JaReview: Anna and the French Kiss

After reading The Lost Hero back in October, I went on YA-hiatus and started reading romnovs again. Yes, you read it correctly. I read trashy romance novels. So sue me. It started with Nora Roberts, actually it started with J.D. Robb. Then she started to scare me (I’m really chickenshit when it comes to scary books). So I started Nora Roberts (same author, different pen name, different genres). Then she started to scare me, so I moved on to regular romnovs.

Let me point out, I rarely read the historical ones. Its rot with your quintessential damsel in distress, who’s annoying dialogue consists of “but I simply can’t” or “I shan’t” or “I’ll be the laughing stock of the ton”. Who bloody cares? They end up doing it anyway. Well not it it. Well, okay, that too. But I was talking more of whatever lame crisis the author fabricates to befall the damsel, which creates her distress, thus leading to her needing to be saved by the aloof, yet secretively caring hero.

Ugh.

When I considered researching English nobility rankings (is a Duke higher than a Count?), I decided enough was enough. I needed get back into YA because apparently these romnovs were rotting my brain.

Then along comes Stephanie Perkins with her freshman novel, Anna and the French Kiss. Le sigh.

Anna’s father has been catapulted into fame and fortune and decides his daughter needs some culture. And what better way to culturize her (yes, quite like yogurt) than to send her to a chic boarding school in Paris. Of course her father doesn't even bother to think about how she’d feel about it, rich and famous father knows best after all. And so, Anna finds herself alone in a foreign country.

Well as alone as one can be in a boarding school where all your classmates speak English anyway.

Enter Etienne St. Clair, resident hot boy, an American with an English accent to boot. And everyone knows us American girls love boys with accents. Especially English ones. Especially ones that say wanker, tosser, and right git. Oh wait…sorry, I was thinking of Draco Malfoy*.

Not unlike the hottie, bad boy blondie, St. Clair is charismatic, charming and, most importantly, devastatingly good looking. (Yeah I know I’m shallow.) Anna is immediately smitten with him, despite the fact that she tries not to be. So really it sounds like this book is going to be one of those annoying Love-Pow books right? Well Perkins proves to the masses that you can indeed have love/lust at first sight but still create a swoon worthy relationship that isn’t reduced to the Bellard variety*.

The story follows Anna’s progression from feelings of isolation and loneliness to slowly adjusting in a foreign country and school. I’m sure the distraction of the St. Clair form help ease the situation. We all know nothing can distract a girl and make her life exciting like a good ole crush. Even if he’s supposed to just be your best friend and already has a girlfriend.

One of the things I loved most about St. Clair was his faults. He was shorter than Anna (which is usually a no-no in writing relationships). He bit his nails. And he was deathly afraid of heights. St. Clair was flawed and yet so completely perfect.

Anna and St. Clair form a bond slightly reminiscent of Macy and Wes*, so you actually understand why they feel the way they do. This relationship isn’t some unexplicable, otherworldly romance. Its two people, who support, defend and understand each other. And of course they do it all with some major sparkage factor. I’m talking “fry your bones to a crisp” sparkles. It’s the little interactions here and there that just hook you. And before you realize it, you’ve been at the bookstore for three hours and your boy, who’s already read four different comics, wants to go home.

My only complaint - well, okay I have three. The first is that the story went a little too teenage drama mama for me near the end. But it’s forgivable because I dislike the too tidy happy endings. The second complaint is that I desperately wanted a French pastry after reading it. And the third, I have to wait nearly seven months for her next book.

Anna and the French Kiss will take you back in time to sitting in the movie theater next to your first crush. Where his arm brushes yours and all you feel is sparkles.

I digs. So much.

*Draco Malfoy - Yeah, I loves Draco. My perception of him might be slightly irrational and noncanon, but I dont particularly care. Like other Dramione shippers, I don't let silly little things, like the epilogue, his wimpy canon nature and her subsequent marriage to Ron, deter me.

*Bellard variety – Relationships like those of Bella and Edward in which the couple becomes annoyingly co-dependent on each other, prone to bouts of weepiness when separated from their most beloved. And their constant whining and pathetic cow eyes make you sort of want to punch them in the head.

*Macy and Wes - characters from Sarah Dessen's The Truth About Forever. Their fabulously swoon-worthy and perfect love story trounces Bellard any day. Seriously. Bring it.

