Young At Heart

Today is Jane Austen’s birthday!

 

 

 

She was born 239 years ago, on December 16th 1775. It was a long time ago, but she was a woman ahead of her time. Her female characters had strong personalities and opinions and they fought for what they believed. They were, for the time, daring! Back then, Austen herself was extremely brave to even dare to write any creative story at all. It was not often that a woman was allowed to think, much less to be published. Did you know her first novels were originally published as “by a Lady”? Only the last novel published when she was alive had her name (Emma, published in 1816, one year before she died).

 

Writing and publishing a book is probably not much if you think solely from a 21^st century point of view (although I will repeatedly tell you I think it is, to this day, the bravest thing anyone can do). But if you think that in Austen’s time women weren’t allowed to vote, to own property or inherit it, to work, or even to walk down the streets side by side to a man unless they were their father, brother or husband, you’ll understand the kind of grit it took to dare like that. A women’s hopes, dreams and especially actions were frequently restricted by the way their society saw their gender.

 

Well, much has changed since then. But did that change much?

 

Sure, we are all restricted by our society’s norms and conventions. I would even say that some degree of conformity is normal and even healthy, from a sociological point of view. But so is a certain degree of rebellion. And what is rebellion nowadays? In a society where so much is allowed, how does one rebel? What does rebellion even mean today?

 

I know, I know, we are a long way from being a tolerant society. There is plenty of room to rebel everywhere in the world. I’m not a sociologist, an anthropologist, or a human rights advocate (even though I am a supporter) to come here and tell you an educated answer either way. But I do mean to pose a reflection (I’m big on those!):

 

Before anyone commits a rebellious act – may that be to write a book when you are a woman in 1811, to write and publish a diverse book in 2014, to speak up against something you believe to be wrong when you know your opinion is controversial, or to open yourself up to criticism in any way whatsoever – you have to first rebel against yourself.

 

Yes! You have to rebel against that little voice inside your head that says “Are you sure?”, or “You are being ridiculous!”, or “That’s never going to work out!”. That little voice that takes hold of your heart and your guts, and crushes them because it’s afraid. That little voice that is usually, honestly, just trying to save you some heartache. That little voice that absolutely has to be defied!

 

So, when was the last time you rebelled against yourself?

 

source: Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen, published by Hub Editorial

Como de costume para livros que não tem planos de serem lançados no Brasil, esta vai ser uma versão reduzida das minhas resenhas em inglês. Eu mesma perguntei para a Jennifer R. McDonald (tem como falar esse nome e não pensar na músiquinha da propaganda? Mac-donald!) se ela tem planas os de traduzir para outras linguas, e ela falou que por enquanto não, já que publica seus livros independentemente. Isso é realmente uma pena, já que esses estão entre os melhores livros que eu li esse ano, e se tornou uma das minhas séries favoritas. Vamos à resenha:

 

Into the Veil - 5/5 estrelas

O livro é narrado em primeira pessoa pela Lyric, uma menina de 16 anos que faz parte de um mundo paranormal que se move por entre o nosso - porém sem o conhecimento de humanos. Ela perece ser uma menina normal - fora a sua aparência meio fantasmagórica de olhos azuis claríssimos e cabelo loiro/branco, e a falta de amigos. Ela vai à escola, tem um irmão gêmeo chamado Lincon que é super charmoso, um pai que trabalha muito... Mas ela não é normal. Ela não tem amigos porque se muda muito, fugindo do seu próprio povo paranormal que poderia usar seus raros poderes contra eles.

 

Lyric e seu irmão são Veilwalkers, ou caminhantes do véu - isto é, o véu que separa o nosso mundo do purgatório. Eles estão na estrada desde o assassinato da sua mãe, que também era veilwalker mas foi morta pelos seus poderes. Mas o tem tem de mal em ser um caminhannte do véu? Bom, veilwalkers são os melhores espiões que existem, já que podem sair de seus corpos e andar pelo véu sem serem percebidos pelos outros seres vivos. e isso pode ser muito valioso.

 

Por isso ela não pode ter relações normais, nem com humanos nem com a sua gente. Eles são treinados como soldados pelo seu pai - um spell-caster (bruxo que faz poções e magia), que faria de tudo para mantê-los vivos. Além do seu irmão a única pessoa com quem ela fala é a Gemma, um espírito invocado que quer voltar para o véu, mas não pode já que Lyric e Lincon a tiraram de lá sem querer e não sabem colocá-la de volta! 

 

O livro é cativante, tem um ritmo super rápido e gostoso, e o mundo criado pela autora é muito consistente. Logo o começo o pai dela é raptado e eles obrigados a colaborar com um Clan de bruxos que tem, no mínimo, atitudes ambíguas. Com tanta maluquice acontecendo - ela junta vampiros, lobisomens, bruxos e outros seres que ela dever ter criado da cabeça dela - o mundo deve soar desorganizado, confuso e até meio clichê para você. Mas não é, juro!! É incrível como McDonald consegue fazer as coisas terem tanto sentido (ao ponto de eu me pegar pensando "Nossa, sem dúvida, é daí que vem este mito!") E ela faz isso sem esforço e sem parecer que está tentando te convencer.

