mystery Archives - Page 12 of 13

Yzabel / March 1, 2014

Review: The Unseemly Education of Anne Merchant

The Unseemly Education of Anne Merchant by Joanna Wiebe

My rating: [rating=1]

Summary:

So many secrets for such a small island. From the moment Anne Merchant arrives at Cania Christy, a boarding school for the world’s wealthiest teens, the hushed truths of this strange, unfamiliar land begin calling to her—sometimes as lulling drumbeats in the night, sometimes as piercing shrieks.

One by one, unanswered questions rise. No one will tell her why a line is painted across the island or why she is forbidden to cross it. Her every move—even her performance at the school dance—is graded as part of a competition to become valedictorian, a title that brings rewards no one will talk about. And Anne discovers that the parents of her peers surrender million-dollar possessions to enroll their kids in Cania Christy, leaving her to wonder what her lowly funeral director father could have paid to get her in and why.

As a beautiful senior struggles to help Anne make sense of this cloak-and-dagger world without breaking the rules that bind him, she must summon the courage to face the impossible truth—and change it—before she and everyone she loves is destroyed by it.

Review:

(I received an ebook copy from NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.)

Such a weird, weird book. I have no idea if I found it just average, or if I didn’t like it. Probably both.

It’s one of those “good ideas, but…” novels for me. Intriguing blurb, a theme (revealed later) that normally fascinates me… I could’ve liked it, but.

All right, let’s start with the facepalming, to get it out of the way:
* Nothing remarkable about the writing style. I’ve seen worse, but I’ve also seen much better.
* Several “what the hell” and “head, meet desk” moments. The almost-constant lechery undermining the narrative. It’s set in a school, the characters are all pupils, yet some have it with teachers, and Anne’s Guardian is just one seriously disturbed creep. (His role is to determine Anne’s “quality” in life, and grade her on whether she lives up to it or not for the next two years. He determines her quality is “seduction”, and then proceeds—twice—to unzip his pants and suggest they have sex in exchange for good grades.
* Some plot holes. For instance, the aforementioned Guardians: every pupil is supposed to have one, but we only see Teddy? Where are the others? Also, what classes? The only class Anne ever goes to is Art; we never see her study anything else.
* Slut shaming. The cliché beautiful-yet-mean-girls quartet, immediately hostile to Anne, immediately judged and described by the latter as sluts and skanks. Most girls in the story seem to be that; the ones who aren’t vanish before the middle of the book. Not only does this particular cliché annoy me, slut shaming in general makes me want to slap someone.
* The dance off. No. Just… no.
* Anne is of the Too Stupid To Live breed (yes, considering what the novel’s really about, this is quite the irony). She’s supposed to be smart, but doesn’t piece obvious things together before it’s too late. She gives up on looking for something that, if found by anyone else, will cause serious trouble to herself and another person (a shoe with that other person’s name inside). A couple of characters wave huge “hint here!” signs at her by totally changing behaviours, or giving her items, yet she doesn’t bother to check said items. I was surprised she actually guessed what the Big V meant all by herself.
* I didn’t really get the romance part. I understand the connection, but it doesn’t justify romance to me. It felt like some unwanted cherry plopped on sauerkraut.
* Languages and nationality: the description of a French accent didn’t sit with me (trust me, I know what French sounds like, I’ve spoken it all my life, and we don’t “drawl”). Also, it was weird how Anne could immediately exactly pick who was Thai, Indian, Canadian, etc.

However, I did find a couple of redeeming qualities to this novel. It gave off a Silent Hill-esque vibe, and I’m totally partial to anything SH-related. (It’s not a SH rip-off; it simply left me with similar impressions—whether that was intended, or a complete coincidence.) When Anne realises everybody’s dead, and she must be as well, Cania Christy, the island, the village, suddenly take on a whole other meaning, with that claustrophobic feeling of being locked inside a nightmare world from which you can’t get out just by wishing it. I wasn’t too keen on the Big Reveal about the villain behind it all, nor about the sudden heel-face-turn coming from a character who had been creepy from beginning to end, but its deeper aspects, the power play, the way parents were so to speak forced to bow and kneel down for one fickle piece of fleeting hope… Now that was, in a way, cruelly enjoyable, as well as frightening—because who can honestly say “I’d never do it, I’d never sell my soul for a few more years with my deceased child”?

