The Name of the Star

The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson

The day Louisiana teenager Rory Deveaux arrives in London marks a memorable occasion. For Rory, it's the start of a new life at a London boarding school. But for many, this will be remembered as the day a series of brutal murders broke out across the city, gruesome crimes mimicking the horrific Jack the Ripper events of more than a century ago.


Soon "Rippermania" takes hold of modern-day London, and the police are left with few leads and no witnesses. Except one. Rory spotted the man police believe to be the prime suspect. But she is the only one who saw him. Even her roommate, who was walking with her at the time, didn't notice the mysterious man. So why can only Rory see him? And more urgently, why has Rory become his next target? In this edge-of-your-seat thriller, full of suspense, humor, and romance, Rory will learn the truth about the secret ghost police of London and discover her own shocking abilities. -Plot summary borrowed from Goodreads

I didn't read the description very carefully for this book. I saw the GORGEOUS cover, something about Jack the Ripper and maybe ghosts, and knew I had to have it. I'll admit I was disappointed for about half a minute when I realized that this is set in contemporary London and featured an American heroine (I'm an Anglophile. It's a disease). But after that 30 seconds was over, you couldn't have pulled this book out of my hands for love or money.

It. Is. So. Good. Rory's voice rings true immediately and she is a bunch of fun. I was amazed at how authentically written both the American and English characters were, so I checked the bio flap and it turns out she spends her time in both countries. The only other writer I know of who can capture both voices so convincingly is Joss Whedon, who spent much of his student life in England. But I ramble.

This works so well as an American in England story, a school story, a crime thriller (interspersed with Rory's story are occasional chapters detailing the misdeeds of "the modern Ripper," a ghost story, and best and most surprisingly, a paranormal investigation story!! My favorite! ^_^

I spent my time equally snorting over my tea and being on the edge of my seat worrying about the Ripper. Best of all, this is apparently the first in a planned series: The Shades of London. I'm crossing my fingers that the next installments are as good.

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Must Read Monday (#8)

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Hey everyone! So I'm sick, but I still have to run off to work in a few minutes. I was going to postpone MRM until next week since I haven't yet had time to pick a winner and make an acrostic, but I thought instead we could link up one of our neglected book reviews and continue with the category "A book you were glad someone recommended to you" next week.

I'll include the linky. Just choose any review that you think needs more attention!
Anyone can participate!
Have a great Monday.

Here's mine:
The Chosen One by Carol Lynch Williams

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Review: Everneath

"Last spring, Nikki Beckett vanished, sucked into an underworld known as the Everneath, where immortals Feed on the emotions of despairing humans. Now she's returned- to her old life, her family, her friends- before being banished back to the underworld... this time forever.

She has six months before the Everneath comes to claim her, six months for good-byes she can't find the words for, six months to find redemption, if it exists.

Nikki longs to spend these months reconnecting with her boyfriend, Jack, the one person she loves more than anything. But there's a problem: Cole, the smoldering immortal who first enticed her to the Everneath, has followed Nikki to the mortal world. And he'll do whatever it takes to bring her back- this time as his queen.

As Nikki's time grows short and her relationships begin slipping from her grasp, she's forced to make the hardest decision of her life: find a way to cheat fate and remain on the Surface with Jack or return to the Everneath and become Cole's..."
-Goodreads

Stats:

• Publisher: Harper Collins
• Release date: Jan. 24, 2012
• Page count: 370
• Will appeal to: Mythology lovers, fans of fantasy

Favorite Quotes: (will be checked against final edition)
"He gave me a smile that I could have sold on the internet for money."

"Last year, I'd left my dad in the heat of an argument. I threw despicable words at him and then walked out and never came back."

"Lacey had spent the week leading up to football camp telling everyone who would listen 'What happens at camp stays at camp,' which made it sound like camp consisted of a craps table, tequila-lime shots, and tangled sheets."

"I tucked this moment away. In the dark, dank world of the Tunnels, I would call upon this memory. And there would be a flicker of candlelight. If only for a moment."

