Oppression by Jessica Therrien

Elyse knows what it means to keep a secret. She's been keeping secrets her whole life. Two, actually. First, that she ages five times slower than the average person, so that while she looks eighteen years old, she's closer to eighty. Second, that her blood has a mysterious power to heal. For Elyse, these things don't make her special. They make life dangerous. After the death of her parents, she's been careful to keep her secret as closely guarded as possible. Now, only one other person in the world knows about her age and ability. Or so she thinks. Elyse is not the only one keeping secrets. There are others like her all over the world, descendants of the very people the Greeks considered gods. She is one of them, and they have been waiting for her for a long time. Among so many of her kind, she should not be very remarkable--except for the prophecy. Some believe she will put an end to traditions, safeguarded by violence, which have oppressed her people for centuries. Others are determined to keep her from doing just that. But for Elyse, the game is just beginning--and she's not entirely willing to play by their rules.

I think the best word I can choose to describe this book is "standard".  Elyse was ok as a developed character, but she kept acting out in the most ridiculous ways, especially for someone that's almost into triple digits in age.  The Twilight-esque romance felt forced and the stalkerish abuse of the boyfriend really bugged me.  The plot was mainly based on exposition of the secret world of the descendants and their powers, and it often felt as if the author was reveling in her cleverness over the worldbuilding instead of just showing it to us.  In all the book felt like a Twilight re-read.  If you're into that kind of thing I think you would love this book, but as for me I'll give it and its sequels a pass.

Dark Frost by Jennifer Estep

I’ve seen so many freaky things since I started attending Mythos Academy last fall. I know I’m supposed to be a fearless warrior, but most of the time, I feel like I’m just waiting for the next Bad, Bad Thing to happen. Like someone trying to kill me—again.

Everyone at Mythos Academy knows me as Gwen Frost, the Gypsy girl who uses her psychometry magic to find lost objects—and who just may be dating Logan Quinn, the hottest guy in school. But I’m also the girl the Reapers of Chaos want dead in the worst way. The Reapers are the baddest of the bad, the people who murdered my mom. So why do they have it in for me?

It turns out my mom hid a powerful artifact called the Helheim Dagger before she died. Now, the Reapers will do anything to get it back. They think I know where the dagger is hidden, but this is one thing I can’t use my magic to find. All I do know is that the Reapers are coming for me—and I’m in for the fight of my life.

Yet another great book in the Frost series!  I am really loving where these books are going, both in the meta-plot and in the character development.  Speaking of the meta-plot, I don't know if this book is a little more transparent than the others or I am just getting better at figuring out the twists but I did guess who the villain was far ahead of the book's reveal.  I didn't care as much, though, because the book has some great pacing and I was enjoying the ride as much as the destination.   Gwen really develops as a character during this book.  The unexpected turn her magic takes is a great twist, and I really like how she grew as she dealt with it and its aftermath.  It also led to some interesting developments between her and Logan, and I will say (even though it's a bit spoilery) that I was glad to see the shoe on the other foot for a bit.  The final battle was not too long but still climactic, and the (again, spoilers) new champions were long foreshadowed but still very welcome.  I'll be looking to see more of them in Crimson Frost!


A copy of this book was provided to me free from NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review.

Kiss of Frost by Jennifer Estep

I’m Gwen Frost, a second-year warrior-in-training at Mythos Acad­emy, and I have no idea how I’m going to sur­vive the rest of the semes­ter. One day, I’m get­ting schooled in sword­play by the guy who broke my heart—the drop-dead gor­geous Logan who slays me every time. Then, an invis­i­ble archer in the Library of Antiq­ui­ties decides to use me for tar­get prac­tice. And now, I find out that some­one at the acad­emy is really a Reaper bad guy who wants me dead. I’m afraid if I don’t learn how to live by the sword—with Logan’s help—I just might die by the sword...

Spoilerific:



I love that Gwen doesn’t automatically get super-fighter powers when she becomes Nike’s champion.  It’s even greater that her enemies seem to be gunning for her immediately, as if they are logically smart and know that she’ll never be as vulnerable as she is now.  I wasn’t too big on the love triangle that’s going on, especially since it seemed so obvious that Gwen was hung up on Logan.  The villain in the series is much more interesting, and kept me guessing until the very end (and I was even right sometimes!).  Estep’s characters are great, wonderfully developed and complex, and they are really what drives my love of the series.  What I really didn’t like was the rehashing of previous events.  It seemed like the plot of the first book was retold so many times even the most thick reader would have gotten bored with it.  I hope Estep leaves off the heavy hand in the next book because despite the problems in Kiss of Frost I can’t wait to see what happens next!

