Book review: All Fall Down by Sally Nicholls

All Fall Down by Sally Nicholls (Published by Scholastic UK, March 1, 2012)

Fourteen-year-old Isabel lives in a small village in England that has recently suffered from bad weather and food shortages. When the villagers hear news of a strange new disease, they are concerned by how fast it is spreading through the country. This plague strikes everyone equally, whether they are young or old, weak or strong. Nearly half the population of England dies. Many people believe the end of the world has come. Those that survive are left struggling to rebuild their homes and lives. If you read a lot of dystopian novels set in a bleak possible future, this plot probably sounds somewhat familiar. But All Fall Down is set in 1349, when a devastating pandemic of bubonic plague killed between one-third and one-half of Europe's population, changing that society forever.

When the story opens, Isabel is content with her life. She loves her father, stepmother, and five siblings. It is already planned that when she is older, she will marry Robin, a boy she grew up with in the village, who is one of her best friends. Like most Medieval peasants, she's never travelled away from her village. Her family is not truly free, as they must work for the local lord, Sir Edmund. But Isabel knows no other life, and doesn't want anything to change. This made her character seem very realistic, since that's likely how a real girl back then would have thought. She doesn't want to rise above her station in life. She's just an ordinary person with an ordinary life that is completely turned upside down by tragedy.

As the story progresses, Isabel can do nothing but watch as many of her family and friends are killed by the plague. She and some of those she cares about survive, entirely by chance, but are left to figure out how to go on living in a very changed world. The ending was realistic, but honestly (and this is just a personal preference) I wish it had been slightly happier. It was hopeful and not entirely grim, but it didn't end the way I really hoped it would, and I can't say more than that without it being a huge spoiler. But that doesn't reflect on the quality of the writing at all, and I think that this is a story that will appeal to readers who don't normally read historical fiction, since it reads a lot like a dystopian novel. But instead of speculating about possible future disasters and how humanity might react and find a way to survive, the author tells the story of a real disaster which decimated the population of countless countries and caused enormous and permanent social changes.

Book review: Witchstruck by Victoria Lamb

Witchstruck by Victoria Lamb (Published by Random House UK, July 5, 2012)

Meg Lytton is a witch - a real one - which is a very dangerous secret to have for a young woman in Tudor England in 1554. She has been trained in her craft by her Aunt Jane, and she knows she never wants to give it up. Unfortunately, the cruel witch finder Marcus Dent has taken a liking to Meg and wants to marry her, and he must not discover her secret. For a time, Meg has avoided him, as she has been sent to serve Elizabeth, Henry VIII's daughter, who has been sent by her older sister, Queen Mary, to live at the ruined palace at Woodstock.

Not long after Meg arrives at Woodstock, two Spanish priests arrive, sent by Elizabeth's older sister, who is against the Protestant religion. One of these priests, Alejandro, is young and handsome, and Meg is attracted to him, even though a witch and a priest could never be together. And there is still the problem of Meg's unwanted suitor, Marcus Dent, who she fears will learn her secret - and the punishment for witchcraft is death.

I particularly enjoy books set in Tudor England, so I loved the historical setting for Witchstruck. Meg is a likeable heroine in a very difficult situation. I think this is the first book I have read with a historical setting about a "real" witch facing persecution (rather than a girl wrongly accused of being a witch). I also really liked the inclusion of the young Elizabeth as a side character. I was hoping for a bit more development of the romance between Meg and Alejandro based on the back cover summary, but as this is the first book in a series, I am sure there will be more development of their relationship later on. If you like historical fantasy, or are looking for a paranormal romance that's different than the usual, I think you will really enjoy Witchstruck.

Disclosure: Review copy provided by publisher.

Freedom to Read Giveaway Hop

Since this giveaway hop is titled "Freedom to Read," and it's the week of July 4th, I decided to give away a book that fits the theme, even though it wasn't required, and so I am giving away a historical novel set during the American Revolution, Cannons at Dawn by Kristiana Gregory. If you want to learn more about this book, you read read my review and my interview with the author. To enter, just fill out the Rafflecopter form below the book cover and summary.

Dear America: Cannons at Dawn by Kristiana Gregory

Abigail Jane Stewart returns in this brand-new sequel to THE WINTER OF RED SNOW. The Revolutionary War toils on, but the Stewart family can no longer avoid getting involved. Abby's father joins the Continental Army, while Abby, her mother, and her siblings become camp followers. They face daily hardships alongside the troops and continue to spend time helping the Washingtons. Filled with romance and adventure, Abby's frontline view of the war captures the heartache and bravery of the soldiers, as well as the steep cost of freedom.


