Stravaganza: City of Masks by Mary Hoffman

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Present day, London. Lucien Mulholland spends his days in a hospital bed receiving vicious treatment for the cancer that has taken over his brain. It makes him so sick that sometimes he wonders what makes him feel worse: the cancer or the chemo. His parents do everything they can to try and make him feel better, and one day his father brings him a little notebook he found in a house he was cleaning out. It doesn't seem like much, but when Lucien falls asleep with the notebook in his hand, he realizes it's a much bigger thing than he could have ever imagined.

Suddenly, Lucien finds himself transported to a different time, different place. He quickly realizes that his hair, long gone because of the cancer treatments, is back, and he feels stronger and healthier than ever, although a little confused. He meets a girl who is not where she's supposed to be, and he is somehow trapped into being in the service of the Duchess of the Island Bellezza, which he comes to realize is very much like the city he knows as Venice. When he wakes up in his hospital bed, he decides all this must be a dream. But when the dreams keep coming back, they become almost more real than his home in London. He meets a man who tells him he isn't dreaming but stravagating. Traveling from one world to another, and all this because of the little notebook his father had given him. Can Lucien handle living in both worlds, thriving in one, barely surviving in another? Find out in this book filled with adventure, magic, and even a little romance.

I picked this book up at the library, not sure what to expect. I was intrigued by the cover, and the thought of travel to a different time and place has always been interesting to me. Though it was a little hard to get into, I loved this book. It was not predictable at all, a very big advantage when it comes to the books I read, and it was so good I couldn't put it down. I read it in a very short amount of time, not because of it's level of difficulty, but because of the storyline that kept me reading. I thought the parallels between Talia of the book and Italy of our world were very interesting, but the two places weren't too similar to be boring. It was a great read and I definitely reccomend it! I can't wait to read the next book in the series.

Mary Hoffman has loved Italy since her first trip there at 14, and she has transferred that love into City of Masks. She has written four sequels to City of Masks, and the sixth one is due to come out in 2012. For more information about Mary Hoffman and her other books, visit maryhoffman.co.uk.

I'm Back!

I am very sad to say that once school started I suddenly became so busy I was completely unable to post anything. On the bright side, I have been reading almost as much as usual and have many books that I can possibly write reviews on in the next few weeks, so hopefully I will have some up soon!
Thanks for following!
Rachel

The Luxe by Anna Godberson

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Manhattan. 1899. Parties, dresses, romance... and betrayal.

In the highest classes of society in 19th century New York, even the closest of friends will turn on each other to obtain what they desire, or hide their darkest secrets. Heiresses Elizabeth and Dianna Holland, Penelope Hayes, and Lina Broud are right in the middle of all of it. Elizabeth is engaged to a man she does not love, and who does not love her, and wants nothing more than to be with Will, the stable boy who has had her heart for years. Penelope wants power and is willing to crush anything that gets in her way, especially her friends. Diana is young and in love with none other than her sister's fiance who claims to love her too. Lina is Elizabeth's former maid who has managed to climb her way up the society ladder in a less-than honest way in the hope of stealing Will's love from Elisabeth. Lies told and believed weave a complicated web for these 4 young women, will their stories end as they hope?

I fell in love with this book as soon as I picked it up. Though at times it is confusing and seems almost to be a 19th century soap opera, it is intriguing and it kept me wanting to read the next one in the series as soon as possible. It is a historically accurate love story whose fantastic plot will never leave you bored, though sometimes a little confused. You will find yourself quickly taking sides with the very developed characters and getting lost in the beautiful setting that is New York City at the turn of the century. The Luxe Series is an amazing couple of books that I recommend to teenage girls.

Anna Godberson has written 3 sequels to Luxe: Rumors, Envy and Splendor, all of which are fantastic books and I highly recommend. She is also publishing Bright Young Things, a book about the roaring 20s, in October, which I look forward to reading.

Impossible by Nancy Werlin

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Are you going to Scarborough Fair?
Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme
Remember me to one who lives there
She must be a true love of mine.

