Review: Sisters of the Winter Wood by Rene Rossner

Title: Sisters of the Winter Wood Written by: Rene Rossner Published: September 2018 by Redhook (Hachette Books) (Amazon / Goodreads) Synopsis: Raised in a small village surrounded by vast forests, Liba and Laya have lived a peaceful sheltered life - even if they've heard of troubling times for Jews elsewhere. When their parents travel to visit their dying grandfather, the sisters are left behind in their home in the woods.  But before they leave, Liba discovers the secret that their Tati can transform into a bear, and their Mami into a swan. Perhaps, Liba realizes, the old fairy tales are true. She must guard this secret carefully, even from her beloved sister.  Soon a troupe of mysterious men appear in town and Laya falls under their spell-despite their mother's warning to be wary of strangers. And these are not the only dangers lurking in the woods...  The sisters will need each other if they are to become the women they need to be - and save their people from the dark forces that draw closer.

I love new YA fantasies, unique retellings, and books about sisters so this one was right in my wheelhouse. And while this was an interesting read that finished really strong, I didn’t love it as much as I had hoped.

One thing I did love about this book was the world and setting. One of my favorite things is finding a modern book that reads like a classic fairy tale and that is exactly what this book was. It had so many elements that I have come to know and love with fairy tales including a dark wood full of secrets, magical transformations, and dubious characters. I particularly loved the setting. A dark and mysterious woods makes for such a great location for a story like this. The secrets lurking in the woods made for an atmospheric read. And the magic added to all of that. What I liked about the magic was that despite the fact that it was subtle, there clear rules and seeing the magic in action interested me. All of this worked together to craft an engaging setting for the book.

The other interesting thing about the setting for this book was the historical elements. It wasn’t really historical fiction but it did a great job of dealing with historical context and still making it feel topical. This is a book about Jewish culture and it explored what that was like from a historical standpoint. Jews were often distrusted by non-Jews and this book didn’t shy away from that. It showed some of the discrimination that Jewish people felt in Medieval times. But it also explored The Jewish religion on the whole. I can’t speak to the representation but I found it interesting to learn more about Judaism and I appreciated that aspect of this book.

The plot and pacing however, left me wanting more. It’s not that the plot was bad. In fact it did really finish strong by building to a really exciting conclusion. The thing is that the first half of this book took me a week to read and the second half took me a day. It just took so long for this book to capture my interest. I think perhaps that is because in the first half there was so much more of a focus on the romance. And you all probably know I am not typically a fan of romances. With this one I felt like one of them was a really good slowburn with a solid foundation and the other one was a ridiculous instalove that creeped me out. Luckily in the end everything shook out the way I was hoping but as the romance too center stage I felt like it was taking away from the part of the story I was actually enjoying including the relationship with the sisters.

I know this a retelling of the epic poem The Goblin Market, which I am not familiar with, and it made me curious about the poem which I think is the mark of a good retelling. But to me it had more Snow White and Rose Red vibes to it. That was one of my favorite fairy tales when I was a kid and I felt like from that standpoint I enjoyed the retelling. The reason I say that is because I felt like it had a good spin on the idea of the magical transformation and finding out that a character is royalty. It made for a good feminist story in that respect. But the best part of the retelling that I enjoyed was the relationship between the sisters. As an older sister myself I love reading books about sisters who are very different but still care so much about one another. It was a great aspect of the story added a lot of heart to the book I think.

This was definitely a good read with an atmospheric world that gave it a modern fairy tale vibes, a subtle historical setting, a retelling that had me interested in the original, and a good sisterly relationship. I just wish that it was a little shorter and the romance in the beginning didn’t take so much of the focus.

I give Sisters of the Winter Wood by Rene Rossner 8 out of 10 stars

Buy/Borrow/Bypass: Borrow. I would recommend this book to fans of modern fairy tales like Uprooted and The Bear and the Nightingale. It’s a good atmospheric read for people who look those book.

Have you read Sisters of Winter Wood? What did you think? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!

Review: Boneless Mercies by April Geneviee Tucholke

Title: Boneless Mercies Written by: April Genvieve Tucholke  Published: October 8, 2018 by Farrar Straus Giroux (Macmillan) (Amazon / Goodreads) Synopsis: A dark standalone YA fantasy about a band of mercenary girls in search of female glory. Frey, Ovie, Juniper, and Runa are the Boneless Mercies—girls hired to kill quickly, quietly, and mercifully. But Frey is weary of the death trade and, having been raised on the heroic sagas of her people, dreams of a bigger life.  When she hears of an unstoppable monster ravaging a nearby town, Frey decides this is the Mercies' one chance out. The fame and fortune of bringing down such a beast would ensure a new future for all the Mercies. In fact, her actions may change the story arc of women everywhere.

This book was a really solid meh for me. I had heard some mixed reviews but my friend Michelle who never reads fantasy actually liked it so when I needed something new to read I let Twitter decide and this one was the winner. But, I just don’t think it was my kind of read.

For one thing, this is a character driven fantasy. Much of the book is about the characters hunt for glory and then deciding where they should go and what they should do to fight for themselves and for others. A lot of people love that sort of thing but I do not. I don’t like travel and only in rare cases do I like when the characters drive the plot. This was not one of those cases. It felt like an incredibly slow read for me. Now don’t get me wrong, there was plenty of fights and pretty high stakes but it felt like I had to wait entirely too long to get to those parts. The book definitely built to an exciting climax but by that point I was just skimming to get to the battle scenes.