The last 30% of the book sort of made up for some of its previous facepalm-inducing moments. Not enough for me to give it 2 stars, but at least 1.5. I can’t say I totally disliked this novel.

Yzabel / February 20, 2014

Review: His Lordship Possessed

Disenchanted & Co., Part 2: His Lordship Possessed by Lynn Viehl

My rating: [rating=2]

Summary:

The second half of Disenchanted & Co.—the thrilling conclusion. In a steampunk version of America that lost the Revolutionary War, Charmian (Kit) Kittredge makes her living investigating magic crimes and exposing the frauds behind them. While Kit tries to avoid the nobs of high society, as the proprietor of Disenchanted & Co. she follows mysteries wherever they lead.

Lady Diana Walsh calls on Kit to investigate and dispel the curse she believes responsible for carving hateful words into her own flesh as she sleeps. While Kit doesn’t believe in magic herself, she can’t refuse to help a woman subjected nightly to such vicious assaults. As Kit investigates the Walsh family, she becomes convinced that the attacks on Diana are part of a larger, more ominous plot—one that may involve the lady’s obnoxious husband.

Sleuthing in the city of Rumsen is difficult enough, but soon Kit must also skirt the unwanted attentions of nefarious deathmage Lucien Dredmore and the unwelcome scrutiny of police Chief Inspector Thomas Doyle. Unwilling to surrender to either man’s passion for her, Kit struggles to remain independent as she draws closer to the heart of the mystery. Yet as she learns the truth behind her ladyship’s curse, Kit also uncovers a massive conspiracy that promises to ruin her life—and turn Rumsen into a supernatural battleground from which no one will escape alive.

Review:

(I got a copy of thie book through NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.
Click here for my review of Part 1.)

I still liked the world developed in this story. It fels solid and sturdy, with lots of building behind the scene, even though we’re not to see everything yet (which is normal); anyway, the important part for me is that I could feel it).

The characters remain likeable and interesting. There’s more to Lucien than what he allows himself to show: far from perfect, but not the dark villain kind either. Kit is still her savvy self, doing her best to get herself out of predicaments (and her best does work), learning from past “mistakes” (ah, good old drugged cups of tea), as well as refusing to give up in spite of the odds clearly being against her. Thomas, although a little too bland to my taste, tries to help, and genuinely cares for Kit. And I like Rina and her girls.

I couldn’t enjoy this book more, though, because of the way the story moved. At some point, I felt it started to unwind too fast, with too many new elements introduced all at once, especially in terms of the world’s mythology. As I mentioned, this world’s interesting, but some of its most secret parts would’ve been easier to stomach if they had been unveiled more gradually. Some links seemed to be missing: for instance, I didn’t really saw how Kit came to the conclusion that “the real culprit behind all this is X”.

And I’m really not satisfied with the ending. It paves the way for Disenchanted & Co. (as a business), but the way it unfolded was a device I don’t like, too close to a deus ex machina, that negated many of the hardships the characters went through. Sure, it saved the day, but at a heavy cost plot-wise, at least in my opinion. I’d have preferred things to take a darker direction, as painful as it would have been for the characters.

Yzabel / January 31, 2014

Review: Savor

Savor by Kate Evangelista

My rating: [rating=4]

Summary:

See this post.

Review:

(I was given an e-copy of this book by the author, in exchange for an honest review.)

Having reviewed Taste a couple of years ago, I was intrigued by the premise of this novel, wondering how it tied into it, and what role would the characters play in it. I’ll get back to this at the end of my review, but for the moment, I’d simply advise that: if you haven’t read the “prequel” yet, it’s probably best not to do it right now, and focus on Savor instead.

I’m going to start with one problematic thing for me: sometimes I thought the story was going too slowly. It’s nothing too definite, just a feeling I had. Perhaps because of some of the descriptions? But then, I’ve always had a love/hate relationship with descriptions—and in a paradoxical way, I can appreciate a detailed description while still finding it too long. Don’t ask.

