Alistair Grim’s Odd Aquaticum (Odditorium #2) ~ Gregory Funaro – 5.0 Stars

Tags

Adventure, Fantasy, Juvenile Fiction, Steampunk

 I received this e-Arc from the author via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: January 5th, 2016

Synopsis: When Grubb, an orphan and runaway chimney sweep, entered the wondrous world of the Odditorium, his life changed forever. Apprenticed to the mechanical marvel’s strange proprietor, Alistair Grim, Grubb unfortunately must settle into his new position on the Lam, as the whole of London is convinced that Alistair Grim is a villain bent on mass destruction. Grim however, has come up with a plan to expose the real villain: Prince Nightshade, a wicked necromancer who wants the Odditorium’s power source for himself.

With the evil prince hot on their trail, Grim, Grubb and the rest of the Odditorium’s crew embark on a perilous adventure to find the legendary sword Excalibur: the only weapon capable of penetrating Nightshade’s magical suit of armor. As expected, their quest turns out to be anything but ordinary. Not only can the Odditorium fly, but it can also swim! And so the crew battens down the hatches and sets off on an underwater voyage to the underworldly realm of Avalon, home to Excalibur. Along the way, they must battle a banshee assassin, sea monsters, and a witch who seeks revenge on Alistair Grim for stealing her magical objects.

But that’s not all. Unbeknownst to Grubb and the others, their fate has been written in an ancient Avalonian prophecy–a prophecy that holds the key to a destiny not even Alistair Grim could have possibly imagined.

“It’s the magic in his books what keeps the library warm.”

~ Grubb, “Alistair Grim’s Odd Aquaticum”

While this quote doesn’t appear until near the end of this book, it’s a perfect example of why you should read it!  Alistair Grim’s Odditorium first introduced the young orphan Grubb (“like the worm, with one b”) and his adventures on board the incredible Odditorium with the enigmatic inventor Mr. Alistair Grim. This second book picks up approximately a month later, and is even more magical than the first!

The heart of these books continues to be young Grubb who is approximately twelve-years-old. He is an enchanting character whose continually optimistic outlook on life is amazing, given his Dickensian background. He faces every danger he’s exposed to with an almost cheerful acceptance and never backs down from a challenge. The story is told from Grubb’s point-of-view, and his charming cockney narrative makes the reader care even more about him and his companions.

Grubb’s relationship with Alistair Grim is further developed and there are some truly touching moments between them. The author answers a few more questions regarding the intriguing inventor while posing new ones which will hopefully be answered in the next book. 

The way in which Gregory Funaro writes his secondary characters makes them just as much fun as the main ones. Tragic Nigel, Mrs. Pinch (a witch who makes delicious purple stew), McClintock the watch, Lord Dreary, Gwendolyn the fairy, Cleona the banshee–they all return for this exciting adventure. They’re joined by new friends and foes including Lorchlan Dalach, a banshee with ties to Cleona. 

As the synopsis states, this latest attempt to put an end to Prince Nightshade’s villainy involves finding Avalon and Excalibur. As soon as I read this I became even more excited because I’ve always been fascinated with Arthurian mythology. Much to my delight, the author puts an imaginative and unique spin on the mythology which kept me absolutely captivated. While on their quest our intrepid heroes come across more prophecies which foreshadow possible events in subsequent books. 

With this second book in the Odditorium series, Gregory Funaro has crafted a magical adventure which successfully blends fantasy and steampunk into a perfect mix. It’s a world filled with such incredible detail that you’ll have a difficult time pulling yourself away. Because of this being an ARC, not all the illustrations were provided, but the ones that were added to the charm of the story. While this is written for upper elementary and middle school students, it will also enchant adult readers who haven’t let go of their inner child. 

RIP Wes Craven ~ 1939 – 2015

Tags

Horror Movies, Quotes, Wes Craven

“Horror movies don’t create fear. They release it.”

