Review: Finnikin of the Rock by Melina Marchetta

Title: Finnikin of the Rock
Author: Melina Marchetta
Published: February 2010
Source: The Library
Synopsis from Goodreads:
At the age of nine, Finnikin is warned by the gods that he must sacrifice a pound of flesh to save his kingdom. He stands on the rock of the three wonders with his friend Prince Balthazar and Balthazar's cousin, Lucian, and together they mix their blood to safeguard Lumatere.

But all safety is shattered during the five days of the unspeakable, when the king and queen and their children are brutally murdered in the palace. An imposter seizes the throne, a curse binds all who remain inside Lumatere's walls, and those who escape are left to roam the land as exiles, dying by the thousands in fever camps.

Ten years later, Finnikin is summoned to another rock—to meet Evanjalin, a young novice with a startling claim: Balthazar, heir to the throne of Lumatere, is alive. This arrogant young woman claims she'll lead Finnikin and his mentor, Sir Topher, to the prince. Instead, her leadership points them perilously close to home. Does Finnikin dare believe that Lumatere might one day rise united? Evanjalin is not what she seems, and the startling truth will test Finnikin's faith not only in her but in all her knows to be true about himself and his destiny.

I love a good fantasy. Something that completely takes you away from your reality and immerses you in the culture of a completely made up place. This was definitely a good fantasy. I was completely immersed in the world of Finnikin, Evanjalin, and all of the other characters. It definitely wasn't predictable either, which I think is common in a lot of fantasy novels.


The writing is definitely the strong suit of this book. It's beautiful, but subtle. Blink and you might miss something poetic, or funny in a totally unexpected way. My only complaint is that a lot of the book is slow. The best way for me to describe it is heavy. It's not light reading at all. In fact, if you're not prepared to really get into it, you'll probably end up closing it in frustration.


It takes a while to get a feel for the characters, to really understand them and see where they might be going. It happened so gradually that once I looked up and just realized that I cared what happened to them. It was beautiful. Marchetta took some characters in a different direction than I'd originally presumed, and I loved it. I loved that I couldn't predict every little or big thing that happened.


As with most fantasy novels, I had a hard time understanding the politics. In fact, it got to a point where I just decided to ignore all but the basic facts. Maybe if there was a sequel I would invest more of my time and my thoughts into it, but for a stand alone I got along fine. The character relationships and developments are what I'm there for anyway.


Basically I really, really liked this book, but didn't quite love it. The writing is spectacular, but at times it was too slow for my liking. The characters were marvelous though, and I wish that I could read more about them.


Characters: 9/10
Plot: 8/10
Originality: 9/10
Writing: 9/10
Ending: 9/10
Overall: 44/50 B+
Cover Comments: This cover screams fantasy, and the bright colors are great.

Waiting on Wednesday (41)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine where we share the books that we absolutely cannot wait to be released.

This week:

City of Fallen Angels by Cassandra Clare

Release Date: April 5th, 2011

Synopsis from Goodreads:

City of Fallen Angels is the fourth book in the bestselling series The Mortal Instruments.
 

Love, blood, betrayal and revenge — the stakes are higher than ever in City of Fallen Angels. Simon Lewis is having some trouble adjusting to his new life as a vampire, especially now that he hardly sees his best friend Clary, who is caught up in training to be a Shadowhunter—and spending time with her new boyfriend Jace. Not to mention that Simon doesn’t quite know how to handle the pressure of not-quite-dating two girls at once. What’s a daylight-loving vampire to do? Simon decides he needs a break and heads out of the city—only to discover that sinister events are following him. Realizing that the war they thought they’d won might not yet be over, Simon has to call on his Shadowhunter friends to save the day — if they can put their own splintering relationships on hold long enough to rise to the challenge.

Do I really have to say anything? 

What are you waiting on this week? 