I’m also surprised that I didn’t like the characters more than I did. A band of female assassin’s! How could they be anything but amazing. And yeah, they were pretty badass. And yes, they kicked ass and took names. And the sisterhood and teamwork between them and some of the other female characters we meet along the way was amazing. But as individuals I just didn’t connect with them. I didn’t feel why Frey wanted glory. Hell, I even forgot her name at one point in the book. If you are going to have a character-driven novel to enjoy it, you really have to enjoy the characters and I didn’t.

On thing I did love however was the world. It’s a really atmospheric world that is perfect for the fall. Tucholke’s writing pulls you in and the locations come to life in your mind. I could perfectly picture the sea breezes and the witches that inhabited their shore. I could see the fields of reads and the women who lived and wrecked havoc among them. I could see the monsters and creatures that inhabited the woods and mountains. It is one of those fantasies that is visually beautiful. The world is inspired by Scandinavian culture and myth and that’s a setting I really enjoy so this book really checked all the boxes in that respect.

The other really interesting thing about this book is that it is a Beowulf retelling. A genderbent Beowulf retelling. I love a genderbent retelling. However, I have not read Beowulf so I can’t really speak to the book on that level. I’m curious what fans of the epic poem think about this book. It did kind of make me want to read that, so I guess that is something.

All in all, this was only an okay book for me. I loved the world but I found the plot a little too slow and I didn’t connect with the characters, which made the book all the more challenging because it’s a character-driven narrative.

I give Boneless Mercies by April Genevieve Tucholke 7.5 out of 10 stars

Buy/Borrow/Bypass: Borrow. Maybe this is just a book for people who aren’t big fantasy fans, or maybe it is a book for people who like a slower more atmospheric read. I know some people really liked it so it is probably just one of those hit or miss kind of reads.

Have you read Boneless Mercies? What did you think? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!

Review: Blanca & Roja by Anna-Marie McLemore

Title: Blanca and Roja Written by: Anna-Marie McLemore Published: October 9, 2018 by Feiwel and Friends (Macmillan) (Amazon / Goodreads) Synopsis: The biggest lie of all is the story you think you already know.  The del Cisne girls have never just been sisters; they’re also rivals, Blanca as obedient and graceful as Roja is vicious and manipulative. They know that, because of a generations-old spell, their family is bound to a bevy of swans deep in the woods. They know that, one day, the swans will pull them into a dangerous game that will leave one of them a girl, and trap the other in the body of a swan.  But when two local boys become drawn into the game, the swans’ spell intertwines with the strange and unpredictable magic lacing the woods, and all four of their fates depend on facing truths that could either save or destroy them. Blanca & Roja is the captivating story of sisters, friendship, love, hatred, and the price we pay to protect our hearts.

I have read and loved every one of Anna-Marie MacLemore's books. I was really excited to learn that she was writing a book based on Snow White and Rose Red, a fairy tale I always loved as a girl. This book was beautiful, and heart-breaking, and enthralling, and amazing.

First and foremost this was an amazing retelling. As I said, I loved the story of Snow White and Rose Red as a kid. I was really impressed with the way that McLemore interpreted and modernized the story. She gave even more magic and wonder with the story and still made it feel very current with an LGBTQIA character and making it about identity. But the retelling also went deeper with elements from The Six Swans and the Ugly Duckling. You would think with all these fairy tales working together it would be confusing and muddled but instead it made for something different and unique.

I think it all worked together because of the plot of this book. It's one of those books that I would call a modern fairy tale. It feels like a classic story but is something new and all it's own. I wouldn't say that the stakes are particularly high in this book but you are still invested in the stakes. McLemore draws you in and before you even realize you are terrified by what will happen to the characters and when bad things do happen you are heartbroken and still so entertained.

What really drew me in however is the characters. This one of those books with multiple perspectives which added a lot to the story. The main two perspectives of course are the titular characters of Blanca and Roja. The character I initially connected with Roja. She's the fiery and independent sister who is tough and emotional. But I also really enjoyed Blanca. She's the sweet and caring sister, but just as tough. Throughout the book the sisters are exploring the idea of who they are versus who other people want them to be, a theme I really enjoy. The sisters are very empathetic not because of who they are independently, but who they are together. The heart of this story is the love that the sisters have for each other. They would do anything for the other person and because they are in conflict it adds to misunderstanding and some really emotional moments.

But that is just the beginning for the characters. Interspersed with their perspectives were their love interests, Yearling and Page. Both of them are just as complex and are dealing with just as many struggles with their identity as the girls. This is the most noticeable with Page, a non-binary trans person. McLemore always does a great job with LGBTQIA rep and this book was no exception. I liked the way she changed pronouns when characters were referring to Page and thought it did a great job with exploring their identity.

But I think what I liked most about this book was the magic. McLemore is a master of Magical Realism. I have read all four of her books and they each have such different and such engaging magical worlds. First you had the curse of the del Cisne girls which in and of itself would have interesting enough but then you had the magic of the forest and how it affected Yearling and Page. I usually like my magic to go big or go home but here it was subtle and it worked so well. it drew you into the world and it made it feel more magical and fantastical like anything was possible. It raised the stakes and drew the reader into the story.

