REVIEW: THE PECULIARS

Author: Maureen Doyle McQuerry
Series: No, standalone
UK Publisher: May 2012
UK Release date: Amulet
Genre: YA
Read via NetGalley

On her 18th birthday Lena Mattacascar decides to leave the safety of home and travel to the dangerous and wild lands of Scree to find her father and discover the truth behind her goblin-like hands and feet. On her journey she meets young Jimson Quiggley on his way to start a new life as librarian to Mr Beasley at Zephyr House, and he offers Lena a job and a safe haven when she needs it. But as the hunt for peculiars increases, Lena, Jimson and the eccentric Mr Beasley must flee to Scree to survive.

Lena is on a journey of self discovery as she heads off to Scree to find out who her father really is and if the rumours of her being descended from a goblin are true. As being a peculiar is a considered shameful and peculiars are treated with discrimination, contempt and mistrust, Lena tries to hide her hands and feet and who she really is. As she travels further north though, she is faced with people who accept her for who she is and others who vilify her, and she must learn to stand up for herself and accept herself no matter what. She does this with courage and bravery, and she was a great protagnoist for the story.

The most intriguing characters for me were the inventor Mr Beasley and his mysterious cat. Mr Beasley was an eccentric, missing his eyebrows, and able to invent pretty much anything; and he was constantly joined by his cat, who seems to be rather human-like and hyper-intelligent and potentially hiding some deep dark secret. I loved the mystery surrounding this unusual pair and the fact that they seemed to somehow know everything and could pretty much solve anything too.

I was intrigued to find out who the peculiars might be. Do they have special abilities? Are their abnormalities just genetic anomalies? Is Lena one or not? In fact peculiars seems to pass down unusual traits, such as wings or goblinism. I would tell you more about them, but actually these are the only two types of peculiars that were mentioned and I don't know much else about peculiars in general. I spent a lot of the story waiting and wanting to find more peculiars but it never happened, and because of this expectation I was a little disappointed at the end. From the research I've done, this seems to be a standalone book. But actually it reads like there is more to come and frankly I think it would benefit from a follow-on book as such, which could involve more peculiars and more of a definitive conclusion to the story.

I had to admit I also had trouble placing the time and setting of the story. At first I thought it was set in a completely new fantasy place with Scree as a wilderness at its north. But as references were made to Darwin, Lister, and historical authors, I realised it was set somewhere in the late 1800s to early 1900s. I always get thrown a little when fantasy and reality are mixed together this way, and whilst other readers might not find it an issue I prefer historical and fantasy genres to be kept pretty separate.

The Peculiars is a steampunk infused, historical fantasy. Although I didn't necessarily enjoy some of the different aspects of the story, I think there is still plenty of potential for character development and more involvement from peculiars which could be better harnessed in a second book.

Rating: 3.5*

REVIEW: REPLICATION

Author: Jill Williamson
Series: No, standalone
Publisher: Zonderkidz
Release date: December 2011
Genre: YA Scifi
Read via NetGalley

Abby Goyer’s dad has dragged her to the wilds of Alaska where there is nothing but snow. Except a very well hidden and mysterious farm, where young boys are brought up to serve their higher purpose. When Abby follows her dad to his secretive job on the farm, Abby learns that something sinister lurks beneath the surface. But for Martyr, a resident of Jason farms, all he wants to do is see the sky once before he expires. Will he understand his own true purpose before he expires?

Replication was a bit of a mixed bag for me. At first I loved it. I loved the concept of there being identical young boys programmed to serve a mysterious higher purpose, and I thought they might either be clones or some sort of robot. The hints and suspicions of what might be going on was really intriguing and drew me straight in.

But I did really want the story to go even further, so that it was part of a much bigger world that was different to ours. So when I discovered that this farm existed within our normal reality and society I was a little disappointed. As the story progressed I liked the fact that it was taking on a big dilemmas of ethics versus medicine, religion versus science. But I didn’t appreciate how much religion was built into the story, with Abby suggesting characters should pray for things to work out.

Martyr however was absolutely adorable. Whilst his isolation and lack of knowledge about the world was terribly sad, it made him such an endearing character. His innocence and confusion over seemingly simple things as colours, love and marriage was sweet, especially thinking he must love Abby. The fact that he wanted to protect those less able, making him the ‘martyr’ of the group also made him stand out from the other characters and Jasons, and made him likeable and a very winning hero. The idea that someone good and kind can grow in such a barren environment was also an underlying hope set against the evil displayed by some of the doctors.

