The White Oak (Imperfect Darkness, #1)

Mar 20, 2012 Meggy Meg Megan rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, netgalley-edelweiss, quite-interesting

Read more reviews here: http://thebookgalaxy.blogspot.com

I had pretty high hopes for this book, because of the beautiful cover and the amazing blurb I saw on NetGalley. But I must say that it let me down a little.

The White Oak plunges straight into the story--in a good way, of course, and I started out quite intrigued by the uniqueness of the whole plot (I mean, it isn't every day you fall into a sinkhole and come out alive in the underworld, right?). I was impressed at the author's ability to...more

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Aug 27, 2012 Angela rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: net-galley

Thank you to Netgalley and Story Machine Studio for the ARC.

The blurb I read for this book on Goodreads had me seriously intrigued and I was very pleased when I was approved for the ARC. And then I found out that this book is only 126 pages on my Nook. So I was a little less enthusiastic as I wasn't entirely sure what kind of worldbuilding and detail could possibly fit in such a short volume.

My worry was for naught, though, because this was one of the most amazingly and originally detailed world...more

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Aug 14, 2012 Tahlia Newland rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy

If you enjoy nightmares and Greek mythology with a modern twist, you’ll love The White Oak. It’s dark, imaginative and creepy.

The main character Cora falls through a sinkhole into the underworld, but she’s still alive in a world of the dead. The question is, how can she get out? Not only is the way out not obvious, but also her living presence threatens the tyrannical rule of Minos, who keeps souls trapped in a computer controlled city at the core of the earth. Minotaur, an artificial intelligen...more If you enjoy nightmares and Greek mythology with a modern twist, you’ll love The White Oak. It’s dark, imaginative and creepy.

The main character Cora falls through a sinkhole into the underworld, but she’s still alive in a world of the dead. The question is, how can she get out? Not only is the way out not obvious, but also her living presence threatens the tyrannical rule of Minos, who keeps souls trapped in a computer controlled city at the core of the earth. Minotaur, an artificial intelligence built by Minos, becomes her guide, but he’s not exactly trustworthy. Sybil, the writer of each person’s book of life and librarian for the underworld, and the ghost of her dead brother, a genius computer programmer, help her out, but mostly she stumbles blindly though this dark and incomprehensible world, trying to avoid the ‘authorities’ and find anything that will help her escape.

Aspects of Greek mythology like the River Styx and the Ferryman, appear as you would expect, but others are modernised into something quite different. For example Minotaur is something like a hologram who can read computer data on a person and recreate them, so he can appear in a myriad of different forms, often flickering like a badly tuned television set.

This strangely mechanical underworld is expertly portrayed. White’s words give us a sense of the light quality and feel of the place for all our senses, but it’s dismal. If that’s what waits for us after death then we’d better find the secret to eternal life quickly, because Kim White’s underworld is a place of torment where free will is simply out of the question. My favourite scene was the trial held by the infernal judges, a powerfully written farce, but there is no hope anywhere.

The writing was good, the characters well portrayed, the plot, pacing etc, I couldn’t fault, but the lack of hope or light in the book limited my enjoyment. I don’t enjoy nightmares, no matter how imaginative they may be, but a lot of people do, so if you’re one of them then I recommend this book. I give it 4 stars.(less)

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Aug 12, 2012 Nerine Dorman rated it 3 of 5 stars

From the outset, the premise of Kim White’s The White Oak grabbed me but, as I read, I found myself a bit torn over how I felt about the style of the storytelling. The gist of the novel is that the main character, Cora, falls in the Underworld through a sinkhole during her father’s funeral. This understandably upsets the order of things for the despotic ruler, Minos, and Cora, aided by the many-faced Minotaur and Sybil, the librarian embarks on a journey to escape.

What would have improved the na...more From the outset, the premise of Kim White’s The White Oak grabbed me but, as I read, I found myself a bit torn over how I felt about the style of the storytelling. The gist of the novel is that the main character, Cora, falls in the Underworld through a sinkhole during her father’s funeral. This understandably upsets the order of things for the despotic ruler, Minos, and Cora, aided by the many-faced Minotaur and Sybil, the librarian embarks on a journey to escape.

What would have improved the narrative for me vastly would have been additional layering. I needed to have more insight as to Cora’s motivations and emotions. Also, it is hinted that her brother, Lucas, a genius computer programmer, takes a more important part but if he’s to be more than a secondary character, I’d have liked to have seen him get a bit more of a proactive role from the outset.

White certainly has given much thought to her world-building in this tale that offers a nod at the legend of Persephone. And for that alone, for the bizarre and very much surreal landscape, the story kept me turning the pages. White’s vision is reminiscent of a Dali-esque landscape with a whiff of Neuromancer thrust in. At first I wasn’t quite sure I could suspend disbelief for the cyber theme, but White handles this well, and it added an extra dimension I found quite enjoyable once I got used to it.

The pacing lagged a bit once I got past the initial start, and while I can see White intends for this to be part of a series, I myself as a reader wasn’t sufficiently motivated to want to invest myself in what follows. I feel she could have written a longer story and concluded with better resolution, even if she wanted a cliff-hanger. Yes, the vision is nightmarish, and will probably stay with me for a long while, I just never truly engaged with the telling. The story flows like one dream sequence into another, and at times it felt like I was reading someone’s journal as opposed to really immersing myself in the adventure.

There could also be parallels to Alice’s journey through Wonderland, and for White’s supremely inventive imagination, The White Oak is worth reading. I just felt I needed a bit more oomph from the text to truly make me care about the protagonist, Cora. I give her five out of five for concept, but The White Oak falls down in execution. Still, I enjoyed this story a lot more than some of the YA offerings that are currently trending as bestsellers. (less)

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Jun 20, 2012 Tracy rated it 5 of 5 stars

Cora and Lucas are twins living with their abusive Father and Grandfather. Cora has a knack for gardening while Lucas is a computer whiz. The title of the book comes from the giant white oak on their land which most people think is dead but Cora can feel that deep down it is indeed alive.

