Turning Pages Reads: SONG OF BLOOD AND BONE by L. Penelope

Welcome to another session of Turning Pages!

Synopsis: Earthsinger Jasminda ul-Sarifor has always wished she things were diferent - that she had greater magic, a better relationship with the xenophobic Elsiran village in which she lives, and fewer Lagrimaran features than her father's ancestry has left her. But, alas, things are as they are, and she stubbornly persists in ekeing out a living on the side of the magical barrier that separates these two very different kingdoms, in a place that doesn't love her... until one day, a beaten scrap of a man falls into her path, and everything changes.

It's easy to want to trust Jack, because he's clearly honest - he's in dire straits, and not afraid to say so. It would be stupid to help Jack -- he's an Elsiran spy who was dropped into the midst of Lagrimaran soldiers. There's no real reason for Jasminda to help him - it looks better if she doesn't, after all - but what Jasminda sees of his treatment, and later, what Jack has to say about his mission leaves Jasminda horrified. The barrier - the wall that keeps the kingdoms apart - is about to fall. And when it does, the Lagrimaran religious zealot called True-Father who began the violence between these two countries will come roaring through, in full power, and begin a 'cleansing' of Elsira, and millions of innocent will die...

Jasminda doesn't want to believe this - doesn't want to change her whole world... but it's already changing. Refugees are flooding through in places where the barrier is thin, and it is clear that there is nowhere for them to go -- there's destruction and murder on both sides. Jasminda can't just sit around wishing things were different and better anymore - things aren't, they won't be, and she cannot simply hide. Furthermore, Jack is becoming way too important to her, and Jasminda is beginning to have a fearfully important reason ti want the world to continue...

Observations: Isn't this a beautiful cover?

It's always delightful when a self-pubbed book is picked up by a traditional publishing house. (Or, it's delightful to me, anyway; it might be really fraught and scary for the author, but my joy is more readers for that book.) L. Penelope is a black writer who majored in film AND computer science and who first published this book in 2015.

This book was described in marketing materials as "Romeo & Juliet meets The Return of the King," which is an awkward juxtaposition, to my mind (it read more like a rewritten piece of Greek mythology to me), but it is very high fantasy, with the romance of danger and heightened everything - and also features star-crossed lovers, insofar as Jack and Jasminda are from warring countries and do not share a skin color. Readers will enjoy this novel not because of the love story - which I didn't entirely need, but they will enjoy that this is "just" a fantasy story, of the sort which has a big, sweeping cinematic drama between warring nations, and doesn't attempt to parallel any true history, or anything else. It's actually a bit of a quiet story, for all of its scope, and readers who go in looking for a major war or magic being thrown around will at first have to adjust their expectations.

This is a new volume in the Heroine's Journey, and while the path is somewhat familiar, this is such a beloved tale that many readers will be sucked right in. The first volume in L. Penelope's duology is mostly scene-setting and lining up allies v. enemies. I look forward to how it all ends.

Conclusion: A sweeping romance of warring nations, a mysterious Queen Who Sleeps, and a black girl poised to save the world through her personal brand of magic - which she believes to be insufficient and unimportant. A good starter book for young fantasy readers who aren't as familiar with the genre, the writing is clear, and the pacing is at times a little slow, but engaging.

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I received my copy of this book courtesy of the publisher. As of TODAY, May 1, 2018, you can find SONG OF BLOOD AND BONE by L. Penelope at an online e-tailer, or at a real life, independent bookstore near you!

Turning Pages Reads: THE RADICAL ELEMENT, edited by JESSICA SPOTSWOOD

Welcome to another session of Turning Pages!

Synopsis: Women who persist aren't a recent innovation. A history of intolerance, which led to insistent female resistance is not an uniquely American story, but one which nonetheless has heralded seismic shifts within our national history. After the success of A TYRANNY OF PETTICOATS, editor Jessica Spotswood brings together twelve new tales of women who were upstarts and outsiders. From the 1830's through the 1980's, these stories, some based on actual events, others fictionalized accounts of historical periods, regale readers with young women who stood up and out as radically different, and in doing so, changed the way the world related to them. Contributors to this collection include young adult authors Jessica Spotswood, who also edited; Dahlia Adler, Mackenzi Lee, Erin Bowman, Megan Shepherd, Anne-Marie McLemore, Marieke Nijkamp, Dhonielle Clayton, Sarvenaz Tash, Stacey Lee, Meg Medina, and Sara Farizan.

Observations: Claiming an identity -- stepping outside of the role and voice assigned -- can be uncomfortable and awkward, intimidating, to downright dangerous and life-threatening. Without a clear idea of how things will end, each of the young women depicted in these stories sets out on a personal journey -- whether its to use her brown hands in the service of her country, when only paler hands are sought, or to make her escape from abuse, or to take her chances in a traditionally masculine world, playing a man's role. Readers will pause thoughtfully to discover these nuanced angles of history -- taking readers out of the realm of mere nostalgia into the realities of the difficulties and challenges of history through the voices of the traditionally excluded and silenced.

The women's outsider status is significant, as most of these voices are from women in the margins, due to issues of race, religion, sexuality, disability, gender, or professional desire. I appreciated the voices from early in our national history into more recent times. Some of my favorites were the story of the young Jewess, longs to study the Torah, and the Mormon girl who tries to find ties between her new country, and her faith. A Latina drains herself of pigment with the family's magic to bleach herself into the faded shades acceptable for silent films, while brilliant and neurodivergent young woman keenly watches court proceedings to determine the reproductive rights of the mentally unfit. Elsewhere, a half-Japanese girl braves 1950's xenophobia to compete to be the next Miss Sugar, while a young Cuban dons her first pair of go-go boots. The perspectives are fresh, the stories are original, and the anthology is a joy to read.

Conclusion: If you're not a short story aficionado, I think there's still plenty in this novel which will appeal. There's room to read and hop around, and then return to longer stories from time periods which you may not believe will hold your interest. You will be surprised!

In the editor's note, Spotswood outlines the purpose of this collection, and her wish that readers will be able to find themselves within these pages. Even as not a particularly radical individual, I found myself in the bravery and dauntlessness of these heroines, and I believe this book will work well for older middle graders, young adults, and adult readers.

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I received my copy of this book courtesy of NetGalley. After March 13, 2018, you'll find THE RADICAL ELEMENT edited by Jessica Spotswood at an online e-tailer, or at a real life, independent bookstore near you!

Turning Pages Reads: THE RULES AND REGULATIONS FOR MEDIATING MYTHS AND MAGIC by F.T. LUKENS

Welcome to another session of Turning Pages!

Synopsis: Hungry to inhabit his true self, Bridger Whitt will do anything to find a job to help him finance attending college out of state. He’s desperate enough to take a Craigslist interview with a weird entrance exam... no, a seriously weird entrance exam, as in, "Will you enter the office via the window?" He's determined enough to ignore any… little oddities about his magically-everywhere boss (exactly what was Pavel doing out at Lake Michigan when Bridger was there and just happened to be being drowned... by... Things with sharp teeth and cheerfully malicious expressions?!), and has almost entirely tuned out the disembodied voices he sometimes hears around the office. Despite discovering his boss’s true identity, regardless of learning that his crush, Leo, may actually crush on him right back, despite all signs lining up for a HEA, Bridger still can’t find a reason to stay home. After all, there’s nothing to do, and nowhere to grow in the provincial, conservative small town of Midden, Michigan. You can only discover what's real, if you go away and pursue it. Real life can only be magical elsewhere… right?

Observations: Truly, there's no place like home - and this novel brings that theme fresh life, by examining the presupposition that a.) our high school and college years are The Best Years of Our Lives (TM), and b.) that those Best Years can only happen well away from the familiar, known, and loved. This book talks about coming out and Becoming in a way which allows it to be a process that happens internally, and externally, with constant course corrections and revelations along the way. The romance, while not central to the plot, is just squeezable.

However swoon-worthy the romance is, however, what I most appreciate is how much this is a family story. In the best and most inclusive, expansive of ways, F.T. Lukens reminds us that family CAN mean a long-suffering mother who works her butt off for you, and is hopeful she's making up for you not having a Dad, but also it can additionally mean a tough-as-nails Harriet-the-Spy type who loves you, spies on you, then kicks your butt for keeping secrets - like the sister you never knew you needed, a boss and a mentor who both challenges you to rise up, but holds you as you fall apart, and pixies who cheer for you in tiny, tinny, high-pitched, annoying voices, but come on, at least they're not laughing while unicorns try to kill you this week. Or, whatever.

