Review: THE FORGOTTEN GARDEN by Kate Morton

THE FORGOTTEN GARDEN
by Kate Morton
Hardcover, 552 pages
Published April 7th 2009 by Atria (first published January 1st 2008)

Placement in the Pile: Reaching New Heights

Summary:
n 1913, in the last year before the world plunged into war, a tiny orphan girl arrives alone on the shores of colonial Australia from England. Struck by pity, the dock master and his wife take her in and raise her as their own. On her 21st birthday, they finally reveal to "Nell" her true origins. Suddenly troubled by her missing history, she returns to her country of origin, hoping to trace her roots. She parses together some of her hidden past but dies before she can learn the complete story. Years later, her young granddaughter Cassandra pieces together the final missing parts of the puzzle. The author of The House at Riverton has crafted a novel of gothic intrigue that will remind some readers of The 13th Tale.

Review:
First, I have to say that summary on goodreads is pretty bland for this book. Sure, it sums it up, but it does not capture the magical way the book weaves in and out of past and present to reveal bits of the whole mystery.

Some might think that THE FORGOTTEN GARDEN has a lot to do with the story THE SECRET GARDEN, and upon reading the whole thing, there is not a lot in common. But I wonder if it was a source of inspiration for Kate Morton. There is a Father with a sickly child, greiving for the loss of his sister. When that sister's daughter his neice comes, the father instantly falls in love with her, and the cousins become great friends -- the niece helping the sickly cousin get better by taking her outside often and into the garden. Sound familiar? But that is honestly only like one or two chapters of the story.

The rest is a masterfully interwoven tale of mystery. Why was Nell left alone? Why can she not remember her past -- she was nearly 5 years old after all. Who is the Authoress? I don't want to give anything away, but I will say that Kate Morton has created a gem here, and I hope you give it a try even though it isn't strictly a Young Adult book.

That being said, I have a few complaints that attributed to the book not being a "Top Pick". Some attributes of the characters were a bit creepy. The way that the father obsessed over his sister. How completely cruel and heartless his wife was. Some of the arrangements that were made etc. Were all just a little bit odd. Then there were times where I would be in the book and think...she just changed point of view. There is no way that character would know exactly what the other character was feeling or thinking. And it was only occasionally. And the fact that it took me SO long to get through this book is a negative. Did I really enjoy it? Yes! Was I dying to keep reading? No. I was able to put it down, and often needed to to digest the information.

But don't let these things stop you from reading the book! If you like a good mystery, this is a book for you!

Review THE SEASON by Sarah MacLean

THE SEASON
by Sarah MacLean
Published March 1st 2009 by Orchard Books
Hardcover 352 Pages -- for now....

Placement in the Pile: Top Picks

Summary:
Seventeen year old Lady Alexandra is strong-willed and sharp-tongued -- in a house full of older brothers and their friends, she had to learn to hold her own. Not the best makings for an aristocratic lady in Regency London. Yet her mother still dreams of marrying Alex off to someone safe, respectable, and wealthy. But between ball gown fittings, dances, and dinner parties, Alex, along with her two best friends, Ella and Vivi, manages to get herself into what may be her biggest scrape yet.

When the Earl of Blackmoor is mysteriously killed, Alex decides to help his son, the brooding and devilishly handsome Gavin, uncover the truth. But will Alex's heart be stolen in the process? In an adventure brimming with espionage, murder, and other clandestine affairs, who could possibly have time to worry about finding a husband? Romance abounds as this year's season begins!

Review:
This book has been out for a while, but I wanted to share why I enjoyed it and also make a bit of an announcement! Sarah MacLean announced on her Facebook page that the paperback of THE SEASON is coming to Scholastic Book Clubs in the spring and bookstores next June! Yay! Paperback releases often boost book sales. So if you haven't already, put this book on your "to buy" list! It is a good one. The cover is the same, but the back snippets are going to be different!

Also I thought it followed the theme of our Jane Austen post from yesterday.

