Review: The Caged Graves

The Caged Graves by Dianne K. Salerni

Publication date: May 14, 2013

Publisher: Clarion Books
*copy provided by publisher for review

17-year-old Verity Boone expects a warm homecoming when she returns to Catawissa, Pennsylvania, in 1867, pledged to marry a man she has never met. Instead, she finds a father she barely knows and a future husband with whom she apparently has nothing in common. One truly horrifying surprise awaits her: the graves of her mother and aunt are enclosed in iron cages outside the local cemetery. Nobody in town will explain why, but Verity hears rumors of buried treasure and witchcraft. Perhaps the cages were built to keep grave robbers out . . . or to keep the women in. Determined to understand, Verity finds herself in a life-and-death struggle with people she trusted.

THE CAGED GRAVES is a historical mystery based around two real caged graves the author, Dianne Salerni, came across in Catawissa, Pennsylvania. After some research and still not knowing how these caged graves came to be, the author created her own story around them and formed something great.

Verity is a kind and charming character, as well as, a strong heroine: she stands up for what she believes even when others are against her. She won't let anybody deter her from finding out why these two graves that she has personal connections to are covered in cages and sitting outside the church cemetery on unholy ground. And I mean anybody. Father?* Whatever. The man who will be her husband?* Screw him. The attractive doctor's apprentice? Wait. There's an attractive doctor's apprentice? Yes. His name is Hadley Jones. He creates the third corner of a nice little love triangle that actually works with the story and has a purpose. That purpose being related to Verity's character development. Yes, there is also character development, and not just in Verity, but the other characters. This book spoils me. Now I'm going to expect it in everything I read.

The setting of the story is nice and well developed and the prose isn't flowery or over descriptive like one can find in historical novels, but rather simple with an elegant tone. I love the author's writing style. It really fits the feel of the book. As for the mystery, it had me guessing right along with Verity. Maybe I could have caught on sooner, but I was so engrossed in the story that I didn't ever stop to try and figure it out myself. Usually, I have the clues figured out before the character, but in this case, I was having so much fun reading I forgot to try to solve it.

The Caged Graves is a novel with a strong female protagonist and an interesting, well-mixed cast of supporting characters. If you're looking for your next historical novel or a light mystery then check this one out. I also recommend this to fans of A NORTHERN LIGHT.

*These two characters are very supportive of Verity, actually. But if they weren't, she still would have walked right over them. 

Review: Paper Valentine

Paper Valentine by Brenna Yovanoff
Publication date: January 8, 2013
Publisher: Razorbill

The city of Ludlow is gripped by the hottest July on record. The asphalt is melting, the birds are dying, petty crime is on the rise, and someone in Hannah Wagnor’s peaceful suburban community is killing girls.

For Hannah, the summer is a complicated one. Her best friend Lillian died six months ago, and Hannah just wants her life to go back to normal. But how can things be normal when Lillian’s ghost is haunting her bedroom, pushing her to investigate the mysterious string of murders? Hannah’s just trying to understand why her friend self-destructed, and where she fits now that Lillian isn’t there to save her a place among the social elite. And she must stop thinking about Finny Boone, the big, enigmatic delinquent whose main hobbies seem to include petty larceny and surprising acts of kindness.

With the entire city in a panic, Hannah soon finds herself drawn into a world of ghost girls and horrifying secrets. She realizes that only by confronting the Valentine Killer will she be able move on with her life—and it’s up to her to put together the pieces before he strikes again.

I had a little romance with Yovanoff's second novel THE SPACE BETWEEN and was so excited about reading PAPER VALENTINE. Now, I didn't connect with it the way I connected with Space Between, but I still enjoyed this uber creepy read.

I've decided that Yovanoff must be one of those rare authors that is still able to find ideas that no one has thought of before. Or else, she's just really good at masking overdone plots and making them her own. PAPER VALENTINE is a serial killer mystery that could have bordered on the cliche, but Yovanoff makes what I'm going to now coin a "Yovanoff."

