Review: Kitchen by Banana Yoshimoto

Title: Kitchen
Author: Banana Yoshimoto
Publication date: March 1994 (first published January 1988)
Publisher: Washington Square Press
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From Goodreads:
'Two stories, "Kitchen" and "Moonlight Shadow," told through the eyes of a pair of contemporary young Japanese women, deal with the themes of mothers, love, transsexuality, kitchens, and tragedy.

There are some books that you pick up and know that you’re going to love them. You don’t even read the summary on the book jacket or care what the book is about – you set your eyes on them and you know you need to read it. I was lucky enough to experience it with The Hunger Games, Just One Day, Poison Study, and now with Kitchen by Banana Yoshimoto.

Kitchen consists of three stories: “Kitchen”, “Full Moon” (or “Kitchen”: part two), and “Moonlight Shadow”. The story of “Kitchen” deals with a girl’s loneliness after her grandmother’s death. Being left alone in the world, she finds solace in the form of kitchen and later, in the company of Tanabe family. I love the interactions between Mikage, the heroine, with the Tanabes. The Tanabes pick up Mikage as if she were a lost puppy, and they heal her heart like they water the plants in their apartment.

I loved the Tanabes’ sofa as much as I loved their kitchen. I came to crave sleeping on it. Listening to the quiet breathing of the plants, sensing the night view through the curtains, I slept like a baby. There wasn’t anything more I wanted. I was happy.

“Moonlight Shadow” is a story about a lover left alone after her boyfriend’s death. Her grief is so overwhelming she is almost drown in her sea of sadness. Satsuki, the main character, is coping by jogging in every dawn, while her boyfriend’s brother, Hiiragi, is coping of the loss of both her brother and her girlfriend by wearing his girlfriend’s uniform to school. The sadness is so profound in the story I almost felt I were the one experiencing it.

I love how Banana Yoshimoto-sensei seamlessly weaves tales of love, death, loss, and loneliness in her works but still manages to include threads of hope in the stories. I didn’t know it was possible to feel so attached to a character in 40 pages or so. I cared for them like they were my longtime friends, and I wished for their happiness in every page I flipped. Kitchen is so intimate, so beautiful. It was genuine sadness when the story was coming to end – why can’t it go longer? Like a real parting with friends, I don’t want to let them go yet. I even read the Afterword!

The gradual recovery of the characters is not rushed at all. It reminds me of plants, growing steadily with much love from sun and water. The writing might be deceptively simple, but it will touch your heart nonetheless. I guess there’s none of my words that can do justice in conveying the beauty of Kitchen. It’s the kind of book that you have to read yourself to find out. If you just immerse yourself in their world – you would understand why so many readers, including me, fall head over heels in love with Kitchen.

”With a cold”—she spoke evenly, lowering her eyes a little—“now is the hardest time. Maybe even harder than dying. But this is probably as bad as it can get. You might come to fear the next time you get a cold; it will be as bad as this, but if you just hold steady, it won’t be. For the rest of your life. That’s how it works. You could take the negative view and live in fear: Will it happen again? But it won’t hurt so much if you just accept it as a part of life.”

5 cups of tea!

I wish I could rewind the experience reading this over and over.

Review: The Jewel by Amy Ewing

Title: The Jewel
Author: Amy Ewing
Publication date: September 2014
Publisher: HarperTeen
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From Goodreads:
The Jewel means wealth. The Jewel means beauty. The Jewel means royalty. But for girls like Violet, the Jewel means servitude. Not just any kind of servitude. Violet, born and raised in the Marsh, has been trained as a surrogate for the royalty—because in the Jewel the only thing more important than opulence is offspring.

Purchased at the surrogacy auction by the Duchess of the Lake and greeted with a slap to the face, Violet (now known only as #197) quickly learns of the brutal truths that lie beneath the Jewel’s glittering facade: the cruelty, backstabbing, and hidden violence that have become the royal way of life.

Violet must accept the ugly realities of her existence... and try to stay alive. But then a forbidden romance erupts between Violet and a handsome gentleman hired as a companion to the Duchess’s petulant niece. Though his presence makes life in the Jewel a bit brighter, the consequences of their illicit relationship will cost them both more than they bargained for.