The season is written very well. It takes place in Regency England, but the language of the book is very accessible to modern readers (in fact some readers complain about this some, they say it is too modern -- but I disagree. I think it was a smart move and made for a really enjoyable read.)

The story is truly fun and romantic, the characters are fun. A few characters, once introduced into the book, their part in the plot were a bit predictable, but it works for the genre.

Is there anything better than first love? First kisses? And Regency England? If you love all these things, you'll love THE SEASON!

Source of Materials Disclosure: I purchased this book. I am not compensated for any reviews I give.

Review DREAMING ANASTASIA: A Novel of Love Magic and the Power of Dreams by Joy Preble

DREAMING ANASTASIA: A Novel of Love, Magic and the Power of Dreams
by Joy Preble
Published September 1st 2009 by Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Paperback, 320 pages

Placement in the Pile: Reaching New Heights inching towards Top Picks

Summary:
Sixteen year old Anne thinks her life is pretty ordinary – until she smacks into handsome, mysterious, and okay, annoying Ethan on her way to chemistry class. Now Anne has powers she doesn’t understand, a history altering mission she may not want, and a growing attraction to this blue-eyed stranger. And Ethan- who at eighteen made some choices he’s starting to regret – realizes that Anne is the girl for whom he’s been searching – for a very, very long time. Stir in doomed Russian Grand Duchess Anastasia – who is definitely not quite as dead as the history books say – and Baba Yaga, the legendary witch from Russian folklore, and you’ve got DREAMING ANASTASIA, a contemporary YA fantasy that alternates between the voices of Anne, Ethan, and Anastasia as Anne and Ethan join forces to battle the bad guys and save Anastasia. Only problem is – no one’s quite sure who’s really bad and who’s good. And everyone has some secrets.

Review:
All I had to do was read the title of this book to know I was interested, not to mention I thought the cover was pretty, and lets face it, I like pretty covers. I have always enjoyed stories of the Romanovs, especially Anastasia. One of my favorite cartoon movies is Anastasia. I know, kind of corny, but I love it! The premise sounded so interesting to me, that a modern girl was connected to Anastasia in some way, with a mysterious guy who has been searching for her. It was all right up my ally -- and I was NOT disappointed.

The writing was smooth, the story flowed well, and the plot was very interesting. It combined Russian history, fairy tale lore and Rasputin style magic. The book switches from different points of view -- Anastasia, Anne and Ethan -- and they were all written well and the voices were individual enough that it was easy to know which one I was reading.

Honestly my biggest complaint about this book was the font they chose for some letter/journal type entries that Anastasia writes to her family. I don't like cursive to begin with, and then it was messy and over-flowy at the same time. It took me a while to get used to it.

It is very clean so you don't need to worry about content. The romance was believable, the history intriguing. Anne is a great character -- so true to life! She doesn't take all of this paranormal stuff without questioning it, and I love that about her. Too often in Paranormal YA lit the character is just like oh, cool magic (or vampires, or werewolves, or wizards or...you fill in the blank) are real and I'm just going to accept that with not questioning it at all.

In the end I liken this book to a YA version of The Historian with it's basis in Romanov Russian lore rather than Dracula. Definitely a good read!

Review THE MAZE RUNNER by James Dashner

THE MAZE RUNNER
by James Dashner
To be Published October 6th 2009 by Random House (Delacorte Press)
(Two weeks from today!)
374 pages

Placement in the Pile: Reaching New Heights inching towards Top Picks

Summary:
When Thomas wakes up in the lift, the only thing he can remember is his first name. He has no recollection of his parents, his home, or how he got where he is. His memory is black. But he’s not alone. When the lift’s doors open, Thomas finds himself surrounded by kids who welcome him to the Glade, a large expanse enclosed by stone walls.

Just like Thomas, the Gladers don’t know why or how they got to the Glade. All they know is that every morning, for as long as they could remember, the stone doors to the maze that surrounds them have opened. Every night, they’ve closed tight. Every thirty days a new boy is delivered in the lift. And no one wants to be stuck in the maze after dark.