When Cora and Lucas were young they discovered that many caves and tunnels run under their land as well. To escape they would spend hours each day exploring and carving new routes. Whenever they would seemingly...more

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May 25, 2012 Donna rated it 3 of 5 stars

This book has a very intriguing story. Cora Alexander falls through a sinkhole, while attending her father's funeral, and she ends up in the underworld. A strange and bizarre underworld, unlike anything even Hades himself could conjure.
Cora learned her twin brother Lucas is also present, although Lucas died in the sinkhole accident.

It's quite strange, indeed, but Lucas is more alive than the still-living Cora. I found her character to be....well, somewhat boring. She was not overly emotional. I...more

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May 29, 2012 Ashley rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: netgalley-e-arc

Full review will be on ashleysgotbookcitement.blogspot.com in the coming week. Would also like to thank Netgalley and Story Machine Studio for letting me do an early read and review of this book.

My Thoughts: This book is unlike anything I've ever read before. It's full of action and a dreary, depressing Underworld that makes for an unputdownable read.
This book starts off with a bang and the action never slows down. There is never a slow part to the story which makes for a fast read because you h...more

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Apr 07, 2012 rameau rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc-galley, fantasy, annoying-1st-3rd-voice-mixing, ya, series-warning, read-in-2012, emotional-disconnect

This is a story of a girl with a difficult family history–to put it mildly–who enters the underworld alive through the gateway of the White Oak. As you can imagine, a living person in the world of the dead can cause quite a stir.

I haven't read Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland, but I imagine that's the sort of effect Kim White was aiming for. Cora's journey to and through the underworld is imaginative warping of old legends but the method of storytelling leaves something to be desired.

The tex...more

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Mar 06, 2012 Annmarie Ager rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc-reviewed

This book started in a fast paced and drama filled way. Cora is sucked into a sinkhole at her father’s grave within seconds Cora her brother and grandmother are sucked into the blackness of the ground. Cora soon is on the rollercoaster ride of her life after being spite out into a river below the sinkhole that is really the entrance to the underworld. A place filled with danger and death Cora is faced with having to work out what’s going on and will she be able to get out alive before it’s too l...more

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Jul 21, 2012 Kristin Hafling rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012

My Thoughts:

I received this book through Netgalley from the publisher in exchange for review.

The White Oak was definitely a fast paced book, being only 200 pages you jumped right into the action with no time to waste. Kim White has created a complex and interesting new world that along with Cora Alexander you get to explore.
Cora and Lucas Alexander are the closest siblings that I have read about in a while. Best friends who are dealing with a life that no child should have to deal with. Growing...more My Thoughts:

I received this book through Netgalley from the publisher in exchange for review.

The White Oak was definitely a fast paced book, being only 200 pages you jumped right into the action with no time to waste. Kim White has created a complex and interesting new world that along with Cora Alexander you get to explore.
Cora and Lucas Alexander are the closest siblings that I have read about in a while. Best friends who are dealing with a life that no child should have to deal with. Growing up with an abusive father and a mother who did nothing to help them until she abandoned them completely. As Cora, Lucas, and their family are burying their father under the white oak tree, a sinkhole opens up taking the coffin and everyone standing around it down with it, Lucas and Cora both knew what was under the tree beforehand spending all of their free time climbing and exploring the underground caves they had found. Cora is all alone after falling through the sinkhole confused and scared she begins to hear a mysterious voice that she had been listening to for years as she explored the caves with her brother, the voice saves her from certain death m any times and leads Cora into a world she never knew existed, the underworld.
I really enjoyed how fast paced the book was, you learned all about Cora as you went along her adventure with her. White has created an interesting and different aspect of the underworld in my opinion, reading in so many other YA series of this place, I was definitely interested in finding out how she would add her spin to it. One of the only complaints that I had about this one was some of the descriptions of things in the underworld would begin to get so long and complicated I would have to go back and reread certain parts to understand what she was describing and remember what was being described in the first place. There was so many different characters and I was really interested and curious about each one for so many different reasons. The guide that Cora meets in the beginning of the story Minos, was a robot, he could take on the persona of any person that you wanted him to. Taking computer data from everywhere in the world and finding everything he could about that person from the last purchase they made at the store. He made himself into so many different people and things throughout the story it always kept me guessing who he was going to be or what he was going to be next. The one character I was so curious to learn more about that unfortunately we didn't in this book (I hope to learn more about her in the next) was Sybil, living in a giant tree that gives life to the underworld in a giant library full of every person's book of life, I was fascinated with what she did. She was the author of every person's life constantly writing every single decision made by someone and connecting each person's book to each other's whenever they interacted or influenced another person. I wanted to keep learning about her and what her job was, she was one of my favorite characters in the book for sure.
If you are looking for a fast paced adventure in a complex and interesting fantasy world, I definitely recommend this one for you. A quick read for anyone who is looking for an afternoon of escape.
Happy Reading!
Kristin
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May 11, 2012 Marielle rated it 4 of 5 stars

Actual Rating: 3.75

Cora Alexander thought that all her problems were over: her abusive father was finally gone and she and her twin brother, Lucas, were finally left to peace. What she didn’t know was that her father was bringing her down with him, as well as Lucas. They knew that the ground underneath the White Oak, the locations of her father’s burial, was riddled with caves, which Cora and Lucas had explored all throughout their childhood. When the ground collapsed, her entire family was sent...more Actual Rating: 3.75

