Category: Reviews

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YA Review: How the King of Elfhame Learned to Hate Stories

Title: How the King of Elfhame Learned to Hate Stories
Author: Holly Black and Rovina Cai
Edition: Hardback
Rating: 4/5

There is something extraordinarily exciting about turning the first page of a story book with pictures. It doesn’t matter whether it’s an illustrated children’s story, or this gorgeous collection of tales from Elfhame – beautiful artwork with beautiful words will always cast a spell. If the artist and the writer share a clear vision, the result can be magical.

I loved this book. Are the stories about Cardan’s past a necessary addition to the Folk of the Air series? No. Do they add to the reader’s understanding of his character and motivations? Definitely. Are they a pleasure to read, and to look at? Absolutely.

The stories in the collection include glimpses into the events of the Folk of the Air books from Cardan’s point of view. We see his relationship with Nicasia, the abuse at the hands of his older brother, and the moment when he realises he is haunted by thoughts of Jude. We follow him as he visits the mortal world (with and without his queen), and there’s a thread of stories exchanged between Cardan and a mysterious old woman, which change a little every time they are told. Each section adds a small insight into Cardan’s life and upbringing, without revisiting everything in the original novels. At the start the stories feel unrelated, but by the end it is clear that they have been very cleverly woven into the book. Cardan’s journey is mapped out in these pages, and revealed with a deceptively light touch.

The illustrations by Rovina Cai add a touch of magic to the words on the page. The images are dreamlike when they relate to Cardan’s childhood, but more realistic where they involve Jude. Where Cardan and the old woman exchange their tales, the illustrations resemble woodcuts or shadow puppets, perfect for a story within a story. The artwork is beautiful, occasionally straying across pages of text and interacting with the words.

This collection might not be an essential addition to the series, but it is a magical glimpse into the world of the Folk of the Air. It’s a quick read, and I’ll definitely pick it up and read it again, if only to experience the thrill of reading such a beautiful book.

Have you read How the King of Elfhame Learned to Hate Stories? What did you think of the book? And what about the illustrations? Click through to the full blog to access the comments section, and share your thoughts! No spoilers, though – you can post those on GoodReads!

Review cross-posted to GoodReads.

Please keep your comments YA appropriate. Be patient! We want to hear from you, but comments are moderated, and may take some time to appear.

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YA Review: Eve of Man

Title: Eve of Man
Author: Giovanna and Tom Fletcher
Edition: Paperback
Rating: 3/5

This is a YA dystopia with an interesting premise. For sixteen years, Eve has been protected. Raised by a team of older women, she is the last girl on earth – and the only woman of childbearing age. No one knows why girls stopped being born, but everyone knows that Eve is going to save humanity. Three young men have been carefully selected as potential partners for Eve, and she has always known what is expected of her. But a chance meeting with one of the young men who helps to run her perfect sanctuary changes everything, and Eve begins to question what she wants.

It’s an engaging story, to begin with. We meet Eve in her beautiful, isolated tower. We meet her carers – the ‘mothers’ – and her hologram best friend, Holly. Eve knows that she is about to meet the potential partners who have been painstakingly chosen for her. As the meetings draw closer we see her begin to doubt her conviction that chosing one of the men and having children – hopefully girls – is what she really wants.

We also meet Bram, one of the human ‘pilots’ behind Holly’s hologram. He’s grown up with Eve, wearing Holly’s hologram and acting as Eve’s best friend. Eve has no idea who is behind Holly’s face and voice, and they are never supposed to meet. When they do, briefly, everything changes, and they will both be forced to choose between their own happiness and the future of the human race.

I don’t know why I didn’t connect with this book. I liked Eve, and I loved all her ‘mothers’. I liked Bram, and his team of pilots. The setup was intriguing and the theme of environmental destruction was extremely relevant. I found myself wanting more science, and more insight into the environmental crisis – but that wouldn’t be possible with Eve and Bram as the only narrators. Neither of them knows the full truth about their world, and about the efforts to save humanity, so their limited views make perfect sense in the context of the story.

Eve is a strong narrator, who moves from a girl who accepts everything she has been brought up to believe at the start of the book, to a young woman daring to challenge her place in the world. The story reflects teenage anxieties about sex and relationships, and about breaking away from the expectations of parents, teachers, and communities. Eve’s role as the only person in the world who can have children dials these anxieties up to eleven, and ensures that her decisions matter.

There is plenty of action and danger, and there are lies to uncover and secrets to reveal, but somehow I wasn’t drawn in. I wanted to like this book. I wanted to enjoy the story, and feel wrapped up in Eve’s dilemmas, but maybe this is a story that works best for readers who identify more closely with Eve. Don’t let me put YA readers off – this is a book perfectly pitched at its intended teenage audience.

Have you read Eve of Man? What did you think of the story? Did the characters grab you? Click through to the full blog to access the comments section, and share your thoughts! No spoilers, though – you can post those on GoodReads!

Review cross-posted to GoodReads.

