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samantha_randolph
Short and Sweet:
I love the twists on the Cinderella story for this retelling, but I’m mostly left with mixed feelings.
To Elaborate…
Pin doesn’t know who she is. She is handed a needle and told she is a Seamstress, that she must stitch all day, but she knows there was something Before. When she and a Shoemaker called Shoe manage to break away from the strange fortress, they find themselves separated in a new prison, one where Lady Penelope doesn’t remember being Pin. As Penelope is pulled towards a prince and a castle, she must figure out why nothing seems real and who this mysterious Shoe is who tells her she is trapped.
I was super excited for this book because of the retelling aspect and, admittedly, the gorgeous cover. The first part of the story is intriguing but really confusing. Part of this is because of the main character, Pin’s, confusion, but even her actions/thoughts seem to come from out of nowhere sometimes. Just when things start to make a little more sense, she loses her memories again trying to escape the fortress, and it gets confusing all over again.
However, about halfway through the book, things start to fall into place, which was really helpful. I really like some of the unique spins on the Cinderella tale and the characters. It’s definitely unique, and the Godmother makes one heck of a scary villain. I also love the adventure to the story. Pen and Shoe cover a lot of ground, from the fortress to the forest to the city. There’s never a shortage of action once Pen and Shoe leave the fortress.
Overall, I liked the big plot moments and the great secondary characters, but I had a hard time connecting with Pen and muddling through all the confusion. I think Shoe is actually the more developed of the two characters, and the prince is really flat. I think there’s a planned companion for this next year (but no series), so I’m on the fence about whether or not I will read it at this point.
Originally published at The Forest of Words and Pages: http://www.forestofwordsandpages.com/2015/10/review-ash-bramble-by-sarah-prineas/
I love the twists on the Cinderella story for this retelling, but I’m mostly left with mixed feelings.
To Elaborate…
Pin doesn’t know who she is. She is handed a needle and told she is a Seamstress, that she must stitch all day, but she knows there was something Before. When she and a Shoemaker called Shoe manage to break away from the strange fortress, they find themselves separated in a new prison, one where Lady Penelope doesn’t remember being Pin. As Penelope is pulled towards a prince and a castle, she must figure out why nothing seems real and who this mysterious Shoe is who tells her she is trapped.
I was super excited for this book because of the retelling aspect and, admittedly, the gorgeous cover. The first part of the story is intriguing but really confusing. Part of this is because of the main character, Pin’s, confusion, but even her actions/thoughts seem to come from out of nowhere sometimes. Just when things start to make a little more sense, she loses her memories again trying to escape the fortress, and it gets confusing all over again.
However, about halfway through the book, things start to fall into place, which was really helpful. I really like some of the unique spins on the Cinderella tale and the characters. It’s definitely unique, and the Godmother makes one heck of a scary villain. I also love the adventure to the story. Pen and Shoe cover a lot of ground, from the fortress to the forest to the city. There’s never a shortage of action once Pen and Shoe leave the fortress.
Overall, I liked the big plot moments and the great secondary characters, but I had a hard time connecting with Pen and muddling through all the confusion. I think Shoe is actually the more developed of the two characters, and the prince is really flat. I think there’s a planned companion for this next year (but no series), so I’m on the fence about whether or not I will read it at this point.
Originally published at The Forest of Words and Pages: http://www.forestofwordsandpages.com/2015/10/review-ash-bramble-by-sarah-prineas/
Just in time for the holiday season, Jean Reagan and Lee Wildish bring a story about the famous Santa and, more importantly, how to catch that mystical person. Two siblings narrate the story on a fun-filled Christmas Eve.
HOW TO CATCH SANTA is an adorable picture book, one that can easily entertain the kids and adults alike. The two children narrating the story present a wide variety of ways to catch Santa, from candy cane distractions to promises of cookies. There are several moments throughout the story that are hard not to giggle at.