Cora Alexander thought that all her problems were over: her abusive father was finally gone and she and her twin brother, Lucas, were finally left to peace. What she didn’t know was that her father was bringing her down with him, as well as Lucas. They knew that the ground underneath the White Oak, the locations of her father’s burial, was riddled with caves, which Cora and Lucas had explored all throughout their childhood. When the ground collapsed, her entire family was sent spiraling to the Underworld. Cora is the only one left alive in a world full of dead, including her brother. Desperate to escape and find a way to bring final peace to her brother, Cora struggles through the many trials (literally) that she must face, with the help of the advanced computer program, Minotaur.
Overall, this story was quite captivating. It held my attention and kept me fairly interested throughout the whole thing. There was an air of mystery throughout this book and I became slightly frustrated with it because I wanted to know what the truth was, which I suppose is a good thing. Another thing that frustrated me was the abrupt ending. It was supposed to end “in the middle of the action,” but she did not execute that exactly right. It felt as if she ran out of things to say, so she just decided to end it there. The abrupt ending was not as bad as some others that I have read, but make sure you have the second book handy so that the story can continue. Another negative thing about this book is that we never get to meet the love interest (well, who I think will be the love interest. I’m not sure.).
Other than those few points, there was nothing else wrong with this book. The strong point of this book, in my opinion, is the world building and her descriptions, as well as ideas, of her world. The Underworld is awesomely described and I could really picture the setting in my head. The picture I received was awesome: A giant, glinting, silver metal ball the size of a planet rotating on a river of black tar. In addition to this, the inside of the ball was spectacular. It is not something that I can describe to you, so you will have to read the book.
I also thought that the characters were really interesting. White describes characters really well and has new ideas for them that I have never really heard before. In particular, the computer program, Minotaur. Minotaur could change his shape to become anything he wanted and he had access to all of the information recorded on an electronic device. I found his character really interesting, even though he didn’t have feelings (or did he? It’s a mystery!). Cora, the main character, was tough and not whiny, so I liked her for that. Her brother, Lucas, was really cool, too. He was really smart and created elaborate videogames. He also knew several types of martial arts, which was awesome, but sometimes it seemed as though he was in love with her instead of loving her like a sister. These moments were few and far between, though, so it didn’t really bother me.
Overall, I would say to read this book! It is entertaining and captivating, so it makes for a good, but rather quick, read.
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Mar 19, 2012 Lisa rated it 3 of 5 stars

First thanks to Netgalley for letting me read this egalley.
Now, I really have been getting into stories about the underworld lately. So this sounded like a unique new take on it.
As other reviewers have said, the story jumps right in from the first page. The main character is Cora and she and her family are sucked into a sinkhole as they surround her father's casket at a funeral for him. Her father was a mean, abusive man. And now all Cora can think is that not only did he terrorize her in life,...more First thanks to Netgalley for letting me read this egalley.
Now, I really have been getting into stories about the underworld lately. So this sounded like a unique new take on it.
As other reviewers have said, the story jumps right in from the first page. The main character is Cora and she and her family are sucked into a sinkhole as they surround her father's casket at a funeral for him. Her father was a mean, abusive man. And now all Cora can think is that not only did he terrorize her in life, he's ruining her life even as he is dead. The whole farm they live on is on top of an immense cave system. She and her brother Lucas have spent their days exploring the cave. While Cora survives the sinkhole somehow, Lucas does not. Cora is met by a machine type object called Minotaur. Minotaur can change into anything, and he rescues her. But Cora soon wonders if she can trust him after being taken in by a woman named Sybil. Sybil writes people's stories. But she gives Cora the pen that writes them and tells her to go on and finish her story when it is destroyed in a fire. Sybil also tells Cora she will find her brother, even though he is dead. When Cora gets to the river before the Underworld, her brother is waiting for her. He helps her to get across the river and through the gates. But once through he is taken to where he is supposed to go, or so he thinks. He has been taken by Minotaur and his father/creator Minos. They use Lucas's genius programming skills to get him to stay. But Cora is captured and taken to trial.
Now, the story is interesting. However, so far I am a little confused. First, Minos, is this supposed to be the Minos from the myths? Or did I read that wrong? Second, I'm not sure about the whole computer programming bit, and how it ties in. And I have to say that the end is a HUGE cliffhangar, but so very abrupt! I guess it makes me REALLY glad that the 2nd book in the series is supposed to come out later this year, although I don't see it listed here on Goodreads. So, interesting take, just I'm a little confused about what exactly is going on. I did see another review compare it to the Matrix, and that kind of makes sense in that I did have a little confusion with the whole Matrix movie series.(less)

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May 28, 2012 Catie Taylor rated it 2 of 5 stars

I'm not usually one for super technical fantasy stories. I like fantasy but I'm not usually attracted to the "sci" part of sci-fi. However, I had heard such great things about this book that I decided to give it a try and at first I really liked it. About 1/4th of the way in, though, it lost me. With that beautiful cover and the plot's mythological theme I really wanted to love this book, but it was just a little too strange and the plot seemed to be so convoluted at some points that I felt lik...more I'm not usually one for super technical fantasy stories. I like fantasy but I'm not usually attracted to the "sci" part of sci-fi. However, I had heard such great things about this book that I decided to give it a try and at first I really liked it. About 1/4th of the way in, though, it lost me. With that beautiful cover and the plot's mythological theme I really wanted to love this book, but it was just a little too strange and the plot seemed to be so convoluted at some points that I felt like giving up. The main character is Cora. She falls into a sinkhole at her abusive father's funeral and ends up in the underworld. We find out that she has something to do with a prophecy (which is never really expounded upon enough) and she becomes something of a fugitive. All the while there are ghosts, mechanical beings, and a shifty AI named Minotaur as well as a terrifying and confusing underworld society (seriously, if it is really anything remotely like this, I need to find a way to live forever). Cora must make her way through this awful place and find her twin brother while trying to dodge obstacles put in her way by those who fear the prophecy. So with that out of the way, lets get down to business.

