Dark Triumph (His Fair Assassin #2) by Robin LaFevers

Dark Triumph by Robin LaFevers
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I really really loved Sybella, the plot twists, her revulsion within herself about so many things (being a member of the D'Albret family) but for as low as she got (she would have been willing to kill/die herself) she always HOPED for a better life as a person and Mortain's Assassin. This 2nd book continued the Anne of Brittany story and the machinations of D'Albret to woo Anne, then probably kill her, etc - because this is how he works. He is such a scheming lowlife but he uses fear, punishment and yes, even death (he likes to hurt people) to get what he wants regardless. But Sybella continues where Ismae left off in the first book, as a spy and assassin, for Mortain and the abbess (I really can't stand her and want her gone by the 3rd book!!!) There was so much angst because Sybella's family life is truly horrific but it is her chance of seeing the Beast of Waroch across the battlefield that changes her life and oh did I love his character and how his strength and courage and sheer goodness begin to effect hope and love into her life. Such a great story, looking forward to the last book in the series, already got it from the library! Thank you to #yearofya for challenging me to read this most awesome series!!!!

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The Poisoned Blade (A Court of Fives Novel #2) by Kate Elliott

Poisoned Blade by Kate Elliott
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I began reading this series for #yearofya January twitter chat Fantasy Phenoms (also highly recommend by Book Smugglers) and I just fell in love with Kate Elliott's harsh world of the Patrons, the Commoners, all the back stabbing, murders, and whatever else it takes by the royalty. Jes's world of the Court of Fives (viciously dictated by Lord Garagon- oh do I despise him) falls right into the path of the coming war and dreaded what it would mean for Jes, Kal (love them together!!!) Ro (the poet), her mother, her father (I really want to like him but the choices he has made have also forced him to be so so rigid with his daughter and I don't really like that she wants/needs his admiration). I have every confidence in her constant scheming to keep her family safe, get revenge on Lord Garagon, and in her travels garner the attention and notoriety she needs to keep her family safe and spy on the royals who will stop at nothing to get what they want and who they want on the throne. I am rooting for Kal and Jes in Book 3 but I also cringe at what may happen to Jes's world; I hope she can continue to be the fierce, formidable female protagonist!

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The 57 Bus by Dashka Slater

The 57 Bus: A True Story of Two Teenagers and the Crime That Changed Their Lives by Dashka Slater
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I read this jarring nonfiction book for #2jennsbookclub twitter chat to be held Thursday 2/8 at 8PM EST, this was a riveting read and I am sure the chat will be, too! Dashka Slater, the author, covered this story first in the NYTimes and this compassionate, achingly real story of 2 teens, a crime, on a bus in Oakland, CA. I learned so much about the juvenile court system from this book, the power of forgiveness, how choices can radically change lives, and how teens are many times misunderstood and need adults (lawyers, police, parents, school officials, court personnel) to really understand their choices, and how very important empathy is in every day life and could mean the difference in an incarcerated youth's life. I think everyone needs to read this book; teens, adults, school employees, lawyers, judges will all be impacted by Sasha and Richard's story. You can help but be torn apart with their story. If Sasha and their parents (Sasha identifies as agender) and Richard and his mom, were different - Richard's life could have been even more harsh (adult vs juvenile). Not many people could be burned as Sasha was and together with their parents, forgive and hold no animosity. Likewise Richard's mom knew what her son did was horrendous, stupid and unforgivable but she knew he was a 16 year old who did not always understand the impact of what he did (being in a juvenile detention at age 14) but she visited him every week, and became his supporter while apologizing and supporting Sasha's family. Highly recommended!!!

