Space Age Cinderella: Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Once upon a time, in a distant future where Earth's borders and technologies have shifted after a devastating Fourth World War, a young orphaned cyborg named Cinder trudges through life trapped under the thumb of her unkind stepmother.  Cinder, who holds a lesser place in society because her human body has been augmented with robotic parts, happens to be one of the best mechanics in New Beijing but she never expected that her reputation would lead the handsome heir to the throne,  Prince Kai, to visit her booth at the market and ask for her help fixing a broken android.  Then the mysterious and deadly plague sweeping the nation infects two very important people: Prince Kai's father, the emperor, and Cinder's beloved younger stepsister Peony.  Suddenly Cinder becomes intimately involved in the dangerous international and interplanetary struggle for power that forces her to dive into her unknown past and its connections to the plague and the entire future of the planet Earth.

I first came across this futuristic Cinderella retelling when I signed up for the 2012 Young Adult & Middle Grade Debut Authors Challenge and began browsing around the connected Goodreads list.   The premise alone was enough to get me interested: Cinderella is a cyborg with a dark past in a future Chinese-influenced empire? Sign me up!

Generally, Cinder lives up to its fun premise.  It combines popular sci-fi/futuristic fiction concepts (another world war, cyborgs, interplanetary/alien communication, unknown plagues, etc.) with the ever popular fairy or folk tale retelling.  The result is a fresh and enjoyable novel with broad appeal to a variety of readers.  The setting of New Beijing is unusual and absorbing, combining elements from different time periods and cultures in a way that fits into the version of the future Meyer has sketched out.  The traditional fairytale royal family and special ball seem a little out of place in a world where cyborgs and robots exist and the government is negotiating with a civilization from another planet but somehow it works.  Cinder is a lovely protagonist, determined and smart but also vulnerable and intensely aware of her subhuman status in society.  The mystery of the plague and its connections to Cinder and the extraterrestrial Lunars are full of exciting, if occasional predictable, twists and turns.  Overall, a delightful debut novel that will have all your fantasy, fairytale, and dystopian fans begging for the sequel!

3 STARS

Entwined by Heather Dixon

As I've said on before, I'm a huge fan of fairytale retells and reinterpretations.  So when Entwined arrived as part of the September book order, I was immediately intrigued.  The tale of the Twelve Dancing Princesses has not been adapted very often; Jessica Day George's Princess of the Midnight Ball is the only one that stands out immediately.

From the very beginning, Entwined did not feel like many other fairytale retellings I've read; in that way it reminded me of A Curse Dark As Gold.  Although their settings and styles are quite different, both take the skeleton of the original tale and transport it to a very rich and distinct new setting utilizing pieces and aspects of actual (mostly West European) history.  The world Heather Dixon creates is a distinctly foreign and magic-infused world with the feel of late 19th and early 20th century Britain.  In Eathesbury, there are formal balls, a vaguely parliamentary monarchy,  street lamps, distinct social traditions, and bits of leftover magic haunting the palace (such as a rather grumpy silver tea set).

Azalea is the eldest of the eleven princesses of Eathesbury.  She adores her mother, affectionately protects and manages her sisters (even when they're driving her crazy), and absolutely loves to dance.  But when her mother dies giving birth to the twelfth princess, the color seems to drain out of Azalea's world.  As she tries to control her own grief, Azalea works to hold her family together, caring for her sisters and struggling with the strained relationship with their distant father, the King--whose insistance on following all formal mourning traditions bars the princesses from their one source of emotional release and connection with the late mother: dancing.  So when the girls discover a passageway leading down into a secret chamber inside the palace's walls, they enter it eagerly.  Inside Azalea and her sisters meet the strange enchanted man who calls himself the Keeper who offers them a safe place to dance their grief away.  But, the Keeper's intentions are far from pure.  As his web of dark power pulls tighter,  even Azalea's very nimble feet and unwavering determination might not be enough dance her family away from the Keeper's trap.