LIKES:

I really liked the first part of the book. It really starts off with a bang (or, you know an underground cave collapse, something like that). The action at the beginning is really great and it feels like the story takes shape very quickly. Once Cora makes it to the underworld things start to fizzle a little but there are still a couple of characters that are pretty cool who are introduced here. Chief among these is Minotaur. He is an AI that can change into anyone. Because of he programming he pretty much knows everything about everyone and is a very believable doppelganger. While being entertaining, he also adds some depth to the story. He has a deep loyalty to his maker, Minos, whom he calls Father, but the affection is not returned and this really makes him a sympathetic character in a way even though he doesn't really have emotion. Unfortunately that's pretty much where the positives ended for me.

DISLIKES:

I seriously don't know where to start. I had so many problems with this book. Lets just jump right in with the main character and her brother. Cora, to me, was boring. She was fairly emotionless (when she lands in the underworld she isn't surprised by anything, doesn't she find all of this a little strange?), and I didn't feel like I got to know her at all. In addition, her relationship with her twin brother is completely lacking in connectivity. You get the feeling that they are supposed to be super close, but when they are together they just kind of fall flat. In fact at one point in the story they are discussing Cora escaping from the underworld so she can, you know, live and Lucas is all "don't leave me here" it's just kind of lame. I just couldn't care for them at all and when I don't care about the characters I don't care about the story. Aside from the characters I had real problems with the plot itself. Basically there wasn't really a defined story line. It seems like the author wanted to play around with mythology but didn't really explore it fully. There were so many different things going on at once that it was easy to get lost and by the end of the book I was so confused that I didn't even really care that the whole book was, for all intents and purposes, an intro to the next book. I was just glad it was over. As far as the mythological aspect goes, it was completely overshadowed by a jumble of other genres and way too much detail on things that didn't really add to the story (there is a whole page that basically describes Lucas coding a video game, no thanks). And the ending...I can't even really call it a cliffhanger, it was more of a is-my-kindle-malfunctioning-where-is-the-rest-of-the-story ending. Basically, I just didn't care for this one. There is going to be a series but I really don't think I'll be reading it. Let me know if you've read this what you thought. I would love to have some more opinions, maybe I'm just missing something, or maybe this one is over my head.(less)

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Mar 25, 2012 Ellie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult, mythology

Cora is attending her father's funeral when the ground caves in and she is plunged underground. Instead of being buried alive, she finds herself in a world of ash devoid of anything living. She has fallen into the realm of the dead yet she is still alive.

There's something about the writing style that reminds me of the text based RPGs of old. The world around Cora is described neatly but never inferred. Cora walks through the Underworld with no real aim but dealing with whatever she happens to fi...more

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Apr 07, 2012 Gretchen Hohmeyer rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, netgalley, reviewed, on-amazon

This review originally appeared on my blog, My Life is a Notebook. http://www.adkwriter15.wordpress.com This review is of an advanced review copy received from NetGalley.

Wow, where to start with this book? Let me to just mention that reading this book andIlluminate by Aimee Agresti at the same time was WEIRD. Illuminate, as I said, went very, very slow. The White Oak, on the other hand?

HOLD ON TIGHT.

From page one, this book throws you right into the action. Every page from there on out always ha...more This review originally appeared on my blog, My Life is a Notebook. http://www.adkwriter15.wordpress.com This review is of an advanced review copy received from NetGalley.

Wow, where to start with this book? Let me to just mention that reading this book andIlluminate by Aimee Agresti at the same time was WEIRD. Illuminate, as I said, went very, very slow. The White Oak, on the other hand?

HOLD ON TIGHT.

From page one, this book throws you right into the action. Every page from there on out always has something happening. Now, this is usually my kind of book, but The White Oak made me realize something: this is only my kind of book when it’s done right.

My rating of 3 stars may be affected entirely by the way I read. I read FAST. I get bored or I don’t understand what’s going on, then I skim. This book never stopped moving, and that turned into a problem. I feel like, even in the beginning, I was never grounded into the world. I understood the basics of what was going on, but that was it. The rest of the plot took place an inch or two above my head, with me only understanding what was happening in the moment and not really what was happening in the overall plot. Important facets weren’t explained enough, and that really became a problem for me. My first observation about this book, as you saw if you follow me on Goodreads, was, “This reads like a NaNo novel!”

I was also continuously jarred by the book jumping into different points of view. The POV switches always came without warning, and the only clue that we had that they were a switch was that the font went into italics. Personally, I think everything that was explained in the infrequent and random switches could have just as easily been cut or told from Cora’s point of view. Actually, when Lucas was describing Cora, I found myself really not liking her–in odd contrast to the passable POV character she was.

So why three stars, then, if I came out feeling like I never got the book? Because of the descriptions. The setting. Seriously, when White slows down and writes a description, she WRITES A DESCRIPTION. Her descriptions of the Underworld and the beings in it were gorgeous, period. This absolutely made the book for me.

And you know what? If you have a better handle on Greek mythology than me, it might make this book a higher rating for you, too. I enjoy reading Greek mythology, but I don’t know it like the back of my hand or read it obsessively like, say, Egyptian or Japanese history. I have a feeling that people better acquainted with the myths will have an easier time settling into this book than I did. There were a bunch of allusions being thrown out there that I knew, but not off the top of my head. And I don’t Google while I read. It got curiouser as technology and mythology were constantly being juxtaposed, because it kept jarring me every time I tried to remember the actual myth. Mythology lovers might find this cool, but I kept going, “Wait, what?”