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The Cruel Prince (The Folk of Air #1) by Holly Black

The Cruel Prince by Holly Black
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I listened to this audiobook as part of the Female Fantasy Phenom chat for #yearofYA Tuesday 1/30 at 8PM EST. I love Holly Black books, faerie especially (Darkest Part of the Forest and Tithe series)! I can honestly say, I was addicted to listening but I was sick to my stomach- I ached for Jude and her twin, mortals being raised in the world of faerie. The only character I really liked for who they were was Vivianne, the faerie oldest sister of Jude. She hates her fairie father, Madoc, for the heinous murder of their parents and forcing them to live in faerie. Even worse, Jude and Taryn, both want to belong to this world that hates mortals (Viv wants to leave this world, her world). Jude plots to have power over those who despise her kind, yearn to be a knight, spy for Prince Dane and is constantly disappointed and plotted against (all the while honing her skills at deception, murder, and intrigue. Her sister tries to be Jude's opposite in every way-blind into the background, and don't argue. I wish I liked Jude more, but Black keeps foiling every thing Jude does and she is constantly a pawn in a very dangerous world, meeting with failure and heartbreak- can she remain STRONG for the fight she has plotted with the Ghost, Bomb and her Court of Shadow spies?

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American Panda by Gloria Chao

American Panda by Gloria Chao
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Children’s Publishing and Simon Pulse for the advance reader copy American Panda by Gloria Chao in exchange for an honest review. Gloria Chao has written an honest, heartbreaking book about perfect Taiwanese daughter, Mei, who at age seventeen, is a freshman at MIT with weekly visits for dinner by her overbearing, judgmental parents who have her future meticulously planned for her- become a doctor (she really hates germs) and wed a Taiwanese doctor (arranged marriage, of course!). I suffered along with her as she realizes she can’t be the perfect daughter and will she be cast off as daughter just like her brother was? With the help of her brother and Darren (the forbidden Japanese boy) and digging deep within herself, I relished Mei’s journey to happiness, a future in dance, new friends, and a future with dreams. Chao’s description of Mei’s Taiwan culture and beliefs, and food was authentic. The characters and plot were fully fleshed, I could not put this book down. Teens will laugh, empathize, and wrap their arms around Mei, her MIT experience, and being an insecure teen with family ties that hurt more than helped. I fell in love with Mei, highly recommended!

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Grave Mercy (His Fair Assassin #1) by Robin LaFevers

Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I read this series as part of #yearofYA twitter chat at 8PM EST Tuesday 1/30/18, our January topic is Female Fantasy Phenoms and oh did I love it!!! Ismae is persecuted as a child into adulthood because she is the spawn of the God of Death. Her father beats her and then her pig farmer husband beats her and as he runs in fear when he sees her scar (given to her at birth) Ismae is saved by a convent of nuns who train her in the art of seduction and murder (all the many ways men can be killed and poisoned) as the God of Death, Mortain decrees (the nuns' visions from Mortain or the mark (stain) on the skin decreeing death. During a time of much trouble in Brittany, there is treachery afoot and Ismae falls headlong into intrigue, poison, and murder. What she does not count on is running into problems of many kinds as she poses as mistress to Gavriel Duval (bastard son of royalty) which has her questioning herself, the nuns, and many evil forces who will stop at nothing to ensnare the young duchess into political treachery and marriages with strings. I loved Ismae and Duval- they were worthy opponents; honest, funny, and driven to ensure the safety of those they are to protect. The bad guys were deliciously evil especially Madame Dinan, her half brother D'Albret, and Cunard. The world building was skillful and the plot was gripping, and chilling and I LOVED it. I already have Dark Triumph on hold at the library; highly recommended! So sorry it took me so long to read this thriller!!!

