Review: Haunting Violet by Alyxandra Harvey

Alyxandra Harvey's website here // $11.55 from {amazon}

Publisher: Walker Children (June 21, 2011)

Hardcover: 352 pages

Source: Publisher (ARC)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  Summary:  

Violet Willoughby doesn't believe in ghosts. But they believe in her. After spending years participating in her mother's elaborate ruse as a fraudulent medium, Violet is about as skeptical as they come in all matters supernatural. Now that she is being visited by a very persistent ghost, one who suffered a violent death, Violet can no longer ignore her unique ability. She must figure out what this ghost is trying to communicate, and quickly because the killer is still on the loose.

Afraid of ruining her chance to escape her mother's scheming through an advantageous marriage, Violet must keep her ability secret. The only person who can help her is Colin, a friend she's known since childhood, and whom she has grown to love. He understands the true Violet, but helping her on this path means they might never be together. Can Violet find a way to help this ghost without ruining her own chance at a future free of lies?

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My Thoughts:  

I went into HAUNTING VIOLET conscious of Alyxandra Harvey’s ability to write exciting, fast-paced paranormal romance in THE DRAKE CHRONICLES. So despite HAUNTING VIOLET being marketed as a spooky, spirit-filled murder mystery, a huge deviation from her usual plotline, I still expected it to exhibit the writing capabilities I associate with the name Alyxandra Harvey.  

Verdict: Different, but lacking.

In YA, “murder mystery” tends to imply suspense, dark secrets, and anticipation. Out of the three, HAUNTING VIOLET has only the dark secrets well covered. If I felt any suspense, it was extremely fleeting. If there was any anticipation, it disappeared when what happened just… happened. Some things were life-threatening enough or ghostly enough, but I never felt a true sense of danger or urgency, which I largely attribute to poor character development. Primarily that of our heroine, Violet, who’s the dreaded “okay:” a little bit of everything (bravery, endurance, love, brains), but not much of anything.  Conversely, Violet’s mother is at the extremes of evil, but a sad history or occasional streak of humanity would have made her character that much scarier in its understandability. Looking back, I see so much unrealized potential that could have been realized with more yin & yang in the characters’ personalities and/or histories.

As for the mystery itself, rather than a steady incline of clues, it was a mixture of one pivotal suspect and a number of random smaller ones were either: a) superfluous, or b) obvious. The pivotal suspect? WHO is this creepy man and WHY does he keep appearing everywhere. OH, YOU, CREEPER. Problem was, creeper factor? Yes. Danger factor? No. So that was interesting for 50 pages or so, but it could’ve easily been solved in those 50 instead of being dragged out for another 200. That’s not to say the smaller clues and ghostly signs weren’t interesting – you don’t see chandeliers falling every day – but they simply don’t seem at all necessary when the ending twist is revealed. Like the icing on a cake that first needs more sugar.

That being said, in my eyes, the ending redeemed HAUNTING VIOLET. My thoughts while reading can be essentially summed up as (page approximates from ARC):

50 pages in: “Beautiful setting. Oh, a clue! I wonder where this will go…”

 

60 pages in: “Oh, that’s cool. A ghost. Hm.”

170 pages in: “COME ON, VIOLET, GO FOR IT. Can’t you see? Auisdha3e#)*#3rfysdAW(_@?!” 

310 pages in: “WOAH. Okay, is this it? Yay, they get a happy ending.” 

BOOK SHUT. *feels satisfied but kind of apathetic*

In spite of my seemingly endless complaints, HAUNTING VIOLET was actually a mildly enjoyable read. It just failed to meet my standards for solid mysteries. I do give kudos to Alyxandra Harvey for fleshing out a plausible 18th century society, complete with stunning balls and proper etiquette – and I’ll be anywhere that promises sparkly gowns, moonlit rendezvous’, and honey-coated deceit. HAUNTING VIOLET really had an intriguing plot during a lovely time period, and with proper execution, its plot could definitely have taken the book from ordinary to nail-biting, breath-stopping extraordinary. Perhaps next time – and, yes, I'll still be keeping an eye out for a next time.

My Rating: 3 out of 5

Bottom Line: HAUNTING VIOLET was there, and I read it. That pretty much sums up my feelings for it. However, looking at other reviews, it seems HAUNTING VIOLET is one of those books that's either meh or OMGAMAZING, with most people falling in the latter. So if you're an Alyxandra Harvey or ghostly mysteries fan, I recommend giving it a try. Not the right haunt for me, but maybe it will be for you.

Cover: It's beautiful. I love the soft, watercolor feel it has to it.

