Book Review: Ensnared

After surviving a disastrous battle at prom, Alyssa has embraced her madness and gained perspective. She's determined to rescue her two worlds and the people and netherlings she loves. Even if it means challenging Queen Red to a final battle of wills and wiles . . . and even if the only way to Wonderland, now that the rabbit hole is closed, is through the looking-glass world--a parallel dimension filled with mutated and violent netherling outcasts. 

In the final installment of the wildly popular Splintered trilogy, Alyssa and her dad journey into the heart of magic and mayhem in search of her mom and to set right all that's gone wrong. Together with Jeb and Morpheus, they must salvage Wonderland from the decay and destruction that has ensnared it. But if they succeed and come out alive, can everyone truly have their happily ever after?   Quoted from Goodreads

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I have totally mixed feelings about this book.  In some ways I thoroughly enjoyed it. I think it's possibly the best book in the series, absolutely better than book two.  However, there are aspects of the ending that really bothered me and dampened my enjoyment somewhat.  I'll talk more about that later on in a special spoilers section.

First, what I liked. In a sort of twisted way, I enjoyed the world building.  You know with anything Wonderland related theres going to be a sense of the macabre, and A.G. Howard certainly brought it. Wonderland was strange and horrifying in it's madness, but the looking-glass world was worse.  It was even more cruel and strange than Wonderland, which is kind of needed for a for the final book in the series.  It was crazy and chaotic and delightfully imaginative in a gruesome but occasionally beautiful way.

Second, Morpheus. Or maybe he should be first. Yes, probably first. Seriously, I love him. He's by far the best character in the series (and yes, I am team Morpheus).  He's crazy, unique, confident, inventive, and best of all, he's totally manipulative.  That sounds horrible, and no, that's not what I look for in a boyfriend, but it still makes him my favorite character. He literally plots circles around everyone else, and you never guess exactly how his plan will play out. He always knows exactly what he's doing, and when an obstacle stands in his way, he finds a brilliant work around. He's loyal, and would do anything for Wonderland and Alyssa.  Plus, he perfectly embodies the madness that is Wonderland.

All in all, (besides my upcoming little spoiler-filled rant) this is a satisfying conclusion to an interesting trilogy. There's some good action sequences and a few great twists I absolutely loved.  I'm giving it a nice 3.5 stars because despite my issues, there is a lot of good stuff here.  I loved the twist on Wonderland and especially her ideas about dreams and imagination and how important they are.   

Okay, SPOILERS ahead, so considered yourself warned!

My issues.  If the author decides to put in a love triangle, I believe the main character should, at some point, be forced to choose one boy over the other.  I hate this whole I love you both equally, and so spends two separate lifetimes with each boy, so in the end everybody wins!  Uggggg. One mortal life with Jeb, and after he dies, she fakes her death and spends the rest of forever with Morpheus in Wonderland.  I hate it.  The whole point of a love triangle is the different options each boy offer, yes, but also the anguish of choice.  This, just like The Clockwork Princess, eliminates that and sort of put me off the whole series.  Of course, I am team Morpheus, so I liked that he ended up with her in the end, but if the author had written the book well and explained why Alyssa was better with Jeb/chose a life with him, I would have accepted that as a better ending than this whole "I can't choose, so magically I'll get to have you both garbage.  There.  Maybe you like the "everybody wins" scenario. If so,  this book might be perfect for you, but that aspect really wasn't my cup of tea.

