the magic, all that's left are two vulnerable, shy people who lack the faith in themselves to approach one another. In fact, if this was a contemporary novel, Ananna and Naji wouldn't even have found love together. Without the element of magic in their lives to bind them and tell them what they can't tell each other, their story would fail to move forward. Granted, this is a fantasy series and as an author, Clarke has the full capability to do what she wants with her stories, but what this does for me as a reader is cheapen the actual relationship as it fails to build upon a foundation of friendship or conversation. If you'd ask me how invested I was in this relationship after The Assassin's Curse, my praise would likely know no stopping point but that excitement gradually declined over the course of this story. Without much conversation, this love story fell flat for me. 

In fact, the best part about it was within the last chapter, but by then I'm afraid this book was too far gone to salvage my disappointed heart. Nevertheless, The Pirate's Curse is an action-packed follow-up novel that I am confident many readers will love. Unfortunately, I'm simply not one of them. 

Review: The Survival Kit by Donna Freitas

Title: The Survival Kit

Author: Donna Freitas

Rating: 4 Stars

The Survival Kit is written for the readers who painstakingly shy away from issue novels; from the inevitable pain and hurt and pure emotion that they bring. While Freitas's novel is beautifully written, capturing the emotions of grief and heartache in a seamless manner and integrating within this story a romance that is both deep and palpable, the inevitable "punch" that is common to most grief novels - you know, that moment when it seems as if the wind has been knocked out from you and the floor has fallen beneath you and all of a sudden your vision is blurry with pooling tears - never comes. Unfortunately, sometimes all I want is a real kick to my gut; a true feeling that reminds me that my life isn't all that bad, that my own feelings don't matter in the realm of this book or this character. Although The Survival Kit evidently deliver in the way I wanted it to, I can't say that I've regretted a single moment I spent with this breathtaking novel in my hands.

Arguably, the beginning of this novel is the weakest. Although its first few pages are gripping - a funeral, a dead mother, a survival kit put together by a dying mother to help her daughter cope - the following chapters are forgettable. As is Rose, our main character. Until, that is, the story suddenly picks up and before I knew it, the pages were flying beneath my fingertips. While Rose is inscrutable and hidden to us at first, after the initial slow start, she slowly blooms, opening up to the reader and becoming strikingly real. Not only does her narration become far more accessible, de-cluttering from the previous tiresome passages of description or introspective boredom, but her journey truly begins as well. Once Rose begins to take that first peek into the survival kit her mother made her - full of items such as an iPod, a star, or a box of crayons - and then makes the conscious decision to survive life, not just get by, I began to love her. Honestly, there is nothing I love more than a protagonist who is willing to take her future into her hands and mold it. While Rose was still grieving heavily, unable to return to cheerleading or listen to music, I love that she allowed others to help her. Whether it was her grandmother who became her rock to lean on or her best friend, Krupa, who lent her her hand and shoulder whenever she needed it, Rose slowly began to emerge from the shroud of depression.

As a character, Rose is three-dimensional and real, never succumbing to unnecessary drama and proving to be every bit as real with others in her life as she is with the reader. And while her support system is incredible, that doesn't mean her life isn't falling apart. For one, her father has resorted to drinking away his problems, unable to cope with the death of his wife. Furthermore, her older brother, Jim, is struggling in his own way. While Rose was able to slowly handle her mother's death on her own and with the help of her friends, seeing her come to a full circle and help her family heal together was a touching journey. All too often, grief novels neglect others in their portrayal of one individual's grief, but I'm glad that Freitas gave ample attention to the grief of a father, a son, and a daughter with this one. Furthermore, Rose is not the only grieving character in our tale. Enter: Will. As the gardener in Rose's home, Will has been overlooked quite often - until he suddenly isn't. For me, the greatest strength of this novel lies within its love story. Will and Rose's blooming romance is slow, deliberate, and utterly adorable. Seriously, the swoons and "aww!"s will just keep coming when it's about these two. And yet, their relationship was real and went through hurdles that were realistic, not contrived. All the more, Will becomes a truly in-depth character as well, proving to be more than just the love interest of our tale. Freitas's integration of both the romance and self-growth in this novel was beautifully rendered, all with the theme of the survival kit in the background.

Still, not all is perfect in this novel. Honestly, I can forgive a novel for a slow start, but what I cannot forgive are the mixed feelings. As I mentioned before, I was seeking a punch with this one - one that never came although I expected it to. Additionally, though, I felt as if some aspects of Rose's life were just too convenient. For one, her cheerleading friends - and Krupa - were supportive all the time and while this is ideal, it isn't realistic. As much as we'd all like to be that perfect friend, life happens. We have good days, we have bad days, we have days when we can't deal with a moping, depressed friend, no matter how bad their life is. For me, these friends were rocks for Rose, but never characters in their own right. Where was their depth? Furthermore, Rose's mother is also cast as an angelic figure in this book. And although I understand the need to create a perfect image of a deceased person, the truth is, people are not perfect. And I doubt Rose's mother was too. What happened to the classic mother/daughter arguments that are characteristic of teen years? Where was the guilt, the anger, the betrayal? Surely, not all of that could have been lost simply because Rose's mother had cancer. For me, small aspects like this one went a long way into making the overall impact of this novel suffer.

The Survival Kit, though, is one of the rare beauties that contemporary has to offer. On a rainy afternoon like this one, Donna Freitas managed to capture - and hold - my attention long enough for the pages of her unexpectedly little-known novel to pass by. And although The Survival Kit is not perfect and often left me swinging between feelings of pure elation from one minute and disappointment to the next, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it. Not at all.