Today’s review is of Raised by Wolves by Jennifer Lynn Barnes. It’s about a feisty young woman raised by werewolves. And you thought your family was wild!
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Bryn’s never had what you’d call a normal life. Her parents were killed when she was young, and she was raised by Callum, Alpha of a werewolf pack. A human among wolves, Bryn’s taken special delight in challenging the rules and testing her limits. She may be part of the pack, but she’s always held part of herself back. However, when the pack takes in a mysterious young man named Chase, Bryn’s immediately and inexplicably attracted to him. Is it because, like her, he’s survived a rogue werewolf, or is it just teen hormones? It doesn’t help that she has to stay away for her own safety while Chase adjusts to being a newly-minted wolf.
As Bryn and Chase grow closer, Bryn does whatever it takes to be with him, obeying pack rules and giving up some of her precious individual freedom. Then something strange happens, leaving the two bonded as a pack of two, and from then on, they’re on their own. Exiled from Callum’s pack, they have to find a way to make it on their own, which involves hunting down the Rabid werewolf who destroyed both of their lives. What they’ll discover in the process will rock Bryn and Chase to the core, and change the face of werewolf society.
As werewolf books go, this one’s pretty good. It’s hard by this point to do something really different involving werewolf packs and cross-species romances, but Barnes injects the setup with enough little twists and surprises to keep it interesting. Where she shines, of course, is in the characterization. Bryn makes for a believably strong-willed, stubborn, dynamic character, and Chase works well as a foil for her. Callum performs his role as father/authority figure to perfection, while Bryn’s best friend Lake rounds out the mix. The mythology is solid and the mood just right for the material, making this a better-than-average example of the werewolf sub-genre. Worth a look.
Welcome back for another week of my YA review marathon. Today’s review is Hunger by Jackie Morse Kessler. Find out what happens when an anorexic girl is chosen as the new avatar of Famine!
Like far too many teenage girls, Lisabeth Lewis suffers from anorexia, constantly dealing with a gnawing hunger while battling her own self-image. Unlike her peers, Lisabeth has been given the Scales of Famine, and now rides across the Earth, using her power to foment chaos and pave the way for the Apocalypse. Yeah, that Apocalypse. War, Pestilence, and Death are all relying on her to do her bit. It beats worrying about college applications, right?
Lisa’s not really cut out for the death and chaos, though. She’d rather try to use her power productively. The problem there is that first she has to truly understand the nature of her role, the cost of what she’s doing, and where it fits into the grand scheme of things. Meanwhile, she’s still trying to cope with her everyday life, with a mother who’s never satisfied, with a would-be boyfriend who wouldn’t understand her need to be thin, with a best friend who’s totally in control of her image. Whatever choice Lisa makes will determine her fate, and whether she’ll have a short life, or a long one.
Though Hunger’s a fairly short book, weighing in under 200 pages, Kessler packs a lot of meaning and message into the thoughtful storyline. She cuts right to the heart of the matter, portraying anorexia and bulimia as the disturbing disorders that they are, getting into the mindset that drives people to self-destruction in the name of self-control and perceived perfection. It’s haunting, striking, even painful to watch in action, and it’s hard not to sympathize with, and root for, Lisabeth as she deals with her issues while trying to make important decisions. This isn’t an easy book, but it’s strong. Kessler tackles the subject matter with understanding and experience, and that prevents the underlying message from being too heavy-handed. I hope this book gets around to those who can benefit from it.
Closing out the first week of this grand little experiment of mine, we have Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce. Sound familiar? That’s because this book was one of several to be removed from Bitch Magazine’s 100 Young Adult Books for the Feminist Reader list, after the compilers flinched in the face of complaints. Go see what I had to say about the book, written well before this whole debacle went down.
Come back on Monday for another week of reviews!