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YA Review: Daisy Jacobs Saves the World

Title: Daisy Jacobs Saves the World
Author: Gary Hindhaugh
Edition: Kindle
Rating: 5/5

A fun book that contrasts a cosmic-scale alien threat with the daily life of an intelligent and feisty teenager. Daisy doesn’t expect to be the target for an alien invasion, and the alien inside her head doesn’t expect resistance to his plans. He’s not ready to navigate the complexities of school work, best friends, and family relationships – and Daisy is not about to let him destroy the world.

Daisy is a strong, funny character whose attitude and intelligence drive her resistance to the alien attack. Her friends, family, and teachers may be background characters, but they all feel real and three-dimensional. Her interactions with the alien range from comic misunderstandings to genuine fear, and their conversations are by turns funny, chilling, and heartwarming. The two central characters are strong enough to carry the plot as they explore their relationships with each other, and with the rest of the universe. The concept and setting might be straightforward, but the author uses the alien invasion scenario to examine Daisy’s life, attitudes, and values, and the result is an engaging celebration of a strong, intelligent, female protagonist. A quick, fun read with a surprisingly big heart.

Have you read Daisy Jacobs Saves the World? What did you think of the story? Was the book like anything you’ve read before? Click through to the full blog to access the comments section, and share your thoughts! No spoilers, though – you can post those on GoodReads!

Review cross-posted to GoodReads.

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THANK YOU!

A massive THANK YOU to everyone who supported last week’s launch of Balancing Act (Battle Ground Series Book Six) with reviews, likes, shares, downloads, orders, and encouragement. We couldn’t have done this without you!

Thank you to all the blog tour bloggers: AyJayPageFarer, Paperbacks and Pinot, Cheryl M-M’s Book Blog, Mai’s Musings, In De Boekenkast, and Jessica Belmont – we’re so pleased you all enjoyed Conrad’s story!

Now it’s back to work on Book Seven – coming in July …

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YA Review: An Abundance of Katherines

Title: An Abundance of Katherines
Author: John Green
Edition: Paperback
Rating: 5/5

Every so often I need to find a new John Green book to read, to remind me how much I enjoy his writing. Several people have recommended An Abundance of Katherines to me, and I can see why.

Colin is heartbroken over the end of his relationship. He’s been dumped, again, by a girl named Katherine, again. In fact, it’s his nineteenth dumping by a girl named Katherine, and he’s wondering why this keeps happening. In an attempt to escape from his post-high-school misery, he heads off on a road trip with his best friend Hassan. Their plan to keep moving and discover themselves on the road quickly comes to a halt in Gutshot, Tennessee, where they both find work – and girls who are not named Katherine.

Colin is a former child prodigy, and throughout the book he attempts to build a single mathematical model that accurately describes all nineteen of his Katherine relationships. If the model works for his previous experiences of being dumped, he’s hoping it will predict the course of his future relationships. It’s a girl called Lindsey who helps him to perfect his model, as he explains the circumstances of every relationship and breakup.

This is a quirky, fun read that doesn’t sidestep the very real pain of being dumped – and being dumped repeatedly. Colin’s attempts to understand his experiences feel constructive and pointless at the same time. He’s used to being able to think his way through problems, and while building a mathematical model for his relationships feels like an effective coping mechanism, Colin struggles to see past this cerebral response to an emotional solution.

Colin is a relatable character. He’s a fundamentally good person, but he is plagued by the fear that he has wasted his childhood potential. He knows that being a childhood prodigy does not automatically guarantee a successful career. Adult geniuses were not necessarily outstanding as children, and intellectually brilliant children are no more likely to become adult geniuses than anyone else. It’s a tough situation, and his obsession with the mathematical model feels like a genuine and understandable reaction to his fears for the future as he graduates from high school.

There’s an engaging cast of supporting characters. Hassan embodies everything that Colin struggles to accept. He is happy to sit and watch daytime TV, and let life happen around him, while Colin spends considerable energy on being brilliant and earning the good grades he knows he deserves. He’s the easy-going best friend who highlights Colin’s highly strung approach to life. Lindsey and her friends provide the companionship Colin and Hassan need as they navigate the summer between school and college. Their relationships are complicated, and not entirely obvious to the outsiders. Lindsey’s mother is a high-powered businesswoman with a heart, and her employees and former employees shape the small-town community of Gutshot. Every character feels real, and it is a pleasure to spend time in their company.

John Green’s positive portrayal of characters experiencing mental health challenges (in this case a crisis of confidence and a fear of the future) are always engaging and sympathetic, and Colin is another wonderfully realistic example. Like his other books, this is a quick but haunting read. There may be an appendix explaining the mathematical theory behind Colin’s relationship model (and I love John Green for providing that!), but it is the emotional impact of the story that stays with you, long after you’ve turned the final page.

Have you read An Abundance of Katherines? What did you think of the story? Did you enjoy the mathematical elements? Click through to the full blog to access the comments section, and share your thoughts! No spoilers, though – you can post those on GoodReads!

Review cross-posted to GoodReads.

Please keep your comments YA appropriate. Be patient! We want to hear from you, but comments are moderated, and may take some time to appear.