Review: Birthmarked by Caragh M. O'Brian

Title: Birthmarked
Author: Caragh M. O'Brian
Published: March, 2010
Source: The Library
Synopsis from Goodreads:
After climate change, on the north shore of Unlake Superior, a dystopian world is divided between those who live inside the wall, and those, like sixteen-year-old midwife Gaia Stone, who live outside. It’s Gaia’s job to “advance” a quota of infants from poverty into the walled Enclave, until the night one agonized mother objects, and Gaia’s parents are arrested.
Badly scarred since childhood, Gaia is a strong, resourceful loner who begins to question her society. As Gaia’s efforts to save her parents take her within the wall, she herself is arrested and imprisoned. 

Fraught with difficult moral choices and rich with intricate layers of codes, BIRTHMARKED explores a colorful, cruel, eerily familiar world where one girl can make all the difference, and a real hero makes her own moral code.

I consider myself a lover of dystopian novels. Give me a story set sometime in the future that prominently features a corrupt government that originally just wanted to do good, and I'm hooked, I don't even care about the rest of the plot. So basically, I expected to like this book. I did not, however, expect to love it as much as I did. Yes, it was what I expected as a dystopian, but it was also so much more.

Let's start with Gaia, the main character. She was so relateable and realistic, despite living in a world completely different than ours. She was both strong and weak, confident and unsure, brave and scared; all the things a good main character is. There were a lot of other characters. None of them were constant except Gaia, and yet I had a sense of who each of them was as a person. Gaia's parent's themselves were seldom in the novel, but I really got to know them through flashbacks.

The world building in this book was exceptional. I was given a clear picture of how things were, and how they became that way. I got to understand both life inside and outside the wall and see it from the eyes of a few different people without ever leaving Gaia's point of view. By the end I was just as outraged by what was happening as Gaia. Something that's never really explained fully is how the world went from our world to Gaia's world, but that's not really important in the grand scheme of things.

The book moved really quickly at some parts, and really slowely at others. I enjoyed it when it was fast, not as much when it was slow. I thought that a few parts were dragged out. I appreciated that O'Brian didn't overdescribe things when she was trying to create a sense of urgency, because I tend to skip over the "boring" parts when there's a lot of action.

If you're looking for an exceptional dystopian novel I would definitely recommend this one. I absolutely loved it and I can't wait for the sequel (there is a sequel, right???)!

Characters: 9/10
Plot: 9/10
Originality: 9/10
Writing: 10/10
Ending: 10/10
Overall: 47/50 A
Cover Comments: Fits the story perfectly. The bleakness fits the tone, the tower plays a big role, the girl could easily be Gaia, and the DNA is a nice touch.

Waiting on Wednesday (40)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine where we share the books that we are eagerly anticipating the release of.

Huntress by Malinda Lo

Release Date: April 5th, 2011

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Nature is out of balance in the human world. The sun hasn’t shone in years, and crops are failing. Worse yet, strange and hostile creatures have begun to appear. The people’s survival hangs in the balance.

To solve the crisis, the oracle stones are cast, and Kaede and Taisin, two seventeen-year-old girls, are picked to go on a dangerous and unheard-of journey to Taninli, the city of the Fairy Queen. Taisin is a sage, thrumming with magic, and Kaede is of the earth, without a speck of the otherworldly. And yet the two girls’ destinies are drawn together during the mission. As members of their party succumb to unearthly attacks and fairy tricks, the two come to rely on each other and even begin to fall in love. But the Kingdom needs only one huntress to save it, and what it takes could tear Kaede and Taisin apart forever.

The exciting adventure prequel to Malinda Lo’s highly acclaimed novel Ash is overflowing with lush Chinese influences and details inspired by the I Ching, and is filled with action and romance.

Well, first off it's by the author of Ash, which I loved. It's also set in the same world, which is awesome! And it has a POC cover! It basically sounds amazing, and I wish that April was a lot closer...

What are you waiting on?