The Gladers were expecting Thomas’s arrival. But the next day, a girl springs up—the first girl ever to arrive in the Glade. And more surprising yet is the message she delivers. The Gladers have always been convinced that if they can solve the maze that surrounds the Glade, they might be able to find their way home . . . wherever that may be. But it’s looking more and more as if the maze is unsolvable.

And something about the girl’s arrival is starting to make Thomas feel different. Something is telling him that he just might have some answers—if he can only find a way to retrieve the dark secrets locked within his own mind. (from Goodreads)

Review:
I was so excited when I read the premise of this book! It seemed like a great mystery along with a menacing new science fiction world -- and I was not disappointed! James Dashner has created a great world with great characters. I laughed, I was shocked, I was thoroughly entertained. Dashner writes with an expert hand and only gives you bits of the story at a time. As you read, your brain is racking for answers just like Thomas and the other Gladers.

The story is definitely one that is written for boys, but that is one of the things I love about this book. Although chick lit/romance are my favorite topics, I have always enjoyed adventure stories. I am one of those weirdos that actually liked reading Lord of the Flies. Other "boy" books I loved were The White Mountains, and Where the Red Fern Grows. I think boy books appeal to a wider audience range because girls will pick up a boyish book, but not as many guys will pick up a girly book like Twilight.

It is a long book for YA, but fantasy/sci-fi novels can get away with that because fantasy and sci-fi readers are used to long books. The only time I felt like the story was getting long was somewhere towards the end. I understood at the VERY end why the action and information I thought was not only a shock but kind of an info dump was there, but I racked my brain for a way to fix it. (I of course couldn't come up with one, but my brain kept telling me something could be altered here to keep the pace up.)

I highly recommend this book! I have had the privilege to meet James (at a writer's conference) and he is hilarious, talented and I am looking forward to seeing more in this series (yes folks, it's a 3 book series!) and more from James Dashner in the future.

Congrats James on a great novel!

Review CATCHING FIRE by Suzanne Collins

CATCHING FIRE
by Suzanne Collins
Published September 1st 2009 by Scholastic Press
Hardcover, 391 pages
PLACEMENT IN THE PILE: Top Picks!

WARNING: IF YOU HAVE NOT YET READ HUNGER GAMES DO NOT READ ON AND GO READ IT!

ABOUT:
Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has won the annual Hunger Games with fellow district tribute Peeta Mellark. But it was a victory won by defiance of the Capitol and their harsh rules. Katniss and Peeta should be happy. After all, they have just won for themselves and their families a life of safety and plenty. But there are rumors of rebellion among the subjects, and Katniss and Peeta, to their horror, are the faces of that rebellion. The Capitol is angry. The Capitol wants revenge.

REVIEW:
Firstly I have to say this is the best book I have read and reviewed for this blog so far. It is fascinating, makes you think, and has some incredible twists that I didn't expect!

I hope I gave you time this weekend to read the book. If you have not don't worry, I am not spoiling anything in this review. But you may want to avoid comments as I think those might get more book specific.

My first impression was that the voice is a little less minimalistic, and that Katniss is explaining a lot more than she used to. Honestly the beginning of the book is written so that it would be possible to pick up this book and read it without reading the first one, but I think you would be missing a lot of the emotion.

It made me cry, it shocked me, it introduced me to new characters that I love, and included all of my old favorites. Peeta surprised me in this novel. I no longer picture him the way I did before, and neither does Katniss. There are moments where I figured things out before Katniss did, but I think that it not only stays true to her character but develops her in a way that we the readers never imagined.

My biggest complaint with this novel is it is the quintessential middle book in the series. The book ends in a big cliffhanger because it is obviously not finished. The first book I felt like I NEED more, this book I felt like the story needs more. There is a big difference.

Suzanne Collins is simply brilliant. Her novels could not be more poignant for the world we live in today. I cannot wait for the next book!

If you are interested here is an interview with Suzanne Collins where she discusses where she got her ideas for the Hunger Games books. HERE.