On the whole, I think this really was an amazing book. It has stuck with me long after finishing it and has proven just how good Anna-Marie McLemore is at writing Magical Realism and diverse characters. I think this may have just become my favorite book by her and that is saying something.

I give Blanca and Roja by Anna-Marie McLemore 9.5 out of 10 stars

Buy/Borrow/Bypass: Buy. Definitely pick up this book. It's beautifully written full of magic, great characters, and an enthralling plot which is a great retelling. If you like Magical Realism or fairy tale retellings then check this out.

Have you read Blanca & Roja? What did you think? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!

Review: The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein by Kiersten White

Title: The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein Written by: Kiersten White Published: September 25, 2018 by Delacorte (Random House) (Amazon / Goodreads) Synopsis: Elizabeth Lavenza hasn't had a proper meal in weeks. Her thin arms are covered with bruises from her "caregiver," and she is on the verge of being thrown into the streets . . . until she is brought to the home of Victor Frankenstein, an unsmiling, solitary boy who has everything--except a friend.  Victor is her escape from misery. Elizabeth does everything she can to make herself indispensable--and it works. She is taken in by the Frankenstein family and rewarded with a warm bed, delicious food, and dresses of the finest silk. Soon she and Victor are inseparable.  But her new life comes at a price. As the years pass, Elizabeth's survival depends on managing Victor's dangerous temper and entertaining his every whim, no matter how depraved. Behind her blue eyes and sweet smile lies the calculating heart of a girl determined to stay alive no matter the cost . . . as the world she knows is consumed by darkness.

I was really looking forward to reading this book. Not only did I love Kiersten’s series about a genderbent Vlad the Impaler, but I usually love Frankenstein retellings. And while I liked this book, I wasn’t completely blown away by it.

One thing I will say is that I thought it was a really good retelling. It’s sometimes hard to do retellings that are close to the original and still different enough to feel new and creative but this book managed to do that. It’s been awhile since I read Frankenstein but after a quick refresher I really like the way Kiersten spun the book. I liked being able to see the book from Elizabeth’s perspective because we get to see a perspective that we don’t get in the original novel. But I also really liked the spin on the themes of the original. It also addressed the idea of science playing god and who really is a monster. I love those themes in my books and enjoyed it here.

The other thing that I really think this book did well is the characters. If you are going to take a book about monsters and what makes a monster obviously you are going to have some odious and complex characters. So many of the characters were vicious and terrible people win self-centered motives. If you like unlikable characters then Kiersten White is the author for you. The thing is however she makes them sympathetic. I really loved what she did with Elizabeth. She makes some pretty awful decisions throughout the book and it leads some pretty serious consequences but you still root for her. That to me is the mark of a good character.

As far as the setting, it had a good historical fiction feel to it but it was subtle. It is one of those books that shows you the inequality that women were faced with at the time but it didn’t don’t with beating its message over your head. You can tell that Kiersten did her research on some of the ways women were treated and oppressed in and out of marriage but that wasn’t really what the book was about. It was just one thing that added to the setting and tone of the book.

The only thing I didn’t totally love was the plot development and pacing. Now I’m not saying that it was uninteresting, it was just kind of slow for me. This is not a very long book but it still took me about five days to read it. It stuck pretty closely to the original novel and then towards the end it veered off on it’s own direction which is totally fine. It was just a much more character-driven read than I usually prefer. It’s not a fault of the book, just not something that I typically enjoy.

All in all this was a really good read. It was a creative retelling, complex and sympathetic unlikable character, and an interesting historical setting. In enjoyed it but it wasn't exactly what I was hoping for.

I give The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein by Kiersten White 8 out of 10 stars

Buy/Borrow/Bypass: Borrow. I think fans of retellings would probably like this one especially if you like Frankenstein or are looking a character-driven retelling check this out.

Have you read The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein? What did you think? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!

Audiobook Review: Circe by Madeline Miller

Title: Circe Written by: Madeline Miller Published: April 10, 2018 by Lee Bordeaux Books (Amazon / Goodreads) Synopsis: In the house of Helios, god of the sun and mightiest of the Titans, a daughter is born. But Circe is a strange child--not powerful, like her father, nor viciously alluring like her mother. Turning to the world of mortals for companionship, she discovers that she does possess power--the power of witchcraft, which can transform rivals into monsters and menace the gods themselves. Threatened, Zeus banishes her to a deserted island, where she hones her occult craft, tames wild beasts and crosses paths with many of the most famous figures in all of mythology, including the Minotaur, Daedalus and his doomed son Icarus, the murderous Medea, and, of course, wily Odysseus. But there is danger, too, for a woman who stands alone, and Circe unwittingly draws the wrath of both men and gods, ultimately finding herself pitted against one of the most terrifying and vengeful of the Olympians. To protect what she loves most, Circe must summon all her strength and choose, once and for all, whether she belongs with the gods she is born from, or the mortals she has come to love.

I loved The Song for Achilles and when I heard the author was coming out with a new book that had a Greek mythology retelling to it, I was so excited! I'm a big fan of mythology and was interested to see Miller's take on one of the more intriguing characters in The Odyssey. And this book was just as fantastic and engaging.