{NIN} Review: The Truth About Forever

I have to say that The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen is a most excellent read. As {Ja} stated before, there is no Love-Pow! (PS) in this story but a believable progression from friendship to sweet love between two people.

Macy has had a rough year (understatement), adjusting to her father's sudden death and trying to prove to everyone that she is "fine just fine" by striving for perfection. She even has the "perfect" brainiac boyfriend who's about as interesting as mud to go along with her facade. Seriously, this guy is so goal-oriented and so obviously not that into Macy that you have to wonder if she was just another checkbox on his list of goals. "Find girlfriend - check!"

When stupid, useless boyfriend goes off to Brain Camp for the summer, Macy is left to fill his "so very important" position at the library with two snide and condescending co-workers who think stupid boyfriend is dating down when it comes to Macy. Day in and day out, she is forced to endure their snotty comments and torturous silent treatment with a smile. And the stupid boyfriend has no sympathy for her. Seriously, when she tells him about it, all he can say is, "I don't think you're taking the job seriously enough. You didn't answer my last question about whether the reference documents came in," or some such nonsense that doesn't even acknowledge the real emotional issues Macy is feeling. If that was not a sign to dump the guy's sorry arse, I don't know what is. It was incredibly frustrating that Macy did not have enough of a spine to dump him right then and there when she received that email. Yes, yes, I know she was having emotional issues and what-not b/c of her dad, but still...better to be alone than to be with a stick-in-the-mud that drags you down like that.

But then, there would be no WES to come along and show how right the world can be if you just find the right person.

ANYHOO, like I said, Wes...total "sa-woon!" Since {Ja} gave a most excellent review already about where and how Macy met Wes, I'll just move on to the more important stuff, like what makes him so awesome.

Hot, down-to-earth, approachable, not full-of-himself, hot, easy-going, family-oriented, artistic, and hot.

Yup, that about sums it up.

But their progression from friendship to more was simply...perfect. And after reading some of the books I've just read (Angel Star, Heavenly - more on those later), I've realized that it's supremely irritating when all you get from a book is a Love-Pow! and you have no clue why two people should be together (I can throw in Linger here too). Not so with Macy and Wes. They learn the other person's history, what makes them who they are, and how their past has shaped who they are today. Slowly, but surely, the connection is made and it's a match that is just so right.

So next up...the rest of Sarah Dessen's book. Cuz if The Truth About Forever is any indication, Sarah Dessen's books are the thoughtful and realistic cure for the prevalent Love-Pow! books in YA lit today.

{NIN} Review: The Clockwork Angel

I love Cassandra Clare. She got me to start reading YA Lit again with The Mortal Instruments series. Actually, I guess I should say it was {Ja} since she introduced me to TMI, but it was Cassandra Clare's City of Ashes that hooked me, line and sinker. I was such a Clace shipper, quite shameless actually. I {heart}ed Jace a lot! :-)

So when I heard about her next series coming out after City of Glass was released, I eagerly checked my local library's hold list religiously each day for the past 6 months until the day it became available to be put on hold. And it totally paid off! I was #17 and got the book on the first round of releases. Never before touched pages of a brand new book - aaaahhh... I digs.

The Clockwork Angel, the first book in The Infernal Devices trilogy (for now, since TMI was supposed to be a trilogy but now it's going to be a 6 book series), takes place in the same Shadowhunter world that we were introduced to in TMI, but in the year 1878 and in London, no less (which is awesome because I can read all the characters lines with a Bri'ish accent...in my head...).

The protaganist of the story is Tessa Gray, an American who journeys to London at the behest of her brother. She arrives only to be kidnapped by a mysterious pair, the Dark Sisters who reveal a startling truth to her - Tessa is a warlock with the rare ability to shape-shift. Threatening harm to her beloved brother Nate, the Dark Sisters force Tessa to hone her warlock skill in preparation for her betrothal to the mysterious Magistrar, who wants Tessa's power under his control.

By fortuitous occurrence, Tessa is rescued by the dashing Shadowhunter of piercing blue eyes, Will Herondale (Jace's forebearer of some sort, I suppose), who had been investigating a series of mysterious mundane deaths that all pointed back to the Dark Sisters. Will brings her back to the London Institute where Tessa is introduced to the world of Shadowhunters, warlocks, vampires, werewolves, and fairies. Together with the Shadowhunters, Tessa endeavers to learn the truth about herself, her parents' past, her brother, the strange mechanical creatures that are attacking them, and the mysterious Magistrar who controls them.