 
The Jewel starts out with everything I love: gorgeous cover, detailed prose, and conflicted heroine. The main character, Violet, lives in a society where the royalty need girls with special ability to be surrogate mothers for their babies. Those surrogate mothers come from the poorest part of the country, and their somehow genetic mutation allows them to bring royalty’s babies without any flaws. Not only that, those surrogates have auguries: special ability that enable them to modify growth, color, and shape of anything, even living things. Violet has the most impressive ability in growth; a quality that is most prized by Duchess of Lake who bought her. Thrown into swirls of luxuries, dirty royal scandals, and everyone’s own scenarios, Violet must learn how to survive in this glittering community.

When I first picked up The Jewels, it started out wonderful. I love the intricate details of the gowns, the beautiful rooms, and the dazzling city of Jewel.

The room is enormous. Glowglobes cast a warm light on the walls, papered in pale green, and the furniture scattered about the room is upholstered in shades of green and gold. There are dressers, an armoire, a vanity, plush armchairs with footstools, a sofa, a small breakfast table, and a large fireplace. Dark green curtains cover the windows, gold tasseled ropes hanging at their sides—they block out the light completely, so I can’t tell whether it’s day or night outside.

That sounds absolutely gorgeous! Violet seems to share the same sentiment with me, and she can’t keep herself from gushing over her new room and her beautiful shiny violin. Of course, however, she later learns that there is monster hidden in seemingly picture-perfect things.

I devoured this book until I reached the romance part. Then, the story went downhill so fast. The instant attraction and what-they-call-true-love come very very soon after they meet. I’m sorry but I can’t see you putting your life in danger for someone whom you’ve barely talked to. No just no sorry.

The Jewel ends in an okay way, leaving some questions to be answered in the second book. I guess I’ll be waiting for reviews to come before picking up the second book. Fans of The Selection series by Kiera Cass would love the echo of royals life and beautiful details in The Jewel. The Jewel has great premise and flowy writing, and if you can get past the insta-love, I think you might enjoy this book.

I see the rose-shaped bars on the windows of the dormitories, set in the pale pink stone of the holding facility. I see the faces of the other surrogates, the girls who will go back inside once this train leaves and never think of us again. My gaze falls on a twelve-year-old girl with bulging brown eyes. She is so thin, and clearly malnourished; she must be new. Our eyes meet, and she crosses the fingers on her right hand and presses them against her heart.

I step into the carriage and the doors close behind me.

 

 3 cups of tea!

The writing is beautiful. Good light read.

 

Review and Giveaway: Made for You by Melissa Marr

Title: Made for You
Author: Melissa Marr
Publication date: September 16, 2014
Publisher: Harper Collins
Goodreads | Buy from The Book Depository

From Goodreads:
When Eva Tilling wakes up in the hospital, she’s confused—who in her sleepy little North Carolina town could have hit her with their car? And why? But before she can consider the question, she finds that she’s awoken with a strange new skill: the ability to foresee people’s deaths when they touch her. While she is recovering from the hit-and-run, Nate, an old flame, reappears, and the two must traverse their rocky past as they figure out how to use Eva’s power to keep her friends—and themselves—alive. But while Eva and Nate grow closer, the killer grows increasingly frantic in his attempt to get to Eva.

For the first time, New York Times bestselling author Melissa Marr has applied her extraordinary talent to contemporary realism. Chilling twists, unrequited obsession, and high-stakes romance drive this Gothic, racy thriller—a story of small-town oppression and salvation. Melissa’s fans, and every YA reader, will find its wild ride enthralling.

Made for You is well-known author Melissa Marr’s debut into contemporary fiction (albeit with a touch of paranormal), and I must say that it’s a stunning one! Emotional gripping and fast-paced, Made for You might be my favorite out of Marr’s novels.