One of the things that Madeline Miller does so well is develop complex and engaging characters. In this book she does a great job in making Circe sympathetic. We get to see her from her birth to the ending of her exile on the island where you meet her in The Odyssey and everything in between.I wasn't really familiar with Circe's background and I really liked learning more about her and how she became to be the character I know. She definitely doesn't have an easy life. Her family treats her terribly, and the first person she ever loved didn't really love her back. So when she ends up being exiled living a secluded life where she is distrustful of others. Despite the fact that she often makes very bad, sometimes selfish, decisions you still end up rooting for her and that to is the mark of good characterization.

Much of the book is about Circe and her development so liking her as a character was really important. This is not as gut0wrenching or emotional as The Song for Achilles and I think that's because the way it ends is very different. It kind of feels uplifting in a weird way. The narrative of this book was much more character-driven than plot-driven. I wouldn't call this a coming-of-age story or a villain origin story because oddly it is both and neither. It's more a "the life and times" of a character who you probably don't know that well. And getting to know her was part of the books charm. I usually prefer plot-driven but Miller does a great job in weaving an interesting story. Her writing is beautiful and lyrical and draws the reader into the story and captures your imagination.

But I think my favorite thing about this book is how much mythology it weaves into the story. I loved the retelling angle of The Song of Achilles but with that book it had kind of a narrow focus. We really only tackled on Classic story. With this book there were multiple stories that were delved into and explored from different angles and perspectives. I didn't realize how connected Circe and her family was to stories I am very familiar with like Theseus and the Minotaur and The Quest for the Golden Fleece. I knew how she played into The Odyssey but I didn't know her role in the life of Odysseus after The Odyssey. All of this was explored in this book and I loved learning about it. If you are like me and you enjoy Greek Mythology, this is an amazing book to see those stories from different angles.

The amount of mythology that this book delved into also led to a vast array of secondary characters and all them were just as interesting and engaging as Circe. Her family was incredibly fascinating and their relationship, while awful, was one of the things I liked about the book. Her siblings were just awful but I really liked every time they were mentioned. Particularly her sister Pasiphae who was just the worst in the best possible way. But I think that was the case for a lot of the characters. I think a lot of them were really complex in that they were against Circe and you rooted for her and against them. And even the nice characters weren't all completely good which made them all the more interesting.

On the whole this was a great read. It drew you in with beautiful writing and an engaging character-driven story with characters that you were rooting for. I listened to the audiobook and it was amazing. I grabbed it for a road trip but even when I got home from the trip I still wanted to listen.

I give Circe by Madeline Miller 9 out of 10 stars

Buy/Borrow/Bypass: Buy. If you love Greek Mythology or are looking for a character-driven read that has great character development and beautiful writing then I definitely recommend it. it's very different from The Song for Achilles but if you liked that book, I think you will enjoy this one as well.

Have you read Circe? What did you think? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!

Book Review: The Afterlife of Holly Chase by Cynthia Hand

Title: The After Life of Holly Chase Written by: Cynthia Hand Published: October 24, 2017 by HarperTeen (HarperCollins) (Amazon / Goodreads) Synopsis: On Christmas Eve five years ago, Holly was visited by three ghosts who showed her how selfish and spoiled she'd become. They tried to convince her to mend her ways. She didn't. And then she died. Now she's stuck working for the top-secret company Project Scrooge--as the latest Ghost of Christmas Past. Every year, they save another miserly grouch. Every year, Holly stays frozen at seventeen while her family and friends go on living without her. So far, Holly's afterlife has been miserable. But this year, everything is about to change. . . .

When I heard there was a modern retelling of A Christmas Carol I was totally interested. And then my TBTB Secret Santa got me a copy so I threw caution to the wind and decided to read it for the holidays. And I’m glad I did because this was a fun and interesting retelling and the perfect Christmas read.

What I loved about this book is that it was a retelling that knew it was a retelling. That sounds really weird, but trust me, this book was super meta. There were all kinds of layers to this story. First, you had the basics of Project Scrooge which brought the classic story into the modern era. That in and of itself was kind of cool. I liked the way that they broke everything down for you about the story and the characters. It’s been ages since I read or saw A Christmas Carol so it was a nice refresher. But on top of that you had Holly and her development as a former Scrooge which added more to the story.

However, I do think that the nature of the world building wasn’t my favorite. It was definitely a tell instead of a shoe sort of thing. There was a lot of info dumps about A Christmas Carol and how it all fit into the modern version of it. I get why they explained it that way but that’s not my favorite. But I will say, I don’t think this book was heavy-handed. It very easily could have been one of those books with a message that hit you over the head with what it’s trying to tell you about humanity but it didn’t do that at all.

Part of why I think that was the case is the characters. This book had some super interesting and complex characters. First and foremost is the titular Holly Chase. Holly is one of those unlikeable characters who has great development. At the beginning of the book you really hate her. She’s a terrible person and you kind of feel like she gets what is coming to her. But by the end you are cheering for her to succeed. The author does a great job of not only developing her throughout the book but making her sympathetic even when she is at her worst. There were also some good secondary characters. For many of them there was more than meets the eye. But I am being entirely honest, the real star here is definitely Holly.

