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Anda lives on an island on Lake Superior. For most of the year, she’s there with her father, trying to play a role of a normal person. But when November comes, she can’t ignore her calling to create storms and sink ships, just like her mother and her sisters, already part of the water. Usually, she’s alone during November, her father taken leave to the main land, but this time, a boy named Hector is hiding on the island as well. Hector ran away from a terrible life to hide out until his 18th birthday. When the two meet, sparks fly, but nothing can stop the incoming storm.
Ever since the synopsis was released, I’ve been so excited for Lydia Kang’s THE NOVEMBER GIRL. From the gorgeous cover to the chill-inducing summary, this is a story unlike anything I’ve read before. The premise is completely fascinating. Anda is half-human, half-magical (for lack of a better term). It’s sort of a mixture of water/storm elemental magic and Ursula from The Little Mermaid. A large theme of this novel is what it means to have two different parts of yourself and how isolating that can sometimes feel when people around you expect you to be (or choose) one side or the other.
While the plot drags a little at parts, the slow build up between Hector and Anda is lovely. They come from two different worlds, but they have so much in common. Their relationship is a nice mixture of sweetness, angst, sexual tension, and a few solid comic relief moments. Kang does a phenomenal job of making their stakes seem impossible to overcome, and you’ll be flipping the pages as fast as possible towards the end to see if they can overcome them or not.
THE NOVEMBER GIRL is a weird (in the best way), magical novel that sings with romance, heartache, and the difficult journey of making your own path.
Originally posted at YABC: http://www.yabookscentral.com/yafiction/22020-the-november-girl
Ever since the synopsis was released, I’ve been so excited for Lydia Kang’s THE NOVEMBER GIRL. From the gorgeous cover to the chill-inducing summary, this is a story unlike anything I’ve read before. The premise is completely fascinating. Anda is half-human, half-magical (for lack of a better term). It’s sort of a mixture of water/storm elemental magic and Ursula from The Little Mermaid. A large theme of this novel is what it means to have two different parts of yourself and how isolating that can sometimes feel when people around you expect you to be (or choose) one side or the other.
While the plot drags a little at parts, the slow build up between Hector and Anda is lovely. They come from two different worlds, but they have so much in common. Their relationship is a nice mixture of sweetness, angst, sexual tension, and a few solid comic relief moments. Kang does a phenomenal job of making their stakes seem impossible to overcome, and you’ll be flipping the pages as fast as possible towards the end to see if they can overcome them or not.
THE NOVEMBER GIRL is a weird (in the best way), magical novel that sings with romance, heartache, and the difficult journey of making your own path.
Originally posted at YABC: http://www.yabookscentral.com/yafiction/22020-the-november-girl
Asha, daughter of the king, is feared and admired as the greatest dragon hunter. She is nicknamed the Iskari, after the destroyer in the ancient legend of Iskari and Namsara. Her father has ordered her to marry a cruel man, but then offers her a bargain: if she can kill the most dangerous and oldest dragon in Firgaard, she will have her freedom. But during her quest with the help of a secret friend, she finds that not everything is as it seems, and the ancient tales may be more real than she imagined.
What I Liked:
THE LAST NAMSARA has exceptional world building. From the detailed imagery to the ancient legends, this is a novel where you can sink into the setting and feel yourself among the characters. The dragons are particularly great, and I love the different ones we get to meet along the journey.
Asha’s character arc is extremely well done. I had trouble connecting with her character, but regardless, her characterization is full of depth, complexity, growth, and even healing. As she discovers the truth about dragons, the ancient legends, and even her own upbringing, you’ll be amazed at the emotional resonance Kristen Circcarelli captures.
What Left Me Wanting More:
While there is much to enjoy, I found it difficult to make a connection with the story and characters. The plot can be a bit slow going, and it wasn’t until about the second half or so that I was eager to keep turning the pages. Some areas left me with more confusion than answers, but as this is the first book in a series, more explanations might be found in the sequel.
Final Verdict:
Though I wasn’t able to connect with the story as much as I wanted, THE LAST NAMSARA is still an enjoyable adventure with admirable character growth and outstanding world building.
