The Only Thing to Fear Review

Here's my latest book review to be published by School Library Journal. Let me know what you think.

The Only Thing to Fear Review:

School Library Journal (07/01/2014):
Gr 9 Up--Sixteen-year-old Zara St. James lives in a dystopian futuristic society in which the Nazis won World War II and now control the world alongside their Axis allies. Ever since Zara's mother and best friend were killed by the Nazis, Zara has been living with her uncle who is one of the leaders of the Alliance, a rebel group attempting to overthrow the government. Outraged by everything the Nazis have done to her friends and family, Zara is eager to join the Alliance, but her overprotective uncle won't allow it. Because of Zara's special ability to control wind, however, she feels she would be an invaluable asset, and spends the majority of the book complaining that her uncle won't allow her to do more to help. But when she meets Bastian, a Nazi soldier eager to join the rebels, she seizes her opportunity to defy her uncle and aid the Alliance in overthrowing the Nazi Empire. The romance that sparks between the two teens feels forced, and neither character is particularly likable or sympathetic. Zara's supernatural abilities seem misplaced considering the premise, and while the premise is intriguing, its distant third-person point of view and less-than-stellar writing make it a poorly executed story. Readers are unlikely to get past the first few chapters.--"Candyce Pruitt-Goddard, Hartford Public Library, CT" Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Cracks in the Kingdom

A few months ago I reviewed A Corner of White by Jaclyn Moriarty, and loved it. I finally managed to get to my NetGalley copy of the sequel Cracks in the Kingdom, and loved it just as much. Before I picked it up, I was impressed that it got four starred reviews. For those of you not familiar with the library world, that pretty much means four of the literary review magazines thought it was exceptional, and marked it as such. It's not all that often that so many different publications will star the same book, because usually each publication only stars a few each month.

Goodreads Summary of Cracks in the Kingdom:
The second in Jaclyn Moriarty's brilliant, acclaimed fantasy trilogy, THE COLORS OF MADELEINE!

Princess Ko's been bluffing about the mysterious absence of her father, desperately trying to keep the government running on her own. But if she can't get him back in a matter of weeks, the consequence may be a devastating war. So under the guise of a publicity stunt she gathers a group of teens -- each with a special ability -- from across the kingdom to crack the unsolvable case of the missing royals of Cello.

Chief among these is farm-boy heartthrob Elliot Baranski, more determined than ever to find his own father. And with the royal family trapped in the World with no memory of their former lives, Elliot's value to the Alliance is clear: He's the only one with a connection to the World, through his forbidden communications with Madeleine.

Through notes, letters, and late nights, Elliot and Madeleine must find a way to travel across worlds and bring missing loved ones home. The stakes are high, and the writing by turns hilarious and suspenseful, as only Jaclyn Moriarty can be.

My Review of Cracks in the Kingdom:
This installment of the series was equally as magical and captivating as the first. I've said this before in my review of the first book, but I love the amazing and creative world-building Moriarty has done. If you're sick of reading the same story over and over, and you're looking for something original, look no further. With dual viewpoints, she's able to offer the best of both worlds: Madeleine who's based in the real world, and Elliot, who's based in a fantastical world.

This series is full of humor, and rich, colorful characters. The setting is also beautifully described and incorporates highly original Color Attacks that affect Elliot's world in strange and interesting ways. This story of missing persons is full of fun twists and turns, and promises readers a fun, exciting, and original read.

I only have two complaints about this book. The first one is that Madeleine is not given equal screen time in this book, which sort of throws off the balance a little. It would have been a little better if, like the first installment, Madeleine and Elliot were given equal screen time. My second, and perhaps slightly bigger complaint is that the story drags on at certain points, and should have been edited down a little. I love long books if they're gripping throughout, but sections of the story were lagging and could have been pared down to speed up the story a little.

Overall, however, this is an amazing fantastical read that teens and adults of all ages will fall in love with. Readers are sure to be left salivating for the third installment.

Happy reading!

Summer State of Mind Review

Summer State of Mind Review

School Library Journal (06/01/2014):

Gr 8 Up--In this coming-of-age story, 15-year-old Harper is the spoiled daughter of a wealthy music producer. Her plans for the summer consist of shopping, hanging out with her mean-girl besties, and attending all of the hot parties. But after charging one too many frivolous purchases to her dad's credit card, he decides to ship her off to summer camp to remind her of who she was before they struck it rich. Harper has a difficult time adjusting to the environment and alienates most of the other campers with her obsessive vanity and her dependence on electronics. As the summer progresses, she slowly begins to win some of them over, manages to save the day, learns a little bit about herself, and begins a romance with a camp "lifer" who goes to her high school. Her romance with Ethan feels a little forced and shallow, and the plot is somewhat anticlimactic, but teen girls who can't get enough summer-romance novels may enjoy it. Purchase only where beach reads fly off the shelves.--"Candyce Pruitt-Goddard, Hartford Public Library, CT" Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.