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Guest post from Dori Jones Yang, author of Son of Venice

I loved Dori Jones Yang's book Daughter of Xanadu, so I was excited to learn that there would be a sequel, Son of Venice. Today, I have a guest post from Dori about the new book. It was supposed to go up a couple of days ago - sadly, Blogger schedule posting did NOT work and my laptop I took on my trip BROKE - so I really had NO luck!! But here it is - better late than never, I suppose!

What makes for a great love story? Yes, a gorgeous, complex woman and a fascinating, attractive guy. But the real key may surprise you: obstacles.
Without obstacles, there is no love story. Sad, isn’t it? But if the two young lovers have nothing standing in their way, nothing keeping them apart, there is no story. Just ‘happily ever after’ from page one. Bo-ring.
So the story-teller must always find something to keep the lovers apart. For stories set in the present, it’s often complex. Sometimes the barriers are in her mind—such as pride and prejudice. Other times they are jealous friends—or third parties in a love triangle.
Love stories set in the past have an easier time finding obstacles. It’s always the parents and society, isn’t it? We all know that in the olden days—and until recently in Asia—parents chose the marriage partner. Young men and women were not allowed to meet and hang out and decide whom they wanted to marry.
In my books, Emmajin, the high-born daughter of the powerful Great Khan, is not supposed to fall in love with Marco Polo, a lowly merchant from a distant and backward place, Europe. In her world, marriages are arranged for royal daughters and granddaughters in order to create alliances for the Khan.
But here’s something I didn’t know till I started researching Daughter of Xanadu, which is set in the 13th century. Today’s notions of romantic love started in Europe in the Middle Ages. They called it courtly love. A man would wear a lady’s scarf into battle and swear his devotion to her, even if she was married. Love didn’t necessary lead to marriage. In fact, often it didn’t.
Does love naturally lead to marriage? In this day and age, we’re absolutely certain it does. But doesn’t marriage weaken that intensity that comes from the forbidden and distant lover? This is why most love stories end at the wedding.
Which is the best outcome for romantic love: a short time together, with intensity and passion? Or a lifetime together, with discussions about housekeeping and laundry, diapers and kitty litter?
Most of us are absolutely certain we know the right answer to that question, too. My books, I hope, challenge our dearly held beliefs.
What do you think?

For more about Daughter of Xanadu and its sequel, Son of Venice, see www.dorijonesyang.com.

Waiting on Wednesday: The Madman's Daughter by Megan Shepherd

The Madman's Daughter by Megan Shepherd (Published by Balzer + Bray, January 29, 2013)

London, 1894. Juliet Moreau has built a life for herself—working as a maid, attending church on Sundays, and trying not to think about the scandal that ruined her life. After all, no one ever proved the rumors about her father’s gruesome experiments. But when she learns her father is alive and continuing his work on a remote tropical island, she is determined to find out if the accusations were true.
Juliet is accompanied by the doctor’s handsome young assistant and an enigmatic castaway, who both attract Juliet for very different reasons. They travel to the island only to discover the depths of her father’s madness: he has created animals that have been vivisected to resemble, speak, and behave as humans. Worse, one of the creatures has turned violent and is killing the island’s inhabitants. Juliet knows she must end her father’s dangerous experiments and escape the island, even though her horror is mixed with her own scientific curiosity. As the island falls into chaos, she discovers the extent of her father’s genius—and madness—in her own blood.


This sounds like a very unique and awesome (and creepy!) concept for a YA novel. I hope it's as good as it sounds!

Mailbox Monday - 6/18/12

Mailbox Monday is being hosted by Burton Book Review for the month of June.

I haven't done Mailbox Monday in a couple of weeks because of BEA. I am still trying to unpack all my books. So these are all my non-BEA books for the past couple of weeks. I listed a few of my favorites from BEA previously, but if you want to see everything I got, I made a list on Goodreads but it's only about 95% complete.


The Broken Lands by Kate Milford

A crossroads can be a place of great power. So begins this deliciously spine-tingling prequel to Kate Milford’s The Boneshaker, set in the colorful world of nineteenth-century Coney Island and New York City. Few crossroads compare to the one being formed by the Brooklyn Bridge and the East River, and as the bridge’s construction progresses, forces of unimaginable evil seek to bend that power to their advantage. Only two orphans with unusual skills stand in their way. Can the teenagers Sam, a card sharp, and Jin, a fireworks expert, stop them before it’s too late? Here is a richly textured, slow-burning thriller about friendship, courage, and the age-old fight between good and evil.


