Bibliography

Plot Summary:  Ordinary Phoebe meets extraordinary Mallory in seventh grade, and they become better than best friends, inseparable.  Years later when Phoebe meets Mallory’s brother, Ryland, she falls for him hard only slowly coming to realize that neither Mallory or Ryland are exactly what they seem.  When she discovers what they really want, she must decide to be extraordinary to survive.

Critical Analysis:  I read this book weeks ago, but I have been thinking about it ever since.  In this book, even more so than the previous (Impossible) Werlin builds an amazingly intense suspenseful story focused on a small select set of of characters.  Add to this the elements of fairy, friendship, family, history, loyalty, love, and self worth and you have something that is much more than another thriller and beyond another teen paranormal romance.  I am in awe of Werlin’s writing and character and world building skills.

That being said, something about the construction and plot of this book leaves me feeling separate or apart from the characters and the action.  But again, as I type this, I can even see the genius there.  Phoebe herself and in the end Mallory as well are separate and apart from their world.  Phoebe would not be Phoebe nor Mallory Mallory if they were able to turn to a supportive network of family and friends.  Again Werlin has written an, for lack of a better term, adult book that deserves wide readership beyond the teen area.

Review Excerpts: “In the hands of a less talented author, this would be a hot mess. Happily, Werlin crafts her characters so deftly and unrolls the story so cleverly that … readers will be under the spell till the end”–Booklist

“Werlin smoothly blends contemporary realism and fantasy, here basing the story on the real historical figure Mayer Rothschild and spinning his family’s extraordinary success into a supernatural bargain. … Phoebe’s final reckoning with the faeries tests her own inner strength; ultimately her survival depends on it — just as in the real world.”–Hornbook

“”Beguiling . . . This proudly Jewish fantasy offers a compelling tale of friendship and a refreshing antidote to faerie stories about that one special girl deserving of supernatural love.”–Kirkus Reviews

“Werlin raises interesting questions about honesty, love, and what it truly means to be ‘extraordinary.’ ”–Publisher’s Weekly

Reviewed from publisher provided advanced copy.  Amazon Affiliate: If you click from here to Amazon and buy something, I receive a percentage of the purchase price.

Plot Summary:  After the curse that forces Poppy and her sisters to dance night after night in Princess of the Midnight Ball was broken, she decides she has had enough of dancing and balls, thank you very much.  When she travels to Breton to help rebuild relationships and alliances, she gives in to her hosts and agrees to attend a ball or two but not to dance.  If anyone could persuade her otherwise, it might be the charming and handsome Prince Christian, but he seems to have eyes only for the mysterious Eleanora, whose gowns dazzle and shoes of glass sparkle.  But what is Eleanora giving up for such magnificent beauty?  Poppy and her friends are determined to find out.

Critical Analysis:  This companion to George’s Princess of the Midnight Ball is charming, romantic, witty and lots of fun.  A retelling of the Cinderella story with a twist that one of the main characters has given up dancing.  The plot and packing seems to move faster than Midnight Ball, and if I have one quibble, it is that because Poppy is for the most part outside of the enchantment until the very end, the story does not have the same sense of urgency and danger that the first book has.  That being said, so refreshing to read a fantasy that doesn’t feel the need to go on and on and on for hundreds and hundreds of pages for no real reason.

I love the world that George has built, the details of a fairy godmother is anything but an old grandmotherly type, the description of the ball gowns, how the glass slippers came about, the horse and carriage and everything add to this magic world where things are not always what they seem.  I am excited for the thought that there are many more of Rose and Poppy’s sisters left for George to use as a basis to retell still more fairy tales and to continue to build this world.

Readalikes:  There are many wonderful Cinderella retellings available.  Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine comes to mind, as does Ash by Malinda Lo.  For another view of the fairy godmother, look for Godmother: The Secret Cinderella Story by Carolyn Turgeon.