I definitely liked this book a lot, though it did not elicit the same gushing obsession that TMI did. The book is set in Victorian England, so the decorum of the day is somewhat interesting to read about, and London sounds like it was pretty bawdy in the late 1800s. But other than that, the setting, dialogue, and expressions used by the characters didn't seem that much different from American English. In something like Harry Potter, the British slang was definitely more noticeable (bloke, snog, take the mickey), but not so with The Clockwork Angel. Perhaps it has to do with Cassandra Clare being American. Or did Londoners have expressions more similar to Americans back in the day? Anyhoo...

The character recipe for The Infernal Devices and The Mortal Instruments are quite similar:

• Tessa = Clary as in girl new to Downworld who learns that she's not quite the average human she thought she was.
• Will = Jace with the handsome and sarcastic overlay covering his true internal tortured self.
• Jem = Alec in the sense that he is another Shadowhunter boy living at the Institute and Will's parabatai.
• Jessamine = Isabelle of the bizotchy superior attitude.

Magnus Bane also makes an appearance, which is great because I love crossovers. His role is rather limited in this novel, but I expect his role will expand in the coming sequels.

Tessa is an interesting character - loyal almost to a fault, struggling with the idea that she may not be human afterall, and learning the baffling and scary ways of the Downworld. She is also highly attracted to the sarcastic, tempermental, and cocky Will Herondale (sounds just like Jace, eh?) who behaves hot and then [really] cold to her for no apparent reason. And of course, no hot male lead would be complete if he were not TORTURED, and Will most certainly is. His arrival at the Institute at age 12 is a mystery and he refuses to speak of his past. We get flashes into his past (from what I gather, his trauma has to do with...a box), but he is tight-lipped and brusque on any questions about his past. Will's behavior towards Tessa is simply abhorrent at times (Colin Firth says stuff like "abhor" and he's British...hehe...). I seriously wanted to smack him at times...but I also wanted to love him because Tessa is attracted to him, and frankly, I love his cocky attitude. Will is just waiting for Tessa to heal his damaged soul, I know it, even if he doesn't, the bastard. So I guess Cassandra Clare has got me there with the romantic aspect of the story.

Cassandra Clare also manages to weave just the right amount of sarcastic and snarky dialogue into the story, especially from our dear Will, that left me cracking up. I also love that Tessa isn't a meek, submissive girl who isn't afraid to dish it back out to others, even to Will. On Will proclaiming he has a tryst later in the evening with an attractive person, Tessa replies: "Goodness, if you keep seeing Six-Fingered Nigel like this, he'll expect you to declare your intentions." How can you not love that??!! Most awesome!

The mystery is rather intriguing as well - who is the Magistrar and what are his intentions? What is the truth about Tessa's parentage? And what the heck is Will hiding???

It's hard to wax philosophical and analyze this book fully since it's part of a series and character growth will most certainly occur over the course of three books. However, by the end of this book, Tessa has most certainly grown - less naive, accepting of reality (of certain...stuff, I don't want to say and give it away), and possibly moving on the path of making peace with her non-human nature. As for Will? I don't know yet, but I sure hope the cocky tortured bloke gets some sense smacked into him (preferably by Tessa, whom he will then fall madly in love with. But don't lose the sarcastic comments and become wussy like Edward. I don't digs that).

All these questions have got me waiting eagerly for the next installment, The Clockwork Prince (due out in Sept 2012 2011 sorry for the freakout, Ja!!).

{NIN} Review: Guardian of the Gate

The second book of the Prophecy of the Sisters trilogy by Michelle Zink starts off…really slow for me. It took me a long time to get into it because the book’s pace was so darn slow (and boring) at the beginning. Also, it didn’t help that Mockingjay came out while I was in the middle of reading Guardian of the Gate, so that quickly got put on the backburner while I read, then re-read, Mockingjay, then re-read Catching Fire (I had to get my fill of Katniss/Peeta action in!).

But since Guardian of the Gate was due soon at the library, I knew I’d better finish it soon, so I forced myself to read it, no matter how uninterested I was. However, when I reached a certain point in the book (Chapter 13), the plot got interesting (because hot new love interest entered the scene). After that, I couldn’t put the book down and very quickly finished the rest of it.