With endless dry humor and plenty of quirky charm, this book never tries too hard, or goes for the easy laugh. It removes itself from some of the stereotype of YA lit with a tight, loving relationship between teen and parent, and allows older people and younger people the respectful, reliant relationships they sometimes have in real life. And the humor just gives the difficulties and subtleties Bridger has while navigating the real world even more life. There's magic. There's mythos. There's a really cranky Sasquatch. While the novel is YA in spirit, it also crosses over for to be enjoyable for other ages, and could be appropriate for adults through older middle grade. While Bridger is definitely moving along toward adulthood - but this doesn't mean he's making all adult decisions - definitely not in the thriving metropolis that is... Midden(and I can't even tell you how much I love that name).

Conclusion:F.T. Lukens brings a joyfully charming innocence into this endearing adventure of a snarky, fearful boy who thinks he is fleeing toward the big, real world — when THE RULES AND REGULATIONS FOR MEDIATING MYTHS & MAGIC reveal that there is more wonder, magic, love, — and terrifying unicorns — in the known world he knows than he could have ever imagined. While I try to review without bias, this was one of my all-time FAVORITE Cybils books of 2018, I have zero chill discussing it, and I want you to read it, too.

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I received my copy of this book courtesy of Duet Books, for the Cybils Awards, for which this book was a finalist. You can find THE RULES AND REGULATIONS FOR MEDIATING MYTHS AND MAGIC by F.T. Lukens at an online e-tailer, or at a real life, independent bookstore near you!

Cybils SpecFic Bookmark: THE HEARTS WE SOLD by Emily Lloyd-Jones

The Cybils Speculative Fiction Bookmark:

As a panelist for Cybils YA Speculative Fiction, Round 1, I'm going to be briefly writing up some of the hundreds of book I read as part of the award. As panelist conclusions are not for public consumption, the purpose of these write-ups is to keep track of what I'm reading, and will mostly touch on plot synopsis, with minimal comments on thematic tropes.

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Synopsis:Deirdre Moreno would like to just be the kind of girl who does well in school, makes her way in the world, and never looks back, but she can't be. For one thing, anxiety stalks her like a rabid beast. For another thing, she's got reasons for that anxiety; it's been carefully cultivated by her father for years. She's been "damned if you do, damned if you don't" for so long that when her merit scholarship to her boarding school is revoked, it's enough to send her seeking what she never, ever, ever thought she'd be looking to find: a demon, to make a trade. They'll take body parts. You see people with prosthetics all the time, and you wonder if they're happy, if they got what they paid for...

Dee finds the answers to many of her questions, when she meets a bunch of weird kids who call themselves "the heartless," and the daemon who traded for their...hearts. She gets what she needs, to stay in school, but the possibilities for fortune and loss suddenly are much, much bigger than she'd ever imagined. There's another world, just beyond a thin curtain of reality... and it's incursions into this world are a terror Dee's not ready to face. All she can do is hunker down and remember that the choices she made are what have gotten her this far -- and all she has to do is choose to keep going. As things get more and more surreal, it's one of the hardest choices she's ever had to make.

Observations: This is a tricky novel to discuss without presenting spoilers, however, much of the narrative arc is obvious: girl meets demon, girl makes deal with demon, girl realizes she's been a.) duped, b.) got what she didn't think she wanted, c.) fades off into the unfinished lore of folktale history. Most readers have heard the phrase "selling one's soul to the devil," and read for English Lit the requisite cautionary lore from Faust, but this is an unique reimagining of devils, and those deals and exchanges. While most of the story is spent with Dee doing what she's told, fulfilling expectations, the real story begins when she discovers how much one doesn't have to lose, without a heart. How buoyed and lightened one's decisions can be. Once she and her troop of "the heartless" are freed from the normal constraints of humanity, no one - including the daemon - can predict who they'll become... or what they'll do.

Conclusion: Collecting souls, to a demon, one would imagine has some point, but why would anyone want a heart? The answer of what one can do with a heart, that hopeful, deceitful, unpredictable, emotion-centric thing - and what or who we are as humans when we give ours away make for an absorbing narrative that will leave readers thoughtfully considering the state of their own vibrant, living, beating centers - and possibly leave them with an excuse to take up knitting again.

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I received my copy of this book courtesy of the public library. You can find THE HEARTS WE SOLD by Emily Lloyd-Jones at an online e-tailer, or at a real life, independent bookstore near you!

Cybils SpecFic Bookmark: SONG OF THE CURRENT by SARAH TOLSCER

Happy December! The Cybils Countdown Continues!

The Cybils SpecFic Bookmark: As a panelist for Cybils YA Speculative Fiction, Round 1, I'm going to be briefly writing up some of the hundreds of book I read as part of the award. As panelist conclusions are not for public consumption, the purpose of these write-ups is to keep track of what I'm reading, and will mostly touch on plot synopsis, with minimal comments on thematic tropes.

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Synopsis: The Oresteia are the river - they've never been anything or done anything but skim up and back, hauling and freight throughout Riverlands as is their fate, through the auspices of their god. A fair bit of smuggling happens up and down the river, too, but the god stays mum, the wherries are sturdy, and there's always extra space for whatever, right? It's a free and easy life, freight-hauling, smuggling, and knowing the other wherrying families moving through the waterways. Caro was sure this was her fate, too, but the god never speaks to her - she's of age and past it, but even though she trolls her fingers into the water and listens hard, she never...quite...hears. It is the private heartbreak of her life, to be calling and calling, and never answered. And then, on a day when too many other of the wherry families have lost their barges due to a terrifying act of piracy, Caro's father is arrested. Smuggling's the charge, but it's mainly for refusing to ferry goods for soldiers. What's IN that ridiculous crate, anyway? To spare his life and commute his sentence, Caro agrees to carry the box without her Da -- only to realize she's being pursued, first by a mysterious fast cutter, and then, by every two-bit pirate and murderous dog in Riverlands. The smooth-talking courier who claims to know everything is obviously not telling her the truth. If only Caro knew which way she was supposed to go!

Politics, treachery, and lies are also in the churning waves - as well as gods and monsters. As Caro immerses herself in the current, a steadying hand on the tiller, she has to navigate these waters safely, or more than just her life and her father's life will come to an end.

Observations: Readers who enjoy fast-paced adventures with a whiff of politics will like this one. There's no overwhelming feeling of danger, as the plot twists aren't hidden, but easily discerned. This reads more as a safe adventure, in which the reader can be carried along without anxiety, knowing that, even though there are a few unexpected splashes along the way, the river runs true.

The idea of gods and them speaking is not often encountered YA lit, and this book contains an interesting exploration of this. Many readers will find the idea of life-guaidance via water entity an intriguing one. Readers who enjoy books which tell a simple story, and reveal a simple truth may find themselves drawn to the characters in this novel. Mistaken - or hidden - identity is often a fun trope, and though the way in which it is used in this novel is as familiar as a song, and readers will likely see it coming, it is nonetheless still fun. Who we are, and where we belong is something which can be determined ONLY BY US, and many teen novels, with their emphasis on the herd's decisions or parental input, can miss this. As teens, we spend a lot of time hoping this is true, and not sure we believe it, but this novel verifies: there is a place for us, and only we can find it, defying what our mothers are, or what our fathers say, there is a way forward for just US... if we have the courage to take the wheel and sail that cutter into the sunset.

Conclusion:Readers who enjoyed girls-on-the-sea books like HEIDI HEILIG's THE GIRL FROM EVERYWHERE duology, or Emily Skrutske's ABYSS duo will enjoy this story of a lively sailor girl who wants to be the terror of the high seas... eventually. Once she figures out to whom she belongs, and where. There's a bit of sailing jargon, which might produce a learning curve, and there's tons of travel, but the book is supplied with a map, so the intrepid reader shouldn't lose their way.

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I received my copy of this book courtesy of the public library. You can find SONG OF THE CURRENT by Sarah Tolscer at an online e-tailer, or at a real life, independent bookstore near you!

Cybils SpecFic Bookmark: REBEL SEOUL by AXIE OH

The Cybils Speculative Fiction Bookmark:

As a panelist for Cybils YA Speculative Fiction, Round 1, I'm going to be briefly writing up some of the hundreds of books I read as part of the award. As panelist conclusions are not for public consumption, the purpose of these write-ups is primarily to keep track of what I'm reading, and will mostly touch on plot synopsis, with minimal comments on thematic tropes.

