Review of Stray by Elissa Sussman

Title/Author: Stray (Four Sisters #1) by Elissa Sussman
Publisher/Date published: Greenwillow, October 7th 2014
How I got this book: received it from the publisher as an egalley
Buy this book at: The Book Depository

Goodreads summary: “I am grateful for my father, who keeps me good and sweet. I am grateful for my mother, who keeps her own heart guarded and safe. I am grateful for my adviser, who keeps me protected. I am grateful for the Path, which keeps me pure. Ever after.”

Princess Aislynn has long dreamed about attending her Introduction Ball, about dancing with the handsome suitors her adviser has chosen for her, about meeting her true love and starting her happily ever after.

When the night of the ball finally arrives and Nerine Academy is awash with roses and royalty, Aislynn wants nothing more than to dance the night away, dutifully following the Path that has been laid out for her. She does not intend to stray.

But try as she might, Aislynn has never quite managed to control the magic that burns within her - magic brought on by wicked, terrible desires that threaten the Path she has vowed to take.

After all, it is wrong to want what you do not need. Isn’t it?

I am ever fascinated by fairytale retellings or twists on fairytales or fairytale like stories so OBVIOUSLY I was excited when I read the summary for Stray. It also reminded me a bit of The Fairy Godmother by Mercedes Lackey, which was AWESOME, so I was thinking good things going in.

And I definitely enjoyed Stray! The world that Elissa Sussman has created is so interesting! I'm still a bit reeling from all the things the people there conformed to, I mean, girls are trained just so they can go to a ball and catch a husband, and before a year has passed since they're coming out, cause else they're OLD and will be redirected. I mean, WTF? Obviously, I should have been a fairy godmother already, as I'm clearly not married yet. I have also never been to a real ball, but that's beside the point. But to each society its own rules, right?

So after raging at this and yelling at the women to start roaring because what the hell?? I got over it and started getting into the story. Cause it's actually pretty entertaining! Aislynn, while conforming a bit too much for my liking, at least in the beginning, was a very likable character. She's smart and she's got a sense of humour and she genuinely comes to care for her charge. I don't think I would have accepted being redirected as easily as she did, and with evil headmistresses being a nuisance and everything.

Towards the end things got REALLY interesting and I could fully support the romance that was blooming and just a whole lot of YES and now I'm really wishing I had the next book already, because I need to know what happens next!! There are so many questions I still have. What exactly is up with the evil queen? So I hope we'll get some answers in the next book, but Stray was a very promising start to this series!

My rating: 4,5 stars

Blog Tour! Review of Sorrow's Knot by Erin Bow

Title/Author: Sorrow's Knot by Erin Bow
Publisher/Date published: Arthur A. Levine Books, October 29th 2013
How I got this book: received it from the publisher as an egalley

Goodreads summary: In the world of Sorrow’s Knot, the dead do not rest easy. Every patch of shadow might be home to something hungry and nearly invisible, something deadly. The dead can only be repelled or destroyed with magically knotted cords and yarns. The women who tie these knots are called binders.

Otter is the daughter of Willow, a binder of great power. She’s a proud and privileged girl who takes it for granted that she will be a binder some day herself. But when Willow’s power begins to turn inward and tear her apart, Otter finds herself trapped with a responsibility she’s not ready for, and a power she no longer wants.

This book took my breath away. Seriously. And I don't say this lightly, so pay close attention!

I've always, always loved fairytales. I used to make my mom read them to me as a kid and after I learned to read myself, I devoured the whole book. And I still love them. So when I tell you that Sorrow's Know reminded me of a fairytale, I'm giving it one of my highest forms of praise. It actually reminded me of The Near Witch by Victoria Schwab, and I LOVED that book! There's a similar quality to it that I can't quite put my finger on.

The ease with which the story flows was AMAZING! I just wanted to live in the moment and slow down and really appreciate the storytelling, but at the same time I wanted to find out WHAT HAPPENED NEXT! I loved that the power of stories is explored and appreciated!

