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Starling (Starling, #1)
by Lesley Livingston (Goodreads Author)
by Lesley Livingston (Goodreads Author)
Angel's review
bookshelves: 2012-release, fantasy, harper-teen, paranormal, wishlist, ya, arc-for-review
Oct 14, 12
bookshelves: 2012-release, fantasy, harper-teen, paranormal, wishlist, ya, arc-for-review
Read from June 20 to 23, 2012
You can find this review and many more at Mermaid Vision Books!
Release Date: August 28, 2012
Publisher: HarperTeen
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages: 352
Format: Hardcover
Source: ARC received from publisher
Tell Me More: If there's one thing Lesley Livingston does well, it's smart and sassy adaptations of European mythology. Starling is just as enchanting as the Wondrous Strange trilogy, and highlights Livingston's charming writing style just as well.
Mason Starling is--dare I say it?--the Livingston heroine to the letter. She's clever and capable, with a touch of the strange about her. Even without having read the synopsis, it's clear from the first chapter alone that Mason is a mystery even to herself. On a related note, I've always found it interesting that paranormal stories mirror the unpredictable nature of adolescence. Mason isn't an easy character to know, and the reader discovers her identity the same way she does, through action. Livingston takes her readers into a new world, with unfamiliar rules, and it's only through actually participating in it that you can begin to unfold the richness of that world and its people.
Starling is an extremely lively novel, and the pace is rewarding for readers who don't like a lot of exposition before getting to the exciting parts. As you find out about Fenrys and the supernatural conflicts that awaits Mason, the story is deepened with just the right amount of details to help flesh out both worlds. I will admit that I was wary of what Fenrys would be like in this story--he had never felt quite real to me in the Wondrous Strange trilogy. But from his outstanding entrance to the very last page, he is a solid and believable person and the right kind of partner for Mason to have on her journey. There's a very real sense of that partnership throughout the entire story. They complement each other and best of all, neither of them are afraid to tell each other off. The development of their relationship is realistic and understandable, and it never takes away from the focus of the plot.
The Final Say: The Norse gods may have already made their comeback with Thor and Loki, but Starling can certainly give both boys a fight to remember. Young women will find an admirable heroine in Mason, who never fails to remain interesting as well as dangerous.
Release Date: August 28, 2012
Publisher: HarperTeen
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages: 352
Format: Hardcover
Source: ARC received from publisher
Tell Me More: If there's one thing Lesley Livingston does well, it's smart and sassy adaptations of European mythology. Starling is just as enchanting as the Wondrous Strange trilogy, and highlights Livingston's charming writing style just as well.
Mason Starling is--dare I say it?--the Livingston heroine to the letter. She's clever and capable, with a touch of the strange about her. Even without having read the synopsis, it's clear from the first chapter alone that Mason is a mystery even to herself. On a related note, I've always found it interesting that paranormal stories mirror the unpredictable nature of adolescence. Mason isn't an easy character to know, and the reader discovers her identity the same way she does, through action. Livingston takes her readers into a new world, with unfamiliar rules, and it's only through actually participating in it that you can begin to unfold the richness of that world and its people.
Starling is an extremely lively novel, and the pace is rewarding for readers who don't like a lot of exposition before getting to the exciting parts. As you find out about Fenrys and the supernatural conflicts that awaits Mason, the story is deepened with just the right amount of details to help flesh out both worlds. I will admit that I was wary of what Fenrys would be like in this story--he had never felt quite real to me in the Wondrous Strange trilogy. But from his outstanding entrance to the very last page, he is a solid and believable person and the right kind of partner for Mason to have on her journey. There's a very real sense of that partnership throughout the entire story. They complement each other and best of all, neither of them are afraid to tell each other off. The development of their relationship is realistic and understandable, and it never takes away from the focus of the plot.
The Final Say: The Norse gods may have already made their comeback with Thor and Loki, but Starling can certainly give both boys a fight to remember. Young women will find an admirable heroine in Mason, who never fails to remain interesting as well as dangerous.
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