The Flip-side:
Dreaming in Books
Jess Hearts Books
Rebecca's Book Blog
Confessions of a Bookaholic

Review: Hourglass by Claudia Gray

Claudia Gray's website here // $11.55 from {amazon}

Series: Evernight, #3
Publisher: HarperTeen (March 9, 2010)
Hardcover: 352 pages
Summary: from {goodreads}

Bianca will risk everything to be with Lucas.

After escaping from Evernight Academy, the vampire boarding school where they met, Bianca and Lucas take refuge with Black Cross, a fanatical group of vampire hunters. Bianca must hide her supernatural heritage or risk certain death at their hands. But when Black Cross captures her friend—the vampire Balthazar—hiding is no longer an option.

Soon, Bianca and Lucas are on the run again, pursued not only by Black Cross, but by the powerful leaders of Evernight. Yet no matter how far they travel, Bianca can't escape her destiny.

Bianca has always believed their love could survive anything . . . but can it survive what's to come?

Rating: View my rating system.

My Thoughts: Okay, I’m going to start off with some things I feel need to be said: 1) It’s extremely hard for me to rate series books because I only buy series I really, really, REALLY love (for the record, the only series I have bought are: some children series, Harry Potter, Twilight, Perfect Chemistry, and L.J. Smith’s Night World), 2) I usually don’t have as much to say when talking about series books for some unknown reason, perhaps because I feel like my few thoughts have already been expended on the previous books, and 3) I am a COMPLETE Balthazar fan, if that means any difference to you at all. Sorry, Lucas.

On to the real review, Hourglass is definitely a paranormal read. There are the centuries-old yet undeniably attractive vampires, the fierce vampire hunters, and then an entirely new, chilling something introduced in this book three of the series. With this intense mix, there just has to be action – and there is. The aspect of the book I can find myself complimenting the most is the action, which was definitely non-stop with mystery and intrigue. Hourglass picks up right where Stargazer left off, with Bianca struggling to remain inconspicuous with Lucas and the gang. However, that turns out to be easier said than done when you’re on the verge of changing into a vampire, have a crazy vampire headmistress hunting your vampire hunter buddies down, and have a best friend that would kill you in a heartbeat if she knew what you really were. If that sounds crazy, it’s only the tip of the iceberg. Hourglass certainly proves that Claudia Gray knows how to weave an intricate story, continually working in new twists and turns to make sure there’s never a dull moment.

Character-wise, Hourglass was “okay.” I liked seeing more of Vic and his new vampire friend, Ranulf, both of with are eccentric in their own, endearing ways; Ranulf is the centuries-behind vampire, where Vic is just Vic, for lack of better words. They’re close seconds to Balthazar in vying for the spot of favorite character, and make the perfect, strange match. Then, of course, I have to mention Balthazar, who is as Prince Charming as ever, swooping in and trying to save the day. I don’t see what charm Lucas has over him but, apparently, Bianca sees something there I don’t, and their relationship is actually what I struggled the most/am still struggling with. I’ve never been a huge Lucas fan, but his and Bianca’s love felt at times stereotypical and, frankly, a bit annoying. Bianca has no choice to feed on Lucas, he gets turned on, etc. and their extreme willingness to sacrifice for each other aggravated me, even if it was meant to be sweet. The way I look at it, there’s a line you have to draw for self-preservation regardless of how much you may love another, yet Lucas and Bianca lack this distinction and feel the need to constantly proclaim their undying love for each other. I’m not trying to degrade their romance, but, frankly, I did not see it standing out among the many other forbidden love relationships. Overall, I felt a degree of disconnect from Bianca and wish that there could have been a bit more emotional exploration along with the packed action.

Ultimately, after finishing Hourglass, the one thing I want the most is some form of closure. Hourglass flowed like the intense middle of a book, fortunate in that it came without the slow introduction though unfortunate in that it lacked the wrap-up conclusion. I arrived at the end expecting a mini-conclusion, but instead found myself confronted by a situation I never would have dreamed of. If you're looking for a suspenseful cliffhanger, you'll definitely find a great one in Hourglass.

Romance: 3.0. I'm sorry I'm biased here, but one word: Balthazar.
Cover: 3.5 - It matches the Evernight theme very well, though the full frontal shot is a bit bland.
Writing: 3.5
Characters: 3.0  
Plot: 4.0

Bottom Line: Hourglass is a fast-paced, action-packed blend of romance, mystery, and danger that will never fail to surprise with its sharp turns and twists.

Will I continue reading this series? It's not my favorite series, but yes, the ending has served it's purpose in sparking my interest to find out what happens next. I cannot rest in peace until this mystery is solved.

