By Anonymous Writer

So, I realized I’ve been reading A LOT lately, but not really posting about it. Shame on me! What am I here for if not to share the books I love? Here are a few brief thoughts on books I’ve read lately.

Fracture by Megan Miranda
Review copy received in trade from Escaping through Books
Facture tells the story of Delaney, who drowns in a frozen lake – but miraculously lives. This is psychological thriller done right. There’s a light paranormal/magical realism element - after the accident, Delaney is drawn to dying people. So, she discovers, is the mysterious Troy, a boy who starts showing up everywhere Delaney goes. Is she supposed to save these people . . . or something more nefarious? The strongest elements of the novel are Delaney’s struggles to reintegrate into her friend group after the accident, and her will-they-or-won’t-they relationship with her best friend, Decker. Decker is a strong supporting character – you think you’ve got him all figured out, until you discover a surprising bit of backstory about his relationship with Delaney that adds some important depth. Overall, this was an enjoyable read. My only complaint is I wish it had been a little longer. I wanted to spend more time with these characters and their struggles.
The Rivals by Daisy Whitney
Review copy received in trade from Escaping through Books
In The Rivals, we revisit Themis Academy. Alex is now in charge of The Mockingbirds and this novel chronicles her struggles with leading the group, following her own moral compass and surviving the aftermath of her date rape. I was so pleased Whitney did not gloss over that part of Alex’s journey, as it would have been all too easy to just put that behind Alex and move on to the new mystery. Speaking of which, the new Mockingbird case involves a drug ring at Themis and the case raises challenging questions about leadership, loyalty to friends, honesty and abuse of power. It’s a messy issue and lots of people get hurt in the process of investigating and trying this case. I truly enjoyed Whitney’s exploration of these issues and her willingness to include complicated conclusions, though the facts of the case were a bit convoluted and occasionally difficult to follow. I would have enjoyed it more had the plot been smoothed a little. There’s also a side plot about Alex’s complicated feelings for a friend. This plot could have been compelling, particularly in light of Alex’s struggles with sexuality after the rape, but in the end, it didn’t really go anywhere and would have been much stronger if there had been more of a conclusion to it.

The Rivals will appeal to fans of The Mockingbirds. It should also appeal to any readers who are more politically minded, activist types, because they will enjoy confronting these difficult questions along with Alex confronts.

Scarlet by AC Gaughen
Review copy purchased
Scarlet is a breath of fresh air for readers like me. I don’t read many historicals, but you don’t need to be a fan of that genre to enjoy this one. Gaughen strikes the perfect balance between modern grammar and period slang. Nottingham and Robin’s merry men spring to life through the dialog and setting description, peppered with just enough historical detail to make you feel you’re there, without making you feel you’re reading Life in a Medieval City. The novel reimagines Robin in his teen years – handsome, noble and more than a little emo. Scarlet is a fun character to follow, tough, sometimes morally ambivalent and a little naïve about romance. I suspended my disbelief on that one given the era, though it was a little challenging since Scarlet isn’t exactly a sheltered girl living in a nunnery. In addition, to anyone whose knows anything about the Robin Hood legend, Scarlet’s secret backstory won’t be much of a shocker. However, none of that makes the rollicking adventure tale any less enjoyable. I’m dying to read more of the adventures of Robin and his merry men, as reimagined by Gaughen.

Scarlet will appeal to fans of adventure stories and historical novels – and anyone who loves Robin Hood.
Touch of Frost and Kiss of Frost by Jennifer Esteps
Touch of Frost received in trade from Stalking the Bookshelves; Kiss of Frost purchased.
Calling all Vampire Academy fans – this series is tailor-made for you!
Boarding school? Check. Rich and powerful characters and a narrator who’s less moneyed? Check. Paranormal/magical elements? Check. Snarky heroine? Check. Hot, forbidden romance? Check.
There are a great many similarities between these two series, right down to a second book that takes place at a fancy winter ski resort. This story revolves around a Gypsy with magical powers in a school for mythological warriors. The writing is occasionally repetitive, particularly in Gwen’s inner monologue. She meebles a little too often and a little too frequently about her own past. Also, I didn’t really buy that Gwen doesn’t quite believe in this mythological world. Given her, her mother and her grandmother’s psychic gifts, given what she experiences at the warrior academy, I found it utterly implausible that she spent so much time claiming she “didn’t believe in all that myth stuff.” It’s a catchy phrase for the book jacket, but the stories would be stronger without it and I wish the narrative would have just dropped that. Depsite it all, the storyline is catchy and I will pick up the next one.

The Frost series is perfect for people looking for a light, paranormal romance and those jonesing for the next installment of the Bloodlines series.
Under the Never Sky audio book
Review copy purchased
I’ve already gushed about loving this book. For a recent long car trip, I downloaded the audio version. Unfortunately, it didn’t do the book justice. With Never Sky’s alternating male and female voices, it would have been the perfect chance to have two actors, to imbue the characters with truly different tones and personalities, to let different readers’ interpretations add depth to the story. The Scorpio Races audio book did this with such success, I was really looking forward to Never Sky. After I’d downloaded it, I realized there was only one actor, and unfortunately, she didn’t sound right for either character. She sounded about 40 years older than them both. I didn’t connect to the performance because the voice just didn’t fit. The audio version didn’t dull my love for the novel, but I’d recommend reading a copy, rather than listening to it.