Perception by Kim Harrington

When you can see things others can't, what do you do when someone's watching you?

Everybody knows about Clarity "Clare" Fern. She's the psychic girl in school, the one who can place her hands on something and see hidden visions from the past.

Only Clare would rather not be a celebrity. She prefers hanging back, observing. Her gift is not a game to her.

But then someone starts playing with her head . . . and heart. Messages and gifts from a secret admirer crop up everywhere Clare turns. Could they be from Gabriel, the gorgeous boy who gets Clare's pulse racing? Or from Justin, Clare's hopeful ex-boyfriend who'd do anything to win her back?

One thing is certain. Clare needs to solve this mystery, and soon. Because the messages are becoming sinister, and a girl in town has suddenly disappeared.

Once again Harrington has delivered a wonderful mystery. I loved the plot line, how it was interwoven with Claire’s life, and how it kept you guessing until the last moment without feeling like the ending was totally out of left field. I did feel like some of the newer characters fell flat, but there were so many more of them introduced in this book and many of them were well-fleshed out so I excused the few who couldn’t get more “face-time”. Claire herself is a wonderful character, and the book is full of flavor from her voice. I also really liked Mallory, she had a uniqueness all her own and was relatable to me (as someone who considered herself a geek outcast in high school). There is a bit of unresolved love triangle left over from Clarity, but it resolves quickly and doesn’t have nearly the presence it had in the first book so it is a lot more tolerable. In all this book was a great read, and I devoured it in a day. I bet you can’t put it down either!

Clarity by Kim Harrington

Clarity “Clare” Fern sees things. Things no one else can see. Things like stolen kisses and long-buried secrets. All she has to do is touch a certain object, and the visions come to her. It’s a gift. And a curse. When a teenage girl is found murdered, Clare’s ex-boyfriend wants her to help solve the case—but Clare is still furious at the cheating jerk. Then Clare’s brother—who has supernatural gifts of his own—becomes the prime suspect, and Clare can no longer look away. Teaming up with Gabriel, the smoldering son of the new detective, Clare must venture into the depths of fear, revenge, and lust in order to track the killer. But will her sight fail her just when she needs it most?

This was a great, fast read, and I’m not usually a fan of murder mysteries. I loved how Clarity’s powers worked and were explained, I didn’t feel like I ever had information dump or implausible rules, just a simple statement of fact and rules on how things worked that were well followed by the author. It was really great because it let you dive right in to the mystery of the story. The mystery is great, too, because Harrington knows exactly the right pacing in exposing the clues and bits of the mystery at just the right time to turn all your theories upsidown. I did hit upon the killer a couple of times in my round-about of suspects, but I was left guessing and re-guessing right up until the end, especially with why someone would do such a thing. I was also left guessing with the love triangle, which was a good place to be because it wasn’t so prominent that it took over the mystery and yet it was just entertaining enough to make me want to see it resolved. It wasn’t, really, but I’m satisfied with what did happen because it was realistic and true to character for everyone involved. And, speaking of characters, Clare is a great female lead. She’s witty and resourceful, and she has just enough power to make things fun and just enough limit on that power to make things frustrating. Her mouth often gets her into trouble, but she’s smart and gets herself out of it almost as much. Even when she’s in trouble Clare’s no damsel in distress, and the lead characters spend much time supporting and saving each other so there’s no real feeling that she’s always the damsel in distress. In fact, all the female characters in this book are well put-together as people, not stereotypes, with their own motivations, hopes, and dreams. In fact, if anyone fits even barely into the damsel in distress stereotype it is Perry, Claire’s older brother. I like twists like that.

Gone by Michael Grant

In the blink of an eye. Everyone disappears. GONE.

Except for the young. Teens. Middle schoolers. Toddlers. But not one single adult. No teachers, no cops, no doctors, no parents. Just as suddenly, there are no phones, no internet, no television. No way to get help. And no way to figure out what's happened.

