Gretchen C. Hohmeyer's Blog, page 93

Review: “Code Name Verity” by Elizabeth Wein

 (Click for Goodreads)

5 stars

Oct. 11th, 1943–A British spy plane crashes in Nazi-occupied France. Its pilot and passenger are best friends. One of the girls has a chance at survival. The other has lost the game before it’s barely begun.

When “Verity” is arrested by the Gestapo, she’s sure she doesn’t stand a chance. As a secret agent captured in enemy territory, she’s living a spy’s worst nightmare. Her Nazi interrogators give her a simple choice: reveal her mission or face a grisly execution.

As she intricately weaves her confession, Verity uncovers her past, how she became friends with the pilot Maddie, and why she left Maddie in the wrecked fuselage of their plane. On each new scrap of paper, Verity battles for her life, confronting her views on courage and failure and her desperate hope to make it home. But will trading her secrets be enough to save her from the enemy?

Harrowing and beautifully written, Elizabeth Wein creates a visceral read of danger, resolve, and survival that shows just how far true friends will go to save each other. Code Name Verity is an outstanding novel that will stick with you long after the last page.

This review is of an ARC received from NetGalley.

There are few books that leave me speechless.

This would be one of them.

I’ll admit, I had my reservations in the beginning. The narrator RAMBLES like whoa. I mean, I was reading on a screen and I saw pages taken up by just two paragraphs and I thought “Swell, this is just going and going and I’m going to be bored to tears.”

I wasn’t. Not by a long shot.

Usually, if the narrator rambles, I get bored and lose interest. Not here. Sometimes I feel like narrators in YA lack a distinct voice, but–again–not here. Verity HAS VOICE. Verity HAS PRESENCE. Despite the fact that she tells her story from Maddie’s point of view, talking about herself in the first person, I felt like I was seeing into Verity’s soul. There was no doubt in my mind about the voice that was just flying off the pages, talking to my heart. She not only managed to win me over despite rambling, but also despite talking about herself in the third person, which is huge. (The third person thing makes sense later, but I can’t say anything about that!)

Plus, I was expecting a pretty dark, dramatic book. It is both of those things, but imagine my surprise when I found myself laughing out loud multiple times while I was reading. While Verity is being held by the Gestapo. I was laughing. That’s how spectacular Verity is. That’s how strong she is. That’s what this book is like.

I’d also like to give a brief shout out on a very touchy subject. Not only is Verity a rounded person, but the German Officer who interrogates her is also a rounded character. He isn’t this mindless drone, which I found very refreshing and made the book even more real. It would have been so, so easy to stereotype this guy, but Wein didn’t. She MADE IT REAL.

You have no idea how hard it is not to comment on the second half of the book. I literally don’t know how to write about that. I’ll admit, personally here I found the voice weaker and several things too rushed, but at the same time I can’t imagine certain events having differently, not if they still wanted to be real. The ending is very bittersweet, so I suppose my mixed feelings are supposed to be there.

And trust me, all of my feelings are there.

I could get technical. I could. I could talk for ages about the rambling, the technicalities, and the story tangents that don’t make sense til the second half of the book. With any other book, I would. But with this one, I just can’t. Code Name Verity was just one of those books.

A good book is fun to read. A good book takes you to a new place for a time, but then you put it down and you go on with your life. Code Name Verity was not a good book.

Code Name Verity was a great book.

It was the kind of book with images, words and ideas that get under your skin. The kind of story that melts into your heart. It was an experience that is with you long after you’ve closed the book. THAT is the kind of story that comes with Code Name Verity.

Waiting on Wednesday #9

Waiting on Wednesday is a feature hosted by Breaking the Spine.

Title: Darkness Before Dawn

Author: J. A. London

Expected Release: May 29, 2012

Summary from Goodreads: This electrifying new trilogy blends the best of paranormal and dystopian storytelling in a world where the war is over. And the vampires won.

