Kazumi Reads

Plot Summary:
Cath has always dreamed of owning her own bakery, but, as a lady, becoming a business woman is not an option. In fact, her only option, according to her mother. is to become Queen of Hearts and that is the last thing she wants. Although the King of Hearts is the the sweetest person around, there is no way Cath could ever fall in love with someone who bounces when the giggle. However, at the night of the ball, Cath and the entire kingdom met the new royal jester who not only stole show, but her heart as well. What started out as an inadvertent rescue attempt from an impending proposal from the king (and a super tight corset), Cath fell hard for the mysterious Jest. While trying to evade the King, and make her dream come true, Cath doesn't know what to do or who to trust. Meanwhile, there's a Jabberwocky on the loose and the people are concerned as it's been centuries since a Jabberwock has been seen around the land of Hearts. With each adventure, and mishap, Cath and Jest's attraction rapidly grows and, when the unthinkable happens, readers will know why the next Queen of Hearts demands that heads roll.


Critical Evaluation:
Marissa Meyer has done it again! Not only has she taken a beloved story and made it her own, she finally gives us the story we have all been dying for: the story of the Queen of Hearts. I will confess that this story not only me falling in love with "Alice in Wonderland" all over again, but the characters were my absolute fave. Cath is definitely my kind of gal as I identify with her in many ways. For most of us, we all have experienced, or will experience, deep loss. However, we all choose to handle our losses and grief in different ways and, for Cath, her grief turns to vengeance and, ultimately, destroyed the sweet girl that her family and friends loved. This story is a story about love and not a love story as the ending will have readers in tears and craving revenge as well. Very well written and I can't wait to see what Marissa will write next!

Information about the Author:
According to the author's website:

One of my first spoken words was “story” (right along with “bath” and “cookie”), my favorite toy as an infant was a soft, squishable book, and I’ve wanted to be a writer since I first realized such a job existed.

When I was fourteen my best friend introduced me to anime and fanfiction—over the years I would complete over forty Sailor Moon fanfics under the penname Alicia Blade. Those so inclined can still find my first stories at fanfiction.net. Writing fanfic turned out to be awesome fun and brought me in contact with an amazing group of fanfiction readers and writers. As Alicia Blade, I also had a novelette, “The Phantom of Linkshire Manor,” published in the gothic romance anthology Bound in Skin (CatsCurious Press, 2007).

When I was sixteen I worked at The Old Spaghetti Factory in Tacoma, Washington, affectionately termed “The Spag.” (Random factoid: This is also the restaurant where my parents met some 25 years before.) I attended Pacific Lutheran University where I sorted mail that came to the dorm, carted tables and chairs around campus, and took writing classes, eventually earning a Bachelor’s degree in Creative Writing and Children’s Literature. Knowing I wanted a career in books, I would also go on to receive a Master’s degree in Publishing from Pace University (which you can learn more about here). After graduation, I worked as an editor in Seattle for a while before becoming a freelance typesetter and proofreader.

Then, day of days, someone thought it would be a good idea to give me a book deal, so I became a full-time writer. CINDER is my first novel, though I have an adorable collection of unfinished ones lying around too.

I now live with my husband and our three cats (Calexandria Josephine, Stormus Enormous, and Blackland Rockwell III), who go in and out, in and out, about eight hundred times a day. My favorite non-bookish things include Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, re-watching episodes of Firefly, and playing all manners of dress-up.

Genre:
Teen Fantasy, Teen Romance

Reading Level/Interest:
Grades 9 & up
 
Books Similar to Heartless:

• Roseblood by A.G. Howard
• Stealing Snow by Daniel Paige

Awards & Recognition:
From Amazon.com
"In Heartless, the nonsense that is Wonderland gets a reverential makeover, full of heart and its own idiosyncratic character."--Gregory Maguire, WICKED and AFTER ALICE

"The author’s best fantasy yet. ...Meyer has woven all the elements of darkness and light, fate and free will, and love and hatred into an unforgettable story of the evolution of the Red Queen from a young girl who dreamed of true love and freedom to a madwoman best remembered for the phrase 'Off with his head.' If you only read one fractured fairy tale this year, make it Heartless. A must-have title.--School Library Journal, starred review