Hunger threatens. Bullies rule. A sinister creature lurks. Animals are mutating. And the teens themselves are changing, developing new talents—unimaginable, dangerous, deadly powers—that grow stronger by the day.

It's a terrifying new world. Sides are being chosen, a fight is shaping up. Townies against rich kids. Bullies against the weak. Powerful against powerless. And time is running out: On your birthday, you disappear just like everyone else...

This was another very difficult book for me. I’m not really good with books that seem to have a bleak ending where things can only get worse. This book totally starts out like that. There are children killing children with bats and guns, babies starving and dying, and a lack of resources and the knowledgeable people required to make more that doesn’t look good for the kids stuck in the FAYZ. I felt somewhat for Sam, and more for Astrid, but I don’t think I could let myself feel totally connected to them because I was afraid for them. The addition of a school full of psychotic teenagers was overkill in my opinion. I think enough of the trapped children would do horrible things after they lose authority and the people who love them that the Coates kids appeared as a contrivance to have an easy villain that Orc couldn’t be. I did like the initial results of the *poof*. The addition of a nuclear reactor was strange, it didn’t play much into the plot other than as a location just like any other. On one hand I like that (because the science behind the reactor not going nuclear as soon as there are no people to watch it is sound, at least for the short time), but I’m not sure I’m going to like having it around in the future as it decays and causes problems. The creation of the FAYZ is explained late in the book, and I’m not sure I am convinced with how it happened or what happens when people *poof*, and the explanation of how to avoid *poof* is very confusing to me, as is the closet light and the darkness force. I guess some of these things had to be left for the future books, but I’m not sure I believe that the society will go on far enough tobe worth 3 more books. I guess I will have to try the next one to find out, but I do it with trepidation.

Carrier of the Mark by Leigh Fallon

Their love was meant to be.

When Megan Rosenberg moves to Ireland, everything in her life seems to fall into place. After growing up in America, she's surprised to find herself feeling at home in her new school. She connects with a group of friends, and she is instantly drawn to darkly handsome Adam DeRÍs.

But Megan is about to discover that her feelings for Adam are tied to a fate that was sealed long ago—and that the passion and power that brought them together could be their ultimate destruction.

This book was so popular on Inkpop that Harper Collins published it. I think this is both a blessing and a curse. It’s going to sound like I hated this book, and I really didn’t. I thought there was a lot of potential and some great ideas. However, I do think that Harper Collins was a little afraid to mess with such a popular item that a large public had already seen, and I think it was a problem because the potential in this book was undeveloped. I feel like it needs one more time with a good editor to clean up some hanging threads, solidify character development, and tighten the direction of the plot. It still has a wonderful, indefinable spark that totally screams out *This is why I am popular!* but all writing can benefit from an edit by someone not engrossed by developing the work. That said, I loved Megan and her development. I totally felt what it was like to be a new girl in a new town trying to fit in when everyone there knew everything about everyone else. I liked her dad and how involved he was in her life. I felt that Adam could have used a little more work but he wasn’t entirely flat. His relationship with Megan was abrupt, I would have liked to see a few more scenes where they got to know each other instead of leaving their relationship totally up to destiny and the folly of teenage love at first sight. However it does make the plot with the druids more believable, I would try to break up that relationship too if I were an authority figure because it seems to be built on clouds and kitten laughs and nothing really solid and lasting. I do think, however, that this series is totally worth reading and I’ll be anxious to get the next book when it comes out.

The Red Glove by Holly Black

Curses and cons. Magic and the mob. In Cassel Sharpe's world, they go together. Cassel always thought he was an ordinary guy, until he realized his memories were being manipulated by his brothers. Now he knows the truth—he’s the most powerful curse worker around. A touch of his hand can transform anything—or anyone—into something else.

That was how Lila, the girl he loved, became a white cat. Cassel was tricked into thinking he killed her, when actually he tried to save her. Now that she's human again, he should be overjoyed. Trouble is, Lila's been cursed to love him, a little gift from his emotion worker mom. And if Lila's love is as phony as Cassel's made-up memories, then he can't believe anything she says or does.

