[REVIEW] Hallowed Circle – Linda Robertson

Linda Robertson
Hallowed Circle (Persephone Alcmedi, Book 2)
Simon & Schuster Pocket Juno (US & CA: 29th December 2009; UK: 4th February 2010; AU: 11th February 2010)
Buy (US) Buy (UK) Buy (CA) Buy (Worldwide)

Persephone Alcmedi isn’t just a witch who writes a syndicated newspaper column, kennels wærewolves, lives with her grandmother, and is guardian to a kid. She is also the Lustrata, the Bringer of Justice and Light. Something like that, anyway. Whatever it is, it makes her a Speshul Snowflake. And despite that she’s a solitary witch, she’s gunning to become the next High Priestess of the local coven – or at least stop a certain someone else from gaining that position.

The competition – the Eximium – is by far the highlight here. It takes up only the middle third of the novel, but it’s bloody awesome. As for the rest of the book…it didn’t work for me. Or I didn’t work for it; just couldn’t summon up enthusiasm. My bad.

[COVER ART] John Ajvide Lindqvist’s HARBOUR, Amanda Marrone’s SLAYED, A. J. Menden’s SORCERESS INTERRUPTED & Kat Richardson’s LABYRINTH

John Ajvide Lindqvist: Harbour (UK) Buy (UK) Buy (Worldwide)
Amanda Marrone: Slayed Buy (US) Buy (UK) Buy (CA) Buy (Worldwide)
A. J. Menden: Sorceress, Interrupted Buy (CA)
Kat Richardson: Labyrinth (UK) Buy (US) Buy (UK) Buy (CA) Buy (Worldwide)

May 2010 Releases

Done with April 2010 Releases? Here are May 2010 Releases. To see further into the future, check Reading Wishlist.

Post-Vet Report – Tez Vlogs: Thursday 22nd April 2010

Last evening, a sore was discovered on Manny’s back. Today, he went to the vet, who found another sore. But it’s okay, y’all – they’re already healing. Not sure when they sprouted, but anyhoo. He’s inside and on antibiotics for four days, and has spent most of this first day napping on the couch. Don’t pretend you wouldn’t do the same

A brief vlog, in which Manny sprawls on the floor, flicks his tail, and looks out the window:

Marta Acosta’s THE SHADOW GIRL OF BIRCH GROVE

Marta Acosta
The Shadow Girl of Birch Grove
Scribd (2010)
Download (free & legal)

Not a review.

There’s a range of formats from which to choose, and I downloaded the .doc file before it changed covers, but I’m not sure which date… Things may have changed since then, but the novel really needs a copy-editor. There are mistakes in almost every chapter: “Wilson” instead of “Williams”, “Candace” instead of “Constance”, “Lucian/Lucien” (I can’t figure out the correct spelling; both were used often), “Hattie” speaking in a scene she isn’t in (should’ve said “Mary Violet”), “Hayer” instead of “Heyer”…and that doesn’t count all the missing quotation marks, missing words, etc.

Again, these errors may not be in the other formats, or in the .doc file if you downloaded it after I did.

The story itself is a Gothic YA that totally reminds me of V. C. Andrews novels, but more literary readers will mention the Brontë sisters and other writers of their ilk. Mind you, I used to enjoy VCA novels, but I quit when I became bored with them.

The Shadow Girl of Birch Grove features the standard Gothic tropes: orphan (Jane Williams) sent to live at a boarding school (Birch Grove) where there are some bitches (Catalina, Sage), but also makes new friends (Hattie, Mary Violet, Constance. Also falls for a guy who turns out to be a douchebag ([spoiler redacted]), but ends up with someone who’s loved her from the start ([spoiler redacted]). There’s also an eccentric family (the Monroes) with a big secret ([spoiler redacted]), but also a happy ending.

And there are some Marta Acosta tropes: poor-off girl now living in a well-off world, comedy of manners, awesomely extravagant friend, some literature discussion…and a Casa Dracula character pops up briefly.

[REVIEW] Among the Hidden – Margaret Peterson Haddix

Margaret Peterson Haddix
Among the Hidden [also published as Amongst the Hidden] (Shadow Children, Book 1)
Simon & Schuster Aladdin (US & CA: 1st March 2000); Random House Red Fox Definitions (AU: 4th May 2001)
Buy (US) Buy (UK) Buy (CA) Buy (Worldwide)

Officially, Luke Garner doesn’t exist. Unofficially, he does, but families aren’t allowed any more than two children, so the third Garner son is confined mostly to the attic. However, one day he spots a face in the neighbour’s window, and Jen Talbot is planning a revolution. Well, at least a rally for Shadow Children to go public with their struggle and challenge the Population Law. Luke hates his lifestyle, yet is resigned to it, but perhaps the charismatic Jen can bring him out of his shell.

Written for middle-grade readers, this is also thought-provoking for adults. The story’s quite bland until Jen enters the picture, but then it’s all systems go. There are several more books that follow in this series, which may appeal to fans of Gemma Malley’s novels.