Review: Halo by Alexandra Adornetto

Title: Halo
Author: Alexandra Adornetto
Published: August 2010
Source: Recieved for review from publisher
Synopsis from Goodreads:
Nothing much happens in the sleepy town of Venus Cove. But everything changes when three angels are sent from heaven to protect the town against the gathering forces of darkness: Gabriel, the warrior; Ivy, the healer; and Bethany, a teenage girl who is the least experienced of the trio. They work hard to conceal their true identity and, most of all, their wings.

But the mission is threatened when the youngest angel, Bethany, is sent to high school and falls in love with the handsome school captain, Xavier Woods. Will she defy the laws of Heaven by loving him? Things come to a head when the angels realize they are not the only supernatural power in Venus Cove. There′s a new kid in town and he′s charming, seductive and deadly. Worst of all, he′s after Beth.

When I first heard of Halo I really wanted to read it. But then I saw a bunch of not so hot reviews of it popping up, and it didn't sound as much like something I would like. But when I was offered a copy for review I said okay anyway. I'm pretty happy with that decision, I liked it a lot more than I thought I would. I wouldn't say that I loved it, because a lot of my concerns were justified, but I did like it.

Let's start with something that I liked: Bethany. I loved how yeah, she's really an angel, but that doesn't mean that she's not a teenage girl too. She was rebellious and infatuated and reacted to things in ways that most teenage girls would. Her being an angel also made it really interesting to see how she viewed our world. Everything was new to her and I liked reading about her getting acclimated to Earth life.

One of my main concerns was the pacing. It was really, really slow. It's not just a slow starter, either. The entire thing is slow. At first I was really put off, but once I stopped expecting it to pick up speed and accepted that it was going to be slow it was a lot easier to get through. That's when I started to realize that it was interesting in it's own way. I paid a lot more attention to detail, to the way Bethany felt about things and how she reacted to them. It was more subtle than what I was used to.

I thought that the relationship between Bethany and Xavier was a bit too...intense for the time that they'd really known each other. I understand that she's literally an angel and all, but did they have to go from practically strangers to in love like that? I also felt like Bethany was too dependent on Xavier once they got together. There was a point where they had a fight and she completely shuts down and locks herself in her room for days. Um, New Moon, much? Not a healthy way to portray a relationship in my opinion.

Despite my concerns, I really did enjoy this book. If you want a paranormal romance then this book is right up your alley.

Characters: 7/10
Plot: 8/10
Originality: 7/10
Writing: 10/10
Ending: 8/10
Overall: 40/50 B-
Cover Comments: Absolutely gorgeous. Made me want to read it immediately!

Blog Tour: Song Playlist for Five Flavors of Dumb and a chance to win!

Hey everyone! Today I have the author of Five Flavors of Dumb, Antony John, on the blog to talk about songs that inspired or suit his novel. This is all thanks to the great blog tour site The Teen {Book} Scene. Here's a link to my review of the book if you're interested! Make sure to read to the end of the post if you want to know how you could win a copy of the book or even a signed copy of Will Grayson, Will Grayson!

Make up a playlist of a few songs you think suit/inspired Five Flavors of Dumb 

Hi Taylor! Thanks for having me on your blog today. 
Okay, so I’m going to limit my playlist to 20 songs, ‘cause otherwise this will become the longest blog post in history! 

I’ll start with the easy ones (i.e. music that actually features in DUMB): 
“Smells Like Teen Spirit” – Nirvana
“Seasons in the Sun” – Nirvana
“Star Spangled Banner and Purple Haze” – Jimi Hendrix (live at Woodstock)
“Ionisation” – Edgard Varese (bonus points to anyone who has heard of this one!) 

