The Butterfly Clues: Review

Title: The Butterfly Clues

Author: Kate Ellison

Release Date: February 2012

Published By: EgmontUSA

Pages: 336

Goodreads Rating: 3.69 stars

Review: Ever since her brother Oren's death, Lo's hoarding of beautiful objects has turned into a full-out obsession. She finds a butterfly pendant that she recognizes as belonging to a recently killed girl not much older than herself, Sapphire, and becomes increasingly drawn into the murder. Near the scene, she meets Flynt, who brings her into the seedy underworld, where, as she discovers, might just hold the secrets to what really happened to her brother.

THE BUTTERFLY CLUES is exactly what I want to see more of in YA: a heavy, completely engrossing read complete with both emotion and suspense. I was blown away by this book, and one of the factors responsible for this was the realism and rawness of the characters. Every single person in this book was entirely unique and far from just a bare archetype, and there was incredible complexity in their personalities, mindsets, and yes, mental disorders.

Lo was a very complicated protagonist; she stole and lied, yet remained someone you could absolutely sympathize with. She boils down to a lonely and very confused girl, suffering from OCD as well as the loss of her brother, but instead of feeling just pity or just neutrality towards her, I became wrapped up in her character. It was as if I was her, and everything occurring to her was happening to me as well. It became almost disorienting, but in an amazing way - in the way every book should be.

The romance was also quite refreshing. Flynt wasn't the stereotypical YA hunk but rather a laid-back, funny guy with mysterious origins (but not in a forced manner). Their love for each other happened organically with an ending that, while somewhat painful, was very realistic and free of angst.

As for the plot, I couldn't have asked for much better. The spellbinding narration combined with an engrossing and intriguing plot that was packed with twists and turns. There were a few spots where my attention wasn't completely held, but I was for the most part eager to find out what happens next. It's not a particularly long book but when you emerge from reading this book (especially if it's all in one sitting), you feel as if you've been reading forever - in a good way!

All in all, THE BUTTERFLY CLUES is a suspenseful and emotion-laden novel perfect for either those who love contemporary or those who could never quite get into it. The incredibly dimensional characters are brimming with complexity and flaws, and reading this book is almost like a disorienting experience. It's almost guaranteed that you'll be completely sucked into the story and be unable to put it down. I don't know why there isn't more hype surrounding this book, but I strongly urge you all to pick it up and make the hype happen.

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

In My Mailbox (37)

I had a great round of books this time!

For Review
 

Partials by Dan Wells. I got a nice, shiny copy of this, and I have to say, the cover is even more gorgeous in person. It screams "dystopia" as it should, and though I'm still a little less than halfway through, I can already tell you that this is a keeper!

On a Dark Wing by Jordan Dane. Originally I wasn't going to read this because I tend to dislike angel books but the cover was just too awesome for me to resist. I love the font and all the birds flying past it (not to mention the guy on the front!)


New Girl by Paige Harrison. I did a Waiting on Wednesday for this one a while back, and I'm quite excited for it. I love creepy, suspenseful books, and I have to say, the cover is pretty cool.

Various Positions by Martha Schabas. I was so psyched to get the opportunity to read this one! I love ballet books as well as  hard-hitting contemporaries, and this is both in one, so obviously it's right up my alley.




Life is But a Dream by Brian James. I adore this cover and I eat up novels about mental illnesses, so naturally I jumped at the chance to read and review this.

What's in your mailbox?

Bunheads: Review

Title: Bunheads

Author: Sophie Flack

Release Date: October 2011

Published By: Poppy

Pages: 294

Goodreads Rating: 3.67 stars

Review: As a member of the prestigious Manhattan Ballet Company, nineteen-year-old Hannah Ward's entire life is dancing and grueling practice and training, and she's been more than happy to live like that. That is, until she meets a handsome musician named Jacob. Only then does she feel her constrained freedom and unending sacrifice, and she starts to wonder: is it all really worth it? And if she wants to, can she walk away from everything?

I'm not sure why exactly, given my ballet-less childhood, but I love ballet books, and I have to say, BUNHEADS may just be my favorite of them all. The author, a former ballet dancer herself, depicts with raw honesty the true lives of those who sacrifice their lives for what makes them happiest - dancing. She shows the incredibly hard work and limited time that goes behind it without getting repetitive or grating, and the seemingly fairy tale life of a successful dancer is shown to be not all it's cracked up to be.

Hannah's voice is very real as well, dragging the reader in and compelling them to keep turning pages until the very last one. I found myself unable to put this book down, even given the circumstances around me (severe four-day power outage in the freezing cold), and there's a good reason why. The plot doesn't move particularly fast, but the narration keeps you firmly rooted in the story.

One of my favorite aspects of this book was that it wasn't immediately obvious what the best choice should be. The author did a great job of showing both how appealing Jacob and a new, free life is while still underscoring the reasons Hannah wanted to be in the ballet company in the first place. Many typical ballet stereotypes were dispelled, but many surprising truths were also revealed.

All in all, BUNHEADS is an excellent book for anyone who likes ballet novels. There is quite a bit of talk about the specifics of the dance style (describing choreography, etc.), but it's not necessary to have a background in ballet to more or less understand it. Even if you're not much for books like this, it may be a great place to start!


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

The Faerie Ring: Review

Title: The Faerie Ring

Author: Kiki Hamilton

Release Date: September 2011

Published By: Tor Teen

Pages: 352

Goodreads Rating: 4.08 stars

Review: It's 1871, and Tiki lives with a group of orphans in a deserted hideaway in London where their only hope of surviving is to pick pockets. One night she steals a innocent-looking ring, and sets off a chain of cataclysmic events that could lead to war with the Fey. A rebel group of faeries want to break the ring by using dark magic and blood - that is to say, Tiki's blood.

One aspect of THE FAERIE RING that I really loved was the premise. There are so many fairy (or should I say "faerie") books out there, but this one was quite original in that it had both faeries and a historical setting in London, not to mention that the protagonist was a tough orphan instead of a high school girl.

It wasn't just the premise that was good but the writing and characters. The narration flowed smoothly and, for the most part, maintained by attention, and the characters were endearing and dimensional. I especially liked Rieker, though that may have a lot more to do with his attractiveness (and he's a thief, too) than anything else. Still, cheers for a romance that wasn't like one in every other faerie book out there.

This book wasn't completely perfect, though. What mainly bothered me was the lack of faery lore or really much involvement from the faeries at all. They were present in the book, but almost completely in the background with very few direct interactions with them, and I felt like this was an aspect of the book that should have been brought more to the spotlight.

All in all, THE FAERIE RING was a unique novel with a fascinating setting and honestly portrayed characters, and of course, a lovely romance. The only real downside is that the actual faerie involvement in the plot is much lower than you might expect, and since that part of the book was interesting, I found that to be quite disappointing. Still, if you're looking for a fairy book unlike every other one out there, definitely give this one a whirl!


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