Guardian of the Gate picks up where Prophecy of the Sisters (Book 1) left off. Lia has left behind everything of her former life in America (family, friends, boyfriend) and is in London, honing her powers and preparing herself for the final battle she must eventually have against her twin sister Alice. Lia journeys from London with a trusted party of friends to the hidden isle of Altus, home of her Aunt Abigail. Lia needs to find the missing pages from The Book of Chaos that will tell her how to defeat the Souls and end the Prophecy, and only Aunt Abigail knows its location. It is a long and dangerous journey, and they are pursued by Hellhounds bent on keeping them from reaching their destination. Along the way, an unexpected and staggering betrayal occurs, finally forcing Lia to realize that she cannot trust and rely on anyone as wholly and innocently as she once did.

As I said in the beginning, the book started off really slow… but then I got to Chapter 13 and Dimitri Markov.

Helloooo, nurse!

Tall, dark, handsome, exuding power, and a sense of calm. Wowzas. I dig it.

Dimitri is a member of the Grigori sent to watch over Lia as she makes her journey. His role is to not intervene, for good or bad, in her journey but to ensure that she does not violate any laws of the Grigori as she works to end the Prophecy. However, we learn early on that Dimitri is really, and I mean REALLY, attracted to and protective of Lia, and she finds that she quickly and unabashedly feels the same, despite the nagging guilt in the back of her head for James. Their relationship develops at a fast pace but in a believable manner as they just have that instant and soul-wrenching connection. They have so many sigh-worthy moments that I happily got my fill of YA (innocent) romance.

Lia certainly develops into a much stronger person in this book. While still fearful of her sister’s power, she slowly grows into her own, and her self-esteem and self-reliance increase. I enjoyed seeing her fall for Dimitri, yet she is not so blindly in love that she won’t put him in his place when his over-protectiveness irritates her (because actually, it was starting to irritate me too). I thought the book’s conclusion was a worthy display of this self-reliance and growth in her character.

Overall, the book was okay. But now that Dimitri is on the scene, I must finish the series for the sake of finding out what happens with the Lia-Dimitri-James love triangle. Never mind the Prophecy. :)

I really want to give this book two ratings:

Ch.1-12: Didn't Suffer Too Terribly

Ch.13+: I Digs

But I suppose as a whole, I give the book...

{NIN} Review: Into the Wild Nerd Yonder

I read this book solely on the recommendation of {Ja}. She said it was freakin’ hilarious and I thought, after all those somewhat mentally mess-you-up and frenemy-filled Elizabeth Scott books (which I never posted reviews for), I could use some light-hearted reading.

After reading the first few chapters of the book, I could instantly see why {Ja} loved this book. The main character, Jessie, talks exactly like how {Ja} does, snarky comments and all. For example: (in reference to her friend) "Actually, she looks pretty crappy (and I'm not just saying that because she sucks)." Jessie's speech throughout the book is also peppered with {Ja}-esque terms, such as "sucky" and "besty." Can’t you just hear all this stuff coming out of {Ja}’s mouth? I felt like I was inside {Ja}’s head. Scary. I mean, I live there half the time (we share a brain) and that freaks us both out enough already.

Apart from the snarky {Ja}-like comments, there was Jessie’s obsession with audiobooks. She’s constantly listening to them and getting lost in their world, bawling her eyes out as she walks home from school. Sound like someone’s obsession with fanfic? I think so! Ref: Dramione. I don't know if {Ja} has ever bawled her eyes out over a fanfic, but I do know instances where she has gushed endlessly to me about it. And she stays up to ungodly hours on school nights to finish reading them, even if they are terribly written. Obsessed, no?

AND FINALLY, in my “Jessie = {Ja} Theory”, Jessie has some rather violent thoughts. Like:

Sometimes I envision myself in situations, usually after someone has obnoxiously knocked my books out of my arms or stepped on a brand-new pair of shoes, where I execute a brilliant roundhouse kick and totally take some pudhole down. (p.99)

And I really have to include this one:

I'm having a particularly vivid and violent fantasy where I throw Bizza through one of the courtyard windows and scream, "How's your haircut now, b*tch?"... (p. 100)

{Ja} is all about kicking ass and blowing sh*t up, as evidenced by the types of movies that she favors. Although she hasn’t actualized any ass kicking and explosions in real life (that I know of), I’m pretty sure that she’s doing this all the time in Jamie-Land. QED.

