Sapphire Blue by Kerstin Gier

This is the second novel in the Ruby Red Trilogy series by Kerstin Gier.

My review of #1: Ruby Red.

Not even a week ago, Gwenyth found out that she, unlike her cousin Charlotte, has the time travel gene in her family. And Gwen has no idea about any of the historical information she should know, liker her cousin likes to point out.

So now Gwenyth is stuck with Gideon, the male time traveler who infuriates Gwen, even though he's a great kisser. Kissing or not, he is a pompous male who thinks he knows best about everything and likes to ignore her, until he wants to snog a bit with Gwen. Then they get along just peachy.

But now Gwen is stuck going in the past for 4 hours a day using the chronograph, the device that sends them back into time with a particular date in mind. Which is also the second chronograph created, the first having been stolen by Lucy and Paul, the other time travelers before Gwen and Gideon.

And no one is trusting Gwen with any of the information because they think she is going to betray them to unforseen events that came from Lucy and Paul stealing the first device, but also because she "stole" Charlotte's spot at being the time traveler.

Like Gwen really wanted it.

Thankfully, Gwen has Leslie, her normal human friend who is very resourceful at finding information on the internet, so Gwen has been getting a little bit of info, even if it isn't necessarily the right information.

And strange things are definitely happening because many occasions that they travel back in time, it seems that others are expecting their arrival.

One good thing has come from this, though. Gwen gets to see her grandfather again, Lucas, who died a few years ago. And they have devised a plan where he will find out information  and each time she travels to get in her quota of travel for the day, she will see him and gather all the information that she can about her traveling gene.

However, the count, the first person with the time travel gene, is very interested in Gwen and wants to know her more. Gwen's not happy about that though, because the count gives her a horrible feeling. And she swears that he tried to choke her and talked to her without speaking.

But the count gives some interesting news about Gideon that has Gwen doubting everything she's known for the past week as a time traveler. And she's not sure what to think anymore. What will Gwen do with this new information? How can she possibly do what she's supposed to do if she can't trust the one person who will travel with her? Read Sapphire Blue by Kerstin Gier to find out!

My Thoughts/Reflections
I finally got my hands on this book! And I only have to wait 8 more months for the conclusion of this series!

On the one hand, I really liked this book because Gwen is trying really hard to figure out what is going on, despite everyone keeping her in the dark about the secret of the time traveling gene and what they are planning to do with the chronograph.

But on the other hand, I felt like not a lot went on and Gwen should just refuse to help until she gets the answers that she wants. She's not a very docile character and she needs to start vocalizing what she is thinking and make sure that she starts getting heard.

So I liked it and I thought it could have been better. What I'm really curious about is how this series is going end since there is only one more novel to come out before the conclusion is revealed. It doesn't seem like we have enough information to go on in order to finish this series, but I will be excited to find out come October when the novel is released.

For anyone who likes books about time travel and set in the past with, at least for me, some pretty accurate historical subjects, I would definitely recommend it to you. However, I would say that reading the first novel would be something to consider as this book does start exactly where the first one ends. It will clear up any confusion.

So yes, I had ups and downs with this book, but I will be a dedicated reader and read Emerald Green when it is released to find out what will happen for numerous parts of this book!

Exile by Anne Osterlund

This is the second novel in the Aurelia series by Anne Osterlund.

My review of #1: Aurelia.

After finding out who was trying to kill Aurelia, she decided that she was going on an expedition through her country to get to know the different tribes and lands. She defied her father by not marrying the man he chose for her and took control of her own life.

And beside her is Robert. The man she kissed. The man she yells at, all of the time. But Robert is her companion - her friend - and one of the few people she trust now-a-days.

The expedition is not the nicest trip she's ever had. In fact, she's been taken more times than she can count, and is still finding herself in danger of being assassined - even though she found out who was trying to kill her before her trip.

One of the groups she gets captured by surprisingly has her mother located there - a mother she has not seen in 14 years.

Even though she wants to get to know her mother again, the trip is what is important, and she won't let Robert leave without her.

Robert is having conflicting feelings. He wants to protect the Princess, but knows that he is not capable of doing that. He wants her to be safe, but as long as she is on this expedition, safe is far from what she will be.