If you love mythology, this is a great pick for 2012. I requested the book specifically for the cover, but the plot also intrigued me. Anything about souls catches my attention.

Basically sweet Nikki is known to her friends and boyfriend as Becks, as her last name is Beckett. After being heartbroken by her boyfriend, she runs to a person she knows can take the pain away: Cole. He's a musician, and also an immortal. Nikki becomes the person who gives him energy in the Everneath during the Feed. They are wrapped together in the dark for an entire century (only months in the real world), her life dwindling as he becomes stronger. I love the opening because it describes how it feels for her body to come away from his after fitting together so perfectly for so long. It is rare that one survives the Feed, let alone doesn't age, so Cole realizes his Nik is special (love that the author chose to have only Cole refer to her as Nik). He asks her to go with him and become a queen. Instead, she chooses to go back to the surface. She's informed she has six months until the creatures of the Tunnels come to get her and take her back to use as a battery; fuel for those of the Feed. Cole shows her a glimpse of this horrific life, but still, she must say goodbye to the father and brother she left so suddenly, and maybe even the boyfriend she can't stop thinking of.

Jack-- such a perfect, short name. I really liked him. The way he gently lets Nikki take her own time to talk to him. The way he never gives up after school, taking every new development as a sign of her healing. The entire school thinks Nikki was on drugs and ran away, as well as her father who is mid-election and defending his mayoral seat. The reader learns how broken Jack was after she left. How he secluded himself and lost friends over his behavior. Jack's adorable, sad, but seriously in love.

For me, Nikki and Jack were destined to be together. Their relationship is both fragile and solid. Jack is okay with a friendship after so much time, as long as he can have her back in his life.

Cole is the wedge that comes between them. Even though he is majorly annoying, popping up at every opportunity in Nikki's room, he wants to be loved and has a vulnerable side. I can see why Nikki is so attracted to him in the first place; he's older, interesting, and can make her feel better.

Within chapters, the time stamp jumps around from the past to the present. Then, the time counts down so the reader can see how many days remain for Nikki. An impeding sense of doom lingers as she gets closer to leaving a second time without explanation.

The story develops into a fact-finding mystery that Nikki needs to solve to stay on earth. The Daughters of Persephone is mentioned by a crazy woman from the soup kitchen Nikki volunteers at. The myth of  Orpheus going to the underworld to retrieve Persephone is explored, and Nikki can see lots of parallels between his tale and hers with Jack.

I thought the world was thoroughly developed by the author, Brodi Ashton. The plot does a good job of answering questions a little at a time, so as to entice the reader to continue. It's interesting that the immortals can suck off layers of people's emotions to make them feel better, and the worst emotions, stress, fear, anger, pain, are the first to go. It becomes addictive for the human, which is how Nikki falls into his trap.

The end was surprising because it had two major twists, one of which I should have seen coming.

I was freaking out when I read the acknowledgements because I spotted the name Jenni Elyse, a fellow book blogger, who read an early draft of this novel. Yay, Jenni!

Although the writing style didn't knock me off my feet, the plot kept me engaged, and the romance grew very strong. I look forward to seeing what the next book in the series brings, especially when it comes to sweet, lovable Jack!

*This ARC was provided to me by the publishers in exchange for an honest review.

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Review: Far From the War

"Economic ruin and partisan rancor have pushed America to the brink of a new civil war. Esther is caught in the middle, serving as a page in the United States House of Representatives when rogue politicians and military leaders stage a modern day coup d'etat. When the coup turns violent, she abandons Washington, D.C. for home. She must learn to survive on her own as transportation and financial networks fail, as the war disrupts food and water supplies. The result is a cautionary tale about political extremism and the true cost of war."

-Goodreads

Stats:

• Publisher: Roche Harbor Books
• Release Date: Sept. 17, 2011
• Number of pages: 366
• Would recommend to: People who enjoy politics, young readers looking for a unique topic, military brats

Favorite Quotes:

“It was as if the city were on pause, stopping to commemorate some important moment in ritualistic silence, taking a breath. This moment of silence, this moment devoid of man made things, ended as it had to, and restored to the city its usual soundtrack of shouts and machines.”