Plot Summary:
In the final installment of The Lunar Chronicles, readers read about the life of Princess Winter, the stepdaughter of Queen Levana. While Levana scours the universe for Cinder, Winter finally learns the identity of Cinder who happens to be her blood relative. More importantly, Winter continues to communicate with Scarlet, who happens to be an ally of Cinder. In order to take down Levana, Cinder, Kai, Wolf, Cress, and Thorne devise a plan that is not only dangerous, but could result in the their deaths. In order to infiltrate the Lunar Kingdom, Kai convinces Cinder that they only way they will get close to Levana is to go through with wedding. In other words, Cinder must bring down Levana at the coronation, which is not only risky, but could seal the fates of every Lunar and Earthling. Despite the danger, Levana must be stopped because she is the key to supplying the antidote to the plague that is destroying the citizens of Earth. Meanwhile, unbeknownst to the crew, Levana is planning something even more evil and that is to not only destroy Cinder, but Winter as well. As Cinder and her crew uncover the horrors of Levana's rule, they learn the real reason behind her hatred for both Cinder and Winter. This is an epic conclusion to an amazing adventure where five young women must not only battle evil, but they must for the sake of those they love and hold most dear.

Critical Evaluation:
 I will admit that I am a huge fan. Not only is it genius to put a science fiction spin on fairy tail characters, it's even more awesome when they know how to fly space ships, hack networks, and be all around bad asses while maintaining their beautiful spirits. I was very, very happy with this conclusion because it did not end in a WEDDING! OMG! Thank you so much Marissa Meyer for providing a story for strong young women where they decide their fates, who they love, and how they will live their lives. This series will be a forever fixture on my book shelf because I want to read it with my future children where everything great in literature collide. Although Winter is not tough like Cinder or Scarlet, her strength lies in her kindness. Unlike Levana, the people love her not just for her beauty, but because of her gentle spirit. More importantly, Winter refuses to use her powers on her subjects, which is why she suffers from hallucinations. Winter literally dies a little with each episode, but she refuses to hurt her people. More importantly, her love for Jacin is so beautiful and his loyalty and love for her is so refreshing! One thing I got to had to Marissa Mayer is her ability to create beautiful couples. Although I am a huge Team Scarlet/Wolf, Team Winter/Jacin is my second favorite. All in all, this was a fantastic ending and I can't wait to read Marissa Meyer's next series!

Information about the Author:
According to the author's website:

One of my first spoken words was “story” (right along with “bath” and “cookie”), my favorite toy as an infant was a soft, squishable book, and I’ve wanted to be a writer since I first realized such a job existed.

When I was fourteen my best friend introduced me to anime and fanfiction—over the years I would complete over forty Sailor Moon fanfics under the penname Alicia Blade. Those so inclined can still find my first stories at fanfiction.net. Writing fanfic turned out to be awesome fun and brought me in contact with an amazing group of fanfiction readers and writers. As Alicia Blade, I also had a novelette, “The Phantom of Linkshire Manor,” published in the gothic romance anthology Bound in Skin (CatsCurious Press, 2007).

When I was sixteen I worked at The Old Spaghetti Factory in Tacoma, Washington, affectionately termed “The Spag.” (Random factoid: This is also the restaurant where my parents met some 25 years before.) I attended Pacific Lutheran University where I sorted mail that came to the dorm, carted tables and chairs around campus, and took writing classes, eventually earning a Bachelor’s degree in Creative Writing and Children’s Literature. Knowing I wanted a career in books, I would also go on to receive a Master’s degree in Publishing from Pace University (which you can learn more about here). After graduation, I worked as an editor in Seattle for a while before becoming a freelance typesetter and proofreader.

Then, day of days, someone thought it would be a good idea to give me a book deal, so I became a full-time writer. CINDER is my first novel, though I have an adorable collection of unfinished ones lying around too.

I now live with my husband and our three cats (Calexandria Josephine, Stormus Enormous, and Blackland Rockwell III), who go in and out, in and out, about eight hundred times a day. My favorite non-bookish things include Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, re-watching episodes of Firefly, and playing all manners of dress-up.

