Merry Wanderer of the Night:
pretty awesome

I first heard about The Emerald Atlas by John Stephens from Becky, who blogs at Escapism through Books. She was talking about it, and wrote a really stellar review of the book (read it, you know you want to!) . I left a comment mentioning that I thought it sounded like a great book, and being the wonderful person Becky is, she sent me her copy!! (Thanks Becky. You are made of awesome!)

The book starts out as so many of these intense fantasy series do — It has children (girl, boy, girl) mysteriously/suspiciously missing parents, a prophecy (of sorts) and the understanding that these seemingly unimportant, average orphans are going to change the fate of the world. Everyone has read a book like this recently. I can almost guarantee it. Sure, the number of children, their gender, why/how the parents went missing and the specifics of the prophecy all change, but the basic storyline is the same. When the book started out, following this pattern, I admit that I groaned a little bit. But then, the story moved on and became something completely wonderful. The basic outline laid out for us, Stephens then delves into his own specific mysteries and magics and I was swept away.

Kate has an overdeveloped sense of responsibility for her younger siblings. Her parent's went missing when she was four years old, and right before being taken from them, her mother made her promise that she would keep her siblings safe. That's a lot of pressure to put on a four year old, and Kate feels it at times, but she never tries to avoid it. The children have an amazingly strong bond, and they are deeply loyal to each other. Kate is also the most sure that her parents are not dead, because just after her mother made Kate promise to keep her siblings safe, she also promised Kate that they would all be together again someday.

Michael is more of a dreamer. He's learned to cope with the increasingly horrible conditions in the various orphanages they are forced to live in by imagining hidden and secret worlds, and he is especially fascinated by dwarfs. Emma, the youngest is fierce and tough, having learned early on that in this life, being weak, or unwilling to fight is dangerous and that only the strong survive in these places.

When the children are kicked out of yet another orphanage, they are sent to a mysterious home, where they are the only orphans in the 'orphanage', the orphanage director is absent and nothing 'quite' adds up. One day, while exploring the house, they stumble across a room that they assume is the owner's study and they find a green book. They assume it's just an old photo album, but when Michael places an old picture on one of the pages, the world as they know it will change for ever, and they are thrust into the middle of a conflict that's been brewing for centuries.

I loved the development of this story. Each of the characters was given their own set of strengths and weaknesses, and we watched as all of their unique abilities developed, changed, and led to the growth of the characters. Each of the secondary and side characters was also given a distinct personality. I was actually surprised at how uniquely formed each and every character and situation was, given the rather formulaic pattern used to set the initial stage for the story.

The magic in this book was also wonderfully developed and explained. The children have no idea that the world of magic exists, so we get to learn everything as the children do. I've always loved being able to learn right along with the main characters. It's just an extra way of becoming involved in the book, because we are sharing an experience! And when you get to share a life changing experience with your characters, when you learn it as they do, and they keep no secrets from the reader, it offers the reader an extra connection to both the character(s) and the story.

I'm a little bit sad right now, because I know that my review is not doing this book justice. I read the book a while ago, and I kept putting off writing the review, because every time I tried, I was painfully aware that no matter what I said, I wasn't really going to be able to articulate how this book made me feel. So, instead I'm going to finish by saying that I really enjoyed the story, and it's one that I think will have a very wide level of appeal. It's a book that can be read and enjoyed by both the younger, MG set, and the older groups, YA and up. I believe that this is a series that is going to have a lot of cross-over appeal and will be enjoyed by just about everyone who gives it a chance.

Now, if only I didn't have to wait so long for the sequel!

The Unwritten Rule as part of Elizabeth Scott week. I had been hoping to have this review up hours ago, but my internet has been broken since last night.: (

Anyway, this is a book I was a little nervous about reading when I initially picked it up. Having read two Scott books previously, one I really liked (my review of Something, Maybe) and one I really... didn't (so sorry Living Dead Girl) I was unsure where my emotions would fall on this one. Add to that fact that I have absolutely zero respect for cheaters, and I was, understandably, I think, a little nervous.