And while I'm ranting, I have one more little thing/SPOILER to add that bothered me.  When Alyssa thinks Jeb has been killed, she tries to kill Morpheus  Again, he's my favorite, so it makes me mad on principle, but I thought it was horrible that she would do that.  I get being furious and heartbroken.  I get banishing him or choosing to never love him again, but not murder.  It's not like he stabbed Jeb in the back himself, and even if he had, sacrificing one person for a whole nation would sort of fit with his MO.  She knows he would do anything for Wonderland. I hated that she told him she loved him then tried to murder him without listening to any explanation in a land where your soul turns to dust.  It made me like her a lot less as a character, and sure, maybe the whole Jeb reveal was more powerful, but really, did anyone believe that he was dead at that point?  I mean, the cover gives the whole thing away, so it just made Alyssa into a horrible person.  Still, beyond my few issues (and it's always easer to rant rather than praise, unfortunate) this book does have some really good points, like . . . Morpheus. 

Book Review: Cruel Beauty

Graceling meets Beauty and the Beast in this sweeping fantasy about one girl's journey to fulfill her destiny and the monster who gets in her way-by stealing her heart.

Based on the classic fairy tale Beauty and the Beast, Cruel Beauty is a dazzling love story about our deepest desires and their power to change our destiny.

Since birth, Nyx has been betrothed to the evil ruler of her kingdom-all because of a foolish bargain struck by her father. And since birth, she has been in training to kill him.

With no choice but to fulfill her duty, Nyx resents her family for never trying to save her and hates herself for wanting to escape her fate. Still, on her seventeenth birthday, Nyx abandons everything she's ever known to marry the all-powerful, immortal Ignifex. Her plan? Seduce him, destroy his enchanted castle, and break the nine-hundred-year-old curse he put on her people.

But Ignifex is not at all what Nyx expected. The strangely charming lord beguiles her, and his castle-a shifting maze of magical rooms-enthralls her.
As Nyx searches for a way to free her homeland by uncovering Ignifex's secrets, she finds herself unwillingly drawn to him. Even if she could bring herself to love her sworn enemy, how can she refuse her duty to kill him? With time running out, Nyx must decide what is more important: the future of her kingdom, or the man she was never supposed to love.  Quoted from Goodreads

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Love this book.

Well, that pretty much covers it.  Beauty and the Beast is one of my all time favorite fairy tales.  Throw in Robin McKinley's Beauty and Disney's animated classic, and there's not a lot left for people to do that isn't embarrassingly derivative or just plane sub-par.  Still, between that amazing cover and the eternal hope of another classic take on the legend, and I was sold.

First off, the whole book just feels different.  The world is heavily based in Greek mythology (reminiscent of a Cupid and Psyche retelling instead of Beauty and the Beast), which lends a depth and texture to the world and the circumstances of Nyx's relationship with the Gentle Lord.  It's also not just purely Beauty and the Beast that the author taps into for her inspiration. We get shades of other, less well known fairy tales, such as Blue Beard, to round out the story.

What really helps distinguish this from other adaptions is Nyx herself.  To be perfectly blunt, she isn't all sweetness and goodness or even really gentle and kind.  She hates the bargain her father made, hates her sister for not taking her place, and hates herself for hating them.  At the same time, she's strong willed, brave, and selfless---the exact kind of character I love to read about.  She isn't timid or even really intimidated by her circumstances.  She makes things happen, and while she's not perfect by any stretch of the imagination, she's grounded and real.

And don't forget Ignifex (the Gentle Lord). He's evil incarnate in the beginning, so our "beast" isn't just a good person in an ugly body, but someone who actually does despicable things---but it isn't exactly as Nix is lead to believe.  I love Ignifex's  character.   He's charming and funny, witty and ruthless, full of broken pieces he doesn't even acknowledge.  To counterbalance this, we get Shade, Ignifex's shadow, who is everything Ignifex isn't but is full of his own desperate secrets. Yes, I'll admit, there is something resembling a love triangle for a small moment, but only for a moment . . . sort of.

So what this boils down to is this is not your basic fairy tale retelling. Yes, all the elements are there, but it never feels like a retelling.  This is a story whole and fresh in and of itself while sticking pretty faithfully to the Beauty and the Beast elements from the original fairy tale. So should you read it? Yes. Absolutely.  I'm giving it a strong 4.5 stars. It was everything I hoped for and more while being completely separate at the same time.  I can't wait to see what this debut author does next.

