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Rose has always been different.


Since the day she was born, it was clear she had a special fate. Her superstitious mother keeps the unusual circumstances of Rose's birth a secret, hoping to prevent her adventurous daughter from leaving home... but she can't suppress Rose's true nature forever.


So when an enormous white bear shows up one cold autumn evening and asks teenage Rose to come away with it - in exchange for health and prosperity for her ailing family - she readily agrees.


Rose travels on the bear's broad back to a distant and empty castle, where she is nightly joined by a mysterious stranger. In discovering his identity, she loses her heart - and finds her purpose - and realizes her journey has only just begun.


Amazing book. This is another retelling of the Norwegian fairy tale "East of the Sun and West of the Moon" (here's the link to the original fairy tale), like the book Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow that I reviewed a while ago. However... I was very put out after reading this, not because it was bad but because Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow seemed to be almost plagiarizing East!!!! GAH.

East was a lot more realistic and developed, and the switching of the first-person perspectives helped the reader get to know the family better - and was therefore a better justification of Rose's leaving home with the white bear, because you really got to care about them. I loved how the White Bear's perspective was expressed in disjointed, free-verse poetry... really made the whole thing more beautiful.

The trolls being beautiful and clever made them more formidable as opponents, unlike in Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow, where they were stupid and garish, unable to make anything for themselves. The four winds in East were embodied by actual people, which was far awesomer (SHUT UP about my grammar) in my opinion, and made them all the more important.

Rose's family was just... amazingly lovable. Her superstitious, foolish mother, her father with a guilty conscience, Neddy with his bad poetry... the one thing I noticed was that there was never a section from Rose's mother's POV, which I thought was weird. Then again, Rose's relationship with her mother was... strained, because Rose was a "north-born".

As you can probably tell, I loved East... some really nice fantasy stuff going on here. I may look for more books by Edith Pattou in the near future... 5 of 5.

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Once known as the western coast of the United States, the Republic is now a nation perpetually at war with its neighbors, the Colonies.


Born into an elite family in one of the Republic's wealthiest districts, fifteen-year-old June is a military prodigy. Obedient, passionate, and committed to her country, she is being groomed for success in the Republic's highest circles.


Born into the slums of the Republic's Lake Sector, fifteen-year-old Day is the country's most wanted criminal. But his motives may not be as malicious as they seem.


From very different worlds, June and Day have no reason to cross paths - until the day June's brother, Metias, is murdered, and Day becomes the prime suspect. Now, caught in the ultimate game of cat and mouse, Day is in a race for his family's survival, while June tries desperately to avenge Metias's death.


But in a shocking turn of events, the two uncover the truth of what has really brought them together, and the sinister lengths to which their country will go to keep its secrets.


Very good. *enthusiastic applause and cheering* This is one of those great books that no one's ever heard of. I know, I know, yet another dystopian novel. But this one's actually a real standout. (Love the cover too.) What I love is the contrast between June and Day's two worlds and the Republic's subtlety in being a dystopia.

June and Day are complete opposites, but they work so well together because of their mutual geniusness (Yeah, I know, I know, not a real word, but whatever.). Day is a criminal, June is devoted to fighting them, etc. etc. It's apparently based on Les Miserables, which I haven't read yet.

Plain and simple, I loved this. A lot. One of my favorite books, I think. Will look for next book. Feeling too lazy to write in complete sentences or do more analysis... :)

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When Katarina Bishop was three, her parents  took her to the Louvre... to case it. For her seventh birthday, Katarina and her Uncle Eddie traveled to Austria... to steal the crown jewels. When Kat turned fifteen, she planned a con of her own - scamming her way into the best boarding school in the country, determined to leave the family business behind. Unfortunately, leaving "the life" for a normal life proves harder than she'd expected.


Soon, Kat's friend and former co-conspirator, Hale, appears out of nowhere to bring her back into the world she tried so hard to escape. But he has good reason: a powerful mobster's priceless art collection has been stolen and he wants it returned. Only a master thief could have pulled off this job, and Kat's father isn't just on the suspect list, he is the list. Caught between Interpol and a far more deadly enemy, Kat's dad needs her help.


For Kat there is only one solution: track down the paintings and steal them back. So what if it's a spectacularly impossible job? She's got two weeks, a teenage crew, and, hopefully, just enough talent to pull off the biggest heist in her family's (very crooked) history - and with any luck, steal her life back along the way.


A fairly fun, light read, though having your entire family's safety in jeopardy seems like a serious subject. I love Ally Carter's action heroines because they're funny, cute, and treat the whole thing with a lot of levity. I say this because I've also read some of her Gallagher Girls series, which I like a lot (you should try it... preview the first book here).