All and all, if you enjoy Greek mythology about the underworld, check this one out! It’s a rollercoaster ride that barely even stops at the ending. If you’re not so mythology oriented, it might not be entirely up your alley, but that’s just my opinion. I gave this one a shot, and I’m not disappointed I did!

The second book in this four part series, Sword of Souls, is to be published in July 2012.(less)

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Jul 20, 2012 Ashlie rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book was another of my recent reads that was nothing as I expected. It's a very interesting mix of mythology, science fiction and reminds me of a darker version of Alice in Wonderland. When I say "darker" I mean, darker in color, physically, and also dark in tone. While AIW is twisted in it's own way and has darker moments, and Cora's journey is also one of confusion and solitude, despite being surrounded with many people and "things" (for lack of a better term), The White Oak's setting in...more This book was another of my recent reads that was nothing as I expected. It's a very interesting mix of mythology, science fiction and reminds me of a darker version of Alice in Wonderland. When I say "darker" I mean, darker in color, physically, and also dark in tone. While AIW is twisted in it's own way and has darker moments, and Cora's journey is also one of confusion and solitude, despite being surrounded with many people and "things" (for lack of a better term), The White Oak's setting in general seems drab and gray. Cora is lost through most of the book in some form or another, although she never seems to give up, despite her fears.

This book is in a class all it's own. It's such a mixture that it's hard to classify it. That doesn't mean it isn't good. I did almost put it down at a few points, but that was because I was talking myself out of it so I could finish chores :) Other than those moments it kept me so curious I kept turning pages, and before I knew it, it was over. I was so sad for Cora's life & her family. Through everything i don't remember her ever feeling sorry for herself, and she even continued to try to do the right things, even when they weren't possible, or it was necessary to do something she considered wrong. All she had was her brother, after her mom & grandfather passed away, and then she was ripped away from what seemed like salvation by something she couldn't control. Then she lost him, not once, but twice, and she had to try to sneak everywhere in the Underworld to avoid death or exile. Hot can you not feel bad for this girl? She seemed likable enough, the one thing I don't get out of the whole story though is why she would sew seeds into her dress to begin with. Seriously. Who does that? Obviously, this is important, because it keeps coming up and I read about it in a blurb about the series. It just seems strange to me, (but it's not my story to tell :)

There were a few tiny inconsistencies that were annoying, but I doubt their crucial to the plot. Despite the small discrepancies, the story is discernible, inventive and entertaining. This book takes the reader through a lot of different settings efficiently in a short amount of time, without losing the reader. I think that's a sign of the quality of storytelling.

I'm rating The White Oak 4 STARS. It's a series off to a good start. Perhaps the most intriguing thing is that Kim White got me to read an entire book, beginning to end, I still have almost no clue what's going on and I want to read MORE!
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May 22, 2012 Meganm922 rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: requests-completed, series-i-want-to-finish

This book was really good. From the very first sentence, I was hooked. Not only was it well written, it was completely unpredictable and creative. Cora enters what seems like a technologically advanced version of the Underworld. I’m a huge fan of mythology, so I was both satisfied and surprised by the adventure.

I thought Cora was a likable character, though not much was said about her family’s weird destiny. So much in this book was hinted at, but not fully explored. It wasn’t until I was finish...more

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Mar 29, 2012 Eve Langell rated it 3 of 5 stars

The White Oak by Kim White

So I would like to thank Netgalley and Story Machine Studio for letting me read this ARC. This is the blurb on Netgalley provided with a beautiful cover:

In The White Oak, the first book in the Imperfect Darkness series, Cora Alexander falls through a sinkhole and enters the underworld still alive. Her living presence threatens the tyrannical rule of Minos and the infernal judges who have hijacked the afterlife and rebuild it, trapping human souls in a mechanical compute...more The White Oak by Kim White

So I would like to thank Netgalley and Story Machine Studio for letting me read this ARC. This is the blurb on Netgalley provided with a beautiful cover:

In The White Oak, the first book in the Imperfect Darkness series, Cora Alexander falls through a sinkhole and enters the underworld still alive. Her living presence threatens the tyrannical rule of Minos and the infernal judges who have hijacked the afterlife and rebuild it, trapping human souls in a mechanical computer-controlled city that lies at the core of the earth. To survive, Cora must rely on her untrustworthy guide, Minotaur, an artificial intelligence built by Minos. She is helped by a mysterious voice, and by Sybil, underworld librarian and author of each person’s book of life. Sybil’s collection holds the key to humankind’s intertwined life stories. When Cora’s own book is destroyed, Sybil gives her a magical golden pen and sends her to the underworld city to write her own destiny. Along the way, Cora finds the ghost of her dead brother, Lucas, a genius programmer who alone is capable of finding the chink in Minos’s armor. But will he be able to get Cora out alive, or will they both fall victim to the underworld trap?

Sounds super interesting and different right? That’s what I thought. Now this is hard for me because I haven’t given very many reviews on books I didn’t care for. That doesn’t even seem right really, it felt, unfinished I guess.

Let me try to explain. The blurb leaves you wanting more and let me tell you it starts off with a bang. Straight into the action and story. I was excited and the book did move along very quickly however when I finished reading I was left thinking, ‘What?’ I felt like the whole book was really only the beginning of a book. With everything the blurb promised I was expecting more story.

The world described is very vivid and imaginable. The scenery was great and I could picture it however the characters, the main character Cora in particular, I didn’t feel a connection with her. I pretty much get that she is angry but that’s it. I don’t have any invested emotion in her, and as a main character I have a hard time with that. I felt there was slightly more character development with Lucas and even Minotaur.

