The Unseen: It Begins November 17, 2007

Cusick, Richie Tankersley (2005). It Begins, the Unseen series. NY : Speak. 296 pages.

After finding a dying girl in a graveyard, Lucy has been plagued by psychic powers she doesn’t understand. Then there’s the problem of finding out whoever murdered the girl – or who kissed Lucy behind the fair tents?

As it turns out, this author wrote what I think must be the first Buffy novel waaaaay back in 1992, before the TV series. However, for someone who has been writing trashy horror novels for over 15 years, Cusick hasn’t really added much to her writing arsenal. Not that this book doesn’t please – it’s thrilling, suspenseful, and sexy. On the other hand, Lucy is an irritating wet blanket who spends the entire book practically regurgitating Evanescence lyrics and indulging in some truly emo whining about How Sad Her Life Is. Once I got started, I couldn’t put the book down, but once I finished? I really didn’t want anything more to do with Lucy.

Also, who goes out onto the terrace in their see-through pink nightie in the rain because they think that maybe they saw a murderer outside? WHO DOES THAT?!! People who deserve to get stalked for three more books, that’s who. Too bad I won’t be reading them…

Booktalk Hook: If books were food, this book would be a Mars bar, deliciously goopy interior, and absolutely no nutritional value. Yum.

If you like this book: Check out fanfiction.net, and read some Buffy or Yami no Matsuei fanfic.

Dragon’s Keep October 27, 2007

Carey, Janet Lee (2007). Dragon’s Keep. Orlando, FL: Harcourt. 302 pages.

Rosalind will be the 21st Queen of Wilde Island, prophesied by Merlin to restore honor to the Pendragon family and to end an unspecified war. But Rosalind’s mother is more concerned about the prophecy than her daughter is, and she’s definitely more worried about Rosalind’s ring finger – which just happens to be a dragon’s talon.

I had some problems with this book – while the conflict is certainly interesting, it refuses to map out on paper. By my count, there are four characters that could be counted as antagonists: Demetra (the creepy witch), Rosalind’s desperate mother, Faul (the irate and anti-human dragon) , and Magnus (the creepy wizard). And Rosalind, when she comes into conflict with these antagonists, loses every time. Or, rather, her triumph generally comes through her allies, characters connected with her and acting on her behalf. This makes, you can imagine, for a less than compelling heroine.

The tone of the book is light on the fun, and heavy on the angst. Rosalind is, according to the other characters, a charming girl, however she spends most of the narrative arguing, or sulking. And she’s gets progressively more depressed as the novel continues, and (of course) can’t eat and wastes away (and then is forced onto a dragon-style Atkins Diet) until she loses all of her “womanly curves” (oh no!) I like fantasy, but there’s a difference between “fantasy” and “completely divorced from real life” When I get depressed? I eat too much chocolate, and get more “womanly curves” than I can handle – and I bet the majority of readers are more like me than not. Basically, Rosalind fails at being a sympathetic or likable protagonist. Her relationship with her mother is compelling, deep, and interesting, but the novel really doesn’t finish exploring it, and rather neglects her relationships with the other characters as a consequence. Her relationship to the baby dragons she raises (the key relationship, plotwise, of the novel) is severely underdeveloped. No affection is shown on either side, though the author plots the novel as though it exists. Likewise her love for whatsisname.

On the other hand, the plot is very interesting, if a trifle predictable – there’s a wonderful combination of fairy tale, history, and mystery that made it hard for me to put the book down, despite my lack of affection for Rosalind.

Booktalk Hook: Of course most parents want their children to be perfect, whether or not their kids can take the pressure of their expectations. But Rosalind’s mother takes “pushy mom” to a whole new level.

If you liked this book: You might want to try Patricia C. Wrede’s fabulously fun Enchanted Forest Chronicles, starting with Dealing with Dragons, the story of another princess who learns the joys of working for a dragon employer.

Octavian Nothing September 25, 2007

Anderson, M.T. (2006). The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Vol 1: The Pox Party. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press. 351 pages.

Octavian Nothing grows up in luxury, educated and pampered, the son of an exiled princess. Only later does he learn that he is actually a slave, and the subject of an experiment to determine if those of African decent can mentally equal those of European decent. And that winning a war for freedom may not guarantee freedom for everyone.

This novel is definitely not a comfortable read. Whenever the beauty and fluidity of the author’s prosed had lulled me, some shocking – and vividly rendered – horrible event (torture, bodily functions, or death, usually) would occur. It’s just that kind of book.

That being said, the voice of the novel is excellent and realistically captures the tone of the rational philosophers of the American Revolution, and unlike some other historical fiction about this period, this book also digs really deeply into the complexity of the social and political beliefs of the time.

Booktalk Hook: What if your whole life was one big experiment? And what if it was rigged against you?

And if you like this book: Maybe you’d like Illusion by Paula Volsky. Both books are about a character who falls from a life of luxury into a time of war and strife, and both have a lot of gritty detail.

City of Bones September 25, 2007

Clare, Cassandra (2007). City of Bones, the Mortal Instruments series. NY: Margaret K. McElderry Books. 485 pages.

Clary Fray is your average teenager – if you don’t count her fabulously beautiful, mysterious, genius artist mom. Unfortunately her fabulously beautiful, mysterious, genius artist mom DOES count, and when she goes missing, Clary’s search for her ends up drawing her into a world of demons, angels, hot boys, and mortal peril.

Reading this book was sort of like eating cheesecake, I liked it for the first two bites and then everything after that was too much and gave me a stomach ache. I usually dig these supernatural romances, with all the angst and drama – but this book had about three love triangles too many. Well, there were only three total, but I’m not particularly fond of love triangles, so that was a major turn-off.

For those who are familiar with Cassandra Clare’s earlier net-published works, there are no surprises here. Draco Jace, shadowhunter and bad boy, is sexy and morally conflicted. Ron Xander Simon is a wonderfully witty and under-appreciated side character. And Clary – Clary is a Mary Sue. Cassandra Clare, while she can create interesting and compelling characters, has a very hard time here realistically depicting the details of her protagonist’s life, from her artistic talents (overly and obnoxiously romanticized) to her curly hair (never frizzy!) As a curly haired artist, there were points during the novel that I was actually offended by the level of, how shall I put it? Artistic license.

Booktalk Hook: If you’ve ever wanted Buffy the Vampire Slayer to have babies with His Dark Materials, you’re in luck: you can find the best of both fictional worlds in Cassandra Clare’s dark and sexy Mortal Instruments series.

And if you liked the book: You might want to try Winter Sonata, which has a lot of the same angsty, romantic flavor.

And remember kids, double check your family tree before you go after the hot new boy on the block.