Humans huddle in their walled cities, supplying blood in exchange for safety. But not even that is guaranteed. Dawn has lost her entire family and now reluctantly serves as the delegate to Lord Valentine, the most powerful vampire for miles. It isn’t until she meets Victor, Valentine’s son, that she realizes not all vampires are monsters….

Darkness Before Dawn is a fresh new story with captivating characters, unexpected plot twists, a fascinating setting, and a compelling voice. Written under the name J. A. London by a talented mother-son team, the trilogy is perfect for fans of True Blood and the House of Night and Morganville Vampires series.

Why I’m Waiting: Because I’m a sucker for vampires. (Yes, the pun was intended. Shush, my sense of humor is SPECTACULAR.) Also, dystopian. Through them together and what do you get? Hopefully something amazing, like Julie Kagawa’s The Immortal Rules, which I loved. I am CAUTIOUSLY excited about this book, because they can be so hit and miss with me, but it really does sound interesting. Plus, a mother-son writing team? I’m just curious to see if that works at all, story aside. (Although, about the cover, could they have made it look anything more like the Fallen series? Whether you like the Fallen series or not, I prefer uniqueness in a cover…)

Don’t forget to check out my Two Year Blogoversary Giveaway!

Top Ten Books I Just HAD To Buy… But Are Still Sitting On My Bookshelf

Top Ten Tuesday is a feature hosted by the Broke and the Bookish. This week’s topic was a freebie if we so wanted it to be so, and I had to do that, because I couldn’t come up with much for the other topic!

I am usually a voracious reader, but sometimes … I just can’t do it. Either I don’t have the time, or–EEK–for some reason I don’t have the interest. So here’s a list of books that I have but need to read!

1. City of Lost Souls by Cassandra Clare

I know, I know, I’m a HUGE Clare fangirl but I STILL haven’t read this. It’s disturbing. But I haven’t read City of Fallen Angels in such a long time I know I need to read it again but … I don’t want to. Reading past the original trilogy was a choice I made for myself knowing I would probably regret it, but… *sigh*

2. Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi

Actually, I’ll be perfectly honest with you, I already started this one. However, the world is really hard to settle into for me, so it’s just sitting there, 30 pages in, STARING AT ME.

3. Chime by Franny Billingsley

I really am going to get around to this, I swear! I just have no reading oomph right now for some reason. And also I feel I should finish Under the Never Sky first.

4. Melting Stones by Tamora Pierce

It is utterly ridiculous how long I have had this book but left it unread. It is literally, horribly sad. I have THE HARDCOVER. But for some reason, I just can’t read it. I’ve been told it’s good and I believe you guys, but goodness. There’s just something repelling me every time I go near it.

5. Lily of the Nile by Stephanie Dray

Yet another one I’ve had for AGES and have still yet to read. I actually did start it, I think, but then I got sidetracked by Vicky Alvear Shecter’s Cleopatra’s Moon. I need to find some historical fiction that isn’t all about the same people.

6. Crescent Dawn by Clive Cussler

This one isn’t entirely my fault. I bought this book for my dad for Christmas, and he still hasn’t read it yet either. Clearly my only plan of action is that I must wrestle it away from him whenever I have the time to tackle a Cussler book.

7. Glitch by Heather Anastasiu

This is actually something that, like Under The Never Sky, is sitting on my currently reading shelf. Unlike Under the Never Sky, I really do like it. The problem? I have no idea. But NetGalley probably wants my review.

8. The Peculiars by Maureen Doyle McQueen

Have this from NetGalley. It’ll probably be my next NetGalley read and review after I finish Glitch. But I have to finish Glitch first.

9. Otherkin by Nina Berry

NetGalley read and review after The Peculiars. My NetGalley read and review list is far too long. Watch this:

10. Innocent Darkness by Suzanne Lazear

NetGalley read and review after Otherkin! Maybe I should, you know, get on that. Eventually. WHERE DID MY READING BUZZ GO? I think finals swallowed it. Here, finals buzz, here kitty kitty– Oh that’s not going to work.

So what about you? Have YOU got a book that’s been lying around forever you still haven’t read? Also, don’t forget to check out my Two Year Blogoversary Giveaway!