A Yovanoff: when an author adds new elements to an old plot

She writes characters with heart and flaws, and the characters in this story are no exception. Hannah has a nice arc and her relationships with the other characters are complex and natural. I also liked that the romance took a background role and wasn't at the forefront, as it's not what the book is about. It was also super sweet!

Now on to the mystery, it isn't the most unpredictable mystery EVAR, but there are some nice twists in there to throw the reader off. You think you've got it all figured out and then something new is added to the mix. The whole thing had me on the edge of my seat from the beginning all the way through.

Once again, Brenna Yovanoff has yet to disappoint me! Though I do still need to read THE REPLACEMENT...

Review: Code Name Verity

Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein
Publication date: February 6, 2012
Publisher: Egmont

I have two weeks. You’ll shoot me at the end no matter what I do.

That’s what you do to enemy agents. It’s what we do to enemy agents. But I look at all the dark and twisted roads ahead and cooperation is the easy way out. Possibly the only way out for a girl caught red-handed doing dirty work like mine — and I will do anything, anything, to avoid SS-Hauptsturmführer von Linden interrogating me again. He has said that I can have as much paper as I need. All I have to do is cough up everything I can remember about the British War Effort. And I’m going to. But the story of how I came to be here starts with my friend Maddie. She is the pilot who flew me into France — an Allied Invasion of Two.

We are a sensational team.

Immediately after finishing CODE NAME VERITY it was added to my list of favorite books (and that list is not long). This novel is stunning. The writing is stunning, the characters are stunning, and the story is touching and raw (I didn't say stunning! Tricked you!). CODE NAME VERITY grabbed me from the beginning and had me until the end. I'm usually not one for historical fiction unless it's a period of history that interests me. Even then, I may not read it sometimes, but I'm glad I didn't let this one pass by.

Elizabeth Wein writes this story with so much detail and gorgeous prose. It's clear that a lot of research was done for the novel, so kudos for making everything feel as real as possible. I'm usually not one for World War Two history, but Wein made me want to pick up non-fiction books about how females were used during the war. I knew to some extent and the basics, but had no idea that girls were used as spys. Ignorant much, Angie? Maybe...Okay, yes...

Seriously, there are so many twists and turns (so good) to keep the reader invested, but in the end, this book is about an amazing friendship and the solid connection two girls from two different backgrounds make as they try to survive through the war.

Review: Draw the Dark

Draw the Dark by Ilsa J. Bick
Publication date: October 1, 2010
Publisher: Carolrhoda Books

There are things in Winter, Wisconsin, folks just don't talk about. The murder way back in '45 is one. The near-suicide of a first-grade teacher is another. And then there is 17-year old Christian Cage. Christian's parents disappeared when he was a little boy, and ever since he's drawn and painted obsessively, trying desperately to remember his mother. The problem is Christian doesn't just draw his own memories. He can draw the thoughts of those around him. Confronted with fears and nightmares they'd rather avoid, people have a bad habit of dying. So it's no surprise that Christian isn't exactly popular. What no one expects is for Christian to meet Winter's last surviving Jew and uncover one more thing best forgotten the day the Nazi's came to town. Based on a little-known fact of the United States' involvement in World War II, Draw the Dark is a dark fantasy about reclaiming the forgotten past and the redeeming power of love.

I love the ASHES trilogy, so I was expecting to love DRAW THE DARK, but I ended up being a little disappointed (Not too much, though.).