Book Review: Across the Star-Swept Sea

Centuries after wars nearly destroyed civilization, the two islands of New Pacifica stand alone, a terraformed paradise where even the Reduction—the devastating brain disorder that sparked the wars—is a distant memory. Yet on the isle of Galatea, an uprising against the ruling aristocrats has turned deadly. The revolutionaries’ weapon is a drug that damages their enemies’ brains, and the only hope is rescue by a mysterious spy known as the Wild Poppy.

On the neighboring island of Albion, no one suspects that the Wild Poppy is actually famously frivolous aristocrat Persis Blake. The teenager uses her shallow, socialite trappings to hide her true purpose: her gossipy flutternotes are encrypted plans, her pampered sea mink is genetically engineered for spying, and her well-publicized new romance with handsome Galatean medic Justen Helo… is her most dangerous mission ever.
Though Persis is falling for Justen, she can’t risk showing him her true self, especially once she learns he’s hiding far more than simply his disenchantment with his country’s revolution and his undeniable attraction to the silly socialite he’s pretending to love. His darkest secret could plunge both islands into a new dark age, and Persis realizes that when it comes to Justen Helo, she’s not only risking her heart, she’s risking the world she’s sworn to protect.  Quoted from Goodreads

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Love, love, love this book.  It's sort of the perfect storm of perfectness for me.  First, I adored Diana Peterfreund's For Darkness Shows the Stars (a dystopia retelling of Jane Austen's Persuasion), so this sequel/companion book would have been on my list regardless.  Then I found out it was a retelling of The Scarlet Pimpernel, and I was completely hooked.

Let's start with characters.  I loved them all.  Seriously, this book is full of well developed, interesting characters.  Not everyone is perfect; some have some pretty huge skeletons in their closets, but it just makes everything more interesting. The relationships are well developed, and there are a lot of relationships.  It's not just dealing with the boy meets girl romance angle, but we have relationships between siblings, parents, cousins, best friends, enemies, and the list goes on.  It makes the world seem real despite how different it is from our own. Plus while Persis and Justin are the main POVs, we also get perspectives from Justin's sister and cousin, who give us different viewpoints on the revolution.  Everyone's voice is distinct and rather essential to the story.

As for world-building, it's excellent. It's created on the same foundation as For Darkness Shows the Stars, but how New Pacifica handles everything is vastly different from it's predecessor.  We get a lot of fun, new technology and cures that come with their own sets of problems.

As for the action, it's paced similarly to it's source material.  It isn't all daring rescues, though we have several of those thrown in there.  But there are a lot of other issues going on that the author explores, like political conflict, social inequality, disease, hatred, etc. There's as much internal conflict as their is external, which kept me basically glued to the book while I was reading it.

As for the romance, I thought it was well developed.  It was fun seeing it from both Persis and Justin's POVs. You see why Justin would fall for the shallow girl Persis is pretending to be and why Persis likes Justin despite the serious reservations she has about his character. You know how the story goes, but I loved watching it develop and deepen despite all the lies they told each other.  I also enjoyed the story of Persis's parents and her best friend Isla's forbidden romance.

Really, this is a delightful book everyone needs to pick up.  It's a stand alone, though you would probably enjoy it more if you've read the first one simply because some of those characters show up half way through. It's got lies, secret identities, revolutions, intrigue, action, romance, brilliant characters . . . what more could you possibly want. I'm rating it a delightful 4.5 stars, and I hope Diana Peterfreund keeps writing more in this series.  It's exactly what I was looking for.

Oh, and you should check out her short prequel novella, The First Star to Fall.  It's free on Amazon and a great introduction to this world.

Book Review: The Madman's Daughter

In the darkest places, even love is deadly.

