Blog Tour - Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins

When Nicole from the Book Reporter asked me if I wanted to be a part of the "Hex Hall" Blog Tour, I jumped on the chance. As you all know, I have a huge affinity for YA, especially the paranormal. So, this was a pretty big chance for me. Unfortunately, I have been on a blogging break for the last 5 weeks, for personal reasons. But now I am back, and I'm ready to get started again!!

Felicia was crying in the bathroom. Again. I knew it was her because in the three months I'd been going to Green Mountain High, I'd already seen Felicia crying in the bathroom twice. She had a really distinctive sob, high and breathy like a little kids, even though Felicia was eighteen, two years older than me. I'd left her alone before, figuring it was ever girl's right to cry in a public bathroom from time to time. But tonight was prom night and there was something really sad about sobbing in formal wear.

Sophie Mercer discovered at the age of 12 she was a witch. It was at that time she came in to her powers. And it was pretty confusing for Sophie. Apparently, her father was a European Warlock, and she inherited his powers. But Sophie had never even met her dad. Her mother had a relationship with him until she found out about the whole warlock "thing", then ran screaming for the hills. But she was pregnant at the time. Now, he was a part of the "Council", or governing body for the Prodigium, and he kept tabs on Sophie in that way.

But a runaway "love spell" at Sophie's last high school is the final straw and the Council decides to send her to Hecate (or "Hex") Hall, which happens to be a reform school for Prodigium, including witches, faeries, and shape shifters. Here she will learn more about her powers and how to use them without Humans knowing. Because in the world today, there are people that want to see all Prodigium annihilated. Especially the group called L'Occhio di Dio, or "The Eye of God". For centuries, this offshoot of the Knights Templar have been killing Prodigium....and not in nice ways.

But when Sophie gets to Hex Hall, she realizes that living with her human mother has kept her sheltered from who she really is. Not growing up with Prodigium, she really has no idea about anything. And her first week at Hex Hall is anything but great. She immediately falls for the "hottest" guy in school, a warlock named Archer. Then she makes enemies with the 3 other dark witches who approach Sophie to join their coven. They just happen to be the prettiest and most popular girls in school. A weird ghost seems to be following her around. AND her roommate is the biggest outcast around: the school's only vampire.

I have to say I was really looking forward to reading this book. The last few months my reading has been really kept to a minimum, and I love a good YA book. Hex Hall and Rachel Hawkins did not disappoint!! What a great book!! I loved the story. I loved the characters. Sophie is so funny and sassy. With one foot in the human world and one foot in the Prodigium world, she is doing her best to find her way AND do the right things. Archer, although his motives are a bit suspect, is snarky as hell. And Jenna, the vampire-roommate, is tough. Not only is she forever destined to be 16, she loves the color pink, is cute and sweet, AND the only real friend Sophie has ever had.

But learning about the Prodigium is second to the mystery that surrounds Hex Hall. There is a series of murders/attacks on witches that makes reading this book even more fun! Of course, there is the whole "I'm-going-to-be-a-trilogy-and-this-is-just-a-taste-of-what's-to-come" thing that happens at the end of the book. *Sigh* It seems today there are far too few stand-alone books anymore. BUT I know for a fact that I'm super-excited about reading the next installment...just as soon as Rachel Hawkins publishes it!! If you like a fun, exciting bit of YA/paranormal fun, I totally recommend Hex Hall!!! 4.5/5


AND I have this snazzy Hex Hall T-shirt to giveaway!! Isn't it fun?? If you'd like a chance to win it, just leave me a comment. I'll contact the winner for a size next week when I draw!! (For the record, I got one myself. And it's cute as can be!) Good luck!!

True Beauty

When I was contacted by a publicist to receive an ARC of North of Beautiful by Justina Chen Headley (384 pgs, Little, Brown Young Readers, 2009), I was really excited. I love a good YA book, and this one was extremely good.

Not to brag or anything, but if you saw me from behind, you'd probably think I was perfect. I'm tall, but not too tall, with a ballerina's long legs and longish neck. My hair is naturally platinum blond, the kind that curls when I want it to and cascades behind my back in one sleek line when I don't. While my face couldn't launch a thousand ships, it has the power to make any stranger whip around for a second look. Trust me, this mixture of curiosity and revulsion is nothing Helen of Troy would ever have encountered. Please don't get me wrong: I've got all the prerequisite parts -- and in all the right numbers, too: one nose, two eyes, and twenty-four teeth that add to to not a bad smile. But who notices pearly whites when a red-stained birthmark stretches across the broad plain of my cheek?