However, my fears were unfounded and although I wasn't quite as charmed by these characters as I was by those in Something, Maybe I really enjoyed this book. Sarah is a character that doesn't start the book strong. She doesn't have a lot of substance and pretty much all of her thoughts are consumed with Ryan, the boy she has had a crush on since 8th grade. But, Ryan is her best friend, Brianna's boyfriend, which means that he's totally off limits. But, all things are not as they seem. The more we learn about the trio, the more we become aware that there are some major problems with all of the relationships in question.

Sarah has liked Ryan forever. But things are different this year. Over the summer, he went from skinny (and a little geeky) to totally hott. They meet up at a party and are talking and having a great time until Brianna, the beautiful one comes into the room and whisks Ryan away. Suddenly, they are dating and Sarah is left feeling insanely guilty because she can't stop thinking about what it would be like the be the one with Ryan. But with all those looks and tension filled long pauses between the two of them, it looks like that interest is not one-sided.

The characters in this book were very well developed. I'm amazed at the conflicting emotions each character was able to pull from me. Let's start with Brianna. She is a bitch. There is no other word to describe this girl. Seriously. She belittles Sarah constantly, always pointing out that her skin is too shiny, her hair too frizzy, her clothes strange, but always camouflaged as helpful (Here, take my brush and try to comb some of that frizziness out of your hair). She is gorgeous, and she knows it. Sarah has had bad experiences in the past, where boys who have shown interest in her are really just trying to get close to Brianna, and while Brianna does feel really bad every time it happens, she also takes it as her due, and often tells Sarah that she will eventually be able to find some boy who likes her. She's toxic. BUT, I feel bad for her. I pity her immensely. Her parents use her as a weapon against each other, when they think of her at all. Her dad has just about completely written her off, and her mom says all the same horrible things to Brianna that she then passes along onto Sarah. But you can feel her pain and her suffering and you do feel oh so very bad for her.

Sarah is also a more complex character than she first appears. It's pretty obvious that living for so long in Brianna's shadow has been bad for her, but all she can see is her glorious best friend. She ignores a lot of her flaws and makes excuses for her behavior. But even Sarah has her limits. She has a great strength of character that just takes a little while to really show itself. She also has some interests and hobbies that she focuses on, no matter how belittling Brianna is of them, like her shoe art. She buys plain white shoes and decorates them. She is also torn up about the way she feels about Ryan. She doesn't want to hurt Brianna, but she's liked Ryan forever and she just can't help it, especially now that Brianna has been asking her to come hang out with them all the time. Just the three of them.

And Ryan is also great. He has a lot more to him than the typical YA hero and he's just a pretty solid guy. He shares a lot of the same interests as Sarah and he's trying to figure out where he fits best in life. I also liked that he had his two sides — pre-hottie and post-hottie and he didn't let the fact that he had filled out over the summer change who he was as a person. He isn't one of those guys that thinks because he's now attractive, he's entitled to being an a**. And Sarah and Ryan have a history, sort of. They've circled each other for years, friends but not best friends and both not quite sure of where things will go next. And then, enter Brianna.

I thought that this book was just very well written. All the individual elements of the story were handled beautifully and combined in such a way that I just don't know how this story could have happened any different. Watching Sarah learn who she was, and how to be that person independent of Brianna was amazing. I don't think that anyone deserves to be cheated on. Ever. But, the way that Scott handled this one made me hopeful for all the characters involved. I still don't condone cheating and I don't think it's ever your best option, but these characters were just so achingly real and honest, I couldn't help but root for them.

Something, Maybe by Elizabeth Scott was a complete surprise to me. I don't normally read a lot of romance (in any sub genre... contemporary, paranormal etc.) and my previous experience with an Elizabeth Scott book (Living Dead Girl) left me rather disappointed. But a bunch of my Twitter buddies were talking about Elizabeth Scott week, and I thought it would be fun to participate. So, I grabbed two of her books and on Ginger's (from GReads) recommendation, started with Something, Maybe. I expected to like the book, although I didn't expect much more than a lukewarm enjoyment. But I was wrong! So wrong! I just inhaled this book and when I finished, I went back and reread some of my favorite parts.

