Review: Tell the Wind and Fire

Tell the Wind and Fire
by Sarah Rees Brennan
YA Fantasy
Amazon  /  Goodreads

Plot Summary:

In a city divided between opulent luxury in the Light and fierce privations in the Dark, a determined young woman survives by guarding her secrets.

Lucie Manette was born in the Dark half of the city, but careful manipulations won her a home in the Light, celebrity status, and a rich, loving boyfriend. Now she just wants to keep her head down, but her boyfriend has a dark secret of his own—one involving an apparent stranger who is destitute and despised. Lucie alone knows the young men’s deadly connection, and even as the knowledge leads her to make a grave mistake, she can trust no one with the truth.

Blood and secrets alike spill out when revolution erupts. With both halves of the city burning, and mercy nowhere to be found, can Lucie save either boy—or herself?

Review:

A Tale of Two Cities is one of my favorite classic novels, but I think the ending is what always sticks in my mind the most.  It's truly an emotional finale to the lives of the characters.  With a YA retelling, I was eager to see how it would be fashioned from such a dark story about revolution and revenge, and this book did not shy away from the heavy themes, and the potential for loss, redemption and sacrifice.  It's a darker story than I normally expect from young adult, but an intriguing read.

The beginning of the book sets up a lot of exposition about the fantasy world.  The pacing is a little uneven, because there is so much to the magic and the dark and the light.  The actual world is fascinating, although it's a little unclear to me how it all came to be in the first place.  The politics are pretty clear though - as the fear, greed and differences in status due to class is unfortunately universal.

Lucie was a very interesting main character.  She is seen as heroic by almost everyone around her, but she knows, and reveals to the reader often, that this is not the case.  This story is very much her struggles to come to terms with her past, and with the person she has become, and I found that inner struggle to be a great part of the story.  Even if I didn't like Lucie that much sometimes.  She's both a strong character and a vulnerable one, and that was interesting to see play out.  It made me frustrated with her at times, but it's believable that she has alot of flaws.   And it's great that Lucie has a stronger, unique voice in this book.

While the beginning of the book, and at times even the middle, lagged for me, the last quarter made up for all the time needed to set up the characters and world.  Revelations are made that I found shocking, the action intensifies, and the danger to everyone Lucie loves makes the story very suspenseful.  I was wondering how the author would bring in that amazing ending to A Tale of Two Cities, and I think she did it complete justice while making it her own.

(I received this book from the publisher or author for a fair and honest review.  I was not compensated for this review.)

Review: Team Human

Team Human
by Justine Larbalestier and Sarah Rees Brennan
YA Fantasy
Amazon  /  Goodreads

Plot Summary:

Readers who love vampire romances will be thrilled to devour Team Human by Justine Larbalestier and Sarah Rees Brennan. Team Human celebrates and parodies the Twilight books, as well as other classics in the paranormal romance genre.

Mel is horrified when Francis Duvarney, arrogant, gorgeous, and undead, starts at her high school. Mel’s best friend, Cathy, immediately falls for the vampire. Cathy is determined to be with him forever, even if having him turn her could inadvertently make her a zombie.

And Mel is equally determined to prove to her BFF that Francis is no good, braving the city’s vampire district and kissing a cute boy raised by vampires as she searches evidence in this touching and comic novel.

Review:

This was a fun book to read - light on emotional investment when it comes to the characters, but full of quirkiness and a great sense of humor.  Having read Unspoken by Sarah Rees Brennan, I found that this book didn't have quite the number of jokes and one liners that I anticipated so instead I felt this story was amusing instead of laugh-out-loud funny.  The story did have some legitimate and interesting points of view in Mel and Cathy in their attitudes towards vampires.  It's interesting to see Mel grow from her almost irrational dislike of vampires to understanding, and because this is a bit of a parody of vampire stories, I was pleasantly surprised to find that Cathy is ultimately not belittled for her point of view as a character.  I don't want to reveal too much though about the choices the characters make in the story.

There is a nice romance between Mel and another character too which gave more dimension to the vampire vs. human aspect.  The romance is predictable, but sweet, and it was entertaining to see the little bumps in their romance along the way.  The story also features a side mystery with one of Mel's other friends, and that also became a bit predictable towards the end, but it contributed much to keeping the plot more interesting.

