Everybody Sees the Ants: Review

Title: Everybody Sees the Ants

Author: A. S. King

Release Date: October 2011

Published By: Little, Brown

Pages: 282

Goodreads Rating: 4.33 stars

Review: Lucky Linderman is certainly not lucky, with his disappeared grandfather, struggling parents, and the relentless bullying of Nadar McMillan, and the only things that give him comfort are his dreams. At night, he visits his grandfather in the jungle in an alternate reality, the only place he feels safe. But how long can he stay there until reality forces its way in?

For some reason, when I first picked up EVERYBODY SEES THE ANTS, I didn't realize it was by A. S. King, who is quickly becoming one of my top five favorite authors, but I don't think I could possibly have enjoyed this book any more. Honestly, the only word to describe this is "incredible". Everything about this somewhat offbeat story is emotional, honest, indescribably real, and just so stunningly well-crafted.

I do mean "stunning" literally. When one aspect of the story was revealed, all I could do was put down my Kindle, stare into space, and think "wow" over and over again. Because honestly? Wow. My heart literally ached for Lucky, and it's been a long time so I was emotionally invested in a character to this level. The bullying he suffers is horrific yet all too commonplace in today's world.

A. S. King added some very unique elements to the story - namely, the jungle and the ants. Lucky has shockingly real dreams with his grandfather and he wakes up from them with objects he found while asleep. It's never fully addressed whether or not these are actually "real", which makes it all the more enigmatic and beautiful. I'm not going to describe the ants because it's hard not to make it sound just weird, but trust me when I say that it's a wonderful layer to the story that truly deserves to be there.

What more can I say? EVERYBODY SEES THE ANTS is absolutely one of the top books of 2011. I adored the author's debut novel, and this is one is just as amazing, if not better. From the rich characters to the fascinating layers to the hard-hitting emotional core, this is a novel absolutely everyone should read, regardless of whether or not they read King's first book.

I received a free copy of this book for review. This in no way affected my review.
 

In My Mailbox (38)

It's been a busy week but I did get some fantastic books!

For Review:
Bittersweet by Sarah Ockler
Ruthless by Sara Shepard
Slide by Jill Hathaway
Pieces of Us by Margie Gelbwasser
The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer Smith

Library:
The Ask and the Answer by Patrick Ness.
The Unidentified by Rae Mariz.
Wildthorn by Jane Eagland.
I Now Pronounce You Someone Else by Erin McCahan
Every Little Thing in the World by Nina de Gramont
Cracked up to Be by Courtney Summers
Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta

That's it for me! What did you get this week?

Anna Dressed in Blood: Review

Title: Anna Dressed in Blood

Author: Kendare Blake

Release Date: August 2011

Published By: Tor Teen

Pages: 316

Goodreads Rating: 4.13 stars

Review: Cas travels the country with his kitchen-witch mother, spirit-smelling cat, and his father's legacy to kill the dangerous dead, with his future and friends at bay. They arrive in a new town in search of a ghost called Anna Dressed in Blood, but there's something different about her. Her past and present are irrevocably intertwined with her murder and curses, and she kills everyone who steps into her old home. Everyone, that is, except Cas.

ANNA DRESSED IN BLOOD is, in a word, refreshing. From its unique premise to rich cast of characters, this is a novel that reads like a breath of fresh air. The idea of ghosts themselves and their desire for revenge isn't entirely new, nor is the idea of killing them, but the fact that the ghost-killer falls in love with the ghost is a fascinating concept.

I did feel, however, that the romance itself was not as good as it could have been. It wasn't bad in any way and didn't make me cringe, but I just felt like it was a bit lacking and not very developed. There was potential for it to grow into something more and I kept waiting for that to happen, but it didn't.

Still, I greatly enjoyed reading this book. The male point of view was authentic, and Cas's voice in general was strong, real, and humorous. While the novel isn't exactly a comedy, he made remarks that were quite funny and lightened up the atmosphere at times. Because of this, the story wasn't spooky, but I don't feel that's necessarily a bad thing.

All in all, ANNA DRESSED IN BLOOD is a gripping, impossible to put down book with a well-shaped world and intriguing concept behind it. All the characters are fully formed, and the narration is on the funny side, which is always a plus. The romance could have been developed a lot more although it had potential, but I would still recommend this to anyone who loves a good ghost story.
 
I got a free copy of this book from the publisher for review. This in no way affected my review.
 

Follow Friday (31)

This week's question is...

When you've read a book, what do you do with it?

If it's a library book (as it is 90% of the time), I return it, hopefully on time. If it's an ARC/finished review copy, I store it in my bookshelf, although that's quickly becoming far too crowded for me to shove more books in there.

If you're new to my blog, welcome! Please drop your link in the comments so I can return the favor :)