Entwined is a lovely debut, by turns whimsical, action-packed, and romantic.  Azalea is a greatly appealing protagonist, strong and determined as well as vulnerable and authentic.  She is devoted to her family and very aware of her political and personal responsibilities as the oldest princess.  Also, Dixon (smartly) does not attempt to fully develop each of the twelve princesses equally; Azalea and the second and third oldest sisters are the most three-dimensional of the girls while the others are given a few, less fully explored identifiable characteristics.  Their interactions as a family ring very true and the shifting relationship the princesses have with their distant father develops organically.  The romances are lovely and the Keeper is a delightfully sinister antagonist.  The magical elements work well in a elegant and whimsical fantasy world.  However, Entwined (like all good fantasy novels) is successful because it remains grounded in more universal human emotions and experiences, such as the confusion and pain of grief, the tight bonds between siblings, and the complex relationships between children and parents.

Overall, Heather Dixon's Entwined is a great debut novel and a lovely, enjoyable fantasy story that will appeal to a wide age range.  Definitely pass it off to fans of fairytale retells and romantic fantasy novels!

5/5 STARS

Book Bites: Keeping Reviews Short and Sweet

I can read fast, especially given extra chunks of free reading time.  However, I do not blog fast. I am still learning how to write up reviews and posts well and within a personal timeline; completing my master's degree in a year did not help matters.  This summer when my homework reading load was down but my work hours were up, I found that I could get back into my more normal pattern of reading at least one to three or more books a week (depending on the book's length and level of interest).  But I could not seem to make my blogging keep up with my reading.  


I thought of the one-minute book talk assignment I had done earlier this year in my children's resources class: could I do the same thing in a blog post and cover a few books all at once? Around the same time that this idea occurred to me, I noticed that the fabulous blogger and librarian GreenBeanTeenQueen had begun doing something similar, calling them 'Flash Reviews.'  So I was inspired by these two ideas to come up with my own new occasional blog feature: Book Bites.  Here's the first edition, a general hodgepodge of titles I read over the past few months.


Rapunzel's Revenge and Calamity Jack 

by Shannon and Dean Hale, illustrated by Nathan Hale 5/5 STARS

What happens when you combine a feisty heroine with super-powered hair and attitude, a well-meaning trickster, a classically cruel villain, and a magically enhanced Wild West? A rollicking and absolutely delightful adventure, that's what! I love fairytale reboots and this pair of companion graphic novels are now two of my all time favorites.  Shannon and Dean Hale create a fantastical world full of magic and adventure, brought to life by Nathan Hale's bright, active, and elegant illustrations.  Rapunzel and Jack are wonderful characters and I was thrilled to follow them on their personal quests for justice.

  Suite Scarlett by Maureen Johnson
  4/5 STARS


Scarlett Martin's life sounds like quirky but popular movie: she grew up in the Hopewell Hotel in the center of NYC with her parents and three siblings, Spencer, Lola, and Marlene.  But so far, the summer of her fifteenth birthday is looking to be far from cinematic: the hotel is falling apart--and so are the Martins.  Between her siblings' problems, a bizarre new guest, and a gorgeous young actor, Scarlett's summer suddenly turns into a wild adventure full of enough drama, subterfuge, and romance to fill several Broadway plays. And like Scarlett, I was thrilled go along for the ride! A classic Maureen Johnson adventure: quirky and madcap with well-drawn characters and delightfully witty writing.     

 My Invented Life by Lauren Bjorkman   
3.5/5 STARS


Sisters Eva and Roz have always been in competition but they have also always been incredibly close.  But out of nowhere, Eva cuts Roz out of her life and Roz cannot figure out why. So Roz, for whom all the world is truly a stage, is determined to discover the secrets her sister is keeping from her with a dramatic plot worthy of the Bard himself.  Bjorkman's debut novel takes its inspiration from Shakespeare's 'As You Like It,' one of my favorite plays, and it takes the vitality of that story and applies it to the twenty-first century's diverse world of love.  I'm always looking for novels that present a more flexible and fluid picture of sexuality and this one does so wonderfully.
  

 How to Say Goodbye in Robot by Natalie Standiford
 4.5/5 STARS


Bea AKA Robot Girl meets Jonah AKA Ghost Boy through the public school system's obsession with alphabetic order.  Despite Jonah's resistance, the two form a unique and deep friendship based on a shared affinity for late-night radio shows and an overwhelming sense of alienation.  As they alternatively heal and push each other away, Bea and Jonah develop a relationship that isn't quite a romance but is definitely full of love.  This story of the deep connection between two people searching for meaning in a confusing world is as lovely and quirky as its excellently drawn characters.  A beautiful book about the complex world of an intense, true friendship.       