The illustrations are cute with softer lines, giving a warm tone to the story. The colors are bright and fun, and there is a great balance of text and illustration. I particularly like the pet cat and the small elves that sneak into a few of the pictures. There are just enough details in the illustrations to let your eyes wander but not too many to be overwhelmed or too distracted.
Overall, I highly recommend HOW TO CATCH SANTA for anyone full of the holiday spirit and prepared for a few giggles. The sweet illustrations and cute story make this a picture book destined to be read more than once.
Originally posted at YABC: http://www.yabookscentral.com/kidsfiction/18901-how-to-catch-santa
HOW TO CATCH SANTA is an adorable picture book, one that can easily entertain the kids and adults alike. The two children narrating the story present a wide variety of ways to catch Santa, from candy cane distractions to promises of cookies. There are several moments throughout the story that are hard not to giggle at.
The illustrations are cute with softer lines, giving a warm tone to the story. The colors are bright and fun, and there is a great balance of text and illustration. I particularly like the pet cat and the small elves that sneak into a few of the pictures. There are just enough details in the illustrations to let your eyes wander but not too many to be overwhelmed or too distracted.
Overall, I highly recommend HOW TO CATCH SANTA for anyone full of the holiday spirit and prepared for a few giggles. The sweet illustrations and cute story make this a picture book destined to be read more than once.
Originally posted at YABC: http://www.yabookscentral.com/kidsfiction/18901-how-to-catch-santa
Short and Sweet:
I loved this emotional and powerful conclusion to the The Book of Ivy duology.
To Elaborate…
When I read The Book of Ivy, I fell completely in love with the world, the romance, and the depth of the characters. Unfortunately, there was a long time span between reading it and starting the sequel, so I remembered next to nothing (lol). I highly recommend doing a reread before starting this. There isn’t a lot of refresher information, so for the first few chapters, I just kind of went along with everything and tried to remember as much as possible.
I was hooked right back into Engel’s beautiful writing and Ivy’s story, even with my bad memory and all. This follow up is hard-hitting and packs punches, kicks, stabs, and about every heartbreak imaginable. While Ivy grew beautifully in the first book, she truly has to find the very core of who she is in this book, and her journey is hard but so, so worth it. I can’t say much about the plot without giving spoilers away, so I’ll just say the plot builds perfectly, and though there are many, many heavy and emotional moments, we do get some beautifully happy and romantic scenes as well.
As I mentioned before, the writing is exceptional. Engel has a distinct voice, and so many moments in the dialogue, especially the ones between Ivy and Bishop, will hit you right in the heart. The characters face intense situations and hard choices, and what I love most about Engel’s writing is how she perfectly conveys what the characters are feeling and why (or why not) without making it obvious. They are understandable, flawed, and completely human, and even when they don’t know what they’re doing, Engel makes it effortless to relate to them.
I highly recommend this duology to anyone looking for action, adventure, romance, and characters who have to fight with everything they have to survive. The complex characters, exciting plot, and stellar writing easily make this series one of my favorites, and I can’t wait to see what this author writes next.
Originally posted at The Forest of Words and Pages: http://www.forestofwordsandpages.com/2015/11/review-the-revolution-of-ivy-by-amy-engel/
I loved this emotional and powerful conclusion to the The Book of Ivy duology.
To Elaborate…
When I read The Book of Ivy, I fell completely in love with the world, the romance, and the depth of the characters. Unfortunately, there was a long time span between reading it and starting the sequel, so I remembered next to nothing (lol). I highly recommend doing a reread before starting this. There isn’t a lot of refresher information, so for the first few chapters, I just kind of went along with everything and tried to remember as much as possible.
I was hooked right back into Engel’s beautiful writing and Ivy’s story, even with my bad memory and all. This follow up is hard-hitting and packs punches, kicks, stabs, and about every heartbreak imaginable. While Ivy grew beautifully in the first book, she truly has to find the very core of who she is in this book, and her journey is hard but so, so worth it. I can’t say much about the plot without giving spoilers away, so I’ll just say the plot builds perfectly, and though there are many, many heavy and emotional moments, we do get some beautifully happy and romantic scenes as well.
