Rutabaga's Reads 2012: Part 4

This is Part 4 of Rutabaga’s Reads 2012. Now that this is posted, I consider myself “caught up” on books I’ve read thus far this year and want to summarize/review. Please remember to leave a comment or two if you want to weigh in on a book or have come across a title that piques your interest. And also, please let me know of any books you’ve read lately that you enjoyed, whether it was fiction, nonfiction, children’s, etc.

Beastly (Oct. 2, 2007) by Alex Flinn.

In a contemporary version of “Beauty and the Beast,” Kyle Kingsbury is the “it” guy. His dad has money, he’s attractive, and he attends an exclusive school. In other words, he’s practically perfect. Except he’s not, because he’s vain, selfish and arrogant. In other words, he’s ugly on the inside. And no matter what you look like on the outside, what matters is what’s on the inside, and Kyle finds this out the hard way when he crosses the wrong witch, named Kendra. She transforms him into a Beast and gives him an allotted amount of time to find someone who loves him for him. Only then can the curse be broken. He becomes intrigued by Linda “Lindy” Owens, who is his potential Beauty.

            For anyone who enjoys a modern take on a beloved story, this is a story for you. It blends fantasy and realistic fiction so well. And for those of you who like a good story with a happy ending, you won’t be disappointed. I think that this book would appeal to both guys and gals, because sappiness is not the focal point of this story.

City of Lost Souls (May 8, 2012) by Cassandra Clare.

This is the fifth book in Clare’s The Mortal Instruments series. I am a fan and have read the previous books in this series. In this installment, Clary is desperate to find Jace (her boyfriend) who’s been kidnapped by Sebastian, a young, rising evildoer. Most have quit trying to locate Jace, but she still has the help of Alec (Jace’s best friend/adopted brother), Isabelle (Alec’s sister), Simon (the “Daylighter”, former mundane a.k.a. human, and Clary’s best friend), and Magnus (Alec’s warlock boyfriend). They discover that Jace and Sebastian are bound -- cut one and they both bleed, kill one and they both die. Can the secluded Iron Sisters forge a weapon to undo the bond? If not, what can be done? And when Clary decides to follow her own plan, will the results be favorable? Or is Jace lost beyond reach?

            Fans of this series will surely want this one on their bookshelf. Clare’s prose is rife with the humor of her previous novels and told from multiple perspectives. Some readers may find Sebastian’s romantic interest in Clary to be unsettling (you’ll understand why if you read the books), but considering his lack of emotional range or empathy, it is not surprising. When reading Clary’s perspective, I sometimes found her all-for-Jace stance to be annoying since she is essentially choosing him over the safety of the planet. But alas, young love!

Clockwork Angel (Aug. 31, 2010) by Cassandra Clare.

Clockwork Prince (Dec. 6, 2011) by Cassandra Clare.

Meet the rare Tessa Gray, newly of England and formerly of New York. In Clockwork Angel she goes to London (where her brother is), but winds up a captive of the Dark Sisters, members of a secret club called Pandemonium, which is run by the mysterious Magister, who wants Tessa’s power. She is rescued by a group of Shadowhunters, warriors who strive to rid the world of demons and rogue Downworlders. Along the way, she finds that she possesses Shadowhunter gifts, and by force of the Dark Sisters, she has learned that she also has the ability to shape-change. She is Eidolon, but bears no demon’s mark like other shape-changers do. She is rare indeed. But not so rare that she can escape love. Her heart will suffer great loss when one she loves dearly betrays her.

            Tessa and the Shadowhunters – volatile and gorgeous Will Herondale, gentle and delicately handsome Jem Carstairs, scornful and ridiculously pretty Jessamine Lovelace, and the Branwells (heads of the Institute) – are trying to outwit the Magister but aren’t having much luck in Clockwork Prince. He seems to know their every move. Meanwhile, Charlotte Branwell is under fire by certain members of the Clave and her position as head of the Institute is in question. As a major protector of Tessa, Charlotte’s potential undoing could rip away any safety net that Tessa has at the Institute. But there is work to be done amidst the chaos. They learn more about the Magister and encounter more of his clockwork creations.

            For fans of Clare’s The Mortal Instruments (TMI) series and/or fans of fantasy, this is a must-read. These two books are the first in Clare’s The Infernal Devices trilogy, a prequel to TMI. The third book isn’t published yet, so no big issues are resolved, but there’s another love triangle. Will Tessa choose the brooding Will or the doomed Jem? Clare’s world of Shadowhunters and Downworlders is a book world that would be exhilarating to live in!

Crossed (Nov. 1, 2011) by Ally Condie.

A sequel to the buzzed-about book “Matched,” “Crossed” follows Cassia Reyes as she makes her way in the Outer Provinces trying to find Ky Markham, her accidental-on-purpose match, although he is an Aberration, and it’s said they cannot be matched. The Society has taken him away, surely to his death, but hey! – he escaped. Even as Cassia runs off to find Ky, she doesn’t go without the thought of Xander Carrow, her best friend and official match. While Xander isn’t present much in this book, he does have a major secret. What is it? And will it affect Cassia moving forward? As Cassia runs through and explores the Carving with new comrade, Indie, pieces that pose more questions will arise, and the threat of the Society is always nearby.

            While the boy-loves-girl-who-loves-a-different-boy triangle can get old, “Crossed” provides another platform of continual adventure, however bleak the environment, with vivid writing that is easy to take in, even when the going is harsh. If you enjoy dystopian fiction, you will want this on your bookshelf. The trilogy’s final book comes out in November, and I don’t plan to miss it.