Anyways, the real purpose of this post is to dissect the book right? However, the similarities between Jessie and {Ja} were so GLARING that I had to devote some time to it. And infinitely more entertaining to write about than a book review.

As for my thoughts on the book? I thought it was pretty funny (obviously, since I’m friends with {Ja}, a character similar to her ought to amuse me, right?). There is still the frenemy aspect in the book, but it's not the emotionally draining and depressing kind. Jessie’s endeavor to find a new group of friends is pretty entertaining, as well as her handling of her former "besties" who left her behind in the punk scene dust.

I did think, as {Ja} did, that she spent way too much time agonizing over whether she was turning into a nerd or not. Newsflash, Jessie, you are a nerd. (1) You are in all the smart classes. (2) You sew your own skirts, with strange fabric patterns, no less, and apparently categorize them by theme (Valentine's series? Circus collection? Really?). (3) You are particularly adept at mental math and make pre-calc flash cards. I don’t know anyone that ever did that. After awhile, her nerdy agonizing started to annoy me.

Overall, I found the book pretty funny and a nice change from the mentally screwy YA books.

JaReview: Finnikin of the Rock

I used to be an avid fantasy reader, but after a string of really bad YA fantasy books I essentially gave up the genre. I finally decided to break my hiatus and read Finnikin of the Rock because Melina Marchetta is a total genius.

The beginning was a bit confusing, a little reminiscent of Jellicoe Road. But once I got going, basically after the prologue, I was totally into it. Finnikin was huge deviation from Marchetta’s other books. It felt like I was being flung back centuries, into a different time but not necessarily an alien world. And at the core of this alternate universe was what I’ve come to expect from Marchetta. That is complex characters and brilliant relationships binding them together.

The book follows the journey of a young man, Finnikin, who once belonged to the thriving kingdom, Lumatere. When the story picks up the kingdom has been cursed, the royal family murdered and its people, now exiles, scattered across the surrounding nations. When he meets a mysterious girl, Evanjalin, he begins a quest leading him back to his fallen kingdom.

The world that Marchetta creates is both barbaric and tragic. It is definitely not for the faint at heart. Marchetta describes the brutal acts against the exiles in such a way that the inhumanity of the acts comes across but it’s not overly graphic. She paints a broad picture and lets your imagination fill in the details. At first, I thought some of the violence in the story was a bit unnecessary and too much. But it all goes towards the feel of the book. Finnikin’s world is definitely not a 21st century alternate universe, yet it isn’t exactly an Anglo-Saxon era either. But it is a time period that is definitely uncivilized.

The story had a perfect balance of shatteringly tragic moments and then heart warmingly happy moments. It seems strange to say, but the tragedy within the story makes the happy moments all the more emotional. You can’t really understand how important a reunion is unless you know what kind of sacrifices it required to get to that point.

I loved how Marchetta was able to create dimension in her characters. Sometimes they would be light-hearted comedic relief and yet other times they’d have this soul-breaking vulnerability. One of my favorite characters was Frio, a young Lumatere thief prisoner turned companion to Finnikin’s group. He’s a prickly character, hateful and suspicious of people. And yet there’s another side to him that’s almost naïve, vulnerable and fiercely loyal. A couple of times the story was told from his perspective and those were among my favoritest parts.

I absolutely loved the parts in which Finnikin was a blockhead and Eva was a jealous bint. And while Finnikin is the title character in the story, Marchetta maintains her girl power-ness in Eva and other strong female characters. Eva is a complex character, conniving and manipulative yet she is also compassionate and vulnerable. The whole mystery was pretty obvious from the beginning, but like Jellicoe Road the journey was totally worth it.

Finnikin was a so different from Marchetta’s books in some ways- fantasy genre, title male character. Yet she maintained her penance for developing strong relationships, couples and characters you can’t help but root for and a story you wish would never end. And of course she provided fuel for my latest conspiracy theory – Perridora. No idea what I’m talking about? Read the book. It’s totally there and almost as awesome as Dramione.

~Ja~

JaReview: Into the Wild Nerd Yonder

Into the Wild Nerd Yonder was the first book I've read by Julie Halpern. I found it wildly entertaining and totally hilarious. In the story, the main character, Jessie, begins a quest in search of new friends, as her old besty-es converted to (poseur) punkers. But when she befriends a group of Dungeons & Dragon playing nerds, she wonders if she really wants to trek into this new, nerdy universe.