Source: Thank you to Jackie Jou and HarperCollins Children's Books for the copy!

Review: Light Beneath Ferns by Anne Spollen

Light Beneath Ferns by Anne Spollen

Anne Spollen's website here // $9.95 from {amazon}

Publisher: Flux (February 1, 2010)

Paperback: 216 pages

Summary: from {goodreads}

Elizah Rayne is nothing like other fourteen-year-old girls. More interested in bird bones than people, she wraps herself in silence. Trying to escape the shadow of her gambler father, Elizah and her mother move into an old house that borders a cemetery. All her mother wants is for them to have "normal" lives. But that becomes impossible for Elizah when she finds a human jawbone by the river and meets Nathaniel, a strangely hypnotic and mysterious boy who draws Elizah into his world.

Only by forgetting everything she knows can Elizah understand the truth about Nathaniel—and discover an unimaginable secret.

Rating: View my rating system.

My Thoughts: I hate to give such a negative review, but the truth is I just didn’t “get” this book. I didn’t understand the role of the characters, the characters themselves, etc. and I still don’t even understand the plot. I had a hard time convincing myself to continue reading, and though I really, really wanted to love Light Beneath Ferns, that just didn’t happen.

I went in expecting chilling, supernatural story, and I admit that partially proved true. Or should I say: the promise of a supernatural plot was almost the only thing that kept from completely setting this book down. The beginning started off slow, and I continued reading in hopes that Anne Spollen would eventually reveal some big secret that would explain everything or churn out an unexpected plot twist. But I kept waiting and waiting and waiting... and waiting, you get the drill. The story constantly alternates between the supernatural aspects and Elizah’s social life, and the changing focus never really allowed time to go in-depth with the supernatural storyline. My main problem with the plot was that everything that happened just happened. No explanation, no reason; it's just there – period. I read the entire book feeling like I was missing some crucial piece of information, and that vital piece never revealed itself. The ghost plot felt generic and, quite frankly, boring, especially considering I could correctly predict almost everything from the very beginning. I can see the supernatural aspects being further expanded on in the future, but it just never reached its full potential in Light Beneath Ferns.

As for Elizah, she's simply an enigma I cannot figure out. The introduction portrayed her as slightly eccentric and unique, and I expected to find an intriguing, independent heroine. Unfortunately, I soon found that wasn’t the case. Or I should say I *think* Elizah was neither strong nor special, because I honestly don’t understand her. I felt like Anne Spollen wanted to create an unique character, but in trying too hard, Elizah's personality fell flat. Elizah is the typical, sarcastic teen when with her mother and quiet and brooding by herself and with others – making me question: who is she really? Elizah claims she just wants to be silent, but why? I can understand wanting to be solitary, but Elizah has this almost "need" to be alone, a desire I never saw a solid basis for. Because she just “feels” like she has to? It was extremely annoying to see Elizah push everyone away, even her friendly classmates that were always there to support her. I can understand kindly brushing someone off or just being up-front about it, but not only is Elizah unassertive, she also rudely ignores them and gives off a feeling of superiority. Maybe she’s supposed to be “above” high school and adolescence, but her behavior didn't give me that impression about her maturity.

Romance-wise, there was definitely something there, but, again, it seemed so stereotypical. First we have Nathaniel, the mysterious, enticing boy that Elizah finds herself thinking about 24/7. I’m not going to lie, I would probably follow him too, but I didn’t see any foundation for their attraction. It seemed like they fell in “love” too fast, and the only time I really liked Elizah was when she asked Nathaniel where he planned on taking her instead of mindlessly following him. Elizah finally displayed some admirable resolve... or at least until Nathaniel was like “do you want to come or not” and Elizah just dropped it – what? She's not afraid of someone who, at that time, was practically a stranger? Though I didn’t like her obsession (sorry) with Nathaniel that much, I liked Elizah’s relationship with Kyle, Nathaniel's basketball-star-and-most-popular-guy-in-school competitor, even less. She obviously didn’t like him and considering how independent and defiant she was with her mother, why couldn’t she tell him she wasn’t interested instead of leading him on? I felt all of the other characters were generic as well, particularly Elizah’s well-meaning mother that just wants to fit into their new community but is constantly being discouraged by Elizah. *sniffle*

Despite all the flaws I saw in this book, again, there is definitely hidden potential here. Anne Spollen’s writing flows easily, and she subtly scatters beautiful imagery throughout the book. Though I mostly missed the concept as a whole, a number of less-known or less significant details sparked my interest that Anne Spollen skillfully tied into the plot. Light Beneath Ferns also integrates some solid lessons with Elizah’s broken family, and despite my mountain of complaints with Elizah, I admire her wit and resilience. And can I add that I like the name "Elizah Rayne?" :)

Romance: Mysterious and tentative. I didn't necessarily like the characters involved in the romance, but we're talking about first love here and with Nathaniel? Very mysterious.
Cover: 4.5 -- A little monotone, but very, very pretty. It fits the mood perfectly, and it's soft.
Writing: 3.5
Characters: 1.0
Plot: 1.0 - The plot felt like an introduction; there's an interesting setting, but nothing really happens.