Review Excerpts: “In a clever reworking of the Cinderella story, George once again proves adept at spinning her own magical tale. Fans of Donna Jo Napoli’s retellings will cheer loudly as George proves her own mettle.”–Booklist

Reviewed from publisher provided advanced copy.  Amazon Affiliate: If you click from here to Amazon and buy something, I receive a percentage of the purchase price.

Dahl, Roald. (1983).  The Witches. New York: Farrar, Strauss and Giroux.  ISBN: 9780374384579 (hc) 9780142410110 (pb)

This was another reread for me.  I remember reading all the Dahl I could get my hands on as a child and even into my teens.  At the time, I recognized how wonderful his storytelling was, but I don’t think I realized until I was an adult how diverse his body of work is.  Just his writing for children alone but add in his autobiographies and short stories for adults and it makes you wish you could meet him just to get a glimpse into how he works.

Upon rereading this story, what impresses me the most is how much world building and plot Dahl manages to put into his just over 200 pages.  We learn all about witches, how they are organized, how to recognize them, ways they have taken children in the past.  Our hero gets caught, changed into a mouse, makes not one but two daring missions where he almost gets caught and saves all of England’s children from an awful fate.  And all with a sense of humor and fun.  Who doesn’t want a granny like this?  What child doesn’t suspect that fairy tale witches aren’t real?

I also have a fond spot in my heart for the movie which I saw in the movie theater and thought was very true to the book.  Last fall I heard this story on NPR and just had to share, as it describes the rigorous process filmmakers must go through into order to get permission to adapt Dahl’s works.  To see what Amber said about The Witches, click here.

Reviewed from public library copy.  Amazon Affiliate: If you click from here to Amazon and buy something, I receive a percentage of the purchase price.

Bibliography

Plot Summary: The only thing that Scarlett March loves more than her sister Rosie is hunting and killing the Fernis or werewolves.  As children, a werewolf killed their grandmother and took Scarlett’s eye as she defended and protected Rosie.  With the help of Silas, the neighboring woodsman’s son, they determine that there is a Potential, a human who can be turned, nearby, and move to Atlanta in hopes of trapping as many werewolves as possible when they find him.  Rosie longs for a life outside of hunting, and she and Silas feel forced to hide their romance from Scarlett.  But it is Silas’s hidden secret that may destroy them all.

Critical Analysis:  This is less a retelling and more a re-imagining or expansion of the familiar Little Red Riding Hood fairy tale.  Pearce does an excellent job of building the world of the March sisters and setting the rules for the Fernis (werewolves.)  The sisters’ grandmother is dead, Silas’s father is going senile, so there is no one for them to turn to and they are forced to figure it out and fight for themselves. a typical set up for a young adult novel.  Throw in Scarlett’s obsession with her cause, Rosie’s longing for a new life, a romance of stolen moments and a huge secret and you’ve got a recipe for a novel that teens, especially girls, will gulp down before coming to ask if there will be a sequel.  The gorgeous eye catching cover doesn’t hurt either.  I’m sure I could be nit picky, I mean, do we really need to read so many long drawn out fight scenes?  Do the characters need to spend so much time on research or visiting the grocery store?  In the end, I was just happy to be swept along by the story, and I think most readers will as well.

Review Excerpts: “Hints of a dark Little Red Riding Hood in today’s often violent world as one young woman wages a never-ending war against those whom most will view as sexual predators.”–Children’s Literature

“Pearce modernizes the story of Little Red Riding Hood, creating a novel filled with bravery, romance and loyalty….teens who savor the supernatural will enjoy this suspenseful tale.”–VOYA

“Pearce is on the mark with this modern-day retelling of Little Red Riding Hood….this well-written, high-action adventure grabs readers and never lets go. Rosie and Scarlett are true heroines; smart, tough, and determined…A satisfying read with a fantastic cover.”–School Library

“Despite plenty of gore and werewolf transformations, it’s the compelling love stories that drive the tale—the sisters’ affection for each other, the first breathless flush of infatuation between Rosie and Silas, and Scarlett’s love of the hunt.”–Booklist

Reviewed from publisher provided advanced copy.  Amazon Affiliate: If you click from here to Amazon and buy something, I receive a percentage of the purchase price.