Originally posted at YABC: http://www.yabookscentral.com/yafiction/21652-the-last-namsara
What I Liked:
THE LAST NAMSARA has exceptional world building. From the detailed imagery to the ancient legends, this is a novel where you can sink into the setting and feel yourself among the characters. The dragons are particularly great, and I love the different ones we get to meet along the journey.
Asha’s character arc is extremely well done. I had trouble connecting with her character, but regardless, her characterization is full of depth, complexity, growth, and even healing. As she discovers the truth about dragons, the ancient legends, and even her own upbringing, you’ll be amazed at the emotional resonance Kristen Circcarelli captures.
What Left Me Wanting More:
While there is much to enjoy, I found it difficult to make a connection with the story and characters. The plot can be a bit slow going, and it wasn’t until about the second half or so that I was eager to keep turning the pages. Some areas left me with more confusion than answers, but as this is the first book in a series, more explanations might be found in the sequel.
Final Verdict:
Though I wasn’t able to connect with the story as much as I wanted, THE LAST NAMSARA is still an enjoyable adventure with admirable character growth and outstanding world building.
Originally posted at YABC: http://www.yabookscentral.com/yafiction/21652-the-last-namsara
Goldeline has found a rag tag family with Gruff and his bandits. They live in the forest and steal food and supplies from travelers. However, life wasn’t always like that. She used to live with her mom…until a town lead by the Preacher attacked them for witchcraft. Goldeline managed to get away, but the Preacher is coming for her, and in order to save herself and her new friends, she will have to channel everything she learned from her beloved mother.
GOLDELINE is an unexpected, dark, magical read that I couldn’t put down. Jimmy Cajoleas writes with stunning prose that wraps you up in a blanket made of old fairy tales and spells. From the first chapter, I found myself getting more comfortable in my chair and settling in for a long reading session. This is exactly the kind of magical, fantasy middle grade story that I love to find.
What makes this story so wonderful, beyond the great writing, are the themes: finding your own family, learning to be a friend, connecting to your past, and discovering the everyday magic. Goldeline is an easily lovable character, and you hope for the best for her the entire journey. She has an incredible spirit that leaps off the page, and readers shouldn’t be surprised to feel more than a little sad when her story is concluded.
The Preacher makes a scary, if not surprising, villain. His rhetoric is frighteningly familiar, which is perhaps what is most scary about him. He is the kind of villain you can find in real life, not just in a story.
Overall, Jimmy Cajoleas has become an auto-buy author for me after reading GOLDELINE. This story is brimming with magic, excitement, and adventure.
Originally posted at YABC: http://www.yabookscentral.com/kidsfiction/21653-goldeline
GOLDELINE is an unexpected, dark, magical read that I couldn’t put down. Jimmy Cajoleas writes with stunning prose that wraps you up in a blanket made of old fairy tales and spells. From the first chapter, I found myself getting more comfortable in my chair and settling in for a long reading session. This is exactly the kind of magical, fantasy middle grade story that I love to find.
What makes this story so wonderful, beyond the great writing, are the themes: finding your own family, learning to be a friend, connecting to your past, and discovering the everyday magic. Goldeline is an easily lovable character, and you hope for the best for her the entire journey. She has an incredible spirit that leaps off the page, and readers shouldn’t be surprised to feel more than a little sad when her story is concluded.
The Preacher makes a scary, if not surprising, villain. His rhetoric is frighteningly familiar, which is perhaps what is most scary about him. He is the kind of villain you can find in real life, not just in a story.
Overall, Jimmy Cajoleas has become an auto-buy author for me after reading GOLDELINE. This story is brimming with magic, excitement, and adventure.
Originally posted at YABC: http://www.yabookscentral.com/kidsfiction/21653-goldeline
Fatal Throne
Candace Fleming, Stephanie Hemphill, Deborah Hopkinson, M.T. Anderson, Linda Sue Park, Jennifer Donnelly, Lisa Ann Sandell
3.5/5 stars rounded up
This is a tough one to rate because there are many parts of this book I LOVED, but there were also significant times while reading that I found the timeline confusing. Overall, I do think this is an extremely important book that highlights the parts of girls that are so often ignored (or even denied existence) in media. The parts that aren't pretty or nice or sweet, or anything else girls are told they should be. Highly recommend if you're looking for something gritty and deep.