Plus the great thing about this book is that it is a fast and fun story. It sounds weird to say that about a book based on A Christmas Carol but it kind of is. It had a good flow to it. I cruised through it, starting it on Christmas Eve and finishing it in just a few days despite all the family gatherings and holiday events. My mom even marveled at the fact that a day later I was half finished with the book. But I really wanted to keep reading. Ever chance I got I read a chapter or two. It’s the kind of book you could totally read in a weekend or even just a day.

All in all, The Afterlife of Holly Chase was a great read. It was an engaging and meta retelling, had complex and interesting characters, and a good pacing. I know the holidays are passed but this is a great read for this time of year.

I give The Afterlife of Holly Chase by Cynthia Hand 8.5 out of 10 stars

Buy/Borrow/Bypass: Buy/Borrow. I really enjoyed this. If you like retellings or are a fan of A Christmas Carol then definitely check this out. Or if you are looking for a Christmas read next year, definitely snag this one.

Have you read The Afterlife of Holly Chase? What did you think? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!

Audiobook Review: Hiddensee by Gregory Maguire

Title: Hiddensee: The Once and Future Nutcracker Written by: Gregory Maguire Published: October 31, 2017 by William Morrow (HarperCollins) (Amazon / Goodreads) Synopsis: From the author of the beloved #1 New York Times bestseller Wicked, the magical story of a toymaker, a nutcracker, and a legend remade . . . Gregory Maguire returns with an inventive novel inspired by a timeless holiday legend, intertwining the story of the famous Nutcracker with the life of the mysterious toy maker named Drosselmeier who carves him. Hiddensee: An island of white sandy beaches, salt marshes, steep cliffs, and pine forests north of Berlin in the Baltic Sea, an island that is an enchanting bohemian retreat and home to a large artists' colony—a wellspring of inspiration for the Romantic imagination . . . Having brought his legions of devoted readers to Oz in Wicked and to Wonderland in After Alice, Maguire now takes us to the realms of the Brothers Grimm and E. T. A. Hoffmann—the enchanted Black Forest of Bavaria and the salons of Munich. Hiddensee imagines the backstory of the Nutcracker, revealing how this entrancing creature came to be carved and how he guided an ailing girl named Klara through a dreamy paradise on a Christmas Eve. At the heart of Hoffmann's mysterious tale hovers Godfather Drosselmeier—the ominous, canny, one-eyed toy maker made immortal by Petipa and Tchaikovsky's fairy tale ballet—who presents the once and future Nutcracker to Klara, his goddaughter. But Hiddensee is not just a retelling of a classic story. Maguire discovers in the flowering of German Romanticism ties to Hellenic mystery-cults—a fascination with death and the afterlife—and ponders a profound question: How can a person who is abused by life, shortchanged and challenged, nevertheless access secrets that benefit the disadvantaged and powerless? Ultimately, Hiddensee offers a message of hope. If the compromised Godfather Drosselmeier can bring an enchanted Nutcracker to a young girl in distress on a dark winter evening, perhaps everyone, however lonely or marginalized, has something precious to share.

**** I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher at ALA in exchange for an honest review. This fact has not changed my opinion. ****

I’m a big fan of Gregory Maguire and I was so excited to hear that he was coming out with a new retelling about the Nutcracker. I saved it to read this time of year because I wanted to read something seasonal and I'm glad that I did because this was an entertaining and interesting Christmas read.

Maguire is great at setting the atmosphere in a story and that’s exactly what he was able to achieve here. The interesting thing about this book is that I’m not sure if it reads like historical fiction or fantasy. It was a little bit of both and a little bit of neither. But it was a great world. It pulled you in and drew you into the world. It was also the perfect setting for this kind of story. It had magic and wonder but was still grounded in reality and I really appreciate me that.

In addition, Maguire’s writing it as fantastic as usually. It had a great lyrical quality to it that gives it just as much a sense of wonder as anything else in this book. I listened to the audiobook on my drive home for the holidays and it translated perfectly to the audio format. Although it was so peaceful that at one point into lulled me into a state that you definitely don’t want to be in while you are driving. But it was still really fantastic a tone and audio.

As fast as the plot goes, it was an interesting retelling. It was kind of a retelling and kind of a Nutcracker origin story. I typically prefer a plot driven book and this book was definitely more character driven. It focused on the story of Drosselmeyer and how he became a toymaker and godfather to Clara. It wasn’t uninteresting but it wasn’t super engaging either. If you are a big fan of the Nutcracker you might appreciate it and pick up on more of the elements of the original story but I am not super familiar with it. Plus it had a travel element to it. Throughout the book you adventure throughout Germany with Drosselmeyer. It was fun to see but I’m just not that much of a fan of travel stories. To me that just isn’t enough for a plot, I wanted more. I think that is basically how I felt about the plot in general, it was good but I wanted more.

Being that this is a more character driven story, the characters have to be likeable, and here they were. The main character here of course is Drosselmeyer, or Dirk. I really liked Dirk. You saw him grow up from a child to an old man. He is incredibly sympathetic as he spent most of his time trying to find where he belonged and a family. I did enjoy him and being along for the ride. And along the way there were plenty of good secondary characters. Felix was one of the most interesting and I feel like Maguire did a great job in making you connect with them.

In general I think this is a good Christmas book. It has beautiful writing and am atmosphere that will draw you in and make you feel in the holiday spirit with likable characters. It’s not my favorite kind of read but it was really good.