Scarlett and Rosie March hunt werewolves. It’s what they do, it’s all they’ve really known since they were young. For Scarlett, who proudly bears the scars of her battles, it’s her way of protecting others from the terrors she’s lived with all her life. But for Rosie, it’s increasingly a chore, something that prevents her from having a normal life. The closer the sisters are, the more it feels like they’re pulling apart, which could prove disastrous when they stumble across a massive Fenris conspiracy, one worse than any lone wolf they’ve ever encountered.
At the same time, Rosie begins to fall for Silas, a young man possessed of many mysteries. His presence answers as many questions as it raises, especially as the werewolves gather in numbers for a purpose only they understand. Now, Rosie and Scarlett have to decide where their hearts lie, and what they’re willing to fight for, before everything falls apart.
This darkly romantic retelling of the Little Red Riding Hood fairy tale is intriguing and well-woven. With its bad-ass heroines, visceral moments, and action-packed moments, it’ll appeal to those who like Buffy, Supernatural, or Sarah Rees Brennan’s Demon books. Admittedly, the theme’s been done before, but Pearce still does a great job of making it her own. Sisters Red exudes power and passion, and that’s bound to bring the fans.
Continuing with the Ally Carter theme, today’s review is of the latest in her way-too-much-fun Gallagher Girls series. Why this isn’t a TV show by now, I’ll never know. Come on, it’s got high school girls fighting evil! Anyway, read the review to see why I can’t get enough of the series.
Cammie Morgan is a Gallagher Girl, and like every teenage girl studying at the illustrious private school, she’s in training to become a spy. Unfortunately, Cammie has a real knack for getting involved in trouble way past her skill level, and it’s been a real struggle to stay alive this far, thanks to her own wits and her friends’ talents. Now it’s looking as though the key to her current troubles may lie with her father, who’s been dead for years. Worse, one of her favorite teachers has apparently gone rogue, and is being hunted as a traitor.
If Cammie wants answers, she’ll need to go with her gut instincts, even if it means speaking with the enemy, infiltrating her own school’s secret archives, and risking her life time and again. But hey, high school’s where the memories are made, right? It’s just that most memories don’t involve battling terrorists, sneaking past lethal traps, dodging bullets, and praying that the boy you like isn’t about to literally stab you in the back.
I’ve been a fan of this series all along. It’s action-packed, fast-paced, filled with a good-natured and whole-hearted chemistry between Cammie and her closest friends, and there’s never a dull moment. While the underlying concept itself is a tad far-fetched, it’s easy to get caught up in the girl-power super spy adventures, and to root for Cammie, Liz, Bex, and Macey. The Gallagher Girls series appeals on a number of levels, and here’s hoping it stays strong for a while to come.
This review went up earlier, but my announcement was delayed due to an attack of the death plague.
Pop on over to my site for a look at Heist Society by Ally Carter. Enjoy!
Just when Katarina Bishop thought she was out of the family business for good, she gets dragged back in, kicking and screaming. See, she comes from an extended family of thieves, con artists, and grifters, and trouble is in the blood. So when her father lands in hot water, framed for a job he didn’t do and targeted by the guy he supposedly hit, Kat gets reeled back in to save the day.
The job is impossible: Find out who stole a set of priceless paintings, and how, steal them back and return them to their uncompromising owner, and do it in two weeks. If Kat fails, her father’s toast. What’s a fifteen-year-old thief to do? Simple: recruit her friends for the caper of a lifetime. Of course, her friends are security experts, masters of disguise, and capable of just about anything. With her team in place, Kat embarks on a globe-trotting adventure, one which places her up against fellow criminals and Interpol, and sets her on the road to greatness. Can she outplay whoever’s masterminding the situation?
Fast-paced and clever, Heist Society is a classic caper, featuring all of the proper elements: snappy dialogue, intricate plans, frequent double-crossing, and high stakes. It may not be entirely realistic, but it’s a whole heap of fun watching Kat and the others sneak past security, outwit the opposition, turn the tables on their enemies, and challenge expectations. It’s Ocean’s 11 for the teenage set, and thematically, it fits in well with Carter’s other series about spies-in-training. This book won’t change the world, but it’s well worth checking out for the entertainment value.