On the other hand, those make the photo shoots very easy to picture, and in turn, you realise they must be absolutely gorgeous. At the end of each shoot, I wished I could see Dakota’s photos IRL.

I liked Dakota as a protagonist. She’s the right amount of sassy, refuses to be victimised and behave like a victim, in spite of what happened to her, she doesn’t wallow in safe-pity, and she does her best to place the job she wants to do first… although the temptations around her are pretty strong. She’s not perfect, and has her shortcomings. There’s that one scene, for instance, where Luka does to her what she did to him before, and she flips out because it’s unacceptable to her: double standard alert. However, she also realises that her reaction is unfair, acknowledges it, which made her likeable again after that, uh, unglorious episode. (I really don’t do well with double standards.)

The other characters: they all had their little quirks. I really liked Dray and his “fact of the day” attitude, which was funny and ador(k)able. I wish we had known more about Calixta, though. She seemed to have the part of “the one who resents the new arrival in the family”, but I didn’t really understand why. Was it just instant dislike the way, well, the way it sometimes happens in real life? Or something else? (If the latter, then it wasn’t too clear.)

The mysterious aspects: very lightly spread throughout the story. You have to pay attention and not miss them. Once I reached the ending, I started to think in retrospect: “OK, so maybe this and that part actually hinted to that, I must check and re-read those.” Personnally, I like when I find myself having to do that.

The romance itself: if you like this genre, you’ll probably enjoy it. There’s a rather twisted edge to it, but the characters are aware of it, and I didn’t feel like they were trying to make excuses, or to pretend everything was perfectly OK. I much prefer when they face the potential consequences, rather than when they’re presented as perfect models but are in fact pompous self-righteous judgmental people. There’s not mistaking it here: something fishy’s going on, we know it, they know it, and I didn’t feel myself cheated like I did with many other romance stories.

The writing: I found it more mature than in the previous book I read from this author. (In that book, I thought she used a lot of weird similes; it’s not the case here.)

One thing that confused me highly, but that I won’t hold against the story nor the author because, frankly, I just didn’t do my research about it, didn’t read her blog or whatever; maybe this was explained somewhere, maybe not. I’m mentioning it because others might have felt the same, but I want to make one thing clear: this is because I read Taste first. It doesn’t bear in any other way on Savor, and the latter is enjoyable regardless. Heavy spoiler ahead. I’m confused about the way both stories are linked: is Taste a real prequel, or is “The Vicious Feast” series a sort of alternate universe follow-up? Several elements didn’t seem to match. In the “prequel”, we learn that the whole band, except Phoenix, is from another race, and they’re several centuries old; however, Dakota finds a photo album with pictures of them as kids, which prompted me to wonder. Were those fake, touched-up pictures—in which case, shouldn’t Dakota be able to tell, considering her own experience? Or is there something else altogether to the story? Also, why is Calixta working with them? How did things change between them? However, I’m saying it again: I didn’t check with the author; nowhere in the blurb does she say that it’s a direct follow-up to Taste; and this doesn’t detract from one’s enjoyment of Savor. This is just me having perhaps missed something, since I didn’t read the book all at once, and not always in conditions favouring focus.

Conclusion: I’m giving it 3.5 to 4 stars. A little too slow at times for my taste, but with beautiful descriptions and ideas for the photos, and an interesting protagonist, flawed in a believable way.

Yzabel / October 10, 2013

Review: Bellman & Black

Bellman & Black: A Ghost Story by Diane Setterfield

My rating: [rating=3]

Summary:

As a boy, William Bellman commits one small, cruel act: killing a bird with his slingshot. Little does he know the unforeseen and terrible consequences of the deed, which is soon forgotten amidst the riot of boyhood games. By the time he is grown, with a wife and children of his own, William seems to be a man blessed by fortune—until tragedy strikes and the stranger in black comes. Then he starts to wonder if all his happiness is about to be eclipsed. Desperate to save the one precious thing he has left, William enters into a rather strange bargain, with an even stranger partner, to found a decidedly macabre business.