Terra Cooper is about to complete high school in three years. She smart, ambitious and even though she doesn't realize it, an extremely talented artist. But Terra has spent her entire life hiding behind a port-wine stain birthmark. Years of laser treatments and creams have done nothing to diminish it, and she now wears a "mask" of cover-up so she can feel normal.

But Terra's reasons for wanting to complete high school so fast doesn't have as much to do with her birthmark as it does getting away from home. She wants to attend college as far from home as possible. Across the country in fact. Her father, a disgraced cartographer has made her life a living hell. He is mean as a snake, constantly criticizing every move she makes. But it's not just Terra that lives in constant fear from her father. It's the entire family. Both Terra's brothers have "escaped". Her oldest brother, Merc is now a lawyer in China. He doesn't ever call or write. And Claudius is now in college, and is always "too busy" to come home. Terra's mother, who takes most of the brow-beating, turns to food to quell the harshness that Grant constantly doles out. And she has gained an enormous amount of weight. It's a viscous circle for her mother. Grant constantly tells her she's fat, and yet she turns to food to blot out the pain.

On a trip home from yet another doctor's appointment, Terra and her mom, stop for coffee, and get into an auto accident. It's here they meet the Fremont's. Norah, the gorgeous coffee-buyer from Seattle and her adopted son from China, Jacob. Although Norah seems to have it all: money, beauty, a high-power job -- looks can be deceiving. Her husband has just left her for a much younger woman. When an unlikely friendship is formed between the mothers, Terra and Jacob start spending time together. And it's through Jacob that Terra starts to question everything she has ever thought the word "beauty" meant.

Justina Chen Headley has taken a pretty big leap with this book. In today's world when young girls are bombarded with images of what is deemed "beautiful", Headley has tried to re-write the definition. And it's admirable. I know how young girls think. I remember what it was like growing up. I was the "smart" girl in my group. Definitely not one of the "beautiful" people. It's hard on young girls when the barrage of the media defines super-model looks as beauty. And even though we have all heard that true beauty is on the inside, it doesn't make it any easier to understand. And that is the lesson this book tries to convey.

At times heartbreaking, North of Beautiful is a wonderful book. Grant comes across as such a horrible person, it's hard to feel anything for him but revulsion. Any father that would deem to tell his own daughter how ugly she is isn't worth anything in my book. And his constant degrading comments to his wife just makes me cringe.

But read on a little farther and you find that both Terra and her mom, with a little help from the Freemont's, come to grip with who they really are. The four take a trip to China...and it's certainly a trip of self-discovery. The transformation is fantastic. This book is a must-read for any person who has ever felt they didn't quite muster up to standard. For anyone who had ever felt they were far from perfect. Personally, a book like this should be a must read for every teenage girl. Justina Chen Headley has created some unique characters to which we can all relate. And I, for one, am certainly glad to say I read it! 4.5/5

A Quiet Little Novel About Life......

T'is the season to be busy!! So busy, that I am about 4 reviews behind, and that never happens to me! But since I'm hosting a Giveaway for Matrimony by Joshua Henkin (291 pgs, 2007), I thought it would be prudent to let you all know what I thought about the book!!

"Out! Out! Out! The first words Julian Wainwright ever spoke, according to his father, Richard Wainwright III, graduate of Yale and grand lubricator of the economic machinery, and Constance Wainwright, Wellesley graduate and descendant of a long family of Pennsylvania Republicans. Julian, the first Wainwright in four generations to be given his own Christian name. Julian's father would have liked another Richard, but Julian's mother was a persistent woman and she believed a child of hers was entitled to his own identity and therefore his own name.

In 1986, seventeen-year-old Julian Wainwright leaves New York City to go to college. Early on, Julian knew he would never follow in his father's footsteps and become an investment banker. It wasn't in his heart. And he certainly didn't want to go to Yale. Instead Julian enrolled at Graymont, a small liberal arts college in Northington, Massachusettes, and set his sights on becoming a writer. He had come to Graymont to study fiction writing under Professor Chesterfield, a man who had written one novel. His novel had been sold to Hollywood. Plagued by troubles from the start, the movie was never made...and it started Chesterfield on a road to a 20-year Writer's block.

It was in Chesterfield's Fiction Workshop, where Julian met Carter Heinz....the only other promising writer in the bunch. The two became best friends, and spent most of their time together....mostly out of convenience. Carter was a scholarship kid from California, and it was hard for Julian to really understand him. Julian's parents were rich, and he never had to worry about money. Carter always felt like he was on the outside because he didn't have money. Nevertheless, the two remained friends.

It was also during Freshman year that Julian met Mia Mendelsohn. He had picked her picture out of the freshman facebook, and dubbed her "Mia from Montreal". He had decided she was the one for him. And when he actually meets her, the two started dating, and by Senior year, they are living together.

