Entwined by Heather Dixon

Once upon a time, there was a woman named Michelle who wanted nothing more than to just read a good, simple fairy tale. She had already read everything by her favorite writer, Shannon Hale, so she was looking for something new. Then... she was lucky enough to get an advance copy “Entwined” by Heather Dixon, a retelling of the fairy tale of the dancing princesses. And so, we tell the story of this young woman and her adventure in Ms. Dixon’s fairy tale.

“Entwined” draws the basic elements from the original Grimms fairy tale. There is a family of twelve princesses who love to dance. They sneak off to a magical land every night through a secret passageway in their room. So, to the outside world, they go to bed and somehow, the next morning, their dance slippers are all worn out. Ms. Dixon’s version of the tale is focused primarily on the eldest princess, Azlea. However, every princess is given a unique voice which is very impressive considering how many characters there are! Twelve princesses, a king, three romantic interests, a villain, and some other minor secondary characters. PHEW! I get tired just thinking of how much work Ms. Dixon must have gone through working to keep each character defined for her readers. The pacing is a tad slow at times, but once the ball gets rolling, things really pick up.

She was a dancing queen..err...princess (aka things I like):

• I loved the dark, evil villain twist on this retelling. It really kept with the fairy tale styling of this novel and made for good conflict.
• I loved the chemistry between the three older girls and their romantic partners. Again, with how much character work Ms. Dixon had to do in this story, she really handled it all well. It’s a fairy tale so the romantic stylings are simple. We don’t get to see a lot of the relationship development, but it’s enough to relate to and want to see the men succeed in winning the princesses they love!
• My favorite character was actually not one of the princesses, but their father, the King. He had a lot on his plate in this story... the loss of his wife, a war, and being on his own with twelve rebellious daughters in a poor household (despite being a King, they were on a fixed income). His character goes through a lot transformations and I really enjoyed seeing him develop as the story went along.
• The addition of the mother’s death really added some very nice layers to the character relationships and the plot. The girls aren’t dancing just to be dancing. They are dancing because it connects them with the mother they’ve lost. It’s very touching.

Ms. Dixon’s twist on this classic story is refreshing, fun and adds some depth to the original while keeping the classic fairy tale tone. Anyone who enjoys a good fairytale should pick up a copy as soon as possible.

I was provided with an ARC of “Entwined” by the publisher for review. It is published by Greenwillow Books (HarperCollins) and was released in March of this year.

Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys

I finished this book last week, but didn’t get to sitting down and writing a review until now. This emotionally poignant novel shows us a World War 2/Holocaust story that many haven’t heard before. In “Between Shades of Gray”, we follow the story of one young woman who was taken away in the middle of the night from all she knew and forced to work in prison camps, being accused of being a criminal, and losing everything dear to her. This girl wasn’t Jewish like beloved Anne Frank though and it wasn’t the Nazis. This girl was from Lithuania and living under the oppressive hand of Stalin. The book is written in the style of first person reflections that in the end, we find out have been published to let everyone know about this little told story. The victims of Stalin’s oppression were treated as criminals even after their release and were forced to never speak of the torture they endured. This story is fiction, but its basis is not. Drawing on research, talking to families of survivors, and on her own family’s story of survival, Ruta Sepetys paints a vivid picture of the cruelty of war and injustice.

It is well written and for a historical novel and a very quick read. The chapters are short, but powerful. I wouldn’t read it without a box of tissues near by. It’s a tear jerker, but it is also inspiring. Lina is just a girl when she and her family are taken, but quickly grows into the woman she needs to be for her family. She is a character I think a lot of young adults can relate to, despite the incredible difference in situation.

This book is wonderful for anyone who loves historical fiction based on true stories. The way it is written appeals to adult and teen readers (who may have a shorter attention span for historical fiction). I think this would be a great book to accompany any lesson plan regarding WWII and shine light on a situation that not many know about.

Powerful stuff... well done, Ms. Sepetys.

I was provided with an ARC from Penguin for review (thanks!). “Between Shades of Grey” by Ruta Sepetys is scheduled to be released March 22nd.

Clarity by Kim Harrington

Simple, clean, and well crafted... that’s how I described Kim Harrington’s “Clarity” today when I was describing it to my younger sister. Kim Harrington adds a paranormal twist to a classic “who done it?” style murder mystery. Our heroine is Clare, a sixteen year old psychic, who can see the past and memories associated with objects. She’s from a family of “freaks” - her mother is a hippie telepath and her brother is a womanizer and oh yeah, a medium! Their little tourist town is shaken when a teenage girl is found murdered in her motel room and Clare is asked by her cheating ex-boyfriend (and son of the mayor) to help investigate along with the mysterious new hot shot detective’s delectable son. Will Clare be able to solve the mysteries of the murder and her heart? Well, you’ll just have to read to find out!

Harrington’s writing (unlike my own) stays away from what could become a teenage soap opera and remains solid and clean throughout. Sure, there is some lusty tension, but she keeps it clean and appropriate for its audience. Her story telling is simple, easy to read, and a lot of fun! I read this one when I was held hostage on the couch by a napping toddler. It made being unable to move (and being incredibly hungry!) so much FUN!