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Synopsis: Lee Jaewon is doing what he has to, to stay in the Neo Seoul military school where he attends. His side-hustle in this war-torn place is actually three jobs - one of student, doing his best to hang on to his grades, and the other two as couriers for war vets - and those who need black market items. He's barely making ends meet, but he's got rent money and food, at least. Alone in the world - abandoned by his bestie, who stepped away from him to gain power in a gang, and by his mother, who, after the execution of his father for being a traitor to the new state, left Jaewon to the Old Seoul gangs when he was eight, so he'd have a "better life," Jaewon is a realist - and bitter. As a realist - and the son of a traitor - the worst thing Jaewon could do is get mixed up with the Director's son and his mad schemes, but here he is -- being recruited to the military weapons complex in Neo Seoul. He's a senior with everything to lose, so he's going to do his best to make his mark, take his money at the end of two years, and escape his past.

At least that was the plan before he discovered what his job for the military is going to be - working in weapons development. And the weapon is a supersoldier... a girl who doesn't exist, who has no future, and no past. She's a weapon. When Jaewon realizes that he sees her as a person, he tries to keep his distance. She warns him that she will hurt him -- that eventually, she hurts everyone. As events hurtle to a confrontation between New and Old Seoul, the state and the seething rebellion of the people, Jaewon wonders what it is that he's been fighting for - and if any nationstate is worthwhile if it treats people as objects. There are choices to be made.

Observations: There are myriad Korean words used within the text, many of which the reader will be able to decipher from context clues, and many Asian groups represented in authentic and matter-of-fact ways, including the correct ordering of their patronymic and given names, which is nice to see. This is a wildly futuristic novel, and the setting is chock full of bright lights, K-Pop style bands, vice and luxury existing alongside filth and poverty, all set against the backdrop of an endless rebellion after the war in the East Pacific. Yet, for all of the Blade-runner vibe, this is a sweeping, deeply sentimental romance -- boy meets girl, girl could break boy in half, they fall in love anyway. The deeper theme of both loving and criticizing a national ideology are especially pertinent for readers of all nations just now, and engage critical thinking beyond the satisfyingly swoony and dramatic romance.

Conclusion: A sure hit for teens seeking cinematic, action-packed, futuristic science fiction, this novel also touches on quieter emotions such as loneliness, loyalty, and love.

I received my copy of this book courtesy of the publisher. You can find REBEL SEOUL by Axie Oh at an online e-tailer, or at a real life, independent bookstore near you!

Cybils SpecFic Bookmark: FROSTBLOOD by ELLY BLAKE

The Cybils Speculative Fiction Bookmark:

As a panelist for Cybils YA Speculative Fiction, Round 1, I'm going to be briefly writing up some of the hundreds of books I read as part of the award. As panelist conclusions are not for public consumption, the purpose of these write-ups is to keep track of what I'm reading, and will mostly touch on plot synopsis, with minimal comments on thematic tropes.

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Synopsis: Ruby is a Fireblood, a girl whose gift is the use and power of flame. Her grandmother, the learned woman who taught her to read and memorize books, knew something about Fireblood's art and history, but passed away before Ruby could learn all she needed. Her mother, a master healer, just wants Ruby to hide her gift and to be careful -- for they live beneath the power of the Frostbloods, and all Firebloods are dragged to the King's arena to battle as gladiators -- or they're outright killed. Ruby's impetuous nature is like the fire's insistent heat, and when her mother is killed trying to save her, Ruby find a new direction for her rage and pain - overthrowing the evil king, and bringing the world back into a balance between fire and ice.

It is not easy for a Fireblood to master herself, and Ruby is used to giving herself the excuse that Frostbloods are emotionless automatons -- and that she will always struggle because there is more life to her. It turns out this isn't strictly true, though the Frostbloods do see her as a tool to be used in the battle against the king. For revenge, for her own reasons, Ruby is willing to be used -- until she is captured for the gladiator pits. Her ultimate destruction has to mean something more than just her own end -- and she's desperate to find a way to make a difference, any way she can... even if it means letting in evil to do good.

Reader's Advisory: The Opposites Attract trope is strong and familiar in this book, which appears to be the first in a trilogy. Romance blooms in the grip of danger, as desperate enemies unite under a common banner. There's a further thematic metaphor of the "white hats" using the darkness in the world to destroy the dark, which will likely be further developed as the series goes along. Though this is a familiar narrative structure, many teens who enjoy a more traditional Strong Female Heroine Saves The World will find this a worthy adventure for them.

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I received my copy of this book courtesy of the public library. You can find FROSTBLOOD by Elly Blake at an online e-tailer, or at a real life, independent bookstore near you!

Turning Pages Reads: YOU BRING THE DISTANT NEAR by MITALI PERKINS

Welcome to another session of Turning Pages!

It is the best of times... it is the worst of times. It is the time of unremitting nonsense. It is the time of sobering reality. It is a time of despair, it is a time for hope. Which means it's a perfect time for this gorgeous, gorgeous book.

Synopsis: Bengali sisters Tara and Sonia Das both want different things - Tara, to finally fit in to her place, Sonia, to have a moment -- a moment -- to herself to breathe, and write and think. With the help of their indulgent father and traditional mother, Tara fulfills her need to blend, first in London, then in the U.S. by calling on her vivid acting skills to inhabit and embody someone else. Sonia escapes to the fire escape with her notebook. Each girl's way of coping and acclimating to being an immigrant means stepping away from what they knew in London, and becoming someone new, even as they defend, in each other, what makes them who they are. Tara relies on her acting skills, as Sonia loses herself in her gifted classes. Family, even one as closely knit as the immigrant Das family has to be, is a sometimes fragile boat, and the expectations and stresses of the desire for a "good life" begin to feel like they're going to swamp it -- but finally as things work out, life in America seems sweeter. They finally live out their nicknames of "Sunny and Star" and have learned from living in Flatbush, have gained experiences and lost prejudices and gone where their parents cannot follow. Meanwhile, after tough times, their parents experience a renewal of their love - and Dad receives the promotion of which he spoke. The family ship remains upright and watertight -- and then, capsizes.

As Sonia and Tara leave home, each trying to rediscover her equilibrium, college brings more challenges and changes. There, they still grapple with who they are, and how they present themselves as both South Asians and Americans, as young woman and feminists. Each girls takes a a different track, which leads them into vastly different directions - one to small stages, then larger ones, then finally, to Mumbai; one straight back to Flatbush. Generations follow, each looking at their culture, language, and traditions with different eyes. When we are old, and when we are young, we are still challenged by how the world sees us, and must grapple with the questions of who we are, and who we want to be. What do we keep, that our families give us? What do we let fade away? What do we change to better suit ourselves? These are the heartfelt, crucial questions and observations the reader is confronted with, through three generations of shared sisterhood, culture, faith, and friendships.

Observations: With a shiny four starred reviews so far, we're very, very pleased to have had a chance to read and review our friend Mitali Perkins' latest book. (Also, Tanita is SUPER STOKED to have won it in a Goodreads giveaway - because THAT NEVER HAPPENS.) The beauty of having a hard copy of this book is the ability to pass it on. It could be given to a young adult -- but also to an older reader; the generational saga is beautifully inclusive. The jacket copy of this book uses the word "timeless," and though the eras and continents are distinctly laid out on the page, there is an element of "everyone"-ness that could make this story about any time, any lineage of women in any culture. It's a gifted rendering of what could be a very personal story - because there seem to be hints of autobiographical storytelling included - into something deeply universal.

I got choked up, laughed aloud, and became vexed with and for various characters at various times. Many teens will relate, both biracial and not -- to feeling pressure from family matriarchs who want their grand babies to be juuuust like them, despite the passage of time and eras. Questions of what beauty is, what womanhood means in feminist contexts and who best embodies these roles are things which the young and old women in this book encounter repeatedly. When Chantal's grandmothers join forces, they become TRULY their best selves. When the American cousin and the Mumbai cousins stop trying to change each other into being more or less immigrant or American, and truly see each other as they are - both, - the Das family remains unstoppable - strong, beautiful, and full of love that radiates to the world. Nosy aunties, scolding mothers, tsking uncles; Catholics, Hindus, atheists and all -- you'll want three generations of Das women to be your family, too.