 

Além disso, eu adorei o romance. Isso sem dúvida não é instalove, e também não é o foco do livro. Ele cresce de maneira orgânica, e é tão lindo que eu - romântica inveterada - não pude deixar de me derreter. Claro, é um livro Young Adult, com protagonistas extremamente jovens. Ela toma umas decisões mal pensadas, o que é de se esperar. Mas ela não é, nem de longe, burra. é uma protagonista forte e leal, que vale o título de heroína.

 

Through the Gloom - 4.7/5 estrelas

Em Through the Gloom Lyric está determinada a encontrar a verdade sobre a morte da sua mãe. A pessoa que ela ouviu ser o assassino a vida toda - e da boca do próprio pai - pode não ser bem o que parece. E Lyric não vai descansar até descobrir a verdade.

 

Esse livro do meio surpreende por não ser um livro "enche linguiça". a autora realmente explora os relacionamentos - da Lyric com o irmão, com o Aiden (o mocinho), com o seu mundo sobrenatural, e principalmente consigo mesma. Ela vai descobrir do que é capaz, em uma trama cheia de curvas e voltas inesperadas!

 

Across the Blood Red River - 4.5/5 estrelas

Já o último livro da série é sem dúvida o melhor. Ele satisfaz tudo que um último livro deveria: temos respostas para as principais perguntas, um final super real e lindo para o romance, a introdução de diversos novos personagens (assim como o desenvolvimento de vários outros), e principalmente um amadurecimento considerável para a nossa heroína. Tudo, menos um final! 

 

Por isso eu dei a nota menor. Ele não acaba realmente. Tudo bem, as coisas se resolvem, mas quem já ouviu falar em uma série que termina com um epílogo em que os personagens principais estão começando outra aventura? Tudo bem, a Jennifer está escrevendo uma outra série, chamada The Helios Chronicles (vai ser lançada em breve) que se passa neste mesmo mundo e que vai ter muitos dos nossos personagens favoritos. Mas mesmo assim, fiquei com um buraco aberto no meu coração... (tá bom, tá bom, sem drama!)

 

Minha nota: 5/5 (para a série como um todo)

Eu leria novamente? Sem dúvida

Eu vou ler outros livros da autora? Com certeza!
Eu recommendo? Sim, para fans de YA e fantasia que leiam em inglês e gostem de um mundo muito bem construído. Sério, eu não sei como esta série não é mais famosa! E ela é baratinha no Kindle, vale muito a pena!

Book Description:

 

To lost souls, the veil is a cold, tragic existence. But for Lyric Yama, the living world is so much worse.

Lyric has finally uncovered the truth of her mother’s brutal murder. Now her hands are stained and her mind is plagued with the bitterness of regret.

Soon she will have bigger problems. A grieving warlock is closing in. He’ll stop at nothing to reap vengeance on the young witch.

As the consequences of her past march closer, and the illusion of safety is abandoned, Lyric must decide whether to run or stand and fight.

But when the full power of a veilwalker’s magic is unleashed, no one—living or dead—will ever be safe again.

This is the final installment of Jennifer R. McDonald's Veilwalker Trilogy.

 

 

Review:

 

* I received this book in exchange for my honest review*

Don't you hate it when a book still hunts you even after you have finished reading it? I don't! I usually love it! But to be honest this book, being the last in the trilogy, needed some more closure for me. It is still pulling in my heart strings. I feel like I've been left in the Veil, if you know what I mean.

(And if you don't, it's probably because you are like me and you check out the reviews for the last book in the series before you read the first one. And here's my advice: buy these books right now! They are amazing and you won't regret it!)

I have loved this series from the beginning. From the first page I was absorbed into this amazing world and enthralled (every pun intended!) by these great, intensely human and intriguingly supernatural, characters. Jennifer McDonald created an incredibly consistent world where complex rules, bonds and hierarchies - physical, magical and emotional - flow as organically as they do in our own reality. Her characters are intricately woven in inscrutable situations that provide both depth for the characters and engrossingly amazing fast paced action for the reader.

This is definitely one of the best series I have read this year, and it's without a doubt one of my top ten favorite ever. That says a lot, I hope. But it does have it's flaws. There were some spelling mistakes all throughout, for example, even though they didn't distract me from the incredible plot. The book descriptions don't do them justice - as I read them now I think What?? That's not it! But the greatest flaw of them all, and one that pertains to this last book, is the fact that - in my opinion - it didn't really end.

