This was a wonderful premise and a really creatively constructed book. Almost a combination of short stories that come together to form a cohesive ending through their overarching theme, Autumn Avening. Each of the stories had it's own little bit of magic and it's own "coming of age" for the character. It was such an interesting way to explore so many parts of life, the town, different ages and experiences all in one book. And really one of my favorite story devices ever is this small town magical realism sort of thing, where everyone knows strange things happen and they all go with it. I just have a huge soft spot for that. However, the writing and dialogue was not superb, and some of the development could have been better. Also, I feel like the ending came too quickly, too easily, and the abruptness left me with a less than satisfied feeling. So, overall, not as good as Sarah Addison Allen, but on the whole, a fun, enjoyable book.

For all the I love Henry VIII, Mary, Elizabeth and the Tudors, I never really knew much about Lady Jane Grey. I found this book to be incredibly well crafted, the different viewpoints really added in a lot of period detail and background information that would otherwise have been difficult to portray. And the title is perfectly oxymoronic. I enjoyed reading about Jane's life, and though of course many smaller things were fictionalized, the bigger picture gets through nicely. What a crazy, short life Jane had. All the people she rubbed shoulders with, and all the experiences she had. A religious, educated woman in a tumultuous time whose viewpoint is one that is rarely examined (because it does pale in comparison to Mary or Elizabeth in long term influence). It is unfortunate but riveting to see how the pieces played out towards her inevitable end, despite everyone wishing it were otherwise. The only criticism I have is that some of the dialogue just didn't sit right and there were a few characters traits that were too overly exaggerated in order to fit the story better. However, overall a very educational and wonderful read.

Well, this takes the cake. I've read a lot of the "YA fantasy/dystopia trilogy" series that are currently the rage. Some have been really good and gone downhill, some have been eh and then end much better, but this one, this was was solid from start to finish. Character development and interaction, real life dialogue, universe creation, plot development, movement, and finale. A wonderful "star crossed" love story. Superb dynamic between two species whose hatred is all they can see and how across generations (sort of) their mingling began. And an ending that not only wraps things up well but also doesn't tie that final "things are now great" bow. The understanding that the future is positive but there is still another story to come on the way (without giving the reader the feeling that they missed something by not knowing that story) is masterfully done. I loved Zuzana and Mik and their story, the "quests" and the proposal. I loved Liraz and Kiri SO SO much. And of course, Akiva and Karou. Plus, the name Karou is very compelling. There were a few things that were maybe not addressed: how Mik found Esther's wishes and managed to steal them or the Razgut/Esther story's end. But really, they paled in the bigger picture. I was unsure about Eliza at first, but was happy with her role by the end and I had similar feelings about the Stelians. But mostly I think it was because I was so protective of to story to date (that had been so good) that I was afraid introducing something else would mess with it. But I have to say, I have never been more impressed with the YA genre. Hats off to Laini Taylor. I never wanted this story to end.

Well, this is outside of my usual time periods of choice, but I enjoyed it. The US/USSR relations during the Cold War are something I never experienced, but were close enough to my time that I have heard a lot about them. I really enjoyed the child's view of the period, how things must have looked to an elementary school girl. And its' mix as a coming of age story about a lonely girl finding her way, growing up into herself, and letting go of the past was nicely done alongside the larger world view issues. I thought the little bit of spy intrigue was well handled, it could have become overdone and cliche very easily. This was really a lovely exploration of a girl growing up and the turbulent times during which she did it.

I read Loving Frank long before I ever start writing reviews, so I cannot remember exactly what I thought of it, but I can tell you I believe I liked it much more than this one. I wanted to like this book...I love RLS and his life story is such an interesting one. But honestly, this book just crawled for me. And it seemed about 100 pages too long. It was a struggle to keep going and for someone who had so much happen in their life, I can't figure out how a book about them could be so difficult to get through. I respect the research that went into writing this, and the the writing itself is lovely (great dialogue and wonderful language), but the overall piece just didn't catch me like I wish it had.

This was a very cute, easy read. I have always found epistolary novels to be interesting, if done right, because the author manages to develop a whole plot and characters without any type of normal description or elaboration. I also find, in that case, that they do tend to be a bit shallower than the average book. This one was about as well done as it could have been though. I loved the idea of a connection made only through letters and the whole plot lent itself very well to that type of relationship. I enjoyed the cross generational war experiences and the partially parallel stories of mother and daughter. At times, Elspeth's language bothered me; it just seemed a bit too needy, or preset, or something. Though admittedly a lot of WWI letters must have looked the same to an outsider... And while the story was slightly predictable, I still think that all in all it was quite a fun, happily ever after read.

This book was gorgeously done. For such a harrowing and heartbreaking period, the author brought out a hope for the future in so many ways. A family for one. Redemption for another. And a new, replacement daughter for the third. These three women are from such different backgrounds and stages of life, but they each have a coming of age story here that brings them together in the end. The structure was so creative, following them separately but simultaneously together to start, then each women's separate journey towards the inevitable, and ending with their eventual joining. With such different viewpoints of the same events, one can really get an idea of how the currents in Somalia at the time were ebbing and flowing around each other. And while showing such disaster and destruction and death, the author manages to also portray why any given person would want to keep fighting and rise above the atrocity. Beautifully written and intensely felt.

Well, add this series onto the list of guilty pleasure young adult fantasy/dystopia/vampire series that I secretly have to read. Even though, to be honest, it was not the best written YA vampire story I've ever read, some of the elements are new and interesting. And who doesn't love a good high school drama mixed in there? It's set up well for more to follow and has the necessary love interests in bad/broody guys. So, a great light, summer, teen read. And I plan to read the next ones.

I was very impressed with this book. The characters were extremely vibrant and alive. And really so was the plot. The language the author used was phenomenal, every sentence flowing into the next, and the short sections/chapters created a unique flow. Werner and Marie-Laure were lovely parallel protagonists, their stories marching forward together, and I enjoyed the traits and roles that they played very much. It was such a different exploration of the WWII era that was been written about so extensively, with such new viewpoints on the moral and daily challenges faced by the average person. The auxiliary characters, Jutta, Etienne, Frederick, etc. were fashioned beautifully as well. The "Sea of Flames" was an interesting center point for things, and I would have been fine with it, except that for some reason the von Rumpfel storyline never rang completely true for me. That would be my one complaint here...it seemed like too easy a device to being the protagonists together. But other than that, the reality portrayed by the author was so true and gritty. From the father's disappearance (and the fact that they never find out what happened to him), to Werner never seeing his sister again, to the women's experiences in Germany after the war, to Werner's death and the fact that after all the build up, he really only spent half a day with Marie-Laure. I just felt that each piece of the story that wasn't finished, moved you, or broke your heart a little, did the best possible to portray the loss during that period. All in all, I really appreciate what the author did with this novel.