We meet Eva Elizabeth Tilling-Cooper, heiress to giant winery and granddaughter of a minister. Out of nowhere, the sweet Southern belle suffers a hit-and-run. She’s considered lucky to be alive despite of broken bone, brain injury, and serious scar on her face. Nobody has a clue on the driver in the accident. When more girls fall victim to this ‘accidental’ hit-and-runs, Eva starts to wonder whether it’s actually accident at all. And the hallucination she has whenever she touches other people’s bare skin? It might not be hallucination at all. She might actually has ability to foresee people’s death. The ability might be the key thing Eva can rely on in order to save herself and people she loves from her obsessive killer…

I might not be Marr’s number one fan of her fantasy books, but I’m eager to jump on her future contemporary works! Made for You is certainly an exhilarating read, and I become more and more invested with the story the more I flip the pages. Despite of her lucky upbringing, Eva is not a snotty brat at all. She’s considerate and rational most of the time. Grace, Eva’s best friend, is very supportive in helping Eva coping with her harsh condition. She’s exactly what you need and wish from a friend! Nate and Eva’s romance is cute. I’m kinda glad it doesn’t take the front seat of the story however since I am more attached in the mystery.

One reason I might like this book more than Marr’s other works might be because of the use of first-person POV, rather than her usual third-person POV. I like first-person perspective of Eva, the killer, and sometimes Grace. All of them gives a little glimpse towards the story. The thoughts of the killer is very sickening anyway – can we please tone it down a little? It left me with bad taste in my mouth every time I read the killer’s perspective. If Marr does want to create a horrible, terrifying psycho, then I guess it really works!

All in all, Made for You is a terrific ride and one I’d recommend to fans of contemporary mystery. It’s interesting to see how wealth and family background can matter so much in a small Southern town. Makes me wishing to read more Southern tale! With strong plots, great characters, and neat writing, Made for You is a recommendation for fans of YA fictions with mystery.

None of it makes sense to me. Micki did nothing to me, and although Amy slept with Robert, that’s not reason enough to wish this on her. Neither of those things explain why the killer attacked me. I sit on the sofa trying not to think that someone wants me dead—someone who has now killed two girls I know.

 4 cups of tea!

Great mystery and wonderful character. We call it creeptastic, I guess? ;)

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Review: Gilded Ashes (Cruel Beauty novella) by Rosamund Hodge

Title: Gilded Ashes
Author: Rosamund Hodge
Publisher: Balzer+Bray
Publication date: April 2014
Goodreads

From Goodreads:
A romantic and fantastical reimagining of the classic Cinderella tale, Gilded Ashes is a novella by Rosamund Hodge set in the same world as the author's debut novel, Cruel Beauty.

Orphan Maia doesn't see the point of love when it only brings pain: Her dying mother made a bargain with the evil, all-powerful ruler of their world that anyone who hurt her beloved daughter would be punished; her new stepmother went mad with grief when Maia's father died; and her stepsisters are desperate for their mother's approval, yet she always spurns them. And though her family has turned her into a despised servant, Maia must always pretend to be happy, or else they'll all be struck dead by the curse.

Anax, heir to the Duke of Sardis, doesn't believe in love either—not since he discovered that his childhood sweetheart was only using him for his noble title. What's the point of pretending to fall in love with a girl just so she'll pretend to fall in love with him back? But when his father invites all the suitable girls in the kingdom to a masked ball, Anax must finally give in and select a wife.

As fate would have it, the preparations for the masquerade bring him Maia, who was asked by her eldest stepsister to deliver letters to Anax. Despite a prickly first encounter, he is charmed and intrigued by this mysterious girl who doesn't believe in love. Anax can't help wishing to see her again—and when he does, he can't help falling in love with her. Against her will, Maia starts to fall in love with him too. But how can she be with him when every moment his life is in danger from her mother's deadly bargain?

Cinderella is one of my favorite fairytales, so I was over the moon when I found out this book! I love Rosamund Hodge’s debut, Cruel Beauty, and I’m so excited to tell you guys that Gilded Ashes is just as amazing! It has all the things I love from Rosamund Hodge’s Cruel Beauty: strong heroine, slow-building romance, twisted humor, and intricate plots. ♥

My mother loved me more than life itself. That’s how everything went wrong.

