Book Thoughts: The Diviners

Title: The Diviners
Author: Libba Bray
Series: Diviners #1
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Set in the 1920s but with a super-creepy supernatural twist, The Diviners is a captivating murder mystery featuring Evie O’Neill, a flapper-happy teen with a mysterious power. Evie’s been shipped off to New York to live with her Uncle Will, a museum curator, and she’s thrilled - until a rash of terrifying murders gets her attention. When it becomes clear there’s something not quite normal going on and the police aren’t buying it, it’s up to Will, Evie, and Evie’s ragtag band of friends to solve the mystery - and maybe even prevent the apocalypse.

I found Evie kind of irritating at first, because she’s so irresponsible and flighty and just not a great friend. But give the book a chance, because once the story grabs you, it is not letting go. I loved the supernatural twist, I loved Sam ("street criminal" isn’t quite the right word) and Jericho (Uncle Will’s assistant), and once I got used to it, I loved the writing. It did take a while to adjust to some of the ’20s words, but it really added to the story once I did.

My one warning to you: while the descriptions of the murder scenes are handled very well, the actual murders are super creepy, so if your imagination is going to take that and run… well, read this one with the lights on.

I loved it. It works well enough as a standalone, but I can’t wait for the sequel!

Book Thoughts: The Graveyard Book

Title: The Graveyard Book
Author: Neil Gaiman

This was my first foray into reading Neil Gaiman, and I think I shall have to go back for more. Clever, cute, and a little bit creepy, the story of Bod’s childhood in the graveyard is one that I devoured in one sitting. I was reminded of a more serious and slightly more grown-up Eva Ibbotson story.

The cast of characters is wonderful and varied, and the story is one you don’t want to stop reading. It was in the YA section at my library, but I would extend the age range for this book into slightly before “young adulthood” and well after it. In other words, check it out if you like anything remotely fantastical or mysterious.

Book Thoughts: Unspoken

Title: Unspoken
Author: Sarah Rees Brennan
Series: Lynburn Legacy #1
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I loved this book. Also I am a little bit fuming with outrage that I have to wait until the end of August to read the second one.

Kami Glass is a pretty normal girl, except for her imaginary friend. So when a new family that no one will talk about moves back to down, animals start dying, and her imaginary friend is suddenly a real person? Burgeoning investigative journalist Kami has her work cut out for her.

Unspoken is clever and funny, with Sarah Rees Brennan’s fabulous serious-yet-comical voice. (I think I would read a phone book if she wrote it the way she writes novels.) And you never want to put it down because you just have to know what’s coming next. The cast of characters is absolutely fabulous (I want Holly to be my best friend, and Angela kind of reminds me of someone I know). Also, I super duper love that Kami is focused on the mystery at hand like a sane person rather than on “ooh which of the steamy male leads shall I fall in love with?" There is a love triangle and some romance, but it definitely takes a backseat to the plot and Kami handles it rationally. And, just, *flails because I loved this book.*

Long story short: go find this book and read it, now.

Book Thoughts: Throne of Glass

Title: Throne of Glass
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Series: Throne of Glass #1
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At seventeen, Celaena Sardothien was the world’s most feared assassin. At eighteen, she is broken after a year spent slaving in the salt mines. But now she has the chance to fight for her freedom and become the King’s Champion — assuming whoever (or whatever) is murdering the competition doesn’t kill her first.

I never thought I would so love a protagonist with so few qualms about killing, but Celaena’s hard, tough sass is matched by her innocent appreciation for beauty and youthful femininity. She’s one of the most fun leading ladies I’ve encountered lately, and one of the most human.

Also, the world this is set in is so cool! Magic has fled the kingdom… but maybe not as much as the magic-fearing King would hope. I can’t wait for the next book (releasing this August) to find out more about the history of this world!

Fans of high fantasy and/or sass, mystery, determination, and a little romance should definitely check this one out.

Book Thoughts: The Body Finder

Title: The Body Finder
Author: Kimberly Derting
Series: Body Finder #1

I fell in love with this book from the first chapter. I couldn't tell you what about it made me love it, but once I started reading, I just couldn't put it down. At the very beginning, I was concerned that it might not live up to my expectations (which were very high, from all of the positive reviews I've read), because I felt like it was doing more telling and less showing...but then...it was just amazing.

Violet is such a relatable character. She's got a few friends but she's not super-popular, she has a hard time coming up with clever comebacks, she's trying to hide a crush on her best friend, she's scared but she's trying to do something about it. She has her flaws, but they're just a part of her - she could be real. And Jay. Oh my goodness, Jay. He has definitely earned a place in the top few Crush-worthy Fictional Guys. I wish the side characters had been developed more (I need more Chelsea and Claire, please!) but I think their role in the story worked.