Conclusion: This, more than anything, is a love story. How we love our sisters. How we love our families. How we love our cultures. How we hold each - and ourselves - lovingly, to a standard that says, 'we must improve. We must expand. We must be better than we were.' This is a love story about how we love those who are like us, and can come to loves those who are unlike us. It is a love story to hope, and the belief that, though we came from some distant then, now that we are here, we can choose to bring the old into the new, and love will ground and equal out the equation. We each of us inherits prejudices and circumstances; through our generations, we each can choose to leave those behind, and walk into a new world.

And I cannot articulate to you just how much I needed to have this book in my hand today.

It is lyrical, poetically beautiful writing, with realistic teen voices. It is a feminist book, about equal rights and inclusiveness without feeling like you're being schooled. Full stop: this is just a really great book, and I hope you have a chance to pick it up. It's worth it.

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I received my copy of this book courtesy of the Goodreads Giveaway. You can find YOU BRING THE DISTANT NEAR by Mitali Perkins at an online e-tailer, or at a real life, independent bookstore near you!

Monday Review: ONCE AND FOR ALL by Sarah Dessen

Synopsis: Sarah Dessen writes books that make wonderful summer reads, and by that, I don't mean they're "beach books" or chick lit. Rather, they have a dreamlike and immersive quality, delving deeply into relationships and emotions that might otherwise remain fleeting and obscure. They bring us, the readers, out of ourselves, and into someone else's life—into some perhaps relatively brief but still critical defining moment. They are in some ways "quiet" stories, but thought about another way, a moment that defines us is never really quiet. It takes up psychic space and causes internal noise.

In Dessen's latest novel, Once and for All, narrator Louna is in her last summer before starting college, and she's trying to stay busy enough to keep her internal noise at bay. She works for her mother's wedding planner business, along with her mother's best friend William. William serves as a father figure for Louna, since Louna's own father died when she was too young to remember him. Being exposed to the nitty-gritty behind-the-scenes chaos of weddings week after week has given Louna a cynical outlook on love and romance. What's more, her own first love the preceding fall came to a shocking and devastating end, and she's not ready to try again.

Still, life sometimes presents us with opportunities when we least expect them—and in ways we might not immediately recognize. When handsome but incredibly cheeky and annoying Ambrose begins working for her mother over the summer, she sees him as a disruption to her routine. But his laid-back, seemingly careless outlook on life is intriguing, and she realizes that taking a few chances might be just what she needs to move on from her past.

Observations: I always end up reading Sarah Dessen books with no small amount of wistfulness. Her characters seem to have a lot more freedom than I had as a teenager, even an older teenager—an adult sort of freedom that allows them to roam with few consequences, to take part in the working world, to have experiences that I didn't have until I was in college and living on my own.

And yet, what seems like freedom from my perspective is often just a different type of entrapment to her characters. We might envy Louna's ability to party until all hours with her best friend and date with impunity (and certainly, she seems to be 18 and technically an adult, so it isn't out of the realm of believability), but at the same time, sometimes freedom just leads to us making our own traps for ourselves. Like Louna, we can voluntarily put on blinders, making it hard to realize that what we think we are searching for is not what we really need.

Conclusion: Fans of Sarah Dessen will eat up this latest novel, and anyone who is a fan of realistic romance fiction and/or family and coming-of-age stories will want to check this one out, too. It would also make a good crossover or new adult book, due to the age of the protagonist.

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I received my copy of this book courtesy of my library's ebook collection. You can find Once and for All by Sarah Dessen at an online e-tailer, or at a real life, independent bookstore near you!

Turning Pages Reads: HEART STONE by ELLE KATHARINE WHITE

Welcome to another session of Turning Pages!

Spin-offs, sequels, retellings. Love it or hate it, there's never a moment when a Jane Austen novel isn't getting some play somewhere, whether with text messages, zombies, or space ships. Funnily, I don't recall who suggested this book (Book Smugglers? Smart B's?) and by the time I came to it in my TBR pile, I'd forgotten why it was suggested... I figured dragons? I was halfway through the book before I recognized it - I blame the sinus infection. If you enjoy novels of repressive Victorian society, manners, and mores; if you adore costume and courting ...if you love Our Jane, this one's for you.

Synopsis: Aliza's grief at the loss of her sister to the vicious talons of gryphons, underscores the reasons Lord Merybourne strained his slender resources to hire a troop of Riders to eradicate them. The farmers and craftspeople of Hart's Run have suffered bitter losses from the Tekari, the Oldkind which are enemies of mankind. Aliza's father's way of dealing with his grief is to immerse himself in Lord Merybourne's estates, and in their management, remaining a loving yet vague presence in the lives of his daughters. Aliza's mother's way of dealing with her grief is to get her children away from Merybourne Manor by any means necessary. The Bentaine purse doesn't stretch to sending all the girls away to finishing school and none of them show a particular bent to be apprenticed in any art, but they're girls, after all. They can marry out. Riders must have noble blood, and the ability to communicate with their Shani - or friends of mankind - Oldkind mounts - some of which are dragons - and their work pays them well and takes them far. Since they're already in Hart's Run to eradicate the nest of gryphons...

Aliza, and her older sister, Angelina, are both amused and troubled by their mother's single-mindedness in marrying off one of her daughters, but at least one of the Riders, Lord Brysney has caught Anjey's fancy. The other Riders are either indifferent or, in the case of the dragon-riding Daired Lord, horrible snobs. Aliza isn't too fussed about one distasteful man. She's a competent herbologist and healer, and there's always something going on in the garden, or with her hobgoblin friends who live there. There also was an Oldkind at Lord Merybourne's party, threatening someone... who? Brysney's sister, Lady Charis, whose loss of her wyvern mount causes her great grief, seems quite willing to be Aliza's friend... sometimes. As Anjey and Brysney become closer, it becomes clear that there is more to the Riders than meets the eye. But, all of the household drama pales in comparison to the earthquakes and oddities going on. The Tekari are rising -- something truly wicked is coming for Hart's Run... and there's nowhere to hide. The Shani, with their Riders are going to have to work their magic, supported by the commoners the Riders may have scorned for any of them to survive.

Observations: I was amused to see this book listed as an historical fantasy... and while I know that it is, and what that means, I also laugh since there's been no time in OUR history, anyway, that people have ridden dragons...! Despite sounding like its set in Victorian times, with the costumes, social stratification, and Lord-ing/Lady-ing, the decision to include green-haired hobgoblins did not extend to human author people of color in this non-noble farming and crafting community. As there were doubtless persons of Asian, South Asian and African ancestry in the Victorian England in which Austen set her original series, it is an unfortunate erasure.

The addition of dragons (and the odd wyvern and bearlike beoryn)to any Austen novel has the potential to enliven it! I won't say "improve," since Austen novels don't really need "improvement," per se. While an examination of the manners and mores of Victorian times doesn't necessarily translate into this fantasy retelling, the observant snark and humor of the narrative find their place in this novel. Aliza doesn't take her mother's machinations very seriously, nor does she suffer unduly from the dislike of the Daried lord. He's just a donkey's bum, no big deal. Mari, rather than being obnoxious, is simply introverted and much more amused by time to herself with a book than dressing and going into society - and the author makes clear that there's nothing wrong with it. Readers will appreciate Aliza's relationship with the lesser Oldkind, as it makes plain the kindness of her personality, that no Shani creature is too small for her consideration, and that muddy hems are a small price to pay for friendship. Her no nonsense dealings with the care of her sister during illness, and her bravery in turning down the offer to learn to kill more Tekari also speak to a girl who knows her own mind, and regardless of what others might believe she should be doing, or how they believe she should be reacting, she will go her own way.

Conclusion: You might indeed be well over Austen retellings, or find the original tale tedious and frustrating. And yes, Aliza's mother still needs a brisk slap, but at least the reasons for her behavior make much more sense this time, and you'll appreciate that Leyda is redeemed and doesn't have to live with her mistake for very long. This novel's brimstone of dragonfire and slash of wyvern's talons breathes adventure into a familiar story, making it more accessible to certain audiences. Magic, adventure, war, and romance, this is one to tuck into your bag to make airport delays something you don't even notice.

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I received my copy of this book courtesy of the public library. You can find HEART STONE by Ella Katharine White at an online e-tailer, or at a real life, independent bookstore near you!