The Help (Feb. 10, 2009) by Kathryn Stockett.

I’m guessing many of you have read the book and/or seen the movie, but here are my two cents on the book anyway. “The Help” is told from the vantage points of three women. Aibileen Clark is an African American maid who is known to take orders quietly. She exudes compassion, but bitterness has seeped into her life. Her good friend, Minny Jackson, is another African American maid who has a tendency to run her mouth, which hurts her employment status. Eugenia “Skeeter” Phelan is a young, Caucasian college graduate who’s unlike her female peers in Jackson, Mississippi. She wants to be a writer; she’s not ready to settle down and secure a husband, much to the despair of her ailing mother, Charlotte. Those three women are the main contributors to the book which causes a stir.

            Reading “The Help” felt like I’d been pulled into another time; my mind even adopted a Southern accent as I read the book (ha!). I rooted for Skeeter, Aibileen, Minny and the other maids and mentally scowled at Hilly Holbrook, Elizabeth Leefolt and many of the other Junior League members. I laughed at the hilarity of Mrs. Walter (Hilly’s mom), cheered on Celia’s kindness toward others and felt saddened by Constantine Bates’ (former maid for the Phelans) story. Go read this if you haven’t yet, especially if you saw the movie!

If I Stay (Apr. 2, 2009) by Gayle Forman.

Mia is a talented cellist who’s recently auditioned at Juilliard and has a very bright musical future. Her present isn’t too shabby, either, with committed boyfriend, Adam, and a loving family. But then Mia’s life literally comes to a crashing halt. Her physical body is critically injured, and she finds herself in a spirit-like form, though she’s invisible to everyone else. The story is told from Mia’s point of view through both present-time perspective and meaningful reminiscences. She has a tough decision ahead, too. As one of her nurses points out, it is Mia’s decision. Will she stay? Or will she leave?

            Faced with the choice to fight to live or let go, she has an exceedingly tough choice ahead. There are traces of humor (there’s also mild foul language), and Mia can come across as the teen she is, albeit a very talented, musically-inclined one. This book won’t be for everyone, but what book ever truly is? If you want action and adventure, this book will seem slow to you. But if you want something poignant and don’t mind if it’s tough, then you should read this. It is tragic yet beautiful intertwined with classical music.

Magic Under Stone (Feb. 28, 2012) by Jaclyn Dolamore.

Seventeen-year-old Nimira is a “trouser girl” (dancer and singer) from Tiansher who was in Lorinar, where she had been residing with A. Hollin Parry, a young sorcerer, who owned a pianoforte played by an automaton who turned out to have the trapped soul of a long-lost fairy prince contained within. The story takes off from the first book, “Magic Under Glass.” Nimira and the automaton, Erris Tanharrow, are off to locate a sorcerer whose specialty is necromancy.  They come across Ifra, a jinn, who has ties to Erris’ relatives, the Graweldin clan. There are other supporting characters, both new and old as well, from Annalie to an unexpected relative to the Green Hoods. What will the outcome of all these meetings be? What will happen to Erris?

            I am a fan of fantasy, and I enjoyed reading this book and its predecessor. My understanding is that the story of Erris and Nimira is wrapped up with this book. Though the characters were not always as complex as I felt they could be, the story was still a fast read. If you like fairies and sorcerers or fantasy in general, try Dolamore’s reads, but begin with the first book in this YA duo.

The Night Circus (Sept. 13, 2011) by Erin Morgenstern.

The hype surrounding this book is what prompted me to read it. That, and the jacket copy captured my interest. In a nutshell, two competitive men (Prospero the Enchanter and Alexander) pit their young trainees (Celia Bowen and Marco Alisdair) against each other in a “game” of magic. It is centered on a traveling circus that only appears at night “without warning.” The trick is that the young rivals don’t know the rules or what determines victory. The illusionists are, essentially, on their own in a battle of fantastical wits and illusions set within a wondrous venue.

            I LOVED reading this book! It is dazzling, gorgeously creative and totally enchanting. Morgenstern created the type of circus that I wish I could visit wherever in the world it was located because of its depth and richness and mystery. It is pegged as adult fiction, but is so intriguing that YA readers would likely enjoy it, too. I  highly recommend this book. Are you ready for the greatest of circuses? To read of the best young illusionary rivals of two of the greatest illusionists in the book’s time? If so, then Welcome to the Night Circus.

Spell Bound (Mar. 13, 2012) by Rachel Hawkins.

In this conclusive YA novel, Sophie Mercer has accepted her remarkable supernatural powers as a demon right about the time she has them put in lockdown mode by the Prodigium Council. They haven’t truly been stripped, for they are still there within her, but they cannot surface. She’s gotten away from the Council and has located the Brannick clan, though they’re no longer much of a clan, and were long considered enemies of all supernatural creatures. The Brannicks hunted them. Now reunited with her mother at the Brannick compound, the women there (for it is only women) work to piece a plan together to undo the Casnoff women and their evil. Cal, Archer and Elodie the Ghost are still around, along with other faces, both familiar and new.

            The first two books in the trilogy are “Hex Hall” and “Demonglass.” I enjoyed reading all three books and hope you will as well if you’re a fan of fantasy and the supernatural. It isn’t a dark book, though there are rough spots, and Sophie is a very likeable character with her smart remarks. The book moves along at a speedy clip and will keep readers engaged until the bittersweet end.