Abby was also a mixed character for me. I loved her quirky use of pros and cons to assess situations, as it made her interesting and real. However this soon died out only to reappear rather suddenly at the end, as if it had been remembered and added in as an afterthought. She was brave and I respected that she liked Martyr but didn't like JD, but the overly religious aspect to her character was a little too much for me.

Replication addresses huge dilemmas about whether it is ethical to complete medical research in the name of science. Do the means justify the end? Where do you draw the line at what is ethical? Obviously in this case the way Jasons lived was akin to abuse and murder, but there were small glimmers of hope. There was also a big undercurrent about religion, which didn’t necessarily sit well with me, but it was interesting to have the religious, moral and scientific aspects looked at. Replication will make you question morals, ethics, and the value of life.

Rating: 3.5*

IN MY MAILBOX

In My Mailbox was started by the lovely Kristi over at Story Siren - check out her blog for more information on this meme.

I don't do IMMs often, because I'm either saving my money or don't have many books to show. This weeks is really a 2 or 3 weeker IMM, as I've been collecting up a few books over the past few weeks. I am excited to read them all as they look so fab! Any of these take your fancy or do you have something different on your wishlist?

 

 

 

 

Fateful by Claudia Gray (kindly given by HarperCollins)

Partials by Dan Wells (kindly given by HarperCollins)

Burn Mark by Laura Powell (kindly given by Bloomsbury)

Dead Time by Anne Cassidy (kindly given by Bloomsbury)

Shooting Stars by Allison Rushby (kindly given by author)

Everneath by Brodi Ashton (bought)
A Witch in Winter by Ruth Warbuton (bought)
Exiled by RaShelle Workman (bought)

Ink by Isabelle Rowan (via NetGalley)

Replication by Jill Williamson (via NetGalley)

Innocent Darkness by Suzanne Lazear (via NetGalley)

Jane Vows Vengeance by Michael Thomas Ford (via NetGalley)

REVIEW: WANDERLOVE

Wanderlove 
Author: Kirsten Hubbard
Series: No, standalone
Publisher: Delacorte Books
Release date: March 2012
Genre: Contemporary, YA
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After finishing high school and breaking up with her boyfriend, Bria decides to rebel against everyone's expectations and travel to Central America on her own. Whilst trying to escape from the things that are holding her back, Bria meets Rowan who is also running from his past. Together they may just go on a journey of self-discovery and Wanderlove.

Review: Reading Wanderlove, I loved how genuine and true to real-life it was, and it took me straight back to my days backpacking. Bria's travels were filled with beauty, fears, danger, and discovery. As a newbie traveller, Bria gets off the plane in Central America wearing her waterproofs and surrounded by middle aged tourists which instantly makes her feel like a sore thumb and very uncool. You can tell that Hubbard has obviously travelled to these places, and she perfectly describes how it feels to land in and travel around a strange, exotic and unfamiliar country. The little lists and drawings that weaved in so well to the plot added realism, humour and insight into the characters.

I really liked and got Bria; I could relate to how Toby had taken over her life and after their break-up left her feeling like she had nothing left, not even art. She put their relationship as a couple first, above her own plans and dreams, to her own detriment. Although she was trying to hide from all of this, Bria still had the guts to go travelling, and face her fears. She was humorous and witty, her narrative reflecting her fears yet also slightly self-mocking at the same time.

Rowan was very mysterious, keeping his dark past hidden from Bria. But like Bria, he felt very real. I honestly wouldn't be surprised if there was a real-life Rowan scuba diving in Central America at this very moment. Rowan and Bria's friendly relationship frustrated and excited me at the same time; you could feel the tension and attraction there but both held back because of their own fears.

I wouldn’t say Wanderlove was fast paced and action packed, but for me that didn’t matter. The story flowed so well, the Central American backdrop absolutely captivated me, and I really wanted to see what happened to Bria (and Bria and Rowan).

Perfect for anyone who wants an insight into what it’s like backpacking or wants to re-live their own travels, you will be inspired you to grab your passport and head off to far flung places. Wanderlove is a great contemporary YA story with strong and real characters that touches on issues such as keeping your own sense of self in a relationship and the transformation of travelling.