7 New Covers

Jennifer Armintrout: Ashes to Ashes (UK) Buy (US) Buy (UK) Buy (CA) Buy (Worldwide)
Ally Condie: Matched Buy (US) Buy (UK) Buy (CA) Buy (Worldwide)
Megan Hart: Exit Light
Caitlin Kittredge: Pure Blood (UK) Buy (US) Buy (UK) Buy (CA) Buy (Worldwide)
Yolanda Sfetsos: Unnatural
Maggie Stiefvater: Linger (UK) Buy (US) Buy (UK) Buy (CA) Buy (Worldwide)
S. L. Viehl: Dream Called Time Buy (US) Buy (UK) Buy (CA) Buy (Worldwide)

[REVIEW] Razor Girl – Marianne Mancusi

Marianne Mancusi
Razor Girl
Dorchester SHOMI (US: 26th August 2008)
Buy (US) Buy (UK) Buy (CA) Buy (Worldwide)

As a teenager, Molly Anderson entered an underground fallout shelter. Six years later her mother is dead, the doors have opened, and Molly starts trekking to Florida to meet up with her father. Her nano-enhancements are faulting, so time is of the essence, but Molly soon gains travel companions in the form of children…and her former boyfriend. But their relationship issues are nothing compared to the big picture: the Others are hungry.

I love Dorchester’s now-defunct SHOMI imprint. This book has my favourite cover art of all-time. And the premise is fabulous. William Gibson’s Neuromancer couldn’t hold my attention, but Razor Girl (an homage to the cyberpunk classic) should’ve had a much better chance. The narrative certainly grabbed me, as well as the world-building – this is fascinating stuff. But a romance novel can’t work if the characters piss off readers, and Molly and…the Griffin guy are bloody annoying.

Chase is not his real name. In high school, he was…Chris Griffin. Family Guy is one of my favourite programmes, so I can’t take any Chris Griffin seriously as a romantic hero. Sooner or later TV’s Chris Griffin will pop into your head, saying profound things like “we’ll be his period” and “now I don’t know math”. This Family Guy parody of One Tree Hill doesn’t feature Chris, but it rather sums up the teen relationships in this novel.

But Chris Griffin’s name isn’t the most irritating thing here. SPOILERS:

-Chris should be keeping an eye on his sister, but instead he’s focused on Molly. The little girl is killed.
-Chase is addicted to Vicodin and Oxycontin, and sneaks away to search for more. This leads him into unnecessary danger.
-Molly’s mother was a pill-popper, so the razor girl is effing steamed to learn that Chase endangered himself, and the group, in his selfish quest for drugs. But not long (less than a day) after the death match, they’re “lovemaking”.
-Chase later pushes Molly away for a reason he should’ve just been honest about. For feck’s sake…
-The “one year later” chapter is so twee.

Molly’s implants, the gladiator sport/entertainment, and the Hive’s history are riveting stuff, as is the all-too-brief glimpse of Disney World. I just feel let down because this novel has so many awesome ideas, but the characters totally spoil the read.

Video Phone (aka Tez Vlogs)

No, I’m not referring to the Beyoncé & Lady Gaga song. Watching a Stacey Jay vlog on YouTube the other day, I remembered that I have a video function on my phone, and perhaps I should try it out. So I did.

Unfortunately, I couldn’t open the format on Windows Movie Maker (or whatever the eff it’s called), so I went directly to YouTube to upload. Thus it is unedited. I didn’t even watch it back, so I don’t know if the audio worked with the video…

Put simply, kids: I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THE EFF I’M DOING, EVER.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=75s7aFjYpYg Recorded this afternoon. Not-so-subliminal advertising for the three books in my mind: a novel I’m reading, a craft book I’m working with, and a craft book I received today which I plan to work with soon.

[REVIEW] The Well – A. J. Whitten

A. J. Whitten
The Well
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Graphia (US: 21st September 2009)
Buy (US) Buy (UK) Buy (CA) Buy (Worldwide)

Cooper Warner’s mother throws him down the well on their property. This isn’t the first time she’s tried to kill him, yet at other times she’s just fine. Cooper realises that the incidents began after his mum hooked up with the man who became his stepdad. And the teen’s also convinced that a monster in the well wants to kill him. And this is the StepScrooge’s property, after all…

If you ignore the flaws, this is quite the page-turner. But there are flaws aplenty:

-Characters are rather flat and one-dimensional. They have their prescribed roles, but never endear.
-A certain character is an OB/GYN as well as running a vineyard/winery. Aren’t those both full-time jobs? (Also, I’m pretty sure a psychoanalyst would spot a link between blood and wine. But in the book, both jobs are just convenient for the plot.)
-Enough with the pop culture references and analogies! Not only do they distract from the story, but they also rather date the novel.
-If I wanted to read Hamlet, I’d read Hamlet. If your story is inspired/influenced by the play, that’s fine. But if your characters study it…

An entertaining enough way to spend the afternoon, but the more one thinks about this novel, the less adequate it seems.