Waterfall by Lisa T. Bergen

“Waterfall” is Lisa Tawn Bergen’s first foray into the world of young adult fiction and the first in a three part series that is scheduled to be released throughout 2011. From the author’s website, “a teen time travel series in which two girls go from modern times to medieval Italy. Adventure, romance, suspense, and a hefty dose of conflict will hopefully make this series page-turners for young women…that’s my goal, anyway! I conceptualized the series after reading the Twilight series with my teen."

Overall, I would have to say that Ms. Bergen succeeded in her goal. It’s a book full of romance, adventure, and a dash of mystery. “Waterfall” was a page-turner that kept me engaged right from the action-packed beginning. The story follows a strong-willed young woman named Gabi and her sister, Lia, who mysteriously ends up centuries in the past, in the middle of a turf war in 14th century Italy. Ms. Bergen is a Christian fiction writer and while there are undertones of religion, they are plot appropriate. It’s completely natural and in character, which I really appreciate. I tend to shy away from Christian fantasy just because the religious aspect becomes more important and the story/characters suffer for it. Ms. Bergen didn’t let this happen.

I felt like I really got to know Gabi and her sister. Gabi is a delightful heroine – strong-willed, mature and ready to take anything life throws at her. She’s human though and we see her vulnerable side. It was refreshing to see such a real character in the midst of this time traveling young adult novel. She faces some big issues head on and becomes someone I know I’d want to be friends with! The romance is delightfully angsty (but clean!) and the love interest, the nobleman Marcello Forelli, is an interesting character. As a quiet, brooding, and extremely good looking man, he appears pretty stereotypical, but as the characters get to know each other better, the reader gets to see the depth to Marcello’s character. And seriously, who doesn’t love a book filled with Italian hotties? Ms. Bergen’s writing style is clean and simple. It’s not full of artistic flourishes, but it’s solid. The prose are easy to read and the storyline flows well.

I think this book should come with a warning that it may make you crave a good plate of gnocchi and some red wine. If you are looking for a fun romp into history with a strong female character and some drool-worthy guys, then this is the book for you. Ms. Bergen ended the book with a bit of a cliffhanger so I’m anxious to see how the storyline continues to develop in books 2 and 3. Ahh! Why isn’t it June already?!

The publisher, David C. Cook, provided me with an ARC of this book. Waterfall was released today (February 1st, 2011). You can get a sneak peek at the author's website.

This review is also being published in Book/Mark, a quarterly small press review. You can subscribe to Book/Mark by emailing or by mailing $12 ($15 for institutions or $3.50 for a single issue) to Book/Mark, PO Box 516, Miller Place, NY 11764.

Delirium by Lauren Oliver

Hrm.

Yeah, I’m kind of stumped on how to word this review. I’m usually a woman of many words, but I’m left with few. It’s a good book. Not amazing, but good. I really enjoyed Ms. Oliver’s writing style and found her prose pleasant to read. Hrmm…

Let’s start with the story. It’s a dystopian romance. DONE! No, really. That’s ALL there is to it. Ms. Oliver’s dystopian world revolves around romance, or rather, love. Love is a disease and the United States has found a cure and eradicated the epidemic. Once you’re eighteen, you’ll receive the cure and voila! You will now lead a life chosen for you by your government and will be happy doing so. Ms. Oliver poses this question - “Is a life without love really worth living?”

I think this series has a lot of potential and I will definitely be reading the second book. I just felt like this first book had a lot of explanation (especially at the beginning) and it dragged down the pacing quite a bit. I’ve been devouring books lately and this one took me days to finish because until the action really kicked up a notch in the last third of the book, I just wasn’t emotionally invested.

Let’s talk specifics.

