Mini-review: Mistwood by Leah Cypess

Publisher: Greenwillow Books/HarperCollins
Release Date: April 27 2010
Source: Blog tour

The Shifter is an immortal creature bound by an ancient spell to protect the kings of Samorna. When the realm is peaceful, she retreats to the Mistwod.

But when she is needed she always comes.

Isabel remembers nothing. Nothing before the prince rode into her forest to take her back to the castle. Nothing about who she is supposed to be, or the powers she is supposed to have.

Prince Rokan needs Isabel to be his Shifter. He needs her ability to shift to animal form, to wind, to mist. He needs her lethal speed and superhuman strength. And he needs her loyalty--because without it, she may be his greatest threat.

Isabel knows that her prince is lying to her, but she can't help wanting to protect him from the dangers and intrigues of the court . . . until a deadly truth shatters the bond between them.

Now Isabel faces a choice that threatens her loyalty, her heart . . . and everything she thought she knew.

Mistwood started out strong with an intriguing MC and the mystery surrounding her identity but somewhere around the middle of the book, the pace of the story slowed down to a syrupy-like lag that made me wonder if I wanted to continue on with the book. I think the slow unfolding of events was Cypess' way of introducing the reader to the characters and their complexities and I did enjoy that but I was impatient to know why Isabel couldn't remember who she was. Then the revelation slammed me with such force because HOLY CRAP, I SHOULD HAVE KNOWN. It's one of those why-didn't-I-see-that-one-coming-it-makes sense kind of answers and oh my goodness, I couldn't tear through that book fast enough once I found out. Once I finished, I couldn't shake the characters or the story out of my mind.

Final Verdict: We had a shaky introduction but in the end, Mistwood surprised me with its secrets and I grew rather fond of the story, even nicknaming the book Misty for the week or so that I had it. Misty has a quiet gravity about her and it might take a while to get used to it, but it's worth it. She has a lot of goodness to her :) There's a companion novel, Nightspell, that will soon follow and I am happily awaiting it! Rating: 4 stars

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A million thank-you's, huggles and sprinkly cupcakes to Kim for lending me her copy! ♥

Scars by Cheryl Rainfield

Reading level: Young Adult
Publisher: Westside Books
First edition: March 24, 2010
Source: The Teen {Book} Scene
Language: English

Synopsis: Kendra, fifteen, hasn't felt safe since she began to recall devastating memories of childhood sexual abuse, especially because she still can't remember the most important detail-- her abuser's identity. Frightened, Kendra believes someone is always watching and following her, leaving menacing messages only she understands. If she lets her guard down even for a minute, it could cost Kendra her life. To relieve the pressure, Kendra cuts; aside from her brilliantly expressive artwork, it's her only way of coping. Since her own mother is too self-absorbed to hear her cries for help, Kendra finds support in others instead: from her therapist and her art teacher, from Sandy, the close family friend who encourages her artwork, and from Meghan, the classmate who's becoming a friend and maybe more. But the truth about Kendra's abuse is just waiting to explode, with startling unforeseen consequences. Scars is the unforgettable story of one girl's frightening path to the truth.

It has been so long since I've read a contemporary novel and Scars, with its raw subject matter, was the right book to yank me out of my fantasy kick. Kendra is a character who readers will immediately identify with because Rainfield did a fantastic job of making her protagonist's voice sound genuine; Kendra, however, suffers from a terrible tragedy that very few of us can even fathom. As a survivor of sexual abuse, her attitude towards everyone around her and herself has always been tainted with doubt and leaves her in a painful and lonely place in life. Kenda's emotions of confusion and despair rolled off the pages and seeped into me that as the reader I couldn't help feeling concern for her, hoping that she'd find the emotional strength to cope and forge ahead in life.

While the main focus of Scars is Kendra trying to come to terms with the abuse she endured, Rainfield skillfully incorporated other elements to the story that served as undercurrents to the novel's plot. The issue of self-harm, or in Kendra's case, cutting, really magnified the emotional pain that she felt and through her self-destructive actions the author was able to show the reader why the act of cutting helps take away the pain, if only for a while. Sexual orientation (specifically Kendra's) is also touched upon and is done in a positive way with the subtle message of acceptance. These topics are handled smoothly and instead of taking attention away from the central plot, they help guide the reader into understanding Kendra's character and her situation with more clarity.