Two Year Blogoversary Giveaway!

I can’t believe it. My Life is a Notebook is two years old. I have been blogging for two years.

Wow.

Alright, alright, if you want technicalities, you’ll have them. My Life is a Notebook was never called that to begin with. It was a poetry blog, yes mine, and it was BAD. That was why I didn’t keep up with it like I should have. Then it was a writing blog, which is when the name change occurred. It was only little while after that that I had an epiphany. I was reading a thousand books a year, WHY NOT BOOK BLOG?

It took me a disturbingly long time to get there, I know.

But what do you care? THERE’S A GIVEAWAY TO BE HAD!

Now, since I started reviewing, I’ve been watching my stats like mad. I’ve been taking daily count of which of my reviews seem to be the most popular. And we have an overwhelming winner:

Matched and Crossed by Ally Condie.

Quite frankly, this couldn’t have worked out better. I happen to have my hands on a paperback of Matched and a hardcover of Crossed. Like my blog, they come in twos. It’s also the best way to get ready for the release of the final book in the series, Reached, in November. And they can be yours by filling out the Rafflecopter HERE. (Make sure you open the link in a new window for your sanity!) Please note that, since I am not a millionaire, this giveaway is US ONLY. The giveaway ends at 11:59 PM on May 20th. Good luck!

Review: “Wilde’s Fire” by Krystal Wade

Wilde’s Fire (Darkness Falls #1) by Krystal Wade (Click for Goodreads)

2 1/2 stars

“There is no pain in this death, only peace, knowing I am going to die with the one I love the most.”—Katriona Wilde.

Katriona Wilde has never wondered what it would feel like to have everything she’s ever known and loved ripped away, but she is about to find out. When she inadvertently leads her sister and best friend through a portal into a world she’s dreamed of for six years, she finds herself faced with more than just the frightening creatures in front of her. Kate’s forced to accept a new truth: her entire life has been a lie, and those closest to her have betrayed her. What’s worse, she has no control over her new future, and it’s full of magic and horrors from which nightmares are made. Will Kate discover and learn to control who she really is in time to save the ones she loves, or will all be lost?

This review is based on an ARC received from NetGalley. Look for the ebook to be released May 13, 2012.

To me, there is nothing more frustrating than a book you know could have been amazing, and then wasn’t. That exactly what happened with this book. I really wanted to like it, and in places I really did. The world, the magic and the mythology Wade created were really interesting. The plot could have been spectacular. The fight scenes were AMAZING. (That ending? Nearly made up for the book!) There was so much potential hiding in this book that it frustrated me even more with each passing scene. Because here’s the thing.

Books live and die by their characters. Especially their main characters. And Kate? Oh boy.

To me, she was like a roadblock in this book. I really wanted to enjoy it, but I just couldn’t do it. At first, I thought she was cute. Ridiculously dense when it came to boys, but just cute in an innocent way. Her and Brad’s relationship was sweet, so I was willing to just roll my eyes at her and keep on reading.

And then the rest of the book happened.

Far, far too much of this book centered on romance. Kate and Brad go down the tubes quickly, as he spends most of the book in a coma. My eyebrows first started hiking as, right after Brad admits he wanted to marry her and Kate spends pages musing about what it would have been like being his wife, she then goes to Arland and asks him if he wants to sleep with her. SLEEP SLEEP, zzzz sleep, because she thinks that’s … normal. This was weird enough in the first place. But then she asks him if he wants to take a bath with her. With clothes on. Because that’s a thing you can do platonically.

I understand Kate had been dreaming about doing a whole bunch of fun things with Arland for years. I understand that attempts were made to explain why she thinks this way, and that also this was supposed to be a love triangle with her warring over her feelings for her best friend or her literal dream guy. But after that point I just lost it. I was 50% of my way through the book.

The last 50%, though, were not that bad. Brad is utterly forgotten for a while and Kate and Arland focus on getting their thing on, while intermittently fighting the minions of Darkness and info-dumping about the world. I LIVED for those fight scenes. Let me say again: THEY WERE AWESOME. The ideas of the daemons and the gods; I was in love. But we’d always end up back with Kate and Arland and I’d be left headdesking. There were several other logical inconsistencies that didn’t make sense at the end, but I can’t give them away without giving away the ending so I’ll just say … headdesk.

