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samantha_randolph 's review for:
The Glass Casket
by McCormick Templeman
4.5 rounded up!
Short and Sweet:
Though I have a few small picky issues with it, I really, really loved this one. It's got loads of wonderful suspense and top notch world-building, and it's a must-read for any fairy tale lover.
To Elaborate...
Rowan has always dreamed about her mother, even though she died shortly after childbirth. Death hasn't come around much more since then until riders are discovered dead one morning near her village. Soon after, the deaths begin to multiply. The village is claiming it must be a wolf, but Roman and her friends suspect that something far darker may be occuring. With danger lurking around every dark night, Rowan will have to figure out how to save those she loves without getting killed in the process.
My fairy tale loving heart was so happy while reading this. The author does an absolutely astounding job of weaving together many different fairy tale elements, and it made the setting shine. It has a haunting, intense feel to it that makes it so hard to put down. I love all the twists put on the classic stories, and the plot unfolds perfectly leaving the very last puzzle piece hidden until the climax.
However, here are the small, extremely picky issues that I simply must mention: Rowan is a scholar, one who works on translations, and that is super, super cool. While the fact that she is a scholar is mentioned a lot, her actual practice of it only amounts to about one scene. She seems to be really passionate about it and it would have been so awesome to have seen more of her actively demonstrating that passion. The other issue I had was that towards the beginning several characters are introduced, but it seems to take a while for their relationships to be clear. I wasn't sure who actually liked who, which characters were just friends, etc. It got straightened out wonderfully later on, but it made for a somewhat confusing start.
In spite of those smaller issues, I without a doubt adored The Glass Casket. Rowan's character development is smooth and so touching in parts. I love how realistic her reactions and feelings are to what's happening around her. I especially enjoy her contrast with Tom and Fiona and how her story compares to theirs. I won't say too much about Jude, but he is super swoony, and I might be a little in love with him. :)
Originally posted at I Heart YA Fiction: http://iheartyafiction.blogspot.com/2014/06/review-glass-casket-by-mccormick.html
Short and Sweet:
Though I have a few small picky issues with it, I really, really loved this one. It's got loads of wonderful suspense and top notch world-building, and it's a must-read for any fairy tale lover.
To Elaborate...
Rowan has always dreamed about her mother, even though she died shortly after childbirth. Death hasn't come around much more since then until riders are discovered dead one morning near her village. Soon after, the deaths begin to multiply. The village is claiming it must be a wolf, but Roman and her friends suspect that something far darker may be occuring. With danger lurking around every dark night, Rowan will have to figure out how to save those she loves without getting killed in the process.
My fairy tale loving heart was so happy while reading this. The author does an absolutely astounding job of weaving together many different fairy tale elements, and it made the setting shine. It has a haunting, intense feel to it that makes it so hard to put down. I love all the twists put on the classic stories, and the plot unfolds perfectly leaving the very last puzzle piece hidden until the climax.
However, here are the small, extremely picky issues that I simply must mention: Rowan is a scholar, one who works on translations, and that is super, super cool. While the fact that she is a scholar is mentioned a lot, her actual practice of it only amounts to about one scene. She seems to be really passionate about it and it would have been so awesome to have seen more of her actively demonstrating that passion. The other issue I had was that towards the beginning several characters are introduced, but it seems to take a while for their relationships to be clear. I wasn't sure who actually liked who, which characters were just friends, etc. It got straightened out wonderfully later on, but it made for a somewhat confusing start.
In spite of those smaller issues, I without a doubt adored The Glass Casket. Rowan's character development is smooth and so touching in parts. I love how realistic her reactions and feelings are to what's happening around her. I especially enjoy her contrast with Tom and Fiona and how her story compares to theirs. I won't say too much about Jude, but he is super swoony, and I might be a little in love with him. :)
Originally posted at I Heart YA Fiction: http://iheartyafiction.blogspot.com/2014/06/review-glass-casket-by-mccormick.html