In Gilded Ashes, we meet Maia, daughter of a noble family who spends her days acting as the maid of her family. Maia’s family consist of a stepmother who demands nothing less but perfection, an uptight and desperate to be loved stepsister named Koré, and a kind yet foolish stepsister named Thea. They have no money and live in a rundown mansion. When Stepmother learns about the upcoming ball in a Duke’s house, she knows that it’s their chance to restore the family’s wealth and honor by marrying her daughter to the Duke’s son.

Koré asks Maia to deliver her letters to the Duke’s son, Lord Anax. This leads to Maia’s encounters with the ignorant noble, their unlikely friendship, and later, their slow-budding romance. But this is not a usual Cinderella tale and Maia can’t risk loving or hating anyone – not if she wants those people to stay alive. The only person she can love in this world is her mother, or specifically, the ghost of her mother.

Gilded Ashes is set in the same world with Cruel Beauty, and I love the similar references. Shadow that can make you go mad and a demon lord who will grant wishes if you’re willing to pay. While the novella is only 105 pages, it’s rich with characterization. Every character is not one-hundred percent good or bad, and even Stepmother has her own reason of being cruel to everyone including herself. The stepsisters are not usual ornaments in the story, but they serve great roles.

I love Rosamund Hodge’s heroines: they are delicate balance of intelligence, snark, and kindness. They are not easily won over and I like that about them. I very appreciate the fact that those heroines are the ones who decide their own fates in the end. They create their own stories and do not serve as only vessels for other people.

In short, I really enjoyed Gilded Ashes and look forward to read future books from the author. It’s a satisfying book for a novella and one I would recommend to those searching for short work or great fairytale retelling. It’s not usual Cinderella retelling. If you enjoyed Cruel Beauty, feel free to dive in! You wouldn’t disappointed. :)

If Koré can convince Lord Anax to marry her, then she will leave this house. Probably she will take Thea with her. Maybe they’ll even convince Stepmother to live at the palace with them, and then I won’t have to protect anyone.

Nobody to protect. I can hardly imagine such freedom.

“I’ll do it,” I say, my heart beating a swift, dizzy song of maybe, maybe, maybe. “I’ll do it.”

 

4 cups of tea!

Absolutely fairytale-ish. Beautiful.

Review and Giveaway: Lore: Tales of Myth and Legend Retold by Brinda Berry, Karen Y. Bynum, Laura Diamond, Jayne A. Knolls, Theresa DaLayne, Cate Dean

Title: Lore: Tales of Myth and Legend Retold
Authors:  Brinda Berry, Karen Y. Bynum, Laura Diamond, Jayne A. Knolls, Theresa DaLayne, Cate Dean
Publication date:
Publisher: Sweet Biscuit Publishing LLC
Goodreads

From Goodreads:
A collection of six folklore retellings that will twist your mind and claim your heart.

SHIMMER: A heartbroken boy rescues a mermaid... but is it too late to save her?

BETWEEN is about a girl, a genie, and a ton of bad decisions.

SUNSET MOON: Eloise doesn't believe in Native American magic--until the dreamcatcher spiders spin her down an unknown path.

THE MAKER: An incapacitated young man bent on revenge builds a creature to do it for him.

A BEAUTIFUL MOURNING: The story of a Maya goddess torn between duty and love, and the ultimate sacrifice she must make to achieve true happiness.

THE BARRICADES: When a human girl risks everything to save the life of an Eternal prince, will their feelings for each other change the world they know, or tear it apart?

I was in the mood for anthology, so Lore, An Anthology: Tales of Myth and Legend Retold was a great read for me. I like some stories more than the others, but overall it was a nice read and I came out knowing much more about myths and legends.