This book had so much potential, but it just left me frustrated. I’m hard to please with teen romance of any kind these days, and this one just fell way on the wrong side of my feelings. I must say, however, that I am very curious to see how the next book in this series, titled Wilde’s Army by the looks of Krystal Wade’s blog. Now that all this romance-disaster is past, I’m hoping that we’ll be able to move onto the really interesting stuff Wade can write so well.

Review: “Dark Kiss” by Michelle Rowen

Dark Kiss (Nightwatchers #1) by Michelle Rowen (Click for Goodreads)

3 1/2 stars

I don’t do DANGEROUS.

Smart, über-careful, ordinary Samantha—that’s me. But I just couldn’t pass up a surprise kiss from my number-one unattainable crush. A kiss that did something to me…something strange. Now I feel hungry all the time, but not for food. It’s like part of me is missing—and I don’t know if I can get it back.

Then there’s Bishop. At first I thought he was just a street kid, but the secrets he’s keeping are as intense as his unearthly blue eyes. If he’s what I think he is, he may be the only one who can help me. But something terrifying is closing in, and the one chance Bishop and I have to stop it means losing everything I ever wanted and embracing the darkness inside me….

Nightwatchers: When angels and demons must work together, something beyond evil is rising…

This review is of an ARC received from NetGalley. You can get a copy of your own May 29, 2012

So, I should probably start this off with a disclaimer: This review will be tempered with a LOT of my personal opinions about books. If you don’t already know (and I’ve been very loud about this) I hate insta-love. I hate love triangles. I really, really don’t like Twilight. That’s just the way I roll.

The mythology Rowen used was excellent. The angels aren’t (entirely) models for perfection and the demons aren’t rampaging and/or sexy monsters. They work TOGETHER against these new entities (to me anyways) called “grays,” which are humans who are kissed by a demon or another gray, and the being eats their soul. These new grays then have the unavoidable urge to kiss other humans for their souls. It goes on from there, but I don’t want to give too much away, but let me tell you it goes UP. It was fairly new twist on another fad, which was very nice to read.

For me, however, the story didn’t get off on such great footing. Even though I KNEW the kiss that turns Sam into a gray was coming, it read … awkwardly. Actually, every status update I made while reading included the word “awkward” until about page 60. I know to some of you that doesn’t seem like even giving the book a chance, but other people I know would stop reading at page 10 so … you’ve been warned.

Once the book levels out, though, it’s pretty cool–especially when they start bringing in the angels and demon team. Even though they aren’t given huge parts to play, the majority of them–angel and demon alike–are excellently done. They’re all very different, enjoyable to read and some of them are even given the chance to have round back stories, which isn’t often done when you’re dealing with so many characters in a team.

Now, here comes a tricky part. See, this book never really stops moving, but it isn’t action like you’d expect it to be, i.e., huge flashy celestial beings fighting each other with swords and wings aglow. Rather, it’s more of a personal struggle for Samantha, as she tries to figure out who is telling her the truth as the two sides try to fight for her and her special abilities. Things start happening to her, her best friends, and to Bishop, but none of it action action. Most of that doesn’t come until the end, where it is also punctured with a lot of talking and is very brief.

Samantha and Bishop are what really irked me about this book. In places, they were a pretty great team, but as a couple? …sigh. Insta-love, for one, was awkwardly thrown at them, and even a love triangle with Bishop’s demon brother. It was the insta-love that really got me, though, because I just really don’t like it. I really don’t like it. Samantha even said multiple times that they had this mysterious connection that bound them in ways she didn’t understand. Personally, if there has to be insta-love, I’d rather the characters didn’t acknowledge it’s insta-love. Throw in Samantha constantly bemoaning the fact that she can’t read Bishop’s mind and I was having a few Twilight flashbacks.