And is also starting to fall in love with her. Which can't happen because she is the royal princess, even if she is currently exiled from the palace by defying the King.

So both Robert and Aurelia take it day by day, but soon Aurelia realizes that she needs to face the problems at the palace rather than running away from them. However, they find out who is trying to kill Aurelia again, which makes going home a bit of a problem...

Will Aurelia be able to go back to Tyralt and take her royal place again? What will happen with the attraction between Aurelia and Robert? Who is trying to kill Aurelia, yet again? Read Exile by Anne Osterlund to find out!

My Thoughts/Reflections
This book ended just where the first novel ended, which was nice for me since I read them back to back. And I really enjoyed where this book went. Aurelia has shown once again that she is not the spoiled princess that most are claimed to be.

She gets dirty and takes the blame for the mistakes she's made. She also wants to know the people of her country, who are ruled by her father and one day, by her.

Also, attempting to be assassined is a lot for a person to handle, but Aurelia gets back up and fights back, which I very much admire about her.

My favorite part of the novel is when she is at Robert's family's house and is working on the farm. Who would have thought that a royal princess could milk a cow?!

I guessed who was trying to kill her through this book, so the ending wasn't a surprise.

What was a surprise was how the book ended as a whole! Is there going to be another book? Cause that was not a final ending! There was too much left open and I need to know what happens next. Does anyone know if there will be another book to wrap everything up?!?

Other than the ending being what it is, I really liked this novel and enjoyed how both Robert and Aurelia developed from the first novel. The trust between them only grew, which made their decision choices a lot more wiser than in the first novel.

I would recommend this to any female reader, as it mostly focuses on Aurelia. For those that want a strong lead female character who isn't afraid to get in a bind, this book would also be good for you to read. I would advise that you should read the first novel first, though, as it will make it a lot more clearer when reading this novel.

Aurelia by Anne Osterlund

This is the first novel in the Aurelia series by Anne Osterlund.

After her older brother passed away and her mother ran off away from the kingdom, Aurelia has had to fend for herself against her father - the King's - moods and the dislike she gets from her stepmother, Elise. Good thing she has Malory, her step-sister, to keep her company without hating Aurelia on site.

When Robert comes back to the kingdom, he's doing so under false pretenses. The princess's life is in danger, which 3 attempts on her life by poison or "accidental" tears in her horses saddle. Robert has come back to find out who wants to kill the Princess.

Aurelia has no idea about the attempts on her life, but when Robert starts to act suspicious, she knows something is going on. Robert was once a close friend of hers before he moved away with his family. Now, she still wants to view him as a friend even though there's an air of mystery around him.

But Aurelia is no shy princess. She knows her town like the back of her hand and finds out that someone wants her dead. For what reason, she can only guess, but now she wants to find out who would risk killing her.

That's when they devise a plan together. They are going to get the suspect, the attempted killer, out in the open and find out who has hired him to kill Aurelia.

But when the truth finally comes out, it is not what either Aurelia, Robert, or even the King suspect.

Will they be able to find the assassin in time before he kills Aurelia? Or will it be too late? Who is this mysterious killer? Read Aurelia by Anne Osterlund to find out!

My Thoughts/Reflections
I've adored Osterlund's other novels and wanted to complete my reading history with her first two novels. And I gotta say, Osterlund is an author that has surprised me! Not only because I enjoy her novels, but because she has written 3 different settings and types of novels that have nothing related to her other novels.

That is a talent! And she makes each world so real that you would never guess that she has dabbled in contemporary, historical, and science fiction genres!!

Okay, on the the review of this novel.

I really liked Aurelia. She is going to be the ruler of her city one day and is making sure she will be the voice of the people, rather than a rule of a city. She wants to help the people who contribute and keep the city alive instead of punishing them with more taxes, etc.

She also knows what she wants and goes for it, whether it defies her father, the King. She is the only one who gets away with it, though that's not why she goes against her father. She just wants to do the right thing.

I enjoyed that this book wasn't all about the romance between Aurelia and Robert. Yes, there was a small portion, but mainly it was about Aurelia's love for her city and trying to find out who was attempting to kill Aurelia. And the historical aspect was very refreshing for me to read a YA novel in a historical setting.