~ Wes Craven ~

A Curious Beginning (Veronica Speedwell Mystery #1) ~ by Deanna Raybourn – 4.5 Stars

Tags

British Royalty, Historical Fiction, Mysteries, Victorian Era

 I received this e-Arc from Edelweiss and NAL/Penguin in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: September 1st, 2015

Synopsis: London 1887. As the city prepares to celebrate Queen Victoria’s golden jubilee, Veronica Speedwell is marking a milestone of her own. After burying her spinster aunt, the orphaned Veronica is free to resume her world travels in pursuit of scientific inquiry–and the occasional romantic dalliance. As familiar with hunting butterflies as she is fending off admirers, Veronica wields her butterfly net and a sharpened hatpin with equal aplomb, and with her last connection to England now gone, she intends to embark upon the journey of a lifetime.

But fate has other plans, as Veronica discovers when she thwarts her own abduction with the help of an enigmatic German baron with ties to her own mysterious past. Promising to reveal in time what he knows of the plot against her, the baron offers her temporary sanctuary in the care of his friend Stoker–a reclusive natural historian as intriguing as he is bad-tempered. But before the baron can deliver on his tantalizing vow to reveal the secrets he has concealed for decades, he is found murdered. Suddenly Veronica and Stoker are forced to go on the run from an elusive assailant, wary partners in search of the villainous truth.

Deanna Raybourn makes a welcome return with her first Victorian era mystery since she concluded her Lady Julia series. Featuring the same type of quirky characters that she’s known for, A Curious Beginning does not disappoint.

Like Lady Julia and her true love Nicholas Brisbane, Veronica and Stoker don’t exactly hit it off in the beginning. Actually, throughout much of the story Stoker is highly suspicious of Veronica’s role in his friend’s murder. This is a man who was once highly respected in his field and now makes his living as a taxidermist. His backstory is just as intriguing as Victoria’s and left me wanting to know even more, particularly in regards to his brother and his dysfunctional family. 

Victoria is a confident, outspoken, and occasionally audacious woman, before her time, as Deanna’s heroines tend to be. She is constantly looking forward to her next adventure which explains why she so willingly accompanies first the mysterious baron, and then Stoker, neither whom she knows very much about. She’s fully capable of taking care of herself and is absolutely lethal with a hatpin! She also hangs on to a small velvet mouse named Chester from her childhood which adds an endearing quality to her.

This first book in the Veronica Speedwell series doesn’t offer much in the way of actual romance, but it has plenty of sexual tension between it’s two main characters. Their witty dialogue is one of the most enjoyable parts of the story and it’s going to be interesting to see how their relationship develops in subsequent books. 

The plot is fast moving and the only thing I found lacking was how long it took for the mystery to truly get going. Despite a strong beginning, once the baron is murdered Veronica and Stoker spend the first half of the book as fugitives hiding out with a travelling circus. During this time, they’re not doing any real investigating. Instead, this seems more of a device to develop their relationship and I confess I was a little frustrated. Once they leave the circus though, things get really interesting, and when the full conspiracy is revealed, it comes as a big surprise! I truly did not see it coming. 

Deanna Raybourn is a master of leaving her readers craving more and A Curious Beginning is a fine example of this. Intriguing and clever, it sets up the series perfectly. If you enjoy historical mysteries with eccentric characters and plenty of action, I highly recommend this. I’m looking forward to Deanna’s next novel featuring these two stubborn yet likeable characters.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Suffering ~ By Rin Chupeco – 4.0 Stars

Tags

Aokigahara, Horror, Japanese Legends, Suicide, YA Fiction

 I received this e-Arc from NetGalley and Sourcebooks in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: September 1st, 2015

Synopsis: It’s been two years since Tark Halloway’s nightmare ended. Free from the evil spirit that haunted him all his life, he now aids the ghostly Okiku and avenges the souls of innocent children by hunting down their murderers. But when Okiku becomes responsible for a death at his high school, Tark begins to wonder if they’re no better than the killers they seek out. 

When an old friend disappears in Aokigahara, Japan’s infamous “suicide forest”, both must resolve their differences and return to that country of secrets to find her.

Because there is a strange village inside Aokigahara, a village people claim does not exist. A village where strange things lie waiting. 

A village with old ghosts and an ancient evil–one that may be stronger than even Okiku.