But Senior year is a year for change and when Mia's mother is diagnosed with breast cancer, things really change. Mia and Julian got married right after graduation. It wasn't a romantic thing to do....Mia wanted her mother there to see it. Did they love each other? Sure, but they really did rush marriage.

Through college, grad school and years of writer's block, Matrimony takes you through the lives and times of Julian and Mia. This book isn't chocked full of explosions or cliff-hangers. What Matrimony is full of is a lot of intense character study. It's a slow, quiet little novel. And that's not a bad thing. Josh Henkin lets us peek into the lives of Julian and Mia at certain moments in time. The characters are so-well developed, that even though there isn't always a lot of action, you really care what happens to these people. This is real life.

I haven't read a lot of literary fiction lately. But Matrimony, which was a NY Times Notable Book for 2007 is certainly a winner. If you want to read a wonderful character study, this one is for you. Don't forget to sign up for my giveaway either. Go to this post!! 4.5/5

A Final RIP Review......

Sheesh. I'm WAY behind on reviews these days. That has never happened to me before. For the last RIP III Challenge book, I choose Sisters of Misery by Megan Kelley Hall (308 pgs, Kensington, 2008). This book was sent to me by the author for review. So, here's a big shout out of thanks to Ms. Hall!!

There are some girls that have everything. And not just the ones who are born with silver spoons in their mouths. Some girls are born with an intangible, magnetic aura: something that radiates beneath their flawless skin. You know who they are: the Cleopatras, the Marilyn Monroes. They are the present day sirens -- girls who have the power to transfix any male who comes their way. Then there are the jealous ones.

For fifteen-year-old Maddie Crane, life is a blur. Maddie should be happy. She has all the right clothes, is friends with the most popular girls in town, and is even a part of the "secret society" that everyone wants to join: The Sisters of Misery. Her mother made sure Maddie was always in the right crowds and a part of the society of Hawthorne. But Maddie has always felt like an outsider.

Then, Maddie's aunt and cousin come to live with them. Cordelia is so NOT like everyone else. She is quirky and eccentric, smart and beautiful. So beautiful, in fact, that all the guys in school want to date her. And all the girls in school, especially the Sisters of Misery, hate her.

With the Gothic setting of Hawthorne, the next town over from Salem, this book has a supernatural feel to it. It is perceived by most of the town's people that Aunt Rebecca and Cousin Cordelia could be witches. They open up a flower store that sells lots of "New Age" materials. But the book itself is more about the relationships between the characters than anything supernatural.

I liked this book. And yet, I had a few problems with it. From the reviews that I've seen, the problems might be limited to me!! The Sisters of Misery are a mean, spiteful group of girls. Led by the uppity Kate Endicott, they are a group that are not only popular, but feared. Kate is just down-right evil. End of story. She is nasty to the core, and yet no one stands up to her. Peer pressure is a bitch. I agree wholeheartedly. And there is a lot of pressure on Maddie to turn her back on Cordelia. OK. Understandable. But Maddie and Cordelia become close. Almost like sisters. And yet, when times get tough, Maddie does indeed follow the crowd. She is weak.....and as you all know, that bothers me in a main character. Especially a female protagonist. Without giving away the storyline, Maddie has a chance to do the right thing, and doesn't. OK. I'm all about second chances. No one is perfect. If they were, stories would be boring!! Yet, she never does come forward in a situation that could really help Cordelia. Her weakness certainly bothered me.

And yes.....one of these days I'm going to learn to just go ahead and read the last chapter first. Maybe that way, I won't get myself sucked into a book that doesn't end!! The conclusion is anything but, and yes, it's open-ended...waiting for the sequel which is coming out in 2009. That might have been a good piece of information to have BEFORE I started the book. I don't know why I'm surprised though....this seems to be the way the pages fall these days!!

But for all that, Hall is a gifted storyteller. She has created a web of suspense that is hard to break, leaving the reader flipping pages quickly, just to find out what happens next. And her writing is really lovely. Pretty, in fact. Hall has a way of describing a scene so vividly, it's like you are actually watching it from the same room. There were a few twists and turns that really gives us more insight into the characters. Although the the story was open-ended, I was pleased that some of the threads were tied up in a way that I could live with. If this debut novel is any indication, I have a feeling we will be seeing more of this author! 4/5

Short Stories for the Once Upon a Time Challenge

Well...it's not Monday. Or even Tuesday. But I finished Joe Hill's 20th Century Ghosts (336 pgs., William Morrow) and I wanted to write a wrap-up review of it. And I do have to say, it certainly was a treat to read!! I've been very lucky lately to find some real gems when it comes to Short Stories. I read this book because a) I've been dying to read something by Joe Hill and b) it fit the category of "Folklore" for the Once Upon a Time II Challenge.