I give Hiddensee by Gregory Maguire 8 out of 10 stars

Buy/Borrow/Bypass: Borrow. If you are a fan of the Nutcracker, or character driven Christmas reads then check this out. But if you are looking for a fantastic and action packed retelling this is probably not it.

Have you read Hiddensee? What did you think? Leave me comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!

ARC Review: Speak Easy, Speak Love by McKelle George

Title: Speak Easy, Speak Love Written by: McKelle George Published: September 19, 2017 by Greenwillow Books (HarperCollins) (Amazon / Goodreads) Synopsis: Six teenagers’ lives intertwine during one thrilling summer full of romantic misunderstandings and dangerous deals in this sparkling retelling of Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing.  After she gets kicked out of boarding school, seventeen-year-old Beatrice goes to her uncle’s estate on Long Island. But Hey Nonny Nonny is more than just a rundown old mansion. Beatrice’s cousin, Hero, runs a struggling speakeasy out of the basement—one that might not survive the summer. Along with Prince, a poor young man determined to prove his worth; his brother John, a dark and dangerous agent of the local mob; Benedick, a handsome trust-fund kid trying to become a writer; and Maggie, a beautiful and talented singer; Beatrice and Hero throw all their efforts into planning a massive party to save the speakeasy. Despite all their worries, the summer is beautiful, love is in the air, and Beatrice and Benedick are caught up in a romantic battle of wits that their friends might be quietly orchestrating in the background.  Hilariously clever and utterly charming, McKelle George’s debut novel is full of intrigue and 1920s charm. For fans of Jenny Han, Stephanie Perkins, and Anna Godbersen.

Some of my favorite retellings lately have been Shakespeare retellings. So I was incredibly excited to find one that is a historical fiction book set in a period I love reading about and based on one of my favorite Shakespearean comedies, Much Ado About Nothing. This is that book and I was so excited to read it. And I really enjoyed it. It had great characters, an interesting historical setting, and an exciting plot.

My favorite thing about this book was probably the characters. I absolutely love the characters in Much Ado About Nothing and was really excited to see what the author would do with them. Our mai characters here are of course Beatrice and Benedick. I absolutely loved both of them. Beatrice is too smart for her own good, Benedick too stubborn, and both of them too outspoken. The original play did a great job of playing with gender stereotypes and that is definitely something the author did here with all the characters but especially Beatrice. I loved how the author made Beatrice ahead of her time and the kind of woman who was unabashedly herself despite what others thought of her. In contrast, Ben is the sensitive one. He's got a heart of gold and I loved him for it. Plus as expected their banter was amazing and the love to hate romance totally had me rooting for them to get together in the end.

But this book had more characters beyond Beatrice and Benedick. As the synopsis informs you, there are six main teenagers here. Beyond the two main characters we have Hero, Prince, Claude, Maggie, and John. All six of those characters are connected in some way or another and at first it was kind of hard to keep straight. It helped that I had knowledge of the play and knew who they were supposed to represent but without that I would have gotten very confused. I definitely think as far as these secondary characters go, the women is where this book shined. I really liked Hero and her desire to follow in her mother's footsteps running the speak easy and Maggie, the jazz singer, was a fantastic character. I would have liked a little more from the male characters though. I think John and Prince blended together in my mind and Claude was just not around much at all. In general I thought the characters were good but there may have been to many perspectives for my taste.

And those many perspectives did make for an interesting but slightly confusing plot development. There is a lot going on in this book. The plot of the original play lends itself well to a lot of different things and so does the setting of the 1920's. And this book definitely explored all of that. Jazz, party scenes, prohibition, mafia, and more. It was all incredibly interesting and made me want to read it to find out what was happening. But I also had to pay very close attention because there just wasn't enough attention placed on each of these plot threads. When certain things came out that was it, it just came out and then the book moved on. So I don't think the big reveals didn't hit as much as they could have if there was a bit narrower of a focus. I think just maybe this book bit off more than it could chew when it came to the plot.

But a lot of the plot I think was redeemed by the retelling aspect. You can tell that the author is super familiar with the play and has strong love for it. But you can also tell that there are some aspects about it that she didn't really enjoy. It's not a shot for shot retelling which honestly I enjoyed. I usually prefer retellings that take the original and expand on it in some creative way. This creative way was the historical setting. I feel like the period worked so well with the play. It was an equal balance with fun and dark, with lots of real history thrown in. It made for an interesting setting and a good retelling.

On the whole, Speak Easy, Speak Love was a fun and interesting read. it had great characters, an interesting setting, and an exciting plot that made for a good retelling. I do wish it was a little narrower perspective so some of the plot wasn't as confusing but in general I really liked it.

I give Speak Easy, Speak Love by McKelle George 8.5 out of 10 stars

Buy/Borrow/Bypass: Borrow. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a Shakespeare retelling. If you like Much Ado About Nothing definitely check this book out or if you are a fan of historical fiction set in the 1920s.

Have you read Speak Easy, Speak Love? What did you think? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!

Speak Easy, Speak Love Blog Tour: Guest Post and Giveaway

Hi Everyone,

I'm so excited to be a part of the blog tour for Speak Easy, Speak Love. I've wanted to read this book ever since I first learned about it. Not only is it historical fiction set in the 1920's but it involves bootleggers, speak easies, and all kinds of fun stuff from the era. But on top of that it's a Much Ado About Nothing retelling which involves a hate to love relationship and plenty of laughs. I love Shakespeare retellings and I'm excited for this one. 