   

A Tale Dark and Grimm by Adam Gidwitz

Tween Tuesdays! 

Tween Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by the fabulous GreenBeanTeenQueen over at her blog.  Bloggers use the meme to highlight awesome reads for tweens. 

A Tale Dark and Grimm

Adam Gidwitz

You've heard about Hansel and Gretel before right? With the witch and her crazy house made of candy and cake?  Well, then, you haven't heard the whole story.  The real story of Hansel and Gretel is a much darker,  bloodier, and more Grimm adventure than you might imagine. 

So don't say we didn't warn you. 

What a delightfully Grimm novel!  Gidwitz weaves together several of the Grimm brothers' tales into one witty and darkly funny story held together by our brave young protagonists, Hansel and Gretel.  The very involved narrator interjects sly and wry comments throughout the story and kids will greatly enjoy this hilarious commentary.  Additionally, readers who like creepy and bloody tales or fairy tale retells will be quickly hooked on this story, which combines both subgenres into one twisting and eventful adventure. 

As I have said before, I am a big fan of fairy and folktale retellings.  I had heard good things about this particular fairy tale-inspired novel but wasn't quite sure what to expect when I turned the first page.  What I found was a very unique re-imagining of the now iconic Grimm tales.  Gidwitz draws on the darkness and the gore of the original tales; instead of white-washing them, he highlights their scary qualities.  He finds overarching truths embedded in several separate stories: grown-ups are unreliable, the world is a frightening and unsafe place, and no one is truly innocent.  Through these common themes, he crafts a new story that will likely appeal to many children for the ways it acknowledges how very scary the adventure we call 'growing up' can be.    

5/5 STARS 

           

Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow by Jessica Day George

Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow
Jessica Day George


The lass has grown up without a name, in a world of constant winter.  But when a mysterious white bear shows up on the doorstep, the lass' special gift of speaking to animals offers her an opportunity to help her family.  So she agrees to travel with the bear back to his strange castle and remain with him there for a year in exchange for her family's wealth.  However, neither the bear, his bizarre servants, nor the lass herself are what they seem.  


Now, I've got to put it out there that I am a sucker for a fairy or folk tale retell.  So, with my bias out in the open, I can say that I genuinely enjoyed this particular retelling of the Norse story, 'East of the Sun, West of the Moon.'  Despite remaining nameless for nearly the entire novel, the main character is admirable and sympathetic.  Within the first few chapters, the reader is able to gain a good picture of her family and her background as well as her individual personality; so when she goes on her strange journey, the audience is happy to follow her.  


The plot has pretty steady action and the mystery is revealed slowly, keeping the reader hooked until the final chapters.  The romance is sweet and generally satisfying.  The story feels a little unoriginal at times and the conclusion was somewhat rushed but overall, this novel is fresh pick for lovers of fairy and folk tale retellings and romantic fantasy. I read Edith Pattou's version of the same tale, East, a few years ago and think that I might prefer it.  However, Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow might work better for a younger teen audience. It could match well with novels by Gail Carson Levine, Robin McKinley, or Donna Jo Napoli.


3/5 STARS   
    

Ash by Malinda Lo

Ash 


Malinda Lo


SUMMARY: After the death of her beloved mother, Aisling feels terribly alone, even with her grieving father and familiar home.  Then her father comes home from a visit to the capital with a new wife and two new step-daughters.  While Ash is not thrilled, life doesn't seem hugely different.  But then her father also becomes ill and dies.  Now Ash is at the mercy of her bitter stepmother who decides that she will pay for her late father's debts by becoming the household's primary servant. Miserable, Ash yearns for her mother even more and when she encounters the strange and frightening fairy Sidhean, Ash thinks she might have finally found her route of escape.  But then she meets the King's huntress Kaisa and Ash slowly stops wishing to disappear as their growing friendship reawakens her desire to live and to love.  Now Ash must choose between fairy magic and the powerfully human magic of love and connection.  