This book is supposed to be part of a series so considering that I might say that the blurb should be revised to encompass only book 1. And as a reader I would have felt better if this was part 1 of a longer book to me I just can’t get over that finishing it I felt like I was only about ¼ of the way through a story.

So this is hard. I have mixed emotions about this and what to rate it. I did enjoy parts of it. So I’m going to give it 2.5 Stars. *Note on goodreads.com it gets 3 stars because it doesn’t let you half a star and I rounded up. So there you have my review. This book comes out April 9, 2012.

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Jun 14, 2012 Kristy Sartain- Whispering Pretty Stories Reviews rated it 3 of 5 stars

I can't decide if I really like the book or not. I had a hard time connecting with Cora. I can't pinpoint one reason why, though.

But...

The concept of this book is extraordinary. I have high hopes for the rest of the series. I was surprised the book ended so quickly. I think the netgalley.com ARC I received is not the entire book because on goodreads.com, it is listed as 326 pages. My galley is only 131 pages.

I loved how vivid the descriptions were. I could almost smell the river and see the to...more

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Aug 28, 2012 ♥ Amanda rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed-books, won-books

I received a copy of The White Oak from NetGalley in exchange for a review.

Normally I'm not into the techno/coding/Matrix-y story, but I actually found The White Oak pretty good. At her fathers funeral, Cora, her brother and grandmother fall down a sink hole that was caused by underground tunnels underneath the white oak that was supposed to be dear old dads resting place. Cora is the only one to survive alive, and somehow is able to meet up with her brother's ghost in the underworld. I found t...more

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Apr 13, 2012 Candace (Lovey Dovey Books) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites, ya-sci-fi-fantasy

Originally posted on Lovey Dovey Books.

The White Oak took me by surprise in the way that Kim White wastes no time in starting the action of the story from the very first page. The beginning of the story also tells me a lot about Cora Alexander and her background story. I see how she feels about her family; her love for her brother and anger at the rest. Telling us about Cora during her descent to the Underworld was a clever way for us to see what she’s all about; the decisions she makes througho...more

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Apr 19, 2012 Kristin (Blood,Sweat, and Books) rated it 4 of 5 stars

*I was given this book to review through Netgalley. All opinions are my own and I was not compensated in any way for them.

Cora our heroine is getting ready to bury her recently deceased father at the beginning of the book. Her twin brother Lucas decides they should bury him under a massive oak situated on the property. Suddenly the Earth gives way and Lucas and Cora are plunged into a massive sinkhole. Cora manages to find her way out and somehow finds herself in the underworld but the kicker is...more *I was given this book to review through Netgalley. All opinions are my own and I was not compensated in any way for them.

Cora our heroine is getting ready to bury her recently deceased father at the beginning of the book. Her twin brother Lucas decides they should bury him under a massive oak situated on the property. Suddenly the Earth gives way and Lucas and Cora are plunged into a massive sinkhole. Cora manages to find her way out and somehow finds herself in the underworld but the kicker is she is still Alive! Cora realizes quickly that the least of her worries is being the only thing alive in an undead land.

Okay so, I'm warning you now this isn't the most professional description but is exactly what came to mind when I was trying to think of a way to describe this book. If The Matrix, and The Book Alice and Wonderland had a baby, then that baby was raised in Ancient Greece and had the ability to write a book this is what would come out. While the story certainly wasn't unique it was entertaining to read. Above all it was Fun! I really liked the lead character Cora. She was strong, brave and best of all smart. I also really enjoyed that though she was smart she was still in essence a teenage girl so that meant she did mess up, yet was smart enough to realize it after the fact. I highly enjoyed how the author blended this technical world into a land of myth. I wouldn't think it would work but oddly it does. My only issue with this book was how abruptly it ended. I knew it would be a cliffhanger since it's the first in a series but it ends so sudden that it felt highly unsatisfying. Maybe this will be changed in the final version, but in my review copy I didn't like it. I need some sort of closure to a book cliffhanger or not and this had none.

Overall would I recommend this book? Yes. I think it is perfect for Middle Grade and up. It was easy to follow for younger readers but certainly complex enough to satisfy older readers as well. I certainly will be looking forward to reading the others in the series. In the end I will be giving this Book 4 Stars.(less)

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Jun 08, 2012 Katy rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: readers of YA fantasy, esp. based upon mythology

Recommended to Katy by: NetGalley

Shelves: ebook, galley-for-review, net-galley

Book Info: Genre: Fantasy/Mythology Reading Level: Young Adult

Disclosure: I received a free ebook eGalley from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Synopsis: In The White Oak, the first book in the Imperfect Darkness series, Cora Alexander falls through a sinkhole and enters the underworld still alive. Her living presence threatens the tyrannical rule of Minos and the infernal judges who have hijacked the afterlife and rebuilt it, trapping human souls in a mechanical, computer-controlled c...more Book Info: Genre: Fantasy/Mythology Reading Level: Young Adult

Disclosure: I received a free ebook eGalley from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Synopsis: In The White Oak, the first book in the Imperfect Darkness series, Cora Alexander falls through a sinkhole and enters the underworld still alive. Her living presence threatens the tyrannical rule of Minos and the infernal judges who have hijacked the afterlife and rebuilt it, trapping human souls in a mechanical, computer-controlled city that lies at the core of the earth. To survive, Cora must rely on her untrustworthy guide, Minotaur, an artificial intelligence built by Minos. She is helped by a mysterious voice, and by Sybil, underworld librarian and author of each person’s book of life. Sybil’s collection holds the key to humankind’s intertwined life stories. When Cora’s own book is destroyed, Sybil gives her a magical golden pen and sends her to the underworld city to write her own destiny. Along the way, Cora finds the ghost of her dead brother, Lucas, a genius programmer who alone is capable of finding the chink in Minos's armor. But will he be able to get Cora out alive, or will they both succumb to the seemingly inescapable underworld trap?

