Reviews

07 Dec 2011 4 Comments

Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

Miss Peregrine’s Home For Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs
Paperback: 348 pages
Publisher: HarperTeen (June 7, 2011)
Miss Peregrine Series #1

A mysterious island. An abandoned orphanage. And a strange collection of very curious photographs. It all waits to be discovered in Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, an unforgettable novel that mixes fiction and photography in a thrilling reading experience. As our story opens, a horrific family tragedy sets sixteen-year-old Jacob journeying to a remote island off the coast of Wales, where he discovers the crumbling ruins of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. As Jacob explores its abandoned bedrooms and hallways, it becomes clear that the children who once lived here—one of whom was his own grandfather—were more than just peculiar. They may have been dangerous. They may have been quarantined on a desolate island for good reason. And somehow—impossible though it seems—they may still be alive.

When I received this book in the mail, I immediately opened it to look at the pictures strategically placed throughout the story and couldn’t help but begin reading. I have to say that the creative use of these unusual pictures to assist in telling this fantastic fantasy adventure is stunning. I simply couldn’t put this book down and I wouldn’t mind reading it again.

Jacob has grown up listening to his grandfather tell stories about the unusual kids that lived under Miss Peregrine’s care and, while at times he believes the stories, there are moments when he simply doesn’t believe. After receiving a frantic call from his grandfather, things begin to change and Jacob finds himself traveling to the very town that Miss Peregrine and her unusually peculiar children lived. What he finds is an eye-opening adventure that he just may not be able to let go of.

I can’t say enough that I absolutely adore this fantasy adventure on so many levels. As I said before, the pictures Riggs used are amazingly brilliant and fit superbly with the story. Each one breathes life into the novel and the characters, giving them a real world feel that you simply can’t forget. I highly recommend everyone add this gem to his or her TBR lists immediately, Riggs definitely has a flare for the strange. Even now, I’m amazed at the level of brilliance that shines throughout this masterpiece. A MUST read!

The second installment is in the works and should be released in 2013.

Review copy courtesy of Quirk Books.

by Jennifer in Reviews, Young Adult Tags:

05 Dec 2011 2 Comments

Tempest Rising by Tracy Deebs

Tempest Rising by Tracy Deebs
Paperback: 352 pages
Publisher: Walker Childrens (May 10, 2011)
Tempest Series #1

Tempest Maguire wants nothing more than to surf the killer waves near her California home; continue her steady relationship with her boyfriend, Mark; and take care of her brothers and surfer dad. But Tempest is half mermaid, and as her seventeenth birthday approaches, she will have to decide whether to remain on land or give herself to the ocean like her mother. The pull of the water becomes as insistent as her attraction to Kai, a gorgeous surfer whose uncanny abilities hint at an otherworldly identity as well. And when Tempest does finally give in to the water’s temptation and enters a fantastical underwater world, she finds that a larger destiny awaits her—and that the entire ocean’s future hangs in the balance.

“Tempest Rising” is an easy sell to readers that enjoy a gnarly, dark fantasy adventure with a romance that will take your breath away. The cover art alone is absolutely GORGEOUS! After reading the summary, I was sure that I would enjoy every last word Deebs put to paper. After listening to her talk about the characters, the plot, and the world she created, I immediately began reading when we left the signing.

The story begins with a letter from Tempest’s mother that seems to set the tone for the novel, as well as the relationship, or lack thereof, between the mother and daughter. Tempest is an amazing character that easily has the reader gravitating to her. Her connection to her family is touching, while her love for the ocean and surfing shows her wilder side. You can feel the anger she has towards her mother throughout the entire story. At times that anger can be a little annoying, but understandable too.

“Tempest Rising” is, in my opinion, best described as a brilliantly dark rendition of “The Little Mermaid,” intensified in such a magical way that you wish you were a mermaid experiencing the depths of the ocean with the characters. Deebs took her mermaid tale further, bringing the creatures in the ocean depths to life in vivid detail. When Tempest swims off to save Kona, the boundary of our world and the world below are clearly apparent. The balance of beauty and darkness in the mermaid world is unparalleled to anything I’ve read recently. Deebs is a brilliant author with a  “show the reader” writing style that is as mesmerizing as it is beautiful.

I’m sure that there are other mermaid stories out there, and after Deebs’ introduction to the underwater world, I will without a doubt seek them out immediately as I await the next novel in this unbelievably magical series. I highly recommend that you take a deep breath and jump into the deep blue sea and enjoy the ride Deebs has waiting for you. Thanks for the ride, Tracy! Hope to see you at Murder By The Book again really soon!

The next installment is titles Tempest Unleashed due to be released in June 2012.

by Jennifer in Reviews, Young Adult Tags:

01 Dec 2011 2 Comments

Deadly Cool by Gemma Halliday

Deadly Cool by Gemma Halliday
Paperback: 320 pages
Publisher: HarperTeen (October 11, 2011)
Deadly Cool Series #1

Hartley Grace Featherstone is having a very bad day. First she finds out that her boyfriend is cheating on her with the president of the Herbert Hoover High School Chastity Club. Then he’s pegged as the #1 suspect in a murder. And if that weren’t enough, now he’s depending on Hartley to clear his name. Seriously? Not cool.

But as much as Hartley wouldn’t mind seeing him squirm, she knows he’s innocent, and she’s the only one who can help him. Along with her best friend, Sam, and the school’s resident Bad Boy, Chase, Hartley starts investigating on her own. But as the dead bodies begin to pile up, the mystery deepens, the suspects multiply, and Hartley begins to fear that she may be the killer’s next victim.

Deadly Cool took me completely by surprise. I don’t know exactly what I was expecting but… WOW! Hartley is definitely one of those characters that you get excited to read about. She’s seriously realistic, fun and quirky, with a detective side that keeps you thoroughly entertained.

The colorful characters are only half of the WOW factor of Deadly Cool; the plot is thick and full of twist and turns. There were tons of times that I thought I knew who the killer was but quickly realized I was so wrong. This is a fabulously crafted mystery that keeps you on your toes. The high school drama of the story is one that is easy to relate to, regardless of age, which added to the intensity of the plot. Who is the killer? Why did they do it? You’ll drive yourself crazy trying to answer these questions.

In the end, I’m so glad that I took a chance with Gemma Halliday’s YA debut. If you enjoy mysteries then you’ll definitely want to grab a copy of this one and take a thrilling walk through Herbert Hoover High. The second book of the Deadly Cool series is titled, Social Suicide. It’s set to release in 2012.

by Jennifer in Reviews, Young Adult Tags:

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