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Court of Fives by Kate Elliott

Court of Fives by Kate Elliott
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I read this female author, protagonist fantasy series as part of #yearofya book chat to be held 1/30 at 8PM EST, come join the discussion! I must admit, I could not put this book down and I have to really thank bloggers, The Book Smugglers for their consistent discussion of Kate Elliott's series and oh did it fit perfectly with my chat this month, I am only SO sorry it took me this long to read- I can't wait to read the other books in the series too. I confess the world Jes and her family come from was horrible- all about social classes and since her father and mother never married- while her father was commanding armies in wars, Jes's mom was home (beautiful and kind) raising 4 girls and as the story begins her mother is pregnant with another and since she has not born a boy and no marriage...what happens when her father's patron dies (murdered by poison)is AWFUL for Jes and her family!!! Her Dad (must) make a decision that rocks Jes, her mom and sisters' worlds!!! Since their father was never home and there was no marriage (which was a bad thing) the girls were never allowed to go anywhere and it was a big secret that Jes competed behind a mask with the Court of Fives. On the day her father is honored due to his exploits in the war, Jes must slip out to compete and when she must throw her win (she can never take off that mask) an evil Lord finds her and makes her life hell because she is the best around in Court of Fives and he will have her (what is his final reason?). I could not put this book down, the writing, world building and characters as well as the political intrigue were all so well done but I ached for Jes and the threat of sending her to the mines by the evil lord. I loved her friendship with Kal, too. But she was plucky, kept looking at everything like it was the Court of Fives games, would not admit defeat and as a result I cannot wait to read, The Poisoned Blade, 2nd in the series!

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Beartown by Fredrik Backman

Beartown by Fredrik Backman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I listened to Marin Ireland's stellar narration of Beartown which was a compelling tough read/listen. It was about hockey, small town nastiness, bullying, bullying, bullying. Backman chose to tell his story about a great team of boys, their families, the hockey mentality (which was not pretty to listen to over and over again) of the boys, the townspeople, the board, the sponsors and the families. Within all of this, Backman begins on the first page with a bang,bang, bang that continues to be hammered incessantly through the book (a little too much for me) and doesn't really get to the "crime" til so much later in the book. With the way Backman chose to tell the story, it was not so much based on interactions of the characters but thoughts of what could have been said, what was and was not done, therefore I did not really feel totally invested in the characters in the story but in their circumstances and how that played out in their town, Beartown and how it related to ice hockey. That being said, there were some characters I really enjoyed- they were deep, committed, passionate- Peter, his wife, Kira, his daughter Maya and her best friend as well as Benjie, his mom, Ramona, Ahmed. I tried to like the coach of the boys but he was a tough character especially when compared to the older coach, Soon, who was such an upstanding human being. Backman's portrayal of Benjie and his fierce personality and struggle with being a hockey player and gay broke my heart. On the other hand, Ahmed, was always bullied, was "of color" in a white town, his mother a worker at the rink- but when the time came- he stepped up and revealed the truth even at great cost to himself. A tough read and the bullying aspect was so ingrained in Beartown it was hard to take over and over again from my reader point of view.

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Winner Take All by Laurie Devore

Winner Take All by Laurie Devore
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group for the advance reader copy Winner Take All by Laurie Devore in exchange for an honest review. Devore’s analysis of teen girls and how they are judged differently versus teen boys who get it all in high school, sports, academics, and life when they want it was gripping; if you love Courtney Summer’s books, you will not be able to put this intense, authentic look at teens battling to become WINNER take all. Before Nell became a student at the private school, Prep, she was a happy public middle school student. But when her mother becomes dean at Prep hired to make the status quo more equitable, Nell becomes so focused on always being the winner in every aspect of her life. But Nell will never be rich like most of the students at Prep. And Devore uses Nell’s flawed character perfectly as she butts heads daily for years with perfect, rich, smart athlete, Jackson Hart. I found Nell, Jackson, their friends and family all real flawed characters each dealing with life in messy ways. I was mesmerized by the Nell-Jackson relationship, I could not stop turning the pages as Nell takes on Jackson; she blasts him with her honesty and winner take all credo, while Jackson maintains his status, ego, and sick secrets. This is a book that will speak to so many teens; the cover was perfect too. The reader doesn’t have to always like Nell or Jackson all the time, but these two teens are scathingly explored as victims too of their parents, power, and identity. Will they find their true selves, a must read. Highly recommended!