Now, the most recent book with a thief as a protagonist that I've read is StarCrossed, and it was fantasy set in a kingdom with religious issues. You may understand why I found Heist Society interesting. The whole tightly-knit, exclusive family business thing was appealing as well. It was weird the way the others (meaning everyone in the crew who was not Kat) tried to exclude Nick at first. (Okay, so he was working with Interpol, which was totally unexpected.) But that's not the point at all.

The combination of witty characters, a hint of romance, world travel, and a stolen art collection make for a great read for someone who's bored and wants a spot of fun. I'd like to personally recommend this book as a nice, chick-lit-ish ride. I'll be reading the next book, Uncommon Criminals.

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NOTE: This is NOT a retelling. This is a fairy tale of my own writing. So enjoy! ~Starflower Hunting

Long ago and far away, there lived a young woman in a little woodland village. Nature had made her a true beauty, with long, fair hair, fine as spun gold, and deep blue eyes, clear and cloudless as the summer sky. But this girl, she must have been the most selfish, impudent, greedy, mean-spirited girl alive. And so those summer-sky eyes became piggish and watery, and in eating more than both her poor parents combined, her arms and legs became weak and fleshy. Her good parents fretted and became thinner by the day, the young men of the village lamented over the pretty girl she could have been, the other girls despised her, she was known through, over, and around the village as "pig-girl", and she should have been miserable. Despite that, the good-for-nothing girl was just as happy as a fat pig rolling around in its own stench.

Image from chrisgeorgephotography.com

“Get me some bread!” the pig-girl cried. “And some milk and butter while you’re at it!” She smiled smugly, admiring herself in her cracked looking-glass, a rarity in such an isolated village. Her old mother shuffled away, her joints creaking and her expression sorrowful.

“Fairy Queen curse the pig-girl,” the villagers said as the old woman came out to milk the cow. It was their way of sympathizing with the girl’s mother, for a Fairy Queen curse was not to be taken lightly. It wasn't for naught that new mothers told their children, "Quiet, or the Fairy Queen'll get you." But for the first time, that day, the old woman replied.

“Aye, Fairy Queen curse my daughter.”

And the Fairy Queen heard.

Image from fanpop.com

The Fairy Queen held her court in a distant fortress, above the crests of the highest mountains and below the dark earth. It was in the vast throne room that the Fairy Queen heard this curse. The fairies stopped their reveling and listened as the unknowing old woman's words echoed through the hall. The queen lifted her delicate head to the skies and paused, taking in the sound and the silence afterwards. Then, in a surprisingly sonorous voice for such a delicate fairy, she spoke to the court.

"Well, well, well. Shall we oblige?"

The fairy court, always ready for a spot of fun against the frail humans, nodded vigorously as one. Their queen's lips twisted into a cruel smile. And this is the part, every time this story's told, when I realize that fairies can be deadly, dangerous, and clever. The Fairy Queen snapped her fingers, and nobody ever believes me when I tell them what happened next.

The pig-girl found herself in the throne room. Confused, hungry, and grumpy, she snapped at the first creature she saw. Unfortunately for her, that happened to be the Fairy Queen herself.

"Where's my milk and bread? I can't starve! You can't let me starve!" she cried indignantly.

The Fairy Queen (I would tell you her name too, but no one knows it) laughed, high, clear, and cold. She turned to her court and gave a knowing smile and turned back to face the girl.

"My, where are your manners? I just so happen to be the Fairy Queen!" she cried suddenly, frightening the daylights out of the pig-girl. The Fairy Queen steeled herself and gave the pig-girl one more chance before she carried out the old woman's request, for disrespect was a thing not tolerated within her court. "I'll say this again. You will not speak to me in that fashion. Now pay a queen the respect she deserves."

The pig-girl remained silent, crossing her arms and pointing her nose up in a way that had always made her mother relent. The brilliance of the fairy court was too much for her small mind to process, dulling her instincts and causing her to ignore the one that said, "Apologize, apologize."

Instead she said haughtily, "The Fairy Queen? Is it not said that the Fairy Queen has a scepter of leviathan bone? Is it not said that she has a face that will curdle new milk, yet make flowers bloom? Show me these things and I may yet believe you." With that she smiled in her own impudent words.

"Silence!"

That's exactly what happened. The Fairy Queen, laying down her scepter, lifted her long white hands and the room grew dark and the sky stormy. With the air of an entity beyond the sun and behind the moon, eyes glowing in fiery rage, she intoned:

Girl, they call thee, girl of swine
Cursed have thou become.