This is the first of a two part book series, which I just happen to have the second waiting for me to pick it up.

While I did enjoy this novel, I found myself comparing it to the last two of Osterlund's novels that I really loved and found it lacking. However, if I would have read it by publication date, I might have seen that Osterlund's writing has improved throughout the years to make her latest release the best she has written so far.

For anyone who wants a strong female character who is bound to do what is right, with a historical setting, this would be a great novel for you to read!

Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers

The first novel in the His Fair Assassins trilogy.

All her life, Ismae has been viewed as the Devil's daughter. When her mother was pregnant, she drank a poison to kill Ismae before she was born.

However, Ismae was born, despite the poison, and was born with a terrible scar across her back. When anyone sees that scar, they know that Ismae was touched by the Devil and no one wants her.

When Ismae was forced into an arranged marriage by her abusive father, Ismae found that her husband was also going to be abusive. Before the marriage day was over, though, Ismae was saved by the herbwitch that supplied the poison before Ismae was born.

Ismae was then sent to the convent of St. Mortain, where the sisters serve the god of Death. They train selected ladies to serve Death - to become assassins. Mortain leaves marques on victims that need to die, and Ismae is the one who will kill them.

For 3 years she was trained in weapons, hand-to-hand, seduction, and poison - any means in which to kill men who are marqued for death.

After Ismae's first 2 kills, she was sent on a long-term mission to protect the duchess child and to find any traitors of the French in her staff.

What Ismae didn't see coming was her instant attraction to her guide, Gavriel Duval, who she poses as his mistress in order to get into the duchess's palace.

No one is to be trusted in the palace, for no one knows the true traitor to Duchess Anne. When Ismae gets the order to kill Duval, she battles between her orders and her heart. How can she kill the one man that was able to get inside her heart?!

Will Ismae follow her heart and save Duval, or will she follow the orders that her "home" has given her, allowing her to be a true Assassin of the St. Mortain convent? Read Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers to find out.

My Thoughts/Reflections
First, don't let the thickness of this book scare you - it may be 549 pages, but Harry Potter 7 was larger and both of these books are amazing that you won't notice how long the book really is.

I really enjoyed this novel. It is definitely something different in the YA genre that is being written lately, more of a historical, mystery, and bad-girl/ass-kicking girl that will leave more teen girls wanting more of Ismae's courage.

Ismae was in an abusive home all of her life, she when she got the chance to kill men, she was all for it. She assumed that all men were evil, that they deserved to die, but after meeting Duval she realized that it wasn't so.

Not only did the reader get to see Ismae's kick ass personality, but we also get to see a softer side of her - a side that not even Ismae knew herself. She was kind and gentle to the Duchess Anne and her younger sister Isabeau.

This is the first novel in a trilogy, but from what I've gathered the second novel will follow another assassin of the St. Mortain convent, Sybella, not Ismae.

I would recommend this book to older teen girls since there is a lot of killing and it involves a historical government and politics that might be harder for younger teens to follow along. With the "girl is just as ruthless" approach this book could appeal to many Hunger Games fans out there as well.

The next novel won't be out until Spring 2013, but I will certainly pick it up and read it when it comes out!

The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson

After living in New Orleans, Louisiana, Rory is going to a 2 year school in London. Her parents are teaching in Bristol and Rory got to choose her schooling during their overseas job.

When Rory gets to Wexford, her new boarding school/home, she was struck with the thought that it was HOME now. She had to shower there, sleep there, eat there - do everything there.

Upon the arrival of her coming into London, there was also a brutal murder that occurred. A murder that was the exact replica of Jack the Ripper's murders in 1888. There is a Jack the Ripper copycat.

Rory is less than amused by this act as she's not from London, doesn't know that much about Jack the Ripper, and she's having a hard enough time keeping up in her classes. She figures that things will die down after the killer is caught and it was just some sort of prank.

However, on the night of the third murder, Rory sees a man outside of her building at school. When her roommate, Jazza, did not see anyone there, Rory is a little... worried about her seeing people who aren't there.

She comes to find out that she can see ghosts. Rory had an incident where she almost died, and she has the genes in which she can see ghosts, but only if she encounters a scare of death.