Steadfast and powerful, Scars is a harrowing glimpse into the life of a survivor of sexual abuse and her painful journey to discover the truth of why, and who, did this to her.  Cheryl Rainfield has created something inspirational with her novel and I have no doubt that it will give comfort to those that suffered and a better understanding to those that haven't. Scars is a brave book that pays homage to the power of human strength, understanding and love.

Rating: 4.0

Siren by Tricia Rayburn

Reading level: Young Adult
Hardcover: 352 pages
Publisher: EgmontUSA
Release Date: July 13, 2010
Source: Around The World Tours
Language: English

Synopsis: Seventeen-year-old Vanessa Sands is afraid of everything—the dark, heights, the ocean—but her fearless older sister, Justine, has always been there to coach her through every challenge. That is, until Justine goes cliff-diving one night near the family’s vacation house in Maine, and her lifeless body washes up on shore the next day. Though her parents hope that they’ll be able to find closure back in Boston, Vanessa can’t help feeling that her sister’s death wasn’t an accident. After discovering that Justine was keeping a lot of secrets, Vanessa returns to Winter Harbor, hoping that Justine’s boyfriend might know more. But Caleb has been missing since Justine’s death.

Soon, it’s not just Vanessa who’s afraid. All of Winter Harbor is abuzz with anxiety when another body washes ashore, and panic sets in when the small town becomes host to a string of fatal, water-related accidents in which all the victims are found, horrifically, grinning from ear to ear. Vanessa turns to Caleb’s brother, Simon, for help, and begins to find herself drawn to him. As the pair try to understand the sudden rash of creepy drownings, Vanessa uncovers a secret that threatens her new romance—and will change her life forever.

As the story is mysterious and secretive, Siren did take me a while to get into. It started slowly so I had to read a few chapters before Rayburn's story began to cast its hypnotic spell on me; but like the persisent waves of a shoreline, it kept drawing my attention until I became fully immersed in the story. Vanessa's voice is a quiet one, afraid of what she might face but still brave enough to leave her comfort zone to seek answers. Her love for her sister is strong and through her grief, Vanessa shows the reader the memories she has of Justine and these vivid flashbacks lend Justine a strong presence throughout the novel despite the fact that Justine is no longer alive. This intense devotion and sisterly love is what drives Vanessa to seek the truth as to what happened the night her sister died.

Vanessa then comes across the older of the two brothers, Simon, and together they try to find out where Caleb has disappeared to and what his connection is to the string of men floating up dead to shore. Vanessa and Simon's relationship gradually turns into a romantic one but it doesn't override the mystery in this novel; the romance keeps its distance as a subplot and for this book I was fine with it. Simon was very restrained emotionally so I wasn't quite able to connect to his character the way I did with his brother later on in the story. I found Caleb to be much more appealing and through Vanessa's flashbacks the reader sees how open and happy he was with Justine. The Caleb from the past and present are vastly different but the change in his demeanor is tangible. His grief for Justine felt just as authentic as Vanessa's. Simon, in contrast, is harder to crack and I felt that barrier. He is however a good match for Vanessa and I did enjoy their intense moments together. The plot does move slowly since Rayburn introduces many intricate details but I took great pleasure with the languid pace, enjoying the author's detailed passages and well-placed revelations. I also have to mention Vanessa's interaction with another character: her friendship with Paige, before things turned to a more threatening tone, were light-hearted and fun, almost reminiscent of a Sarah Dessen-type friendship.

Crackling with intensity and power, Tricia Rayburn's YA debut puts a menacing new spin on the world of sirens. Siren gives readers a glimpse of what happens when the supernatural clashes with reality and the threatening consequences. Siren will shake you and leave you wanting more.

Rating: 4.0

Evermore by Alyson Noel

Reading level: Young Adult
Paperback: 320 pages
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Release Date: February 3, 2009
Language: English
Source: Library

Synopsis: Since a horrible accident claimed the lives of her family, Ever can see auras, hear people's thoughts, and know a person's entire life story by touch. Going out of her way to avoid human contact and suppress her abilities has branded her as a freak at her new high school—but everything changes when she meets Damen. Damen Auguste is gorgeous, exotic and wealthy. He's the only one who can silence the noise and random energy in her head—wielding a magic so intense, it's as though he can see straight into her soul. As Ever is drawn deeper into his enticing world of secrets and mystery, she's left with more questions than answers. She has no idea just who he really is—or what he is. The only thing she knows to be true is she's falling deeply and helplessly in love with him.