• Our heroine, Lena, is mind-washed to the point of being obnoxious throughout a large portion of the novel. Eventually I just wanted to smack her over the head with a rolled up newspaper. However, I think that it was necessary to have Lena be this way. Ms. Oliver needed to make sure we all knew that people accepted this world. Since Lena accepted it, it made it easier for the reader to swallow at the beginning. I think Lena has potential to become a character I love. I just didn’t love her in this book. She is just starting to grow into the strong female heroine that I prefer just as the book ends.
• The premise is a bit hard to stomach. I want to know more about the United States and what drove it to this horrible, loveless abyss. I want to know the history of the cure and I want to know about the leaders that came into power and created this country full of lifeless drones. However, I do not want to discover this all from a long narration at the top of a book. Luckily, I love dystopian novels, but I have to admit, had I lacked patience, I may not have made it through the start of this story.
• Ms. Oliver’s writing is solid. Lena’s voice is clear and Ms. Oliver does a great job at writing the relationships between the characters. I adored the relationship between Lena and her best friend. It was honest and warm. The love between Hana and Lena is more real than the actual romance of the novel.
• The romance was enjoyable, but a little stilted. Heck, it’s hard to fall in love when you believe it’s a disease. I’d like to have gotten to know Alex a little more directly instead of hearing about his life secondhand through Lena’s memories of the stories he told her. Still a lovely romance though, especially considering the world they live in and how completely stubborn Lena is in her belief of the lies she’s been fed.

So all in all, not a bad book! If you like dystopian romance, pick it up. I’m sure you’ll enjoy it. I’m looking forward to reading the next installment. I have a feeling deep down that Ms. Oliver is going to win me over in the sequel.

Wow and I said I wasn't going to talk a lot. So much for that!

Thanks to HarperCollins and NetGalley for providing me with a digital ARC. "Delirium" is scheduled to be published on February 1, 2011.

Angelfire by Courtney Allison Moulton

I’m afraid to say this, but I really did not enjoy “Angelfire”.. *runs and hides from adoring fangirls* It seems to me that I am one of the few who didn’t based on the reviews on goodreads.com. Why though? I’m not claiming expertise, but I’ve read a lot of young adult fiction and the storytelling here is mediocre at best.

This story all goes back to the original story…the battle of good versus evil. Ellie finds out on her seventeenth birthday that she’s not just a regular, spoiled teenager from a suburb of Detroit. She’s basically Buffy the Vampire Slayer, but replace vampires with demons and you’ve got it. She’s been reincarnated on earth time and time again to help the angels and God battle against Lucifer’s demons for the souls of innocent humans as Lucifer preps for the big ol’ war he’s been planning since his fall. While all of this is going on, she is faced with trying to hold onto her humanity, falling in love with her guardian, and trying to unlock the secrets of her past. Sounds pretty awesome right?

It should be, but unfortunately, it doesn’t live up to its potential. Since the bullet point format seemed to work well for me last time, let’s try it again!

• The writing, especially the dialogue, is clumsy and juvenile. Just like our heroine, the author seems unsure of herself as she tries to find her way through writing her first novel.
• Adding to the point above, one of the biggest pitfalls though of “Angelfire” was all the explaining in lieu of showing. This is where the pacing really got dragged through the mud. There were points where I just wanted to skip the deus ex machina style explanations and move onto the next big fight.
• Our heroine, Ellie, is likable enough, but I never really felt a connection to her, which made the book harder to read. I can read through clunky writing for a well-written, fully developed character, but I didn’t feel like Ms. Moulton found her footing with Ellie. Ellie was just a tool to explain the plot instead of being a part of it.

Despite these faults, “Angelfire” did have some redeeming characteristics.

• Well written, super exciting action sequences - Ms. Moulton really excels in the action scenes. She does a great job at drawing you into the action and making the excitement come alive for you. I wanted to live in these action sequences.
• Will - though we’ve only just begun getting to know him, I couldn’t help but love his unwavering admiration and devotion to Ellie. Plus sparkling green eyes? Yummy!

Oh "Angelfire", I wanted to love you. Unfortunately, I just don’t think you were ready for the big time... or for me, anyways. I’m sure there will be others out there who will love and adore you, but I can’t. I’m sorry!