This was not a cliffhanger, per se, but it lacked closure for me. I won't spoil the ending, but let's just say it's very clear that Lyric has other adventures in front of her, and many questions are left to be answered regarding her immediate future and the immediate future of those she cares about. The epilogue even hints to them. And that kills me!! I heard Jennifer McDonald is working in a new series that takes place in this same world (which sounds like a brilliant idea to me), and that the characters in this series will play a role in it. But I heard nothing regarding the specific future of these characters I have grown to love.

That being said, all the "questionable decisions" Lyric has made in the past have been dealt with, and most of the questions posed in the former books have been answered. Lyric has shown a lot of growth in this last installment, and cames into herself beautifully (yet not perfectly, which works well for her character). After suffering so much and doubting herself even more, she finally confronts her daemons (both internal and external). Lyric and Aiden's love grows stronger and more real, and I'm glad with how it ended up. For concerned parents: (SPOILER ALERT) even though there is some second base action and loads of hot kissing, this is not a heavily sexually charged book at all. It also has some torture and cursing, but in my opinion this book is perfectly fine for anyone over 14 years old. (END OF SPOILER ALERT)

 

 

In the end: this book was filled with action, incredible twists and amazing character growth. It is the best one yet, even though it leaves things open and it doesn't feel like the end of the series. But this is a fantastic series, and I hope it doesn't end here anyway. In fact (let me summon my best Gemma-like spunk): Don't you dare leave us hanging Mrs. McDonald! :) I'm joking, of course! But I do hope there is more of this story to be told, because there is an opening in my heart that needs to be closed.

My rating: 4.5/5 (because of the lack of closure)
Would I read it again? Absolutely!
Would I read other books from this author? Yes, without a doubt.
Do I recommend it? Yes! To any fans of YA or Urban Fantasy. Don't hesitate to read this! It doesn't have the recognition it should have!

 

Book Description:

 

Lyric Yama’s life is starting to feel as bleak as the purgatory in which she spends her days.

The line between enemy and ally has blurred. To unravel a heinous murder, she’s agreed to exploit her veilwalking gifts for her new coven leader.

But as the Lyric sinks deeper in the quicksand of lies and deceit, she’s forced to re-evaluate exactly what she signed up for.

Is the pursuit for truth worth becoming the very evil she’s been running from? And if so, can she survive the soul-crushing loss that truth will ultimately reveal?

 

 

Review:

 

* I received this book in exchange for my honest review *

 

Don't you hate it when you wake up at six o'clock in the morning to pee and end up waking up for good because you can't fall asleep because you HAVE to know what happens in the book you're reading? I don't. I love it!

This book in an incredible sequel to Into The Vail. It is every bit as thrilling as the first one, but with twists I didn't expect. I don't usually mind that much that I guess the ending before the author intends me too, but its great being surprised, isn't it?

This world Jennifer McDonald created is incredibly consistent. It's so rock solid that for the most part things get explained without her having to spell it all out. You learn about something that happened and you just think: "yep, that makes sense!" I also think that is why she is able to surprise us with her chatacters actions without it being forced. Much like people who aren't fictional, they go about their own lives fluidly. They feel extremely real and are absolutely aware of their shortcomings. They aren't superheroes, even though they have supernatural powers - and that is a very hard thing to accomplish.

I still love Lyric, even though she continues to make some questionable choices. It's all about her voice, I think, that makes it work. She is strong and willed, and she levels things in her own mind (meaning: to the reader) in a very natural and logical way. Even when she makes a stupid choice (which is not that often, by the way), you understand why she is making it. She is a smart girl trapped in an impossible situation, and you can see how someone would think like she does.

I also understand all the other characters effortlessly. I love them and want to shake them to their senses in equal amounts. They draw you in, like they're your own loved ones. And Aiden... (pause for swooning)... even though I don't appreciate the back and forth in their relationship (I just want to see them together already!), I can't help but love them and cheer for them. Their love is magnetic and it makes me feel like someone replaced my internal organs with puffy little clouds when they are together.

The only (very minor) criticism I would have is all the explaining in the beginning of the book. I do understand that the author has to explain somethings about the first novel, but really these are not stand alones by any means, so what's the point? If you haven't read Into the Vail yet, you have to before reading this. It's an amazingly interesting book and you won't regret it. As well as you won't regret reading this sequel! 


My rating: 4.7/5
Would I read it again? Yes
Do I recommend it? Yes! To any YA and Paranormal lovers. Do yourself a favor and pick this up!

Book description:

 

Life isn’t easy for a teenage veilwalker.

 

Lyric has been on the run for over a decade. Her brother is her only friend, her father treats her like a soldier, and after an ill-planned trip to purgatory she’s stuck with a bitterly displaced ghost.

Charles Hathor has problems of his own—problems he’s confident can be solved with the aid of Lyric’s realm-crossing ability. As the leader of a powerful coven, he’ll stop at nothing to ensure her cooperation. Kidnapping, extortion, maybe even murder; everything goes in his quest for retribution.