This wasn’t my first time reading Alyson Noel’s work; a while ago I read her book Art Geeks & Prom Queens. I kinda liked it, so I was expecting Evermore to be similiar to it. Luckily though, I was wrong. Evermore was entertaining and had me devouring it whenever I had the chance to sit down. What made me need to read it was my burning curiousity towards Damen-why was he so damn perfect?! Ever immediately liked him, and I could see why. He was handsome (beyond belief, apparently), intelligent, artistic, mysterious and extremely charming. (My favorite talent that he had was his cooking skills! Make me pancakes, Damen!)

I was so so so curious to know the reason why he would always place himself in her path and just as quickly disappear. As for Ever... (such a cool name!) I loved her character. She was natural, honest and reacted to her tragedy in a realistic way. Her survivor’s guilt was so tangible that you never forgot for a second the sadness she had for her family. Her guilt, coupled with newly acquired psychic powers that she didn’t want at all, only made her life more difficult to live. (I mean, if you bump into someone and learn their entire life story through that brief contact, it’d be sensory overload, don’tcha think?)

The bulk of the novel is essentially the cat and mouse game that Ever gets sucked into with Damen. He is charismatic and for some reason, Ever’s psychic awareness of the world is silenced by his touch. That alone is enough to make Ever gravitate towards him. The minor characters were okay; her two best friends Miles and Haven were...iffy. I liked Miles but I felt he should’ve been around more. Haven....don’t get me started; I just did not like her flightly, volatile attitude. Especially towards Ever. The minor character that piqued my interest the most was Ever’s aunt; after her family is killed, Ever’s sent to live with her father’s twin sister; both women had a turning point when they each expressed their grief to each other. After reading that, I’d like to see their relationship evolve more in the next book. My impression of Evermore was that it was going to be okay. I didn't expect how addictive it turned out to be. So if you see this in any book store, library....anyplace they sell books!, I command you to get it. You won't be disappointed.

rating: 4.0

When It Happens by Susane Colasanti

Reading level: Young Adult
Paperback: 336 pages
Publisher: Speak
Release Date: May 1, 2008
Language: English

Synopsis: At the start of senior year, Sara wants two things: to get into her first-choice college and to find true love. Tobey also wants two things: to win Battle of the Bands and to make Sara fall in love with him. Dave, the boy Sara was hoping would realize she exists, moves in on Sara first. But Tobey is impossible for Sara to ignore. He gets the little things that matter to her and, most importantly, he feels like something real. Can a slacker rock star wannabe win the heart of a pretty class brain like Sara? Hilariously and movingly told through Tobey's and Sara's authentic voices, Susane Colasanti's debut novel sizzles in its portrayal of two teens searching for the one.

Summer is coming to a close as Sara prepares herself for her senior year. She wants her last year of high school to be something special, unlike the last three unmemorable years being known as a nerd. But what she really wants is to have a boyfriend, "someone who's the real package". Her dream of finding the perfect boyfriend seems to come true when Dave, the hottest boy in school asks her out. As their relationship moves along, Sara is thrilled that she finally has the guy she's wanted for so long but....she feels like something's missing. Meanwhile, on the other side of the social spectrum lies Tobey Beller, a loveable slacker with blue eyes and a quirky wit who has his eyes set on Sara. His goal of winning Sara's heart doesn't seem entirely impossible as sparks fly between the two of them, despite their differences.

I liked that this book was told in alternating points of view. You read so many YA novels and most of them seem to be told in a girl's P.O.V. so it was refreshing to read about two teens falling in love while hearing from both sides. Sara is like most girls, hoping that she'll find someone who loves her for who she is; Tobey fills in that role perfectly. I loved the way he would remember all the little details, from her favorite drink to her favorite movie scene from Say Anything. He even goes so far as to recreate that very moment and reading that made my heart melt. These two are adorable together!

Rating: 4.0