Mini Reviews: A Book of Spirit and Thieves, The Piper's Son, Persuasion & Under a Painted Sky

Title: A Book of Spirits and Thieves
Author: Morgan Rhodes
Series: Spirits and Thieves #1

Publisher: Razorbill

Release Date: June 23, 2015

Summary from Goodreads:

Modern-day sisters discover deadly ancient magic in book 1 of this Falling Kingdoms spin-off series!

Worlds collide in this suspenseful, page-turning Falling Kingdoms spin-off series, which explores a whole new side of Mytica—and an even darker version of its magic.

Crystal Hatcher, Modern-day Toronto: It’s a normal afternoon in her mother’s antique bookshop when Crys witnesses the unthinkable: her little sister Becca collapses into a coma after becoming mesmerized by a mysterious book written in an unrecognizable language.

Maddox Corso, Ancient Mytica: Maddox Corso doesn’t think much of it when he spots an unfamiliar girl in his small village. Until, that is, he realizes that she is a spirit, and he is the only one who can see or hear her. Her name is Becca Hatcher, and she needs Maddox to help get her home.

Farrell Grayson, Modern-day Toronto: Rich and aimless Farrell Grayson is thrilled when the mysterious leader of the ultra-secret Hawkspear Society invites him into the fold. But when he learns exactly what he has to do to prove himself, Farrell starts to question everything he thought he knew about family, loyalty, and himself….

Fate has brought these young people together, but ancient magic threatens to rip them apart.

Review

If you like magic,secret societies, action, adventure and trickery then A Book of Spirits and Thieves is the book for you.  I had so much fun reading this one - with the story weaving between Mytica and present day and so many powers at play, all because of this ancient text. But what I love most about Rhodes' stories are her characters. She really excels at characterization and is exceptionally good at creating strong women. She also knows how to write multiple POV really well to craft a well-rounded story. As of now, I am still a bigger fan of the Falling Kingdoms series but this spin-off was pretty solid and I can't wait for more. Who knows which series will hold a bigger piece of my heart in the end!

Title: The Piper's Son
Author: Melina Marchetta
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Release Date: August 14, 2012

Summary from Goodreads:

Award-winning author Melina Marchetta reopens the story of the group of friends from her acclaimed novel Saving Francesca - but five years have passed, and now it’s Thomas Mackee who needs saving. After his favorite uncle was blown to bits on his way to work in a foreign city, Tom watched his family implode. He quit school and turned his back on his music and everyone that mattered, including the girl he can’t forget. Shooting for oblivion, he’s hit rock bottom, forced to live with his single, pregnant aunt, work at the Union pub with his former friends, and reckon with his grieving, alcoholic father. Tom’s in no shape to mend what’s broken. But what if no one else is either? An unflinching look at family, forgiveness, and the fierce inner workings of love and friendship, The Piper’s Son redefines what it means to go home again.

Review

The Piper's Son was not my favorite Marchetta book but there is something about her work that makes it impossible for me not to love. They are always so raw and honest, almost unpolished in a sense, which makes them feel so real. It was both a joy and struggle to be back with Tom and the gang from Saving Francesca. A joy because I love these characters and will always want more time with them but a struggle because Tom was a mess. It wasn't easy to read this book but was ultimately worth it to see Tom get his life back under control. I also loved the part of the story that focused on his Aunt Georgie's story. Georgie had to get over her anger and her pride so that she could live happily. I could definitely relate to Georgie's story in the sense that I often care too much about what people think and I feel like that gets in the way of my own happiness. Simply put, I recommend all of Marchetta's work. There is no one else like her.

Title: Persuasion
Author: Martina Boone
Series: The Heirs of Watson Island #2

Publisher: Simon Pulse

Release Date: October 27, 2015

Summary from Goodreads:

Grieving the death of her godfather and haunted by her cousin Cassie’s betrayal, Barrie returns from a trip to San Francisco to find the Watson plantation under siege. Ghost-hunters hope to glimpse the ancient spirit who sets the river on fire each night, and reporters chase rumors of a stolen shipment of Civil War gold that may be hidden at Colesworth Place. The chaos turns dangerous as Cassie hires a team of archeologists to excavate beneath the mansion ruins. Because more is buried there than treasure.

A stranger filled with magic arrives at Watson’s Landing claiming that the key to the Watson and Beaufort gifts—and the Colesworth curse—also lies beneath the mansion. With a mix of threats and promises, the man convinces Barrie and Cassie to cast a spell there at midnight. But what he conjures may have deadly consequences.

While Barrie struggles to make sense of the escalating peril and her growing and forbidden feelings for Eight Beaufort, it’s impossible to know whom to trust and what to fight for—Eight or herself. Millions of dollars and the fate of the founding families is at stake. Now Barrie must choose between what she feels deep in her heart and what will keep Watson’s Landing safe in this stunning addition to a series filled with “decadent settings, mysterious magic, and family histories rife with debauchery” (Kirkus Reviews, on Compulsion).