Alongside her twin, Lyric is forced back into the bowels of the magical world. But working for a vengeful warlock is not for the faint of heart.

Relationships will be tested. Unlikely alliances will be forged. And Lyric will discover enemies closer than she ever imagined.

This is the first book in Jennifer R. McDonald's Veilwalker Trilogy (And, on a personal note, I will review all of them!)

 

Review: 

 

* I received this book in exchange for my honest review*

Don't you hate it when a book keeps you up until three in the morning (even though you have to wake up at 6:30 to go to work) because it's so darn good? I don't! I love it!

I fell in love with Lyric and Lincon right away (what a great name, Lyric, by the way). They are Vailwalker twins, and possibly the last of their kind of mages. Veilwalkers are witches who can freely go (you guessed it) Into The Vail between our world and the next - what some people would call purgatory. And the reason that is great, other then they see dead people, is that the Vail and our world are connected. When they are in the Vail they can see and hear everything that happends in our world, making them the best spies anyone could ask for.

The world Jennifer McDonald created was one of the best aspects of the book for me. It talked about witches, werewolfs and vampires - all terribly familiar - in a strikingly unique way. There were other paranormal beings that were introduced as well, and even if I hadn't heard about them before, they felt right - like maybe McDonald had an insight into the actual magical world out there. Like maybe this world could be real, and we could be living in it.

All the chatecters were like that too - they felt real. Even in the very beginning when nothing much was happening, the main characters already showed they were strong, smart, independent and kind. The best thing about it was that I didn't notice the author trying to make me see them that way. The dialogs were smooth and witty, and McDonald introduced this remarkable world and adorable characters in a very fluid way. They sneak up on you, and when you realize you are already rooting for them. Sure, they are teens, and that shows sometimes in some impulsive reactions and questionable atitudes. But they were not stupid kids, by any means. All, including the secondary characters, were complex and multidimentional.

And I have to talk about the romance. It wasn't the main point of the book at all, and it wasn't particularly steamy either. But it was so sweet and it grew in such an organic way... It made me literally put my hand over my heart in a swooning gesture many times. I loved it and I can't even explain the reason for it that well.

For me, this book was very well rounded. It had likable and believable characters, an interesting plot set in an unique world, heart-melting romance, and incredible action all through out. I'm so glad I got to read it!

My rating: 5/5
Would I read it again? Yes
Do I recommend it? Yes! To any YA and Paranormal lovers. Buy it now, you won't regret it! I honestely can't believe it isn't more popular!

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Goodreads has a great habit of asking people who have given an author's book a five star rating to ask questions that will be selected and featured in a Goodreads interview with such author. 

 

I have participated many times, but this is the first time one of my questions was featured!

 

This is what it was:

 

"Raquel: I would love to know what inspired you to write about sirens. What I loved about the Matched series is how it surprised me. I expected a soft love story but got a gritty survival romance. I wonder if Atlantia will surprise us and change the way we think about mermaids. How are the sirens from Atlantia different from our popular (yet still lovely) Little Mermaid? Are they good or evil?

I hope Atlantia surprises you! :) There aren't any mermaids in Atlantia, but the story was heavily influenced by The Little Mermaid (the Hans Christian Andersen tale, NOT the Disney version). The original fairy tale is dark and beautiful, and the character longs to be above in a way that is extremely poignant—and the story has a very sad ending! (SPOILER: In the real version the little mermaid DOES NOT get the prince! She dies!) I wanted my character Rio to have that same longing and suffering that the original tale had. And then I think the idea of water automatically led me to the idea of sirens and to their voices and to what would happen if someone had to suppress their voice and who they are (as Rio has to do with her voice). The sirens in the book are good and evil. They are complicated. They are very, very human."

 

I loved that she answered my question, and loved reading about all the other amazing questions as well. I was very excited about the fact that Atlantia is a Stand Alone. I had no idea, and that got it to jump to one of the top books of my "to read" list! 

 

What did you think about the interview?

Como de costume para livros que não tem planos de serem lançados no Brasil, esta vai ser uma versão reduzida da minha resenha em inglês. Davis Estes é um autor que publica os seus livros independentemente - ou seja, sem uma Editora - e por isso não tem condições de publicar seus livros em Português (eu perguntei pessoalmente, já que ele é meu amigo no Goodreads e um cara muito legal!)

 

Sinopse (traduzida por mim, de maneira não oficial): 

 

A Vingança de Salém ataca sem aviso nem misericórdia, desolando a raça humana que fica impotente sob as forças de gangues de bruxas, magos e feiticeiros. Durante o abate, os pais e irmã adotivos de Rhett Carter são mortos, e seu melhor amigo e namorada são raptados por uma gangue de bruxas que se autodenomina os Necromancers - um grupo que lida com a magia negra de ressuscitar os mortos. Com uma espada mágica em punho, o vizinho misterioso de Rhett o salva de se tornar mais uma vítima do massacre e lhe ensina as habilidades que ele precisa para sobreviver neste novo mundo.