Thanks to HarperCollins and NetGalley for providing me with a digital ARC. "Angelfire" is scheduled to be published on February 15, 2011.

Here Lies Bridget by Paige Harbison

I have mixed feelings after finishing "Here Lies Bridget" by Paige Harbison. This novel tells the story of mean girl Bridget Duke, who basically is a carbon copy of "Mean Girls" character Regina George. She rules the school through fear and celebrity. Some of her peers worship her, others despise her. What Bridget doesn't realize is that she is a psychological bully.

The first portion of the book was hard to get through. I didn't see any redeeming characteristics in Bridget's character. I know that the author said a few times that she was a better person (especially around love interest, Liam). However, we never saw it. I think that had we seen a bit more of the softer side of Bridget prior to her time in purgatory/judgement... maybe I would have felt a bit sorrier for her as she saw how much she's hurt the people in her life.

Her time in judgement helped raise this book from a one star to a two star (using Goodreads.com scale of two stars = "it was OK"). This portion of the book was incredibly well written and emotionally powerful. I really connected to Bridget's character (finally!) and I loved the journey she went through as she saw her actions through someone else's eyes.

Well, this review may be short, but it just about covers it. Get past the first portion of the book. If you were bullied in high school, it may be a bit hard to stomach, but once you're through, it's actually a lovely tale of redemption and doing the right thing.

"Here Lies Bridget" published by Harlequin Teen. They provided me with an advanced reader's copy. The book is scheduled to be released in February 2011.

The Iron Queen by Julie Kagawa

Wow. ... Just wow. Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin for the ARC of The Iron Queen. I am so grateful I was able to read this in advance.

I stayed up late last night to finish this which genuinely shows you how much I adored this book as I have an active toddler and most nights, I crash by 9:30!

Let me put my thoughts together and then I will post a thorough review. Seriously though, let me just say this for now - "wow!"

EDIT: 12/5/10

So, it took me a few days to put my thoughts together so I could write something better than "wow". Usually, my reviews are pretty short and to the point (hence my username shortandsweet), but I'd like to write something a little bit more in depth about "The Iron Queen" since NetGalley & Harlequin were so nice to give the opportunity to read this book in advance.

This book is the 3rd book in the Iron Fey series by [author:Julie Kagawa|2995873]. In The Iron Queen, we continue following our heroine Meghan Chase in her battle to save all that she loves and along the way, discover her inner strength. The inner strength of Meghan is one of the aspects of this series that makes it so appealing to me. Meghan begins in The Iron King as an average teenage girl, nothing too special, and a bit on the unpopular side of things. At first, she reminded me a bit of Bella from Twilight (which, I'm sorry, but for me is NOT a good thing) - weak willed, a pushover, etc. Throughout the series, she has developed into a strong and powerful character with a wonderful dedication to doing the right thing and protecting those she loves most. I admire her character and Ms. Kagawa's fantastic development. She didn't just turn into this powerhouse girl overnight (coughlikeBellacough). She became a powerful young woman by facing her problems head on and learning from her mistakes. She's a very real character, despite being part of this incredible fantasy world. She is definitely my favorite part of this series.

Ms. Kagawa's other characters too are wonderful. Again, with her male leads, she does a great job at going above and beyond the typical fantasy stereotypes and creating characters with depth and complex emotions. I read a lot of young adult fantasy fiction and I've rarely seen since well developed characters. There are so many layers to their stories that she slowly reveals as we move along in the main plot line. She does a great job at balancing their backstories and moving along the main plot line that you never feel like she's slowly down the momentum.

Well, I'm getting quite gushy, aren't I? Well, I should probably stop blabbering on and on. I don't want to ruin my reputation of "short & sweet" reviews, but let me just say this - I highly recommend checking out this series if you're a fan of fantasy fiction, even if you don't usually read young adult literature. I think you'll enjoy it.

Well that's it from me. Until next time folks!

The Iron Queen and Iron Fey series is published by Harlequin Teen. They provided me with an advanced reader's copy. The book is scheduled to be released in February 2011.