And there are some amazing characters for me to love! Otter, our main character, is a girl that I just want to hug tight and make everything alright for. She has two amazing friends: Cricket, who is a storyteller and if he hadn't been amazing in other ways, I'd have loved him just for that; and Kestrel, who is strong and loyal and a true friend. I would have wanted these three to be my friends, as young as they are, they are good people.

But this isn't a Disney-like fairytale. It's dark and hard things happen and the White Hands are SO CREEPY! White Hands sort of reminded me of zombies, and I HATE zombies, but the White Hands didn't freak me out as much. Mostly because they don't eat brains, which is a bonus point for any creature. And because this is more like the original Grimm's fairytales, people do actually die. And I teared up! It was unexpected and I was so hoping everything would be alright and then it wasn't! And I'm still mourning...

There's a little bit of romance mixed into the story, towards the end. And while I'm a big fan of all the kissing usually, I didn't miss it here. The romance that was in it fit into the storyline and I was happy with it and with the love interest!
I could easily imagine myself going on more adventures with Otter, because there are exciting sounding places in her world that we haven't seen, but I saw that Erin Bow mentioned on Twitter that she thinks of Sorrow's Knot as a standalone. And that works too, the story is wrapped up. But I can't help wishing for more ;)

Stories like this are my kind of stories. Dark, fairytale-like and utterly entrancing! If you're looking for a perfect Halloween read, this is it! And even if you're not, just go and read it anyway!

My rating: 5 stars

Made me crave: chicken madras (my comfort food)

Review of The School for Good and Evil by Soman Chainani

Title/Author: The School for Good and Evil (The School for Good and Evil #1) by Soman Chainani
Publisher/Date published: HarperCollins, May 14th 2013
How I got this book: received it from the publisher as an egalley
Buy this book at: The Book Depository

Goodreads summary: “The first kidnappings happened two hundred years before. Some years it was two boys taken, some years two girls, sometimes one of each. But if at first the choices seemed random, soon the pattern became clear. One was always beautiful and good, the child every parent wanted as their own. The other was homely and odd, an outcast from birth. An opposing pair, plucked from youth and spirited away.”

This year, best friends Sophie and Agatha are about to discover where all the lost children go: the fabled School for Good & Evil, where ordinary boys and girls are trained to be fairy tale heroes and villains. As the most beautiful girl in Gavaldon, Sophie has dreamed of being kidnapped into an enchanted world her whole life. With her pink dresses, glass slippers, and devotion to good deeds, she knows she’ll earn top marks at the School for Good and graduate a storybook princess. Meanwhile Agatha, with her shapeless black frocks, wicked pet cat, and dislike of nearly everyone, seems a natural fit for the School for Evil.

But when the two girls are swept into the Endless Woods, they find their fortunes reversed — Sophie’s dumped in the School for Evil to take Uglification, Death Curses, and Henchmen Training, while Agatha finds herself in the School For Good, thrust amongst handsome princes and fair maidens for classes in Princess Etiquette and Animal Communication.. But what if the mistake is actually the first clue to discovering who Sophie and Agatha really are…?

Guys, there's pretty much nothing I love better than magical boarding schools! Seriously, I will pretty much pick up anything if it mentions even a hint of this in the summary. And The School for Good and Evil was such a fun book!

We meet Sophie and Agatha in their village, everything Sophie does is geared towards getting picked to go to the School for Good and Evil and become a fairytale princess. This is probably even the reason why she's befriended Agatha, who appears to be a shoe-in for the Evil side of the school. I adored the interaction between these girls and how two opposites can be true friends!

And OMG, the SCHOOL!! Seriously! It was just wonderful! Nothing will ever beat Hogwarts, but this school does put up a good fight! I loved all the classes, such as Uglification and Animal Communication and how both Agatha and Sophie excell in them, especially how Sophie doesn't really WANT to be good at Evil, but manages to be anyway. There were some laugh out loud funny moments and I loved it!