Mas Rhett está quebrado, sua vida normal de colegial blogueiro e jogador de futebol foi enfiada em um liquidificador e desmantelada pelo apocalipse-mágico. A única coisa que lhe resta é o seu ardente desejo de vingança. Armado com suas novas habilidades de caçador de bruxas e um fiel cão mágico chamado Hex, ele sai para o desconhecido com uma missão: caçar e destruir aqueles que lhe tomaram tudo que ele já amou no mundo.

Mas Rhett não é apenas um caçador de bruxas; ele tem seus próprios segredos. Segredos que seus inimigos vão fazer de tudo para que ele não descubra. Mas descobrir a verdade sobre si mesmo é a única esperança da raça humana.

 

Bom, eu comecei este livro tendo algumas dificuldades, porque eu achei que seria um daqueles livros sérios, onde o autor tentaria me convencer de verdade que este mundo distópico que ele criou é possível. Mas lá pelo segundo terço do livro - em que as coisas finalmente começaram a acontecer e o nosso personagem principal, Rhett, começou a interagir com outros personagens muito interessantes (como o próprio Hex, a Laney e a Trish) - a coisa começou a fazer sentido para mim.

 

Este não é um livro sério! É um livro tipo super herói, onde as coisas que acontecem são inacreditáveis e malucas - no bom sentido da palavra. Com a entrada da Laney na história, tudo ficou mais divertido e inteligente. O diálogo surreal e hilário entre eles foi sem dúvida a melhor parte do livro. Quer um exemplo?

 

“I wake up in the dark. Or are my eyes closed? It’s so black they might as well be. But no…I think they’re open. I poke at my eye just to be sure. Ow!” TRADUÇÃO NÃO OFICIAL: "Eu acordei no escuro. Ou os meus olhos estão fechados? Está tudo tão escuro que talvez eles estejam. Mas não... eu acho que eles estão abertos. Eu vou cutucar meu olho só pra ter certeza... Ai!"

 

Como não se dobrar de tanto rir com coisas desse tipo? O livro foi um pouco confuso as vezes, e outras vezes foi óbvio adivinhar o que iria acontecer. Mas em geral, foi um livro super divertido.

 

Minha nota: 3.8/5

Eu leria novamente? Provavelmente não

Eu vou ler os próximos da tilogia? Sim, foi divertido!
Eu recommendo? Sim, para fans de YA que tenham mais de 12 anos (tem muita violência e terror) que queiram ler algo leve e engraçado, sem muita conexão com a realidade e muito sangue!

About the Book:

Salem’s Revenge strikes without warning or mercy, ravaging the powerless human race under the forces of united gangs of witches, wizards, and warlocks. During the slaughter, Rhett Carter's foster parents and sister are killed, and his best friend and girlfriend are abducted by a gang of witches calling themselves the Necromancers, who deal in the dark magic of raising the dead. Rhett’s sword-wielding neighbor with a mysterious past saves Rhett from becoming another casualty of the massacre and teaches him the skills he needs to survive in this new world.

Rhett is broken, his normal high school life of book blogging and football playing shoved in a witch-apocalyptic blender. The only thing he has left is his burning desire for revenge. Armed with his new witch hunting skills and a loyal, magic powered dog named Hex, he sets out into the unknown with one mission: hunt and destroy those who took away everyone he ever loved.

But Rhett isn’t just a witch hunter; he has secrets of his own that he has yet to discover, secrets that his enemies will stop at nothing to keep him from.

And discovering the truth about himself is the human race’s only hope.

 

* I received this book in exchange for my honest review *

 

I had a hard time with this book in the beginning, because for some reason I was expecting a "serious" kind of Dystopia, where the author would convince me this was a possible outcome for the world. Rhett, our narrator-slash-hero, I liked enough, but I felt a little trapped in his head in the beginning, like I was not living in that world, just reading about it... Suffice to say I was a bit underwhelmed.

 

But then I realized that this isn't a "realistic" kind of book. It's more of a superhero or comic-book-kind-of-hero story - where the main character makes dumb choices, but doesn't really suffer the consequences; and where unbelievable things happen and he doesn't even blink because he apparently doesn't have time to think them through. And then Hex appears, and then Laney and Trish come into the story, and things start getting funnier, and more action packed. And character after character starts getting things more interesting and and crazier - not the bad kind of crazy, but the hilarious kind.

 

And suddenly, now that I started getting the book, I like it much more! It's fun, it's funny, it's witty. And I know they are all similar words, but that's what it is! I was having so much fun by the middle of the book, that I was grateful for all the impossible things happening, and for the crazy-stupid-hilarious-fantastic dialog.

