Highlights / Lowlights: A WICKED THING by Rhiannon Thomas

Title: A Wicked Thing
Author: Rhiannon Thomas
Published: February 24th 2015
Series: A Wicked Thing #1
Genre: YA Fantasy
POV: 3rd person, past tense
Pages: 352
Publisher: HarperTeen
Format: electronic ARC
Source: Edelweiss
Rating: Tea Party

Rhiannon Thomas's dazzling debut novel is a spellbinding reimagining ofSleeping Beauty and what happens after happily ever after.

One hundred years after falling asleep, Princess Aurora wakes up to the kiss of a handsome prince and a broken kingdom that has been dreaming of her return. All the books say that she should be living happily ever after. But as Aurora understands all too well, the truth is nothing like the fairy tale.

Her family is long dead. Her "true love" is a kind stranger. And her whole life has been planned out by political foes while she slept.

As Aurora struggles to make sense of her new world, she begins to fear that the curse has left its mark on her, a fiery and dangerous thing that might be as wicked as the witch who once ensnared her. With her wedding day drawing near, Aurora must make the ultimate decision on how to save her kingdom: marry the prince or run.

Rhiannon Thomas weaves together vivid scenes of action, romance, and gorgeous gowns to reveal a richly imagined world … and Sleeping Beauty as she’s never been seen before.

Highlights: What happened after the kiss? Rhiannon Thomas explores this idea, beginning her novel with the kiss that wakes Sleeping Beauty from her cursed slumber. But life isn't much of a fairy tale for Aurora, who is treated more like a pawn in a game of chess. True love and the happily ever after is hardly what Aurora wakes to. Instead, she finds secrets, rebellions, and the realization that she'll have to claim the life she wants to have, because no one is going to hand over the perfect happily ever after ending. Thomas' writing style has a nice flow to it, which makes A Wicked Thing easy to breeze on through in a matter of hours. 

Lowlights: As much as I wanted to fall in love with this book (Sleeping Beauty retelling!), I was simply bored throughout a good portion of the story. The romance was frustrating (both of them), and Aurora barely did anything until the conclusion. She was, in my eyes, a very passive character throughout most of the novel. The ending proved to be more intriguing, so I'm guessing the sequel might have more story to it, but this novel was ultimately a bit underwhelming.

Rating: Tea Party: Liked, 3 out of 5. While I found myself feeling slightly bored with the story, the last 50 or so pages picked up the pace, excitement, and finally gave Aurora the chance to become a character with agency, instead of merely a pawn for someone else to control. I have high hopes that the sequel will be the story I was looking for when I opened this novel. 

I received an electronic advanced copy of this novel from the publisher for review consideration. 

This is no way affected my opinion of the novel. 

Review: ELLA ENCHANTED by Gail Carson Levine

Title: Ella Enchanted
Author: Gail Carson Levine
Published: Originally in 1997
Genre: YA Fantasy
Publisher: Scholastic
Age: Middle Grade*
POV: 1st person
Pages: 232
Format: Paperback & Kindle
Source: Purchased
Rating: The Treasure Vault

How can a fairy's blessing be such a curse?

At her birth, Ella of Frell was given a foolish fairy's gift--the "gift" of obedience. Ella must obey any order given to her, whether it's hopping on one foot for a day or chopping off her own head!

But strong-willed Ella does not tamely accept her fate. She goes on a quest, encountering ogres, giants, wicked stepsisters, fairy godmothers, and handsome princes, determined to break the curse--and live happily ever after.

What if you had to obey every command you were given? Ella of Frell, thanks to a "gift" given to her from the fairy Lucinda, has been cursed with such compulsion to be obedient ever since she was an infant. After her mother's death, her father catches the interest of Dame Olga. Dame Olga's two daughters, Hattie and Olive, take an unfortunate interest in Ella, and Ella quickly finds that hiding her obedience will be even more difficult than usual. Throw in a charming prince, some deadly and hungry ogres, and a coming-of-age journey to find a somewhat annoying fairy godmother, and you have the excellency that is Ella Enchanted.

Delightfully magical, Ella Enchanted gives a fresh twist to an old classic. Ella may be forcibly obedient, but she's fiercely determined to fight against her curse and not let it ruin her life. Despite how lighthearted some of the elements in this story seem, Gail Carson Levine touches on emotion quite genuinely. This book is simply charming, amusing, heartfelt, and truly wonderful. As a kid I adored this novel and Ella's stubborn, take-action personality. Even now as an adult, I still love and adore this novel. I would highly recommend Ella Enchanted to fantasy fans looking for something familiar, but with a few new, intriguing twists. 