This wasn't a book I devoured so much as quietly enjoyed.  The message in the end is a great one for tolerance and choice however, and it was delightful to go on this journey with the characters.

Review: Untold

Untold (The Lynburn Legacy #2)
by Sarah Rees Brennan
YA Fantasy Romance
Amazon  /  Goodreads

Plot Summary:

On the surface, Sorry-in-the-Vale is a sleepy English town. But Kami Glass knows the truth. Sorry-in-the-Vale is full of magic. In the old days, the Lynburn family ruled with fear, terrifying the people into submission in order to kill for blood and power. Now the Lynburns are back, and Rob Lynburn is gathering sorcerers so that the town can return to the old ways.

But Rob and his followers aren’t the only sorcerers in town. A decision must be made: pay the blood sacrifice, or fight. For Kami, this means more than just choosing between good and evil. With her link to Jared Lynburn severed, she’s now free to love anyone she chooses. But who should that be?

A darkly humorous take on Gothic romance, Sarah Rees Brennan's Lynburn Legacy weaves together the tale of a heroine desperate to protect those she loves, two boys hoping to be saved, and the magical forces that will shape their destiny.

Review:

After the heart-wrenching cliffhanger of book 1 Unspoken, I was so eager to read the next book in the series.  Kami and Jared's relationship is a major part of the appeal of these books.  They have their quirks, they completely understand each other (or at least they did once when there was a link between them)  and they both have such strong personalities.  It's most fun when they banter back and forth, but there is a lot of angst in this book that meant the sharp, witty humor of the first book is a little dampened.  There are still some great comebacks and turns of phrases though - especially from my other favorite character - Rusty.

Although there is a lot at stake in Sorry-in-the-Vale and the main characters are in a lot of danger, the story moves a little too leisurely for most of the book.  There is a big focus on Kami and Jared's feelings and whether or not they can overcome what happened in the first book and while it is necessary, I did think it was a little too drawn out sometimes.  Considering what actually happens in the book, there is very little advancement to the plot, and much more character development.  It's interesting to understand Ash, Holly, Angela and Rusty better, but I wish there was more to the story than just what was going on with these characters' relationships.

Having said all that though, I still enjoyed reading the second installment of The Lynburn Legacy very much, and I find all the revelations about the Lynburns and their practices to be very intriguing.  I think there are many more things to learn about them and the world, and there is definitely another very aggravating and soul-hurting cliffhanger in store for you in the second book.  The wit and humor, the dangerous reality of the situation Kami and her friends are in, and the appealing simplicity of the good vs. evil in this story makes this a great read, and I am eagerly waiting for the last book in the series!

Review: Unspoken

Unspoken
by Sarah Rees Brennan

Plot Summary:
Kami Glass loves someone she’s never met . . . a boy she’s talked to in her head ever since she was born. She wasn’t silent about her imaginary friend during her childhood, and is thus a bit of an outsider in her sleepy English town of Sorry-in-the-Vale. Still, Kami hasn’t suffered too much from not fitting in. She has a best friend, runs the school newspaper, and is only occasionally caught talking to herself. Her life is in order, just the way she likes it, despite the voice in her head.

But all that changes when the Lynburns return.

The Lynburn family has owned the spectacular and sinister manor that overlooks Sorry-in-the-Vale for centuries. The mysterious twin sisters who abandoned their ancestral home a generation ago are back, along with their teenage sons, Jared and Ash, one of whom is eerily familiar to Kami. Kami is not one to shy away from the unknown—in fact, she’s determined to find answers for all the questions Sorry-in-the-Vale is suddenly posing. Who is responsible for the bloody deeds in the depths of the woods? What is her own mother hiding? And now that her imaginary friend has become a real boy, does she still love him? Does she hate him? Can she trust him?

Review:
Argh I hate cliffhangers!!!! And now I have to wait for this book to actually be released and then for the sequel. But I wouldn't feel so upset if I hadn't loved this book as much as I had, so I suppose there is my silver lining. The things I loved about this book was pretty much everything. The writing, the clever, funny banter, and the touches of Nancy Drew, Addams Family, Gothic mystery, and magic were all woven together perfectly. I loved that the romance was not overpowering as well, because the characters have so much more room to grow. One of the best reads of 2012 for me, and I am so looking forward to the next in the series! (Ebook provided by NetGalley and Random House for review)