Short Stories are so hard to review because there's just not that much to them. I've already posted on 6 of the stories I've read. That leaves 9 left un-reviewed. I really enjoyed all the stories, although some exceedingly more than others. So I'll hit the highlights with the final 9.

The Black Phone is probably every parent's (and kids) worst nightmare. John Finney was waiting for his father on the front step's of Poole Hardware store, drinking a grape soda. An average, boring kind of day. As he was sitting there, a man was trying to get his groceries in a van across the street. When he dropped his grocery bags, John ran to help him out. Everything was fine, until he let his guard down and the man sprayed him in the face with something that temporarily blinded him. The next thing he knew, he was shoved in the van and driven away. It seems that the "Galesburg Grabber" had struck again. 4 boys had already disappeared, never to be seen again. One of them, John knew. It was a boy he had played baseball with. You never think this kind of thing could happen to someone you know. And you especially don't think it could ever happen to you. John was put in the basement of the man's house, with only a mattress and a black phone. Unfortunately, the old fashioned black phone wasn't even connected. But that didn't stop it from ringing....and messages from the boys who had already disappeared coming through the wires.

The Cape is the story of Eric, a young boy that liked to play superhero. He had made a cape out of his old blanket....and even had his mom stitch a red lightning blot on it. When he was climbing a tree one day, the branch beneath him broke. And to his and his brother's amazement, Eric didn't fall. With the help of the cape, he was suspended in the air. At first. Eric ended up falling and had to be hospitalized. Right next to his brother, who decided to try out the cape for himself....and ended up falling off the roof. With all the accidents, their mother decided the cape must go.....but when Eric finds it 20-years later in a closet, the magic is still there.

Last Breath is the story of a doctor who "captures" and stores the dying breath of people. He runs a museum of "silence" for people to listen to the last breath of others. Most people laugh, until they hear for themselves that there really is something inside all of those seemingly empty jars......

My Father's Mask is an incredibly disturbing little story that is like a nightmarish version of "Through the Looking Glass". Jack's parents pack up the car for a weekend away. It was a last minute trip and Jack isn't exactly happy about being whisked away. The family is headed to the family cabin on Big Cat Lake to meet with an "appraiser". Jack's mom tells him that they are in trouble. They are in deep money trouble, and the "playing card people" are after them. Jack must be careful because they can't let the playing card people see him. They are "so flat they can slip themselves under doors". They are dangerous. At first, Jack thinks this is all a game, until they reach the cabin and he sees all the masks. When the appraiser comes, Jack realizes it isn't antiques that is being appraised!!

Finally Voluntary Committal is the journal documentation of what actually happened in the disappearance of Eddie Prior. He was Nolan's friend, until something bad happened between them. And Nolan just wanted him to go away. Nolan's little brother Morris made it happen, although no one would believe it. How can it be possible that Morris had created a gateway into another world?

I was so impressed with each story in this collection!! Joe Hill has an amazing talent for telling a story. These stories are all just a little creepy, and a lot fantastic! The one thing Hill seemed to gleam from his father, is his gift for the surprise ending. There were a couple of stories, like The Cape and Dying Breath that left me with my jaw dropped!! Not at all what I was expecting. And that's a good thing. I really hope to read more from Joe Hill, starting with Heart Shaped Box. If his novel is half as good as his short stories, I'm sure I'll fall in love with it!! 4.5/5

Short Story Monday (on Tuesday...Again!) 20th Century Ghosts

Yes, I'm off by a day. Sorry. I worked a lot of hours this weekend, and spent a majority of my Monday sleeping! And frankly, I needed a little time to process what I read. For the Once Upon a Time II challenge, I choose Joe Hill's 20th Century Ghosts (336 pgs. William Morrow). I was trying to find a book that would fit in the "Folklore" subcategory and I figured ghost stories would fall here. And I've been really anxious to read this collection every since I found out who Joe Hill really is. As you all know, I'm a HUGE Stephen King fan.....and since Uncle Steve is Joe Hill's father (his real name is Joseph Hillstrom King), I wanted to see if any talent rubbed off. You know, the whole 'nature vs. nurture' theory. Whatever the reason, Joe Hill seems to be amazingly talented!!