So... because of my enjoyment of Shakespear retellings, I had to ask the author about Shakespeare. So scroll down for McKelle George's response when I asked about Shakespeare's comedies but first a little bit about the book.

Speak Easy, Speak Love

by McKelle George
Publisher: Greenwillow Books/ HarperCollins
Release Date: September 19, 2017

Genre: Young Adult, Retellings, Historical

Synopsis:

Six teenagers’ lives intertwine during one thrilling summer full of romantic misunderstandings and dangerous deals in this sparkling retelling of Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing.

After she gets kicked out of boarding school, seventeen-year-old Beatrice goes to her uncle’s estate on Long Island. But Hey Nonny Nonny is more than just a rundown old mansion. Beatrice’s cousin, Hero, runs a struggling speakeasy out of the basement—one that might not survive the summer.

Along with Prince, a poor young man determined to prove his worth; his brother, John, a dark and dangerous agent of the local mob; Benedick, a handsome trust-fund kid trying to become a writer; and Maggie, a beautiful and talented singer; Beatrice and Hero throw all their efforts into planning a massive party to save the speakeasy. Despite all their worries, the summer is beautiful, love is in the air, and Beatrice and Benedick are caught up in a romantic battle of wits that their friends might be quietly orchestrating in the background.

Hilariously clever and utterly charming, McKelle George’s debut novel is full of intrigue and 1920s charm. For fans of Jenny Han, Stephanie Perkins, and Anna Godbersen.

GUEST POST

I asked McKelle to tell us a little bit about the Shakespearean comedies because we tend to just learn about the tragedies and some of my favorite Shakespeare is the comedies. Here's what she said:

Okay, I’m going to try and keep this short and not turn this into a massive academic essay, but I actually have a lot to say about this. In high school, I hated Shakespeare: mostly because I couldn’t understand it. We studied Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, Macbeth, and Othello (all tragedies). It wasn’t until a, I was introduced to comedies, and b, I saw Shakespeare performed the way it’s meant to be, that I started to truly it.


Students tend to study the tragedies more because, as scholars and critics judge, the Bard’s most complex and beautiful writing appears in the tragedies. Likewise, people tend to adapt the tragedies more and retell them because there seems, at first glance, to be more substance: more emotional depth and realism to play around with.

But hear me out:

The tragedies are beautiful and complex and great, sure, but I believe some of Shakespeare’s most political writing is found in his comedies. In fact, several of the so-called comedies are billed as problem plays because while initially billed as such, there’s a lot of dark, psychological drama sprinkled into the laugh-out-loud funny.

Consider The Merchant of Venice and Taming of the Shrew. The first has an antisemitic premise (casting the Jewish Shylock as the villain), and the second is sexist (setting up Kate to be ultimately “tamed”),and yet, it is to Shylock that Shakespeare gives the humanizing and beautiful speech that contains the famous line, “If you prick us, do we not bleed?” At the end of Shrew, when a beaten Kate addresses the women of the audience and says, “Come, come, you froward and unable worms,” it is chilling.

Both of these monologues are chilling and uncomfortable. It’s hard to know what Shakespeare intended because he famously gave very few stage direction, but it’s also hard not to think carefully and critically about what’s being said between the lines.

Shakespeare was no dummy. He was popular as his plays were being performed—often in front of nobility and the Queen—and anything too radical might have gotten him executed. Likewise, preaching didn’t do much good either. I like to think Shakespeare was entertaining people into change, weaving empathy and forward thought into the plays with jokes and marriage—not death and gore.

Much Ado About Nothing gets one of Shakespeare’s finest feminist characters in Beatrice. Beatrice is independent and smart, and even though she doesn’t want a husband,it’s for the sake of her own independence, not because she hates men (of whom she is gently teasing in the beginning of the play). Unlike Kate, Beatrice isn’t made to change who she is to be with Benedick, and unlike characters like Rosalind, she also doesn’t ditch her female friendships once a man comes along.

This is one of my favorite Beatrice’s moments:

BENEDICK

With no sauce that can be devised to it. I protest I love thee.

BEATRICE

Why then, God forgive me!

BENEDICK

What offence, sweet Beatrice?

BEATRICE

You have stayed me in a happy hour. I was about to protest I loved you.

BENEDICK

And do it with all thy heart. BEATRICE I love you with so much of my heart that none is left to protest.

BENEDICK

Come, bid me do anything for thee.

BEATRICE Kill Claudio. (4.1.293-303)

She’s like, I love you! Kill your best friend. Like, yeah fine I admit it, but that doesn’t change the situation, pal.

To me, the 1920s was a uniquely feminist decade and that was why I set Speak Easy, Speak Love in that setting . . . and then tried to make people laugh. Hopefully I succeeded.

McKelle George is a reader, writer of clumsy rebels, perpetual doodler, and associate librarian at the best library in the world. She mentors with Salt Lake Teen Writes and plays judge for the Poetry Out Loud teen competitions (but has no poetic talent herself). Her debut young adult novel Speak Easy, Speak Love comes out from Greenwillow/HarperCollins in 2017, and she currently lives in Salt Lake City with an enormous white german shepherd and way, way too many books.