The first story, Shimmer, is a mermaid story with a twist in the end. It has romantic atmosphere, but the pacing is a bit too slow for my taste. I found the second story, Between, very interesting. It’s a classic high school elite clique story, but the appearance of djinn (genie) make this story memorable. I think the LGBT stuff can be taken more carefully, but I like the story in general. In my opinion, Sunset Moon has the strongest characterization in this anthology. It’s a bad girl meet good guy story, and their relationship is definitely swoon-worthy! I love Native American folklore, so it’s not hard for me to fall for this one. :)

The Maker… what can I say? It’s a take on golem mythology and the story reminds me a bit of Frankenstein. The guy makes a golem in order to take revenge on his girlfriend. The story lays heavily on description of action and it can bug you at times, but the plots are simply intriguing. I can definitely see the author’s potential in the story. A Beautiful Mourning has very beautiful, flowing written style. The story has poetic atmosphere in it which I’m sure many will appreciate. I love the ending in The Barricades. It ends with a hopeful note, and I think it suits well as the last story in this anthology.

All in all, Lore, An Anthology: Tales of Myth and Legend Retold is a fascinating read for me. If I have to play favorite, I think it would be A Beautiful Mourning. I’m a sucker for beautiful writing style and melancholic plots. ;) Sunset Moon is good as well. This anthology is a recommendation for anyone who wishes to visit many myths and legends in one go. From mermaid story to golem myth: just pick your favorite lore! :)

The heat from his skin dulled as his sharp eyes softened. “I will love as the mortals.” He leaned in and brushed his lips against mine. My eyes fluttered shut. “Fearlessly and without limitations.”

from A Beautiful Mourning

3 cups of tea

Great for in-between reading!

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This is part of the tour hosted by Xpresso Book Tours. Thanks for letting me joining the fun, Giselle!

 

Review: The Truth About Alice by Jennifer Mathieu

Title: The Truth About Alice
Author: Jennifer Mathieu
Publication date: June 2014
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
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From Goodreads:
Everyone knows Alice slept with two guys at one party. When Healy High star quarterback, Brandon Fitzsimmons, dies in a car crash, it was because he was sexting with Alice. Ask anybody.  Rumor has it Alice Franklin is a slut. It's written all over the "slut stall" in the girls' bathroom: "Alice had sex in exchange for math test answers" and "Alice got an abortion last semester." After Brandon dies, the rumors start to spiral out of control. In this remarkable debut novel, four Healy High students tell all they "know" about Alice--and in doing so reveal their own secrets and motivations, painting a raw look at the realities of teen life. But in this novel from Jennifer Mathieu, exactly what is the truth about Alice? In the end there's only one person to ask: Alice herself.

A read along with lovely Pooja @ On Books! . It was a great pleasure to compare notes with you, hun! Check out her wonderful review HERE.

3.5 stars

Everyone knows that Alice Franklin is a slut.

She has slept with two guys in one night in someone else’s bedroom during someone else party. Her sexting caused the super famous and gorgeous Brandon Fitzsimmons aka the king of Healy High died in car accident. She had abortion not long after, and who knows whose baby belongs to! Alice Franklin gets a stall dedicates just for her – slut stall – where girls can write all the things they believe Alice has done. Because Alice Franklin is a slut, and everybody knows it.

But is she really?

The Truth About Alice is a powerful book about what rumors can actually do. Events in this book remind me of snowball effect. Things roll and they get worse and worse. Told in multiple perspectives from the famous cheerleader to finally Alice herself, this book was a short and enjoyable ride for me.

I love the multiple POVs the most in this book. It was awesome to get to know Alice from different characters first and slowly unveil why each of them keep their own Alice-related secrets. Some of those secrets actually took me aback, like Kelsie’s secret. Kelsie, the ex-best friend of Alice and a social climber, is one of the most intriguing character I’ve ever met. She’s horrible and made me so mad, but she was an interesting character to read.

I think the only underdeveloped character in this book might be Brandon, the dead guy. Every character describes Brandon as gorgeous, super funny, a bit of jerk but still so awesome, and it ticks me off a little because he’s not the person I see from the pages. If the author wants readers to have some sympathy to him, I think it would be better to show more humane side of Brandon.

While reading this book, I was also driven to think of the double standard in our society. While Alice is treated like a slut for allegedly sleeping with two guys in one night, Brandon with his never ending conquest of girls is treated like God instead. I think hypocrisy is one of the greatest themes in this book – people keep saying one thing while they act different.

