samantha_randolph's Reviews (1.59k)

Alice Montgomery isn't surprised when her younger brother picks a haunted hotel for their family vacation. She is surprised when she wakes up and doesn't know what's happened to her or why she can hear voices, but can't see anyone...until she looks in the mirror. Alice had hit her head while swimming in the hotel pool, but now her spirit is stuck in a strange, 19th century version of the hotel while her body is in a coma in her own time. When Alice discovers a diary by an 1880s inhabitant, the rumored insane and witchy Elizabeth Blackwell, she learns that the hotel is cursed, and she will be the next victim if she doesn't break it soon.

THE LOOKING GLASS is a completely mesmerizing novel. Much like Alice, I found myself transported to another world; but unlike Alice, it is a world I didn't want to leave. Jessica Arnold's writing pulls the reader in from the first chapter, and it doesn't let go until the very end. The scenes have a way of feeling so real that you might be glancing twice at the mirror while reading. I'm a huge fan of any retelling/reimagining, but what I love most about this book is that it has such a life of its own. It feels more inspired by the traditional Through the Looking Glass than a highly paralleled retelling (though both are great!), so whether you are big on Alice in Wonderland or not, you can easily find entertainment in these pages.

If you have any enjoyment in spooky tales with ghosts, mirrors that never seem to really reflect what they are shown, or curses all with a touch of romance and an intriguing crazy person, THE LOOKING GLASS is not one to miss. Overall, I just love the whole feel of this book, and the amazing and even surprising character development that Alice goes through. The ending answers just the right amount of questions, leaving you with a satisfied feeling of closure. I do wish I could have seen more of Alice prior to the hotel visit, but I did enjoy the scenes that gave great flashbacks to show her life before. Her story is happily on my favorites shelf, and I can't wait to see what Arnold writes next!

Darlena is tired of the pressure from her friends, family, and school to choose a path, White, Black, or Green, to use her witch powers towards. When Queen of the Witches, Hecate, makes a sudden appearance in her home, Darlena is forced to choose her path, and she isn't the only one surprised when the word "Red" comes out of her mouth. Before, Darlena wasn't aware that Red magic existed, but it does, and her gaining knowledge of it is taking over her life from getting kicked out of school to possibly killing someone in a car accident. Red magic seems to point only to chaos, and Darlena will need all the help she can get if she wants to mess with that magic.

DAUGHTER OF CHAOS is an exciting, fast-paced, and brilliant novel. I love the entire world of witches that Jen McConnel created. The idea of the different sources of magic (White, Black, Green, and Red) is unique, and it's great learning more and more of the world as the story is told. I especially love how not only are Greek gods and goddesses incorporated, especially Aphrodite and her chaotic love spells, but different regional deities are as well showing the vastness of the world of witches. The mythology in it is well executed, and I can't wait to find out more of it in the next book (which I think there will be?).

Darlena is a sassy, but deeply kind-hearted main character, and I just love her. She is constantly trying to figure out what is right or wrong, and the shades of gray are endless and fascinating. I especially enjoy the romance between her and Justin, a completely swoony White witch. I really like his character's sense of justice, but also his sense of loyalty.

Overall, I really love DAUGHTER OF CHAOS. I hope that the series will continue, and I will be first in line to get a sequel to this amazing book.

2. 5 stars: "Shane, Marisa, and Brandi are back and ready for new adventures at Port City High. Things seem to be going pretty well for them with new love interests, some good news here and there, but when Brandi disappears, it will be up to Marisa and Shane to find out where she is...or where the body is..." Full review at Fresh Fiction: http://freshfiction.com/review.php?id=41102

"Scarlet has a severe medical condition. Basically, doctors have told her she will die soon. Being a teenager, her biggest wish now is to go to high school and be normal for a while before she goes. Her overprotective parents agree to a one week trial, but little does Scarlet know how much one week of high school can hold." Full review at Fresh Fiction: http://freshfiction.com/review.php?id=41250

"In a court in desperate need of peace, Princess Marie-Victoria knows she cannot escape her arranged marriage, even though she is head over heels in love with a solider. Her childhood friend, Aelwyn Myrddyn, longs to be in Marie's place of power, a place she could use her magic as she wished, but she does love her friend. Isabelle wants to take Marie's place as well, but only because she is marrying the man they forced her to break her engagement off with, Leopold. Also at court is the American, Ronan, who just wants to be married to fix her family's financial state, but may have a chance at love when Leopold's younger brother turns out to be more charming than she expected. Together, the girls take on the London Season where scandal is just around the corner." Full review at Fresh Fiction: http://freshfiction.com/review.php?id=42472

"From Beauty and the Beast to The Snow Queen, GRIM is full of fairy tale retellings from a collection of young adult authors. Myra McEntire, Amanda Hocking, Julie Kagawa, and many more work their magic under Christine Johnson in this collaboration of tales." Full review at Fresh Fiction: http://freshfiction.com/review.php?id=42470

"Ava Lavender, as well as her family, expected to be born both normal and alone. Instead, she was born with a twin who doesn't communicate well, and she herself has wings. Some, like Nathaniel Sorrows, claim she is divine, an angel. Others think she must be some sort of weird recluse or freak. To Ava, she is just herself, a girl with wings that can't fly. However, Ava can't control what others think of her, and soon Nathaniel's admiration of her supposed divinity turns to obsession, and a tragic turn of events leads to a night that no one will forget." Full review at Fresh Fiction: http://freshfiction.com/review.php?id=42471

3.5/5 stars rounded up "When Laurel gets an assignment for an English class to write a letter to a dead person, the death of her sister, May, sits even heavier on her heart. She begins the assignment by writing to someone that May liked, Kurt Cobain, but soon, Laurel is writing to all sorts of dead people from Amelia Earhart to Heath Ledger. She doesn't turn any of them in to complete the assignment, but she is discovering more and more how much emotion she is getting out by writing them, emotion she doesn't want anyone to see. Between the letters and her newly found friends, Laurel starts to find that maybe opening up and being honest is exactly what she needs to recover from the tragedy." Full review at Fresh Fiction: http://freshfiction.com/review.php?id=42518

"Prenna James isn't the biggest supporter of the rules her community drills into their heads to follow. They are supposedly necessary since her and her community are escapees from a future filled with plagues and illness. When her classmate, normal, non-futuristic Ethan, gets closer to her and shows her kindness, she becomes in danger of breaking one of the biggest rules: don't fall in love with outsiders. Prenna will have to learn how to fight for love if she really wants it and what the consequences are when you break the rules." Full review at Fresh Fiction: http://freshfiction.com/review.php?id=42519