Turning Pages Reads: PROMISE OF SHADOWS by Justina Ireland

Welcome to another session of Turning Pages!

It's weird to come cold to a book written by someone you know, but this one has been on my list for a long time, and I decided to stop waiting for my turn with the library copy. It's difficult to detail too much about this novel without including spoilers, so this is a bit... vague in some spots, but hopefully this will just encourage you to pick up and give this underrated novel a read.

Synopsis: Zephyr is vaettir - a half-godling, and used to being on the fringes of things. She's not quite human and not quite Harpy. She's familiar enough with the mortal realm to like TV and snacks, and is awful at wielding aether magic and doing any kind of fierce fighting, like a real Aethereal. A total disappointment to her mother, Zephyr has long relied on beloved sister, Whisper to make things work out but that reliance has had its consequences -- for one, their mother's anger, and for another, the disgust of the Harpy Matriarch, who, once Zephyr has failed her Harpy trials once and for all, has no further use for her in the Aerie. Zephry is fine playing human until she finds Whisper dead at the hands of one of the Hera's minor god minions. Whisper dared to love the high Aethereal god, Hermes, and has died for it -- and now Zephry is nearly murdered as well. Instead, she draws on an unknown power to kill... but, how? She's barely a Harpy, and no mere mortal can kill the gods. Though some of the bright gods cried for her immediate death, Zephyr is instead cast down to the Underworld, under the limited "protection" of Hermes, who has sent her to a ditch-digging detail in "crap" weather, while the gods above in the Aethereal High Council plot and stew ...and worry.

Tartarus isn't bad... for an Underworld prison guarded by trigger-happy minotaurs and filled with round-the-clock, pointless ditch-digging and daily literal showers of crap. Worse, even in the pits of Tartarus, Zephyr isn't safe. She's been wise to keep mum about how she pulled off the murder - especially since it was mostly an accident - but an opportunity to escape leads her to more difficult questions: questions as to why a childhood friend has appeared to help her, why some of the major players in the panoply of the gods are interested her, and finally, questions as to why Whisper isn't peacefully waiting for Zephyr in the Elysian Fields as she expected. Even her sister's Afterlife is being manipulated by the gods, and Zephyr is over it. She's is determined to set things right, to save the sister in Afterlife which she could not in mortal life. This, Zephyr feels, will give her life some purpose.

But, Zephyr soon discovers that her life has more purpose than she could have imagined. She's part of a prophesy, the hope of millions... and is meant to save the world.

Observations: As a vaettir outsider, Zephyr contains contradictions. Harpy and human, god and mortal. She both wants, and does not want anything to do with the bright Aethereal high gods; she both wants and doesn't really want the moral life which seems the only course open to her. When she finds out that she has a connection to other power, she both longs to use it, to settle scores and become feared, and she prefers not to use it, because who really wants to sign up to be the hope of the world? What makes Zephyr the most interesting is that she's not all one thing. She's both snarky and sweet, trying desperately to be an ideal Harpy while being a fairly good example of a normal human teen.

In the real world, you can just be how you are. But in the vaettir world you are what your lineage says you are. Gorgon? Well, then you must have snakes for hair and a quick temper. Harpy? You must love killing and hate men. There really isn't a whole lot of room for the truth, just stereotypes.

It's exhausting, always caring about that kind of thing.

And this is probably the most telling bit of inner mind we get from Zephyr which explains the drawbacks of her world. She's a brown-skinned, blue-haired winged beast, which means her limitations and label is shown on her body. But, that's not all there is to Zephyr, to the hated "shadow vaettir" and that's not all there is to anyone. This makes Zephyr such a relatable character, this underrated little moment which looks out at the reader and says, "Yes, I see the world has labelled and underestimated you, too. Zephyr has to change her understanding of who she sees herself to be, as she declares herself the hero her sister needs, and her vaettir need to save them. That kind of image shift doesn't come without work and pain.

There's romance in this novel, but it doesn't overwhelm the storyline by any means. For me, Tallon was someone I wanted to kick a great deal, and amusingly, so does Zephyr. Her hormones are there, but she doesn't let them lead her into stupidity, and it's nice to find a character with a relationship that can wait for better timing.

Conclusion: Fans of Xena and warrior princesses/Wonder Woman in general will find this underrated YA fantasy truly enjoyable. Even if you're not really in the know on Greek mythology - and I am not, thanks to a parochial education - you'll find the action, drama, and emotional development of the characters a fun ride.

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I received my copy of this book courtesy of my own purchase. You can find PROMISE OF SHADOWS by Justina Ireland at an online e-tailer, or at a real life, independent bookstore near you!

Turning Pages Reads: WHEN DIMPLE MET RISHI, Sandhya Menon

Welcome to another session of Turning Pages!

It's hard to critically review a book when you want to gush about it, but I'm going to make an effort. If you need a feel-good, Happily Ever After, this book is one you'll want to tuck into your carry-on bag. With your iced coffee in hand, board your plane, knowing you've got the perfect vacation read. You'll want to hug this book, too.

Synopsis: Dimple Shah would like her mother, please, to STEP BACK UP OFF OF HER a little. Just... a little. If she hears one more nattering bit of gossip about who's getting married, about wearing eyeliner and looking more attractive so she can land the Ideal Indian Husband, or growing out her hair, beti, it's beautiful, why don't you do something with it, she. is. going. to. SNAP. It's a miracle and amazing that her very protective mother and soft-spoken father have finally been talked into letting her go to Stanford. She's earned that, and they're proud of her, yay. But, that they are letting her go to SFSU for a summer program for up-and-coming web developers -- is unprecedented! There HAS to be a catch??? Her mother cannot possibly be suddenly behind her coding and computer engineering dreams, can she??? Well... actually... yes? And no.

Rishi Patel is the serious-minded, loving son of two amazing people whose love is the type sung about in Bollywood films. He wants that -- badly. He wants what they have, wants that harmony, that purpose, that ...support. He believes in love, believes in family and tradition. So, when his parents suggest that he go to SFSU's summer coders program and check out the daughter of his parents' very dear friends, he thinks, "Why not?"

The agony, the ecstasy, and the expectations of love are all the things that make us play the game. Dimple and Rishi and their friends just have yet to figure out the score... but, they will.

Observations: This novel brings the funny: we all cheesed at the front cover, but my people, look at the back!! Two steps forward... two steps back...

Yes, I am channeling junior high and Janet Jackson, because we all THINK we love romances with the idea of "opposites attract," but when it comes down to it, often, it feels like if characters are TOO opposite, they're unevenly matched, and SOMEONE will have to make a 180° change in who they are... Things like compromise are too often something that's considered boring and too real life for the fantasy of romance. One thing I adored about this was how hostile Dimple was to the idea of romance - because of that reason. Because there's an expectation that if someone is going to change, it' going to be the woman, and if someone has to sacrifice, society is looking at her expectantly again. It makes her ANGRY - with a baffled fury which she struggles to express. She WANTS the dream. She WANTS the gooey HEA. But, real life doesn't provide a place for anyone to have it all, man or woman. If you want to be in love AND have a career where you kick butt and take names... well... you're going to have to work for it like nothing before. And, we don't see, in Western society, enough of that work in action to believe in it.

I love that Rishi is so... wonderful. He's almost too good, and I feared for him, until he started to act like a butthead, and then I was like, "Oh, good. That Mature And Amazing thing only goes so far. Human nature and emotions cloud his head, too. I love the exploration of his relationship with his brother - *sibling magic!* - and I love that guys can care about each other in tender ways... even while giving THE WORST ADVICE EVER. I love that both Rishi and Dimple were sometimes beyond brave. Their romance felt real and long-lasting, and the type of thing you knew they could look back and tell their grandkids. Too often, teen romances have an element of "we won't tell our parents" and the fact that this is ABOUT their families and their futures, is, in a way, such a great twist. I'd love to see more novels where the parents aren't just invisible.

Conclusion: I generally don't read YA romances, because they disappointed me when I was a teen too much. Romances can leave you feeling a little wistful and lonely, as if you can never have what you've just read about, and that goes double if you've only ever read about majority Western families non-Indian families who don't have parents - or parental expectations - or skin-and-hair and lives like you do. But, this romance is a big-hearted, hilarious, tear-inducing -- wonderful-fest, which can be read by everyone, guys and girls, Hindu and Christians - it's inclusive, yet it's very special in that it's going to be extra special for the South Asian teens who identify with the snacks and the songs and the aunties. I love it like watermelon mint iced tea. (Sorry; cannot DO the iced coffee, people.) I just have an extra-special warmth in my heart to think teen readers LOL-ing at this, and I'm betting someone needs to make it a movie, STAT.