Hannah has had a rather unorthodox childhood. Her dad is a much older reality TV star (think Hugh Hefner) and her mom used to be one of his 'special girls' and now makes a living performing live web-cam chats in lingerie. She hates the spotlight and does everything she can to avoid it. She doesn't try to dress up or attract attention and she just wants people to ignore her parents and what they do, even if that means ignoring her too. It's better than the alternative. Things start to change though when her long-time crush, Josh, starts paying attention to her, her dad starts to call and ask to see her again (the ratings on his show must be down again) and Finn, the co-worker who never shuts up starts drawing more of Hannah's attention.

Hannah is such a great character. She's full of life and love and doesn't really know what to do with all the emotion she has stored up inside. It's easier for her to fade into the background because she's afraid of what people will think or say about her parents and she's also a little bit afraid of herself. I loved Hannah's character. She wants so much out of life, but past experiences have taught her to be wary and she's taken that message to heart. She doesn't put herself out there and is suspicious of just about anyone who tries to get too close.

Josh is another interesting character. We see him initially through Hannah's rose-colored glasses, and he seems pretty great, but then, even through the glasses, we start to see some inconsistencies and subtle hints that all is not as perfect as Prince Charming would have us believe. And then there is Finn. Oh Finn. The cover flap makes it pretty obvious (IMO) that Finn is a better match for Hannah than Josh and Oh. My. Goodness. Yes! I loved Finn. Like, a lot. He was just so awesome. He's not perfect but he gets Hannah. He understands a lot more about her than even she realizes and he likes what he sees. He's there for her in subtle ways all the time, just being steady and dependable and a little bit intriguing.

There were never really any moments in this book that I found myself disbelieving the actions of a character. Scott created characters for us, gave them personalities, strengths and weaknesses and then let them play out their story. I was so impressed by the development of the characters and their relationships with each other. As Hannah learns more about herself, she also starts to learn more about others, and she opens herself up for more from them. Watching her grow as a character, watching her allow herself to be a little bolder made my heart happy.

If you aren't sure whether or not to pick up a Scott novel, I suggest you stop waffling and grab a copy of this one. There is definitely going to be more Scott in my future.

A Golden Web by Barbara Quick is the story of Alessandra, a bright and inquisitive young girl living in a time period when intelligent women were frowned upon, feared and stifled. Her father is a stationer, which gives her access to books and she studies and reads all that she can get her hands on. After her step-mother (who hates her) forces her to remain in seclusion for a year, Alessandra knows it is time to make important decisions about her future. Her step-mother plans to send her to a nunnery for a year and then ship her off for an arranged marriage. Alessandra is devastated. Husbands do not allow their wives to learn, and she desperately wants to study medicine. And so, she leaves the nunnery, disguises herself as a young man and heads to the city to study medicine.

I know I'm not alone in this, but I really enjoy the stories where girls dress up as boys to reach their dreams. I like to think that if I had lived back in the 'olden days' that I would have been that hard core, that I would have been able to cut off all my pretty hair and disappear into the world. I don't know if I would actually have been able to do it, but I really like reading about girls who are. Alessandra wants to study medicine and she is incredibly dedicated to gaining knowledge. She is incredibly bright and she with what she already knew, and how quickly she learns, she is able to take the first three years of exams before her first year of study has passed. Word of her, now a young man known as Sandro, spreads, and soon it seems that everyone knows of her and her talents. She meets a young man named Otto, and they form a quick friendship, but, as it the way of things, her feelings become more than friendly.

I really liked the way the author told Alessandra's story. It didn't get bogged down in the 'drama'. You know the type in these stories — What if someone finds out I'm a girl?! What do I do now that I'm falling in love with someone who thinks I'm a man?! etc. These elements were most definitely there, but they weren't what carried the story, and I liked that. The story rested on Alessandra and her desire to learn and to increase her understanding of the human body.

Alessandra in real life is a bit of a myth. No one is completely sure whether she was a real person or not. But Barbara Quick definitely made her come alive for me. She was a wonderfully strong character, full of life and she just wanted a chance to use her brain. She knew that her ability to learn was a blessing and felt that it would be a waste to do nothing with it. And she craved knowledge. I've felt that way a few times, where you just have to know, have to learn more and I'm incredibly grateful that I was born into a time and place where I have all the opportunities for knowledge that I want.