“It’s an odd thing when the vision for one’s life collapses, when a dream dies. Those who’ve never had dreams might imagine it to consist of despair, depression and prolonged bouts of purgative weeping. The death of a dream is, in fact, far less dramatic. It consists of a sudden feeling of foolishness and embarrassment, a sense of being childish, usually recognized by the dreamer as maturation rather than capitulation.”

“With the glare out of her eyes, she could finally read the officer’s name. It was something heavily laden with consonants and unpronounceable, a telemarketer’s nightmare, Polish or Russian maybe.”

“’You never went to parties or anything?’ ‘Not those kinds of parties. I’m not sure why, but hanging out in the woods with a bunch of d-bags drinking cough syrup was just never my idea of a good time.’”

“’You show me a boy my own age that doesn’t waste half his life playing video games, and I’ll marry the bastard on the spot.’”

I went into Far From the War after a string of dystopians. I didn’t read much of the summary before I accepted the request. I knew it was set in the future and involved a second civil war in the U.S.

At first I was daunted; in the first hundred pages you have a lot about politics. It’s stuff the average person can understand. Couple that with Jeffrey David Payne’s very distinct writing style that is characterized by an expansive vocabulary, and I was more than intimidated.

With that being said, I adored this book and am really glad there are two more to come. The very serious subject of war made much of the text somber or tense, but I also was surprised with fun bits of humor laced in character dialogue.

I’ve not read anything like it before. As I said, Payne’s writing style is unique, not the typical YA that I’ve read. It’s descriptive in a refreshing way, the kind that illicited an “I never thought about it like that.” His nature descriptions were beautiful.  At times I was aware it was written by a male because it was different and more objective than anything I would ever think. It’s told in third person limited, focusing on Esther’s point of view. A compelling main character, she is very by-the-book when it comes to making a difference through politics, willing to work hard to advance. She had few friends back home but possesses a great wit, pulling sarcasm out of her pocket when needed. Esther lacks serious emotions until the war begins, and then, she keeps them in check to survive.

There is a great animosity that exists between the Democrat and Republican pages when Esther arrives in D.C., which is almost encouraged by the behavior of the adults in charge. The tensions foreshadow what is to become of the nation. Military rogue forces. Attacks on federal treasury buildings. Constant air assaults. A president in hiding. No one is safe as the war moves from the capital to the south and west; even civilians become desperate and barbaric.

Esther figures out what matters quickly; her friendships, and most of all, making it back to Orcas Island off the coast of Washington. Train delays, lack of cars to rent, grounded planes, and military barricades cause her journey home to turn into months instead of days. Along the way, she makes and loses friends, wanders through the wilderness near death, and must use a gun to protect herself from sex-deprived men and ruthless robbers.

The plot had several turns I didn’t anticipate. I enjoyed it when Esther accidentally reconnects with one of her former page friends in another state. At times it seemed impossible that she would ever see her parents again. Phone and e-mail communication with her parents is impossible, so she is on her own.

About two-thirds of the way through, I became completely absorbed with the story as Esther encounters romance with a boy (from McAlester, OK, which is near me!) who I wish I could meet in real life. It was nice that they had different backgrounds, money-wise, but none of that mattered to either of them, especially during wartime. I had wondered if any romance would be included at all, but it makes sense that Esther was focused on making it through one day to the next. The way the author described some of the scenes with them together may not have been as detailed as I usually like, but the scenes were still sweet and Esther-like.

I would recommend this book for the gorgeous writing style alone, but it is a book both boys and girls would enjoy because of its lasting impressions upon the mind. Instead of "Don't let history repeat itself," it's more like, "This is what could happen if we're not careful." 

*This book was provided to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

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Must Read Monday (#7)

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After a long weekend, it's hard to go back to work or school (especially if you've just celebrated Thanksgiving!). That's okay, we'll make the best of it! Hope you enjoy Must Read Monday!