This is a “Bick” book, so don't expect rainbows and pony rides. Like ASHES, DRAW THE DARK takes place in a pretty dark environment: a murder mystery, deaths, blood, Nazis, intense bullying that borderlines on evil. Okay, it's not borderline. It's evil. Christian has the power to draw people's nightmares for crying out loud. I, for one, always enjoy a setting of a small town where everyone knows everyone's business and townspeople keep secrets secretive. Christian, the outcast of the town, due to a suicide he was blamed for as a child (and some other accidents), finds himself in the middle of an old murder case. It has apparently been solved and no one wants to talk about it. Through Christian's “special skill” he discovers clues piece by piece that tell him the murder is anything but a closed case. Now here is the only big issue I had with the book: when an information “bomb” would be dropped, I already knew what the information was before the characters discovered it. I'm not saying these discoveries were predictable in the sense of “Pssh, I figured that out pages ago.” The problem was that I was surprised, most of the time, that the big reveal was an actual big reveal. It was more like, when there was a reveal, I thought to myself, “Oh. I thought we already knew that.” It left me scratching my head because I knew those moments were supposed to make me gasp or raise my eyebrows in surprise, but I assumed the reader would already know this info from signs or previous conversations between characters. I wish I could give examples, but I like to keep my reviews spoiler free and that's the best way to enjoy this book. I just hope what I explained makes sense...

Other than that, I enjoyed the story and the characters. Christian is a good example of how to write teen angst and not over do it. He is also a very complex principal which adds something extra to the story. The secondary characters weren't so bad themselves; I found each of them just as interesting. Along with the main mystery, I liked the added mystery involving the sideways place and sometimes found myself wanting to learn more about it at the times when, well, we weren't.

It's a quick read with plenty of surprising moments (yes, I could be surprised!). If you're looking for a good, dark and grisly mystery, check this one out!

Review: Cross My Heart

Cross My Heart by Sasha Gould
Publication date: March 13, 2012
Publisher: Delacorte Press

When 16-year-old Laura della Scala learns that her older sister, Beatrice, has drowned, she is given no time to grieve. Instead, Laura's father removes her from the convent where he forcibly sent her years earlier and orders her to marry Beatrice's fiancé, a repulsive old merchant named Vincenzo. Panicked, Laura betrays a powerful man to earn her way into the Segreta, a shadowy society of women who deal in only one currency—secrets. The Segreta seems like the answer to Laura's prayers. The day after she joins their ranks, Vincenzo is publicly humiliated and conveniently exiled. Soon, however, Laura begins to suspect that her sister's death was not a tragic accident but a cold-blooded murder—one that might involve the Segreta and the women she has come to trust.

I love history, so it should be assumed that I enjoy a good historical fiction novel. When I received Cross My Heart, I was so excited. It takes place during the Italian Renaissance and it revolves around a mystery! My mind went right to The Ruby in the Smoke which is one of my favorite historical mysteries. I didn't enjoy this one as much as The Ruby in the Smoke, but Cross My Heart definitely has its positives.

It should be said that Sasha Gould's writing is gorgeous. From the first sentence, I was immediately drawn into the world of Laura, a convent raised girl who is immediately thrust into Venice society by her money and status hungry father. I found it interesting to read about a naive young girl discovering her place in a, previously unknown, society while at the same time trying to solve the mysterious death of her sister. It's this that leads her to the Segreta, a group of women who collect secrets. I found the idea of the Segreta fascinating and wish we got to spend more time within their ranks, but without the mystery surrounding them, Cross My Heart wouldn't be much of a mystery. A few red-herrings were thrown in there and it wasn't until near the finish that I predicted the ending. Good on Sasha Gould!

As interesting as I found Laura's situation she sometimes came across as a little bland for me. It was the characters around her that kept me interested. I also wasn't convinced about the romance that grows between Laura and the painter. If I remember correctly, they only interact in the book three times before they confess their love. Cross My Heart isn't about the romance, but if placed in the book, I still expect to feel it and have it make sense to me. It's just another part of the novel (like the ending) that felt rushed.

All in all, I liked the story and the idea of it, but I feel like the execution could have been a bit more drawn out and detailed.