Highlights: Amusing, sweet but also a sharp-witted fairytale with a twist. Prince Char, because he is obviously quite charming. Vivid descriptions bring the magic to life, and especially the various mythical creatures. Mandy is an excellent side character. As a protagonist, Ella is so smart, easy to adore, and determined. But, she's still capable of making mistakes, and that only made me root for her more. The various relationships, both good and bad, are wonderfully developed. The themes of this novel are fantastic, and I love how Gail Carson Levine delves into relatable issues while still keeping that fairytale charm. 

Lowlights: The larger plot is predictable (since this is a Cinderella retelling), but it's not very problematic, since Gail Carson Levine infuses plenty of creativity and fresh twists to keep readers on their toes. Not enough pages? That is problematic!

Rating: The Treasure Vault (5+ out of 5). Ella Enchanted is an old favorite and is worthy of keeping company with the crown jewels. I'd highly recommend this novel to other readers. If I could give this book a palace of it's own, I would. 

* I first read this novel when I was 9 or 10 years old, and adored it. This book seems to be Middle Grade, but as an adult, I can see this book as being a slightly younger YA novel, too (or an older MG story). Ella's age (15/16) makes it seem like a YA, but the content is very tame.

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).

Waiting on Wednesday (124): SECOND STAR

WOW is hosted by Breaking the Spine

SECOND STAR by Alyssa B. Sheinmel

May 13th, 2014 by Farrar, Straus, and Giroux

A twisty story about love, loss, and lies, this contemporary oceanside adventure is tinged with a touch of dark magic as it follows seventeen-year-old Wendy Darling on a search for her missing surfer brothers. Wendy’s journey leads her to a mysterious hidden cove inhabited by a tribe of young renegade surfers, most of them runaways like her brothers. Wendy is instantly drawn to the cove’s charismatic leader, Pete, but her search also points her toward Pete's nemesis, the drug-dealing Jas. Enigmatic, dangerous, and handsome, Jas pulls Wendy in even as she's falling hard for Pete. A radical reinvention of a classic, Second Star is an irresistible summer romance about two young men who have yet to grow up--and the troubled beauty trapped between them.

Peter Pan contemporary retelling? So fun! I love the sound of it (awesome cover, too). 

What are you waiting on? 

Highlights / Lowlights: WHEN YOU WERE MINE by Rebecca Serle

Title: WHEN YOU WERE MINE
Author: Rebecca Serle
Published: May 1st, 2012
Genre: YA contemporary
Pages: 334 Publisher: Simon Pulse Format: electronic ARC Source: GalleyGrab Rating: The Courtyard

Rosaline knows that she and Rob are destined to be together. Rose has been waiting for years for Rob to kiss her--and when he finally does, it's perfect. But then Juliet moves back to town. Juliet, who used to be Rose's best friend. Juliet, who now inexplicably hates her. Juliet, who is gorgeous, vindictive, and a little bit crazy...and who has set her sights on Rob. He doesn't even stand a chance.
Rose is devastated over losing Rob to Juliet. This is not how the story was supposed to go. And when rumors start swirling about Juliet's instability, her neediness, and her threats of suicide, Rose starts to fear not only for Rob's heart, but also for his life. Because Shakespeare may have gotten the story wrong, but we all still know how it ends.

Highlights: I have always thought that Romeo was a jerk from the way he quickly transferred his affections from Rosaline to Juliet in William Shakespeare's play, Romeo & Juliet. So, as a fan of Shakespeare's work, I was very excited to read Rosaline's POV in a modern retelling. While the story wasn't quite what I hoped for, I did enjoy certain aspects. I liked Len's character and Rose's interactions with him, and a few other side characters stood out, especially Juliet. The romantic interactions were solid, and the secrets each family had kept me curious. 

Lowlights: Understandably predictable. It sometimes became over-the-top dramatic about things that didn't really matter¹.  WHEN YOU WERE MINE fails to introduce anything new or surprising to the tragic story. Characters treated Juliet like she was the bad guy through most of the book, but honestly, I think most of the blame lies with Rob². I didn't feel a strong connection to the story or to Rose. Shakespeare's writing is classic, but even with such excellent source material as a starting point, this retelling was nothing special. 

Rating: The Courtyard. I liked WHEN YOU WERE MINE enough to finish reading, but I'd only invite it inside the palace on rare occasions. I would not purchase this book, because the story had quite a few flaws. Still, if I ever feel the need to visit with this story again, I'd be glad to see it hanging around in the courtyard (or in reality, the public library). 

1 But hey, that's high school. Social drama is almost a requirement.  2 This story would have been more interesting if Rose would have blamed Rob, not Juliet.