And Bellman & Black is born.

Review:

(I received a copy of this book through NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.)

I found this story to be reminiscent of 19th century novels, and in some parts, I think it succeeds in keeping up with that kind of atmosphere. Although we’re never told when exactly it is set, hints scattered here and there give enough information to piece a general period together, and even if this sense of being out of time can be annoying to some, to me it was part of what made the novel’s charm. Overall, it takes us from a rural approach to commercial ventures, gradually moving into more modern views, until that one universal need everybody goes through in the end.

The main character’s family and history were fleshed out enough for me to get attached to them, which in turn made what happened predictable, yet still touching. Maybe I would’ve liked to see more about the women, though, to really get how important they were to Bellman. The writing also does justice to the theme, and was often enthralling.

A large part of my interest in this story was how Bellman was basically given a second chance (through another character) but sadly never really understood what it was, and led himself astray, all the while thinking he was doing the right thing. This made his character all the more tragic and troubling, because his mistake was at once selfish and a very human one.

However (and even though in the end, it didn’t prevent me from enjoying this novel), I think the blurb of B&B is somewhat misleading. For instance, I was expecting the mysterious Black to appear sooner, to be more present, maybe—technically, he is, but I feel that it’s not what I was promised, in a way. This could unfortunately detract from other readers’ enjoyment. Same with some potential plot points that seemed to start (Lizzie, among others) that felt like they were going to become important… yet they didn’t. Those would’ve been worth more attention.

Yzabel / September 28, 2013

Review: The Fear Institute

The Fear Institute by Jonathan L. Howard

My rating: [rating=4]

Summary:

Johannes Cabal and his rather inexact powers of necromancy are back once more. This time, his talents are purchased by The Fear Institute as they hunt for the Phobic Animus – the embodiment of fear. The three Institute members, led by Cabal and his Silver Key, enter the Dreamlands and find themselves pursued by walking trees plagued with giant ticks, stone men that patrol the ruins of their castles, cats that feed on human flesh and phobias which torment and devastate. The intrepid explorers are killed off one by one as they traipse through this obfuscating and frustrating world, where history itself appears to alter. Cabal, annoyed that the quest is becoming increasingly heroic, finds himself alone with the Institute’s only remaining survivor, and after a shockingly violent experiment, begins to suspect that not everything is quite as it seems…

Review:

(I got an ARC of this book from NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.)

I’ve only read the first novel in the “Johannes Cabal” series, and hope I haven’t missed on too much by tackling #3 without knowledge of the events in #2. But from what I saw, “The Institute of Fear” does well enough as a standalone book, with the occasional hints at Cabal’s past adventure(s) being easy enough to understand.

The crossover with H.P. Lovecraft’s worlds and creations was nicely done in my opinion—here, too, prior knowledge isn’t absolutely necessary, although the regular winks are, of course, best enjoyed when you know what they’re about. It is also a cause for a lot of deadpan humour, which is something I like. Johannes Cabal is the voice of cold, unfazed logics in a place (the Dreamlands) that is all but rational, and where everything is shaped according to people’s deeply rooted unconscious beliefs. For instance, cats. If enough people believe that cats are intelligent, cunning creatures, then cats in the Dreamlands are exactly that, and have to be treaded around carefully. Well, this is what happens at several moments, and the hapless three travellers who’ve come to seek Cabal as their guide are reminded of such facts on a regular basis.

The necromancer’s point of view is definitely one of sarcasm and dark humour: a protection for his charges, but also his own way of keeping fear at bay, for Fear (or rather, its physical incarnation) is what the adventurers are seeking here, in order to destroy it. Their journey is impeded by the strange, changing geography, monsters, dead beings, and various other elements pertaining either concepts of dreams or the lovecraftian corpus. It’s full of interesting ideas (the dreffs, the Moon slavers), and it seems there’s always something new to discover… and dread.

If anything, I’d say the pacing was a little unequal in places. But the tone of the narrative definitely made up for this in my opinion.

Yzabel / September 26, 2013

Review: A Study in Darkness

A Study in Darkness by Emma Jane Holloway

My rating: [rating=4]

Summary:

When a bomb goes off at 221B Baker Street, Evelina Cooper is thrown into her Uncle Sherlock’s world of mystery and murder. But just when she thought it was safe to return to the ballroom, old, new, and even dead enemies are clamoring for a place on her dance card.

Before Evelina’s even unpacked her gowns for a country house party, an indiscretion puts her in the power of the ruthless Gold King, who recruits her as his spy. He knows her disreputable past and exiles her to the rank alleyways of Whitechapel with orders to unmask his foe.

As danger mounts, Evelina struggles between hiding her illegal magic and succumbing to the darker aspects of her power. One path keeps her secure; the other keeps her alive. For rebellion is brewing, a sorcerer wants her soul, and no one can protect her in the hunting ground of Jack the Ripper.

Review:

(I received an ARC e-copy of this book from NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.)

This second installment in the “Baskerville Affair” series takes a darker turn for its protagonists, in a good way. The author keeps on developing an interesting society, dominated by manipulative steam barons who all seek to move their pawns and take new ones in the process. She also weaves unsolved elements from the first book into this one, allowing to make more sense of what happened then, and introduces a few more questions that pave the way for volume three… not to mention two cliffhangers at the end, regarding the fate of two characters.

Evelina is now faced with harsher choices, partly due to her own mistakes, the latter being as many opportunities to make her fall. However, she does her best to keep her head high, and do what she must do while trying to find a solution to her predicament. Some of her decisions may seem rash or stupid, but much less so when remembering she’s only 19, and pitched again people twice her age (at least), who have had much more experience in the great game of manipulation. There’s potential here for some huge comeback on her part, as well as for temptation of the darkest kind, and I sure want to know what she’s going to do in the last part of the series.

The romance aspect remains present, in a more interesting way than the somewhat feeble triangle from book one. Evelina seems to make a decision in that regard that suits her personality much more, although it’s a source of problems in and of itself. Here, too, lie more opportunities for the author to exploit later, and I hope this will be the case. I like what Nick has become: he’s going about his new life and decisions with gusto, and although he’s on the wrong side of the law, he’s probably one of the more decent people in all that, along with Imogen and, surprisingly, Alice Keating (who was given the short end of the straw, yet seems to be able to fall back on her feet in the future).

No ties with canon Sherlock Holmes cases this time; on the other hand, it’s the fall of 1888, and a lot of scenes are set in Whitechapel… This period, setting and characters imply another cameo, of course, and this time the murderer is in my opinion quite unexpected, although logical when considering the big picture.

I wasn’t too thrilled with the characterization of Holmes in this book, but he doesn’t appear that much, and he’s not the main focus of the story, so it didn’t bother me as much as if everything had revolved about him.

Yzabel / September 9, 2013

Review: A Study in Silks

A Study in Silks by Emma Jane Holloway

My rating: [rating=4]

Summary:

Evelina Cooper, the niece of the great Sherlock Holmes, is poised to enjoy her first Season in London’s high society. But there’s a murderer to deal with—not to mention missing automatons, a sorcerer, and a talking mouse.

In a Victorian era ruled by a council of ruthless steam barons, mechanical power is the real monarch, and sorcery the demon enemy of the empire. Nevertheless, the most coveted weapon is magic that can run machines—something Evelina has secretly mastered. But rather than making her fortune, her special talents could mean death or an eternity as a guest of Her Majesty’s secret laboratories. What’s a polite young lady to do but mind her manners and pray she’s never found out?

But then there’s that murder. As Sherlock’s niece, Evelina should be able to find the answers, but she has a lot to learn. And the first decision she has to make is whether to trust the handsome, clever rake who makes her breath come faster, or the dashing trick rider who would dare anything for her if she would only just ask.

Review:

(I got an ARC ebook from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.)

