[COVER ART] Wherever You Go & After Obsession

Heather Davis: Wherever You Go Buy (US) Buy (UK) Buy (CA) Buy (Worldwide)
Carrie Jones & S. E. Wedel: After Obsession Buy (US) Buy (UK) Buy (Worldwide)

March 2011 Releases

Done with February 2011 Releases. Here are March’s. To see future titles and dates, check out Reading Wishlist.

[REVIEW] American Vampire – Jennifer Armintrout

Jennifer Armintrout
American Vampire [also published as A Vampire's Penance]
Harlequin Mira (US: 22nd February 2011; UK: 18th March 2011; AU: March 2011)
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American Vampire had me at “snatch magnet” on the first page. Jennifer Armintrout streams clever turns of phrase and dry humour with characters flawed enough to be real. Sophia and Marjorie steal their scenes, and Becky’s over-the-top trashiness is a delight.

From the cornfields to the high school, Penance is one freaky town, populated with spooky Baptists…and a monster. This romantic creature feature novel has suspense in spades, and though it’s best suited to Halloween, buy it now and read at night. A rollicking good time!

[REVIEW] The Iron Witch – Karen Mahoney

Karen Mahoney
The Iron Witch (The Iron Witch, Book 1)
Random House (UK: 20th January 2011; AU: 1st February 2011); Flux (US: 8th February 2011)
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The fey don’t interest me, but the book’s title did – not the “witch” part, but the “iron” part. I hoped Donna Underwood would be a form of cyborg. Iron and silver keep her hands and arms together after they were heavily destroyed as a youngster, so the metal is less tattoo and more body repairer. Alchemy is far and beyond the most fascinating thing at work here, and I would’ve loved to read about Donna’s arm surgery. I even would’ve enjoyed her alchemy lessons at the Frost Estate. In short, the best stuff is only referred to here – we don’t actually see it happen.

Maybe I’ve read first-person points of view for far too long, so the third-person used here doesn’t appeal as it’s only through Donna’s eyes. Third-person works best when multiple characters have their separate scenes; if it’s just one perspective, first-person is ideal. If there’s anything I’ve learned from my decades of reading, it’s this. So it could be due to third-person that Donna felt somewhat distant.

Xan Grayson is the same mysterious love interest who’s plentiful in YA fiction, only Xan’s less annoying. Donna fancies him, of course, but someone else fancies her – best friend Navin Sharma, whom I much prefer over Xan. And mean girl Melanie Swan is the same mean girl who seems an unfortunate staple of YA fiction.

Less fey, more alchemy, and I would’ve been delighted; as it is, it’s underwhelming. Could signal the rise of alchemy and weird science in fiction, and I certainly welcome it.

[REVIEW] In the Arms of Stone Angels – Jordan Dane

Jordan Dane
In the Arms of Stone Angels
Harlequin Teen (US: 22nd March 2011)
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I almost gave up on this during the first chapter, and then again circa page eighty. I continued reading, if only to find out what happened, and I’m glad I did. But my word, these characters really angered me.

When we first meet Brenna Nash, she’s as emo as emo gets, wearing her misery like it’s something to be proud of. She reiterates that she doesn’t care what others think, but that she mentions it so often is like she’s protesting too much.

Then there are the stereotypical mean teens, who are clearly bad with no shades of grey. They assault Brenna. They vandalise her home. They lie to the police to protect themselves. And the motive for Heather Madsen’s murder? Flimsy at best, yet it’s usually the motive for other murderous teens in fiction. Then again, is there ever really a good enough motive for murder? Somehow I don’t think that last thought was the purpose of this story.

The real drawcards are the Native American elements, specifically involving the Euchee tribe. The line between spiritual and magical is blurred, which is fascinating, but doesn’t explain Brenna’s ability to connect with catatonic White Bird. And the identity of her father isn’t revealed, which leaves me to believe there’ll be a sequel. And if not, these dangling threads are rather annoying.