After that, Rory gains a new roommate - Boo. Boo has the same ability that Rory has, along with Boo's "friends" Stephen and Callum.

When the ghost portraying as Jack the Ripper finds out that Rory can see him, he decides to make Rory is 5th and final victim in the Jack the Ripper replica.

Will Rory be able to find the way to get rid of the ghost? Read The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson to find out!

My Thoughts/Reflections
Okay, first, Rory. I can't help it. When I read that name, I'm transferred to Gilmore Girls. This book is nothing like that show, nor is Rory anything like Rory Gilmore, but I still see Alexis Bledel when I see that name.

Second, this book is unlike anything Maureen has written in the past. And I LOVED it just as much as I love her previous novels!

Third, London. I've been to London, so I knew some of the landmarks Maureen Johnson wrote about, but she did a great job describing it and if I hadn't been there before, I would have after reading this novel.

This has a great deal of mystery and murder, keeping the atmosphere of the book "on your seat with suspense".

Trying to figure out London ways is hard for Rory, let alone having to deal with ghosts, murders, and becoming the next victim of a killing spree.

There was a little bit of romance in this novel between Rory and a classmate, Jerome. However, I didn't feel it. I think I felt more sparks with Rory and Stephen (another person who sees ghosts) even though nothing happened romantically between them.

This is the first book in a trilogy and I can't wait to see what other adventures will be uncovered in the next two books!

I would recommend this to anyone, espeically those who like London, historical atmospheres, and a good murder and mystery story!

A Northern Light

A Northern Light by Jennifer Donnelly. Orlando: Harcourt, Inc., 2003. 389 pages.

      3. A succinct evaluative annotation. Plot: [Conflict] Mattie Gokey was born before her time; she lives in 1906 and wants to go to school to learn to write so she can become a writer, but her father wants her to stay at home, taking care of her family and get married to Royal Loomis who seems interested in Mattie. [Rising Action] Mattie goes to a hotel to earn money so she can marry Royal. While there, Mattie gets possession of a girl’s letters to her lover, right before that girl drowns in the lake. [Climax] Mattie realizes that the girl was murdered by her lover through the letters and makes her final decision about what she’s going to do with her life: go to school to become a writer instead of marrying Royal. [Falling Action] Mattie gives money and letters to all of her family and friends before she decides to go to New York. She also gave the girl’s letters to the police so the girl’s death will be avenged. [Resolution] Mattie starts her life in hopes of achieving what she sets out for, going for her dreams rather than her father’s dreams. Theme: The themes in this novel include the future, murder, mystery, romance, life, and hope. Tone: The tone of this novel is very serious. Mattie is very conflicted about what she should do, either respecting her father’s wishes or going after her own dreams that she’s been thinking about all of her life. Style: The author’s writing style was very unique. For a few chapters, Mattie is in the present, reading the murdered girl’s letters to figure out what really happen; the following chapters goes back a few months, leading up to the murder, telling Mattie’s story and her life before she made her ultimate decision. Characterizations: Mattie is very bookish smart – she just wants to write and live a book life where there are happy endings. She takes care of her family and is very conflicted about disobeying her father, but she decides that she wants to see the mysteries of the world than to be a wife following her husband’s rules. Readability: This took a little time to read. The reader really needs to know when Mattie is talking in the present or the future, but once that is recognizable the story flies by, making the reader want to find out what happens next and how the novel will end.

2. My reactions to the book. The mystery, romance, and life complications really drew me into this novel. Mattie is very young for the decisions she has to make in her life and seeing her strength and decision process is a great attribute to this novel. The one downside, though, is trying to figure out which tense Mattie is telling her story throughout the chapters, but as stated above, once that’s realized the novel is a great read. The author stated at the end of the book that the events that happened with the girl who was murdered and her lover (Grace and Chester) actually did occur in real life. The information about Mattie, though, was fiction and was just to add to the storylike text in this novel.