Sophie is the pretty girl who is determined to get what she wants, and she's not above using dirty tricks and even people to get her way. Sometimes she even forgets that she's actually a nice person and a friend to Agatha in her drive to be on the Good side of the school. And at these moments, I really didn't like her. But she does redeem herself and I love that she changes her ugly clothes into dresses any fashionista would be proud to wear.

Agatha is the smart one. She works hard at both Sophie's and her own classes and while she's not exactly accepted by the other Good students, she remains true to herself. She's a loyal friend and I really liked seeing her grow as a person.

Of course there's a boy and things get a bit ugly and there's an evil that needs defeating. But what most shines about this book is the wonderful storytelling and the friendship between Sophie and Agatha. I really loved all the magical creatures and learning that there's more to the school than meets the eye. I'm really looking forward to reading the sequel, because I'm sure Sophie and Agatha aren't done having adventures!

My rating: 4,5 stars

Review of The Hero's Guide To Saving Your Kingdom by Christopher Healy

Title/Author: The Hero's Guide To Saving Your Kingdom (The League of Princes #1) by Christopher Healy
Publisher/Date published: Walden Pond Press, May 1st 2012
How I got this book: bought myself a pretty copy
Buy this book at: The Book Depository

Goodreads summary:
Prince Liam. Prince Frederic. Prince Duncan. Prince Gustav.

You've never heard of them, have you? These are the princes who saved Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, Snow White and Rapunzel, but you probably know them all as 'Prince Charming'. Well, all that is about to change as the hapless princes stumble upon an evil plot and get a second chance to prove themselves true heroes.

Seriously, reading this book was one of my better decisions this month! It was SO MUCH FUN!

First off, you guys should know that I love fairytales. LOVE. And I love any book that deals with them or reads like one and this novel getting deeper into the different prince charmings out there is just SO MY THING!

I don't read many funny books, and I'm not sure why not, cause this was hilarious! I laughed out loud a couple of times, which earned me weird glances from the boyfriend at times. I loved getting to know the characters flaws and all and they've all earned a special place in my heart. But to be honest, I think my favourites are Liam and Duncan. Liam is what I'd want my prince charming to be like and Duncan is just so sweet! All four of them are great characters, but these two stole my heart.

I loved that we get to see them in their full glory and get a little more of a backstory on the princes, because, let's face it, it's mostly all about the princesses in fairytales. Most of them don't even have a name in the story and that's what's adressed in The Hero's Guide To Saving Your Kingdom.

I read this in no time at all and was highly entertained the whole time. The writing if witty, funny and engaging, I really fell for these characters and was rooting for them! It's a bit of a silly romp, but sometimes you need that in your life and it made for a great read-a-thon read! I already have The Hero's Guide To Storming The Castle staring at me, so I'll be reading that soon :)

My rating: 4,5 stars

Review of Princess Academy by Shannon Hale

Title/Author: Princess Academy (Princess Academy #1) by Shannon Hale
Publisher/Date published: Bloomsbury, first published 2005
How I got this book: received it from the publisher through NetGalley

Goodreads summary: "Miri lives on a mountain where, for generations, her ancestors have quarried stone and lived a simple life. Then word comes that the king's priests have divined her small village the home of the future princess. In a year's time, the prince himself will come and choose his bride from among the girls of the village. The king's ministers set up an academy on the mountain, and every teenage girl must attend and learn how to become a princess.
Miri soon finds herself confronted with a harsh academy mistress, bitter competition among the girls, and her own conflicting desires to be chosen and win the heart of her childhood best friend. But when bandits seek out the academy to kidnap the future princess, Miri must rally the girls together and use a power unique to the mountain dwellers to save herself and her classmates."

Guys, every once in a while I read an MG book and I usually find myself fully immersed in it and being all kinds of happy because they're so fun and cute! Princess Academy is no exception, it was SO GOOD!

With Princess Academy, Shannon Hale has created a fairytale world full of characters for me to love! Miri is such a sweetheart and I loved her spirit! She's always thought everyone looked down on her for not working in the quarry because her father wouldn't let her and is trying to make up for it by putting a smile on people's faces. She loves her family very much and is loyal to her friends and is just all around a really strong girl. Guys, I could see me and Miri being friends if we ever met. She's the kind of girl you WANT to be friends with because she's awesome.