Still, I’m not sure I want to read another book set in Shawano, Oklahoma. The undercurrent of racism is uncomfortable, and the rampant drug and alcohol abuse, as well as assaults… These characters are difficult to like, to even tolerate. Joe and White Bird are rather perfect, though – where are their flaws? The sheriff is initially frustrating, but later develops into someone better. And Brenna…well, at least she’s not so emo anymore.

Stick with the novel, or at least skim-read until something captures your fancy. Brenna becomes more tolerable, but that first chapter and the points of view from the mean teens really bring this book down.

[REVIEW] The Vespertine – Saundra Mitchell

Saundra Mitchell
The Vespertine
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (US: 7th March 2011)
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In the vespers, Amelia van den Broek can see flashes of the future. It’s a fabulous party trick in historical Baltimore, but only when it’s good news. When it’s bad news, Amelia doesn’t know if she should reveal what she sees. Some have specified they don’t want to know. But she’s damned if she does, and damned if she doesn’t.

Normally I’m not one for historicals unless they involve laudanum or asylums. The Vespertine has neither, but has all the hallmarks of a cracking good read: a friendly group of characters, witticism, danger and scandal. Add in the luxe time period featuring Fourteenths, dance cards and callers, and it forms a quality story that’ll leave readers wanting to know more – especially how long we have to wait until The Springsweet! Saundra Mitchell is an elegant writer who weaves great suspense.

2 Events, 1 News & 11 New Deals

On Thursday 24th February, Keri Arthur will be the star of Library Lovers’ Lunch at Belgrave Library in VIC. Starts at 12:30PM and costs $10, which includes lunch. You can book your place by phone on 9754 7266, or online. Hope to see you there!

Rachel Caine will come to Australia for the worldwide release of Bite Club (Morganville Vampires, Book 10) in May 2011. Stay tuned for more details.

Sara Creasy‘s sci-fi romance Song of Scarabaeus has been nominated for the 2010 Philip K. Dick Award. The sequel, Children of Scarabaeus, will be published 29th March 2011.

Rachel Cohn‘s 4-book sci-fi/fantasy series to Disney-Hyperion (World English). The first book, Beta, will be published in 2012, the rest following in 1-year intervals. Set in the bioengineered tropical paradise of Annex, which is staffed by soul-less clones. In Beta, 2 teenage girls – 1 human & the other her clone – are both stranded in the Annex & fall in love with the same guy.

Film rights for Jack El-Hai‘s The Lobotomist sold to Realm Pictures producer Brad Fischer, working with Leonardo DiCaprio’s production shingle, Appian Way. A biography of Walkter J. Freeman, the brilliant doctor who found infamy instead of medical glory after he introduced the lobotomy as a treatment for mental illness.

Kat Falls’s dystopian YA romance trilogy, The Fetch, to Scholastic Press (world rights, exc. UK/Aus/NZ). 1st book scheduled for 2012. Set in a near future in which American has been literally separated – a wall has been erected – into East & West after a disease ravages the eastern half of the country. When a 16-year-old girls is forced to travel east into the “savage zone” on a dangerous mission, she winds up meeting a mysterious boy.

Kathy Hepinstall‘s The Blue Asylum to Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (NA). Madness, slavery & war are the backdrop to a love story set during the Civil War, at an insane asylum on remote Sanibel Island, as a plantation wife who has been committed by her husband falls in love with a fellow inmate & plots their escape.

Nancy Holzner‘s next 2 Deadtown novels will be released in 2011 & 2012 respectively.

UK rights for Tara Hudson‘s debut YA ghost romance Hereafter sold to HarperCollins Children’s for publication in July 2011.

Jay Kristoff‘s Stormdancer in a 3-book World English deal to Thomas Dunne Books, in association with Tor UK. A dystopian fantasy set in steampunk feudal Japan.