“Over the last year I’ve gone against faceless women, disfigured spirits, and grotesque revenants. Some people keep dangerous hobbies; skydiving and driving at monster truck rallies and glacier surfing. Me? I cast myself into the churning waters of potential damnation and wait for a bite.”

Despite The Suffering and it’s predecessor being billed as horror, there has been some criticism that they’re not scary enough, but I have to respectfully disagree. Both of them scared the heck out of me! After I finished this latest one, I had a terrifying nightmare involving killer dolls and–well, you don’t really want to hear about my scary dreams. Let me just say that as I’m a doll collector, this hit close to home. 

Despite a bit of a slow and awkward beginning which introduces the conflict between Tark and Ki, the action really takes off once they’re in Japan to find their friend Kagura (who was also in the previous book) who has disappeared along with a group of American ghost hunters she was taking on a tour of the suicide forest.

For those of you who are like me and have never heard of Aokigahara Forest aka “The Suicide Forest”, it’s a real place. It’s located at the northwest base of Mount Fuji and has the unfortunate destinction of being the second most popular place in the world to commit suicide (the first being the Golden Gate Bridge). Over the years hundreds of people have journeyed to this remote area to kill themselves. Here are a couple of pictures to give you more of a sense of the desolate nature of this forest.

 

Like with her research into the suicide forest, Chupeco has done amazing work in further developing the character of Okiku, who is based on the Japanese legend of the same name. As her counterparts in The Grudge and The Ring, Okiku is an Onryo which means “vengeful spirit”. Part of Japanese mythology these spirits are usually women who share the similar appearance of pale features, long unkempt hair, and traditional white burial clothes.

Tarkin (who is now seventeen) is an amazing character. He has suffered so much in his young life yet he retains a snarky sense of humor. A loner, he is intensely loyal to the few people he lets in his life: his older cousin Callie, his father, Kagura, and of course Okiku, who saved his life in the previous book and continues to protect him in this one. While mature beyond his years in some respects, Chupeco never lets the reader forget he still is a teenager. He makes some truly foolish decisions based on emotions and his craving for adventure, yet at the same time, he acknowledges these mistakes. It’s the aforementioned loyalty which lead Tark and Okiku to Aokigahara to rescue their friend Kagura. Accompanying them is Callie, although she doesn’t play such an integral role as she did in the first book. This time, Chupeco focuses much more attention on the relationship between Tark and Okiku. While there is no real romance between them as of yet, there are hints of the possibility of one in the future. The ending, while not a cliffhanger, definitely leaves you believing there will be at least one more book about Tark and Okiku. 

I think I’ve mentioned before that I consider a book a success if it gives me nightmares (in the case of a horror story), and if it makes me want to do my own research into the background, setting, etc. Both were the case after I finished The Suffering. Chupeco draws the reader in with her expertise in Japanese mythology and culture. This and The Girl From the Well are great scary reads and I highly recommend them for older teens as well as adults who are fond of the genre. 

Whimsical Wednesday

Tags

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Gene Wilder, Whimsical Quotes

“Mr. Wonka: And Charlie, don’t forget what happened to the man who suddenly got everything he wanted.”

“Charlie Bucket: What happened?”

“Mr. Wonka: He lived happily ever after.”

~ Roald Dahl, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory ~

The Dogs ~ By Allan Stratton – 4.0 Stars

Tags

Bullying, Contemporary Fiction, Domestic Violence, Ghost Stories, Historical Fiction, Mental Health, Mysteries, Thrillers, YA Fiction

 I received this e-Arc from NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: September 1st, 2015

Synopsis: Cameron and his mom have been on the run for five years. His father is hunting them. At least, that’s what Cameron’s been told. 

When they settle in an isolated farmhouse, Cameron starts to see and hear things that aren’t possible. Soon he’s questioning everything he thought he knew and even his sanity. 

What’s hiding in the night? Buried in the past? Cameron must uncover the dark secrets before they tear him apart.

“Out of the corner of my eye, I catch something moving by the barn. When I look, it disappears. Wait. There it is again, at the cornfield. Some movement, some thing.”