Also irking me: The TRUST ISSUES. So many things in this book could have been avoided if people had just told others what was going on. This especially became prevalent in the last scene, when even SAM is questioning why she didn’t tell someone something that could have saved lives. If you’re going to have your MC make a horrible decision like that, don’t make the character regret it! It’s a facepalm moment for the reader.

Anyways! Besides issues that were mostly contained to one moment in time, I actually did enjoy this book. If you enjoyed the Fallen series by Lauren Kate or Unearthly and Hallowed by Cynthia Hand, then I certainly recommend this. If your brand of angels and demons is more like Angelfire and Wings of the Wicked by Courtney Allison Moulton, I’d be a bit more wary, but hey–I’ve read all of these and not hated any of them! If you want romance, angels, demons and some more romance, this is for you!

The next book in the Nightwatchers series, Wicked Kiss, is expected to be released in 2013.

Waiting on Wednesday #8

Waiting on Wednesday is a feature hosted by Breaking the Spine

Title: Changeling (The Order of Darkness #1)

Author: Philippa Gregory

Expected Publication Date: May 29, 2012

Blurb from Goodreads: Dark myths, medieval secrets, intrigue, and romance populate the pages of the first-ever teen series from #1 bestselling author of The Other Boleyn Girl Italy, 1453. Seventeen-year-old Luca Vero is brilliant, gorgeous—and accused of heresy. Cast out of his religious order for using the new science to question old superstitious beliefs, Luca is recruited into a secret sect: The Order of the Dragon, commissioned by Pope Nicholas V to investigate evil and danger in its many forms, and strange occurrences across Europe, in this year—the end of days.

Isolde is a seventeen-year-old girl shut up in a nunnery so she can’t inherit any of her father’s estate. As the nuns walk in their sleep and see strange visions, Isolde is accused of witchcraft—and Luca is sent to investigate her, but finds himself plotting her escape.

Despite their vows, despite themselves, love grows between Luca and Isolde as they travel across Europe with their faithful companions, Freize and Ishraq. The four young people encounter werewolves, alchemists, witches, and death-dancers as they head toward a real-life historical figure who holds the boundaries of Christendom and the secrets of the Order of the Dragon.

The first in a series, this epic and richly detailed drama is grounded in historical communities and their mythic beliefs. It includes a medieval map of Europe that will track their journey; and the interior will include relevant decorative elements as well as an interior line illustration. And look for a QR code that links to a note from the author with additional, detailed information about the setting and the history that informed the writing. With Philippa Gregory’s trademark touch, this novel deftly brings the past—and its salacious scandals—vividly and disturbingly to life.

Why I’m Waiting: I’ll admit, Gregory’s books have always gone sharply either way with me. But DID YOU READ THAT BLURB? DID YOU? There are so many things RIGHT with this book that I’m drooling. All my favorite genres just got rolled up into one beautiful package and handed to me on a silver platter. Gregory has done some fantastic things with historical fiction, and I’m really interested to see how she’ll handle something paranormal along with the history. Once again, I’m sure this can go either way with me, but for now I’M EXCITED. (Plus, the cover looks pretty spectacular, don’t you think?)

Top Ten Favorite Quotes From Books

Top Ten Tuesday is a feature hosted over at The Broke and the Bookish

Does anyone else here have an addiction to Goodreads quotes? Because I do. This is going to be the HARDEST thing, only picking 10. Well, let’s diver right in, shall we?

1. “You didn’t kill him. He would have killed you, but you didn’t kill him.” / “So? He was stupid. If I killed everyone who was stupid, I wouldn’t have time to sleep.” – Tamora Pierce, In the Hand of the Goddess

2. “Someday I must read this scholar Everyone. He seems to have written so much–all of it wrong.” - Tamora Pierce, Emperor Mage

3. “…at the time, King Herbert felt that to remain safe, the kingdom needed an effective intelligence force.” / “An intelligent force?” said Will. / “Not intelligent. Intelligence. Although it does help if your intelligence force was also intelligent.” ― John Flanagan, The Ruins of Gorlan