Genre:
Teen Fantasy, Teen Romance
 
Reading Level/Interest:
Grades 8 & up
 
Books Similar to Winter:

• Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard
• Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
• Dorothy Must Die by Danielle Paige

Awards & Recognition:

“In this final book in the Lunar Chronicles, the stepdaughter of the wicked Queen Levana joins Cinder, Scarlet, and Cress to defeat the Queen and restore Cinder―aka Selene―as the rightful ruler of Luna. Yes, it's another one of Meyer's very fractured fairy tales, in which she offers a new amalgam of Grimm's fairy tales, science fiction, violence, women's lib, and romance. Our Snow White stand-in, Winter, is beautiful in spite of facial scars, kind to all she encounters, mentally fragile, and in love with her lowly guard, Jacin . . . Meyer's series has sold well and achieved a degree of acclaim. This conclusion's cinder-block size should only drum up further interest.” ―Booklist, starred review

Plot Summary:
In Bone Gap, Illinois there aren't any mountains or hill...there is nothing but gaps. For Finn, Bone Gap is the place where his mother left him behind and trapped his older brother, Sean, forever. Finn is known as the Space Man who never looks anyone in the face. The thing about Finn is that he isn't clueless or empty-headed: he just has a hard time remembering faces. When Roza was kidnapped, Finn saw the man who took her, but, for some reason, he couldn't remember his face. Although everyone blames Finn for being unable to identify Roza's kidnapper, he never stopped looking unlike Sean. Just when he was about to lose hope, Finn sees the same man who took Roza and, when he tries tell the sheriff and Sean, no one believes him except for Petey (aka. Priscilla). Finn has had feelings for Petey for a long time, but, when the black mare mysteriously showed up in his barn, the mare finally brought him and Petey together. The problem is that Petey is the only face he remembers, which is strange because he can't remember his own face. As Petey and Finn dive into their relationship, Roza is trying desperately to escape from the man that took her, but something strange is going on because one moment she is in a house with unbreakable windows and then a castle out of a fairytale. What exactly is going on in Bone Gap where a person can be taken away in an instant and faces become unforgettable. In this riveting story where reality shifts, Finn must find Roza before it's too late.  

Critical Evaluation:
I really did not expect this story to turn out the way it did. My first impression is that it's a typical young adult mystery, but it intertwines mystery, fantasy, suspense, and romance into a story where two people who were lost and found again. I really thought Finn was in love with Roza, but it's actually quite the opposite. Finn literally brought Roza into his world so it's only natural that he would be the one to bring her back home. Roza and Finn have this relationship that isn't based on romantic love, but on a different kind of love that two lost souls need to find their place in this world. As for Petey, the love that Finn feels for he isn't only genuine, but forces Petey to realize that he loves her for who she is and not what she looks like. Love is the underlying theme of this story because it was the loss of love that made Finn and Sean's mother leave, but it was the want and need for love that provided the happiness and hope that everyone needed. I really didn't know what to expect when I read this story, but I am happy I did! 

Information about the Author:
According to the author's website:

Laura Ruby writes fiction for adults, teens and children. She is the author of the newly-released YA novel BONE GAP, as well as the Edgar-nominated children's mystery LILY'S GHOSTS, the ALA Quick Pick for teens GOOD GIRLS (2006), a collection of interconnected short stories about blended families for adults, I'M NOT JULIA ROBERTS (2007), and the forthcoming middle-grade trilogy YORK. She is on the faculty of Hamline University's Masters in Writing for Children Program. She makes her home in the Chicago area.

Genre:
Teen Contemporary Fiction, Teen Fantasy, Teen Romance

Reading Level/Interest:
Grades 9 & up

Books Similar to Bone Gap:

• The Weight of Feathers by Anna-Marie MacLemore
• More Than This by Patrick Ness
• Magonia by Maria Dahvana Headley

Awards & Recognition:
From Amazon.com:

“It’s a novel about actual changes in worldview, and all its science and myth and realism and magic are marshaled, finally, to answer crucial questions about empathy and difference, and the way we see people we love.” (New York Times Book Review)

“BONE GAP marks Laura Ruby as one of fiction’s most original voices. She is capable of moving you to tears, terrifying you on deep and dreamlike levels, and making your heart shout with happiness. This book is magic realism at its most magical.” (E. Lockhart, author of WE WERE LIARS)

“Ruby’s novel deserves to be read and reread. It is powerful, beautiful, extraordinary.” (SLJ)

“With rich characters, captivating world building, and a stunning secret at its heart, BONE GAP is utterly bewitching.” (ALA Booklist (starred review))

“Cleverly conceived, and lusciously written.” (Kirkus Reviews (starred review))

“The real magic in Bone Gap is the discovery of love, an idea many stories misrepresent but Bone Gap explores with the utmost honesty and truth.” (Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA) (Starred Review))