For once, I’ll say I liked this story better than I expected to. I can be a terribly grouchy fan of good old Sherlock Holmes, and among the few other books I read in which he makes an appearance, only two really managed to grip me (one because the author managed to emulate Doyle’s style and narrative as much as possible, and the other for totally different reasons, with a very different Holmes, too). The reasons behind this reluctance of mine are usually of three kinds: character betrayal, easy Deux Ex Machina and badly disguised fanfiction, complete with self-inserts. I don’t think “A Study in Silks” fell into those pitfalls, or so little that it didn’t impede my reading pleasure.

Evelina is definitely the main character here, and stands her ground as a strong young woman, even though she commits mistakes and is clearly not on par (yet?) with her uncle in terms of investigating. But then, could anyone be, especially someone as young and yet to learn much more from life, especially in a society such as hers, and torn as she is between two worlds? Considering her circumstances, I thought she actually did quite a good job with the hands she was dealt. Besides, while I’m not always a big proponent of the romance aspect, I find it to be quite à propos in Victorian-like settings, women being expected to either marry or earn a living through a limited range of jobs only (governess, school teacher, maid…). In that regard, Evelina’s problems and on-the-side “errings” make sense.

Add magic (banished and rejected!) and lobbying, powerful steam barons who can disconnect people, both directly (cutting gas supplies) and indirectly (being without lighting means Society understanding you’re a reject), and you’ve got a complex world in which to navigate. Clearly it wasn’t described entirely here, far from it, but I got enough to form a proper vision of my own, and to wish to read the next installment in order to learn more about it.

The book shifts through several points of view, not only Evelina’s, which is a little unusual at first for a mystery novel: it cuts on potential culprits fairly quickly, since when we switch to their POV, we know they’re not guilty (and conversely). However, in the long run, the technique worked; the plot is complicated enough as it is, and using only Evie’s POV may have forced the author to resort to other tricks to have everything solved, which in turn may have seemed too convenient. As for Sherlock Holmes himself, although he wasn’t on the same level as the original character (can any be?), he was far from being the worst, too. I liked how he was tied to canon happenings (Bohemia, Irene Adler…), which allowed for him to have an influence on the story as a whole, without intervening too directly, yet without being shoved aside “just because” either. Though he helps to solve the mystery, he doesn’t do all the work—and there are things himself doesn’t know, and that his niece won’t tell him about, thus leaving her with the ace of magic under her sleeve.

While the main story gets wrapped up, the ending is an open one: not a “how frustrating!” cliffhanger, but with enough things left unsolved, and enough new elements, to allow, I think, for a second book with more than just a couple of leads to chase. As for the love triangle, at first I wasn’t convinced (they’re so common nowadays!). Nevertheless, both love interests have a darker side. Both end up in shady deeds. Neither is totally black or white, and Evelina isn’t blind to that, keeping her wits about her and not melting as soon as she sees them, although part of her sure wishes to. Things didn’t pan out as I expected them to, and this was a nice surprise, leaving open roads here as well.

If one thing, I think the book might have been a trifle too long, or perhaps dwellt a little too much on some aspects (marriage prospects, romance for more than one character…) to my liking. But, again, this fits within the Victorian-like setting—much more than it fits in many contemporary ones, to be honest.

Yzabel / August 29, 2013

Review: Earth Power

Earth Power by Adam J. Black

My rating: [rating=2]

Summary:

EARTH POWER introduces an extraordinary team of paranormal investigators. Led by Raphael Drake and Sam Watkins, partners in the London-based Aquarius Agency, the team includes Tarot reader Gemini Quinn, young newspaper reporter Denny Finch, and a three-hundred pound English Mastiff named Doctor Dee.

When insurance salesman Harry Gill dies in a freak accident on a route the newspapers call ‘The Road to Hell’, no one can explain the cause. But Harry’s death is only the latest in a string of unexplained events in the North of England. Crops have been destroyed, cattle are stampeded, and a family is terrorised by a violent poltergeist.

The situation calls for the unique sensory powers of Raphael Drake, and the investigative abilities of his partner, ex-Metropolitan Police detective Sam Watkins.