The first story in this collection is called Best New Horror. It's the story of a man named Eddie Carrol. Eddie has spent close to 20 years editing the anthology, America's Best New Horror. After years of reading horror stories, it seems that Eddie has become a bit desensitized. Nothing is new anymore, and nothing is scary. Until the day he received a submission called Buttonboy. The story was sent by a professor from a small university. He had been the editor of the school's literary review when a part-time handyman had asked him to read a story. The story was incredibly good, although the subject matter was extremely disturbing. It was included in the review, but the backlash from the readers was intense. The professor no longer edited the publication, but felt that it should be included in Carrol's anthology. When Eddie started reading it, he couldn't put it down. And he knew he had to include it in his collection. That's where the trouble began: trying to track down the author. What he finds is much more disturbing than the story itself!

20th Century Ghosts is the tale of the Rosebud Theater and it's ghostly inhabitant. The Rosebud Theater is the last of a dying breed. It's an old-time movie house in the days of the multi-plexes, and it's having financial problems. Then there is also the little problem of it's "ghost". Imogene Gilchrist was a huge movie fan. She loved movies. During the opening of The Wizard of Oz in 1939, Imogene had a brain aneurysm and died at the Rosebud. But even death can't keep her away from the movies!

Pop Art has to be one of the strangest short stories I have ever read. And yet, it was utterly fantastic. It's about a boy and his best friend, Art. Art is an inflatable boy. (Yes, I do realize how weird that sounds) Art couldn't talk, but he kept a notepad around his neck. He would write with crayons whenever he wanted to communicate. He had to be really careful around sharp objects (obviously). It seems the life span of an inflatable person isn't all that long. In school, Art was teased endlessly and kicked around often. Until he met a friend. And the two of them became best friends.

This story is so unique and touching. I'm still not sure it's fits with the theme of ghosts, but I'm sincerely glad it was included. Art has a unique voice and is wise beyond his years. For example, they were discussing the number zero, and the fact that someone had to invent the idea of zero. Art said, "Because it isn't obvious -- that nothing can be something. That something which can't be measured or seen could still exist and have meaning. Same with the soul when you think about it." Who writes like that?? Beautiful. I wish I could do an ounce of justice to this story. But I can't. My best advice to you would be to read it!!

As for the other stories, they were great!! It seems that Joe Hill did indeed inherit some talent from Papa King. However, Joe has a voice all his own. And it's fabulous. Best New Horror is a cross between Deliverance and Hostel!! Really fun, unique Horror story. 20th Century Ghosts was a throwback to days of Twilight Zone episodes!! A little surreal, a little sad....and a lot sweet. What else can I say about Pop Art. It was wonderful. It was about bigotry and differences; love and hate; friendship and acceptance; and finally, death. And I honestly wish it was later in the book, because I can't see how Mr. Hill can top that one!!

Incredible Alternate History Tale

On my quest to broaden my horizons and expand to the world of Science Fiction, I picked up West of Eden by Harry Harrison. It is the first book in the Eden trilogy and I'd have to say, somewhat of a masterpiece. Harrison managed to not only create a wonderful story, but an entirely new planet Earth as well. As we know, sixty-five million years ago something happened and the ice age occurred. All the dinosaurs became extinct, and the age of the mammals began. The premise behind this book ask the question: "What if history had been different? What if the reptiles survived to evolve into intelligent life?"

This story tells the tale of the Yilane, a super-intelligent form of dinosaur, and the Tanu, another name for Humans. The Yilane live in cities, are intelligent, and have an incredibly structured hierarchy. They are also a completely matriarchal society, ruled solely by females and where the males are only used for breeding. They have taken genetic engineering to a whole new level. Everything they need is engineered from a living organism to something of use to them. This includes their weapons, their transportation, and even the trees they live in. The Tanu on the other hand, are more nomadic, living in small villages called Sammads. They move to find food and plentiful hunting, and return to the cold mountains in the winter months.

When a small group of hunters venture farther South than they've ever been, they happen across a couple of Yilane. Knowing the danger of all cold-blooded creatures, they kill the small group of reptiles. When the slaughter of their kind is uncovered, the Yilane, led by their ruler Vainte, sets out to destroy the "animals" that did this. During the Yilane attack, a young boy named Kerrick is captured. Kerrick is taken to live with the Yilane so they can study his kind. He eventually is taught the language and is able to communicate with the reptiles. He spends years with the Yilane, learning all their ways. When an attack on another sammad occurs, Kerrick escapes and goes back to live again with other Tanu.

There are a lot of different topics that Harrison explores in this book. He has created an incredible new world with a new language and many new species. The politics of the Yilane and their desire to rid the planet of the Tanu makes for a great story, albeit one that we have seen in our own world. There is even a faction of the Yilane, called the Daughters of Life, that protest against the destruction of other creatures. Not my normal fare, but a great book!! 4.5/5