3. Comment on the cover art. The cover art of the book that I read was the original hardback, rather than the updated edition of the novel. This older edition is very telling about what happens in the story, with the lake where Grace was killed and the lettering in the background showing Grace’s letters. It is a bit plain, though, and probably won’t grab a viewers attention because it looks old and not interesting. The newer cover will attract young girls because of the portrayal of the girl on the cover, looking mysterious and tortured, but not knowing why she looks that way. 

Almost Astronauts

Almost Astronauts: 13 Women Who Dared to Dream by Tanya Lee Stone. Somerville, Massachusetts: Candlewick Press, 2009. 134 pages.

     1. A succinct evaluative annotation. Plot: [Conflict] The problem is that the 13 women want to become astronauts but it was 1960 and women were not allowed to do anything but be a mother/housewife. [Rising Action] Jerri Codd started taking the tests that the Mercury 7 men took in order for them to go into space, seeing if she was capable to also go to space. [Climax] Codd excelled at the tests, making headway for all females and 12 other qualified females to try the test as well. However, NASA and the government decided that they didn’t want to send women to space. [Falling Action] Even though Codd and the rest of the women tried their hardest, they were unable to go into space. They worked different jobs, most involving flying aircrafts until they retired. [Resolution] The 13 women did get the motion started for years to come when women would be allowed to go into space, which is where the book ended on a happy note. Theme: The themes of this book included history, science, women, leaders, and fighting for what the characters believed in. Tone: The tone of this book was very serious. The female astronauts wanted to be able to go into space very much and they fought NASA, stereotypes, and the government. They were not giving up without trying every last method. Style: The authors writing style was very formal, giving facts, but doing it in a story type manner to ensnare the reader into the story. The author also used short, concise sentences rather than long sentences and paragraphs. Characterizations: This didn’t have one sole character, but it was about 13 females who all had one mindset in track: achievement, success, loyalty. They wanted to show America that with hard work and dedication that anyone can be an astronaut – even if they were female instead of male. Even though they weren’t able to make it into space, they still were able to achieve their goal when females were allowed to become astronauts years later. Readability: This novel was very, very easy to read. I finished it within a few hours and I think young readers will find it easy to read as well.

2. My reactions to the book. This book surprised me. Going in, I thought I wouldn’t enjoy it since I don’t like Non-fiction – I was dead wrong. This story not only taught me history, but I enjoyed the story like writing about the 13 women in the 60s. I think that is this books best strength – the way it’s told. The reader gets entrapped by the story and wants to find out more. A weakness, even though there aren’t many, is the format of the book. It looks like a boring, educated book. I think the author could get more readers if the book looked more interesting on the outside, because the content on the inside is amazing. The content is very accurate to what had happened in the 60s with these 13 women.

3. Comment on the cover art. I think the cover art needs to be spiced up a little bit. As I said before, many won’t want to pick this up based off of the cover, which looks like the book will be boring and “educational” to the extent that the readers will want to stay away. If the book was smaller and had 1 image of the females, or something to attract attention, I think public would want to read it more.

Charles and Emma

Charles and Emma: The Darwins’ Leap of Faith by Deborah Heligman. New York: Henry Holt and Company, LLC, 2009. 268 pages.

      1. A succinct evaluative annotation. Plot: [Conflict] Charles Darwin decides to marry, but the woman he wants to marry is religious whereas he believes in a scientific answer. He also is doing research to find answers about evolution which was not looked highly upon in the 1800s. [Rising Action] Charles marries Emma and starts his research for evolution. [Climax] After printing his research for society to see, Charles gets both positive and negative attention. [Falling Action] Even with their differences, Emma and Charles are married for over 40 years and Charles’ work becomes more extensive in his research. [Resolution] Charles and Emma live happily together and Charles’s work continues on after he passes away, changing religion and science in the 1800s. Theme: The themes in this book include history, science, religion, faith, love, and a change in society. Tone: The tone of this book is very educational, descriptive, and historical. The author is retelling the lives of Charles and Emma Darwin in a way that will try and capture the attention of young adults. It is very serious and very straight forward for a young adult book. Style: The author’s writing style is very formal. There is no dialogue which might deter young adults from reading this book. Also, the author uses a lot of quotes from other sources, which is referenced at the end of the book.  Characterizations: Charles is very serious. He takes things one step at a time, always making a list, not very religious but more scientific. He wants answers and will study his experiments until he feels that he has all of the answers he can get. Emma is very much the opposite. She is disorganized, religious, and spontaneous. However, she is the sweetest woman one ever met and she is dedicated to her family. Very kind, patient, and loving. Readability: This was a tough book to read. I struggled to get through the beginning and got used to the writing style, but one needs to keep going to read this amazing story.

