Mini-Review: VICIOUS by V.E. Schwab

Title: Vicious
Author: V.E. Schwab (@veschwab)
Published: September 2013
Series: N/A
Genre: Adult Fantasy
POV: 3rd person, multiple
Pages: 364
Publisher: Tor
Format: Hardcover
Source: Borrowed from local library
Rating: The Royal Library, Top Shelf

A masterful, twisted tale of ambition, jealousy, betrayal, and superpowers, set in a near-future world.

Victor and Eli started out as college roommates—brilliant, arrogant, lonely boys who recognized the same sharpness and ambition in each other. In their senior year, a shared research interest in adrenaline, near-death experiences, and seemingly supernatural events reveals an intriguing possibility: that under the right conditions, someone could develop extraordinary abilities. But when their thesis moves from the academic to the experimental, things go horribly wrong. Ten years later, Victor breaks out of prison, determined to catch up to his old friend (now foe), aided by a young girl whose reserved nature obscures a stunning ability. Meanwhile, Eli is on a mission to eradicate every other super-powered person that he can find—aside from his sidekick, an enigmatic woman with an unbreakable will. Armed with terrible power on both sides, driven by the memory of betrayal and loss, the archnemeses have set a course for revenge—but who will be left alive at the end?

In Vicious, V. E. Schwab brings to life a gritty comic-book-style world in vivid prose: a world where gaining superpowers doesn’t automatically lead to heroism, and a time when allegiances are called into question.'

It's been a long time since I've read a novel that compelled me to keep turning the pages. You know - the type of book that makes you stay up late reading, wake up early to read some more, and sneak in a few pages when you should be doing anything else but reading. Even when you aren't reading, it's that story that lingers in the back of your mind when you should be thinking about something else. But, Vicious is simply one of those novels that demands your attention, and you'll be glad to give it. 

Highlights: Schwab writes the multiple points-of-view (and time jumps) expertly, and handles the complex issue of morality with ease. The lines between good and evil are muddy and blurry, which makes our "heroes" and "villains" all the more fascinating. Each 3rd person point-of-view is distinct, and every character is intriguing and unique in their own way. Plus, superpowers. That is always a highlight. 

Lowlights: I NEED A SEQUEL. Like, right now. 

Rating: The Royal Library, Top Shelf: Favorite, 5 out of 5. I was in the middle of a reading slump when I started this novel, and Vicious managed to snap me out of it. Schwab pulled me into this complex story of friendship, family, and good vs. evil. It was exciting, surprising, and completely captivating. I'd highly recommend Vicious.

Review: DOROTHY MUST DIE by Danielle Paige

Title: Dorothy Must Die
Author: Danielle Paige
Published: April 1st, 2014
Series: Dorothy Must Die #1
Genre: YA Fantasy / Retelling
POV: 1st person
Pages: 452
Publisher: HarperCollins
Format: Printed ARC
Source: Vine program
Rating: The Royal Library, Bottom Shelf

I didn't ask for any of this. I didn't ask to be some kind of hero.

But when your whole life gets swept up by a tornado—taking you with it—you have no choice but to go along, you know?

Sure, I've read the books. I've seen the movies. I know the song about the rainbow and the happy little blue birds. But I never expected Oz to look like this. To be a place where Good Witches can't be trusted, Wicked Witches may just be the good guys, and winged monkeys can be executed for acts of rebellion. There's still the yellow brick road, though—but even that's crumbling.

What happened?

Dorothy. They say she found a way to come back to Oz. They say she seized power and the power went to her head. And now no one is safe.

My name is Amy Gumm—and I'm the other girl from Kansas.
I've been recruited by the Revolutionary Order of the Wicked.
I've been trained to fight.

And I have a mission:
Remove the Tin Woodman's heart.
Steal the Scarecrow's brain.
Take the Lion's courage.

Then and only then—Dorothy must die!

In the beginning of Dorothy Must Die, Amy Gumm is just a poor, saracastic girl from Kansas who may or may not get into fights with pregnant mean girls. But, after Amy's trailer is swept away by a tornado and lands in Oz, Amy finds the girl she used to be might not be enough to survive in this strange and twisted world. Unfortunately, Oz is no longer the place we all know from the books and movies. Whatever charm it once held has disappeared. Instead, it's been twisted into a world where magic is dying, Dorothy rules supreme with cruel power, and everyone is expected to follow Dorothy's chaotic laws - or else. And, once Amy finds herself on Dorothy's bad side, she has no choice but to team up with the Order of the Wicked in order to restore the balance in Oz. 

Paige's delightfully and wickedly twisted version of Oz is fascinating and unsettling. Amy Gumm is an excellent protagonist, mostly because I can appreciate her snark and sarcasm. Description is wonderfully done, and it was easy to envision every single setting and character. But, as much as I enjoyed this book, it suffers from first-book syndrome. There's a lot of information and preparation for the next novel, to the point where it almost seems like nothing of note actually happens. But, despite the flaws, Dorothy Must Die remains entertaining thanks to Amy's sharp snark and Oz's twisted world.

Highlights: Dorothy is the bad guy, and it's a bit twisted and strange. There's something scary about a person who seems all bubblegum on the outside but snaps at every little thing, and Dorothy doesn't disappoint as the villain. Other side characters were especially intriguing, although a few of the more fascinating ones were not used enough in the story. Everything about Danielle Paige's Oz is twisted yet familiar for anyone who knows a little (or a lot) about her source material. Amy's POV is fantastically entertaining, and I easily found myself wanting her to win in the end.

