WHITE CAT by Holly Black

From Goodreads:

"Cassel comes from a family of curse workers — people who have the power to change your emotions, your memories, your luck, by the slightest touch of their hands. And since curse work is illegal, they're all mobsters, or con artists. Except for Cassel. He hasn't got the magic touch, so he's an outsider, the straight kid in a crooked family. You just have to ignore one small detail — he killed his best friend, Lila, three years ago.
Ever since, Cassel has carefully built up a façade of normalcy, blending into the crowd. But his façade starts crumbling when he starts sleepwalking, propelled into the night by terrifying dreams about a white cat that wants to tell him something. He's noticing other disturbing things, too, including the strange behavior of his two brothers. They are keeping secrets from him, caught up in a mysterious plot. As Cassel begins to suspect he's part of a huge con game, he also wonders what really happened to Lila. Could she still be alive? To find that out, Cassel will have to out-con the conmen."

What a fun read! I did not expect this book to be what it is.... basically a paranormal gangster novel! Totally interesting and unexpected concept, and it works really well. The con-artist aspect of the novel is very original.

Cassel is an intriguing character, likeable and yet sarcastic and just a bit dark. He feels like an outsider, and yet has a few very good, and very trustworthy friends. Although he doesn't really fit in with the rest of his family, he still does what he can to help them out, and to be close with them - even when they do things that are less-than-desirable. You can feel him reaching out to his family, especially his older brothers, for acceptance. It's easy to see how confused he is by his failing memories and how the way his family keeps things from him causes that confusion. He's surprisingly self-aware.

While the novel isn't overly dark, I can see how it might be headed that way for the follow-up, Red Glove. I'm excited to see where the story goes, and will definitely pick up the next one!

My rating is 4/5 stars.

NIGHTSHADE by Andrea Cremer

From Goodreads:

"Calla Tor has always known her destiny: After graduating from the Mountain School, she'll be the mate of sexy alpha wolf Ren Laroche and fight with him, side by side, ruling their pack and guarding sacred sites for the Keepers. But when she violates her masters' laws by saving a beautiful human boy out for a hike, Calla begins to question her fate, her existence, and the very essence of the world she has known. By following her heart, she might lose everything- including her own life. Is forbidden love worth the ultimate sacrifice?"

*** SPOILERS ***

While I really enjoyed this book - the writing is good, and the premise is great; I loved the characters and the interaction - I had some issues with the plot.

I realize that you're supposed to be hoping for Calla and Shay to be together, but I just kept thinking... she should be with Ren! I did not like the predictable changing-of-Shay; I thought that whole scene was just too easy and quick. Well, there's no other choice, so wolf he is! I did not enjoy the way her pack seems to be turning on her, and I didn't like the way Calla kept almost everything a secret from them. For such a strong character (she's the Alpha!), she seemed to make a lot of weak choices. And I thought the angst of Shay-or-Ren-or-Shay-or-Ren was overdone.

I also didn't find Shay to be particularly likable. I thought he was rather dull and somewhat child-like (especially after he became a wolf). It annoyed me how he kept brushing off Calla's beliefs and really her whole lifestyle; how he kept trying to change her from who she believed that she really was. I get that it was all to be a part of the love triangle, but I did not enjoy that aspect of the plot.

I did like the progression of the book, and I will definitely pick up the 2nd in the series because I want to know what happens... But I'm selfishly hoping that there will be a turn towards Ren in it!

My rating is 3.5 out of 5 stars.

THE NEAR WITCH by Victoria Schwab

From Goodreads:

"The Near Witch is only an old story told to frighten children.

If the wind calls at night, you must not listen. The wind is lonely, and always looking for company.