Review

How I feel about Persuasion pretty closely mirrors how I feel about Compulsion. There are many elements of this story that I really like -  the Southern Gothic vibe, the history between the founding families, the magic and mystery surrounding the plantations and more - yet it continues to fall victim to some trivial things that weigh the plot down - like all the secret keeping/lack of communication and making decisions for others. The relationship drama is a little too repetitive and much for my liking. But the setting and plot keep me coming back for more and Persuasion definitely upped the ante. I have so many questions that I can't wait to have answers to. SO suffice it to say, I am looking forward to the next book despite some of my grievances.

Title: Under a Painted Sky
Author: Stacey Lee
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Release Date: March 17, 2015

Summary from Goodreads:

Missouri, 1849: Samantha dreams of moving back to New York to be a professional musician—not an easy thing if you’re a girl, and harder still if you’re Chinese. But a tragic accident dashes any hopes of fulfilling her dream, and instead, leaves her fearing for her life. With the help of a runaway slave named Annamae, Samantha flees town for the unknown frontier. But life on the Oregon Trail is unsafe for two girls, so they disguise themselves as Sammy and Andy, two boys headed for the California gold rush. Sammy and Andy forge a powerful bond as they each search for a link to their past, and struggle to avoid any unwanted attention. But when they cross paths with a band of cowboys, the light-hearted troupe turn out to be unexpected allies. With the law closing in on them and new setbacks coming each day, the girls quickly learn that there are not many places to hide on the open trail.

This beautifully written debut is an exciting adventure and heart-wrenching survival tale. But above all else, it’s a story about perseverance and trust that will restore your faith in the power of friendship.

Review

Under the Painted Sky is quite a beautiful story. The friendships in this book are really quite special and will likely win many of you over. There are also some incredibly important themes in this book relating to gender, race, good vs bad, basic human rights, and more. Honestly, it's an extremely impressive debut. But it was just a little too slow for my liking and the Oregon Trail adventure was not as captivating to me in the wake of reading Walk On Earth a Stranger by Rae Carson. My rating reflects more of how it made me feel than how I view this book, which is actually very highly.

Saving Francesca by Melina Marchetta

Title: Saving Francesca
Author: Melina Marchetta
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
Release Date: March 31, 2003

Summary from Goodreads:

Francesca is stuck at St. Sebastians, a boys' school that's pretends it's coed by giving the girls their own bathroom. Her only female companions are an ultra-feminist, a rumored slut, and an an impossibly dorky accordion player. The boys are no better, from Thomas who specializes in musical burping to Will, the perpetually frowning, smug moron that Francesca can't seem to stop thinking about.

Then there's Francesca's mother, who always thinks she knows what's best for Francesca—until she is suddenly stricken with acute depression, leaving Francesca lost, alone, and without an inkling who she really is. Simultaneously humorous, poignant, and impossible to put down, this is the story of a girl who must summon the strength to save her family, her social life and—hardest of all—herself.

Review

To me, it doesn't get much better than Melina Marchetta. Her writing is simultaneously beautiful, delightful, soulful, colorful, hopeful, fruitful, playful, sorrowful... I can't think of any more 'ful words, but you get my point.

Francesca is so used to people telling her who she is and what she wants - from her mother to her so-called friends - that when they stop, she is utterly lost.

"I miss the Stella girls telling me what I am. That I'm sweet and placid and accommodating and loyal and nonthreatening and good to have around. And Mia. I want her to say, 'Frankie, you're silly, you're lazy, you're talented, you're passionate, you're restrained, you're blossoming, you're contrary.'
I want to be an adjective again.
But I'm a noun.
A nothing. A nobody. A no one." 

And she struggles to find herself again because she has the voices of them in her head, constantly judging her and holding her back. And anytime she edges toward happiness, she feels guilty because her mother is at home suffering.

"And being that happy makes me feel guilty. Because I shouldn't be. Not while my mum is feeling the way that she is. How I can dare to be happy is beyond me, and I hate my guts for it.
I hate myself so much that it makes my head spin."

It was hard to be in her head sometimes. She was feeling so many emotions it was like they overpowered her and left her numb, empty and sometimes she couldn't be bothered to feel anything. But I could understand why. I don't know what I'd do if my mother feel apart like that. Like Francesca and her mother, my mother is so much a part of who I am. It was so difficult to watch her family self-destruct.

But slowly, Francesca found her way in the world. She found a place among those people she fancied companions, who turned out to be so much more. They let her be anyone she wanted and they never presumed, judged,  or expected anything.

"We stay like that for a while. No one tries to analyze it or offer solutions. No one interrupts. Sometimes, momentarily, I'm embarrassed by the whole disclosure, but I realize that I trust these people and I don't know how or when that happened."