I loved how at the Academy they taught the girls varying subjects, from reading to dancing to economics and diplomacy! If you might get to rule the country in the future, it's important you know more than how to plan a dinner party and I love that Shannon Hale let them have a broad education! Also, the things that change after they've been introduced to all this knowledge goes to show how much you can benefit from going to school and how just knowing how to read can change your life and can change a community.

There were some mean girls who were slightly annoying, but when you get to know everyone a little better, you find that they have a reason for their behaviour and are not just trying to be nasty. The part where the prince enters the story was nice and it didn't turn out like I expected it to in the end, but that was actually great cause it was kinda perfect like this (yes, I know I'm being vague, but SPOILERS).

There's a sweet little romance brewing between Miri and a boy who is all kinds of sweet boyness and I'm really rooting for them! I was so feeling for the poor boy because Miri gave him some mixed signals, but I don't think she was aware of this at the moment.

I'm so happy there's a sequel! It can be easily read as a standalone, but this world is just so magical that I think I'll find myself happily spending some time there with Palace of Stone! If I ever have a daughter, this will be one of the books I shove into her hands cause I think I would have read it to pieces when I was younger.

My rating: 5 stars

My Very UnFairytale Life by Anna Staniszewski

Title/Author: My Very UnFairytale Life by Anna Staniszewski
Publisher/Date published: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky, November 1st 2011
How I got this book: received it from the publisher through NetGalley

Goodreads summary: ""You know all those stories that claim fairies cry sparkle tears and elves travel by rainbow? They're lies. All lies."—Twelve-year-old Jenny has spent the last two years as an adventurer helping magical kingdoms around the universe. But it's a thankless job, leaving her no time for school or friends. She'd almost rather take a math test than rescue yet another magical creature! When Jenny is sent on yet another mission, she has a tough choice to make: quit and have her normal life back, or fulfill her promise and go into a battle she doesn't think she can win."

I love the concept of this book! I mean, seriously, who didn't dream of being sucked into a fairytale world and helping out magical worlds as a parttime job? I sure did (ok, I'll admit I still do). And to have it then backfire and leave you wishing for a normal life, very interesting! And a good example of the grass is always greener and all that.

I thought Jenny was a good person, if slightly naive and not always reasonable. But hey, she's 12 and she's allowed to be all that. And she apparantly was an extremely talented Adventurer. And while I get that this is an MG in which a kid is usually the hero, I didn't really understand why they didn't have more grown-ups to at least helpt the kids. I mean, I would have liked if there had been some sort of explanation for this.

I really liked Prince Lamb and was actually kind of disappointed that he didn't stay human because I thought he would make a wonderful boyfriend for Jenny. I thought the whole thing with the kingdom of Speak being under a curse that made them loose their mouth and the mystery around the bad guy was really good and there were some very funny moments in the book.

I am kind of wondering if this will turn out to be a series, though I can't find anything on it on Goodreads at the moment. There is some definite potential there!
This was a quick, cute read, it's not amazing, but definitely enjoyable!

My rating: 3 stars

The Bridge to Never Land by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson

Title/Author: The Bridge to Never Land (Peter and the Starcatchers #5) by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson
Publisher/Date published: Hyperion, August 9th 2011
How I got this book: received it from the publisher through NetGalley

Goodreads summary: "One summer morning while Aidan and Sarah are visiting their grandfather, they discover a secret compartment in his battered wooden desk. Inside is a yellowed envelope that contains a piece of very thin, almost translucent, white paper, on which, handwritten in black ink, are a series of seemingly random lines; among them are what appear to be fragments of letters, but not enough to make sense. At the bottom of the page is a verse about Peter Peter and a reference to a real hotel in London.
As it happens, the family is about to embark on a trip to Europe, so the children decide that while in London, they will try to locate the hotel. Through some careful sleuthing, they manage to discover its location, and once inside, they find another clue. The Bridge to Never Land will take Sarah and Aidan on a quest that will challenge them to solve a series of puzzles, which will gradually convince them that Peter Pan is not fiction after all."