Sixteen-year-old Juliet Moreau has built a life for herself in London—working as a maid, attending church on Sundays, and trying not to think about the scandal that ruined her life. After all, no one ever proved the rumors about her father's gruesome experiments. But when she learns he is alive and continuing his work on a remote tropical island, she is determined to find out if the accusations are true.

Accompanied by her father's handsome young assistant, Montgomery, and an enigmatic castaway, Edward—both of whom she is deeply drawn to—Juliet travels to the island, only to discover the depths of her father's madness: He has experimented on animals so that they resemble, speak, and behave as humans. And worse, one of the creatures has turned violent and is killing the island's inhabitants. Torn between horror and scientific curiosity, Juliet knows she must end her father's dangerous experiments and escape her jungle prison before it's too late. Yet as the island falls into chaos, she discovers the extent of her father's genius—and madness—in her own blood.
Inspired by H. G. Wells's classic The Island of Dr. Moreau, The Madman's Daughter is a dark and breathless Gothic thriller about the secrets we'll do anything to know and the truths we'll go to any lengths to protect.  Quoted from Goodreads

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Oh, this book, this book.  It was utterly, gruesomely delightful.  I haven't read The Island of Dr. Moreau, so I can't use that as much of a reference, but it did remind me a lot of The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (the second book is inspired by this one), The Heart of Darkness, and Robinson Caruso, more in tone than content, though there are definitely parallels to each of those as well.

Really, everything was just very well done.  The writing was magnificent. The whole tone of the book screams Gothic thriller. It was haunting and dark, with the perfect blend of description and action.  It starts with a bang, but not the usual kind.  It's not a fight or a death or even a chase scene, but it grabs you right away, and the ending is even better.   There might be one or two slower spots in the middle, but because of the constant tension and mystery hovering over the story, I never really noticed.  It was one of those books I couldn't put down.

Plus Juliet Moreau is a fabulous main character.  She's spunky, brave, and intelligent, but never comes across as a modern person, which I absolutely abhor in historical fiction. It ruins the whole book for me. Juliet is put though a lot because of her father, but she still makes the best out of her situation and options.  She fights for what she wants, and I loved following her through the book. 

Her father is one of those characters you love to hate.  He's incredibly well done, and it's sort of heartbreaking the way Juliet clings to hope that he will be the father she remembered as a little girl and not the man who abandoned her and her mother.

Really, the only problem for me in this book was the love triangle. Yes, the love triangle strikes again.  It's not that I didn't understand Juliet's conflict. It's just that she was so utterly wishy-washy about the entire thing.  In one line she's thinking about Montgomery and one sentence later, she's on to Edward.  I get she's drawn to each of them for different reasons, but she went back and forth a bit too much for my liking.  Plus, with all the craziness going on around them, I would think love would take a bit more of a back burner.  Still, I'm glad the author included both of the love interests.  They each played a vital role, and I'm excited to see what happens in the second book.

All in all, this is definitely a book you need to check out. It's a strong 4 stars for me.  The atmosphere was haunting, the characters excellent, and the writing well done.  If you're looking for a fun Gothic thriller, you absolutely have to read this.

Theater Thursday: Romeo and Juliet

From http://www.movienewz.com/
romeo-and-juliet/

If any Shakespeare play can be claimed by young adults, Romeo and Juliet would be it.

Personally, I read it in eighth grade, and if you graduated high school without having to read it at one point, I'd be surprised.  There's something about the love story and the tragedy of it all that seems tailor-made for young adults. Now this story's been done over and over. If you go on IMDB there's one from 1936, 1954, 1955, 1968, 1996, and now 2013. That's not even counting retellings, such as West Side Story or Gnomeo and Juliet and others, which add their own special twist.  Still, there's part of me that's excited to see how this version plays out. I don't know if it will be any different from the 1968 version I watched in high school, but it will be fun to see how the actors interpret those oh so famous phrases.