The goal of the Must Read Monday is to find share your love of great books with others in the hopes that they'll add a new title to their To Be Read list.

Your job is to create intrigue for other hoppers. What makes your book so swoon-worthy? What do you absolutely have to mention so they'll read it?

On your post, you'll make an acrostic puzzle (think of it as an overview/book blurb type of thing).

For specific ways to build your puzzle, click here, but pretty much any style of acrostic is welcome.

When you leave comments on other posts, be sure to mention whether you're adding that book to your TBR pile, and what part convinced you to do so.

It's all about powers of persuasion, people:) You might have to think a little, but channel that inner-creative goddess (or god).

Winners of Must Read Monday week #6:

Kristan @ Lost Amongst the Shelves (Ella Enchanted)

and

Pam @ At Home Between the Pages (The Iron King)

Kristan did an excellent job of telling a story, including all the mythical creatures in her description. Favorite lines:  "Every girl deserves a fairy tale and sometimes the Damsel needs to save the Prince." Love a strong heroine!

Pam made hers really mysterious by describing the portal and revealing the name Nevernever. Favorite lines: "Insecurity around every corner, yet Meghan must save Nevernever before it is
Gone forever." I love that it ended with a rhyme, whether it was intentional or not!

REMEMBER: You must follow these ladies to participate this week! *I've decided to pick one winner per week from here on out.

This week's category: A book that made you laugh out loud

Here's mine:

Three sisters in

High school

Expect nothing more than another year full of bickering

Eldest April is a studious perfectionist, her eyes
Xtra sensitive when she sees a flash of red from behind the driver's seat

Their car will crash in moments, a vision shows her
Right along with her, June discovers her power to be invisible, which she often wishes for
Anyway-- in school, she'd rather be left alone
Only May is left, and she can read minds,
Ready to conquer the world by pleasing one popular girl at a time
Determined to look out for her sisters,
Intelligent April cautions them to use their powers wisely
Nagging June starts to turn friends against each other
April, depsite her best efforts, is falling for a boy who makes her lose focus
Rebel May has to be tutored to pass
Yet another course--history-- by a lame Harvard-obsessed kid geek.

Sarcasm is her greatest tool.
Even when they don't want them, their powers stay
Comedy ensues as every chapter is narratored by a different sister
Recalling the same events in a different way
Endlessly hiding secrets from their divorced mother
Together, they find
Some common ground when June's life is threatened

Off the wall antics are
Fated to follow the girls through

Any task they take on

Playing with fire, all three
Rely on their power to help them find out
Items they would not otherwise have
Learned, sometimes, knowledge that hurts

Messy,
Adoring,
Youthful

&

Juicy,

Undeniably humorous dialogue

Never-ending laughs and

Even a few good sighs for a family healed by the supernatural.

I had a super hard time on this one and it's not one of my best! But it's late and I had to cheat on the X:)

*Next week's category: A book that you're thankful someone recommended to you

                      

What's a humorous tale that left you in fits of giggles?

Guidelines:

• Must become a follower to participate.
• Follow the winners from last week to participate.
• Grab my button to place in your post.
• Make sure you have a backlink in your post to each weekly post I put up, not just to my website.
• Where it says your name please include name @ blog name Ex: Jenna @ Fans of Fiction
• Your exact post URL is the one that goes in the linky box, not your website.
• Don't just hop around; leave comments! We all love reading what others have to say.
• Enjoy!

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In My Mailbox (#9)

Thanks, as always, to Kristi @ Story Siren to coming up with this meme so we can share with everyone how we've been blessed in books at the end of the week.

I feel like I had Christmas early! I never buy this many books, but I can't pass up a good sale. Thank you, Black Friday. Ignore my creepy eyes in this still frame below.