DiCamillo, Kate.(2006).  The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane.  Somerset, MA: Candlewick Press.  ISBN: 9780763625894

This is the first book on the top 100 list that is not a reread for me, and maybe that is the problem.  The entire time I was reading it, I kept going from one extreme to another, I don’t like it, I like it, I don’t like it.  Perhaps that is a sign that I need to read it again?  It is definitely old-fashioned, but that has never been a problem for me before.  Maybe it is the fable-like qualities, in some cases they seem very blunt and obvious to me.  Most of all though, I think it is the fact that it reminds me of other books I loved so much, especially Hitty, Her First Hundred Years by Rachel Field and The Holly and the Ivy by Rumer Godden.  I don’t think this is necessarily bad, but it leaves me wanting to run to the library and check those books out, rather than reading Edward again.

For another point of view, you can read what Amber at The Literary Wife thought about Edward and his journey here.

Reviewed from public library copy.  Amazon Affiliate: If you click from here to Amazon and buy something, I receive a percentage of the purchase price.

Bibliography

Plot Summary:  You just think you know the real Cinderella story.  What if the fairy chosen to be Cinderella’s godmother was not old but young?  What if she had sneaked into the palace and fallen for the prince herself?  What if Cinderella didn’t want to go to the ball?

Critical Analysis:  Dual narratives, both by Lil, the titular godmother, show different pictures, different worlds, different people.  In the present, Lil is a broken old woman forced to hide her fairy wings from the public.  She works in a rare book store by day and spends her nights trying to fill her emptiness with diner food and television shows.  Contrasted with her past self, a young bright fairy with beautiful fairy sisters and friends, excited to be chosen for the honor of being Cinderella’s godmother but young enough, reckless enough to show herself to the prince and fall for him.

Turgeon’s writing is lyrical, lilting, she makes Lil’s longings real.  This is not a happy story, even when Lil decides the only way back is to right the wrong she put into motion so long before and plays fairy godmother to her boss and a beautiful young woman who comes into the bookstore one morning.  This story manages to combine sadness and futility with abundant hope and a painful twisty ambiguous ending that will stay with the reader long after the final page.

Readalikes: Not so much a readalike, but more like a read with, Princess of Glass by Jessica Day George reimagines the Cinderella story as a romance with a much more sinister fairy godmother.

Ash by Malinda Lo is another retelling, this one with a fairy godfather and a broken hearted Cinderella who will do anything to escape her stepmother and return to the woods she considers home.

Review Excerpts: “[R]eaders expecting magical carriages and glass slippers will be surprised by the novel’s morose tone, and though the surprise conclusion doesn’t quite work, Turgeon’s takes on nostalgia and regret are surprisingly clear-eyed given her narrator’s unbalance.”–Publisher’s Weekly

“[A] decidedly different take on Cinderella….Lil is complex and appealing, and vivid imagery and lyrical writing give shape to a charmer with a very satisfying, enigmatic ending.”–Booklist

“[T]houghtfully peels away the layers of fairy-tale convention and delves deeper into the notion of true love-its cost, its power, its rarity, and its beauty. Romantics and fans of fairy stories of all kinds will be enthralled by this latest take on the Cinderella story.”–Library Journal

Reviewed from public library copy.  Amazon Affiliate: If you click from here to Amazon and buy something, I receive a percentage of the purchase price.

Boston, L. M. (1954). The Children of Green Knowe. New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. ISBN: 978-0152024680

This is book that started it all–my participation in this informal reading challenge, that is.  You can read about that here, or to see what I said about the book, check out my post on The Literary Wife.