Anyway, it's currently scheduled to come out 25 Oct. 2013, and I'm kind of excited.  October tends to be a slower month for movies, so I'll probably check it out.  All in all it looks like an excellent adaptation, and they have some excellent actors.  Check out the new trailer and tell me what you think.

Book Review: The Trouble With Flirting

Franny's supposed to be working this summer, not flirting. But you can't blame her when guys like Alex and Harry are around. . . .

Franny Pearson never dreamed she'd be attending the prestigious Mansfield Summer Theater Program. And she's not, exactly. She's working for her aunt, the resident costume designer. But sewing her fingers to the bone does give her an opportunity to spend time with her crush, Alex Braverman. If only he were as taken with the girl hemming his trousers as he is with his new leading lady.When Harry Cartwright, a notorious flirt, shows more than a friendly interest in Franny, she figures it can't hurt to have a little fun. But as their breezy romance grows more complicated, can Franny keep pretending that Harry is just a carefree fling? And why is Alex suddenly giving her those deep, meaningful looks? In this charming tale of mixed messages and romantic near-misses, one thing is clear: Flirting might be more trouble than Franny ever expected. Quoted from Goodreads

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Every once in a while, I just want to read a cute, straight up chick-flick contemporary romance, which makes The Trouble with Flirting just about perfect. Plus it's loosely based on Jane Austen's Mansfield Park, which is also an excellent book (I mean, it's Jane Austin, need I say more?).

I absolutely loved this adaption.  I enjoyed Claire LaZebnik's Epic Fail (a retelling of Pride and Prejudice) but I felt it followed the story a little too closely.  Don't get me wrong, it's a classic for a reason, but it made the book just a little too predictable for me.  Mostly I wanted to see how she would modernize a particular scene or idea (like the horror of Lydia's elopement).  The Trouble with Flirting takes all the bones of Mansfield Park and creates a completely different creature, and I loved it.  I loved how it was set at an acting camp and how all the major characters were there, but then she twisted everything in a way that kept things unpredictable.  I won't tell you exactly how she twists the story, but I sort of love what she did with it.

I also really liked Franny (of course, the author had to change her name. I mean, Fanny?  Can you imagine?).  She was smart, rather sarcastic, hard working, with a good voice, and her own insecurities that make up who she is. She wasn't perfect but she was good and sincere and owned up when she made mistakes.  She's the kind of person you could absolutely be friends with.

Then there's her two love interests. I've read Mansfield Park, seen the movie, so it should have been obvious who I was supposed to cheer for, right? But she did such a good job of painting the two characters.  I started totally Team Alex. I mean, he's the equivalent of Edmund in the book, so no brainer.  But then I started to fall in love with Harry.  He was funny, sweet, and a maybe a little overly dramatic and a huge flirt, but I loved reading about him, and I adore what Claire LaZebnik did with both of their very different characters.

But it's not just a book about one girl and two boys.  There are a whole handful of other characters I found to be a lot of fun.  I liked seeing which characters stayed true to Mansfield Park and which were totally different.  For example, I loved how Mrs. Norris, re-imagined as Franny's costume designer aunt, is redeemed   She's still a bit harsh and follow the rules, but she's also a rather sympathetic character by the end.

Basically this is a light, fun, cute book, absolutely a 4 star contemporary romance, and just what I was looking for.  If you like Jane Austen retold or just funny moments and quirky characters, you need to check this out (just ignore the cover.  I don't really thing it's doing the book any sort of service, and it was a much cuter story than the cover portrays).

Flashback Friday: The Bronze Bow

He trains my hands for war, so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.–from the Song of David (2 Samuel 22:35) 

The Bronze Bow, written by Elizabeth George Speare (author of The Witch of Blackbird Pond) won the Newbery Medal in 1962. This gripping, action-packed novel tells the story of eighteen-year-old Daniel bar Jamin—a fierce, hotheaded young man bent on revenging his father’s death by forcing the Romans from his land of Israel. Daniel’s palpable hatred for Romans wanes only when he starts to hear the gentle lessons of the traveling carpenter, Jesus of Nazareth. 