 

Rhett and Laney's characters got deeper and more complex - as opposed to shallower and less intelligent - as their super witty banter goes on (which really surprised me, I have to admit). I started thinking "David Estes is brilliant!" as I doubled over surreal monologs such as:

 

"I wake up in the dark. Or are my eyes closed? It’s so black they might as well be. But no…I think they’re open. I poke at my eye just to be sure. Ow!"

 

How can you not love that? In a world with a lot of death and action, Estes managed to keep the story light and amusing, without it feeling disrespectful.

 

It did leave me with some doubts about how this world truly works, and some parts of the book - especially the big fighting scenes - seemed a little rushed and confusing, though. I felt that even as some things were explained, I still wasn't sure I understood them. At the same time, I saw many of the big twists coming.

 

So I guess that, same as Rhett, we are left sometimes confused by this world, and other times we are just left waiting for things you know are coming to happen. But, if you are as smart as he is, you'll laugh it off and try to enjoy the witch-apocalypse, since it is definitely entertaining!

 

My rating: 3.8/5
Would I read it again? Probably not...
Will I read the next ones? Yes, this was a lot of fun.
Do I recommend it? Yes! To fans of YA that are over 12 years old (there's a lot of bloodshed) and want to read something fun and lighthearted with a lot of action, magic and gore.

I just wanted to share, for people who haven't seen it yet, this amazing interview Michelle Hodkin - author of the Mara Dyer Trilogy - gave Goodreads. It's funny, she talks about books she likes, and SHE SINGS! (so jealous of her incredible singing voice, by the way).

 

I'm very happy the final instalment of this trilogy - called The Retribution of Mara Dyer - is out! I've been wanting to read these books for a while, but if you know me, you know I try not to read the first book if the last isn't out yet (that's how I manage my own ansiety, lol). That means this trilogy has moved to the top of my reading list! Also, the covers are quite gorgeous, don't you think?

A resenha deste livro não vai ser tão detalhada quanto a em inglês, uma vez que este livro não foi publicado em potuguês e por enquanto não tem planos de ser. Traduzindo  (por mim e não oficialmente), o título quer dizer "A Princesa Feia: a lenda de Winnowwood".

 

Resumo: Esta é uma linda estória sobre Olive, uma princesa que vem de uma longa linhagem de Winnowwoods, um povo mágico que tem domínio sobre a natureza e os animais. Mas o seu povo é tão feio quanto é poderoso, e Olive é uma das mais poderosas que há. Porém, ela vive em um mundo muito parecido com o nosso, em que a beleza física reina quase solitária. Seu pai tem vergonha dela, mesmo sabendo dos seus poderes maravilhosos, e mesmo depois que ela salva o reino de um destino cruel. Neste livro Olive enfrenta uma aventura para, mais uma vez, encontrar uma salvação para o seu povo sem precisar trair as suas crenças - e acaba encontrando o significado da verdadeira beleza.

 

Apesar do livro começar devagar e não desenvolver tão fluentemente os personagens secundários, uma vez que atingimos o coração de Olive, é impossível não se apaixonar. Eu acredito - e vejo isso enquanto psicóloga - que não importa se você se considera feia, bonita ou algo no meio, toda mulher tem uma vozinha interna que, por vezes, dúvida da sua capacidade ou do seu valor. Esta é uma história que vai muito além da beleza. Ela nos mostra como acreditar em nós mesmos, mesmo quando tudo está parecendo estar contra você. E mostra um lado importante do que eu acredito ser o verdadeiro amor: amar as pessoas pelo que elas tem de melhor, mesmo vendo o seu lado feio.

 

Essa é uma história que poderia ser escrita pelos irmãos Grimm, ou poderia ser um filme da Disney, de tão verdadeiramente Conto de Fadas ela se parece. Tudo bem, eu adivinhei o final. Mas como todo bom Conto de Fadas, a gente sabe o final, torce para ele acontecer, e chora quando acontece - porque é bem assim que o mundo deve ser! E foi por isso - porque ela me fez chorar de tão linda, que eu lhe dei uma nota tão alta! Pelo epílogo parece que haverá outros livros, mas esse é um livro que sozinho se basta.

 

Minha nota: 4.7 de 5.

Leria novamente? Sim! Principalmente para crianças

Recomendaria? Sim! Para amantes de estórias encantadoras de qualquer idade! 

* I received this book in exchange for my honest review *

 

When I agreed to read and review this book, I did so because I thought it would be a sweet story with a good moral tone behind it. And it was - but at the beginning I thought I would end up giving it a 3/5 rating, for being sweet and not much more. But what I didn't expect was how it would move me before the end. I think that it doesn't matter if you are beautiful, ugly, or something in between, at some point every girl has an inner little voice that tells her she might not be good enough. And this story is more than an enchanting fairy tale about a magical ugly princess, it is a tale about finding true beauty within yourself, despite of what others may think. It's a story about what true love really is: seeing someone for their strengths, instead of their faults. I loved it and it brought me to tears.