I loved her band of misfits - Thomas Mackee, the 'slob' and Tara Finke, the 'fanatic' and Justine Kalinsky, the 'loser' and Siobhan Sullivan, the 'slut' and Jimmy Hailler, the troublemaker and Will Trombal, the 'stick-in-the-mud moron with no personality'. I loved how they just worked despite being so different. And I loved how they were there for Francesca as she tried to piece back together her home life.

" I want the bus driver to turn the bus around and I want to spend the rest of my days in a whirlwind of the last few days. Of flirting. Of laughing. Of riding the world evil. Of folk songs. Of piggybacks. Of hip-hop dancing. Of foolishness.
And most of all, of forgetting.
I look past them to where Will and his friends are sitting, and he catches my eye for a moment and smiles. It's a weird smile, but it reaches his eyes and I bottle it. And I put it in my ammo pack that's kept right next to my soul. The one that holds Mia's scent and Justine's spirit and Siobhan's hope and Tara's passions. Because if I'm going to wake up one morning and no be able to get out of bed, I'm going to need everything I've got to fight this bastard of a disease that could be sleeping inside of me."

There are so many strong but unassuming relationships in this book. The most obvious being the one with her new friends, but there was also the strained relationship with her father - who at his core was really good guy but had flaws just like the rest of us - and the relationship between her parents, which was built on so much love and devotion. But perhaps, the best of them all was her relationship with her brother. Francesca took such good care of him and it really moved me to see that sibling affection.

The book was not an easy read - my heart really went out to all of these characters, especially Francesca - but Melina Marchetta's writing is so lovely that it was an enjoyable one. Even though this was serious story, Marchetta still management to make me laugh and smile many times throughout. I can say for a fact that this one will always stay with me - like all of her work. There is just something about her stories... they can't be beat. If you haven't read anything by her yet, you must remedy that. I recommend her work above all else.

Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta

Title: Jellicoe Road
Author: Melina Marchetta
Publisher: Harper Teen
Release Date: August 26, 2008
Pages: 419
Source: Audiobook, Purchased

Summary from Goodreads:
I'm dreaming of the boy in the tree. I tell him stories. About the Jellicoe School and the Townies and the Cadets from a school in Sydney. I tell him about the war between us for territory. And I tell him about Hannah, who lives in the unfinished house by the river. Hannah, who is too young to be hiding away from the world. Hannah, who found me on the Jellicoe Road six years ago.

Taylor is leader of the boarders at the Jellicoe School. She has to keep the upper hand in the territory wars and deal with Jonah Griggs - the enigmatic leader of the cadets, and someone she thought she would never see again.

And now Hannah, the person Taylor had come to rely on, has disappeared. Taylor's only clue is a manuscript about five kids who lived in Jellicoe eighteen years ago. She needs to find out more, but this means confronting her own story, making sense of her strange, recurring dream, and finding her mother - who abandoned her on the Jellicoe Road.

This was a complicated book. So complicated, in fact, that I think I would benefit from reading it again, maybe even more than once. But it was absolutely lovely, absolutely unique, and absolutely a must read.

Since this book already has so many positive reviews, I am just going to talk about what I liked.

What I Liked

Part of what makes this story so unique is the mystery in it. Taylor's dreams, Hannah's manuscript, the clues all around the town - all tie together to tell a brilliant, if not, heartbreaking tale spanning 18 years on the Jellicoe Road. Every little detail in this story has a purpose. And in the end, that purpose is clear. It all pieces together so well that it is a little awe-inspiring.

To build off of that, I loved the small town vibe. It was like every person, place and thing had its own history, own story to tell. And in some small way or other everyone and everything was connected.

I really liked Taylor and I admired that she was unapologetically herself - flaws and all. She didn't care what anyone thought of her and she didn't let anything or anyone define her. Maybe she could be a little selfish at times, but she was honest and great.

I enjoyed the romance between Jonah and Taylor. They were good for each other. They understood each other. It was sweet.

Really, all of the relationships in this story warmed my heart. Lots of love all around.

The territory wars between the Jellicoe School, Townies and Cadets was so much fun, albeit a little scary at times. But it provoked mostly excitement and laughs.

The writing was beautiful. Occasionally you find those books and you can tell that every word was carefully chosen, deliberate, and meaningful. This was one of those books. I think Melina Marchetta has a true gift for words. The story just flowed seamlessly and effortlessly.

What I Didn't

I didn't dislike anything, but this book was a little difficult to listen to on audio because I couldn't easily go back and reference an earlier part in the story, or reread something a second time around.  I struggled in the beginning to keep all of the people separate and I am not sure if I missed any connections as the book progressed. There was a lot to keep track of.  