A fast-paced, suspenseful, vividly wrought tale of friendship, loyalty, the idea of home, community . . . and ultimately, as Jesus says to Daniel on page 224: “Can’t you see, Daniel, it is hate that is the enemy? Not men. Hate does not die with killing. It only springs up a hundredfold. The only thing stronger than hate is love.” A powerful, relevant read in turbulent times. Quoted from Goodreads

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This is an absolutely beautiful book. I first read it when I was probably about twelve, right after The Witch of Blackbird Pond, and loved it.  Then it sort of fell to the back of my mind for years and years until my mom chose it for her book club and invited me to come along--two hours before it started.  Frantically I read it again.  At first I was just going to skim it to refresh myself on characters, story, etc.  But once I started reading, I couldn't just skim.  I'd forgotten how much I loved the characters and the message of this story.  

Honestly, this book has everything you might be looking for in a story.   Adventure, rebellion, hatred, revenge, forbidden love, dynamic characters, and personal growth.  The story is told from Daniel's point of view, a Jew during the time of Christ, who absolutely despises the Romans.  At times, you can almost taste his hatred, it's so palpable, but he's so much more than just hate and revenge.  He cares for his sister and friends, and when he meets Jesus, you can feel the conflict tearing at him as he tries to reconcile what he wants with what his heart is telling him.

I love Elizabeth George Speare.  I've read at least four of her books that I remember, and each one is beautifully written.  I think the Witch of Blackbird Pond is the most famous because it doesn't deal with religion like The Bronze Bow, or at least not so blatantly.  But I don't think that's all this book is.  Yes there is a message of peace, faith, and forgiveness that is applicable today, but it's also a fantastic coming of age story and look into the time period.  

This book is absolutely 5 stars for me. It's simple enough for a child to understand, but it has a timeless, ageless quality about it, and I found myself loving it years after I read it the first time.  It has a little bit of everything in it that makes a good novel.  It has a great message without feeling preachy, and a wonderful adventure that keeps you turning pages until the very end.

Book Review: For Darkness Shows the Stars

It's been several generations since a genetic experiment gone wrong caused the Reduction, decimating humanity and giving rise to a Luddite nobility who outlawed most technology.

Elliot North has always known her place in this world. Four years ago Elliot refused to run away with her childhood sweetheart, the servant Kai, choosing duty to her family's estate over love. Since then the world has changed: a new class of Post-Reductionists is jumpstarting the wheel of progress, and Elliot's estate is foundering, forcing her to rent land to the mysterious Cloud Fleet, a group of shipbuilders that includes renowned explorer Captain Malakai Wentforth--an almost unrecognizable Kai. And while Elliot wonders if this could be their second chance, Kai seems determined to show Elliot exactly what she gave up when she let him go.

But Elliot soon discovers her old friend carries a secret--one that could change their society . . . or bring it to its knees. And again, she's faced with a choice: cling to what she's been raised to believe, or cast her lot with the only boy she's ever loved, even if she's lost him forever.

Inspired by Jane Austen's "Persuasion," "For Darkness Shows the Stars" is a breathtaking romance about opening your mind to the future and your heart to the one person you know can break it.  Quoted from Goodreads

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If you discount Pride and Prejudice, which I grew up with and have all sorts of warm, gushy feelings towards and can't quite separate from my early adolescence enough to be objective, Persuasion is my favorite of all Jane Austin's novels.  Then Dianna Peterfreund decided to turn it into a dystopia/scifi retelling.  It could have gone both ways, I suppose, but I loved it.

If you've read Persuasion, the plot of For Darknes Shows the Stars should be familiar.  And it is. But it is different enough that you still have to keep reading.  Plus the amazing world building! I love a new, creative world or concept, and for me, this one had that in spades. Its such a delightful mix of new vs. old, and convenience vs. fear.