4. “Girl Scouts didn’t teach me what to do with emotionally unstable drunk boys.” – Stephanie Perkins, Anna and the French Kiss

5. “Have you fallen in love with the wrong person yet?” / Jace said, “unfortunately, Lady of the Haven, my one true love remains myself.” / “At least,” she said, “you don’t have to worry about rejection, Jace Wayland.” / “Not necessarily. I turn myself down occasionally, just to keep it interesting.” – Cassandra Clare City of Bones

6. “Patience, grasshopper,” said Maia. “Good things come to those who wait.” / “I always thought that was ‘Good things come to those who do the wave,” said Simon. “No wonder I’ve been so confused all my life.” – Cassandra Clare, City of Glass

7. “It just seems like overkill when you already have a dagger and I have superpowerful magic at my disposal.” / “Superpowerful?” He stood up, a gold chain dangling from his fingers. “Let me remind you of two words, Mercer: Bad. Dog.” – Rachel Hawkins, Demonglass

8. “Names are just words. I know that. But learning that the last name I’d used all my life was fake… “So what should I call myself, then?” I asked. “Sophie Atherton? Sophie Brannick?” Both sounded weird and made me feel like I was wearing clothes that didn’t fit. Mom smiled and brushed my hair away from my face. “You can call yourself whatever you want.” / “Okay. Sophie Awesome Sparkle-Princess it is.” ― Rachel Hawkins, Spell Bound

9. “Just because something isn’t practical doesn’t mean it’s not worth creating. Sometimes beauty and real-life magic are enough.” – Stephanie Perkins, Lola and the Boy Next Door

10. “Good luck explaining to God that you used to spank one of his heavenly beings.” Mom gave a startled laugh. “Sophie!” / “What? You did. I hope you like hot weather, Mom, that’s all I’m saying.” – Rachel Hawkins, Hex Hall

There are SO MANY MORE, but this is just a random pickings!

Children’s Book Week Giveaway Hop – Multiple Prize Packs!

May 7th-13th is Children’s Book Week! To celebrate, I’m participating in a giveaway hop as hosted by I’m a Reader, Not a Writer, KidLitFrenzy, Classic Children’s Books and Mymcbooks. If you aren’t familiar with a giveaway hop, let me tell you that if you click here you’ll be brought to an entire list of 126 blogs all doing Children’s Book Week giveaways!

Now, onto my giveaway! I have some major motion prizes for you, because I’m good friends with people who own bookstores and when I came to them with an idea, well, here you go! (Please note that this giveaway is US ONLY.)

USED: The entire Bartimaeus series by Jonathan Stroud (Click for Goodreads)

AND THE GRAND PRIZE

A NANCY DREW PRIZE PACK!

That’s four hardcovers and six softcovers for a total of TEN BOOKS.

Excited now? To enter the giveaway, just click here! (For your own sanity, make sure you open this in a new tab or window.)

Follow Friday #4

It’s time for another Follow Friday, hosted by Parajunkee’s View and Alison Can Read! You follow me, I follow you – it’s as simple as that! You can follow me by email, Feedburner, Linky or NetworkedBlogs. Twitter follows and Facebook likes are nice, but I don’t count them unless you also follow another way. In the comments, PLEASE TELL ME HOW YOU FOLLOW ME. I always follow back as close in kind as I can. (Meaning if you follow me multiple ways, I will also follow you multiple ways.) Now onto the question!

Q. What is one thing you wish you could tell your favorite author?

A. Well, having been able to talk at length to Tamora Pierce thanks to a writing workshop called Alpha, I guess I’ll have to pick another of my close favorites…

Dear Rachel Hawkins,

No one has a right to be this funny. Seriously. I never get tired of ANY of the Hex Hall books, and I’m literally chomping at the bit to see what you write next. I live for snark, and you came up with some of the BEST SNARK EVER. Snark is great, original snark is hysterical. The best thing is, you’re even that funny on your Twitter. (@LadyHawkins) Someday I really hope I can meet you in person, because you just seem awesome all around.

Love, Gretchen