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I received my copy of this book courtesy of the public library. You can find WHEN DIMPLE MET RISHI by Sandhya Menon at an online e-tailer, or at a real life, independent bookstore near you!

Turning Pages Reads: A CROWN OF WISHES by ROSHANI CHOKSHI

Welcome to another session of Turning Pages!

There's a lot of upheaval in moving house, and reading isn't something one often has time to do much of, but I'm choosing books which allow me to savor and enjoy them in snatches. This is one!

Synopsis: There were only impossible decisions left, and then Gauri, the princess of Bharata, was given as a prisoner of war to her kingdom’s enemies. They were supposed to kill her - but instead, Gauri was offered a choice: to play in the Tournament of Wishes—a competition held in a mythical city where the Lord of Wealth promises a wish to the victor - for the chance to gamble on everything and win it all - her kingdom back, her respect, the lives of her family and loved ones. But, is it even possible, to change everything on a single wish?

Vikram is the son of a king, for all the good it will do him. A weak king, led by his counselors, a man whose petty cruelties have raised his son to a high estate that he can never possibly maintain. He has a title, but no power, and now he's being offered entrance to the Game... and a chance to have it all. Only, he has to have a partner. This prisoner of war - fierce and sharp-tongued - is hardly the best choice, but she's all he's got, in order to get a chance.

The Lord of Wealth is twisty, and just finding the city where the Tournament is held thrusts Vikram and Gauri into mortal peril. There's too much to battle - too much real, and too many things from their own minds. There's really no way to win, and even if they do make it through -- only one wish? What good will that do?

As long as there's a chance, though, neither combatant - contestant - will give up. Is it worth working together? Can they trust their hearts, to give them what they desire? As beautiful, poison-skinned women swan about, feasting on their fears, and clouds of storytelling birds flutter past, nothing is as it seems - and everything is worth more than they could have wanted...and wanting anything is deadly.

Observations: Though this is a second book in a series, it reads, to me, as a book which could easily stand alone, so can be honestly called simply a "companion novel." The first book in this series enthralled many; this second book will make believers out of many more. It's even better than the first, by my lights.

I dislike having to put books down, and prefer to be a stem-to-stern reader, swallowing stories whole, but that's not always an option. This book is delightfully lush and filled with beautifully descriptive allegory, which can be digested in small bites. I'm reminded of a South Asian Odyssey, with shades of Christina Rosseti's "Goblin Market," and shades of ALICE IN WONDERLAND. There's a lot of loveliness here to take in, and I imagine fans of Cornelia Funke's INKHEART will find common ground here.

Conclusion: I love an adventure story which takes readers through the looking glass and down the metaphorical rabbit hole. Thrown together, two vastly different type of people must first see the value in each other's ways, then together, determine how best to travel the labyrinthine mythical lands and interpret clues and hints to find the Lord of Wealth, and beg entrance to the Game of these magical beings, most of which consider humans great sport, and tasty around the spinal cord... The beautifully written story is evocative and thought-provoking, and there are so many lovely turns of phrase. Also, a lot of sarcasm, anger, and a girl who's the fastest draw in the West with her dagger and sword. Surprisingly fun.

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I received my copy of this book courtesy of the publisher. After March 28th, you can find A CROWN OF WISHES by Roshani Chokshi at an online e-tailer, or at a real life, independent bookstore near you!

Turning Pages Reads: REBELS LIKE US by Liz Reinhardt

Welcome to another session of Turning Pages!

I'm not usually a huge fan of the traditional "South," -- as a thematic novel concept, it's got baggage so big it doesn't fit into the carry-on compartments. Reading a novel set in Georgia isn't problematic of itself - I did read GONE WITH THE WIND, after all - but it's what isn't in the novel that's sometimes at issue. This novel is matter-of-fact with its underage drinking and sex, but I picked it up because it is the rare YA narrative featuring a biracial character... turns out, there's more than that going on - a lot more. "Some things are bigger than all of us," is the tagline of the novel. Readers may find themselves coming to different conclusions as to what that "thing" might be...

Synopsis: For Agnes Murphy-Pujols - "Nes" to her friends - the obvious thing, when her boyfriend Lincoln's cheating crashes against her mother's work-related disaster - the obvious thing is to just leave Brooklyn. Her mother is taking a job in Georgia to escape the fallout of a poor decision, so resentful and rebellious and deeply homesick, Nes decides against bunking with friends or fleeing to her father and brother in Paris, and goes along with Mom for the last semester of her senior year. Unfortunately, small-town Georgia isn't quite ready for a half-Dominican smart mouth from Brooklyn - Nes doesn't know this language of "ma'am" and syrupy verbal respect for elders, and she doesn't know what to make of being estranged from both her mother - her father - and away from her bestie. Georgia - with "mudding" in a truck on the weekend and swimming in swimming holes with "gators" is nothing, nothing, nothing like Brooklyn - and while Nes is pretty slow to make friends of the female kind, she's very quickly found an admirer in Doyle Rahn - a big, gorgeous hunk of dude with a green thumb and a drawl like warmed syrup. The attraction is mutual - and headlong fast - but it runs into a wall: this is small-town Georgia, a town which has two proms, one for the white kids, and... one for the kids who look like Nes. Biracial? Dominican? Those words mean nothing in Dixieland. Nes has made it clear that she's leaving - nothing about Georgia attracts her or makes her think it's a long-term option for her life - but before she goes, she and Doyle and a few of their friends shake up their small town in a feel-good rebel triumph over racism.

Observations: This is a problematic novel for me, but readers who wish to read it solely as a romance novel may enjoy doing so if they're able to suspend their disbelief about a variety of other issues that don't matter to them. The first 135 pages or so is all about the move, Nes and her mother's relational breakdown, Nes's homesickness, etc., and her incipient romance with a hunky boy. The conflict blooms much more slowly than the feelings of attraction and romance. Readers who dislike "insta-love" will find that it's a pretty quick attraction, but the push-pull of the work needed to have a relationship happens throughout the book.

I had issues with the rest of the novel, however. Nes arrives from Brooklyn to small town Georgia with no thought at all that it will be different from New York and possibly problematic, because she has dark skin. We're constantly reminded that Nes is half-Dominican, half-Irish, and I've read the narrative which downplays that fact described as "genius," yet for me, it appeared that she was not terribly knowledgeable about her culture in addition to being unbelievably ignorant of the historical traditions and attitude of the South. Perhaps Nes's mother, as a white lady, may have had the privilege to not think about race, ethnicity, and the concerns of having dark skin - however, as a mother of a mixed-race teen in this environment when teens of color are being hassled by police, it would seem impossible to be blind to the dangers to her own child. Nes cannot ever shed her skin - in an America in which institutionalized racism is a fact of life, Nes would have experienced some level of bias against her in New York, and also would have been well aware of the issue of being someone who looked black in a small town in the South. That the narrative allows Nes only to experience racism in Georgia is surprising. It's a shortcoming for many non-minority Americans to imagine that slavery and all of its ills - like recalcitrant, Jim Crow racism - are something that is only ever and always the dominion of the South. It is not. Unless the writer set the novel entirely in some parallel universe, time out of mind -- which she does not, because she mentions Lorelei and Rory Gilmore as familiar pop-culture touchstones -- there are some day to day facts about race in America and the experience of being a dark-skinned, half-Dominican female which she either does not know, or chooses to ignore.

Ms. Lovett, who "has the same, huggable, curvy figure and soft, dark brown skin" as Nes's grandmother - is the stern English teacher who requires Nes to call her 'ma'am,' but is easily turned to Nes's team because she apparently loves her sass. Lovett veers perilously close to the Mammy trope, seemingly on hand in the novel solely for the purpose of giving Nes Life Lessons and changing her, allowing her to confide that she's "not actually African American," so she in turn can assure Nes that race is "complicated" and that she, too, is a woman of complex parts, and "half-Cherokee." Ms. Lovett teaches Nes "respect," hands Nes books by Ralph Ellison, Zora Neale Hurston, essentially wipes her tears, swats her bottom, and sends her on her way to "shake the dust off this old town," just like everyone's favorite Aunt Jemima. As Nes is a high school senior of color from Brooklyn attending a top-tier high school, I find it brow-raising that Nes would have been coming to this canon of black American authors blind, having never heard of them, and only being introduced to them by the redemptive power of a black Southern teacher. While the Magical Negro trope in its typical form doesn't quite work here, I found myself wishing Lovett had been a white character, or Nes's mother, or another student -- or anything...