The characters themselves are also different, while retaining a similar dynamic.  For example, Kai is more resentful of Elliot than Persuasion's Captain Wentworth, but then, he's a eighteen-year-old boy instead of a thirty-plus-year-old man, so it makes sense.  And he absolutely has his sweet moments, so no worries.  You still fall in love with him, but his pain and resentment is more apparent. Then there's Elliot's father.  He isn't the vein, delusional peacock that he was in Persuasion.  He's still arrogant and superior, but he's more vindictive and power hungry.  

Elliot herself is strong, determined, and loyal.  I love her inner struggle between everything she was raised to believe and the new world introduced with the arrival of the Cloud Fleet.  The poor girl has so many moral debates on top of her ever-present heartbreak and the burden of managing an estate, that you can't help but feel for her.  Plus, she tries to be so good to the people under her and shield them from the bitter whims of her father.

As far as the writing goes, it's beautiful and descriptive, bringing the world to life.  Personally, I couldn't put it down, but I know people that thought the first half was a bit slow.  Again, I didn't have a problem, and by the time you get half way through the book, you have to keep going til the end.  Diana Peterfreund alternates between chapters set in the present and letters from Elliot and Kai's past.  I found them a fun way to learn more about their childhood relationship and the way they fell in love.

So, should you read this book?  Yes.  Absolutely. More if you love Persuasion.  It is a lovely four stars for me.  I love the world and the characters.  I love the plot, and think Peterfreund did an excellent job of capturing the spirit of the story while changing it enough to keep it interesting.

Flashback Friday: Daddy-Long-Legs

I have decided every Friday to highlight a book I read a long time ago.  Most of the books I've posted about have either a) come out in the last little bit or b) I just read in the last month, but there are so many other amazing books that I have enjoyed over the years. Thus I have created Flashback Friday, where each week I will review a book from back in the day. This week is the inimitable Daddy-Long-Legs.

Jerusha Abbott has grown up in the John Grier Home for orphans. As the oldest, she is in charge of the younger children. An anonymous benefactor on the Board, "Mr. Smith," decides to send her to college, as long as she writes to him faithfully detailing her education. Through a series of letters Jerusha writes to "Daddy-Long-Legs," a relationship filled with affection and respect develops . . .  

 Originally published in 1912, Jean Webster's coming-of-age tale continues to be relevant to young women today.  Quoted from Goodreads

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I love, love, love this book.  The author is funny, descriptive, and created in Judy an amazing character.  I don't usually like books written in letter form, but this one really is absolutely amazing. Case in point, I picked up this book before I started this review to read a couple of key scenes and re-associate myself with the writing style, main character, etc. I couldn't put it down.  Seriously, there is a little voice inside my head that keeps whispering, "Write later. Read now." And the really pathetic part about it all is that I re-read this book about three months ago.  Yes, three months!  So it hasn't even been very long since I last read it.  That is how good it is.

First there is Judy, the poor orphan who is fortunate enough to be sent to collage by the mysterious "Mr. Smith," aka Daddy-Long-Legs.  She is hilarious.  Her letters are so full of life and humor you can't help but fall in love with her. Plus, she was an orphan, stuck in a home with very limited exposure to the outside world, which makes her voice perfect for reading today.  Everything is a new, fresh adventure the reader gets to experience with her.

Then there is the setting.  I realize that this book actually was written as a contemporary piece of fiction, but since it was first written 100 years ago exactly, it serves more as a window to the past. I love the feeling of what life was like back then.  I mean, the Titanic sunk, World War I was on the horizon, and everything was changing.  This is a look at the small, daily life of one person.  It's fun to see the differences between college now and college then, the attitudes of people, and little details that are taken for granted in the book and utterly foreign to me now.  It's better even then historical fiction, because it isn't someone today imposing what they think on the past.  It's absolutely genuine.

