Hidden Gates

Author: D.T. Dyllin
Series: P.J. Stone Gates Trilogy #1
Publication Date: August 31, 2015
Source: Netgalley
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Summary from Goodreads: P.J. Stone was taught to put duty before her heart. But everything changes with a kiss…
As a Seer, P.J. is expected to choose a suitable mate to continue the bloodline. Wanting someone considered off-limits jeopardizes her future, forcing her to question everything she believes in.
As if navigating her love life isn’t complicated enough, P.J. receives a vision of a threat to her world that only she can perceive. But no one wants to believe a fledgling Seer’s warning. With nowhere else to turn, can P.J. trust a stranger with her life, her world, and maybe even her heart?

I can't finish this book. I was immediately put off by the overwhelmingly, heavy focus on romance. Yes, the summary clearly indicates that romance would be at the forefront of this book, but it was listed as sci-fi and I was hoping the Seer's warning would lead to a bit more thrilling plot line. Part of the reason I had such a problem with the romance was that it was poorly executed and annoying. Forbidden romance with a love triangle - UGH.

The world building was poor. I had to reread a few paragraphs that explained the role of the Seers, Speakers, Guardians, and Gatekeepers and the rules of their society, and I still didn't understand. I felt like there was very little plot movement - and so I called it quits.

The Handmaid's Tale

Author: Margaret Atwood
Publication Date: March 16, 1998
Source: Gifted via Books n Bloggers Swap

Summary from Goodreads: Offred is a Handmaid in the Republic of Gilead. She may leave the home of the Commander and his wife once a day to walk to food markets whose signs are now pictures instead of words because women are no longer allowed to read. She must lie on her back once a month and pray that the Commander makes her pregnant, because in an age of declining births, Offred and the other Handmaids are valued only if their ovaries are viable. Offred can remember the years before, when she lived and made love with her husband, Luke; when she played with and protected her daughter; when she had a job, money of her own, and access to knowledge. But all of that is gone now...

 

Rating: Did Not Finish

Review

This book had been on my to read list for a really long time - it sounded like something that was right up my alley, but I just can't continue reading it. The first thing I noticed was a unique writing style, it feels like the main character, Offred, is talking directly to the reader. Normally, I would love this, but the author does not use quotation marks, which made conversations extremely confusing. I also found Offred to be a bit boring.  The other major issue I had with the writing style is the frequent switch between past and present. Usually this non-linear style does not bother me, but the transitions were unclear and confusing. I also struggled with the purpose of these switches, I'm sure the author felt that there was something happening in the present to jog Offred's memory, but that connection was not always clear. Finally, I felt that about halfway through the book NOTHING happened, like there was no plot. And then there was a scene that felt like it was included solely for the shock factor, and the way it was told felt so unlike the character that it just didn't work. I preserved, hoping to learn more about the world Offred lives in, hoping to learn more about her and how she got where she was, but I just can't suffer through it anymore.

Spelled

Author: Betsy Schow
Publication Date: June 2, 2015
Source: Netgalley

Summary from Goodreads: Fairy Tale Survival Rule #32: If you find yourself at the mercy of a wicked witch, sing a romantic ballad and wait for your Prince Charming to save the day.Yeah, no thanks. Dorthea is completely princed out. Sure being the crown princess of Emerald has its perks—like Glenda Original ball gowns and Hans Christian Louboutin heels. But a forced marriage to the brooding prince Kato is so not what Dorthea had in mind for her enchanted future.
Talk about unhappily ever after.
Trying to fix her prince problem by wishing on a (cursed) star royally backfires, leaving the kingdom in chaos and her parents stuck in some place called "Kansas." Now it's up to Dorthea and her pixed off prince to find the mysterious Wizard of Oz and undo the curse...before it releases the wickedest witch of all and spells The End for the world of Story.

Rating: Did Not Finish

Review

The Wizard of Oz is my favorite movie (I mean, my blog is named after it), so of course when I saw this on Netgalley with its fabulous cover and summary, I had to have it.

Unfortunately, this book was entirely too cheesy for me. The writing style was elementary and the cliche puns were cute at first and then annoying. There are so many fairy tale references jam packed and it was overpowering. With the high level of cuteness, think this book would be great for a young audience, but unfortunately it just wasn't for me.

Timothy Other: The Boy Who Climbed Marzipan Mountain

Author: L. Sydney Abel
Publication Date: October 2, 2014
Source: Author in exchange for honest review

Summary from Goodreads: 12 year-old adventurer, the intriguingly named Timothy Other, escapes the Dreams and Hopes Orphanage and travels to the bizarre world of Marzipan Mountain, where he befriends some amazing creatures. With the help of his friends, Timothy seeks to discover his true origins and returns to the Orphanage. He becomes embroiled in a matter of life and death and faces the evil forces that crave the secret of ‘Golden Life’.