FOLLOW THE TOUR

Giveaway:

• 1 ARC of SPEAK EASY, SPEAK LOVE by McKelle George
• Pre-order swag including:
• 1 SPEAK EASY, SPEAK LOVE bookmark
• 1 signed SPEAK EASY, SPEAK LOVE bookplate
• 1 signed SPEAK EASY, SPEAK LOVE postcard
• The full set of SPEAK EASY, SPEAK LOVE character cards •

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Thanks everyone for stopping by

ARC Review: Girls Made of Snow and Glass by Melissa Bashardoust

Title: Girls Made of Snow and Glass Written by: Melissa Bashardoust Published: September 5, 2017 by Flatiron Books (Macmillan) (Amazon / Goodreads) Synopsis: Frozen meets The Bloody Chamber in this feminist fantasy reimagining of the Snow White fairytale  At sixteen, Mina's mother is dead, her magician father is vicious, and her silent heart has never beat with love for anyone—has never beat at all, in fact, but she’d always thought that fact normal. She never guessed that her father cut out her heart and replaced it with one of glass. When she moves to Whitespring Castle and sees its king for the first time, Mina forms a plan: win the king’s heart with her beauty, become queen, and finally know love. The only catch is that she’ll have to become a stepmother.  Fifteen-year-old Lynet looks just like her late mother, and one day she discovers why: a magician created her out of snow in the dead queen’s image, at her father’s order. But despite being the dead queen made flesh, Lynet would rather be like her fierce and regal stepmother, Mina. She gets her wish when her father makes Lynet queen of the southern territories, displacing Mina. Now Mina is starting to look at Lynet with something like hatred, and Lynet must decide what to do—and who to be—to win back the only mother she’s ever known…or else defeat her once and for all.  Entwining the stories of both Lynet and Mina in the past and present, Girls Made of Snow and Glass traces the relationship of two young women doomed to be rivals from the start. Only one can win all, while the other must lose everything—unless both can find a way to reshape themselves and their story.

*** I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher at ALA in an exchange for an honest review. This fact has not changed my opinion. ***

I seriously loved this book. When I first heard about it, being pitched as a feminist Snow White retelling, I was super intrigued. And so I of course picked up a copy and even got a free download of the audio. It was this audio download that made me pick this up now, needing a new audiobook. And I am so glad I did because this book and it's audio was AMAZING!

One of the things I loved about this book was the atmosphere. So much of a good audiobook, and fantasy for that matter, hinges on the tone and atmosphere. This was definitely a good one. The writing was beautiful and descriptive which is something I like to see in my fantasy. It definitely pulled you into the story and immersed you into the world. The narrator of for the audio did a great job in doing just that. She captured everything so well you could see and almost feel it. It really all worked to create a fantastic atmosphere and setting.

But as far as the setting goes, I'm not sure it was too hard to establish that atmosphere because this was a fantastic setting and world. There is a Frozen comparison being thrown around with it definitely seems apt in more ways than one. One of the main ways is with the world. It's a world where a curse has frozen over the kingdom and the people are trying to cope. It's also a world of magic, including magic involving snow. That being said, this could have come off as a very uncreative magical system and it didn't. It felt unique and interesting. I like my magic to have clear rules and while this one could have used a little more explanation I still really liked it. It added a lot of dimension to the story and the world of this book.

But I think my favorite this about this book was that story. It was a very complex story full of surprises and lots of political intrigue. There are multiple perspectives and moments in the past and present, which can be tricky. But I felt like it all unfolded in a way that made sense and made for a creative and engaging story. Plus it was one of those books that feels like a modern fairy tale. It had elements and vibes of classic fairy tales but when it really came down to it, this was a unique story that felt original. As far as the retellings aspect I think it was one of those where the original story is merely a jumping off point. If you are looking for a strong Snow White retellings you will not find that here. But that was totally fine with me because I loved the story.

My only problem however was with the fact that much of the conflict in this book could have easily been resolved. We were in the head of both of the main characters and we therefore know what their thinking and what they want but the other characters didn't. At a certain point it just felt like it wasn't dramatic irony anymore and was just manufactured drama. It did all come together in the end with more of a big boss but for awhile there it was a little frustrating.

But I will say, that didn't get in the way of me liking the characters. In fact, I think the author was able to create some really complex and interesting characters. I'm typically a fan of strong female characters who act feminine and that's exactly what I found here. I found two women and a dispute over the crown. Normally that would lead to a lot of scheming and bickering but that did not happen here. They were kind rulers who cared about their people and both were kind rulers who cared about their people and what was best for their kingdoms which made them extremely likable. But they also cared so much for each other. The real heart of this book was in the relationships between Mina and Lynet. And that in and of itself was more refreshing and enjoyable than anything else.

On the whole, I really loved Girls Made of Snow and Glass. It was everything I had hoped it would be and more. It was a beautifully written story with a creative world, likable characters, and an engaging plot.

I give Girls Made of Snow and Glass by Melissa Bashardoust 9.5 out of 10 stars

Buy/Borrow/Bypass: BUY! This book was really fantastic and I think everyone should read. It had such a fantastic modern fairy tale vibe that if you like fairy tales, retellings, or YA fantasy you should definitelt pick it up. I would absolutely recommend it. Especially the audiobooks. It was fantastic!

Have you read Girls Made of Snow and Glass? What did you think? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!