Review: Burn by Paula Weston

Title: Burn (Rephaim, #4)

Author: Paula Weston

Rating: 4 Stars

Note: This review is SPOILER-FREE for the entire series. You can read my reviews for the previous novels in this series, Shadows, Haze, and Shimmer by following the links. 

Since I read the first cliffhanger ending of Shadows, I've been complaining about anxiously waiting for and theorizing about this series, time and time again. With each new installment, Weston both managed to soothe my fears and build them up within the span of a few hundred pages, leaving me desperate for the next installment right now. The one where I'd finally have the answers to all my questions.

And, here it is. Burn.

But, now that I actually do have all the answers to my questions, answered beyond satisfactorily, I am beginning to realize what a privilege it was to have Weston's cliffhangers living with me for a year. I can remember waking up, still six months prior to the release of Weston's next novel in this series, and just lying in bed turning over all the possibilities and burning questions and unsolved mysteries. And now, with this series at an end, I am unbearably sad that I won't be tossing and turning at night, thinking of these characters as I used to. Yet, I got what I wanted, didn't I? As they say, be careful what you wish for. It turns out, all these years, what I really wanted wasn't actually the missing pieces of the puzzle (although, believe me, I'm not complaining that I have them now!) but actually more from Paula Weston. Now.

Weston's debut quartet has been a series like no other. It's the type of collection of novels that are filled with tropes--twins, lost memories, manipulation--but they're all done so well that instead of rolling your eyes, you're actually sitting on the edge of your seat. Weston makes you lose your heart to her characters, each flawed and guilty in their own way, but she also makes you root for them and care about them so, so deeply. Burn completes the metamorphosis that her characters have been undergoing since Shadows, giving us the maturity we've been vying for and the answers we've been craving.

I wasn't sure how Burn would be written--a series of flashbacks, an extended flashback and then the present day?--but I really enjoyed how Weston structured this novel and the flow of it traveled seamlessly from flashbacks to present day and back again. It wasn't jarring, as I imagined, and I further appreciated that Weston took her time revealing these answers to us. Moreover, the true strength of this novel lies not in how cleverly the true answers were interspersed in the previous installments but, rather, in how these characters deal with the truth and accept their fate.

Burn may be Young Adult Fantasy but it ticks off so many contemporary boxes--parental relationships, female friendships, familial ties, sibling issues--that it truly shines in any genre it's placed into. What's more, Weston leaves us with the type of ending that ties up loose ends and leaves readers smiling but in such a way that there is more, here, if she should choose to return to this world and its people.

It's always difficult to review a finale because--spoilers!--but rest assured that fans of this series will not be disappointed by its ending. For those of you who haven't picked up these books yet, I cannot encourage you enough to do so. They're so much more than expert plot and world-building; they're about finding best friends in these characters and re-visiting them, years down the line, when the plot has faded away into memory but the distinct feeling of these characters and the comfort they provide have not. Although I will say that I found a plot element or two to be explained a little too conveniently--I always despise long paragraphs of revelations--overall, this was a near-perfect novel and a near-perfect series. All I can ask for is all I've been begging from Paula Weston always. More. Now.

Review: The Summer of Chasing Mermaids by Sarah Ockler

Title: The Summer of Chasing Mermaids

Author: Sarah Ockler

Rating: 5 Stars

I blinked hard when I finished The Summer of Chasing Mermaids, both because of the sheer perfection of this novel and in a tireless effort to keep at bay the waves of emotion that Sarah Ockler's "Acknowledgements" section had inspired. Then, after a long moment of contemplation, I turned back to the beginning of the novel and re-read it, cover-to-cover, even more slowly and with ever more deliberation than before; desperately trying to make the experience last a lifetime, not a mere few hours.

I read The Summer of Chasing Mermaids in January. Only eight months later, in the summer heat of August, am I able to finally put words to my emotions. Ockler's latest hit me like a sucker punch to the gut; I didn't even know how desperately I yearned for this book. Elyse, the beautiful protagonist of our tale, is mute. Once a singer, about to embark on tour with her twin sister, Elyse is now merely a visitor in Oregon, a sea away from her home and at an arm's length from those around her.

As a singer myself, I understood Elyse's fear, tension, worry, and pain implicitly. Yet, The Summer of Chasing Mermaids did not resonate with me simply due to the fact that Elyse and I are both singers (obviously, she is MUCH better). No, the reason Ockler's novel hit so close to home is because it forced me to think of all the people in my life--myself included--who have felt as if they didn't have a voice, at some point or the other. Elyse literally has no voice but in losing her literal voice, she loses all other means of communicating her dreams, her hopes, and her desires. And for me, watching Elyse find a group of friends she could belong with, seeing her converse with a tight-knit group of females who are both inspirational and vulnerable, reading her fall in love with a guy who respected her boundaries and pushed her to be a better person--all of these pushed me to look beyond my own limitations in life, whether they be the literal loss of a voice or something else entirely, and persevere on.