And there are no strangers in the town of Near.
These are the truths that Lexi has heard all her life.
But when an actual stranger—a boy who seems to fade like smoke—appears outside her home on the moor at night, she knows that at least one of these sayings is no longer true.
The next night, the children of Near start disappearing from their beds, and the mysterious boy falls under suspicion. Still, he insists on helping Lexi search for them. Something tells her she can trust him.
As the hunt for the children intensifies, so does Lexi’s need to know—about the witch that just might be more than a bedtime story, about the wind that seems to speak through the walls at night, and about the history of this nameless boy."


The Near Witch was a very vivid and lyrical read. Many passages come across more as a song than narrative. I found it to be descriptive without being flowery.

The characters are interesting and complex, including the secondary characters (most especially the sister witches, Dreska and Magda). Lexi is a great strong and independent lead character, willing to go against the over-bearing adults in her life to help her sister, the village children and the stranger “Cole”. She is intelligent, courageous and not afraid to stand up for what she believes. She is also not afraid to get help from the sisters, even though the village as a whole mistrusts them. Lexi loves her sister very much, and keeps the memory of her father close. She acts with integrity, and is likable. She makes you root for her, and believe that she is in the right.

The novel gets right into the main plot, and carries through at a good pace. It kept my interest throughout. It’s spooky in just the right way, without being all-out scary or grotesque. Very fairy-tale, folklore, and mystery – a really excellent read.

My rating is 4 out of 5 stars.

HEX HALL by Rachel Hawkins

From Goodreads:

Three years ago, Sophie Mercer discovered that she was a witch. It's gotten her into a few scrapes. Her non-gifted mother has been as supportive as possible, consulting Sophie's estranged father--an elusive European warlock--only when necessary. But when Sophie attracts too much human attention for a prom-night spell gone horribly wrong, it's her dad who decides her punishment: exile to Hex Hall, an isolated reform school for wayward Prodigium, a.k.a. witches, faeries, and shapeshifters.
By the end of her first day among fellow freak-teens, Sophie has quite a scorecard: three powerful enemies who look like supermodels, a futile crush on a gorgeous warlock, a creepy tagalong ghost, and a new roommate who happens to be the most hated person and only vampire student on campus. Worse, Sophie soon learns that a mysterious predator has been attacking students, and her only friend is the number-one suspect.
As a series of blood-curdling mysteries starts to converge, Sophie prepares for the biggest threat of all: an ancient secret society determined to destroy all Prodigium, especially her.


I found this book vibrant, humorous and just the right amount of sarcastic. It made me think Wizards of Waverly Place with an edge... with just a bit of Mean Girls thrown in. I can see why reviewers have likened it to a 'female' Harry Potter, although I think it's a lot more than that...

While there is definitely an element of romance in the book, and of course a heavy dose of teenage angst, the “boy” and the relationship isn’t the main plot issue, which is refreshing for a YA novel. I found the characters (and most especially the main character, Sophie,) to be quirky and surprisingly realistic... keeping aside, of course, the fact that Sophie is a witch, and the secondary characters include faeries, werewolves and vampires.

The plot turn at the end was unexpected and surprising... it had me immediately ready to purchase the 2nd instalment!

All in all, the book had excellent pacing, made for a quick and easy read, and kept my interest throughout. I enjoyed every page, and would recommend it! My rating is 4 out of 5 stars.

THE DEATH CURE by James Dashner

From Goodreads:
Thomas knows that Wicked can't be trusted, but they say the time for lies is over, that they've collected all they can from the Trials and now must rely on the Gladers, with full memories restored, to help them with their ultimate mission. It's up to the Gladers to complete the blueprint for the cure to the Flare with a final voluntary test. What Wicked doesn't know is that something's happened that no Trial or Variable could have foreseen. Thomas has remembered far more than they think. And he knows that he can't believe a word of what Wicked says. The time for lies is over. But the truth is more dangerous than Thomas could ever imagine.Will anyone survive the Death Cure?






* CONTAINS SPOILERS *


I quite enjoyed the end to this trilogy, and thought it took some very interesting, and somewhat unexpected, twists. There was certainly more depth to the characters in this novel, and it was definitely more emotional.