I have only read the first book in this series, but that didn't detract from my reading experience in the least! Although I think I had a little less anxiety about the main bad guy than I would have had if I'd read the other 3 books as well. But not to worry: if you haven't read them, you can still read this one!

We meet up with Sarah and Adrian, who go questing together in search of a way into Never Land and meet up with Molly Aster's greatgrandson in the process. I really liked Sarah, but both the boys seemed a bit dull. And I kept thinking: WHERE'S PETER?? He doesn't enter the scene until we are pretty close to the end and the book's named after him! PETER and the Starcatchers. I would have liked to have seen more of him or having them spend more time on Never Land.

That's not to say that I didn't enjoy this book. Cause I did. The storytelling is very good and I just flew through the book, even though again it's pretty big for a children's book (448 pages). I loved that they were in Disneyworld! I think the Peter Pan ride mentioned in it is also in Disneyland and I really loved that one :)

The bad guy is pretty creepy and the ending left me with a feeling there's much exploring left for Peter and his friend, which makes me happy :)

My rating: 3,5 stars

Peter and the Starcatchers by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson

Title/Author: Peter and the Starcatchers (Peter and the Starcatchers #1) by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson
Publisher/Date published: Disney Hyperion, September 1st 2004
How I got this book: received it from the publisher through NetGalley

Goodreads summary: "Don’t even think of starting this book unless you’re sitting in a comfortable chair and have lots of time. A fast-paced, impossible-to-put-down adventure awaits as the young orphan Peter and his mates are dispatched to an island ruled by the evil King Zarboff. They set sail aboard the Never Land, a ship carrying a precious and mysterious trunk in its cargo hold, and the journey quickly becomes fraught with excitement and danger. Discover richly developed characters in the sweet but sophisticated Molly, the scary but familiar Black Stache, and the fearless Peter. Treacherous battles with pirates, foreboding thunderstorms at sea, and evocative writing immerses the reader in a story that slowly and finally reveals the secrets and mysteries of the beloved Peter Pan."

So, confession time: Peter Pan was my first ever literary crush. Even though at the time I didn't even know what a crush was. I was 4. Or maybe 5? The point being: I LOVE Peter Pan. And this book had been on my to-read list for some time now, even though I hadn't yet managed to get my hands on a copy. So when it showed up on NetGalley, you better believe I clicked that button in under 1.5 seconds!

I love how this book gives us the story of Peter Pan before he was Peter Pan. Here, he's just Peter, the orphan boy who happened to cross paths with a chest full of starstuff and the Starcatchers trying to protect it. I'm not telling you what happens, but let me just say that it's SO GOOD! Just when I was thinking: but wait, this happened somewhere as well! And then BAM! it happened. And let me say that I LOVED the pictures in the book! I'm a sucker for a good picture in a children's book and these were wonderful. Even my Sony made them look good. Made me happy :)

This book is pretty big for a children's book, 478 pages in my eversion. But it flies by! Really, I blinked and then I'd read another 15 pages. And I enjoyed every minute of it.

I really liked Molly and LOVED Ammm the porpoise. 'Molly green teeth' cracked me up every time. Best. Greeting. EVER. My mom was looking at me funny when I snorted yet again.

I think I'm gonna go watch the Disney movie now :) I have it on DVD, hurray!

My rating: 4,5 stars

The Near Witch by Victoria Schwab

Title/Author: The Near Witch by Victoria Schwab
Publisher/Date published: Hyperion, August 2nd 2011
How I got this book: received it from the publisher through NetGalley

Goodreads summary: "The Near Witch is only an old story told to frighten children.
If the wind calls at night, you must not listen. The wind is lonely, and always looking for company.
And there are no strangers in the town of Near.
These are the truths that Lexi has heard all her life.
But when an actual stranger — a boy who seems to fade like smoke — appears outside her home on the moor at night, she knows that at least one of these sayings is no longer true.
The next night, the children of Near start disappearing from their beds, and the mysterious boy falls under suspicion. Still, he insists on helping Lexi search for them. Something tells her she can trust him.
As the hunt for the children intensifies, so does Lexi’s need to know — about the witch that just might be more than a bedtime story, about the wind that seems to speak through the walls at night, and about the history of this nameless boy."