Review: Unraveling Isobel

Unraveling Isobel by Eileen Cook
Publication date: January 3, 2012
Publisher: Simon Pulse

Isobel’s life is falling apart. Her mom just married some guy she met on the internet only three months before, and is moving them to his sprawling, gothic mansion off the coast of nowhere. Goodbye, best friend. Goodbye, social life. Hello, icky new stepfather, crunchy granola town, and unbelievably good-looking, officially off-limits stepbrother. But on her first night in her new home, Isobel starts to fear that it isn’t only her life that’s unraveling—her sanity might be giving way too. Because either Isobel is losing her mind, just like her artist father did before her, or she’s seeing ghosts. Either way, Isobel’s fast on her way to being the talk of the town for all the wrong reasons.

First, I don't think that the cover matches the feel of the book. The cover, to me, says "Hi! I'm a happy and quirky book!" No, Unraveling Isobel, you are not a happy, quirky book. You are a psychological thriller (of sorts) meets contemporary meets mystery meets horror with a slightly depressing story line. I mean, Isobel, the main character is pretty darn snarky and pretty darn hilarious, but I don't think this should encompass the whole book. Anyway...

From the first page, I was immediately drawn into Isobel's world. I felt her pain when she experienced a huge life change: her mom marries a man she met online and has only known for three months. Isobel is forced to leave behind her old school and friends and move to a small island with an even smaller population. Plus, she has to deal with her new creepy step-father "Dick" and a step-brother who apparently doesn't want Isobel there either. I didn't have a problem with the romance of Nate and Isobel even though they are step-siblings. This is probably because they didn't grow up together, so it's not like their love is too taboo. If they had grown up together and then started to fall in love that is when I would have probably thrown up in my mouth a bit, but since they didn't, I found them to be adorable together. Unraveling Isobel can bring the  creepy and there were a couple of times I got goosebumps while reading certain scenes. I also enjoyed the book's view on mental illness. Mental illness isn't something discussed much in YA fiction (though a lot of this year's book releases look to change that, I've noticed) and I think the book sheds some light on a topic not normally dealt with in teen literature.

Now onto what I didn't like. There's a point in the book where Isobel's mom and Dick believe that they need to send Isobel away for treatment of schizophrenia. 1) She has yet to be diagnosed with it and 2) I don't think Isobel ever does anything bad enough to warrant this. It actually takes a lot to be put into 24 hour psychiatric care. This decision (and a supposed doctor's agreement with never having met her) seems too easy for me. The pacing is a bit here and there and I feel like there is a lot of build up to a so-so ending. Actually, it ended exactly how I thought it was going to, BUT there's a nice little bow that wraps it all up if you've been reading too many books with open/cliffhanger endings, like me.

All in all, it was an okay read for me. It's not a story that will stay with me, but I enjoyed it while I was reading it. Ultimately, I think Unraveling Isobel is more of a paperback buy.

Review: The Shattering

The Shattering by Karen Healey is a murder mystery with magic. Awesome.

Keri's brother commits suicide and her old friend Janna tells her he didn't kill himself, but was murdered. Keri joins forces with Janna and Sione (whose older brothers were also victims to apparent suicides) and together they try to find answers. As they continue to search, these three teens soon find themselves mixed up in a dark plot that could make them the next victims.

I had the book figured out before reaching the halfway mark and I was tempted to put it down for being predictable, but the characters kept me going. I'm glad I kept on. There came a twist that I wasn't expecting and a revelation that left me, at first, like "oh" and then I realized what it meant and was like "ooooh." And then I felt an emotion of the sad kind. I'm pretty sure my heart broke at the same time as the unnamed character's (unnamed so as not to give spoilers). Otherwise, until that moment, I found the story to have lost its pace. The beginning was awesome, the middle was so-so, and the end was great.

Though I had issues with the story, Healey writes fantastic three-dimensional characters who have faults and redeeming qualities. They're real people; I didn't like them sometimes and I loved them most of the time. I really had fun getting to know Keri, Janna, and Sione.

I don't know how else to describe The Shattering except as "smart." I, myself, don't even know what that means, so translate it as you will. It's not a book for everyone, but maybe for someone who is looking to read something different and doesn't need an action-packed story. I didn't hate the book, but I didn't love it either, so I would ultimately recommend it as a paperback read.