Seeking Eden by Ann Turnbull

Seeking Eden is the final chapter of Ann Turnbull’s long-awaited Quaker trilogy. Will and Susanna Heywood (No Shame, No Fear and Forged in the Fire), now in their thirties, move, with their four children, to Pennsylvania, where freedom of religious thought is everyone’s right. This is the story of their eldest child, Josiah, who finds work with George Bainbrigg in the dock area of Philadelphia and falls in love with his daughter, Kate. When they travel to Barbados on business and stay with Friends who are harassed by local laws, Josiah is shocked to learn that Quakers have slaves and that his boss deals in the slave trade. Once they return home, Josiah and Kate try to help two slaves who are in love, Antony and Patience, to attain their freedom – knowing the risks involved may result in lives that are even more unbearable.


Willful Impropriety: 13 Tales of Society, Scandal, and Romance edited by Ekaterina Sedia

A beguiling collection of original short romances for teen readers set in the Victorian era.
The Victorian era is significant for the rise of the middle classes and marked changes in social relationships, both in the home and in wider society, with the proliferation of domestic help and the development of increasingly rigid gender roles.
These are romances that chafe against the restrictions of the period, with heroes and heroines who defy social convention, igniting firestorms of gossip. The aristocrats, impostors, social climbers, domestic workers and undercover agents of these stories exist in an authentically lush world, depicted here with telling attention to detail.
While most of the stories are strongly realistic, some incorporate elements of fantasy.


The Case of the Good-Looking Corpse by Caroline Lawrence

My name is P.K. Pinkerton and I am a Private Eye operating out of Virginia City.
At the moment I am in Jail in the shadow of a hangman's noose. It is all because I tried to solve the biggest mystery here in Nevada Territory and protect a girl who witnessed a terrible crime.
If I write an account of what happened, then maybe I can convince the jury not to hang me by the neck until I am dead.


Because it is My Blood by Gabrielle Zevin

Since her release from Liberty Children's Facility, Anya Balanchine is determined to follow the straight and narrow. Unfortunately, her criminal record is making it hard for her to do that. No high school wants her with a gun possession charge on her rap sheet. Plus, all the people in her life have moved on: Natty has skipped two grades at Holy Trinity, Scarlet and Gable seem closer than ever, and even Win is in a new relationship.But when old friends return demanding that certain debts be paid, Anya is thrown right back into the criminal world that she had been determined to escape. It’s a journey that will take her across the ocean and straight into the heart of the birthplace of chocolate where her resolve--and her heart--will be tested as never before.


Promised by Caragh O'Brien

After defying the ruthless Enclave, surviving the wasteland, and upending the rigid matriarchy of Sylum, Gaia Stone now faces her biggest challenge ever. She must lead the people of Sylum back to the Enclave and persuade the Protectorat to grant them refuge from the wasteland. In Gaia’s absence, the Enclave has grown more cruel, more desperate to experiment on mothers from outside the wall, and now the stakes of cooperating or rebelling have never been higher. Is Gaia ready, as a leader, to sacrifice what—or whom—she loves most?


The Seven Tales of Trinket by Shelley Moore Thomas

Guided by a tattered map, accompanied by Thomas the Pig Boy, and inspired by the storyteller’s blood that thrums through her veins, eleven-year-old Trinket searches for the seven stories she needs to become a bard like her father, who disappeared years before. She befriends a fortune-telling gypsy girl; returns a child stolen by the selkies to his true mother; confronts a banshee and receives a message from a ghost; helps a village girl outwit—and out-dance—the Faerie Queen; travels beyond the grave to battle a dastardly undead Highwayman; and meets a hound so loyal he fights a wolf to the death to protect the baby prince left in his charge. All fine material for six tales, but it is the seventh tale, in which Trinket learns her father’s true fate, that changes her life forever.


Eve and Adam by Michael Grant and Katherine Applegate

Sixteen-year-old Evening Spiker lives an affluent life in San Francisco with her mother, EmmaRose, a successful geneticist and owner of Spiker Biotech. Sure, Evening misses her father who died mysteriously, but she’s never really questioned it. Much like how she’s never stopped to think how off it is that she’s never been sick. That is, until she’s struck by a car and is exposed to extensive injuries. Injuries that seem to be healing faster than physically possible.
While recuperating in Spiker Biotech’s lush facilities, she meets Solo Plissken, a very attractive, if off-putting boy her age who spent his life at Spiker Biotech. Like Evening, he’s never questioned anything... until now. Solo drops hints to Evening that something isn’t right, and Emma-Rose may be behind it. Evening puts this out of her mind and begins her summer internship project: To simulate the creation of the perfect boy. With the help of Solo, Evening uncovers secrets so big they could change the world completely.