Bottom Line: If you haven't noticed the numerous question marks in my review, Light Beneath Ferns constantly made me wonder "why, why, why?" I didn't feel myself connecting with any of the characters, and, overall, there was nothing in the book that stood out to me as extremely original or a step-up from the usual ghost story. If ghosts strongly appeal to you, you might want to give this book a spin, but though I might still try Anne Spollen's books in the future for her lyrical writing, I won't be be first in-line buying her books anytime soon.

Source: Thank you to Tricia from Flux!

Review: Give Up the Ghost by Megan Crewe

Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR) (September 15, 2009)

Harcover: 256 pages

Price: $11.55 from Amazon

Summary:

Cass McKenna much prefers ghosts over “breathers.” Ghosts are uncomplicated and dependable, and they know the dirt on everybody…and Cass loves dirt. She’s on a mission to expose the dirty secrets of the poseurs in her school.

But when the vice president of the student council discovers her secret, Cass’s whole scheme hangs in the balance. Tim wants her to help him contact his recently deceased mother, and Cass reluctantly agrees.

As Cass becomes increasingly entwined in Tim’s life, she’s surprised to realize he’s not so bad—and he needs help more desperately than anyone else suspects. Maybe it’s time to give the living another chance….

Rating:

Review: Give Up the Ghost was an enjoyable read with a bit of a ghostly twist. Megan Crewe’s take on ghost seeing was interesting, though I felt it could have been taken a bit further. I definitely, definitely (ugh, drama) could use a ghost gossip-chain any time of the day, but I would have liked to have seen more about Cass and the ghosts’ relationships outside of gossiping. It seemed a bit like Cass was taking advantage of them, getting information for simply acknowledging them, though I don't think it was meant that way. Though  Megan didn't necessarily bring anything new to the psychic concept, but I liked how she incorporated ghosts into her story.

Now, I’m not saying Cass is a bad girl. She’s definitely a quiet type, but one who is willing to stand up for others. I’d categorize myself into the shy type that often prefers being solitary, and I can wistfully say I wish I had the guts to march up to a group of kids and hint around some scandal like I don’t care what people think. And though Cass may put up that front, which I can appreciate, she’s actually pretty sensitive inside, which who can’t relate to? I do have to say that I sometimes got annoyed with her though. I can understand that she doesn’t often talk to “breathers” as she likes to call us normal people (I’m assuming we’re normal here… right?), but she was so prejudiced against everyone that I was thinking “can’t you see you’re a human too?!” It annoyed me that she kept on denying her own self-worth and pushing others away to the extent that it was actually a bit childish and immature. However, Cass does learn throughout the book, and I liked her a lot more towards the end.

The biggest sense I got from this book was an introduction. I got to know the characters, know Cass’s ability, know the setting, know some history, but overall the plot didn’t move very far. Fortunately, there is a sequel, though I still wish there could have been a little more exciting progress and less predictability. That being said, the ending was extremely predictable, like so predictable that even me, the clueless little girl, knew what would happen from miles away. The ending was satisfying enough though; happy, nothing climatic, and slightly hinting towards the sequel.

Romance: 2/5. Ah, Tom. Typical guy: blond, lanky, tall, sweet. Though he was definitely nice, I just didn't really feel him because he seemed just that: nice. I think part of that may be the lack of interaction between him and others; I heard a lot more of his history rather than saw his personality in action. There wasn’t a lot of romantic progress between him and Cass (I’m pretty sure that’s where it’s headed), but I’ll be crossing my fingers for some *ahem-ahem* "action" in the sequel! ;)

Cover: 3.5/5. Very nice feel to it, and soothing color scheme.

Bottom Line: A fairly solid introduction to a series with an interesting concept. An enjoyable read, though not riveting, and mainly I wished there could have been some more character development; the characters weren't flat but they didn't exactly evoke a well of sympathy and love either. I'll definitely be looking forward to where Megan Crewe will take this series, and though I personally wouldn't go out of my way and buy this book right now, I would reccomend Give Up the Ghost to anyone looking for a light, supernatural read.