Live up to thy sobriquet,
Spend all thy days
Rolling around in the muck.

Forever thou shalt wander
In the blazing sun
Unless thine eyes can spy
The chest forever closed.

Open it, and bring its contents
Whole in sum to me
Then I may
End thy curse
Lessons all learned.

The light in the throne room faded to normal, the air heavy and humid with magic. The pig-girl found that she could not move. When she tried to speak, all that came out were the snuffles and grunts of a real pig, without a trace of girl. Panicking, she squealed. The fairy court burst out laughing, in such a way as has never been heard by man since.

When next she opened her eyes, the pig-girl found herself in a meadow. A swineherd boy was corralling her into a pigpen, and despite her frantic efforts at escape, he held her firm. Food sloshed into the trough, and the other pigs rushed forth greedily. The pig-girl saw that if she did not push through, she would starve. And though she was frightened and her wits had nearly left her, she could not starve. With her bulk, the pig-girl shoved the others aside and began to lap at the trough. The indignant pigs charged at her, and, whimpering inwardly, the pig-girl admitted defeat.

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Yeah, I know I haven't been posting much of my own material lately. I've been preoccupied with... well, many things. I know it's a bad excuse, but bear with me!

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Photo from wickedawesomebooks.com

Talk about terrible timing... 

Just as Sophie Mercer has come to accept her extraordinary powers as a demon, the Prodigium Council strips them away. With her powers locked inside her, Sophie is defenseless, alone, and at the mercy of her sworn enemies - the Brannicks, a family of warrior women who hunt down the Prodigium. Or at least that's what Sophie thinks, until she makes a surprising discovery. The Brannicks know an epic war is coming, and they believe Sophie is the only one powerful enough to stop the world from ending. But without her magic, Sophie isn't so sure.

The only known spell that can help Sophie regain her magic is at Hex Hall - the place where it all began, and now the headquarters of the evil Casnoffs. Together with her best friend, the vampire Jenna; her boyfriend, Archer; her fiancé, Cal (yeah, her love life is complicated); and a ghost for a sidekick, Sophie must battle an army of demons. But even with her friends at her side, the fate of all Prodigium rests on her shoulders alone.

Sophie's bound for one hell of a ride... Can she get her powers back before it's too late?

I love this series. There are two - no, three things about it that irk me, however:

• The black cat on all of the covers that has nothing to do with the story
• Archer Cross
• The way Cal is so much more awesome than Archer but Sophie is way more into Archer

Let me rant a little about Archer Cross. I HATE THIS GUY. A LOT. He is unreasonable, stupid, and Sophie is waaaay too good for him, but doesn't seem to know that. GAH!!!!

Cal and Jenna are super sweet and awesome, and I find it unfair that Cal died and Archer didn't. I know, right? Jenna is like, the awesomest (I know that's not a word) best friend ever. She literally walked INTO THE UNDERWORLD for Sophie. If that's not awesome, I don't know what is.

Sophie is as snarky and funny as ever. End of story.

Elodie... was kinda scary, but ultimately pretty nice. Sophie and Elodie got over their little coven/Archer  troubles eventually.

4.5 of 5. This book was action-packed, funny, and a great read... The one thing I can't figure out... is Spell Bound the end of the series???

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Picture from myramcentire.blogspot.com

One hour to rewrite the past...


For seventeen-year-old Emerson Cole, life is about seeing what isn't there: swooning Southern belles; soldiers long forgotten; a haunting jazz trio that vanishes in an instant. Plagued by phantoms since her parents' death, she just wants the apparitions to stop so she can be normal. She's tried everything, but the visions keep coming back.


So when her well-meaning brother brings in a consultant from a secretive organization called the Hourglass, Emerson's willing to try one last cure. But meeting Michael Weaver may not change her future, it may also change her past.


Who is this dark, mysterious, sympathetic guy, barely older than Emerson herself, who seems to believe every crazy word she says? Why does it feel like an electric current runs through the room whenever he's around? And why is he so insistent that he needs her help to prevent a death that never should have happened?


Hourglass was quite possibly the most original book I've read in a very long time. A really good book with strong, believable characters. I love the cover, too.

Emerson was a great protagonist, and interesting because I haven't read very many rich MCs other than royalty. She really dealt with the whole "Oh yeah, you can travel in time" thing well, which was endearing. Plus she was very sarcastic, which I liked a lot. Her uncertainty was very well portrayed, and her best friend was awesome :)

Michael is a weird guy. He is overprotective and jealous, and some mention of his having a hero complex...? Yeah. I also didn't get... was Emerson pretty or something? Because why would a guy like him like a girl like her???