  

Bottom Line

This is one heck of a story. It is interesting and emotional and impeccably told. Truthfully, you could never go wrong reading a book by Melina Marchetta, no matter the genre. I highly recommend this one among other contemporaries.

REVIEW #115: Quintana of Charyn (Lumatere Chronicles #3) by Melina Marchetta

Title: Quintana of Charyn

Series: Lumatere Chronicles #3
Author: Melina Marchetta

Publisher: Candlewick Press

Release Date: April 23, 2013

Pages: 528, Hardcover
Source: Library

Summary from Goodreads:

The climactic conclusion of Printz Award winner Melina Marchetta’s epic fantasy trilogy!

Separated from the girl he loves and has sworn to protect, Froi and his companions travel through Charyn searching for Quintana and building an army that will secure her unborn child’s right to rule. While in the valley between two kingdoms, Quintana of Charyn and Isaboe of Lumatere come face-to-face in a showdown that will result in heartbreak for one and power for the other. The complex tangle of bloodlines, politics, and love introduced in Finnikin of the Rock and Froi of the Exilescoalesce into an engrossing climax in this final volume.

 

So if you are an avid reader in the YA genre then you probably recognize the name ‘Melina Marchetta’. If not, then let me tell you all you need to know about her work - IT IS AMAZING. So amazing that you should probably go read one of her books immediately and not mention to any of your bookish friends that you have not done so yet. Then you can come back here and let me know which book you read and how much you loved it and I will refrain from saying ‘I told you so’ and just fangirl with you.

Now that that’s been said, let’s move on to my review of Quintana of Charyn… Since this is the third and final book in The Lumatere Chronicles I am going to divide my review in two - a review for those of you who’ve started the series and a review for those of you who haven’t. I’ll keep both simple.

For those of you who have started this series, you are familiar with her work and I don’t need to convince you of how amazing these books are. Instead, I promise you that Quintana of Charyn is just as bit as good as the first two books, if not better, because we get a conclusion to the stories of all the characters we have grown to love. And it is some conclusion. All questions were answered, all loose ends were tied up, and I am left completely satisfied with how things ended. There are just as many feels as the first two books. Again, we experience love, hate, loyalty, betrayal, passion, indifference, and so many more heart-wrenching emotions. The character development is also just as strong. I can’t tell you how much I love these characters. I think Froi of the Exiles was the darkest book of the trilogy but Quintana of Charyn is just as beautiful and as heartbreaking as them all. I loved it entirely.

For those of you who haven’t started this series, trust me when I say that you do not have to be a lover of fantasy to enjoy these books. In fact, I would define this series not by the curses that have befallen the people or the kingdoms and lands that provide the setting, but the characters that Marchetta has created and their connections to each other. In fact, when I reflect on this series it is not the action that stands out to me but the relationships I witnessed and the feelings I experienced. Oh sure there is adventure and a fantastic story that will entrance readers but the real magic here is in the completely fierce, raw, unrestrained emotion that is present throughout. The characters that Marchetta has created are among the best I have ever encountered and will surely grow on you. They are flawed, they all have dark pasts, but they are good too, they know how to endure, they have learned from their mistakes and their futures are promising. I promise you that their struggles will stay with you and their fierce loyalty will inspire you. I promise you that the story is so detailed, satisfying and complete. BUT there is a balance for all in this book. You will feel love to such depths but you will also feel equal measures of hate. Horrifying things happen to the characters in this story. It is not delicate by any means. But wonderful things happen too. For all the bad that you will experience you will also experience good. For all of the negative emotions that you feel, you will also feel positive emotions.

And as it is my style, I have provided a short excerpt that will demonstrate the kind of writing you will see in this book:

“Back then, he didn’t understand the words he sang. All he understood was an empty stomach that needed to be filled. But now, as he started his song, he knew exactly what he was singing and his voice reached depths that he hadn’t known existed. And when Arjuro’s voice joined in, it was a communion, a blood tie, and Froi felt the strength that both their voices gave those listening. He watched men place clenched hands to their chests; he saw tears spring to surprised eyes. He saw Lirah push her way through the men on the balcony above, transfixed. Froi’s voice felt like a caress for his battered soul. Because he sang for Quintana of Charyn. He sang for the misery of her life, the poison in her body, the scars on her skin, and the courage in her character. And he sang for the child he would never call his own. He sang for the Charyn he would leave behind, and he felt his hand clench in a fist at the thought of such a kingdom. It made his voice soar with Arjuro’s, to a height that matched its earlier depth. And when it was over and he pushed through the crowd, he felt hands clap his back, ruffle his cap, and shake his hand as he moved among them. He felt their euphoria.” 

So if you’ve taken anything away from my review I hope that it is to not be afraid of this series even if fantasy is not your unusual genre. If you do love fantasy, well then, what are you waiting for? I would recommend Marchetta’s work to anyone and everyone. She is amazingly talented and her books are always among my favorites.