All in all, The Truth About Alice was a thought-provoking book with great narrations. I also love the glimpses of hope in this book despite of how bad the situation is. While this book is not entirely flawless, it’s certainly worth reading.

The hard truth is I think I knew we weren’t going to be friends anymore the day after Elaine’s party when I read that text about her and Brandon and Tommy Cray. It sounds terrible and shallow and not at all like something the Kelsie Sanders I knew in Flint would have said, but I’ve spent too many years sitting alone in the cafeteria, and I just can’t handle doing it again.

And I won’t.

3 cups of tea!

A quick and enjoyable ride.

Review: The Art of Lainey by Paula Stokes

Title: The Art of Lainey
Author: Paula Stokes
Publication date: May 2014
Publisher: HarperTeen
Goodreads | Buy from The Book Depository


From Goodreads:
"A satisfying and sweet story." -Publishers Weekly

Soccer star Lainey Mitchell is gearing up to spend an epic summer with her amazing boyfriend, Jason, when he suddenly breaks up with her—no reasons, no warning, and in public no less! Lainey is more than crushed, but with help from her friend Bianca, she resolves to do whatever it takes to get Jason back.

And that’s when the girls stumble across a copy of The Art of War. With just one glance, they're sure they can use the book to lure Jason back into Lainey’s arms. So Lainey channels her inner warlord, recruiting spies to gather intel and persuading her coworker Micah to pose as her new boyfriend to make Jason jealous. After a few "dates", it looks like her plan is going to work! But now her relationship with Micah is starting to feel like more than just a game.

What's a girl to do when what she wants is totally different from what she needs? How do you figure out the person you're meant to be with if you're still figuring out the person you're meant to be?

The Art of Lainey opens up in quite a dramatic way: Lainey breaking up with her boyfriend Jason in public, precisely in her own father’s coffee shop with everyone else watching. After spending days tearing up about the break-up, Lainey decides that Jason must have made mistake and resolves to do whatever it takes to get him back. With the help of ancient Chinese war strategy book, The Art of War by Sun Tzu, Lainey and her friends/comrades create strategy to get their exes back. Who says that love is not war?

I am in the mood for something short and sweet, and The Art of Lainey comes in handy! It’s fun and cute. The plotline might be predictable, but we’ll still want to know the road to happy ending! Lainey may come off as very typical of teenager at first – ‘oh nooo my life ends after he breaks up with me’ case – but she has some great qualities that make me admire her. She’s very loyal to the people she loves, which is simply awesome. ♥

Lainey goes on a series of fake-dates with her childhood friend/colleague in work/comrade in getting back the exes thing, Micah, and their fake dates are just entertaining! Nothing beats chemistry between the two people who know each other from a long time. They banter back-and-forth, but you can feel that they actually suit each other. Micah has bad boy look with Mohawk and tattoos, but he’s actually a normal guy who is kind and thinks of his family above else.

If you’re looking for cute summer read, The Art of Lainey can be your perfect choice. I love the references to The Art of War. I may have taken some notes from it. *wink wink* This book reminds me of Disney movies sometimes, specifically She’s the Man – Lainey being a soccer goddess and having a bad boy hero with kind heart around – and I’d love to watch the movie version of this book. Give The Art of Lainey a go, and get ready to have your heart fluttered!

I stare at my tan fingers curled inside Micah’s pale ones as we head back into the stadium tunnels. I’m a little sweaty, and so is he, but it doesn’t feel nearly as weird as I thought it would to hold hands with another guy. Jason used to squeeze too hard sometimes and practically crush my fingers, but Micah’s grip is firm and relaxed. Kind of nice. It feels almost normal, really. Like, in another world, the two of us could actually be on a date.

4 cups of tea!

Cute and fun! Recommended for fluffy reading.