However, I really liked Hourglass and I'll be looking for the next book. 5 of 5.

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Pic from ebookstore.sony.com

POMPEII, AD 79 ~ Julia and Sura lead opposite yet inextricably linked lives. Julia is the daughter of a wealthy shipbuilder; Sura was kidnapped from her parents as a small child. Julia bears the Curse of Venus - a withered arm; Sura's beauty turns heads. Julia is free; Sura is her slave.


The summer has already been a trying one for Julia, with two older sisters' weddings to endure. Then she begins to suspect that her parents have a terrible plan in mind that will affect not only Julia's life but Sura's as well.


Yet what no one in Pompeii suspects is that beneath the verdant vineyards that grow on Mount Vesuvius, a beastly volcano slumers. When it finally erupts, it forges a path of destruction that throws everyone's futures into question, and forces Julia and Sura to confront the true meaning of freedom.


I hate the title. I'm sorry. I don't know why. The book was okay, and the historical setting was very interesting, as I haven't read very many books concerned with Ancient Rome. The characters of Julia and Sura are great foils for each other, and this relationship is pretty much summed up in the first paragraph of the blurb.

The unfairness of Julia's family is unbearable. They're just like the Dursleys, except they're not British and there are no sons. Julia's sister Cornelia is just really spiteful for no reason, though. Okay, so less mundanely evil, more ruin-your-life evil. I didn't really get why Julia didn't want to go to that convent, though.

The weirdest moment in the book is probably when Sura slapped Julia when Vesuvius was erupting. It showed that Sura is spiritually a lot stronger than Julia. (Yeah, I liked Sura waaay better than Julia, I have to admit.)

Although I found this book in the juvenile section, there are a couple parts that might not be suitable for younger kids (i.e., the part where the ladies step on the genitals of Mercury in the baths).

Overall maybe 3 stars. Not too bad, I guess.

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Pic from goodreads.com

Is nineteenth-century England ready for the magic and mischief of Kat Stephenson?


Kat Stephenson may have inherited her mother's magical talents, but not everyone in the Order of the Guardians is ready to accept her. When she is tricked into losing her temper in front of the most powerful Guardian in England, she finds herself expelled without a single magic lesson.


After a devastating accusation shatters her sister Angeline's romance, their stepmama whisks the family away to the fashionable city of Bath and orders Angeline to find a new fiancé. But as Angeline plays a dangerous game with a scandalous rake, their brother, Charles, tumbles headlong into danger... and Bath's wild magic gets ready to explode.


With more than one life at stake, will Kat's untrained magic be enough to reunite Angeline with her true love, conquer the danger at Bath, and prove she truly has what it takes to be a Guardian?


I find the historical setting of this series very weird. I mean, Regency England? Come on! But it's interesting how the setting, with all of its values on propriety, restricts Kat's freedom and magic. The second book is some more light fantasy, with hilarious family relations.

Anyway, this series is really pretty sweet juvenile stuff. The fantasy is creative, and I don't think I ever imagined Bath as a city of "wild magic". The rules of the magic in the Kat, Incorrigible series are well thought out, adding.. well, credibility, I suppose (or as much as you can get). The family relationships knotting the whole thing together are very believable, although sometimes I got so "UGGHHHH!!!" because everyone misunderstands Kat so much. I guess that's the point, endearing poor spunky, unappreciated Kat to the reader.

Angeline was really evil, I must say. Without the eldest sister, Elissa, to keep her in check, Angeline was, like, diabolical, almost as much as Lady Fotherington. However, her mischief added a new layer to the story that was somewhat effective. (I also really didn't get the point of having Elissa as a character in the first book if she was just going to go off and get married to a rich guy.)

Lady Fotherington was a villain with quite a dubious motive. It just didn't seem realistic that she would be jealous of Kat's mother because Kat's father was her "true love". I mean, wasn't "Papa" supposed to be bookish and absentminded? I had a bit of a complaint about that. It also didn't seem realistic that Lord Ravenscroft would be a traitor to England. Seriously? The French? Yeah, sure, whatever. 


Overall, the second book in the Kat, Incorrigible series didn't disappoint as a fun, light second book.

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*SPOILER ALERT - DO NOT READ IF YOU HAVEN'T READ HEX HALL - WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE ANYWAY? GO READ HEX HALL!!*

Sophie Mercer thought she was a witch. That was the whole reason she was sent to Hex Hall, a reform school for delinquent Prodigium (a.k.a. witches, shapeshifters, and faeries). But then she discovered the family secret, and the fact that her hot crush, Archer Cross, is an agent for The Eye, a group bent on wiping Prodigium off the face of the earth.