OMG! OMG! OMG! Seriously, I LOVED this book! And I'm so glad I did, because I've been pining for it for a year! Seriously, it was amazing.

And let me tell you why: this book read like a fairytale. Everything flowed and was beautifully worded and gosh, I just fell in love with the writing. I wanted to slow down reading because I was so loving the words. This almost never happens to me, usually when I'm this excited about a book I'm reading so fast because I want to know what happens next. And I did want to know what happened next with this one, but I also wanted to just savor the words.

And then there's the part of me who will always be a little girl loving fairytales, lying awake at night hoping the scary part won't come to life and wishing for the fairytale prince to save her if it does. And I got to indulge in that part of myself and it was wonderful.

I loved Lexi, she's a wonderful caring girl who feels a huge amount of responsibility and appears to be one of the only sensible persons in the town of Near. Gosh, the reactions to a stranger in Near were just medieval (I get that was sort of the point, but still). I loved her little sister as well, she was so CUTE!
And Cole, how could you not love Cole, all tortured amazing boy-ness of him! I just wanted to give him a hug.

I even liked The Near Witch, who was sort of the villain, but with a very good reason. Very nasty good reason. Very evil thing that happened to her. I loved how I could understand her being angry and wanting revenge.
The only persons I didn't like: the men. Seriously, all of them were just cavemen and hello, sexual harassment on one of the boys' part! Seriously! Not cool.

Anyway, the point is: I LOVED this book, it was amazing. You should read it. You should follow Victoria Schwab on her blog, cause she's totally nice and funny and there's a video there of her dressing up as a cupcake :) But most of all: YOU SHOULD READ THIS BOOK!!

My rating: 5+ stars

The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland In A Ship Of Her Own Making by Catherynne M. Valente

Title/Author: The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland In A Ship Of Her Own Making by Catherynne M. Valente
Publisher/Date published: Feiwel & Friends, May 10th 2011
How I got this book: received an ARC from the publisher (can you believe it? My first ever printed ARC!)

Goodreads summary: "Twelve-year-old September lives in Omaha, and used to have an ordinary life, until her father went to war and her mother went to work. One day, September is met at her kitchen window by a Green Wind (taking the form of a gentleman in a green jacket), who invites her on an adventure, implying that her help is needed in Fairyland. The new Marquess is unpredictable and fickle, and also not much older than September. Only September can retrieve a talisman the Marquess wants from the enchanted woods, and if she doesn’t... then the Marquess will make
life impossible for the inhabitants of Fairyland. September is already making new friends, including a book-loving Wyvern and a mysterious boy named Saturday."

This book was such a sweet read! And can I just say that I love that every chapter had an illustration at the beginning? So pretty! And it was something I adored about fairytale books when I was little. And I still do.

I really enjoyed this take on Fairyland and the way it works and certain rules that almost always exist in these stories. I feel a bit cryptic saying this, but I really don't want to give anything away.

I loved the whole feel of it, September is a girl who can make anything happen. And she throws herself wholeheartedly into this adventure and I really liked her. And can I just say that I loved the green jacket! Is it weird that one of my favourite characters was a jacket? There was such emotion coming from it, major props to the author for that!

The way she described wyverns, I pictured A-Through-L as a huge chickenlike dragon. But luckily, the picture on the cover corrected me, which saved some weirdness. I loved the wyvern and his family. He seems so lovable and I just wanted to hug him. And as a kid I would have loved having a miniature version as a stuffed animal.
Oh, who am I kidding, I would love one now!

I really enjoyed reading it and I love looking at the illustrations, they're awesome!

My rating: 4 stars