Beyond the thematic, The Summer of Chasing Mermaids ticks off all the right boxes of what I seek for in Contemporary YA. Not only is Elyse a person of color, her heritage and culture is tastefully explored. Ockler has done her research and this novel truly pays homage to the diversity Elyse represents. Moreover, Ockler is, as always, one of the strongest proponents for sex-positive YA, which I appreciate on so many levels because it empowers her characters and allows them to be, without the pressure or stigma of society. I've already mentioned a host of strong female friendships but it's worth mentioning again: Elyse has at least two close female friends throughout the duration of this novel and, what's more, she has female role models she looks up to, respects, and can confide in. It's so rare to see such a strong host of woman-power in a YA novel so I appreciated the effortless manner in which Ockler incorporated her secondary characters.

Even more than the characters, though, this is a novel of place; time, wind, and the sun. This small coastal town in Oregon felt so real to me that I Googled it. I fell in love. For Elyse, being in Oregon is an escape; a way for her to avoid dealing with her twin sister, who is still pursuing the dream meant for the both of them, and the rest of her large family. Yet, place grows to take on a whole new meaning for Elyse as she begins to fight to keep the coastal town a place for natives, not tourists. Aiding her in this in Christian Kane, the gorgeous summer boy whose boat she helps to restore and vows to sail. Christian, at first glance, seems to be the classic womanizer. Known for the string of beach girls whose hearts he breaks, Christian seemed about as far away from swoon-worthy as you could get.

But then, the guy just charmed the pants off of me. I love how his relationship with Elyse begins as a firm partnership, something built on mutual respect, and grows into a genuine friendship. I began to look forward to their interactions not for the sexual chemistry but, rather, for the insight into their lives that I knew would accompany their dialogue. Christian's younger brother, Sebastian, is also an important character in his own right and the two brothers must deal with the baggage of never being quite "man" enough for their father. I really, really loved how Ockler explored both coins of the gender difficulties in this novel; the men, who face immense pressure to act a certain way and fulfill a quota of expectations and the women, who are meant to conform to a single "type". So much of the growth these characters experience is in learning to disregard those labels and feel comfortable in their own skin; in owning who they are, right now. And I love that.

The Summer of Chasing Mermaids is wildly entertaining and vividly romantic, all while being the type of YA novel to inspire teens and propel them in the right direction; the path that leads to self-discovery. Needless to say, it's a favorite; not just of 2015, but of my entire reading career. I lack the appropriate words to fully express just how much this novel moved me, but know that it did; intensely. If I had to recommend just one Ockler novel, or even just one Contemporary YA novel of 2015, it would be The Summer of Chasing Mermaids. I only recently discovered that it is a re-telling of "The Little Mermaid" and, truly, is has become a part of my world.

Monthly Rewind: July

I've always loved reading "Monthly Rewind" posts. It gives me a chance to catch up with my favorite bloggers--the books they read, the novels that stood out to them, and, most importantly, their lives. As many of you have noticed, I haven't posted nearly as much this year. In the midst of college, internships, travelling, and just LIFE, reading has never been forgotten but this blog...maybe? Either way, I want to shift the focus of this blog to include not only the books I read--honest, true reflections of novels that moved me or completely missed the mark--but also general discussion posts about my thoughts and, most importantly, the life I lead outside of the blogosphere.

I've always been a strictly "professional" blogger, or someone who has refrained from sharing much about themselves or their life on the blog. Partly because I was young when I started this blog--very young--and didn't know what to expect from the world wide web. And partly, too, because I didn't know how. But, as this long paragraph comes to a close, know that I want to. I hope that with these "Monthly Rewind" posts that I will begin, inspired by Jamie from The Perpetual Page Turner, I can become more than a reviewer; I can become a person. And, perhaps, we can become more than blogger and reader; we can become friends.