This is a ballad you are maybe familiar with. It has been written in many versions, and sung by many people. But do the words sound quite right? There is a little change. This is the version the Scarborough women have been singing for generations. For years, they have been under a curse. Mother after mother has fallen into madness after the birth of her daughter because they were unable to complete the impossible tasks in the ballad Scarborough Fair. All this because of the Elfin Knight whose affections were refused by a girl named Fenella Scarborough. Impossible is the story of the girl who refuses to be overcome and resolves to complete the tasks for herself, her daughter, and her one true love. But will she be able to or will the Elfin Knight claim her as his forevermore?

Lucy Scarborough has always lived with her foster parents because her birth mother, Miranda, is completely mad, and has been since Lucy's birth. When Lucy becomes pregnant under difficult circumstances, she finds a journal and a letter written by her mother before she was even born. This letter seems like complete madness. A curse? An Elfin Knight? These things are impossible. But piece by piece things start to make sense, and Lucy finds herself fighting to complete the three tasks required by the Knight to escape being his mistress until the birth of her granddaughter. She starts off determined and confident, but doubt begins to overcome her and she wonders if she will be able to finish what she started. If generations of her ancestors couldn't, why should she be able to? But Lucy has one thing those women didn't have, she has Zach. Zach is so in love with Lucy and just as determined as she is to defeat this curse. Will their love be enough to loosen the impossibly tight grip this evil has on Lucy?

I picked up Impossible partially because of the ballad Scarborough Fair, which I have prepared for a vocal performance, and partially because of a friend who loved it. I will make sure to follow her recommendations from now on because this book was wonderful. Wonderful story, wonderfully written. It kept me on edge constantly and was a fantastic combination of realistic fiction and fairy tale love story. I couldn't put it down! I definitely recommend this book to older teenagers who enjoy a hint of fantasy in books.

Nancy Werlin is an award winning author who has written many novels for young adults. Impossible has won many awards and was nominated for the ALA Book List Top Ten. For more information on Nancy Werlin, Impossible, and her other works please visit nancywerlin.com.

Delay

Hey there!
I've been on vacation for the past while with no internet.
I hope to have a review up by this evening!

Blog Hopping Post July 2-5

My Name is Rachel and I started blogging because I have always loved reading and now I actually get to do something with it. Family members have been trying to get me to start a website or a blog for a long time and I finally decided to try it out and I love it!

I will be out of town for 2 weeks but I hope to get some more reviews up (my notebook and book stash are going with me!) when I get back.
When I get back I am also going to start reading Mayne Attraction by Ann Mauren. I will be posting an interview and review around late July.

The Pale Assassin by Patricia Elliott

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Eugenie de Boncoeur is a spoiled, orphaned young aristocrat living in France at the start of the French Revolution. While her maid, Hortense, has a passion for politics and loves attending the National Assembly, Eugenie would rather spend her days with dresses, lemonade in cafes and pate de guimauve, her favorite treat. What she doesn't know is that her guardian, thinking he is doing what's best, has promised her hand in marriage to Raoul Goullet, also known as Le Fantome, who has sworn to kill her father and destroy his family. As the Revolution becomes more and more dangerous, Eugenie's guardian sends her to a convent thinking she will be safe there and hoping she will learn how to be a proper wife for Le Fantome. But when that convent is attacked and Eugenie finds herself with no home to go to and no one to depend on but her brother, Armand, she must give up her spoiled tendencies and try to survive. But it seems that no matter where she goes, even when she flees to England to seek the help of the brother of her deceased mother, the pale assassin that is Le Fantome never seems far away. Eugenie must decide who she can trust, if anyone. Will romance and loyalty keep her from making that decision?

I have always loved historical fiction, and one of my favorite time periods is the 17oos, so when I saw The Pale Assassin I just knew it would be right up my alley. I was not disappointed. The book was historically accurate while remaining a good work of fiction. The characters were developed nicely, and their actions were not too predictable. Speaking of predictable, this novel was not. I was pleasantly surprised several times. I do wish the story was less about the French Revolution and more about Eugenie's story, but I still enjoyed this novel very much and I was very disappointed when it ended. I look forward to reading the sequel, The Traitor's Smile.

Patricia Elliott lives in England as has traveled all over the world. A sequel to The Pale Assassin is soon to be available. For more information on The Pale Assassin, Patricia Elliott, and her other works, please visit www.patriciaelliott.co.uk.

