Review: Magic Lessons

Magic Lessons by Alice Hoffman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Maria Owens was abandoned as a baby and raised by Hannah Owens.  Hannah realized early on that Maria had a natural gift in the “Unnamed Arts” and taught her as much as she could.  Maria learned many things from Hannah, but one of her most important lessons is that you should only love someone willing to love you back.  Through a series of tragic events, Maria finds herself abandoned by a man who said he loved her and she follows him to the New World.  It is in Salem, Massachusetts that she is accused of witchcraft and invokes the curse that will haunt her family for centuries.

 

Magic Lessons is a prequel to Practical Magic and The Rules of Magic.  Readers who enjoyed these primary stories will relish reading about the events that are often referenced in these pages.  Hoffman was able to cover many decades of history without making the reader feel as if they were losing important parts of the characters’ lives.  It was wonderful to see how the curse that was so often referred to developed.  This is a prequel, but I don’t think it would matter if you read it third (as it was written) or first (as it would be chronologically).

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Review: Dear Justyce

Dear Justyce by Nic Stone
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Quan has just pleaded not guilty in the shooting death of a police officer. He is in a holding cell and waiting for his trial date to come. Through a series of flashbacks, Quan begins to think about the events that led him to this point. He also begins writing Justyce, the protagonist of Dear Martin, and explores his feelings about these years. Quan’s life started on a shaky framework when he watched his father being carted off to jail. What thoughts were going through Quan’s mind as he lived a troubled childhood? What flaws will be explored about the American justice system and minority boys?

Dear Justyce is the sequel to Dear Martin that was never meant to be written. Stone states that the original book was supposed to be a one and done, but after receiving letters from boys who thought they weren’t fully represented in the first novel, she took on the challenge to embrace some hard truths. This is a quick read, so even the most reluctant reader is encouraged to give it a try. Whether you identify as Quan, Justyce, or neither, readers will find their heartstrings pulled as they turn the pages.


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Review: Skyhunter

Skyhunter by Marie Lu
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Talin is part of a fighting force that helps defend the last free nation of the world.  Because she is a refugee, she understands the terrible things the Federation has done to nation after nation.  Soon after losing her partner, she steps up and defends a prisoner that has been brought to Mara’s capital.  She doesn’t know who he is and what secrets he might have, but he is now her partner and her responsibility.  Who is this mysterious prisoner?  What risks will Talin need to take to defend her homeland?

 

Skyhunter is the first book in a new science fiction series.  Since the story takes place in the middle of a war, there are many fight scenes and hard choices to make.  Talin is a fierce fighter, yet no one is perfect and she must come to terms with what she is willing to do to save the ones she loves.  Lu left us with a satisfactory ending instead of a cliffhanger, but readers will still be looking for the next installment when it is released.  I recommend Skyhunter to everyone who wants to read about a strong protagonist fighting for what she believes in.

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Review: Breathless

Breathless by Jennifer Niven
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Claudine can’t wait to graduate from high school, go to college, and hopefully become a famous writer. Her life is shattered when weeks before graduation her dad tells her that he is leaving her mother. Her mother’s response is to take Claudine away to an island off the coast of Georgia where they can be away from the memories. She isn’t looking for a relationship, but Miah seems to be the only person to see the potential Claudine has insider her. Will Claudine be able to have this summer romance and not create an attachment? Can her already broken heart handle this relationship?

Breathless is a stand-alone romance with a lot of teen angst thrown in. Niven has created a main character and storyline that is very realistic and easy to relate to. Most readers, whether they are a teen or older reader, will be able to relate to the feelings that Claudine experiences throughout the pages. I enjoyed her self-reflections, yet they didn’t seem staged or unnecessary. I recommend Breathless to everyone who enjoys a good YA romance.


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Review: The Glass Queen

The Glass Queen by Gena Showalter
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Princess Ashleigh was born with a weak heart.  To save her, Ashleigh’s mother took her to a witch in a hope that she would grant her some power and heal her.  Instead, the witch decides to enter Ashleigh and bide her time before she can take over her body.  This secret is only known by a few, yet an oracle predicts that Ashleigh will become the next Cinderella and protect the Kingdom of Sevon from the evil that once ruled.  Ashleigh doesn’t know how she can be the next Cinderella, especially since she doesn’t have the basic qualities of a gracious princess.  It doesn’t help that the man she is supposed to win over hates her.  Will Princess Ashleigh fulfill this prophecy?

 

The Glass Queen is the second book in The Forest of Good and Evil series.  Although this book takes place after the first in the series, readers could easily jump into this story and enjoy it without the foundation.  The Glass Queen takes a story everyone knows and puts a fun spin on it.  Fairy tale re-tellings have always been a popular choice for me and this one does not disappoint.  There is romance and back-stabbing with twists of magic weaved throughout.  Goodreads currently doesn’t have a third book listed, but I would love more stories from this twisted parallel world.

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Review: The Book of Two Ways

The Book of Two Ways by Jodi Picoult
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Dawn was living a mostly happy life when a crash landing made her question the choices she has made in the past. During the fleeting moments of the plane going down, she wasn’t thinking of her husband, but of the man she hasn’t seen for fifteen years. The airline has her checked by a doctor and then offers to transport her anywhere she wants to go. She should go back to Boston. That is where her husband and daughter are, but she finds herself thinking about Wyatt, the archaeologist she left behind, and the research she abandoned years ago. What questions will Dawn face as her two possible futures unfold?

The Book of Two Ways is a stand-alone realistic fiction novel about hope and life choices (both the hard and everyday kinds). Picoult does her magic again where she embeds information about a topic throughout her novel so that readers leave feeling as if they have not only read a great story but have become more knowledgeable about Egyptian archeology. As a person who frequently visited the Egyptian exhibit at the Field Museum in Chicago, I have always held a fascination with archeology and this story had just enough to teach without feeling like school. This is a great book, even if Picoult isn’t one of your go-to authors.


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Review: The Left-Handed Booksellers of London

The Left-Handed Booksellers of London by Garth Nix
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Susan wants to find her father.  She has never met him and she doesn’t have much to go by.  Her mother has told her some names that may or may not be correct.  She also has a reading room ticket and a silver cigarette case with an odd engraving.  Susan wants to start by questioning Frank Thringley, but before she gets the chance he turns into dust after being pricked by Merlin using a silver hatpin.  She quickly finds out that Merlin is part of a magical family that helps keep magical beings from stepping too far into the modern world.  Will Susan find her father?  What new questions will she stumble across? 

 

The Left-Handed Booksellers of London is a stand-alone fantasy novel that takes place in 1983 London.  Readers will enjoy these characters traipsing around London and England without all the technologies we rely on now.  Nix has always written characters that are easy to relate to and these characters are no different.  Although Goodreads has this listed as a one and done … I can see companion stories being written since the world is a goldmine of possible controversies.  Readers of urban fantasies will enjoy this trip back in time. 

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