Screen rights for Marie Lu‘s futuristic Legend to CBS Films/Temple Hill. Takes place in a North America split into 2 warring nations, following a young Robin Hood & a teen prodigy hired to hunt him down who uncover an impossible truth about their totalitarian leaders. Lu has planned the series as a trilogy & will be involved in the scripting phase as an exec producer.

Gena Showalter has sold Alice in Zombieland, the 1st in a series. A teenage girl loses her family in a crash, only to wake up to a world of zombies & zombie-slaying, as well as a bad boy who could save or destroy her.

Cecily von Ziegesar’s Gossip Girl, Psycho Killer to Little, Brown Books for Young Readers (NA), scheduled for October 2011. Will riff on the original title that launched the popular YA line about a group of wealthy Upper East Side teenagers who attend a posh Manhattan private school. The book, which will be a mashup in the style of Pride, Prejudice & Zombies, is a serial killer version of the original Gossip Girl novel…or “Gossip Girl: Slasher Edition”. Blair Waldorf & Serena van der Woodsen become the “most fabulous, trendsetting serial killers” around.

Jill Williamson‘s YA novel Jason Farms to Zonderkids for publication in June 2012. A girl discovers an underground lab of clones – all of whom look suspiciously like a boy from school.

[REVIEW] Rage – Jackie Morse Kessler

Jackie Morse Kessler
Rage (Horsemen of the Apocalypse, Book 2)
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Graphia (US: 4th April 2011)
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The novel’s first sentence suggests the protag may have killed her cat, which makes Melissa Miller immediately difficult to love. Plus she’s a self-injurer who could fit neatly into a certain subculture that seems to celebrate misery instead of fighting it. But enough of my prejudices…

Missy has redeeming features, mainly in that she’s the school soccer team’s keeper. Her experience protecting the net and woodwork assists her when she undertakes her biggest challenge – being War, the Red Rider of the Apocalypse. Only the apocalypse hasn’t come yet. But what does it means to be War? What must Missy do to save others, and to save herself?

The rage is evident. The reasons for it may seem clear, but one question remains unanswered: why did Missy start cutting? It seems her real problems began with Adam and escalated from there, but she was cutting even before she originally hooked up with him, before Adam was the first to discover her scars. Did Missy start self-injuring before or after Graygirl’s demise?

I don’t know. But Rage does exactly what it should: provokes reactions in readers. A lot of fiction leaves me feeling “meh”, not connecting with the characters, but this series is different. Rage is a striking story that cuts to the bone and digs deeper. Prepare to be angry and upset, and rush to hug your cat. And never forget to appreciate those awesome folk wearing the gloves on the pitch – they just might be the people who stave off the apocalypse.

Coming Undone – Lauren Dane

Lauren Dane
Coming Undone (Brown Siblings, Book 2)
Penguin Berkley Heat (US: 5th January 2010; CA: 12th January 2010)
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This series is prime comfort material. The homey vibe hugs readers, but it’s more the warmth of heated floors than a campfire outdoors. In short, Coming Undone is cosy, but lacks spark. To elaborate:

You’d love to have these characters in your life. With their unconditional love and support, insatiable seksual appetites, unwavering hotness, and stubborn sincerity, they’d be the best friends you’ll ever have. But what we want in real life is not necessarily what we want from fiction. People read for many different reasons: Some read to escape, others to learn, others to think. Some enjoy reading about lives less hectic than their own. I like to read about characters who have bigger issues than I do – and this is why Coming Undone doesn’t suit me.

The characters’ histories are more intriguing than their present. The truly bad stuff is behind them; they’ve survived, and even thrived. Now, there’s only the THREAT/IDEA that what and whom they love most will be taken away – it doesn’t actually HAPPEN. And this troubles me because there’s great potential here for conflict to form a real page-turner. But that’s all it is: potential. The way things could’ve gone, but didn’t, would’ve made a much stronger, gripping story. Coming Undone certainly has a whimsical charm about it, but it could’ve been more.

SPOILERS AHEAD

7 New Covers (Armintrout, Battis, Dane, Falls, Jay & Navarro)