Rating: 4*

REVIEW: MY LUNATIC LIFE

My Lunatic Life 
Author: Sharon Sala
Series: Yes, #1
Publisher: Bell Bridge Books
UK Release date: August 2011
Genre: Paranormal
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Moving from place to place with her uncle isn't easy for Tara Luna. Not just because she has to start a new school and make new friends every time they move, but because she's psychic. Her best friends are over-protective ghosts, she's being haunted by a mysterious new spirit and to top it all off, the mean girls at school don't like her. Welcome to Tara's lunatic life.

Review: Tara Luna was great - she's quick witted, down to earth and not afraid to stand up for herself against the popular crowd. Her best friends are two over-protective ghosts that follow her around and cause choas when anyone doesn't get on with Tara, adding a fun lighthearted element to the story. Her uncle Pat is also an interesting character, with his love for odd food combinations and fatherly concern for Tara. I would have liked the other characters to have been more developed though, as we didn't really know much about the mean girls or Tara's love interest Flynn who I would have liked to have known in more depth.

Although Tara tries to hide her gifts, she uses them to get her own back on the mean girls as well as help find why and where Bethany has disappeared to. This main plot is fairly simple and quick, with no major twists or turns, but it does mean Tara has to face her fear of telling others about her gift. The subplot, of the mysterious dark shape that is haunting her house is left open, but done in a way that really makes me want to read the next story to find out what happens. Although the ending is a bit sickly sweet, with everything ending pretty much perfectly, I think it would suit a younger YA audience.

Being psychic, Luna can see and talk to ghosts. I really liked this element, because her ghost friends added so much to the plot, but I wasn't expecting her talent of telepathy, mainly because it wasn't ever mentioned as a separate gift but bundled in with being psychic. Perhaps I'm being fussy, but I found it a little jarring when it was suddenly introduced because she hadn't mentioned for several chapters that she could read anyone's mind. I also thought that considering she could hear Flynn's thoughts, the guy she fancies, they are all very innocent thoughts and she doesn't seem very pertubed to hear what he's thinking. These issues are only touched on very lightly, and her gifts are rarely explored as a burden or difficult for her to handle, and this is one of the other reasons why I think the story is suited to a younger audience, or someone looking for a quick, easy read.

With plenty of paranormal intrigue, My Lunatic Life is a fun, lighthearted read.

Rating: 3.5*

REVIEW: THE SWEETEST THING

The Sweetest Thing

Author: Christina Mandelski 

Series: No, standalone

Publisher: EgmontUSA

UK Release date: May 2011

Genre: YA/MG
Read via NetGalley

Sheridan Wells is a small-town girl, making and decorating cakes every minute she can outside of school. When her dad, a well renowned chef, gets the opportunity of a lifetime to have his own TV show, Sheridan starts searching for the mother that abandoned her to bring her family back together and keep them from moving to New York.

Review: Everything in Sheridan's life revolves around cakes, so much so she is known by the town as Cake Girl. Decorating and perfecting cakes brings her closer to her mother, who left her years ago and hasn't returned since. Sheridan has clung so desperately to old birthday cards her mum sent and their common joy of making cakes, that I feel real pity and admiration for her. She believes so much that her mother will come home to her and doesn't give up hope that this will happen.

On the other hand it was frustrating to see Sheridan constantly ignore the people around her to look for her mother. She was naive, didn't appreciate the positives in her life, didn't learn from things that happened or see the world from anyone else's perspective. It wasn't until the very end of the story that she has any major character development, which is better late than never, but it would have been good to have seen this earlier. One thing is certain - as the story continues I found my dislike for her mother growing and growing.

The secondary characters are well written and I particularly liked Mr Roz who helps out at the bakery and is endearingly thoughtful, as well as Sheridan's best friend Jack. It's just a shame Sheridan is blind for so to Jack's feelings towards her! There are also those characters who aren't particularly trustworthy but sadly Sheridan can't always see that either.

I loved the cake, bakery and foodie aspect to the story. There are lots of details about how Sheridan makes and decorates her cakes with beautiful flowers and butterflies and what's being cooked in her dad's restaurant. I also really wish I had a bakery like Sweeties near me.

Reading The Sweetest Thing made my feel like a teenager again...the way everything in your day-to-day life seems like a big deal as well as that tendency to be rather self-centred. Your first boyfriend, first kiss, first uncertainties.... Sheridan handles all of these like a typical teenager would and it reminded me of my firsts! With the exploration of these issues, this book would be really suitable for younger readers as well.

The Sweetest Thing is a bitter-sweet teenage drama that perfectly captures the ups and downs of first relationships and family troubles.

Rating: 4*