With bizarre incidents becoming more frequent and increasingly dangerous, the Aquarius team travel north to investigate. Who, or what, is causing escalating levels of death and mayhem in one small part of rural Derbyshire? What is the purpose of the massive concentration of destructive energy focussed on the market town of Castlebridge? And how real is the threat to their own lives suggested by a series of ominous warnings?

Raphael, Sam and their team race to find the answers in time to avert an impending disaster. But mysterious forces are already gathering, determined to stop them.

Review:

(Book provided by the author through ReadIt & Reap 177 in the Shut Up & Read group, in exchange for an honest review.)

This book is based on interesting premises, using the theme of natural energies being gathered for a purpose, as well as people (and/or their deaths) playing a role in it. I liked the diversity of characters, each of them having their own significant traits, including strengths and witnesses and even, for some, potential for complications later on, especially in trems of relationships. I also liked how the author depicted the small town and the countryside where the investigation takes place; it had all the charm of what I imagine to be a typical English town, and even though some might say those things are cliché, they still allowed me to picture the setting very easily. The same kind of detailed description was given to death scenes, making them pretty vivid (as paradoxical as this choice of words may seem!) and pulling me in.

The story itself, alas, proved hard to read in the long run, probably because its pacing felt rather uneven, with disjointed scenes and point-of-view jumping. While Sam and Raphael found their right place as far as roles were concerned, they also seemed to overshadow the other characters in terms of development, which in turn made me feel like said other characters weren’t really needed. I think what bothered me the most, in fact, was how in the end, lots of things were left unexplained, and not only the ones that were clearly kept in store for a next novel (Sam’s family, for instance): I would’ve wanted to read more about the paranormal aspects. Another weird thing was how everything unfolded, leaving the main characters confused as to what happened, and I as a reader wondering what was actually the point of having them investigate at all if it was to have the whole mess solved by a third party.

It’s the kind of book I usually tend to enjoy, and I wished I had liked this story more. I really do. But I prefer to be honest here, even though there were interesting elements in “Earth Power”, and I think those can be appreciated no matter what.

Yzabel / July 11, 2013

Review: DiSemblance

DiSemblance by Shanae Branham

My rating: [rating=2]

Summary:

Jason Tanner’s life has always been different from the ordinary citizen’s. It started when he was an infant and his parents were only teenagers. A computer science prodigy, Lloyd attended MIT but left a pariah in the eyes of the school’s dean—but a computer physics genius in the eyes of his primary investor. Then his theories and ideas created a holographic machine and their world shrunk as contact with the outside world became less and less frequent. A computer prodigy now himself, Jason is about to learn that the world never waits for you if you have the ability to change it: it will come for you.

Detective Bruce Durante has been handed the case of the Comfort Killer, a serial killer so named because he appears to abduct terminally ill patients before returning their corpses to their families in refrigerated coffins. When he picks up the trail, it leads straight to the home of Lloyd Tanner.

Jason has been living life through the world of Lloyd’s invention and wishing he could carry on a relationship with Boston, the beautiful girl next door. When his father is murdered and framed as the Comfort Killer, he is brought back to reality in a hurry. He is forced to destroy all of the planted evidence—and finds he is being targeted as the killer’s new fall guy. But the secrets of his father’s invention run deep and Jason, his brother Isaac,Boston, the Comfort Killer, and Detective Durante hurtle towards one another on a deadly collision course that leaves everyone’s life hanging in the balance.

Review:

(Book provided by the author through ARR #110 in the We ♥ YA Books! group, in exchange for an honest review.)

I’m having a hard time writing this review, because I’d like to rate the book a little higher, but am not sure I should. In all fairness, I’d give the idea and story a solid 4 stars, but I wasn’t too thrilled about the writing itself.

“DiSemblance” is a story that you need to pay attention to. Don’t read it in a packed train, or juggling several things at once. It contains a lot of little details that are easy to miss if you’re not focused, and that are the very ones which help you puzzle everything back together. The author definitely did a good job at blurring the boundaries here, and more than once you’ll find yourself frowing at some plot point, reading back and wondering if there was a mistake… and no, there wasn’t, everything’s working according to plan. There’s a point after which things become clear, and in hindsight what happened in the first part of the book suddenly makes total sense; and yet, even then, you keep on wondering what’s true and what isn’t, what’s part of reality and what’s make-believe. In that, I’ll recommend this book if you like being bounced back from clue to clue without knowing clearly whether you’ve read those the right way or not. It’s got quite an exciting quality.