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Thunderhead (Arc of the Scythe 2) by Neal Shusterman

Thunderhead by Neal Shusterman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I think I really want to give this 2nd in the Arc of a Scythe series a 3.5 rating. I found it tough to read for 2 reasons, the first being all the Thunderhead ramblings (I was not a fan of his persona throughout the book) and the many drawn-out descriptions of places, happenings, details of the worlds Shusterman wants the reader to know to get the world of the Thunderhead, the Scythes, The Blades, Unsavories, and oh yes, the common man. I am not sure teens will hang in there and read all this in-depth description over and over again and it happens throughout the whole novel. Even though I knew this was a dystopian novel (and I love dystopian novels), I found my self putting down my kindle ALOT because the hatred, misery, and horrific "things" happening all the time caused me to question if it was all that necessary (Examples Greyson Tolliver, Rowan, and Tyger) for a GOOD dystopian read. I wanted to see so much more of Citra, Greyson, Rowan, Faraday and so much less of Goddard, Rand, and all the other awful Scythes plus as I said before Thunderhead and his hands off, not getting involved but also being totally involved as the Supreme Being drained me !!! I do love this Shusterman series and can't wait for Book 3 because the ending gave me hope.

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Firelight by Sophie Jordan

Firelight by Sophie Jordan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I read this book as part of my twitter chat with #yearofya January topic of 1st in a female fantasy series when we will be discussing all of our read, please join us 1/30 at 8PM EST. Jacinda is a drake which is a dragon/human. She can become a dragon and lives in a pride with her mother (her father died) and her sister, Tamra who is not a draki at all. Jacinda is also a firebreather and there has not been one for hundreds of years so the pride wants her to make more fire breathing dragons with Cassian (a childhood friend) whose father is head of the pride. Jacinda can also take human form and remain that way but if she is angered or upset she can't help becoming a dragon and that is a big problem. Jacinda and her friend sneak out one night to fly around (prohibited) but find they are being pursued by the human hunters who hunt for these draki- in the process of getting away Jacinda's wing is compromised and she must hide in a cave which is on a pond. There a human hunter, Will, finds her but does not alert the other hunters instead telling them nothing is there. Jacinda gets in so much trouble, her mom panics and makes them all leave in the dead of night, but Jacinda can't stop thinking about the hunter, his eyes and his wet hair. Imagine her surprise when this guy is at her new high school and they are increasingly drawn to each other. I loved this first in a series and will be finishing the other 2 books. When I taught an online course at Arcadia University, my students raved about this book!

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Exit West by Mohsin Hamid

Exit West by Mohsin Hamid
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

In an unnamed country, Nadia meets Saeed in evening school and they strike up a friendship that quickly becomes something more- because of the war and strife being visited upon their country. There was so much to love about these two people but they were hard working trying to exist in a world that is being torn apart. As they traverse their life, apart, and then together, they become very close but do not get engaged or married. They care deeply for each other and as the book proceeds they go through so much together. I loved Mohsin Hamid's writing; his characterization and his plot, and setting were all marvelously strung together, kept me turning the pages, and hoping for an end to their "war" both in the world and trying to find a new life.

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Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus by Dusti Bowling

Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus by Dusti Bowling
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

So many of my good reading friends highly reviewed and recommended this gem and oh did I love everything about it! The characters Aven, her parents, Connor, and Zion were very different and special, real, good people. Dusti Bowling's creativity as an author effectively used the setting of Arizona and the Stagecoach Pass with confident, funny Aven who was born with no arms and adopted by wonderful, loving parents that molded her into the normal, happy, funny girl she was throughout the move, beginning middle school, and settling into a new home. With unfailing wit and perkiness Aven stole my heart and her friendship with Connor who suffers from Tourette Syndrome and Zion who is overweight was totally special, yet true as they navigated school, friendship and life together. A must read for middle school but teens and parents would love this book because it teaches empathy, the value of family and friendship and acceptance. Highly recommended!!!