 Fifteen- year-old Cameron and his mother never seem to be able to settle in one place. His mother claims she’s protecting him from his abusive father, but Cameron can’t help wondering if she’s just being paranoid. She refuses to share why she’s so afraid, and since Cameron has few memories of his father, he doesn’t know what to think. The thing is when you live in constant fear, you’re also constantly waiting for the worst to happen, and as a result, you come to doubt not only your judgement, but others’ as well. This is the case here. Cameron is admittedly frightened, but he’s unsure if this is because he’s worried about his father finding them or because his mother might be unbalanced. This uncertainty sets the tone for the rest of this creepy story. It’s related in the first person POV of Cameron, and eventually you come to question even his reliability. In addition to the stress of constantly being on the run, he also suffers from nightmares. When you add in the fact that he has “episodes” where he silently moves his lips as though he’s talking to someone who’s not there, well, you start to wonder. 

Location, Location, Location. Stratton amps up the creep factor by having Cameron’s and his mother’s latest hiding place be an isolated and somewhat decrepit farmhouse she rents, in Wolf Hollow. Of course on his very first day of school Cameron is targeted by the town bully who immediately tells him his house is haunted and he should watch out for “the dogs”. Naturally these can’t be cute fluffy ones like these:

or even this little fella:

No. They’re more like a pack of these:

It’s gradually revealed that the farmhouse is indeed the site of a murder–or murders, which took place long ago. When Cameron is contacted by the ghost of Jacky–a young boy, it’s not immediately clear if he’s really just a figment of Cameron’s imagination. What is clear is that both the boys situations are similiar, and it’s not long before Cameron decides to play detective. 

Cameron is an appealing and sympathetic narrator who teens will definitely relate to and root for. While there are plenty of paranormal details, the author successfully balances these with real life issues such as bullying, mental illness, and domestic abuse. 

The mother’s character slightly annoyed me. She’s another stereotypical parent who thinks the best way to protect her child is to keep secrets from him. Naturally this causes even more problems. I honestly felt like shaking her at times!

Interestingly, the more likeable adult character is Ken, the mother’s new boyfriend. While Cameron is initially distrustful of his overtures, he actually winds up being the only real stabilizing force in this kid’s life.

The mystery of Jacky and the farmhouse is slowly and thoughtfully explored, and by the end of the book Cameron and the reader have a more thorough understanding how past events can have such an incredible impact on people decades later. 

Although some of the topics brought up are serious, I think this book will find it’s target audience with 12-15 year olds. While there are disturbing elements, nothing is graphically depicted. Instead, The Dogs allows the reader to use their imagination. Like Fuzzy Mud, by Louis Sachar, it’s a great book to use in a classroom or a book discussion group. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Happy National Waffle Day!

Tags

Humor, National Waffle Day

Just in case any of you missed this most important holiday yesterday (as did I) I thought I’d call your attention to it so perhaps you can celebrate today. Now keep in mind this is not to be confused with the equally important National Waffle Iron Day which was on June 29th. Anyway, in honor of both of these auspicious days I thought I’d share with you some touching tributes to the always delicious waffle.

And finally, because none of my posts are truly complete without the Winchester brothers…

Oops! My fellow Nancy Drew lover at http://hiddenstaircase.net reminded me that this wouldn’t be complete without a shout out to one of the biggest waffle lovers of them all:

Thanks for the reminder beckmank!

The Water Travelers: Heir to the Unknown ~ by Daniel Waltz – 3.5 Stars

Tags

Fantasy, Science Fiction, YA Fiction

 I won this ebook in a giveaway sponsored by the author.

Synopsis: Aaron never wanted to pursue kingship, but his care for the lives of his people forced him toward it. When his father, the King of Upitar, sends him on a quest to find the girl who was prophesied long ago to destroy their world, Aaron finds himself fighting the option of running away forever or fulfilling his destiny as the Heir of Upitar. 

By water traveling, a gift his people have that allows them to go back and forth between their world and Earth through water, Aaron starts this adventure with thousands of thoughts and questions racing around his head. 

While on his journey, he inadvertently meets the very girl he’s sent to kill, Madalyne Harper. Without knowing it’s her, an unlikely romance between the sarcastic and daring Madalyne Harper begins to flourish with the rebellious and curious, Prince Aaron Archien. As they grow closer, Aaron begins to learn of secrets within the Harper family regarding water travelers. Wanting to learn more, and wanting an excuse to hang out with Madi, Aaron continues to delay his original mission. As family problems and outside forces press down on them, Aaron and Madi soon find themselves running away together. 