When Cassel's oldest brother is murdered, the Feds recruit Cassel to help make sense of the only clue—crime-scene images of a woman in red gloves. But the mob is after Cassel too—they know how valuable he could be to them. Cassel is going to have to stay one step ahead of both sides just to survive. But where can he turn when he can't trust anyone—least of all, himself?

Love is a curse and the con is the only answer in a game too dangerous to lose.

Review of Previous Book in Series: White Cat


Another great sequel from Holly Black! Continuing from the first book, Red Glove has excellent characterization. I love how Cassel really grows into his self-confidence as a caster while figuring out the plots and twists of the people around him. The twist of Lila's love and Cassel's rejection of the fake as a poor substitute for the real is a great and realistic action for all the parties involved, and it injects the cliche'd sub-plot of "girl likes boy but boy rejects girl" with a fresh point of view, especially with all its unexpected developments. I loved watching the struggle of Cassel trying to figure out morality in a criminal family. And the plot resolution is unexpected yet well tied together. I can't wait for the next book in the series!

Luminous by Dawn Metcalf

As reality slips and time stands still, Consuela finds herself thrust into the world of the Flow. Removed from all she loves into this shifting world overlapping our own, Consuela quickly discovers she has the power to step out of her earthly skin and cloak herself in new ones-skins made from the world around her, crafted from water, fire, air. She is joined by other teens with extraordinary abilities, bound together to safeguard a world they can affect, but where they no longer belong.

When murder threatens to undo the Flow, the Watcher charges Consuela and elusive, attractive V to stop the killer. But the psychopath who threatens her new world may also hold the only key to Consuela's way home.

Although this book turned out good it got off to a rocky start. The author rather dumps you from the "real" world into the Flow, and I felt very disjointed and confused over what was happening and where we were. I think it was done to emphasize the disorientation and confusion of Consuela, but it isn't done in a way that made me identify with the character. Instead I wanted to put the book down. It was just too fast, plopping us into the fantasy world without explanation or reason, and the contrivance is only emphasized by Consuela’s placid acceptance rather than questioning of the issue.

I endured, though, and as the author got around to explaining what happened and why I started to enjoy the world and the characters, although I never really felt as if I understood it or them. In order to maintain the mystery of the plot the characters all have hidden agendas and ulterior motives, and you're always questioning why they're doing what they're doing, but you're also questioning why you care. There are a lot of characters that seem to be put in place so that they can die to amplify the plot, but because you didn't ever identify with them it doesn't work as well as it could.

However, even with these major flaws there is something about the book that is absorbing and makes you want to keep reading despite all the incertainty and confusion. Perhaps it is the artful dealing with the subject matter: what happens when we die, and what about people who seem to be *dead* but are still functionally alive? What do they experience? What do they feel? Add in an overlay of murder mystery and a dash of romantic subplot and the question is very deep as well as entertaining. This gift extends even beyond the ending, turning an ending that is simply ambiguous into a cliffhanger mystery that keeps you thinking about the book even after you're done with it. Although this book wasn't altogether my cup of tea I can see many people who would be able to look past its flaws and fall completely in love with the great existential mystery that is presented in this book.


I received this book free from Librarything as an ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.

Bonus Review: White Cat by Holly Black

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 facade of normalcy, blending into the crowd. But his facade 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.

I love the premise of this book. What happens if magic users are more well known for their bad deeds than their good? Black builds around that a world where magic use is restricted and most magic practitioners hide that fact for fear of persecution and possible arrest. Since magic "curses" can only be conducted by touch, everyone wears gloves and is extremely cautious of any contact outside their family. It is in this world that Cassel is born, the youngest son in a family of magic workers and the only one who can't do magic. Rather rebellious, Cassel is in a private disciplinary school, but he gets kicked out when he is found on the roof after having a dream about a white cat. Cassel has to figure out what the dream means while trying to get back in school, and, in the process, manages to get himself into a lot more trouble. The characterization of everyone in the book is spot-on, and yet somehow Black manages to make all the selfish, criminalistic boys in the book relatable, which is something that is very hard to do. The plot is also great, surprising without being too out-in-left-field. The real spark, though, is the worldbuilding. Black has the gift of being able to make an entirely new magical world for us to enjoy with a minimum of exposition and no long teachy paragraphs on how things are and how they got that way. It makes me very glad that there's another book, Red Glove, due out in a few months!