Conclusion: The novel attempts to delve into a big topic but for me is missing levels of nuance and an understanding of what it is to be a black woman of any ethnicity in the United States in contemporary times. The novel veered at times into slur - including against the Irish as red-headed drunks - and stereotype, which detracted from the narrative, confirming that I was not the intended audience. Regardless, for many, this novel will engage with the quick, hot flare-up of its romance, its feel-good, fairytale ending, and its myriad good intentions.

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I received my copy of this book courtesy of the publisher, and all quotes or references are from an uncorrected Advanced Reader Copy. After February 28, 2017, you can find REBELS LIKE US by Liz Reinhardt at an online e-tailer, or at a real life, independent bookstore near you!

Thursday Review: MADE FOR YOU by Melissa Marr

Synopsis: I just finished reading this fast-paced suspense novel with a hint of the paranormal, and it was definitely a page-turner. I hadn't read one of this author's books in a while (not since the Wicked Lovely novels, which were tales of the dark faerie world) so it came as an unexpected but welcome diversion to be completely gripped by a thriller (as opposed to the real-life business going on at the moment). This one's got plenty of creepy psychological horror, a splash of romance, a hint of the Southern Gothic, and, of course, a few dead bodies.

It all starts when Eva Tilling-Cooper—a member of the popular crowd and veritable town royalty in Jessup, North Carolina—is struck by a car in a hit-and-run while walking along a country road. She wakes up in the hospital with a broken leg, a cut-up face, a traumatic brain injury…and a strange, unwanted new ability: when someone else touches her, she has a vision of their death. Although it starts off as a nightmarish, confusing occurrence, Eva comes to realize that her ability is real—and it might be the only way she can find out who was responsible for her injuries. Not only that, it might help her stop them from striking again.

Observations: This was one of those taut, well-paced books that increases suspense by using multiple perspectives—one of which belongs to the killer. Of course, that means the reader will, at some point, figure out who the killer is, and their relationship to Eva, but by the time you figure it out, it only ramps up the tension as you begin to wonder if the bad guy might actually be able to carry out his ultimate nefarious plans. So at that point it becomes a race against time for Eva, her best friend Grace, her former best friend/current love interest Nate, and the actual police detective (no, this isn't one of those books where the young protagonist manages all on her own—especially when she's getting around on crutches).

Besides the effective story structure, I appreciated the character development in this one. Eva is, yes, one of the popular crowd, but she's also smart, she studies, and her best friend Grace Yeung comes from "the outside"—her family moved to Jessup rather than being part of the generations-old clan mentality that generally rules the town. While Grace is Asian American, it isn't a "thing" here; and none of the main characters is a stereotype. Also, the villain is truly creepy (and thinks he is the hand of the Lord), and being inside his head every few chapters only makes your skin crawl throughout the book.

Conclusion: I highly recommend this one for fans of thrillers and crime novels. The paranormal element is enjoyable and works well but is not the dominant element here—I'd call it primarily a suspense/psychological thriller.

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I received my copy of this book courtesy of my library's ebook collection. You can find MADE FOR YOU by Melissa Marr at an online e-tailer, or at a real life, independent bookstore near you!

Cybils Speculative Reader: REBEL OF THE SANDS by ALWYN HAMILTON

Welcome to the 2016 Cybils Speculative Reader!

As a first run reader for the Cybils, I'll be briefly introducing you to the books on the list, giving you a mostly unbiased look at some of the plot.

Enjoy!

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Synopsis: Amani Al'Hiza is sixteen, and desperate. Her mother had always told her wistful stories of her sister's home in Miraji's capitol - of how someday, somehow, she would escape her brutal husband and the Last County town of Dustwalk where they lived, and escape there. But, time ran out - Amani's mother killed her husband - and hung for it, leaving an orphaned Amani behind. Now her her life is circumscribed within the demands of her fractious aunt, too many backstabbing cousins, and an uncle who's only happy enough to consider Amani as a second wife. Amani determined to do anything to escape that fate. Escaping her unhappy home, Amani taught herself to shoot straight when she was only tiny, and, to her aunt's disgust, she's been more gunpowder than girl most of her life, making it easy enough to get over to the local bar and compete in the pistol pit. The purse is large - potentially giving Amani enough to escape her wed-or-dead chances in Dustwalk. Unfortunately, the competition is rigged in favor of the house, and chaos - and a massive brawl - forces her to abandon the plan. She gets a second chance at freedom when she crosses paths with a wounded foreigner, Jin, who is hiding from one of the sultan's vicious generals. Jin refuses to take Amani when he leaves town, but a last-minute change of plans puts her in his path again. Once Amani is finally is on her way, nothing is going to stop her. She'll stoop to trickery, guile, and outright violence to gain her freedom.

Seeing the world through Jin's eyes forces her to reevaluate her priorities. With the wide world at her disposal, she could really go anywhere - not just to the capitol. She could join the Rebel Army and fight to unseat the sultan. She could leave the country entirely, and go out to sea. All it takes is figuring out what she wants... and who she's supposed to be.

Observations: I'm always a little uneasy when writers take existing cultures and fictionalize them in order to make their fantasy worlds work. This is recognizable Middle Eastern culture, or what Westerner's assume it is, complete with women who are considered worthless, and multiple wives, but fortunately, this tossing-around-the-tropes thing doesn't stop there, but continues in a more creative vein, complete with religious practices, myths, and religion. It mostly works, freshening and transforming the fictional Arabian desert adventure narrative.

The novel has major elements of an American Western; this is a lawless, gunslinging kind of town with scavengers and rebel armies, so it's kind of a steampunk Tatooine... and also has a sultan and bells for prayers, and traditional Middle Eastern clothing. Their horses are made of sand and spirit, and djinn are real... as are skinwalkers and other nighttime horrors. Like the rebellious Westerners, the people of Dustwalk are prey to the larger forces which are shaking Miraji; the sultan's treaty to arm the Gallan, and the Rebel Army who both the Gallan and the sultan's forces are chasing. Many people feel loyalty to one side or the other - but Amani feels the most loyalty to herself.

The best novels show a clear progression of character development; Amani doesn't move easily from feeling like she's on her own to becoming part of a ragtag group, but she does it - on her own terms, discovering things about herself and her world that she never expected. She's a child of the desert, practically born with a gun in her hand -- but the greatest fight isn't with weapons, but in knowing who she is, and what her purpose is meant to be. Once she finds it, the sun truly rises on a new dawn.

Conclusion: Instead of lost treasure, this is a Heroine's Adventure mashup sending our heroine in search of a greater treasure than a pot of gold in the desert - instead, she's looking for her freedom. Though they may not feel entirely in sync with Amani's emotions, readers will be sympathetic to the idea of a rightful sultan, yet equally beguiled by the idea of the freedom, and tempted by the idea of safety in familiarity. The narrative arc swings wider than expected, toward the freedom to be found when a young woman truly knows herself, and owns her own power, which...if you're looking for a lovely theme for both boys and girls in young adult fiction, have I got a book for you!

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I received my copy of this book courtesy of the public library. You can find REBEL OF THE SANDS by Alwyn Hamilton at an online e-tailer, or at a real life, independent bookstore near you!

Turning Pages Reads: THE POSSIBILITY OF SOMEWHERE, by JULIA DAY

Welcome to another session of Turning Pages!

PRIDE AND PREJUDICE is a big deal for a lot of young readers, but many, many, many others consider death a happier alternative than committing to the famous 19th century novel. Enter the modern day makeover. PROM & PREJUDICE, by Elizabeth Eulberg. PRIDE AND POPULARITY, by Jenni James. EPIC FAIL, by by Claire LaZebnik. Every few years it seems another remake pops up. This one has new elements in it - the prejudice isn't just about class, it also includes race. We're given to understand that of course, racism is wrong and bad, but there's no exploration of it in reality. Ultimately, readers will edge toward looking at preconceived notions about "rednecks," and "trailer trash," but the novel stops short of taking an actual in-depth look, or making a statement, choosing instead to focus on romance.

Synopsis: Eden is someone who can never let it die that her mother behaved badly with almost every man in the county, and then left she and her brother when they were tiny. Never mind that there were other people - namely, men - involved in those relationships - Eden feels tarred with the same brush, her shapely body a shame to be covered in giant flannel shirts and huge jeans. Never mind that she has a stepmother now, and has for years, who has been a faithful part of her family. Nope - Eden lives in shame, and her only hope of removing the stain of her embarrassing beginnings is to remove herself from their small town. The path out - high grades, eyes-on-the-prize, full scholarship, somewhere. A few kids stand in the way - namely Ash Gupta, a gorgeous hunk of guy who is one of the wealthiest in their community. We're told from a bystander's comments that teachers are trying to get them to work together and lower the tone of competitive hostility between them. Eden doesn't really see a point to that -- there are only so many scholarships, and while Ash's parents could send him anywhere, Eden's father doesn't even want her to go - anywhere. The scholarship is all she's got. Being forced to work with Ash allows Eden to see a side to him that she didn't know existed, while Ash is surprised at this more dimensional Eden. While she's softening toward the world in general, Ash wants to be first in the door to find out more. Unfortunately, Ash's father is the owner of one of the major industries in their town. Eden's dad once worked for him - before he was laid off. On the other side of the fence, everyone knows about Eden's mother being the town tart... A scholarship, a friendship and a relationship are on the line - and if Eden leaves everything familiar to truly reach for what she wants - and misses - what's left? The possibilities are endless.

Observations: While I enjoyed being allowed to feel that this retelling of PRIDE AND PREJUDICE was a novel with a story arc I didn't know, none of the characters stayed into fully-dimensional people all the time. At times, I was disappointed; I wanted to like each of the characters, but they occasionally seemed like a collection of broadly sketched "types." There's the sassy-mouthed and borderline hostile redneck girl - who is titled as "Christian" despite ever darkening the door of the church, praying, or engaging any religious ritual outside attending a funeral to support a friend. Christian is erroneously conflated with White. There was so much we could have dug into with Eden - her body shame is just one meaty topic among others, but the novel never went there.

Then there's the Guptas. As a family who owns a business in a Southern state, there's a lot that isn't said about them - about the prejudices they face, about the rigidity of the class structure within their community. We are told that they're Hindu, but never see that part of their lives, or much of the Guptas lives at all, except that Ash and his friends seem to walk in lockstep. Was Ash ostracized or heckled because of his race? Have the Guptas faced anything? Too much is left unsaid so when we're told that the Guptas reject Eden as girlfriend material, it doesn't resonate. Eden, however, is primed for their distaste, and the narrative rolls on.

As the character with the tertiary storyline, Munday is the socially errant home-schooled kid (a trope which I wish would just die). Of course, Mundy is also smart and good-looking once you get past the bizarre behavior. It's almost like the girl who just removes her glasses and is suddenly a sex-bomb. This is another trope which I wish would die. Mundy is such an honest, great-hearted girl that it's unfortunate to see her through these filters.

Ash doesn't actually change throughout the narrative. He's grade-conscious, class-conscious, and too conscious of how his friends saw things, far too easily embarrassed by this girl he purports to ardently admire, and overly wary of the baggage of her being of a lower socioeconomic rung than he. Despite all of this, and the obstacles both assume will be in their way, things get hot and heavy pretty fast, all the way to the intensity of speaking "I love yous" out loud. And then, at the first sign of dismay - boom, they're over. Though this novel purports to be about star-crossed, wrong-sides-of-the-tracks friends-to-lovers, nothing is really challenged - not class consciousness, not ethnic insularity, and not the neutered racism depicted. Eden's father and Eden's nemesis say nasty things, but Southern racism in small, rural towns is known to be at times fairly overt and hostile. This doesn't show up in the novel, nor is there a reason given for this relative truce. Nothing is thought through, challenged or changed in their lives or in their community by Eden and Ash's relationship. The answer to a reticence from a few people to a mixed race relationship? Mainly, keep kissing. Love will conquer all.

Conclusion: Fans of the original may feel they've found a new intensely romantic couple to cheer for, and those looking for a sweet friendship between a stepmother and stepdaughter can find that here. Readers looking for an actual straightforward exploration of a relationship tripped up by prejudice within communities in the South and how socioeconomic inequities would affect a biracial couple will need to look elsewhere.

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I received my copy of this book courtesy of the publisher. After September 6, 2016, you can find THE POSSIBILITY OF SOMEWHERE by Julia Day at an online e-tailer, or at a real life, independent bookstore near you!

Turning Pages Reads: LABYRINTH LOST by ZORAIDA CORDOVA

Welcome to another session of Turning Pages!

Last November, I went to the grocery store and saw a display of Día de los Muertos - Day of the Dead - stuff on display - imported from a non-Latin American country overseas, in plastic. I was unimpressed. It's problematic when we gank cultural celebrations from multicultural groups for the purpose of selling them as something new and cool and "must have," for those seeking coolness-by-proximity-to-culture, and it's just done so frequently. So, you'll understand that when I looked at the cover of LABYRINTH LOST, I had an oh, snap! moment until I saw the author's name. And then I thought, "Oh, her background is Ecuadorian; this should be interesting!

Synopsis: Alex just wants normalcy. No smoke, no spirits, no blood, no death: just high school. Unfortunately, she's been born into a family of brujas - witches - and not getting some of the family heritage isn't possible. All the power has meant to her is loss -- her cat, her father, her favorite aunt -- all have died or disappeared. With absolute power comes absolute chaos, and Alex just wants peace - to hang out with her quirky friend Rishi, and just chill like everyone else. She can't even have a normal birthday party to which she can invite friends -- oh, no, Alex gets a deathday -- the day the family celebrates the flowering of her power. Frustrated and fearful, Alex is tempted to repudiate her magic. Nova, a gorgeous boy who is a power in his own right, has implied that Alex is so powerful that maybe she could... maybe. Regardless Alex knows that magic always has its price -- and the price Alex pays for selfishness is what she's always feared -- losing everyone. Permanently.

But with great power comes ...okay, yeah, great responsibility, but also serious potential. Alex - one of the most powerful brujas in her generation, is the only one who can even hope to undo the damage that she's done. She doesn't know what she's doing. She doesn't know who she can trust. Obviously, that means she's just going to jump in anyway.

Observations: The jacket copy says this is Beautiful Creatures meets Daughter of Smoke and Bone. I thought it was more Alice's Wonderland meets Homer's Odyssey meets Jim Henson's original Labyrinth with an Ecuadorian twist -- because there's a whole lot of color and crazy going on.

This is both a quest and adventure book. The plot is clearly the Heroine's Journey is painted in bright new colors - Alex starts oh, so reluctantly, she's dumped out into the world because the world she knew is broken, and then her journey begins in earnest... she walks it, has an "okay, you'd better accept yourself, because wreckage has already happened and will happen again" moment, and then the book concludes. It's a strong usage of an old trope.

I refuse to offer up much in the way of spoilers here, but this isn't "Sabrina, Teen Witch" with Alex's bruja tale. Through fear and selfishness, she symbolically rejects her culture without truly exploring it - contempt prior to investigation. This contempt and fear leads her to a choice the recoil and reverberations from which tear her family away from her, and tear Alex from her roots, from her foundation. Alex literally has to take this burden that she tried to throw away and accept it as a part of her, as an extension of her truest self. The novel takes this complex metaphor and stretches and molds it and shades it into a creepy story that works on multiple levels.

There is romance in the novel, which doesn't feel as necessary nor as heartfelt as I might have liked -- but it doesn't detract, as it isn't even worked out in Alex's mind quite what's going on with it. That, I found to be pretty realistic. As a reader I was more invested in the relationships between women in this story, and the depiction of women's power through matriarchy, and thought that was worth the price of admission, even without the love story.

Conclusion: A lovely addition to the YA canon, this darkly powerful adventure reveals a diversity of Latin American culture and realistic magical tradition which will have readers wishing to connect strongly with the bruja within themselves, and straighten out the maze of their own lives. It'll be interesting to see where sequels in this series lead.

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I received my copy of this book courtesy of the publisher. After September 6th and just in time for back-to-school, you can find LABYRINTH LOST by Zoraida Cordova at an online e-tailer, or at a real life, independent bookstore near you!