If you’re looking for a fun and light YA mystery, then you should grab a copy of “Clarity” as soon as possible. It is a solid debut novel that will leave you satisfied, but ready for more! I think Clare could end up being the Nancy Drew of this generation. What do you think? Leave a comment and let me know!

I received this ARC at ALA Midwinter from Scholastic. “Clarity” comes out next week on March 1st and is already in stock on Amazon.com! Pick up a copy at your local bookstore or online.

Strings Attached by Judy Blundell

It’s weird for me to rate something 4 or 5 stars on Goodreads.com and have it not be a book that I absolutely devoured. “Strings Attached” by Judy Blundell seems to be an exception. It took me awhile to get through, but I enjoyed every moment of it.

The story revolves around Kit Corrigan, an Irish teenager trying to make it as a performer in post-WWII New York City. She came to the city on her own, after breaking up with her boyfriend, and is struggling to make it. She ends up getting tangled up with her ex-boyfriend’s mob attorney father in an attempt to survive in the city and she ends up learning more than her fair share about life as an adult.

“Strings Attached” is a very solid piece of historical fiction. While our heroine is 17, I actually think this book would appeal more to an older audience. Just like with “The Betrayal of Maggie Blair”, I think its appeal rests with an older crowd or with teens that specifically enjoy historical fiction. I also think that theatre types (such as myself) will really be able to connect with Kit and understand her overwhelming desire to perform.

The writing by Ms. Blundell is solid. She does a great job at getting the audience into Kit’s head so that we can feel the turmoil she’s going through as she faces tough decisions one after another. It’s an incredible story of self-discovery and strength of character set in a time period full of intrigue, deceit, and yes, muuuurrrrrrdeerrr (major points to whoever guesses what TV show I’m referencing. One clue: it’s on USA!).

If you enjoy historical fiction, then you should definitely pick this up. If not, try it anyways. Go into it with an open mind and give it the chance it deserves. It may seem slow at first, but the pace picks up and you’ll be glad you gave it a shot!

Thanks to Scholastic at the ALA Midwinter Meeting for the ARC of “Strings Attached”. It is scheduled to be released in March of this year.

The Vespertine by Saundra Mitchell

I’ve been sitting here for a little while now trying to pull my thoughts together regarding Saundra Mitchell’s “The Vespertine”. I just have some very mixed feelings (mostly good though) and I’m trying to put it all together. Well, okay, that and I am totally distracted by Facebook/Twitter and was futzing around on there for awhile too.

Let’s try something a little new – a review in list format! I know, not terribly creative, but eh. I’m still finding my footing here in regards to long form reviews (come on, my name on Goodreads.com is “shortandsweet” for a REASON. That’s how I was reviewing over there). Give a newbie a break, okay?

Things I liked:

• Time Period – Despite being a big fan of historical literature, I tend to gravitate towards 1820s and earlier. I haven’t read much in the Victorian time period and it was a refreshing new world to explore.
• Romance – You could feel the electricity crackling between our dashing, not-so-gentle leading man and Amelia. Ms. Mitchell did a fantastic job at explaining the naughtiness behind some of their actions that readers might not understand if they aren’t familiar with the time period.
• With that, her explanations had a pretty nice balance in the behavior department. She explained without bogging down the plot with long-winded essays about why things were the way they were. On occasion I got a little lost in the customs of the time period and had to stop to hash over what I had just read. I don’t think that was the fault of Ms. Mitchell though. I think it was a combination of the formatting of the ARC (one of the disadvantages to reading ARCs) and my sleepiness when reading last night.
• Paranormal/mystical aspect – Nice change of pace from vampires, angels, and zombies – OH MY!
• Fast moving plot – despite taking place in a time period where things moved very slowly for women, she kept the pacing moving right along which I appreciated. It could have easily gotten pokey and Ms. Mitchell did a great job preventing that from happening.

Things I didn’t like:

• At times, I got lost with the secondary and outlying characters. There were a lot of names involved and assumed familiarities that had me lost for a moment. Could be my fault, but I thought it was worth mentioning.
• I would have liked the climax and afterwards to have been a little slower. It felt really rushed and didn’t give me enough time to experience what Amelia was going through. I wanted to feel emotionally moved, started to, and then BOOM the book was over.
• The title – okay. I get it, but the book in general could have used an explanation as to what the word “vespers” meant to Amelia. Maybe I lead a sheltered life, but I thought vespers referred to a prayer service in Catholicism, not just the time of day when the sun sets?

I really enjoyed “The Vespertine”, despite my moments of confusion, which again, could be completely my fault and not the fault of the author’s. Sometimes, I get so involved in a book that I start speed reading and when you combine that with sleepiness, things can get a wee bit jumbled. I would recommend this to anyone who likes historical YA fiction. It does have paranormal/mystical elements, but it’s light on the paranormal, heavy on the historical. If you have a problem with historical fiction, then you should probably skip this one. You really have to accept the time period and its customs to fully enjoy Ms. Mitchell’s lovely story.

"The Vespertine" is published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. They provided me with an advance reader's copy. It is scheduled to be released in March of this year.