The set-up, basically, is that Violet gets these sensory stimulations when she's around a murder victim or a murderer. Mostly that means that her cat smells weird after he kills a bird and she can always find the bird, but then she finds a dead girl her age in a lake at a party. Soon other girls start disappearing, there's a serial killer on the loose, and Violet may be the only one who can find and identify him. I had worried that the premise of "I see dead things" might be too cliche, but it totally wasn't. The mystery is really well done and I just could not put the book down until I knew what had happened. It was fantastic. I also really liked that it occasionally flashed to the killer's point of view, telling us just enough to keep us sufficiently horrified by the crimes but not enough to ruin the mystery.

And the ending. No spoilers, I promise, but if you read it you'll know what I mean: the ending was very well done. It works as a stand-alone, I think, but I'm sooo glad there's going to be a sequel, because I need more Violet and Jay. And Chelsea. And Claire. And so on and so forth...you get the picture.

Anyway, long story short, definitely read this one, you guys. It was awesome.

Book Thoughts: Vesper

Title: Vesper
Author: Jeff Sampson
Series: Deviants #1

Vesper surprised me, and it confused me. It bothered me in places. It made me laugh out loud, and it made me shudder. It definitely was not what I was expecting, but I enjoyed it.

Our story begins with shy, geeky Emily Webb dressed in an outfit she would never wear and attempting to climb out of her bedroom window. A few minutes later, she snaps back to reality, horrified by what she has almost done. Then she gets a phone call: Emily Cooke, a girl from her school, has been shot and killed. Her body was found barefoot, pajama-clad, three miles from her home.

Emily Webb is affected in a way she can't explain by the death of the other Emily, and even as she grieves the loss of a classmate she barely knew, she is changing. Each night, she is hit with a crippling pain, and then she changes into someone different - still Emily, but an Emily who is bold and brazen and maybe even a little slutty. And then she changes even more, into something that may not even be human. Mixed in with the story are transcripts of a conversation Emily has with someone called "F. Savage" describing her adventures.

At first, based on the transcripts, I was expecting a straight-up science fiction novel, but that wasn't what I got. It's a mystery - a murder mystery and a who-am-I mystery all wrapped into one. The plot was excellent. I just kept turning pages, eager to find out what was going on and what would happen next. I hope it doesn't take too long for the sequel, because I want it (a problem, since this one isn't even out until next week).

The only problem I had was Megan. I'm not sure why Emily and Megan were actually friends; it definitely wasn't the kind of friendship I'd want to have. I just didn't like her at all, and I wished we had gotten to know a little more about who she was.

Despite that, Vesper was an intriguing story that kept me reading and left me wanting more. I recommend it, especially if you like a nice dark blend of fantasy, science fiction, and murder mysteries...

Book Thoughts: All Unquiet Things

Title: All Unquiet Things
Author: Anna Jarzab

I will admit it took me a while to get into it, but after the first few chapters I was completely hooked. Long story short, ALL UNQUIET THINGS is essentially a murder mystery. A year before the story starts, Carly Ribelli is found dead with four gunshot wounds to the chest. Her uncle, the father of her cousin and best friend, Audrey, was convicted of the murder, but Audrey doesn't believe her dad is guilty. So Audrey enlists the help of Carly's ex-boyfriend, Neily - who was still in love with Carly - to help her figure out who really did it. The story alternates between Neily and Audrey's perspectives. It's really well-written, maybe a bit slow at times but still very engaging, and the story - oh my goodness. Some of it is a bit hard to believe, but Anna Jarzab makes it believable. And the characters are so real and well-developed and amazing. There is some language and content that might not be appropriate for younger teens, but to anyone who doesn't mind that stuff, I would ABSOLUTELY recommend this book. Readreadread. It's awesome.

Book Thoughts: Kiss Me Kill Me

Title: Kiss Me Kill Me
Author: Lauren Henderson

[[As you will notice, this is a fairly old review, one of the first I ever did. I stand by my love for the series, though!]]

My first book recommendation of the summer is Kiss Me Kill Me by Lauren Henderson. I picked this one because 1) I just finished reading the sequel, Kisses and Lies, and 2) it's a fairly quick but riveting read - something you don't have to spend hours poring over but can still enjoy.

Kiss Me Kill Me is about sixteen-year-old Scarlett Wakefield. She's a gymnast, and she's not exactly in with the popular crowd at her school. She dreams about kissing Dan McAndrew, her secret crush - which, as long as she's on the outside, will never happen. Naturally, Scarlett is excited when she suddenly gets invited to a party with the popular crowd. Especially because Dan is there. And then all of her daydreams come true - she and Dan are alone on the terrace, and they share a magical, wonderful, perfect kiss.

Until Dan suffocates in her arms.

Everyone assumes that Scarlett is somehow responisble for Dan's death. She transfers to Wakefield Hall Collegiate, a prep school run by her grandmother, to get away from the press and the hatred of the other girls at St. Tabby's - where she finds an anonymous note telling her that it wasn't her fault. And so, Scarlett sets out to clear her name and find out the truth behind Dan's demise.

Kiss Me Kill Me kept me turning pages until I finished and then longing for the sequel (which, as I mentioned, I just recently finished - it was just as amazing as the first). A wonderful combination of dark mystery and the drama of prep school life, and one I would definitely recommend.