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Only the Truth by Adam Croft

Only the Truth by Adam Croft
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Dan is a guy who doesn't have much of a conscience, a wife, a job that entails he travel and live out of hotels, and finally a string of women he takes up with while on the road. As he is enjoying his latest affair with the hotel receptionist, imagine his horror and surprise, the he finds his wife dead in the bathtub. How did she even get here? As the mystery deepens, Dan flees with the receptionist and is on the run while trying to figure out who would want to do this to him? This was a British mystery and I was not always aware what Dan was referring to because of the British-isms. I was not a fan of Dan or really any of the other characters, who were all minor. The glimpses he gives you into his past are supposed to explain why he is the way he is, but I was not a fan of Dan or the resolution of the novel.

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The Librarian of Auschwitz by Antonio Iturbe Translated by Lilit Thwaites

The Librarian of Auschwitz by Antonio Iturbe
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I read this book for the #2jennsbookclub twitter chat taking place Thursday 1/11 at 8PM EST; please join us! I can't tell you how deeply affecting this Holocaust book was- yes, all Holocaust books are (fiction or nonfiction), but Iturbe's book translated by Lilit Thwaites was so compelling, horrific, yet outstanding and I believe it is because of the main character, Dita Kraus, and her deeply moving narrative of her courageous life in the killing machine known as the Auschwitz Prison, her friends and family as they are forced all day, every day trying to survive while the SS officers, Dr, Mengele (oh is he so very evil) want to extinguish all the Jews and many others. I will be forever contemplating Dita's words whether she is creating a picture of her life before Auschwitz, running (hiding) to preserve the books in her library (8 in all) in order to bring the love of books and school to the children in Block 31. Fredy Hirsh was a real hero too and his depth of character and deep love for the children in his care, allowed these children to thrive in hell as they listened to their teachers read a book, discuss the world, and drill them on math. I fell in love with Fredy as Dita did and his strength of character urged Dita on to never give up hope. There are so many great quotations in this book- I highly recommend it for adults and teens. The world needs to keep reading and sharing these books!

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The Magic Misfits by Neil Patrick Harris

The Magic Misfits by Neil Patrick Harris
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I so enjoyed Neil Patrick Harris' voice in this new series & can't wait to discuss it with my twitter chat peeps Sunday 1/7 at 9PM EST #yabookchat. Using humor, magic, charming characters and an exciting plot, Carter and his "new" friends (let's say his first friends) use their friendship, magic and individual talents to foil a carnival gang who mesmerizes with magic then steals from anyone (and everyone) in the crowd. Harris' use of Leila's 2 dads is heartwarming, adoption, living on the streets, slimy characters all make for a rollicking good read. I also liked the Magic Tricks Harris shares throughout the book and his conversational banter kept me turning those pages. I can't wait to read #2, highly recommended!

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Done Dirt Cheap by Sarah Nicole Lemon

Done Dirt Cheap by Sarah Nicole Lemon
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I saw this title was really cheap for a hardback on Amazon, highly touted so I purchased it and oh was it GOOD!!! The 2 girls (seniors in HS) come from 2 different (but the same) worlds. Tourmaline (love this name) is the "sheltered" daughter of motorcycle "gang", the Wardens and inadvertently put her mom and her sleazy boyfriend in jail for drugs and dealing. Virginia (OMG so tough, beautiful, & hard life) who is "owned" by sleazy lawyer, Hazard is commanded to find out all she can & bring down the Wardens. So she goes straight to Tourmaline and oh do their worlds collide!!! I loved Lemon's writing, her characters, the world of these girls who are so conflicted, searching for their lives and loves and oh those motorcycle guys are just so gorgeous, off limits, and so enticing to Tourmaline and Virginia. For a wild ride you will not want to put down, this debut novel will achieve so much when it comes to friendship and family!!!

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