3 Things About My Life This Month 

1. I returned from South Carolina! For those of you who don't know, I spent nine weeks of this summer in South Carolina, pursuing biomathematics research. I began college intending to become a Biology Major, which swiftly switched to a Math Major by the end of first semester. When applying to internships, however, a biomathematics program seemed the perfect fit due to my immense background in biology, established quite thoroughly in high school. This past summer, though, completely solidified my love for Mathematics. South Carolina was warm and beautiful (and I'm officially in LOVE with Sweet Tea!) but the highlights definitely include getting close to the seven other girls in the internship with me and
truly pushing the boundaries of my limited mathematics knowledge. If any of you are interested in the Biology or Mathematics field or just want to talk about finding your major in college or obtaining an internship, feel free to shoot me an e-mail! :)
2. I spent a lot of time with my grandparents. My grandparents are visiting from India this summer and, as you can imagine, I don't get a chance to see them as often as I'd like because they live so far away. I usually try to see them once a year--either they come here or we go there--but that hasn't been the easiest task with flight expenses and my busy schedule while applying for college. They flew in while I was in South Carolina and I've been really enjoying spending time with them and learning a few simple Indian dishes from my grandmother.
3. I made plans to study abroad. With junior year swiftly approaching, and application deadlines for study abroad programs only a few months away, I've been thinking a LOT this month about studying abroad. Where I want to go, what I want to do, how costly it will be, and all the forms I'll need to fill out to do it. Needless to say, I am committed to studying abroad and will be applying this fall. If I get into the programs of my dreams, you all will be the first to know! *fingers crossed*

Top 3 Books I Read This Month

1. These Shallow Graves by Jennifer Donnelly - Releasing in October, Donnelly's latest YA historical fiction novel is spectacular. It received a full five stars from me and you can read my review up on GoodReads, though it will be up on the blog closer to the release date.
2. Burn by Paula Weston - Yet another book whose review will be up on the blog soon, I've looooved Weston's Rephaim series and Burn, the concluding novel to the quartet, did not disappoint.
3. A Wish Upon Jasmine by Laura Florand - Just about everyone knows my love affair with Florand's novels. Her prose is decadent and her romances, set in France, are infused with depth and just so, so good. You can read my review of this one on the blog, already.

3 Most Popular Posts This Month 

1. Discussion: On YA's Tropeyness - In which I discuss common tropes which have plagued the YA genre for a few years (at least) and reflect on what I want from this genre in the future (including female role models, female friendships, diversity, etc.).
2. 2015 Favorites (So Far)! - I haven't had the greatest luck with books this past year--hence the reason this is one of my shortest favorites lists to date--but I'm hoping to change that with the latter half of the year ahead. Any good recommendations that I missed out on this year?
3. Review: Say Yes to the Marquess by Tessa Dare - One of my all-time favorite Tessa Dare historical romances (if not THE favorite of mine), I thoroughly enjoyed reading this novel and cannot recommend Dare enough, particularly for romances that feature headstrong, feminist females, supportive male counterparts who aren't assholes and a slow-burn, equal-footed romance.

Post I Wish Got a Little More Love

My review of Renee Ahdieh's The Wrath and the Dawn because it's one of my favorite books of the year and I want more readers to fall in love with it the way I did.

5 Posts I Starred in my Blog Reader This Month 

1. Beyond the Pages: Friend Breakups - I read this post and re-read it and then read it again. If there's anything that defines your entire first year of college, including the summer before your second year, it's friend breakups. Not just the friends you want to break up with from high school, but the friends you didn't want to breakup with between first and second semester of college and somehow...did.
2. On Becoming a Re-Reader - I've always, always, been a re-reader and reading this post put a smile on my face because re-reading...yes.
3. Perfect Opening Lines - Angie is--easily--the blogger I look up and aspire to become because her prose! But also, I just love her posts and this is a prime example of a beautiful, bookish article.
4. Why the Most Important Part of College for Women May Happen Outside the Classroom - I attend a women's college and, as such, I am fascinated by (a) women who attend co-ed universities and their experiences and (b) women's education. I enjoyed this post primarily because of how much it made me think about my own future as a woman and other women I knew who faced this same dilemma of reality when they stepped outside the classroom.
5. The Blog Most Likely To... - I was invited to join this "meme", of sorts, and couldn't come up with anything quickly enough but I really loved Lauren's post because it's so her and got me thinking about my own writing/reviewing/editing process (um, nonexistent, oops!) and, essentially, this post made me admire her more than I already do. Which is a lot. :)

Obsession of the Month

Mad Men! I've been binge-watching AMC's Mad Men like nobody's business and I am hooked! I love this show for its feminist themes and, most of all, Jon Hamm (swoooon!). But, mostly, I adore this show because of how much it forces me to think and reflect on happiness, the pursuit of happiness, and how difficult it is to truly attain it. It sounds morose, but this show is absolutely kick-ass and if you're looking for a new TV series to binge-watch, complete with superb film-making, scripts, and dialogue, look no farther than Mad Men.