As I mentioned before, the writing is exceptional. Engel has a distinct voice, and so many moments in the dialogue, especially the ones between Ivy and Bishop, will hit you right in the heart. The characters face intense situations and hard choices, and what I love most about Engel’s writing is how she perfectly conveys what the characters are feeling and why (or why not) without making it obvious. They are understandable, flawed, and completely human, and even when they don’t know what they’re doing, Engel makes it effortless to relate to them.
I highly recommend this duology to anyone looking for action, adventure, romance, and characters who have to fight with everything they have to survive. The complex characters, exciting plot, and stellar writing easily make this series one of my favorites, and I can’t wait to see what this author writes next.
Originally posted at The Forest of Words and Pages: http://www.forestofwordsandpages.com/2015/11/review-the-revolution-of-ivy-by-amy-engel/
Short and Sweet:
Always entertaining and full of twists, Triple Moon is a wonderful addition to the Witches of East End world (and can be read by itself!).
To Elaborate…
What I love most about Melissa de la Cruz’s books is her consistency in delivering super entertaining stories with fashion, romance, and twists. The premises and characters are always so different, but I’ve yet to find one without at least inclusion of all of those elements. I adored the Witches of East End series, and I was so excited to get a copy of this book set in the same world. For readers familiar with the Witches of the East End series, we get to see Ingrid and Freya again, this time from the perspective of twin witches, Molly and Mardi, who are more than slightly misbehaving. Readers new to the East End world will have no trouble reading this alone, though.
Molly and Mardi have really fun personalities, and I love their individual journey. I would have liked to see more of their bond progress in the book, but I do think their relationship is extremely realistic, minus the magic powers of course. The interactions between them, Freya, and Ingrid are wonderful, and I love how close they get.
The romance(s) are super swoony and packed with feels, per de la Cruz’s style. Mardi and Trent’s interactions are powerful and sexy, and their bonding scenes on the boat are lovely. Be warned, some of the romances will break your heart, but I think readers will be pleased by the end.
Fans of Melissa de la Cruz’s other books should absolutely grab Triple Moon. The story will keep readers entertained for hours, and the powerful magic and emotion will delight readers new and old.
Originally posted at The Forest of Words and Pages: http://www.forestofwordsandpages.com/2015/11/review-triple-moon-by-melissa-de-la-cruz/
Always entertaining and full of twists, Triple Moon is a wonderful addition to the Witches of East End world (and can be read by itself!).
To Elaborate…
What I love most about Melissa de la Cruz’s books is her consistency in delivering super entertaining stories with fashion, romance, and twists. The premises and characters are always so different, but I’ve yet to find one without at least inclusion of all of those elements. I adored the Witches of East End series, and I was so excited to get a copy of this book set in the same world. For readers familiar with the Witches of the East End series, we get to see Ingrid and Freya again, this time from the perspective of twin witches, Molly and Mardi, who are more than slightly misbehaving. Readers new to the East End world will have no trouble reading this alone, though.
Molly and Mardi have really fun personalities, and I love their individual journey. I would have liked to see more of their bond progress in the book, but I do think their relationship is extremely realistic, minus the magic powers of course. The interactions between them, Freya, and Ingrid are wonderful, and I love how close they get.
The romance(s) are super swoony and packed with feels, per de la Cruz’s style. Mardi and Trent’s interactions are powerful and sexy, and their bonding scenes on the boat are lovely. Be warned, some of the romances will break your heart, but I think readers will be pleased by the end.
Fans of Melissa de la Cruz’s other books should absolutely grab Triple Moon. The story will keep readers entertained for hours, and the powerful magic and emotion will delight readers new and old.
Originally posted at The Forest of Words and Pages: http://www.forestofwordsandpages.com/2015/11/review-triple-moon-by-melissa-de-la-cruz/