Review: Golden by Jessi Kirby

Title: Golden
Author: Jessi Kirby
Publication Date: May 2013
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Goodreads

From Goodreads:
Seventeen-year-old Parker Frost has never taken the road less traveled. Valedictorian and quintessential good girl, she’s about to graduate high school without ever having kissed her crush or broken the rules. So when fate drops a clue in her lap—one that might be the key to unraveling a town mystery—she decides to take a chance.

Julianna Farnetti and Shane Cruz are remembered as the golden couple of Summit Lakes High—perfect in every way, meant to be together forever. But Julianna’s journal tells a different story—one of doubts about Shane and a forbidden romance with an older, artistic guy. These are the secrets that were swept away with her the night that Shane’s jeep plunged into an icy river, leaving behind a grieving town and no bodies to bury.

Reading Julianna’s journal gives Parker the courage to start to really live—and it also gives her reasons to question what really happened the night of the accident. Armed with clues from the past, Parker enlists the help of her best friend, Kat, and Trevor, her longtime crush, to track down some leads. The mystery ends up taking Parker places that she never could have imagined. And she soon finds that taking the road less traveled makes all the difference.

What is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?
- Mary Oliver

Valedictorian Parker Frost stumbles across a journey of the most famous dead girl in her town, Julianna Farnetti. Parker know she shouldn’t read what she is not supposed to, but she can’t resist herself and soon she is wrapped in the story of Julianna, Shane, and Orion. The story that is different from what she has always heard of the golden couple Julianna and Shane. When there is possibility that Julianna might be still alive, along with her best friend Kat and her longtime crush Trevor, Parker goes on a road trip to find the supposedly-dead girl and make things right.

I love Frost’s poems, and with snippets of his poems in the beginning of each chapter, it is hard not to like this book. And road trip! We all have soft spot for road trip books, don’t we?

Golden has all of the important ingredients. Neat plot, likable set of characters, and just the right mix of drama and Frost’s poems. Add a spice of mystery, and voila! A wonderful friend to accompany you in the afternoon is ready. The only problem I have with this book is it feels anticlimactic. There are conflicts, yes, but it is resolved in such a peaceful manner that I didn’t feel the thrill at all. It has all the buildups, but no crackling fire. I guess the lack of climax is mainly caused of my distance to the main character. Parker is likeable, but sometimes I feel like she keeps readers at the arm’s length.

While I have some problems with Golden, it’s still a wonderful book that I’m sure many others can relate with. Parker’s journey of self-discovery is something that is worth reading since it is something that we have gone through in one phase of our lives. Then maybe, like Parker, we can be brave enough to take the road less traveled.

My journal. Today I’ll seal it up and bring it to Mr. Kinney, and tomorrow, after graduation, I’ll get on a plane, and cross endless miles of land and sky, to begin the next chapter of my one wild and precious life. I don’t know where I’ll be ten years from now when my story comes back to me, but I hope that when I read it I can see that the road I chose really did make all the difference.


  

 4 cups of tea!

A great choice for afternoon reading.

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Review: The Boy in the Smoke (A Shades of London book) by Maureen Johnson

Title: The Boy in the Smoke
Author: Maureen Johnson
Publication date: February 2014
Publisher: Hot Key Books
Goodreads


From Goodreads:
On a cold night, Stephen Dene went to the Eton boathouse to perform a desperate act. But someone stopped him along the way, sending his life in a new and decidedly strange direction–leading him to London, to two new friends, and to a world of shadows and mystery.

From New York Times bestselling author of 13 Little Blue Envelopes, Key to the Golden Firebird and The Name of the Star, The Boy in the Smoke is a thrilling prequel to The Shades of London series.

Since I am in the mood for guy protagonist lately, I decided to venture out of my usual sub-genres in Young Adult and read this book. The Boy in the Smoke is a novella and prequel for a series I haven’t even read, but I managed to enjoy this book a lot nonetheless.

We are introduced to Stephen, a quiet boy trained to obey authorities, and his dysfunctional family. In the cold house where his parents never have time for him, Stephen’s only friend is his sister, Gina. But Gina, cheerful yet self-destructive Gina, will not stay around for long. In the end, Stephen himself has to choose whether to follow his ignorant parents’ orders or to follow his own dream.