Something I'm Looking Forward to Next Month 

Returning to Wellesley! I'm heading back to Wellesley on August 15th, two weeks before classes start so I can be trained as a Student Leader and help out during Orientation. My best friend is already on campus since she's been working at the Admissions Office all summer so I cannot wait to reunite with her and enjoy the campus before the Class of 2019 joins us and, most of all, before the rest of the students return. Orientation is terrifying as a first-year but as a sophomore, actually knowing the campus and having my friends with me, I can't wait!

What about you? What you have been up to this month? What are your most recent obsessions? Any TV recommendations for me since Mad Men is drawing to a close? What are you most excited for next month? 

ARC Review: A Wish Upon Jasmine by Laura Florand

Title: A Wish Upon Jasmine (La Vie en Roses, #2)

Author: Laura Florand

Rating: 4 Stars

Release Date: August 2015 

I've always read that love is supposed to be easy. If you have to fight for it, it's not true love. If they don't immediately, truly, deeply understand you then it just isn't meant to be. And, perhaps, in the world we live in where we try to rush through life, picking up fast-food and arranging family gatherings and signing up for online dating so we can meet someone fast, that is love. But in the world Laura Florand builds--re-creates, really--through her prose, love is filled with messy beginnings and misunderstandings. Yet, it's not less because of those road bumps--it's more because her characters are willing to open themselves up to that type of hurt and pain and failure and try again.

After Once Upon a Rose was utterly charming, what with happy-go-lucky rockstar Layla and soft-hearted (but growly) Matt, I didn't expect A Wish Upon Jasmine to be quite so series. Or alluring. Or lovely. Damien, the businessman hero of this novel and cousin to Matt, is hard, cold steel. While Matt grows the roses and guards the valley--a task that often feels like a burden to him in the face of his cousins who manage to travel and slip in and out of their responsibilities--Damien acquires the money that allows Matt to grow his roses and Tristan, their youngest cousin, to make his perfumes. Without Damien's ruthlessness, they wouldn't have the wealth--or much of the happiness--that they have today.

But Damien, who so desperately wants to be able to make everyone's wish come true--to support them so that they can pursue what they love--is so much more than that veneer of calculated business acumen. In New York City, on a business venture, with a soft, shy woman named Jess, the true side of himself truly comes out. Only, the next morning Jess leaves his bed without a word. And the next thing he knows, he's bought her company and she's not just Jess, she's Jasmin Bianchi, the woman who created "Spoiled Brat", the perfume that isn't the artistic perfume that critics adore but rather the type of commercial perfume that sells--that made the number two slot and only slipped to number three. And now, six months later, she's in the Rosier Valley, claiming that an old perfume shop that has been in his family for generations has recently come into her possession. And, for Damien, it's a second chance to finally get it right with the one woman who got away.

I never know what to expect with a Florand novel. Either they start out cold, with the hero and heroine having never met and creating a complex relationship from the start or they begin layered, with the reader sifting through both the memories and the emotions that already flavor every conversation. With Damien and Jess, there's so much that isn't being said--so much under the surface--and on the surface is all sexual tension and wanting that it's a heady combination. But I enjoyed it so much. Some of Florand's later Chocolat et Amour books, such as The Chocolate Heart, have been the type of romances I wanted to weep at. A Wish Upon Jasmine, though, strikes the perfect balance between heart-wrenching and sweet.

I've long since given up trying to hide my feelings for my favorite Florand heros (*ahem* Sylvain Marquis!), but Damien Rosier is seriously giving my heart a hard time. I adored him as a lover, as a cousin, as a grand-nephew, as a son, as a grandson and, most of all, despite his flaws. And the same goes with Jess, who doesn't believe herself to be worthy of love, let alone of the love of someone as intelligent, gorgeous, and successful as Damien. It broke my heart to see Jess, whose perfume rose to the top of the market when she was only twenty-four, repeatedly battle with herself to gain confidence and believe that she was worth it. But, again, that's what I love so much about Florand's novels; they're as much a love story as they are a coming-of-age story in which her characters experience a tremendous amount of emotional growth.

Reading A Wish Upon Jasmine, I was struck by how besotted I am with this new world Florand has created. While I certainly miss the streets of Paris and the taste of chocolate on my tongue, slowly but surely I am being converted to the perfumes and aromas that grace these pages. Moreover, the Rosier family--so intertwined that if one were to change, they all would--has my heart and soul. Florand's previous series had her heroines connected by blood and her heroes moving in the same professional circle but the blood ties were never as strong or as poignant as they are here.