ONESMARTCUPCAKE THINKS: I've been wanting to read this novel for months! I was so excited to finally get a hold of it this past week and my anticipation was nicely rewarded.  Ash is a great debut novel from Malinda Lo that successfully combines several little subgenres of YA fiction into a lovely and enjoyable narrative.  First, Ash joins the ranks of other great fairytale retellings and for me, it is up there with Ella Enchanted  in terms of favorite 'Cinderella' rewrites.  But also, Ash  takes another popular fantasy concept-dark and dangerous fairies-with equal success.  So the novel is firstly a fun fantasy combining a familiar narrative outline with well known ideas like frightening fairies as well as the solid human experience and conflict that grounds all good fantasy novels.  Ash is a sympathetic heroine and so the story's focus is neither the magic nor the fairytale aspect but Ash's very familiar struggles to grow and develop in difficult circumstances.  Her fears, griefs, weaknesses, and strengths are evoked clearly through Lo's gentle and spare but descriptive prose.  


The other highlight of the story is Ash's blossoming relationship with the Huntress Kaisa.  Ash's initial interest in the role of the Huntress grows into an attraction to Kaisa herself as the two young women begin spending more and more time together.  Kaisa teaches Ash to ride and hunt; Ash learns that the possibility for love still exists in the world.  The sweet, slowly developing love between the two women fits perfectly into this delicate and unique fairy-tale of a novel.  I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would recommend it to teens who enjoy other fairy-tale retellings.  


5/5 STARS

Tender Morsels by Margo Lanagan

Tender Morsels

Margo Lanagan

SUMMARY: Liga has undergone cruelty and tragedy nearly beyond imagination during her fifteen years on earth. When she wanders into the forest in complete desperation and despair, Liga is transported by natural magic into a separate world—a world built of her heart’s desire. So Liga raises her daughters Branza and Urdda in her personal heaven, a world free of the unkindness and violence Liga has experienced. However, their heavenly world is not impenetrable; greedy intruders and strange bears break into their gentle haven. Urdda’s curiosity causes her to push at the boundaries of their idyllic life while Branza’s growth into womanhood is disturbed by these unpleasant other worldly encounters. Meanwhile, even Liga herself begins to feel an occasional loneliness within her heaven. When these women find themselves tumbling out of this heavenly world and back into the imperfect reality of Liga’s nightmares, they must learn to survive in the real world, where horror and beauty might lie side by side.

ONESMARTCUPCAKE THINKS: I heard a great deal about this book over the last year and after having it on my ‘to read’ list for a few months, I finally got a chance to read it. My reactions were somewhat mixed but to be totally honest, that could be due to the haphazard way in which I read it. I read it during the first week of my very hectic summer job as a counselor/librarian at an ESL summer camp run at an independent high school. The first week was especially crazy so I would squeeze some reading in before bed and my sleepiness would occasionally result in confusion. So after that likely too full disclosure, I will try to sum up my reactions to Tender Morsels.

Based in the Grimm fairy-tale “Snow-White and Rose-Red,” Tender Morsels attempts to flesh out and complicate this original story with vividly lush and dark details. In the true spirit of the Brothers Grimm, Lanagan has chosen to use her story to explore the shadowy sides of human nature and the way in which cruelty can fit so closely alongside beauty in the human world. In total, I found this book to be a lovely and thoughtful narrative that managed to deal with some sensitive issues and harsh realities with skill.

Lanagan manages use the fairy-tale setting to address issues that remain current. She frankly but sensitively portrays incest, sexual and physical abuse, and gang rape within the first few chapters alone. Liga is well-drawn character; her reactions to her father’s long-term abuse and the attack by the town boys are as complex and confused as any expressed in an actual survivor’s memoir. Lanagan has not attempted to analyze Liga but rather has recorded her emotional and mental progress with precision and poignancy.

The shifting of narrators is gently done; occasionally it is so subtle as to be confusing (at least to my sleep-deprived mind!). I also found Liga’s transportation into her ‘heaven’ quite confusing the first time I read it but then that I can credit to the character’s own confusion and lack of understanding. However, I also felt that some character introductions were a bit too sudden; the greedy ‘wee-man’ who is magicked into their haven, for example, jumped into the narrative and his interests and role remained unclear to me for several sections of the piece.

Above all, however, I found this book to be very powerful. The events portrayed can be quite violent, disturbing, and brutal and although the book retains a sense of hope throughout, it is definitely a dark book that deals frankly with some very difficult subjects. However, Lanagan’s writing is lovely and the piece possesses a haunting clarity of the emotional aspects of interactions and scenes. She manages to recreate a variety of viewpoints, both male and female, with equal authenticity. Although this novel would be qualified as fantasy, the issues and emotions it represents directly speak to humans all over the world today.

4/5 STARS