Turns out, Sophie's a demon, one of only two in the world - the other being her father. What's worse, she has powers that threaten the lives of everyone she loves. Which is precisely why Sophie decides she must go to London for the Removal, a dangerous procedure that will either destroy her powers for good - or kill her.


But once Sophie arrives, she makes a shocking discovery. Her new housemates? They're demons too. Meaning, someone is raising demons in secret, with creepy plans to use their powers, and probably not for good. Meanwhile, The Eye is set on hunting Sophie down, and they're using Archer to do it. but it's not like she has feelings for him anymore. Does she?


So yeah, that pretty much spoiled half of Hex Hall for you quite nicely. This is the blurb on the inside jacket of the book. I've decided to source them from the inside jacket of the book now. Those seem to be more reliable. But I digress.

Demonglass was kind of disappointing. The climax was not that great, and the whole thing about the Casnoffs suddenly seizing control of the Council was unrealistic. However, the interesting thing about involving demons in a supernatural fiction book is probably going to keep me on.

Sophie Mercer was as snarky and sarcastic as ever. Except she would notice it every few paragraphs, which was annoying. Also I hated how weak she was being, not telling anyone all of those secrets weighing down her mind. It was like, oh, I should tell Jenna or Dad something about this, but I just can't face them and I don't feel like it, so I won't.

Archer Cross? I'm really getting to hate him now. Unreasonable, not even funny anymore, gaaahhhh!!!!!!! I mean, Cal totally deserves Sophie more!!! And I'm screaming this throughout the book!!!!! (Yes, Cal is betrothed to Sophie. Interesting, huh?

This review is rife with spoilers. I'll just give it a 3 of 5 and call it good. *bleh*

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How do you defy destiny? Helen Hamilton has spent her entire sixteen years trying to hide how different she is, no easy task on an island as small and sheltered as Nantucket. And it's getting harder. Nightmares of a desperate desert journey have Helen waking parched, only to find her sheets damaged by dirt and dust. At school she's haunted by hallucinations of three women weeping tears of blood . . . and when Helen first crosses paths with Lucas Delos, she has no way of knowing they're destined to play the leading roles in a tragedy the Fates insist on repeating throughout history. As Helen unlocks the secrets of her ancestry, she realizes that some myths are more than just legend. But even demigod powers might not be enough to defy the forces that are both drawing her and Lucas together and trying to tear them apart.


Beautiful and original. I mean, obviously Helen was a modern-day Helen of Troy but that's not the point. The point is that it's a refreshing take on demigods after the whole Percy Jackson thing. The Percy Jackson books were great and everything, but all they really did was fight monsters. Starcrossed was also a lot more complex with the ancestry and blood feud and seeing the Furies and stuff. 


Helen overall wasn't that good of a character - not much edge or development. Lucas was really overprotective of her. I think Angelini spent too much time trying to develop the family and the antagonists (but hey, what do I know?). 


Not much else to say. I liked the book overall and will be looking for Dreamless, the second book in the series.

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"You can't touch me," I whisper. I'm lying, is what I don't tell him. He can touch me, is what I'll never tell him. But things happen when people touch me. Strange things. Bad things. Dead things. 


No one knows why Juliette's touch is fatal, but The Reestablishment has plans for her. Plans to use her as a weapon. But Juliette has plans of her own. After a lifetime without freedom, she's finally discovering a strength to fight back for the very first time--and to find a future with the one boy she thought she'd lost forever.


Really intense and beautiful. This book is probably one of my favorites because although it's yet another dystopian, post-apocalyptic novel with a female protagonist, it has a better premise and an original protagonist. The prose is clear, memorable, and yes, shattering.


Juliette was one of those saintly types (i.e., Jane Bennet, Harry Potter). However, she had a backstory that made me genuinely care about her - good for her. Adam was also a saintly type. The two were just perfect for each other, obviously.


Warner, the main antagonist, was just sick. He was obsessed with Juliette in this twisted way, wanting her to want him but threatening her and forcing her to torture innocent civilians. It was a great character foil to pure, too-nice Juliette.


The dystopian thing was dystopian for real, as in, the environment was ruined, the citizens were dying, etc. etc. It wasn't one of those dystopias where the society pretends to be perfect.


I'll be looking for Unravel Me, the next book of the series. Also check out Tahereh Mafi's website and blog - they are so cute! And remember that the covers are being changed, so look for this cover (cool, huh?): 

Picture from stiryourtea.blogspot.com

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