 

Olive is an ugly princess, but she doesn't mind. She knows her ugliness is a sign of her powerful Winnowwood magical heritage. The world she lives in, much like ours, is very driven by beauty. And her resolve to mantain her own beliefs is what makes Olive a great heroin. But even though I thought this was a sweet story with a good main character from the beginning, it took me a while to get into it and truly feel it. This is written in Olive's point of view, and she tells this story in the past tense. That is usually fine with me, except you only feel and live the story with her about one quarter of the way in. But once Olive stops telling you what happened somewhere in her past, and starts telling you what is happening inside her, suddenly the past tense doesn't matter anymore. She is brave, genuine and generous, which all make for a main character I would love to introduce to my future children someday.

 

The rest of the characters are not as well developed as her, though. In fact, in terms of character development and world building, this book felt like it was more of a short story. I liked the characters, kind of understood their motivations when it came to how it concerned Olive, but I felt I hardly got to know them. The world is not very different from ours, so you do understand it too, but little bits and pieces were disjointed for me. I should say, though, I believe this book was meant for a younger audience, in the competence of a "true fairy tale". When you take that into consideration - which I did - you won't let it affect your opinion of this book.

 

The reason I gave it such a high rating - despite of it's slight faults - is because it felt like a true fairy tale. It could have been written by the Grimm Brothers, or it could be a Disney movie, it felt so right! I could picture myself telling this story to my nieces and future daughters to insure they don't let the harsh superficiality of this world crush their spirits. I could guess the ending, of course. But like a true fairy tale, you guess it, you hope for it, and when the ending you hope comes, you cry and you are glad all is right with the world. It's a beautiful thing and you are glad for it.

 

From the epilogue, it looks like this book is the first in a series, but it stands alone for itself easily. It's a beautiful book and I give it a 4.7/5 rating, because it moved me so much. I strongly believe emotion counts more than literary accuracy, so there you are.

 

My rating: 4.7/5
Would I read it again? Yes! Especially for children.
Do I recommend it? Yes! To people of any age that like to be enchanted by fairy tales.

In my previous reviews for Deception and Defiance (the 2nd and 3rd books in the Currier's Daughter Trilogy) I had stated my concerns for the lack of closure, and my hopes that a resolution would come by the end of the series. I'm happy to say I wasn't disappointed! These books do not stand alone from each other. They are truly three parts of the same story. But that being said, it is a story worth reading. This deserves 4.5/5 stars, for me.
I have loved the characters from the beginning, even though it took until this book for some of them to really come alive to me. By the end we see they are well constructed and complex characters. The villains, who were one-noted in the beginning, were given different nuances in this book. Some of them even redeem themselves. But the heroes - and there are many - are the ones who truly shine here. Rachel and Logan grew so much throughout this story, and end up becoming all they had the potential to be. They both learn how to open up to the people they trust, how sharing burdens and responsibilities can be a sign of intelligence rather than weakness, and how the only thing a person can control in life is the choice they make towards the kind of person they want to be. It's a beautiful lesson to learn. And it's even more beautiful because they don't do it alone. All the supporting characters - Willow, Quinn, Adam, Nola, Drake, Tom, Frankie, Connor, Marcus, Samuel, Ian, and so many more - had depth and purpose in this story. They could stand on their own and didn't need to be part of Rachel and Logan's story to be believable. Yet, they worked together beautifully.
In this book we also better understand this world and how it turned out. It is interesting to see Redwine's vision of an unglobalized world ruled by a few (often tyrant) rulers. Even though there are still inconsistencies, they haven't bothered me here. I like this danger-filled world enough to let them pass.
The dangers and the action are other terrific features in this book. I bet that, like me, you'll always be left guessing what will come next and will have a hard time putting this book down. Like the former books in the series, it is a thrilling, fast paced, action packed adventure. There are fights, love scenes, sweet moments, and heart breaking ones - and most of them fall nicely into the plot.
The love scenes, by the way, are lovely, but not too steamy (therefore proper for any audience, I would say). The violent scenes, on the other hand, though exciting, are sometimes pretty graphic (lots of blood, torture and raw violent emotions). For that reason, I wouldn't recommend it for kids under 12 years old. But since the lessons are pretty clear over the consequences of those violent actions, I believe this book is great for teenagers. I also think it's a great book for people who have gone through any loss. Like Deliverance, this book deals with the different ways people handle grief, and I think many people could relate and maybe even learn new ways to deal with their own pain. This is not a self-help book, though, so obviously don't rely on it to be.
All in all, these books are great reads. I would recommend this series to any YA lovers, and most definitely would recommend this book for people who read the first and second ones.

In the style of Logan McEntire, I will depict the worst and best case scenarios you will find if you decide to buy this book. As a logical person, I advice you to read both good and bad scenarios with equal care:

Worst case scenario number one: you'll be very disappointed with the beginning of this book and think this is a typical second book, where the author fills it with a lot of action that has very little purpose (hence the term "filler").
Best case scenario number one: you'll push through it and realize those have more meaning then they seem, and that the great ending redeems this book.