Plus there is romance.  I know that is important to some people, so I want to reassure you. It is quite sweet watching Judy fall in love.

This book is absolutely 5 stars.  It is one of those books I have read a dozen times, and I still love it. If you like Anne of Green Gables, Little Women, or Little House on the Prairie, this is an absolutely must read.  Here's a quote from the book just to give you a taste of how amazing it is.

When I think about you, my imagination has very little to work upon. There are just three things that I know:
       I. You are tall.
      II. You are rich.
     III. You hate girls.
I suppose I might call you Dear Mr. Girl-Hater. Only that's sort of insulting to me. Or. Dear Mr. Rich-Man, but that's insulting you you, as though money were the only important thing about you. Besides, being rich is such a very external quality. Maybe you won't stay rich all your life; lots of very cleaver men get smashed up in Wall Street. But at least you will stay tall all your life! So I've decided to call you Dear Daddy-Long-Legs. I hope you won't mind. It's just a private pet name---we won't tell Mrs. Lippett.

P.S. There are 150 different versions of this book on Goodreads, and you can look at all the different covers, yet they don't have the cover that is sitting next to me. Neither does Google Images. It's very aggravating.

P.P.S. Fun fact about Jean Webster.  She is actually Mark Twain's niece.  Great writing obviously runs in the family.

Move over Jane Austen!

I thought today we'd start with an oldie, but goodie.  And contrary to what this title may suggest, I will not be reviewing Pride and Prejudice.  I figure that if multiple movies, book spin-offs, and hordes of raving fans have not already convinced you to read that book, then there is no way that I ever will.
However, the book up for review today is in the same vein as Pride and Prejudice.  Today we are going to review Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre.

For those of you unfamiliar with the storyline of the book, here is a quick re-cap:  Jane Eyre is an orphaned governess who goes to work for the wealthy Mr. Rochester at Thornfield Manor.  There, Jane is in charge of Mr. Rochester's ward Adele.  In the course of her job, she meets and falls in love with Mr. Rochester, but the mysterious gentleman has a few well-kept secrets that not only serve for bone-chilling suspense, but act as a stumbling block for Jane & Mr. Rochester's ever being together.

This book puts the "R" in Romance, is incredibly well written, and has several fabulous plot twists.  However, it is read so much less than it deserves to be. As I've been preparing this post, I've tried to come up with some reasons why Jane has been so neglected, and I think I've stumbled upon a few reasons:

1) Many potential readers of this book have seen a movie version of Jane Eyre.  Because the author describes Jane as plain (get it, "Plain Jane"?), and Mr. Edward Rochester as athletic but not very handsome, any Jane Eyre movie is very hard to cast.  Call me shallow, but most people want to watch a movie where the main characters are at least good-looking, and if they can't be good-looking, at least be highly charismatic.  As a result, I personally don't think that any of the movies do it justice, and do not beckon any viewer to want to pick the book up.

Solution:  That's the beauty of books!  You get to imagine them just as you want, and if you are like my sister, then you can imagine them both beautiful if that's what it takes for you to get excited about their romance.

(And if you do decide to ever watch the movie, I have finally found one fantastic remake.  Simply google "Jane Eyre 2011" and you will stumble upon your next chic flick.)

2) The book starts off sooooo slow.  To be honest, though I have read Jane Eyre multiple times, I've never read the first part where Jane is in the orphanage.  And guess what?  I still understand the book.  My advice?  Skip the first of the book and start off when Jane is going to Thornfield.  All you need to know about the first part is that Jane has an aunt and three cousins who don't like her, and therefore sent her to an orphanage where she was badly mistreated.  There.

There you have it, folks.  I definitely rate this book as a 5/5, and hope that, should you read it, you thoroughly enjoy it!  I predict it will be one of those that, once read, you will wonder why you never picked it up sooner.

Do you like this book, yes or no?  Leave me a comment, let me know what you think!