Everything between them is great until Aaron learns the girl he has connected so well with is the same girl he’s going to have to kill…

“Sometimes you have to be a little daring and adventurous”

It’s funny, but the above quote sums up my feelings exactly as I began this book. It was a little bumpy for me at first, but the worldbuilding mesmerized me, and I found the whole concept of water traveling completely unique.

I’m going to get the negatives out of the way first. There is a major case of insta-love between Aaron and Madi, and if you’ve read any of my previous reviews you know that’s a bit of a pet peeve with me. I’m a romantic at heart, but it’s rare that I find relationships that begin like this realistic. 

My other issues were with the poor grammar and awkward phrasing. Both were prevalent throughout the book and at times distracted me from the story itself. There were also too many adjectives used which bogged down the action somewhat. I read somewhere that Daniel was a high school senior when he wrote this self-published novel, which explains these problems a lot. I kept thinking that if he had a good editor, The Water Travelers would be a near perfect fantasy.

No doubt about it, the strength of this book lies in it’s worldbuilding. I’ve read so much fantasy, but I’ve never seen anything like the concept of water traveling between worlds. The way Daniel describes it is brilliantly done. I was especially intrigued by the notion of “miss traveling” which is what happens when a traveler isn’t completely submerged. What happens to these unlucky people adds another incredible layer to an already fantastic story.

Despite the dreaded case of insta-love, I found the relationship between Aaron and Madi ultimately sweet and touching. They’re both perfect foils for one another. Madi has this great snarky sense of humor that doesn’t desert her even during difficult circumstances. She starts out a little too naive and gullible, but her positive attitude and sense of adventure quickly grew on me. Serious and responsible Aaron needs someone like this in his life. He’s spent his entire life trying to please everyone without any thought to his own wishes. Add to this an enormous burden of guilt over an incident that happened when he was a child, and well, it’s no surprise that he comes off as one of those old “knight in shining armor” personas. The romance is lightly written with some kissing and physical contact, but nothing heavy.

Among the many interesting secondary characters there is one that stands out, Yerrowsli. He’s a mentor-like figure whose sage advice is tempered with some funny observations. He provides some much needed comic relief. Physical appearance aside, he reminded me a little Yoda.

Now that I’ve finished The Water Travelers I’m reminded of another young writer, Christopher Paolini. If that name doesn’t sound familiar he’s another author who self-published his first book Eragon when he was a teenager. It eventually grew to be a highly successful series. I’m definitely planning on reading Daniel’s next book, The Curse of Serapin. I have a feeling this is just the beginning for this new author.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Points To Ponder

Tags

"Waking the Dragon", Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Humor, Inspirational quotes, Juliette Cross

“Funny thing about fear. When you cling to it, the fear grows exponentially, a monster morphing into a suffocating mass. But when you face it head-on, conquering the beast before it swallows you whole, you find there was nothing there to fear at all. The chains break, and the whole world feels lighter than ever before.”

~ Juliette Cross, Waking the Dragon ~

Everything, Everything ~ by Nicola Yoon – 4.5 Stars

Tags

Chronic Illness, Family Relationships, Friendship, Romance, YA Fiction

 I received this e-Arc from NetGalley and Delacorte Press in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: September 1st, 2015

Synopsis: My disease is as rare as it is famous. Basically, I’m allergic to the world. I don’t leave my house, have not left my house in seventeen years. The only people I ever see are my mom and my nurse, Carla.

But then one day, a moving truck arrives next door. I look out my window, and I see him. He’s tall, lean and wearing all black–black T-shirt, black jeans, black sneakers, and a black knit cap that covers his hair completely. He catches me looking and stares at me. I stare right back. His name is Olly. 

Maybe we can’t predict the future, but we can predict some things. For example, I am certainly going to fall in love with Olly. It’s almost certainly going to be a disaster.