2. My reactions to the book. I have mixed feelings about this book. At first, I could not get into the story at all. It took me forever to get through the first 50 pages, but I kept going back and trying again because I wanted to read this book. After that struggle, I got into the story and was able to read it for long periods of time. The one thing that I would say is the weakness of this novel is the way it is written. The content is great, but the narrative, no dialogue, long sentences and paragraphs were very hard to get used to. Since this is a young adult novel, I would have to say that the audience should want to read this book because it’s not for a light read for fun. As for the strength, I think the content is its best strength. After getting past the different writing style, the reader learns a lot about the subject of Charles and Emma Darwin’s life in the 1800s. The information is very accurate and the author makes note of where she got the information from to make sure that the information is correct.

3. Comment on the cover art. The cover art could be improved. A history, science, or religious reader might be intrigued by the cover because of what it represents, but any other reader might not be into the art. I will say, though, that the cover does portray the content of the story very well and gives the viewer/reader the whole story based on the 3 characters of the cover. However, I think if the author wanted to attract more of an audience, changing the cover would be one of the many steps to do if it is to be reprinted.

The Book Thief

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2005. 552 pages.

     1. A succinct evaluative annotation. Plot: [Conflict] Death is narrating this novel about a girl named Liesel Meminger who lived in Germany during Hitler’s rising. She is also known as the book thief as she steals books throughout her childhood, wanting to learn to read. [Rising Action] As the war goes south for Hilter’s side, Liesel’s life is turned upside down, but she resorts to stealing books to get a sense of life back. [Climax] Liesel’s town gets bombed and everyone on 4 different streets dies. Everyone that Liesel has come to love and respect for the last 4 years is gone and Liesel is the only one left alive. She was writing her own book in the basement when the bombing happened, keeping her safe from the bomb. [Falling Action] Liesel lives with the mayor and his wife after the bombing, remembering everything that happened and still using books as her life line. [Resolution] Death finally comes for Liesel – many, many years down the road, where Liesel waits for Death and finds out that the book Liesel wrote in the basement when she was 14 was with Death, who read her story over and over. Theme: The themes in this novel include death, war, afraid, survival, reading, and trying to find ways to live through the days during the war. Tone: The tone of this book is very solemn and always afraid. There is a war going on throughout Liesel’s childhood and she had to grown up being scared all of the time. Style: The author’s writing style was very different. He had Death narrate the novel, following the story that Liesel wrote when she was 14 and retelling her story with some tidbits of Death’s own life. Characterizations: Death is very serious, but also puts a tad of humor during parts of the novel. Parts that he deemed worth talking about. Liesel is a strong, curious, and ambitious girl. She wanted to learn to read and reading became a passion for her. She was able to help others during the hard time because of her love for reading – and reading also saved her life in the end. Readability: This is a little difficult to read – one needs to take their time and really think about what the author is saying throughout the novel. It’s a great read – it just takes time and thoughtfulness.

2. My reactions to the book. This book is amazing. It is a slow read book – one has to be very dedicated to come back and read this book, but it is definitely worth it. The biggest strength of this book is the emotion – the reader can tell what the emotion of the book is and see how the events occurred. One of the weaknesses, though, is how it was written. After awhile, the way it’s written won’t matter because the reader gets used to it, but at first, it’s very difficult. Death narrates numerous characters’ lives and the reader has to be able to keep up with the changes. As for accuracy, I think the content was very accurate when it came to the current events of what happened during the war when Hitler was ruling Germany.

3. Comment on the cover art. The cover art is not what one would expect when reading the title of the book. Honestly, the cover is what kept me away from reading this book earlier because it just didn’t look that interesting. After reading the book, though, I can see one meaning that can go with the cover: suspense/waiting for the inevitable. That domino is going to crash into the other ones, destroying all of that work, just like the contents of the novel do.