I thought Jessie was awesome. She’s a strong lead, despite her constant musings that she’s becoming a nerd. I mean how often do teenagers take huge risks, like ditching their friends and (*gasp*) having to find new peeps to eat lunch with? Plus, she is a character you can identify with, as almost everyone goes through the phase of trying to figure out where they belong.

However, I found her hesitation and preoccupation with becoming a nerd a bit redundant. She sews her own skirts for goodness sakes, by no means is that normal. At least in my head, that would already edge her into the “alternative” and slightly dorky arena. But her internal dialogue cracked me up (“...why doesn’t she go suck on a clove so I don’t have to inhale her secondhand perfumed smoke?” and “I’d like to disinfect Bizza’s annoying head right now”). There tons of laugh out loud moments. Just a warning, though, you may never look at a Krispy Kreme donut the same.

Jessie’s got the same issues that plague all female leads in this genre- The Frenemy. In Jessie’s case, her name is Bizza and she is a bi-t of a witch. For the record, I think Bizza is an incredible stupid name, but it surprisingly works for this character. There’s a third girl in her entourage, but like her character was meant to do, Anna just kind of blends into the background. But Bizza is incredibly condescending, self-centered and just plain unlikeable. There were many areas were I felt like jumping up and down and screaming, “Take that witch down.” Well, actually I was screaming something else, but we’ll keep it censored for younger audiences. Fortunately, there was sufficient “Bizza bashing” and I was quite satisfied, my vengeful side appeased.

While I loved the snarkiness of the book, I have to admit there was a bit too much convenient fluffy plot bunnies. The first was Henry, a D&D boy who’s surprisingly good looking under his lame wardrobe. He’s conveniently buff under the nerdy shirts and role playing get-ups. I know theoretically it could happen, but really? A secretly buff and hot nerd boy? The second was the heroine’s ability to get back at all those who’ve done her wrong. While the kharma thing was completely comical and entertaining, it was a bit too convenient. Last, I think the relationship Jessie has with her older brother was a bit too storybook for me. I don’t know *any* siblings that get along that well (at that age) in real life. I mean, what older brother voluntarily drags his little sister to hang out with him and his friends? By parental force is one thing, but of his own volition? Seriously?? However, I really liked the book so I was okay with suspending reality a bit higher to indulge those fluffy fantasies.

It is possible that I harbor a little idolization for Jessie because she’s an awesome drummer. Though she secretly breaks it down into mathematics making it slightly less cool; which really should have been a clue to her as to how much of a nerd she already was. But you see, I was supposed to be the drummer in my high school crew’s imaginary band (Deaf Oranges in case you’re wondering). But either way, I thought she was awesome. It made me a bit nostalgic, even though, unlike the book, there were no secretly hot boys in among the Magic card-wielding boys at my school. They were just…nerds.

~Ja~

{NIN} Review of Finnikin of the Rock

Finnikin of the Rock is quite a departure from Melina Marchetta’s previous books. For one, the protagonist in this story is a guy, and two, the story takes place in the fantasy land of Sendecane as opposed to Australia. Regardless of any of that, the book had the same strong plot, characters, and writing that I’ve come to expect and look forward to from MM.

A lot of times in fantasy novels, the story is overly descriptive of the lands, kingdoms, people, and history that the author wants to tell the reader about. Sometimes, the author is so intent on painting a vision of their world for the reader that the story gets lost in all the details. Melina Marchetta does a fantastic job in ensuring that only the necessary details of the land are included such that they serve the primary purpose of helping the plot move along. In some ways, it didn’t feel like an imaginary land but rather sometime in the Middles Ages of Europe with a bit a fantasy thrown in.

The title character, Finnikin, is a wandering Exile of the Lumateran kingdom. Ten years earlier, the royal Lumateran family was cruelly murdered, the kingdom cursed, her people scattered…never able to return home due to a strange mist blocking all access to the kingdom. Early in the story, he and his mentor, Sir Topher, pick up another wandering Lumateran girl named Evanjalin – who is not all what she seems to be. What appears at first to be a meek and submissive novice (who took a vow of silence, afterall) turns out to be one smart, strong, conniving, visionary, and kick-ass girl.