While I thought the idea of the ending was good, I did feel let down that we never really found anything out. I was disappointed that Thomas did not ever get his pre-Glade memories back, I would have liked to know what his role in WICKED really was, and more about his relationship with Theresa. And, I found the "last goodbye" with Theresa to be too short and left too much unresolved.


I also thought that the whole Right Arm section should have been more in-depth. There was a lot of really great opportunity there that wasn't explored at all. And what about the Chancellor? She seemed to be an important character, and yet she had - literally - no dialogue in the book. Why did Thomas never get to meet her? How did Brenda know her? How did she orchestrate it all?


In fact, I think this book could have been 100 pages or so longer, if everything had been fully explained and explored.

I do think that it was a good idea for there to be somewhat of an uplifting ending (although I did find that it went too quickly from the final battle to the very end), since SO MANY characters died. I thought the cyclic nature of the storyline in this one was interesting. I also enjoyed the re-emergence of some of the "lost" characters (I'm looking at you, Gally), and the friction between Jensen and Thomas was very well done. And the progression of Newt's character was excellent, he hadn't really been one of my favourite characters until this book.


All in all, I did enjoy it, but was left a bit "wanting" for more. My rating: 3 1/2 out of 5

THE NIGHT CIRCUS by Erin Morgenstern

From Goodreads:
"Opens at Nightfall; Closes at Dawn." The Le Cirque des Rêves is a circus unlike any other, just as this magical debut novel is equally unique. At the center of The Night Circus spectacle are two specially gifted young magicians, Celia and Marco, pitted against each other in professional competition, drawn towards one another in love. Erin Morgenstern's literary fantasy has already drawn raves for its captivating evocativeness: "A world of almost unbearable beauty.... A love story on a grand scale: it creates, it destroys, it ultimately transcends." "A novel so magical that there is no escaping its spell... If you choose to read just one novel this year, this is it."

Well.... huh. I'm slightly conflicted about this one. I'd heard so many good things about The Night Circus, and I was SOOOO excited to buy it when it was released. However, I'm just not sure it lived up to the hype.

In some ways, I really enjoyed it. In other ways, I felt like I was forcing myself to finish. I found the endless, long descriptions of circus tents less enjoyable, but I very much liked the parts where the characters were interacting. The storyline and the characters themselves were intriguing and entertaining, and I especially enjoyed the chapters about Poppet and Widget (twins born to circus employees on the opening night of the circus - secondary characters, for sure, but there's just "something" about them).

However, the "battle" between Celia and Marco was severely lacking in substance. There wasn't actually any competition to speak of! It was more a series of "I can do better than you" that eventually turned into a talent competition wherein the characters attempt to impress each other.

I found the jumping timeline to be slightly confusing, which was likely exacerbated by the fact that I read it on my Kobo - so while the chapter title said "1902" I sometimes forgot by 1/2 way through the chapter where we were in time. And, really, for a "period" novel, there was little-to-no description regarding the period! If it weren't for the occasional mention of long dresses, corsets and bowler hats, the novel could have been set in 2011.

I was also slightly thrown off that the narrative was written in third-person present tense. It detracted from my connection to the characters.

I think that people who enjoy books that are flowery and descriptive will be fans of this book. However, I also think that I need a bit more action, and less scenery.

But, I didn't DISLIKE the book. I just wouldn't necessarily recommend it, and I was quite disappointed that it wasn't anywhere near as good as I hoped it would be. I did TRY to love the book, I just didn't succeed.

All in all, I'm sad to say.... my rating of The Night Circus is 2/5 stars.

The First Post

So, yeah. I had a horrendous week at work, to the point that I seriously considered quitting and getting a job at Chapters.... But, instead, I decided to start a book blog. I have NO idea what I'm doing, and probably no one will ever read it, haha. Maybe if anyone comes across this in the next couple days, you could maybe give me some hints or direction or something. That would be great :)