Rating: Did Not Finish

Review

The author has a very distinct and unique writing style, unfortunately it's not for me. While reading, I felt like someone was telling me a story, which would have been fine accept I felt like I was being talked to like a child. There is also a strange use of adjectives and adverbs: biggertybig, blackertyblack bird, tip-tapping sound, sticky-up hat, etc. Unfortunately, I couldn't get past these nuances and decided not to finish the book.

A World Without Princes - Book Review

Author: Soman Chainani
Series: The School for Good and Evil #2
Publication Date: April 15, 2014
Source: Purchased (at the Boston Book Festival)

Summary from Goodreads: In the epic sequel to the New York Times bestselling novel, The School for Good and Evil, Sophie and Agatha are home, living out their Ever After. But life isn’t quite the fairy tale they expected.
When Agatha secretly wishes she’d chosen a different happy ending, she reopens the gates to the School for Good and Evil. But the world she and Sophie once knew has changed.
Witches and princesses, warlocks and princes are no longer enemies. New bonds are forming; old bonds are being shattered. But underneath this uneasy arrangement, a war is brewing and a dangerous enemy rises. As Agatha and Sophie battle to restore peace, an unexpected threat could destroy everything, and everyone, they love—and this time, it comes from within.
Soman Chainani has created a spectacular world that Newbery Medal-winning author Ann M. Martin calls, “a fairy tale like no other, complete with romance, magic, and humor that will keep you turning pages until the end.”

Rating: Did Not Finish

Review

Given how much I enjoyed book 1 (The School for Good and Evil), I was excited about reading another book set in this intriguing world. Unfortunately this book just never drew me in. At around the 50% mark, I've decided to call it quits because it was literally a chore for me to pick it up. When I did make myself pick it up, I'd read a few pages and then found myself distracted. It just wasn't doing it for me.

I was disappointed with the lack of character development. While this was a strength in the first book, it seems like there was none in the second book.

I was excited because at The Boston Book Festival, the author talked about this book's exploration of gender roles and made "A World Without Princes" seem as if  in this book the princes are literally gone. But that was not the case, I am confused by what the author was trying to do with gender roles; is he mocking them? is he trying to send the message that we need them? Ultimately, I felt like this book was un-doing all the good work of book one and I just wasn't interested anymore.

The Fever

Author: Megan Abbott
Publication: June 17, 2014
Source: Netgalley

Summary from Goodreads: The panic unleashed by a mysterious contagion threatens the bonds of family and community in a seemingly idyllic suburban community.
The Nash family is close-knit. Tom is a popular teacher, father of two teens: Eli, a hockey star and girl magnet, and his sister Deenie, a diligent student. Their seeming stability, however, is thrown into chaos when Deenie's best friend is struck by a terrifying, unexplained seizure in class. Rumors of a hazardous outbreak spread through the family, school and community.
As hysteria and contagion swell, a series of tightly held secrets emerges, threatening to unravel friendships, families and the town's fragile idea of security.

Rating: Did Not Finish

Review

After attempting this book a few times, I have decided to give up. 

I struggled to get into this book, I struggled with the writing style, and I struggled with the characters. I was annoyed while reading to the point that I had to put this book down several times. Things didn't flow and they didn't fit. It just wasn't for me.

Branded

Authors: Abi Ketner & Missy Kalicicki
Publication Date: February 18, 2014
Source: Netgalley

Summary from Goodreads: Fifty years ago the Commander came into power and murdered all who opposed him. In his warped mind, the seven deadly sins were the downfall of society. He created the Hole where sinners are branded according to their sins and might survive a few years. At best. Now LUST wraps around my neck like blue fingers strangling me. I’ve been accused of a crime I didn’t commit and now the Hole is my new home.

Darkness. Death. Violence. Pain.

Now every day is a fight for survival. But I won’t die. I won’t let them win.
The Hole can’t keep me. The Hole can’t break me.
I am more than my brand. I’m a fighter.
My name is Lexi Hamilton, and this is my story.

Rating: DNF

Review: The premise of this book was so promising: a dystopian world where sinners are branded according to which of the seven deadly sins they committed and a young woman wrongly accused and sentenced. After reading the blurb, I was intrigued by the world that this book takes place in, however I didn't feel that the world building was complete. I found Lexi to be inconsistent and annoying. Ultimately, what led to my decision to put this book down was the violence, it was just too much for me.