An underlying theme that seems to appear in all of MM’s books is for the protagonist to see beyond their own self-imposed limitations to achieve their potential. This story is no different and it wraps up in a very satisfying way. The book was a bit dark at times, especially when it alluded to the horrifying things that happened to the women and children or refugees that no other kingdom wanted to deal with, but it was a very (unfortunately) realistic portrayal of what happens to those innocent folks swept up in the tides of war and political intrigue.

One detail of the story that stuck out to me was that it seemed to somewhat mimic the theory put forth by The Da Vinci Code – that the men of the world were so afraid of the power of a woman (Mary Magdalene) that they changed the story to reduce the woman’s power and ensure that men controlled the church. In this instance, the ancient Lumaterans worshipped a single, powerful goddess. However, the Lumateran men were afraid of her power and so split her up into two beings, Lagrami and Sagrami, which results in devastating consequences down the road for the Lumaterans.

Overall, I enjoyed this book very much and it was a refreshing departure for Melina Marchetta that has made me admire her talent even more.

JaReview: Saving Francesca

I think I’ve overdosed on reading. I was going through three to five books a week. And this week, I have yet to finish one. But the last book I read, Saving Francesca by Melina Marchetta, was fun. I thoroughly enjoyed it, though I still can’t figure out exactly why.

The story centers on a girl, Francesca, whose mother is suffering a nervous breakdown. She has to deal with the repercussions of essentially losing someone who has been a huge driving factor in her life. And she struggles to find not only her place at home but also her place in mostly-boys school.

Melina Marchetta writes relationships well. I think I’ve said that about all her books. Some times there’s already a strong relationship in place (like a familial bond). Other times there’s a slow build up to a life altering relationship (that’s not necessarily romantic). Saving Francesca is no exception.

At the core, Francesca reluctantly develops a friendship with five people who become a tight knit group. Not all of them set out wanting to be friends. In fact a few seemed avidly against it. But that made it all the more entertaining because they were resistant to change, commitment phobic (“I don’t like using the f label”) and a little horrified at the prospect of being friends (“This doesn’t mean we have to be friends with him, right?”). Marchetta takes these six vastly different individuals and creates this intricate bond that’s solid and dependable yet maintains snark and avoids getting too touchy feely.

And of course there’s Will Trombal, Francesca’s pashing partner. After I finished, I went back and re-read all the Will scenes, trying to get a better grip on his character. He struck me as a bit bipolar the first time around. He seemed boring, flat and unable to communicate with any girl at times. Then at other times he would be cocky and aggressive (like preventing Francesca to go to the rugby match). But in rereading it the second time, I think that a large part of his strangeness Francesca felt was because of her. Through much of the book, she confuses him, throws him into emotional turmoil. I think he’s not nice, eloquent or charming around her because she makes him lose his wits.

She turns him around so much; he just reacts and functions instinctively. Just like in their pashing scene. Originally I thought it was the most unromantic first kiss in the history of teen lit. My initial reaction was – Cringe! Ew! But if you look at it with the point of view that for him, Francesca emotionally brings him to his knees. There’s no façade with her and he acts on instinct. Then it’s a bit less gross.

There were so many awesome male characters in the book besides Will. Thomas Mackee has at least two moments that were just…awesome. I would say he’s a bit like Joey (from Friends), really good comedy relief. But then he’s got depth too, as evidenced by a singular moment (in the library…hehe).

But I absolutely love her father in the book. “Just tell me where you are.” That’s got to be one of the bestest lines. Ever. It’s interesting because (much like Alibrandi) the story is told for her point of view. And so you end up viewing things certain ways. Like you think the dad’s a big jerk and doesn’t really love them, etc etc, but near the end its obvious what his real feelings are.

So I guess I was able to hash out exactly why I liked Saving Francesca so much. Tight-knit bonds between friends. Awesome lines. Great snarky moments. And an intense and interesting pashing partner. It totally hooked me.

~J~

{NIN} Review of Looking for Alibrandi

After reading Jellicoe Road, I immediately put all of Melina Marchetta’s other US-available books (b/c The Piper’s Son is out in Australia but not coming to The States until 2011 – arrrgh!!!) on hold at the library. Again, I hardly had to wait for her books, and I ended up getting Looking for Alibrandi, Saving Francesca, and Finnikin of the Rock all in one pop! Awesome…

So being anile for order, I started with MM’s first book, Looking for Alibrandi. Yeah, yeah, Jellicoe Road was #3, but too late…so better late than never.