My Thoughts: Generally speaking, when reading fiction based upon mythology, I like things kept fairly closely to the mythology. If the fiction creates its own mythology, that is fine, but it should create a complete new world, not just recreate the old one – or at least, that’s how I prefer things. I’m not sure if I like this technological wasteland they’ve made of the Underworld – using a combination of pagan and Christian mythology – nor am I certain that I will follow the series going forward. However, the book ends on a cliffhanger of sorts, and I also hate being left in the lurch like that, so maybe I’ll read the next one, at least, out of curiosity.

I think many readers of YA fantasy, especially that based upon mythology, will probably like this book, however. While we only get a cursory idea of the characters, what we do see is fairly intriguing, and the plot flows smoothly with few errors. So, while it wasn’t really my thing, I can still recommend it to those who might like this sort of story.

Coming up (info on the series as a whole): In an adventure spanning four novels and three worlds, Cora and Lucas overcome a curse that has plagued their family for generations. With seeds carried into the underworld from the land of the living, a sword forged from the soul of their dead father, and a golden pen that can rewrite the past and shape the future, they embark on an adrenaline-fueled quest to free not only themselves but the souls of the dead.(less)

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Apr 01, 2012 Angela rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: netgalley, ebooks, ya-children-s, read-2012, first-reads, fantasy

3.5*

This was an enjoyable read for the most part and is an excellent introduction (to younger readers) on mythology.

Book was action packed from the beginning to end which is generally a good thing but due to so much action occurring it does not leave much room for character development.

Cora Alexander, our protagonist, is very much your independent and quite surly heroine. She is a strong character and has good presence within the book. Due to the character’s age she does come across as quite imm...more

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Apr 11, 2012 Rebecca Rogers rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, for-review, fantasy, indie, mythology

If I had to describe The White Oak in a sentence, it would be: Greek mythology meets Tron. I’m a big fan of both, by the way, so I was excited to read the ARC.

Cora and her brother fall through a sinkhole in their backyard. Cora ends up in the Underworld, where she’s helped by Minotaur, Sybil, and an unknown voice. All Cora truly cares about is finding her brother; she’s unsure if he made it through alive like she did. The deeper Cora travels into the core of the earth, however, the stranger thin...more

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Apr 12, 2012 Merin rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: mythology, netgalley, read-in-2012

Cora Alexander's life is forever changed when she falls into a sinkhole during her father's funeral and lands in the Underworld still alive. This, of course, upsets the balance of the Underworld and the rule of Minos and the judges, who control the realm with an iron fist and have turned it into a computer-generated world full of shades. With the help of her untrustworthy guide, Minotaur, Cora must journey through the realm to find a way to return to the world above.

That is the book in a nutshel...more Cora Alexander's life is forever changed when she falls into a sinkhole during her father's funeral and lands in the Underworld still alive. This, of course, upsets the balance of the Underworld and the rule of Minos and the judges, who control the realm with an iron fist and have turned it into a computer-generated world full of shades. With the help of her untrustworthy guide, Minotaur, Cora must journey through the realm to find a way to return to the world above.

That is the book in a nutshell, although I left a lot of stuff out (read the summary here on Goodreads if you want the full version). This book was strangely incomplete; there is no wrap-up of the story line and the book ends on what could be called a cliffhanger if I cared enough to be interested in the next installment. I felt like Cora is a very flat character; she does things, and occasionally provides a teeny bit of insight into why she's doing them, but we don't really get to know her very well at all. I also felt like the book suffered from too many points of view: there are at least three that I can remember off the top of my head, and switching between the points of view (one of which is strangely in third person while everything else is in first) caused the story to lose momentum and made it kind of tedious to read. After a fast-paced start which grabbed my attention, the rest of the story just failed in comparison and I found myself really uninterested in how things would end. For me personally, this just wasn't a very well-constructed story. And that hurts me a bit to say that, because the summary was really promising. But there just wasn't any resolution to the plot, and I can't enjoy something that didn't have a point.

Also, a note on the e-galley version of this, there were some weird sentence breaks that made the reading experience even more annoying because I had to keep deciphering what the sentences were supposed to say. Here's an example: His arrival was merely the realization of destiny was entirely different through our gates. a prophecy. Cora's before she slipped. This makes absolutely NO sense, and what's supposed to be written was this: His arrival was merely the realization of a prophecy. Cora's destiny was entirely different before she slipped through our gates. Now this was a fairly easy one to figure out, but there were others where it literally took me a good minute to put the words back into their proper order in order to read them, which just further pulled me out of the story. Hopefully all of those issues have been found and fixed in the final version.

All in all this was a disappointing read for me. The characters were flat, there were too many points of view, and absolutely no resolution to the plot. I won't be reading the sequel.

The White Oak is now available in e-book format via Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

An e-galley was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.(less)

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Apr 06, 2012 Danyelle Leafty rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: bookshelf-2012

My rating for the storytelling itself is 4 stars, and my overall satisfaction (minus storytelling) is 2 stars.

The first thing that drew me to this book was the gorgeous cover. And after sampling the first few paragraphs, I felt the voice would be a good fit. And it was--storytelling-wise. I don't really *know* the characters, but something in the story was compelling enough to hook me and keep me reading. The story itself reminded me a lot of Alice in Wonderland meets Persephone meets Dante's id...more My rating for the storytelling itself is 4 stars, and my overall satisfaction (minus storytelling) is 2 stars.