This vlog includes the following books that I purchased:
Tighter by Adele Griffin
Very LeFreak by Rachel Cohn
Frozen Fire by Tim Bowler
Impossible by Nancy Werlin
Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson
What My Mother Doesn't Know by Sonya Sones
The Big Game of Everything by Chris Lynch
Secrets of My Hollywood Life by Jen Calonita
Gifts by Ursula K. LeGuin
Sophomore Switch by Abby McDonald
The Year of Secret Assignments by Jaclyn Moriarty
Seventeenth Summer by Maureen Daly
Hoot by Carl Hiaasen

Below are all the books for review I received from NetGalley. I'm pretty spoiled at the moment.

What's in your mailbox?
And let me know if you watch vlogs at all or just glimpse at the list of titles that are included in the video.

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Review: Remembrance and Guest Post by Michelle Madow

Fans of Fiction is thrilled to be a stop on a book blog tour! Congrats to Michelle Madow for publishing her first novel!

It's still not too late to check out past (and future) blog stops for the Remembrance Book Blog tour. Here is the link. Kudos to Amanda from Stuck in YA Books for hosting the tour. 

Review (*The author provided Fans of Fiction with a copy in exchange for an honest review)

"New Hampshire high school junior Lizzie Davenport has been reincarnated from Regency Era, England ... but she doesn't know it yet.

Then Drew Carmichael transfers into Lizzie's school at the beginning of the year, and she feels a connection to him, almost like she knows him. She can't stop thinking about him, but whenever she tries talking with him about the mysteries behind her feelings, he makes it clear that he wants nothing to do with her. Reaching him is even more difficult because she has a boyfriend, Jeremy, who has started to become full of himself after being elected co-captain of the varsity soccer team, and her flirtatious best friend Chelsea starts dating Drew soon after his arrival. So why can't she seem to get him out of her mind?

Even though Lizzie knows she should let go of her fascination with Drew, the pair of them soon find that fighting fate isn't going to be easy.Remembrance Guest Post: Characters or Plot?"

-Goodreads

Stats:

• Publisher: Dreamscape Publishing
• Release date: July 27, 2011
• Number of pages: 302
• Would appeal to: readers who are interested in the idea of reincarnation, fans of romance

*Make sure to check below my review for Michelle's guest post!

First of all, I love the idea that the premise of the book was inspired by a Taylor Swift video! Very creative and cool. Not only that, but Michelle Madow is in college and she managed to find time to write a book that she started for a class. Impressive feat.

The cover draws the reader in as soon as she sees it. I love that the mask on the cover is similar to the description of the one the main character Lizzie is presented with in the story.

Lizzie is a confused girl with a low self-esteem. Mostly because she has two boys in her life who treat her like garbage. There's the long-term boyfriend, Jeremy, who spits insults at her left and right (including a nasty one right off the bat about her hair) and she sticks with him. They say people gravitate toward the comfortable. I guess that's true in this case. Jeremy likes speed, and insists on going fast even when Lizzie is uncomfortable. There are really no endearing moments that redeem his character, and the only reason I feel other girls crush on him is because he's co-capain of the soccer team. One of his most annoying qualities is that he must get better grades than his girlfriend, especially in French, or he sulks around like it's a giant surprise that she could beat him at anything.

Drew, the handsome new senior transfer, is mysterious and complicated. One moment he gives Lizzie the cold shoulder, the next, he's flirting with her. No matter how he treats her, she can tell there's an instant connection with him. The book opens with her first flashback of their previous life together as they're dancing at the Halloween dance.

The funny thing is, even though Drew acts like a complete prick at times, I wanted to know what was going to happen with their relationship. I felt Lizzie's pain (and possession) as she watches her best friend Chelsea go on dates with him and talk about how she's falling hard and fast. It's clear to the reader that Drew and Lizzie have a bond, but Chelsea seems to live in La-La Land and not notice.

Of all the minor characters, I liked Keelie the best. She is popular, but not snotty, and a friend to Lizzie even when Chelsea focuses on her own problems. I despised Amber, which I'm pretty sure was the point. She drapes herself across Jeremy. Even though Lizzie doesn't love him anymore, I can see how annoying that would be.

