Brooke Reviews

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Brooke Reviews: Illusions of Fate by Kiersten White

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Brooke Reviews: Illusions of Fate by Kiersten WhiteIllusions of Fate by Kiersten White
Published by Harper Collins on September 9th 2014
Genres: Legends, Myths, Fables, Young Adult
Goodreads
three-half-stars
Jessamin has been an outcast since she moved from her island home of Melei to the dreary country of Albion. Everything changes when she meets the gorgeous, enigmatic Finn, who introduces her to the secret world of Albion's nobility. It’s a world that has everything Jessamin doesn't—power, money, status . . . and magic. But Finn has secrets of his own, and the vicious Lord Downpike will do anything to possess them. Unless Jessamin, armed only with her wits, can stop him.

Disclaimer: I’m going to apologize ahead of time for being a bad book blogger – I did not write this review immediately upon finishing the book. I’m sorry…I promise it won’t happen again!

So where to start with Kiersten White’s newest standalone? Her books are so addictive. Her writing style is just gorgeous, and she creates these rich story worlds that I can vividly imagine even days after I’ve finished the novel.

Our protagonist, Jessamin, is independent and hard-working and feisty. She has skeletons in her closet (blackmail, anyone?), but as a reader you’re willing to forgive her for them. In fact, her skeletons make her infinitely more interesting. 😉

Jessamin is struggling to make it in a world which is determined to make sure she doesn’t succeed. She faces a good deal of prejudice from the nobility of Albion, who are rich and excluding and snobby. All but Finn, that is. He’s aloof and mysterious, but he treats Jessamin like an equal, and he enjoys spending time with her (for reasons she can’t quite understand).

This book has a very dark tone I wasn’t exactly expecting. But I really can’t imagine it any other way. I think it adds to the mystery and intrigue of the plot. Bonus points to White for a super creepy villain, the hilarious sidekick Eleanor, and an unpredictable climax/conclusion. The plot twist was fantastic but the ending was a bit sudden.

This book left an impression. It was an incredibly enjoyable read for me.

 

Have you read this book? Share your thoughts! If you’re a fan of Kiersten White, we should be friends.

Brooke Reviews: The Conspiracy of Us by Maggie Hall

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Brooke Reviews: The Conspiracy of Us by Maggie HallThe Conspiracy of Us by Maggie Hall
Published by Penguin on January 13th 2015
Genres: Love & Romance, Mysteries & Detective Stories, Young Adult
Goodreads
three-stars
Avery West's newfound family can shut down Prada when they want to shop in peace, and can just as easily order a bombing when they want to start a war. Part of a powerful and dangerous secret society called the Circle, they believe Avery is the key to an ancient prophecy. Some want to use her as a pawn. Some want her dead.

To unravel the mystery putting her life in danger, Avery must follow a trail of clues from the monuments of Paris to the back alleys of Istanbul with two boys who work for the Circle—beautiful, volatile Stellan and mysterious, magnetic Jack. But as the clues expose a stunning conspiracy that might plunge the world into World War 3, she discovers that both boys are hiding secrets of their own. Now she will have to choose not only between freedom and family--but between the boy who might help her save the world, and the one she's falling in love with.

I really wanted to like this book more than I did. I am a huge fan of mystery, conspiracy, and romance (probably in that order), and this book promised all three. I think it definitely delivered, and yet I just couldn’t get super excited about it.

I liked the characters, but I felt as though I didn’t have enough time to get to know Avery in order to really root for her before she took off to Paris with a stranger. I know it’s fiction, and I know how much Avery wanted to meet her family, but I couldn’t help thinking, girl, he just pulled a knife on you! It was moments like these that made me question Avery’s judgement.

I will say that I really appreciated the travel aspect of this book. Paris and Istanbul sound incredible and I loved the historical details the author weaves into the story along the way. The Circle’s ties to Alexander the Great were particularly interesting.

And whatever Avery was lacking, Jack totally made up for it. I have a huge crush on Jack (maybe it’s his adorable British accent). The romance was adorable, and while there was insta-attraction, there was no insta-love. (Thank you thank you, Maggie Hall!)

The plot moved pretty quickly. I’ll most likely read Book 2. I liked this book, I just didn’t love it.

Brooke Reviews: All Fall Down by Ally Carter

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Brooke Reviews: All Fall Down by Ally CarterEmbassy Row Book 1: All Fall Down by Ally Carter
Published by Scholastic Inc. on January 20th 2015
Genres: Action & Adventure, Young Adult
Pages: 320
Format: Hardcover
Goodreads
three-stars
Grace Blakely is absolutely certain of three things:

1. She is not crazy.
2. Her mother was murdered.
3. Someday she is going to find the killer and make him pay.

As certain as Grace is about these facts, nobody else believes her -- so there's no one she can completely trust. Not her grandfather, a powerful ambassador. Not her new friends, who all live on Embassy Row. Not Alexei, the Russian boy next door, who is keeping his eye on Grace for reasons she neither likes nor understands.

Everybody wants Grace to put on a pretty dress and a pretty smile, blocking out all her unpretty thoughts. But they can't control Grace -- no more than Grace can control what she knows or what she needs to do. Her past has come back to hunt her . . . and if she doesn't stop it, Grace isn't the only one who will get hurt. Because on Embassy Row, the countries of the world stand like dominoes, and one wrong move can make them all fall down.

Where to start with this book?? First of all, I was crazy excited that Ally Carter was writing a new series. I’m a huge fan of the Gallagher Girls, and I love Heist Society. I hoped that, even with different characters and a different premise, Embassy Row might carry on in the same vein.

But All Fall Down is NOT Gallagher Girls or Heist Society, and Grace Blakely is NOT Cammie or Kat. Grace is a more serious, emotionally unstable character. And this first book is very much about Grace’s mental health and her need to come to terms with her mother’s death. For this reason, I couldn’t entirely connect with her character. But that doesn’t mean I didn’t like her. As a reader, I’m sympathetic to Grace and rooting for her from start to finish. Nobody believes her – she’s the girl who cried ‘wolf’ – and I’m anxious for her to prove herself.

I didn’t feel particularly grounded in the story-world, either, but it’s something I’m willing to forgive because I appreciated that Grace’s character received more development and attention. I love the supporting characters, Grace’s friends Noah, Rosie, and Megan. And I liked the storybook-villain-feel the “Scarred Man” gave to the book. There’s political intrigue and mystery and hints of future romance.

I thought the ending was great, and there’s definite promise for an even better sequel.

 

Have you read this novel? Share your thoughts! *Also, I’m using a new plugin for my book reviews called the Ultimate Book Blogger Plugin, which I’m still learning to use but think is quite awesome. What do you think?