A Need So Beautiful by Suzanne Young

We all want to be remembered. Charlotte's destiny is to be forgotten.
Charlotte's best friend thinks Charlotte might be psychic. Her boyfriend thinks she's cheating on him. But Charlotte knows what's really wrong: She is one of the Forgotten, a kind of angel on earth who feels the Need—a powerful, uncontrollable draw to help someone, usually a stranger.
But Charlotte never wanted this responsibility. What she wants is to help her best friend, whose life is spiraling out of control. She wants to lie in her boyfriend's arms forever. But as the Need grows stronger, it begins to take a dangerous toll on Charlotte. And who she was, is, and will become—her mark on this earth, her very existence—is in jeopardy of disappearing completely.
Charlotte will be forced to choose: Should she embrace her fate as a Forgotten, a fate that promises to rip her from the lives of those she loves forever? Or is she willing to fight against her destiny—no matter how dark the consequences?


A Want So Wicked by Suzanne Young

Elise is a normal seventeen-year-old girl until the day she wakes up in a desert park, with no idea who she is.
After that episode, her life takes a bizarre turn. She’s experiencing unexpected flashes of insight into people’s lives—people she’s never met before. Strangers frighten her with warnings about the approaching Shadows. And although Elise has never had a boyfriend, she suddenly finds herself torn between two handsome but very different young men: Abe, the charming bad boy whose effect on her both seduces and frightens her, and the mysterious Harlin, who’s new to town but with whom Elise feels an urgent, elemental connection—almost as if they are soul mates.
Now Elise begins to question everything about her life. Why do these guys both want her so desperately? What are the Shadows? Why does the name Charlotte inspire a terrifying familiarity? And who is Elise, really?


The Demon King by Cinda Williams Chima

Times are hard in the mountain city of Fellsmarch. Reformed thief Han Alister will do almost anything to eke out a living for himself, his mother, and his sister Mari. Ironically, the only thing of value he has is something he can’t sell. For as long as Han can remember, he’s worn thick silver cuffs engraved with runes. They’re clearly magicked—as he grows, they grow, and he’s never been able to get them off.

While out hunting one day, Han and his Clan friend, Dancer catch three young wizards setting fire to the sacred mountain of Hanalea. After a confrontation, Han takes an amulet from Micah Bayar, son of the High Wizard, to ensure the boy won't use it against them. Han soon learns that the amulet has an evil history—it once belonged to the Demon King, the wizard who nearly destroyed the world a millennium ago. With a magical piece that powerful at stake, Han knows that the Bayars will stop at nothing to get it back.
Meanwhile, Raisa ana’Marianna, Princess Heir of the Fells, has her own battles to fight. She’s just returned to court after three years of relative freedom with her father’s family at Demonai camp – riding, hunting, and working the famous Clan markets. Although Raisa will become eligible for marriage after her sixteenth name-day, she isn't looking forward to trading in her common sense and new skills for etiquette tutors and stuffy parties.
Raisa wants to be more than an ornament in a glittering cage. She aspires to be like Hanalea—the legendary warrior queen who killed the Demon King and saved the world. But it seems like her mother has other plans for her--plans that include a suitor who goes against everything the Queendom stands for.
The Seven Realms will tremble when the lives of Han and Raisa collide in this stunning new page-turner from bestselling author Cinda Williams Chima.

Clear Your Shelf Giveaway Hop - enter to win Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini

I received two review copies of this book last year when it was published, and I really do not need to have two copies of this book taking up space, so I am giving one of these copies away to a lucky winner!









How do you defy destiny?
Helen Hamilton has spent her entire sixteen years trying to hide how different she is--no easy task on an island as small and sheltered as Nantucket. And it's getting harder. Nightmares of a desperate desert journey have Helen waking parched, only to find her sheets damaged by dirt and dust. At school she's haunted by hallucinations of three women weeping tears of blood . . . and when Helen first crosses paths with Lucas Delos, she has no way of knowing they're destined to play the leading roles in a tragedy the Fates insist on repeating throughout history.
As Helen unlocks the secrets of her ancestry, she realizes that some myths are more than just legend. But even demigod powers might not be enough to defy the forces that are both drawing her and Lucas together--and trying to tear them apart.

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