Unfortunately, I had a harder time with the style and pacing. There’s a lot of short chapters and sentences that give a jumbled feeling to the text as a whole, as well as what I’d deem “telling” about the characters and their actions rather than really showing them, which I found distracting (and as I said right above, this isn’t the kind of story where you can allow to let yourself be distracted). Also, connecting with the characters proved difficult. They’re interesting in their own ways, but with things moving so fast, I felt like we were only grazing at the surface, and as a result, I didn’t empathize with Bruce, Lisa, Jason or Boston as much as I would’ve liked to. Part of this might be related to how limits between reality and virtual world(s) keep shifting—we never know if we’re dealing with the real person or not—but I’m not sure it’s the only, nor the main reason.

In terms of plot, the ideas explored within this novel, as well as how the author manages to carry us from beginning to end, are great. But I think it would benefit from more editing, to make it easier to focus on the story.

Yzabel / June 30, 2013

Review: This Dark Endeavour

This Dark Endeavour by Kenneth Oppel

My rating: [rating=2]

Summary:

In this prequel to Mary Shelley’s gothic classic, Frankenstein, 16-year-old Victor Frankenstein begins a dark journey that will change his life forever. Victor’s twin, Konrad, has fallen ill, and no doctor is able to cure him. Unwilling to give up on his brother, Victor enlists his beautiful cousin Elizabeth and best friend Henry on a treacherous search for the ingredients to create the forbidden Elixir of Life. Impossible odds, dangerous alchemy and a bitter love triangle threaten their quest at every turn.

Victor knows he must not fail. But his success depends on how far he is willing to push the boundaries of nature, science, and love—and how much he is willing to sacrifice.

Review:

2.5 stars. I’d deem this story “okay”. It wasn’t bad, but I expected more of it, and it didn’t leave me with a sense of completion, although I wish it had. There are lots of good ideas in this book, that didn’t work for me, the way they were exploited, and it’s really too bad.

Lots of potential, indeed. For instance, the beginning that hints at a darker side in the two brothers’ relationships. Or the love triangle that could’ve become something really interesting, something that could have seriously thwarted Victor’s motivations. Unfortunately, I think the author didn’t go deep enough with those—perhaps because really going through with them to the end would’ve been too dark for a YA audience? I don’t know. Things felt a little weird in that regard, as if in style and themes, the book was aiming at the older part of the intended audience, yet didn’t dare to go there in the end, and remained a little too “light”, for the sake of the younger ones.

The love triangle also fell flat in general, in my opinion, and more childish than the dark and tragic affair it could’ve been (or than what I expected from the blurb on the back cover). Victor’s love would’ve had more impact for me if it had been there from the beginning, and not apparently triggered at the moment he learnt Konrad loved the girl too. Elizabeth was a character I enjoyed, showing a lot of pluck and decision-making. This may be the reason why I also disliked the way Konrad treated her, as if he was only looking at her, and not “seeing” her for who she was. In itself, this could’ve added to the tragedy of that relationship, but felt a little wobbly instead. This said, to be fair, I’m not too attracted by love triangles in general, so I’m pretty picky about those anyway.

Finally, I would’ve liked the ending to be just a tad less abrupt. It was a necessary ending—it couldn’t have been otherwise—but it came a little too quickly. I guess I would’ve liked some kind of explanation, even a non-scientific one, as to how exactly the tables turned so fast.

What I appreciated, though, was how “This Dark Endeavour” paved the way for Shelley’s story, and could likely bring more people to read that one—which really deserves to be read no matter what. Maybe this is the reason why I couldn’t be so enthralled with the book: because I already know the original masterpiece, and because for me, the stories don’t play on the same level. Nevertheless, this novel could be a good introduction to its predecessor for younger readers.