Then there are the old-timey songs that may have influenced the fictional songs in DUMB: 
“Paint it Black” – The Rolling Stones. (Pure, undiluted angst.)
“Twist and Shout” – Beatles. (Peppy, infectious, and it only uses three chords!)
“Unchained Melody” – The Righteous Brothers. (Piper and Ed’s love song.)
“Layla” – Derek and the Dominos (This is how the guitarists wished they sounded.) 
These songs seem appropriate given some of the events that happen in DUMB: 
“Word Up” – Cameo (check out the cover version by Willis – it rocks!)
“Hot N Cold” – Katy Perry
“Paparazzi” – Lady Gaga
“It’s the End of the World as We Know It” – R.E.M.
“Idioteque” - Radiohead
“We Will Rock You” – Queen 

And finally, some songs whose titles are almost like portraits of Dumb’s band members: 
Piper (manager): “Out of My Mind” – James Blunt
Josh (lead vocals): “You’re so Vain” – Carly Simon
Ed (drums): “Every Little Thing She Does is Magic” – The Police
Tash (lead guitar): “Not Ready to Make Nice” - The Dixie Chicks
Kallie (guitar): “You Know I’m No Good” – Amy Winehouse
Will (bass guitar): “Zombie” - The Cranberries 

Oh, and I’ve just noticed that the actual playlist I was listening to as I wrote DUMB has about a hundred songs on it, each of which I’ve listened to at least twenty times. This tells me two things: 
1. Without music, I’d probably never have written DUMB at all.
2. It takes a really long time to write a book!

-- 
Thanks so much Antony! Now, if you want a chance to win a signed copy of The Five Flavors of Dumb, or a signed copy of Will Grayson, Will Grayson, all you have to do is like Antony's Facebook Page and you're entered! How easy is that?

Five Flavors of Dumb by Antony John

Title: Five Flavors of Dumb
Author: Antony John
Release Date: November 11th
Source: ARC Tour through Blog Tour
Synopsis from Goodreads:
THE CHALLENGE: Piper has one month to get a paying gig for Dumb—the hottest new rock band in school.

THE DEAL: If she does it, she'll become manager of the band and get her share of the profits, which she desperately needs since her parents raided her college fund.

THE CATCH: Managing one egomaniacal pretty boy, one talentless piece of eye candy, one crush, one silent rocker, and one angry girl who is ready to beat her up. And doing it all when she's deaf. With growing self-confidence, an unexpected romance, and a new understanding of her family's decision to buy a cochlear implant for her deaf baby sister, Piper just may discover her own inner rock star.

Five Flavors of Dumb is the first book that I've read featuring a deaf main character. It was a completely new experience and I think that I both learned a lot and enjoyed myself. Obviously the main character being deaf is a large part of the story, but it's not the whole story. The story itself wasn't quite what I expected, but it was good.

The concept of this book is very original. A deaf girl managing a rock band? Really? Well, yes. I was curious as to how it would work, but work it does. Piper doesn't see being deaf as a disability. Her lip reading is so good that she can get by without much trouble at all, and who needs to hear music when you can feel it? I loved that she was so strong and didn't let herself get her down.

Something that I had a problem with was the inconsistency of the characters. I had a hard time figuring out exactly who they were supposed to be. She was introduced shy, but then she would be outspoken. I understand the natural evolution of a character throughout the course of a book, but sometimes it seemed a little abrupt. Another thing is that there are a lot of characters who are in a scene at once, which I think made it hard to connect to each individual character.

I loved how big a role music played in the book. It made me want to get on YouTube and listen to songs by Jimi Henrix and Nirvana. I also loved Piper's family and how they played such a large role in the book and her life. It doesn't make sense to me when a characters family plays next to no role in the book because they are obviously a large part of their life, so I appreciated that they played a large role in this book.

Basically I really enjoyed this book, there were just a few things that made it difficult for me to connect to the characters. I would definitely recommend it.

Characters: 7/10
Plot: 8/10
Originality: 10/10
Writing: 9/10
Ending: 10/10
Overall: 44/50 B+
Cover Comments: Love this cover! It's so loud and bright. The girl on the front looks really cool and I love that there's a band performing in the backround!