I've read nearly all of Florand's novels at this point, with the exception of her own fictionalized autobiography, and yet she never fails to surprise me with the characters she writes up or the depth of her novels. Moreover, her prose only grows more decadent by the novel; lusher, fuller, and all the more realistic. It's all-too-easy to forget you're not actually in the South of France if one of her books is in your hands. As a self-proclaimed fan of her, of course I loved this--I loved this--and it's one of my new favorite Florand novels. What's more, this series is shaping up to be even better than her last and I am breathless with anticipation for the next installment. A Wish Upon Jasmine is the all-too-perfect response to a wish you didn't even know you made; simply magical.

Review: The Wrath and the Dawn by Renee Ahdieh

Title: The Wrath and the Dawn (The Wrath and the Dawn, #1)

Author: Renee Ahdieh

Rating: 4.5 Stars

Though I have long been a fan of the Arabian Nights, re-tellings of this classic have often fallen short of the sheer magic contained within the original. Whether it be Disney's re-imagining of Aladdin or even the numerous references to Ali Baba, Sinbad, and other stories that litter modern literature, there remains a uniqueness to the original Arabian Nights that cannot be matched. Whether that be the simple story-telling style that allows the reader to weave much of the magic into their own minds or whether it be the stories within the story that compel the reader to keep turning the page, I have not found its likeness yet.

The Wrath and the Dawn does not even pretend to try to compete with the Arabian Nights. Although it draws on the basic premise of the folklore we have come to know and love, it fills in the gaps we cannot see, introduces characters we never came to know as deeply, and manages to be a separate novel in its own right. It is not so much a re-telling as a novel that is inspired by the Arabian Nights and I prefer my re-tellings like this; two parts original with one part inspired. With this formula, I can see traces of the tales I already love woven together with a wholly new story that I am learning to fall in love with, page-by-page.

From the beginning itself, it is not difficult to become consumed by The Wrath and the Dawn. After all, the city of Khorasan is cursed with Khalid, a Caliph who marries a new woman every night, only to have her executed the next morning. As the women of the city perish and families grow to resent their new Caliph more and more, the beautiful Shahrzard is determined to exact her revenge. In volunteering to have herself become the next bride of the Caliph, she garners the suspicion of those within the castle and the fear of those outside. When she survives her first morning as Queen, and the second, and the third...that's when the whispers begin.

What I love about The Wrath and the Dawn is that it's filled with flawed characters whose passions rule them. Shahrzad, whose anger and grief must be avenged, defies her family and betrothed by marrying the Caliph. Her hatred for Khalid is glaringly obvious within the first few chapters but it is a naive, impetuous kind of anger. Neither Shahrzad nor the citizens of Khorasan understand why their Caliph is such a cruel, cruel man. Within the palace gates, Shahrzad can see that the deaths of his previous wives bring the Caliph no pleasure. Why, then, does he subject both his citizens and himself to such atrocities? Against her will, Shahrzad finds herself digging to find the man beneath the monster--and the reasons the monster had to be born in the first place. And, against her will, Shahrzard finds herself falling in love with a man who kills, and kills, and kills.

Shahrzad's initial anger, her fear at waking up every morning not knowing whether or not she will live, her curiosity, her inner battle between learning more about her husband and vowing to extract her revenge, and then her eventual feelings of love...all of them are so sharply felt. I picked up The Wrath and the Dawn and felt a plethora of emotions in such a manner that I hadn't felt before. Moreover, it is not only Shahrzad who compels and inspires; it is her husband, too. Much like Shahrzad, who seeks answers, we, too, cannot help but look for the humanity in Khalid. And as we get to know him better, Shahrzad's danger at losing her heart becomes a very real danger we face as well. After all, how can one ever justify falling for a murderer?

The Wrath and the Dawn is more than just the relationship between Shahrzad and Khalid, however. It features a host of secondary characters, many of whom Shahrzad befriends during her time at the palace as she tries to understand her husband better, and, furthermore, the novel harbors a political agenda that isn't obvious from the synopsis. The kingdom of Khorasan has its neighbors and its enemies, both within and without, and alongside the tumultuous emotions expressed by Shahrzad and Khalid are the slow rumblings of a different type of conflict altogether.

Ahdieh has written a near-perfect debut. I adore the complex characters and well-fleshed world she has created, not to mention the ending that leaves readers on the cusp of so much more to come. The Wrath and the Dawn is the perfect mixture of lore, romance, and originality with a sprinkling of politics and the promise of even better prose to come. I trust this story in her capable hands entirely and am already counting down the days until I can read its conclusion. Ahdieh's debut is among the few novels I've truly loved this past year and, if I'm to be perfectly honest, I am off to re-read it this very second. Just thinking about it for too long makes me want to re-visit these characters. If that isn't convincing enough about the quality of this novel, then I'm not quite sure what is.