Lowlights: The story is very slow, and a lot of the action happens at the very beginning and the conclusion. I hate how the novel ended - it seemed like things were really starting to get going during the last couple chapters, and then it's all over (if you read the summary, you'll notice the tasks Amy must complete - the only problem is that Amy doesn't learn about those tasks until the very conclusion, which is incredibly frustrating as a reader). I'm hoping the sequel will be a bit more focused on Amy's tasks, now that Paige has gotten Amy's training and the info-dumping out of the way. 

Rating: The Great Hall (high 3 out of 5).

Review: FURIOUS by Jill Wolfson

Title: FURIOUS
Author: Jill Wolfson
Published: April 16th, 2013
Genre: YA paranormal
Publisher: Henry Holt & Co BYR
POV: 1st person
Pages: 336
Format: Advanced Reader's Copy
Source: Publicist
Rating: 3.8 out of 5

"Three high school girls become the avenging Furies of Greek legend.

We were only three angry girls, to begin with. Alix, the hot-tempered surfer chick; Stephanie, the tree-hugging activist; and me, Meg, the quiet foster kid, the one who never quite fit in. We hardly knew each other, but each of us nurtured a burning anger: at the jerks in our class, at our disappointing parents, at the whole flawed, unjust world.

We were only three angry girls, simmering uselessly in our ocean-side California town, until one day a mysterious, beautiful classmate named Ambrosia taught us what else we could be: Powerful. Deadly. Furious."

I'm a sucker for mythology, so when I saw that this book was about Furies, I became excited. Deadly furies in high school? Yes please, sign me up for that book.
Meg, our narrator in FURIOUS,  is a foster kid who has a tendency of finding herself in embarrassing situations that would make just about anyone cringe. After an unfortunately awkward class moment starring Meg, Meg soon finds herself grouped together with Ambrosia (a mysterious, gorgeous, popular girl), Alix (a strong, fiery-tempered surfer chick), Stephanie (a nature-loving sweetheart with some spunk) and her best friend Raymond (who is made of awesome, let's just leave it at that) for a school project, Meg's life quickly spirals out of control as she learns the truth about herself and the deadly power she holds inside of herself....
Who knew three girls could cause so much damage? In the introduction, Wolfson thrusts Meg into an awkward situation that demands a reader's sympathy. Once Meg and the other girls start embracing their abilities, the story becomes even more fascinating as the lines between what's good and bad begin to blur uncomfortably.  From high school bullies to deadbeat dad's, no one is off limits and no punishment is too harsh in their eyes. While the girls quickly become intimidating and hard to enjoy fully, and I enjoyed how far Wolfson took them in their fury-filled journey. Dangerous and exciting, FURIOUS is one novel you'll have a hard time setting aside.
Highlights: I enjoyed Wolfson's take on Furies, along with how and the way they used their abilities. I also enjoyed that there were consequences from using these abilities, too. Despite seeming to be very stereotypical at first glance, these characters have a few extra layers to them. There's a costume party that is wonderfully described and vivid (I love costume parties, so I'm definitely biased on this point). 
Lowlights: Predictable. Characters quickly became unlikable, but that didn't greatly hinder my enjoyment of the novel. As much as I devoured this book, there was something about the writing, and I never became fully invested in this story and the characters.  
Rating: This book is a difficult to rate. While I couldn't stop reading, there were some aspects I didn't like. So, I'm going with 3.8 out of 5: I thoroughly enjoyed it, despite a few issues.

Meridian by Amber Kizer Review

Book: Meridian

Author: Amber Kizer

Source: bought

Summary:

Meridian has always been an outcast. It seems that wherever she goes, death and grief follow. On her sixteenth birthday, a car crashes in front of her family's home--and though she's untouched, Meridian's body explodes in pain.

Before she can fully recover, Meridian is told that she's a danger to her family and is hustled off to her great-aunt's house in Revelation, Colorado. There she learns the secret her parents have been hiding for her entire life: Meridian is a Fenestra, the half-angel, half-human link between the living and the dead.

It's crucial that Meridian learn how to transition human souls to the afterlife--how to help people die. Only then can she help preserve the balance between good and evil on earth. But before she can do that, Meridian must come to terms with her ability, outsmart the charismatic preacher who's taken over Revelation, and maybe--if she can accept her sworn protector, Tens, for who he is--fall in love. Meridian and Tens face great danger from the Aternocti, a band of dark forces who capture vulnerable souls on the brink of death and cause chaos. But together, they have the power to outsmart evil.

Review: I was so excited to read this after my interview with Amber, and she did not disappoint. 

I loved the concept, that a normal human being is that light at the end of the tunnel that you see in death. Or, in this case, a window. It was so different from everything I've read lately, it was refreshing. I really believed everything that was happening, and Meridian was a very believable character. I really liked her, and how she took everything in stride. She accepted that this ability was just a part of her life, and she had to deal with it and control it. Tens was charming, and hilarious. Auntie was sweet and tough, and Custos (a wolf!) was so incredibly awesome.

Highlights: Meridian's ability. It's an interesting concept. She was such a strong character too, and that is always refreshing.

Lowlights: I hated the antagonist, and how he was just kind of there. First, he's creepy, and that's all I ever got to see. I wanted some big run-ins, and it didn't happen until the end. But, I have a feeling that I'll see more good vs. evil in the next installment. The ending was slightly bothersome, in that it was so convenient, but overall, the novel was super-fantabulastical.

Rating: