Empower

Empower (The Violet Eden Chapters #5)

by Jessica Shirvington

4 stars

496 pages

Published May 6, 2014 by Sourcebooks Fire (first published Nov. 12, 2013)

Finally, finally! I am done with this series. And fortunately, I didn't waste my time. The last book was quite possibly the best of the bunch. It was full of action and soul-searching and more action. The only thing that bugged me was how the the huge, pivotal change of heart that Violet had that changed the outcome of the book was handled. It was like the suffering that she had endured for the past two years was changed in two paragraphs. It was unsatisfying and abrupt.

Besides that, I enjoyed the book immensely. There was one sex scene (not graphic) and little to no swearing.

I can recommend to anyone looking for a not-too-many-books series, in which they've all been published. (Don't you hate having to wait for the next book in an on-going series??!)

Etiquette & Espionage

Etiquette & Espionage (Finishing School #1)

by Gail Carriger

3 stars

307 pages
Published Feb. 5, 2013 by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

 
After reading Gail Carriger's adult Parasol Protectorate books, I thought I'd give her YA ones a try. This one didn't disappoint, although there was a bit less adventure contained within its pages. I thoroughly enjoyed the writing, characters, and the plot. Mostly the writing. Exquisite vocabulary usage.

Completely YA appropriate - no swearing, sex or other ickiness. I may be checking out the next in the series.

The Friday Society

The Friday Society

by Adrienne Kress

4 stars

440 pages

Published Dec. 6, 2012 by Dial 

 

 

I wavered between giving this 3 or 4 stars. I really liked how these girls - assistants to "great" men - branch out, join up and kick butt. They each used their unique abilities to fight the bad guys and save the world (well, London anyway). I also love steampunk, and there was a bit of that included inside.

I did wish the characters were a little better developed and that not so much emphasis was placed on their looks.

I did enjoy the twist at the end. The bad guy wasn't who I thought it was at all.

I appreciated the fast pace and adventures presented. But the writing was a bit weak. I almost gave up on the book in the first chapter because the voice was annoying. It got better, thankfully.

Mild swearing, no sex. So I can recommend.

Tryst

Tryst

by Elswyth Thane

4 stars

264 pages

Published June 1, 1974 by Amereon (first published 1939)

 

I got lucky when my friend handed me this out-of-print book. I had never heard of Elswyth Thane, but now that I have I just may find other books by her.

This book melded some of my favorite genres: romance and the supernatural. Basically - a girl falls in love with a ghost. But she's never seen or spoken to said ghost.

I enjoyed such a different and fresh take on the supernatural.
And no swearing and sex made it that much more palatable!

Skulk

Skulk

by Rosie Best

4 stars

Expected publication: Oct. 1, 2013 by Strange Chemistry

It's official. I'm excited about this book! A fresh new voice in YA fiction has made her debut with panache and creativity. I am anxious to see where her career goes and how many awesome books Rosie Best can churn out.

Her debut, Skulk, is filled with fast pacing, horrible Roald Dahl-esque parents, an eclectic group of shape-shifters, a seriously evil bad guy, betrayal, wonderful writing and clever plot. It has been a while since I read a book I couldn't put down - this revived my faith in great YA novels.

Her character development is stellar. As a reader, you can easily know what is going on in the mind of the main character - her thoughts and feelings - allowing you to connect and sympathize with what she's going through. Some of the other characters are a bit flat, but I'm hoping/assuming more will come with Book Number 2 in the series.

I would have loved to give this book 5 stars, but there are aspects that prevent me from doing so.

Gore - quite explicit gore, actually - is peppered throughout the book. Also, the language is rough - one f-bomb and some strong British cursing - mar the overall fantastic-ness of Best's story.

I am ecstatic that a new - and great - author has made an appearance on the vast stage of YA literature. If her writing continues on the same vein as Skulk, Best will be a powerful player for years to come.

Thank you NetGalley.com and Strange Chemistry/Angry Robot Ltd. for allowing me to review this fantastic ARC.

Heartless

Heartless (Parasol Protectorate #4)

by Gail Carriger

3 stars

385 pages

Published July 1st 2011 by Orbit

 

A solid fourth performance by Gail Carriger. I love these books! The wit, the charm, the manners! 

So why did I rate this only 3 stars? Unfortunately, the story was weak. The plot thin. In my view, the book only acted as a bridge to the next book in the series.

Yet, that major flaw was oddly easy to overlook because Carriger's writing style is so entertaining and engaging. Her vocabulary is incredibly extensive. After reading a few chapters, I always feel smarter!

I will read the next book in the series.

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

by Mary Ann Shaffer, Annie Barrows

5 stars

 
274 pages

Published July 29, 2008, by The Dial Press

 

I've read this book twice, which is rare for me. I don't usually deem a book good enough to spend time on twice, but this one did! And still does. I expect I will re-read it in the future, I loved it that much! I wish Mary Ann Shaffer were still around to write more fantastic books.
Here are my two reviews:

The first:
I rarely give 5 stars to any book, but I really loved this book! It was clean and uplifting - I would recommend it to my sisters and maybe even my mom. I liked the happy ending. I wish more books had that.

The second:
I just reread this book. And I still absolutely give it 5 stars! I think it's one of my favorite books ever. Wonderful, witty, poignant, informative. Love, love it! Please read it. Recommend to all!

Blameless

Blameless (Parasol Protectorate #3)

by Gail Carriger

4.5 stars

374 pages

Published Sept. 1, 2010 by Orbit

I can't get enough of this fabulous series! The writing is plain fantastic, and the repartee between characters is witty and whip-smart. Pull out your dictionaries, people, because Carriger sure can use her huge vocabulary for literary hilarity! There are too many great quotes to choose from.

The pacing was fast. The plot well-defined and action-packed. No swearing, and only half a page of sexiness.

The only reason I docked a half star is that the whole explanation on what exactly the kid is going to be and why the Templars were interested in the whole situation was a mite confusing.

Thank you, Gail Carriger, for writing a series that uses an extensive vocabulary - there's no dumbing down for this author!

I can't wait to get my hands on the next book!

The Girl with the Iron Touch

The Girl with the Iron Touch (Steampunk Chronicles #3)

by Kady Cross

4.5 stars

384 pages

Published May 28, 2013, by Harlequin TEEN 

 

Another clever and exciting installment in the Steampunk Chronicles! Cross's bright, original and inventive writing gives birth to a story that is quick-paced, exciting and absorbing.

I love how each book focuses on one member of the "Greythorne 5," and how the others in the group converge to help out and rescue them, while defeating the bad guys. All within a delightfully imaginative universe, filled with automatons, sentient machines, beasties and "organites."

This time, it's "Ginger" who gets into a spot of trouble.

Although, like the first two novels, the "Don't go! It's not safe! I'll go instead!" line of thinking between characters is overdone.

One bit of glossed-over sex and little-to-no swearing.

I am thoroughly enjoying this series. Can't wait for the next one to come out!!