The first half of the book feels very much like a typical contemporary YA, so I was quite taken aback when the paranormal stuffs kick in. One of the ghosts still gives me creeps (“He was little,” she explained. “And he made a lot of noise. So I put him in the fire. Everyone was angry.” *shivers*). I like Stephen, he is a nice guy – polite and sincere – and no one deserves better happy ending than him. Mentally kicking his parents for treating him so badly. I’m glad with how things turn out in the end. The ghost-buster things feels kinda rushed, but I guess it’s understandable since we are expected to find out more about it in the first novel.

Maureen Johnson is an author whose book I’d wanted to read for a long time, and I’m glad to say that this novella made me want to read more of her works. The story has a nice flow and it didn’t take long for me to finish it. For a companion novel, I think this book also works well as a standalone. Fans of Shades of London would love this companion since it adds up a lot to the background of one of the main characters, Stephen. Those who are simply curious and in search of a well-written guy POV like me, well, feel free to dive in!

You can tell when your parents dislike you—when they are horrified by the way you eat, at your bodily fluids, at the noises you make and the way you play. You know when you perpetually give them a headache or make them vanish into another room and leave you with the housekeeper or each other or the dog, whatever is handy.

Another way you can tell is when it is the last day of prep school, and they forget to come and get you and go on holiday to Barbados instead.

This is how Stephen Dene finally figured it out.

 

3.5 cups of tea!

Love the smooth guy narration. :)

 

Review: Half Bad by Sally Green

Title: Half Bad
Author: Sally Green
Publication date: March 2014
Publisher: Viking Juvenile
Goodreads

From Goodreads:
Half Bad by Sally Green is a breathtaking debut novel about one boy's struggle for survival in a hidden society of witches.

You can't read, can't write, but you heal fast, even for a witch.

You get sick if you stay indoors after dark.

You hate White Witches but love Annalise, who is one.

You've been kept in a cage since you were fourteen.

All you've got to do is escape and find Mercury, the Black Witch who eats boys. And do that before your seventeenth birthday.

Easy.

Nathan lives in a witch society where every witch is divided between two: black witch and white witch. White witches are the good ones who run the government while black witches are those hunted and feared by the white witches. Everyone is either White or Black, but Nathan is the only exception. Having a dead White witch mother and feared Black witch father, Nathan lives his life bullied and hated by other White witches.

The first time I heard about Half Bad, I liked the premise right away. Black and White witches might be a classic idea, but we all love classic, right? ;) Half Bad was interesting and the idea was executed nicely. Nathan is also a very fascinating character with his neither good nor bad personality. I found myself warming up to him very fast.

Half Bad opens with second-person POV. The POV might not be for everyone, but I loved it. It’s strange, intriguing, and keep me reading. The opening of the book is very important since I’m the kind of person who would drop a book in a heartbeat when the opening doesn’t interest me. I have quite an expectation for Half Bad, and I’m pleased to say this book doesn’t disappoint me the slightest.

The bond between brothers is another aspect I really appreciate. It felt real, the compassion between Nathan and his brother Arran. Here’s hoping to see more of Arran in the future book! I found the romance in this book as the only thing that disappointed me. The romance between Nathan and Annalise is sweet and lovely, but it’s not enough to get myself invested emotionally. Maybe we will see more of Annalise in the second book and she will finally grow on me.

All in all, Half Bad was a very enjoyable read on witches and friendship. It is very easy to immerse yourself in the world of white and black witches. I can hardly wait for the second book, and fingers crossed it will be even better with more actions, friendship, and appearances of side characters I really adore!

I have to be given three gifts and drink the blood of my ancestors, the blood of my parents or grandparents. But apart from Gran there is only one person who can give me three gifts, only one person who can defy the Council, only one person whose blood will turn me from whet to witch.

I must go and find my father.

I’m eleven. Eleven is a long way off seventeen. And I have no idea how to find Marcus. I don’t have a clue how to begin to find him. But at least now I know what I have to do.

 

 4 cups of tea!

Perfect for fans of fantasy books.