Looking for Alibrandi revolves around 17-year old Italian-Australian Josephine Alibrandi, born of wed-lock and too smart-mouthed for her own good. She has never met her father and hasn’t really cared…until he unexpectedly re-enters her life. Additionally, Josie has her HSC (High School Certificate) exams to worry about (which apparently determines your destiny for the rest of your life - in Australia), 2 polar opposite boys to juggle, and a mother and grandmother to fight and make peace with.

This book was very different from Jellicoe Road. It focused a lot of the modern Italian-Australian experience and the (surprisingly) discrimination they sometimes face from “old” Australians, or however they term themselves. I’m not too up-and-up on Australian society and slang, so parts of this book just made me scratch my head in confusion.

What I enjoyed about the book was that it was light-hearted. I’ve been reading a lot of “heavy on the emotional roller coaster” type books (Before I Fall, anyone?) and it was a nice change to have a funny book to read. It did have its “growing older, growing wiser, still more to learn!” lessons in the end, but for the most part, it cracked me up.

There were quite a bit of evolving character relationships in this book: Josie and her mother, Josie and her grandmother, Josie and her father, Josie and Jacob, and more importantly, as the title suggests, Josie with herself.

I really enjoyed seeing Josie and her father’s relationship grow, from the first angry, “stay out of my life!” encounter to him happening upon her as she wandered down the street after a disastrous first date with one of her boys. Their relationship progresses in a nice and believable manner as she gets used to the idea of a father figure in her life and he learns what it’s like to have a daughter (for example, her father calls her an “obnoxious creation.” Hilarious!)

Jacob Coote is Josie’s main love interest. Josie and Jacob have one of the funniest asking-out scenes EVER. The banter between the two is hilarious, but you just have to smile at how cute these two are together. John Barton never really is a contender for Josie’s affections in this book; rather he represents what she secretly aspires to because she has identity issues with who she is due to the discrimination she faces for being “a wog.” Now, I’m not too certain what “a wog” means/is, but from what I gather, it is a highly offensive term for “newer” Italian-Australians, e.g. those who immigrated to Australia more recently than the other Caucasians.

While Looking for Alibrandi did not enrapture me the way Jellicoe Road did, I still found it an entertaining and worthwhile read.

JaReview: Some Girls Are

Some Girls Are, by Courtney Summers, made me incredibly glad not to be in high school. But if you find yourself in that unfortunately situation (called high school) you have my deepest sympathies. The story follows a girl, Regina, who gets frozen out of her clique. But it goes beyond a simple freeze out, as both parties play diabolical mind games on each other in an effort to one up the enemy.

The speed at which the characters go from BFF to sworn enemies leaves you reeling, much like the pace of the book. I picked it up and did not want to put it down. I even risked motion sickness to finish the last few pages on the bus ride home.

One thing I found innovative was the author's use of empty space. The short one sentence chapters seem strange but they truly engage the reader. It allows the reader to not only read the words on the page but get a feel for the emptiness and isolation the character is going through.

My feelings for Regina are conflicted. Part of me was disappointed that she didn’t do the mature thing, the uncharacteristic thing, and rise above the meanness and cruelty. She fought back constantly, perpetuating the madness. On the flip side, I wonder if I would’ve thought she would’ve been too weak if she had simple rolled over a took it rather than getting her own kicks in. I probably would’ve thought she was a pushover if she had.

Coincidentally, the male lead, Michael, just really didn’t do it for me. He rose above it. It being a history of abuse and bullying from the very girl who turns to him for help. He was the mature one. But there really was no squeal-worthy moments for me. No hook.

The story seemed so realistic in some ways (Regina not being perfect, other so-called good characters having vindictive sides) and then so unrealistic in others (extent of the cruelty and instant hatred among ex-friends). It illustrated exactly how fine the line is between love and hate. And showed how dangerous it is to let jealousy and insecurity fester. This is not a simple case of a fall out between friends, not a simple freeze out. It is not a simple anything. It is a complex battle of wills. They are enemies trying to completely destroy the other right down to their very core.

The book was an intense, fast-paced read, leaving me thinking that high school girls were e-v-i-l. By the end, I felt totally raw. But I suppose that’s the entire point right? That it left me feeling…

~J~