Reviewed from public library copy.  Amazon Affiliate: If you click from here to Amazon and buy something, I receive a percentage of the purchase price.

Plot Summary:  When high school senior Devi drops her cell phone in the fountain at the mall, she discovers the only person she can call is her younger high school freshman self.  Now she can give herself the benefit of her wisdom and experience–together they can get into a great college, save their friendships, and avoid getting dumped by long time boyfriend Bryan.  But life has a way of working out despite plans and machinations, and sometimes what you think you want isn’t really all you need.

Critical Analysis:  Great concept executed with a lot of frothy fun.  Who hasn’t wished for a chance to do things over at some point in their lives?  Here Mlynowski creates a likable character who can’t win for losing.  Her instructions to her younger self often have unintended consequences and in trying to avoid certain events or people, she ends up smack in the middle of everything anyway.

Some of the scenarios work better than others, and one at the end seems to be outside the rules of the book which was a little jarring, but all in all, light chick lit with a message that no teen girl will mind, and that many need to hear.

Readalikes:  This reminded me of other light and funny fantasy titles that allow teens to see themselves through someone else’s eyes such as Freaky Friday by Mary Rodgers

Review Excerpts: “Devi’s frenzied attempts to better herself create some funny moments and a touching conclusion.”–Publisher’s Weekly

“Mlynowski fans will not be disappointed with this blend of chick-lit, light fantasy, and comedic mishaps.”–School Library Journal

“Fun and easy to relate to, but no great shakes.”–Kirkus Reviews

“[T]he author taps into a universal fantasy: Who hasn’t coveted a do-over in at least some aspect of life?…gives a contemporary feel to a timeless YA dilemma.”–Booklist

Reviewed from publisher provided advanced copy.  Amazon Affiliate: If you click from here to Amazon and buy something, I receive a percentage of the purchase price.

Plot Summary:  Hoping to figure out what happened, sixteen year old Haley forced her father to bring her to the exact spot in Iceland where her mother disappeared a year ago.  Instead of her mother, Haley finds an ancient magic coin and is swept up in a centuries old spell.  With the help of Ari, a boy whom she just met, and several creatures from nature and mythology, Haley fights to break the enchantment without destroying herself or the earth.

Critical Analysis:  It is refreshing to read a paranormal romance that doesn’t feature vampires or werewolves.  There is something mesmerizing about the Icelandic setting and the earthquakes and springs combining with the mythologic creatures and deep old magic that seems to come from the earth itself.

Haley is very likeable, and by telling the story through her “thief eyes” the reader is there, experiencing the strangeness and newness of everything.  It is a credit to Simner that she carries the book, as for large part of the story she is lost with Ari trying to find her way back.  Based on Norse myths, I also see echoes of the Norwegian fairy tale, East of the Sun, West of the Moon which also features a beserker.

If I have a quibble, it is that it all seems a little too easy, Haley and Ari’s journey back to their world and their families.  Even the climax seemed preordained although for a second I was hoping Simner would defy reader expectations by making a bold choice, she didn’t.  I suppose I can’t fault her for not writing the book as I would have liked, especially since what is there is eminently readable and enjoyable.

Connections:  To Iceland, Norse mythology, Icelandic animals and Icelandic geology, especially earthquakes and volcanoes.  In her author’s note, Simner talks about the Norse mythology that she used in writing Thief Eyes.  She has even more information linked on her blog: http://www.simner.com/thiefeyes/links.html

Readalikes:  The Northern Frights series by Arthur Slade.  While only The Loki Wolf is set in Iceland, each entry in this horror series for teens is based on Icelandic and Norse myths and legends.  (And they’re scary!)

East by Edith Pattou is a retelling of East of the Sun, West of the Moon, the story of which Thief Eyes reminded me in part.

While not a fantasy, Sea by Heidi Kling has similar themes, a teenage girl traveling to an exotic country with her father to try and come to terms with her mother’s disappearance and finding not her mother but herself with a little romance thrown in for good measure.