Nothing by Janne Teller

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"Nothing matters."
"Life isn't worth the bother."
These are the things the 7th graders of Taering, Denmark, hear every day on their way to school. They are shouted at by a classmate, Pierre Anthon, who one day decided to leave school and sit in the plum tree to become a part of nothing. Nothing is their story. As he sits in his plum tree, Pierre Anthon hurls unripened plums and insults at the students as they walk by. Finally, they get sick of it and decide to prove to him that there are things in this world that matter. What better way than to collect these things? What starts as a seemingly harmless "game" slowly turns into something much graver as the objects the students demand from each other grow in value and... meaning? Has this defiance toward a classmate gotten far too out of control?

I must admit that writing a review for this book is difficult. While it was very disturbing and quite strange, it was wonderfully written and left me thinking about it for a long time. It is written from the viewpoint of one of the students, Agnes, and her confusion over the whole matter, as well as her desperation to prove Pierre Anthon wrong, was felt intensely throughout the entire novel. Overall, while I would not suggest it for middle school students at all, I do feel this book can teach a very good lesson and I reccomend it for high school students looking for a powerful, thought-provoking read.

Nothing was originally published in Danish and has recieved the Libbylit award, which is given to the best children's book of the year published in French. It was also awarded the Danish Cultural Ministry's prize for best children's book of the year in 2001. Nothing has been published in several different languages as have many of Janne Teller's books. For more information on Nothing, Janne Teller, and her other works, please visit www.janneteller.dk.

A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray

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"Don't judge a book by it's cover." I'm sure very many are familiar with this saying. And if there is a book that it applies to, it's A Great and Terrible Beauty. I picked this book up expecting a typical historical romance and instead got an impossible-to-put-down story full of magic and adventure.

Gemma Doyle has spent the 16 years of her life living in late 1800s India. Her life is normal as can be until the day of her 16th birthday. While out shopping with her mother, a mysterious man approaches and slips a message to her mother. Suddenly panicked, Mrs. Doyle orders Gemma to go home. Gemma is furious and runs away. But before she can get far, she is struck with a terrible vision of her mother committing suicide. Soon thereafter, her mother is found... dead.

Gemma is sent to England to attend Spence Academy, a boarding school for young ladies. There, she meets Ann, an unpopular scholarship student who befriends her immediately. She also meets Felicity, a headstrong and somewhat snobby daughter of an admiral, as well as Pippa, Felicity's best friend who is beautiful but who seems quite cruel. This unlikely group of girls discover the Realms, a secret place that contains a magic guarded for centuries by 2 ancient groups of sorcerers who will do anything to protect it. They slowly begin to unravel the mystery of the Realms and the death of Gemma's mother. At the same time they discover the great but terrible beauty of the magic within the Realms.

Although I was very surprised by this story, I cannot say I was disappointed. On her website, Libba Bray claims she writes very visually and I can definitely see this in this novel. Descriptions are vivid, if not sometimes graphic, and I have a picture in my head at the end of the book. While sometimes characters can seem a little undeveloped, I found they are often completed in the book's sequels, Rebel Angels and The Sweet Far Thing. The plot is full of unexpected turns and twists, and while I wouldn't necessarily call it historical fiction, I enjoyed the period setting. This book is not always lighthearted. Characters deal with difficult subjects such as self harm and drug abuse, and some scenes are a bit mature. But overall this is a wonderful work of fiction and I enjoyed it tremendously.

Libba Bray, who has won an ALA Books for Young Adults Award twice, has done a marvelous job combining adventure, fantasy, and a hint of romance in this book. A Great and Terrible Beauty was a New York Times Bestseller and was on the Tayshas High School Reading List, which is a reading list by the Texas Library Association. I would definitely reccommend this book to high school or mature middle school students.

For more information about A Great and Terrible Beauty, Libba Bray, and her other works, please visit libbabray.com.

About my Bookshelf

I read. A lot. And I have decided to start reviewing the books I read, be they good or bad.
I hope to have some posts up soon!
I'm going to start out by posting reviews of books I've already read. Then once I get a few up here and start to get then hang of things I'm hoping to start posting weekly (at least) reviews of books I am currently reading.