Worst case scenario number two: you believe, like me, that revenge is an utterly dumb (and I do mean unintelligent) thing to do, and it takes away from the smart, headstrong girl you liked so much in the beginning of all this (I'm talking about Rachel, of course). If that happens, you'll probably also get tired of the blind rage and endless stubbornness that drives her to push away everything good she still has and repeatedly self-sabotage her own happiness, wishing they simply had a grief therapist among the Baalboden survivors.
Best case scenario number two: you'll appreciate how honestly the feelings of grief are depicted in this book - not only in Rachel's, but in many character's different ways of dealing with pain - and be touched by when she finally wakes up to the truth of who she is.

Worst case scenario number three: you'll realize you can't ignore the fact that this doesn't hold up as a distopian world - where are all the guns we (as a civilization) had? How about the technology that already exists that doesn't require gas fuel, why did it vanish? Or, how about using nuclear power to stop the Cursed One back then, before the Commander? In what reality a disaster, no matter of what kind, would get people to stop using the American Flag as a symbol? (just to cite some of the inconsistencies that stood out to me, but there are more). That means you'd probably get frustrated realizing Logan couldn't possibly be the only intelligent mind out there that would think of planning better ways to move people from city to city and do other mechanical marvels.
Best case scenario number three: you'll dismiss those concerns and realize that even though this is an inconsistent world, it is very entertaining. You'll also take into consideration the beautiful writing style and the gripping, fast paced action, and you won't be able to put this book down until the cliffhanging ending.

Since the beginning of the book deserved 3 stars and the ending 4.5 stars, I'm giving it a solid 3.8 star rating. This book has flaws, but I would surely recommend it.

Usually when use the adjective "intense" to describe a book, it's a good thing. But that's not necessarily the case here. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely liked this book. It easily deserves the 4 star rating. But the ending kept me from giving it 5 stars. (There are no spoilers here)

This is a story about setting things right, hoping for a better future, and the incredible (and sometimes excruciating) things we do to achieve those goals. I particularly loved the first half of it. The world and character building was exquisite. I could feel Rachel's determined and fierce personality, Logan's loyal and upstanding character, Oliver's warm comforting touch, and even Roger's intelligence, in every word written. I enjoyed the dual points of view (shared between Rachel and Logan), as they both had strong, distinguishing voices. I found the premiss of a city like Baalboden very entertaining and it haven't really crossed my mind until now if it's believable or not. I think I didn't look at it as a distopian future (which seems to be the explanation given), but as a fantasy world, which is a better fit for me.

Most of the things I have issues with are probably going to be solved in the following books. For instance, the opposing characters (mainly the commander) are very one noted. He is vicious, period. But the author does give hints of a background story, and hidden motives, that could unfold. Some other characters, such as Quinn and Nola, although well developed, are an unnerving mystery. They made me wonder what was their purpose in the story. Are they friends of our heroes? Love interests? Some of Rachel's conflicting emotions and actions, although understandable, feel a bit much (hence the "overly intense" comment). All things I believe (hope) will be handled in the next book. Which is a fault in itself: this is a piece of a story, not a complete book for me. Nothing was concluded, really.

But, in spite of that, I read it all in almost one sitting. It is fast paced and action filled, and I rooted for Rachel and Logan the whole time. I actually dreaded when they were apart. So I would recommend it for YA lovers who like reading sequels (because you will have to). I'm greedily going to get mine right now!

I had trouble rating this book, but I ended up giving it a 3.8 rating. It's well written, the world is an interesting one, the world building was well done, the characters are complex and intriguing, the premiss is believable and the story is definitely gripping. But, for some reason, it was easy for me to put this book away and almost forget about it for long periods of time.
What happened for me was that, even though there was plenty of adventure and excitement in Thalia's (the main character's) life, all the mysteries surrounding her past and what had happened to her were slow to unveil (and many haven't yet). For me, that made it feel like there was a pace problem. More mystery was being presented, but not enough mystery was being reveled.
Still, it was a very enjoyable read. The magical world of Calandry and the intriguing Denai make this a very captivating story. Thalia is a great main character, and it's great to see her coming to her powers and to herself. The secondary characters are also very interesting. There are hints of a love triangle (or is it a love square?), but it isn't overdone to the point that annoyed me.
For those who are wondering, actually, if this is a book that might be right for your children, I can safely say that this book is proper for any age. There is some romance, but nothing pass light kissing. There are some fights and mention of torture, but nothing overly aggressive or explicit (nothing more than blood running). This is actually a beautiful coming of age story. She overcomes her past and her fears and is slowly learning about who she really is. And it has plenty of adventure too.
All in all I enjoyed it, especially because Fantasy is my favorite genre. But I hope to get many more answers in the sequel, The Steele Wolf.