Both Jeremy and Chelsea constantly tell Lizzie she's changed (and not for the better). This was a tad annoying because it was clear that they should have been the ones to change, with their self-centered ways.

It was cool that Lizzie loves Pride and Prejudice so much, but it wasn't very realistic that she'd compare most every event in her life to something from the book. I did enjoy the gift the antique shop owner Alistair gives her that dealt with Pride and Prejudice. Their connection was fun, and the information he revealed as her "spirit guide" brought the reincarnation aspect full circle.

I felt that Lizzie's mother was acting strange at the beginning (but you later learn why). Even if my mom was out having dinner, she'd leave to pick me up if it was pouring rain outside. I turned out to like her later because she surprised me. I thought her career of a psychologist was introduced a little too late to be believable. It seemed more like a convenient plot detail so mother/daughter could talk.

I do love the connection between Lizzie's playing of the song Minuet and her flashbacks. I could picture the teeny piano practice room perfectly.

The story's detailed exposition kept me from completely immersing myself in this story. Many things were repeated, like verbs (for example, "wrapped" three times within two pages starting on 202), the outside description of Lizzie's house, and the way an electric current ran through Lizzie's body when she touched Drew. I thought Lizzie overanalyzed things to the extreme. Sometimes, she repeated nearly the same thought in two consecutive sentences. Some chapters lacked action because of this, and the flow of the story's middle was slow for me.

Lizzie spends a great deal of the book worrying about what Chelsea will think when she finds out her feelings for Drew. When this situation is resolved, I didn't think Lizzie's reaction was believable because of what she first thinks after Chelsea tells all she knows in the bedroom scene near the end (sorry, trying not to give away spoilers!).

I will be interested to see what the sequel holds for all of the characters and cross my fingers for more flashbacks of Drew and Lizzie's old life together! If you want a light read with a hard-shelled male interest (who's soft and compassionate on the inside, and yeah, his crazy moods strangely lured me into reading more, and okay, he's kind of gorgeous), this is the book for you!

Guest Post by Michelle Madow (check out Michelle's cover design and book trailer blog tour contest by clicking here and go to www.michellemadow.com for more information on Michelle's writing).

Thank you, Jenna, for having me at Fans of Fiction for a guest post!

Jenna asked a great question for the guest post, and I’m really excited to answer it for you all:

Did the characters of Lizzie and Drew inspire the story, or did the story create the characters? In other words, for all the writers out there, which comes first for you: characters or plot?

When I write a story, it’s always the plot that comes to me first. I’ll just be hanging out, and suddenly I’ll think, “Wouldn’t it be cool if (insert plot idea here) happened?” It’s usually some sort of daydream that I turn into a story idea.

With Remembrance it happened differently though, because the idea came to me from Taylor Swift’s “Love Story” music video. In the video, Taylor sees a guy while walking through campus, and the moment their eyes connect, the scene flashes to the two of them dancing at a beautiful ball dressed in clothes that appear to be from around the year 1815. The first thing I thought was, “Wow, they were reincarnated and didn’t remember their past lives until seeing each other for the first time!” Then I thought, “Hey, that could be a cool book.”

 I told my friends about my idea, and they loved it! They kept asking me about the plot and the characters, so I started a plot outline and character bios so I could have an idea of the story before writing. The whole story (plot and characters) formed together in my mind really quickly, and I knew I had to turn it into a novel so I could share the story with others.

 Since I create the plot before the characters, I like to create characters who are not prepared for the story they’re about to be flung into. For instance, when Lizzie first sees Drew, her soul mate from the past, she’s already in a long-term relationship. This complicates the situation so things aren’t too simple for the main characters. The best stories to read are ones where the main characters have to go through something challenging for them, so it’s good to create characters who are not ready for what’s about to happen to them. This allows them to make mistakes, grow, and change as the story progresses. It’s something I always try to remember when creating characters to go with my plots.

Thank you again, and I hope you enjoy Remembrance!

Be sure to check out Remembrance on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and The Book Depository.

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