~ “I was trying so hard to find the single pivotal moment that set my life on its path. The moment that answered the question, ‘How did I get here?’ But it’s never just one moment. It’s a series of them. And your life can branch out from each one in a thousand different ways. Maybe there’s a version of your life for all the choices you make and all the choices you don’t.” ~

Okay. I know what you’re thinking. Not another doomed teen romance. I usually shy away myself from this genre. I still tear up when I think of Love Story, by Erich Segal, and I have yet to read The Fault In Our Stars, by John Green. There was something about this though that piqued my interest, and it turns out this is another book I’m adding to my all-time favorite YA reads list.

Eighteen-year-old Madeline Whittier has been isolated in her home for just about her entire life. She has SCID, which means she’s basically allergic to everything. Because it’s too dangerous for her to venture outside, let alone have any visitors who could inadvertently bring in outside contaminants, her only friends have been her nurse Carla and her mom. Her father and brother were killed in a car accident when she was a baby which adds a further tragic undercurrent. She takes classes online and is occasionally visited by a private tutor who has to go through a complicated decontamination process each time he enters the house. While this is admittedly an odd and unrealistic arrangement, it works for setting up the premise of the story which details Madeline’s slow awakening to the outside world, her questioning of her potential role in it, and of course, first love.

One of the things I loved about Maddy is that she’s biracial (Japanese-American mother and African-American father) and falls in love with a slightly younger white boy. In addition Carla is a Mexican immigrant. While these elements don’t become driving forces behind the story, they add some nice layers to it. I alway enjoy seeing diversity in books, especially those written for children and YAs. 

The entire story is told from Maddy’s perspective. There are also plenty of drawings, doodles and email exchanges with Olly, which further bring her character to life. Interestingly, the illustrations are done by Daniel Yoon, Nicola’s husband and they’re so well done it made me feel even more like I was literally seeing things through Maddy’s eyes. Because of her isolation she’s lonely, yet never has felt sorry for herself. She has a loving relationship with her mother, who is also a doctor, and there are many touching moments between them. It isn’t until Olly moves in next door that Maddy begins to question if there could be something more to her life than being sequestered in her house. Because of her illness, Maddy is so different from the majority of us, yet she’s also someone we can relate to. A bookworm, her favorite novel is Antoine de Saint-Exupery’s The Little Prince which is a recurring theme throughout the book. Due to her situation, she’s a keen observer and immediately sees there’s far more to Olly than his original emo appearance suggests.

And then there’s Olly. It’s hard to even describe him. He has his own dysfunctional family issues he’s battling, yet despite this, or perhaps because if it, he’s drawn to the mysterious girl he glimpses through the window. He tenaciously persists in meeting her, and uses some imaginative and funny ways to go about doing so. I’ll never feel the same way about Bundt cake or handstands again! 

While this is almost a case of insta-love, it’s one of the few I didn’t find annoying. This is partly because the characters are so darn appealing, and also because it’s realistically portrayed. Immediately curious about each other, they first communicate by writing notes on their windows, progress to IM, and finally meet in person. I found myself hoping throughout the story that somehow, someway these two could find a way to be together because they are obviously meant for each other. 

There’s a plot twist about 3/4 of the way through that mixes things up. I’ll be honest and say if you choose to try this you’ll either love the ending or hate it. I happened to love it, although I wish there had been a little more exploration of the repercussions. 

Everything, Everything reminds me of a modern day interpretation of Rapunzel and Sleeping Beauty, only without evil fairies or witches.  If you like fairytale retellings, I highly recommend this. I also think older teens will gobble this up. I stress older, because there is a fairly passionate scene between Maddy and Olly that is probably a little too graphic for readers under the age of  fifteen or sixteen. There’s also quite a bit of profanity, mainly coming from Olly’s father. It’s entirely in keeping with his character, but it may be a bit much for younger readers.

This is a compelling read which I finished in less than two hours. My poor husband wandered into the room where I was reading a few times only to have me shush him and wave him away. Nicola Yoon has crafted a charming tale of not only love and loss, but also when it’s right to hold on, and when it’s time to let go. It will make you laugh, and if you’re like me it will also make you cry. It’s a story that will have you believing that maybe love can conquer all. And finally, this book and it’s characters will linger in your mind long after you finish the last page.