Review Excerpts: “Adopting figures from Icelandic sagas, Simner (Bones of Faerie) creates a captivating modern odyssey. Incorporating references to Star Wars and Norse myth alike, Simner is poetic whether writing about magic and sorcery or simply getting inside her characters’ heads…. An endnote includes information about the sagas Simner studied while writing this story—the well-crafted result may encourage readers to do the same.”–Publisher’s Weekly

“Simner has done her homework. This appealing novel centers around and embellishes Icelandic legend—specifically Njal’s Saga. Simner takes the old stories and brings them into the 21st century in this cyclical novel about the powerful relationship between mothers and daughters.”–School Library Journal

“Simner’s second book, a fantasy set in modern times but rooted in ancient Icelandic sagas, has great reader appeal. The plot is compelling-a page-turner that catapults Haley and Ari, an attractive Icelandic berserker, from crisis to crisis….The climax is a humdinger, and while the resolution is bittersweet, it makes sense and is consistent with the magical rules of the book….Light, romantic fiction with an engaging fantasy punch.”–Kirkus Reviews

Plot Summary:  In her home country, Nimira’s mother was an artist, but after her death, Nimira leaves to look for better life.  Instead, she finds herself singing and dancing in a low class music hall.  That’s where she is discovered by the mysterious and handsome Hallin Parry.  Parry makes her an offer she can’t refuse–come live with him and sing with his piano playing automaton.  But many secrets lurk in Parry’s home, not the least of which is the automaton itself.

Critical Analysis:  I really did enjoy this book.  The scenes where Nimira first comes to Parry’s home and is given good food and beautiful clothes contrasted with the subsequent scenes of exploring that same home and discovering puzzling and troubling items are very well written.  And the scenes with the automaton have a sense of joy and discovery that leaps off the page. The evil villains are sufficiently creepy and definitely bad, and the mysterious woman in the upper floors of the house raises as many questions as fears.  The plot flows along well, and when the action picks up, it is relentless and exciting.

But…for me, I am left wondering and wanting more.  What was the point of saying that this book isn’t set in an alternate England and instead making up a new world but then not giving hardly any details of the world building?  I am reminded by readers of historical fiction who ask if this story can be set and told in the present day, then how much is the historical setting really adding?  It also seems to me we find out more about almost all the characters in the story except Nimira.  I know part of the is perhaps setting up for a sequel, and even though we are not told much, I still found her charming, but still.  And finally, perhaps a small point but I felt like the fairies under the dome where mentioned  so often that the author was foreshadowing that something more was there, so in the climatic moment when nothing happened, I have to admit I was disappointed.

And yet there is an exoticness to Nimira and a gothic feel to the story as a whole.  Girls will love the romance, and the magic and the automaton add another layer to the story.  I am looking forward to the sequel to see if any of my concern might be addressed there.

Cover Controversy:  The cover at the beginning of this post is from the British edition.  Searching online will turn up much buzz about the white washing of the cover.  One such article from Entertainment Weekly can be read here.   A new cover is forthcoming from Bloomsbury.

Review Excerpts: “Debut author Dolamore draws heavily on Jane Eyre and its themes of sexual and class prejudice for her plot, reshaping the source material with skill.”–Publisher’s Weekly

“…vivid and rousing debut…Unlike similar and heftier tomes, this tale is kept under tight control with brisk pacing.”–Kirkus Reviews

Readalikes: Sorcery and Cecelia or the Enchanted Chocolate Pot by Patricia Wrede and Caroline Stevermier.  Two girl cousins in early 1800s England find themselves face to face with evil magic.

The Bewitching Season by Marissa Doyle.  Twin sisters share their debut season in Victorian England while hiding their magic.  But when faced with mystery and romance, a little magic might come in handy.

Reviewed from publisher provided advanced copy. Amazon Affiliate: If you click from here to Amazon and buy something, I receive a percentage of the purchase price.