The first thing that drew me to this book was the gorgeous cover. And after sampling the first few paragraphs, I felt the voice would be a good fit. And it was--storytelling-wise. I don't really *know* the characters, but something in the story was compelling enough to hook me and keep me reading. The story itself reminded me a lot of Alice in Wonderland meets Persephone meets Dante's idea of nine circles of Hell--in this case, there's seven.

The world building was intriguing and there was enough there to keep me wanting more, as was the story itself. I really can't emphasize this enough. Sure, no story is for everyone, but this one (once I really started it) stayed at the top of my TBR pile.

Why my overall satisfaction (minus the storytelling) was a two:

1) I know this is an arc, and the final product probably won't have these issues, but there were a lot of formatting problems for me. Sometimes new paragraphs were indented, most of the time not. There were also times where there should have been new paragraphs (a new person speaking, etc.) but they weren't separated out. There were also numerous times where a line (usually at least one per chapter) that was totally garbled and had funky formatting going on. Every time this happened, it ripped me out of the story as I tried to figure out what the sentence was supposed to say. While frustrating, this is totally fixable.

2) The cliffhanger ending. As a rule, I'm not a fan, but the cliffhanger alone wasn't why I rated it lower. In my opinion, and my preference for cliffhangers if an author is going to do one, is that while the major arc is left hanging for the next book with a hook that makes me want to read more, some of the smaller arcs are taken care of so there's some sense of completion. Like finishing an appetizer or the first course and having to wait for the second. The way THE WHITE OAK ended didn't leave me feeling that way. The ending was too abrupt without there being any sense of anything, no matter how small, being resolved. This severely hindered my enjoyment of the book overall.

It does say something about the writing, though, that despite the formatting problems and garbled sentences that I enjoyed the story itself. :)

* I received an ARC through NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.(less)

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Apr 08, 2012 Philippa (Tea, Daydreams & Fairytales) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-release, fantasy, young-adult, 2012-read, review-written, review-books-read

This review was originally posted on Tea, Daydreams & Fairytales on the 9th April 2012.

3.5 Stars

"After years of pretending at emotions, he'd grown to appreciate their mystery, their chaos and randomness. Sometimes they were predictable, one-dimensional, almost stupid - other times they were so confounding, complex, and exquisite that he was convinced humans really were as special as they thought themselves to be."

The White Oak is a dark and interesting tale that takes well known greek myths...more This review was originally posted on Tea, Daydreams & Fairytales on the 9th April 2012.

3.5 Stars

"After years of pretending at emotions, he'd grown to appreciate their mystery, their chaos and randomness. Sometimes they were predictable, one-dimensional, almost stupid - other times they were so confounding, complex, and exquisite that he was convinced humans really were as special as they thought themselves to be."

The White Oak is a dark and interesting tale that takes well known greek myths mixes it with Alice in Wonderland and produces an inventive and unique fantasy that is guaranteed to hook in the reader. The story starts off fast and without any build up you are taken straight into a climactic scene of Cora being buried in a sinkhole desperate and frantic before arriving in Asphodel (also known as purgatory) alive and disoriented. The novel then takes on you Cora's journey as she tries to escape the underworld with her life intact as no one knows what would happen to her soul if she really died while already in the land of the dead.

This is an action packed book and reminded me a little bit of early 90s adventure games (think Kings Quest). Each chapter introduces you to a new problem or adventure so to speak which keeps the plot moving at a good rate and also helps you visualise what the character of Cora is going through.

The biggest weakness with this novel is that there didn't seem to be enough time to really build and explore the characters. There is a tiny amount of backstory of Cora & Lucas's abusive father and mother who dissappeared, but considering what a traumatic childhood they had, both of them seemed incredibly well adjusted and I never once actually felt real empathy or sadness for what they had experienced in life. Cora was so bland for a main character, nothing seemed to really phase her and I just found her plain boring if slightly weird considering she sews seeds into dresses for no apparent reason.

The secondary characters were much more interesting and I really hope in the future novels we get to find out more about them. Minotaur as a computer program, how novel and fascinating! I love how he would change personas depending on the situation. Sybil was also very interesting and I loved the concept of everyone having their own book of life that all made up the entire story of the world - past, present and future. I'm also interested to find out more about the hatred between Minos and Sybil and how this is going to play into the over arching story.

The finale takes place in a courtroom discussing the possibility of Cora's execution (Alice in Wonderland anyone?) and then just as things start to get interesting the book ends. This is a pet hate of mine - regardless of whether a book is part of a series or a stand alone there needs to be some resolution to the story. Ending it the same way you would end a chapter is just completely exasperating!

Even though the book had its faults I still enjoyed the adventure and would pick up the sequel. Just don't go into this novel expecting anything profound, it really is more suited as a fun summer read albeit a dark one!

Thank you Netgalley and Story Machine Studio for providing me with a copy of this novel for review. The White Oak is being released today, the 9th April 2012.(less)

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Apr 09, 2012 Angelya (The Oaken Bookcase) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya, reviewed

This review was originally posted at The Oaken Bookcase, along with an interview with Kim White.

The White Oak certainly begins with a bang, with Cora falling into the Underworld and starting her terrifying adventure right from the first page.

Cora must venture across the River Tartarus and into the city of the dead to rescue her twin brother and find her way out again. The story is a whirlwind of adventure, with Cora flung from one adventure to the next. It’s never clear what will come next – I l...more

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Jul 05, 2012 Crivac Maria Loredana rated it 2 of 5 stars

I don't like to say that I disliked a book. Not going to say now. I abstain from not say. But I'm very disappointed. After describing the book, I expected something more ... I don't know... to little more adventure, something more involved, in any case.

The idea of mythology and science that the author wanted to use it, I really liked, had made me curious. I thought in what way could weave these two opposing subjects to create an attractive, with plenty of action.

The first part of the book, more...more

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