I read this as an ARC (Advanced
Reader Copy) so I really can’t say much about it. But it’s the sequel to Deception
(see my thoughts on Deception here)
and it’s awesome. Read it
when it comes out in March.
by
Brenna Yovanoff
I
BOUGHT this based on knowing only two things: 1) That the cover is absolutely stunning. It’s shiny and creepy and looks like
it’s straight from a movie. And 2) That the book is about a changeling. That’s it. Like most popular YA, I
thought it was going to be about a girl and include a love story. (Side note: There are so many YA
Paranormal Romances right now that B&N actually reorganized their store to
reflect that!). But I was wrong. But it was still great. The
Replacement is actually narrated by a BOY. *Gasp* And he’s the
changeling. There’s a bit of a
love story, but it’s really not the focus. The brother/sister relationship and family dynamics take the
front stage. The underworld Brenna
Yovanoff created is unique, and a bit all over the place, but really intriguing. Overall, this book was refreshingly
different.
This is a historical romance repped
by the wonderful people at NC, so I read it to get a better feel for what they
represent. Taking place in
New York City during the Revolutionary War, it was interesting to read how the
Tory Widow, Anne, flipped flopped from Tory (because of her husband) to patriot
(when the rebels take over) to Tory (when NYC becomes the British headquarters)
to patriot again (her true feelings).
It’s definitely a story of one woman’s survival. Yet, for a historical romance I
wanted…well…more romance. This
novel focused almost exclusively on the historical elements and battles (a bit
too much for my tastes even though I minored in history), rather than on the
relationship between Anne and Jack.
Read for the historical bits, not for a romance.
I try to stay away from science
fiction. Yet, my
non-novel-reading-boyfriend was so adamant that I read Ender’s Game that he bought it for me. And, as much as I hate to give him the opportunity for an
“I-told-you-so” moment, I devoured the novel. It was fantastic. Although clearly science fiction, Ender is such a fascinating
yet somehow relatable character that you emphasize with him…even thought you’re
not being trained as the only hope to save humanity. And the twist at the end is SO GOOD. It could have been a cheap “and then he
woke up” moment that writers are told to avoid, but instead, it resonates so
well, both with Ender and the reader.
The following wrap-up was a bit lengthy and seemed only to be setting up
for the sequels. I hate when books
do that so obviously. When I
complained about that to my boyfriend, he was surprised to be reminded all the
falling action was in Ender’s Game at
all. Overall, though, I’d
recommend this book for all those people who think Sci-Fi is not for them. I’m starting to reconsider it.
A Newbery honor book, The Thief kind of starts off the same
way Disney’s Aladdin does: King’s advisor gets a street rat to steal something
from an enchanted cave. While
Aladdin goes off exploring whole new worlds with Princess Jasmine, the quest to
steal a special stone is the focus of The
Thief. The twist at the end is fantastic. It came out of nowhere yet it didn’t feel like a cheap
trick…Gen’s character is just that great.
The story is continued in The
Queen of Attolia, which wasn’t quite as good, but did introduce two strong
female characters, competing queens, into the male dominated story, which was
much appreciated. I look forward
to continuing the story in The King of
Attolia and A Conspiracy of Kings (which
is already getting award buzz).
And that's my October reading...plus nine full manuscripts.
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