The only complaint I have with the story is the ending. I don't want to spoil anything for you, but I do feel it needs mentioning. I thought the ending was incredibly abrupt and a bit rushed. It was a little bit confusing at first, because I couldn't figure out how the author went from point A to point D so quickly and it just didn't feel... right. I have no problem with the way to book ended, it seemed fitting and as far as I know, is historically what is said about Alessandra's life. But I don't like how the author took us there. It just doesn't feel quite... right.

Other than that complaint, I genuinely enjoyed this book, and it is one that I would recommend to anyone looking for an interesting historical fiction read, or anyone like me who really likes the stories of girls taking matters into their own hands, and heading off toward their dreams.

*Disclaimer: This book was received as part of a Teen Book Scene tour. in my blog for the complete tour listing.

Ever wonder about who Prince Charming really was? What his story actually is? In so many of the classic tales, we hear very little about who Prince Charming really is. We know the basics of their actions — fought his way through a massively huge hedge to kiss a sleeping princess, stumbled across a chick in a coffin & stole it, climbed up lots of hair, only to be tossed out of the tower, etc. but we really aren't given very much information about the actual prince. Fairy tales tend to focus on the evil and the maiden and the deeds of the prince, but very little else.

The Hero's Guide to Saving Your Kingdom by Christopher Healy is that story. Who are these princes? What are their names? Their personalities? Healy has taken those bare boned details and created a delightfully entertaining story about who these princes really are and what happens after the "happily ever after".

This is the perfect middle grade book and if I had read this when I was a kid, I would have inhaled it. Which is not to say that I didn't like it now. On the contrary! I found it to be perfectly entertaining. The story itself wasn't without it's flaws (mostly that some of the princes real personalities totally annoyed me...) but the book was just... so perfectly readable and entertaining.

Even when they drove me crazy, I loved seeing a real side to these heroes who had previously often been demoted to nothing but a kiss and a title. My favorite was Prince Liam and that's all I'm going to say because I think these are characters that are best discovered on your own. Each of the characters in this novel start in one place and end in another that demonstrates growth as a person, but doesn't take away from who they actually are. I love that. I love seeing characters learn from their mistakes and the mistakes of others, sacrifice what they want for what's best for others and just become better people.

The princesses aren't exactly what they appear to be in the original tales either. They are also given their own unique personalities and attributes (some good, some most assuredly not...) The side characters were also a lot of fun. I loved Liam's little sister Lila, the bounty hunter, the Bandit King and his group of bandits and the Trolls. Oh my goodness, the Trolls! They might possibly be my favorite part of the story. Seriously.

The book is told by a narrator, talking directly to the reader, who already knows the whole story and sometimes gets ahead of him/herself. I'm not normally a fan of that body-less/nameless narrator talking at me from the pages, but in this story, it worked. I never felt annoyed or pulled out of the story because of the narrator and I actually loved his little hints and nudges and secrets that the heroes really should know, but didn't.

I am so not doing this book justice. This review is all over the place, for which I apologize, but there is just so much going on in this book and it's just so fun and funny and charming (ya, I said it. So what). But really. You need to go out and read this book. If you like fairy tales, read it. If you like the funny and absurdly ridiculous, read it. If you know a kid (boy or girl) who likes action and bumblers and heroes and fun and awesome princesses, then go buy it/read it/share it. It's a book that I think has something to offer to everyone. Not everyone is going to love it, but I'll wager most everyone will definitely enjoy it.

It's the beginning of a new series. But it ends well. There is no cliffhanger, no annoyance when you turn the last page. If you wanted this novel to be it, you could read this one as a stand alone and be happy. But let's be honest. It's me we are talking about. I'm for sure going to be eagerly anticipating the next installment of these heroes Princes. And, I fully intend to pass this book along to my little brothers who I definitely think will just love this one!

Oh ya. And also... The illustrations? Fabulous. Like, seriously. Ashley is in love.

Check out the awesome guest post from Christopher during Fairy Tale Fortnight!
And here is a link to an excerpt with illustrations I posted!

*Disclaimer: I received an ARC from the awesome folks at Walden Pond Press in exchange for an honest review. And it is.