The Juliet Spell by Douglas Rees

I wanted the role of Juliet more than anything. I studied hard. I gave a great reading for it—even with Bobby checking me out the whole time. I deserved the part.

I didn’t get it. So I decided to level the playing field, though I actually might have leveled the whole play. You see, since there aren’t any Success in Getting to Be Juliet in Your High School Play spells, I thought I’d cast the next best—a Fame spell. Good idea, right?

Yeah. Instead of bringing me a little fame, it brought me someone a little famous. Shakespeare. Well, Edmund Shakespeare. William’s younger brother.

Good thing he’s sweet and enthusiastic about helping me with the play...and—ahem—maybe a little bit hot. But he’s from the past. Way past. Cars amaze him—cars! And cell phones? Ugh.

Title: The Juliet Spell

Author: Douglas Rees

Publication: 27th September 2011

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

304 pages

My review

I love modern retelling, and I particularly like Romeo and Juliet, so when I saw The Juliet Spell, and when I read its summary I was immediately drawn to this book. Finally, after reading it, I must say that I really loved it. The Juliet Spell is a very cute novel. It's often funny and totally entertaining.

The characters are really endearing and well-described. Even if, at the beginning of this book, it was a bit difficult for me to relate to Miranda I understood her after a few pages. In the beginning, the young girl is a bit pretentious and arrogant, but her adventures were nonetheless pleasant and entertaining. I also loved Edmund, even if it was not love at first sight, I learned to know him and to love him through the pages. If I liked the main characters I have to say that our young heroine's father disappointed me quite a bit.

Douglas Rees's writing is very pleasant and totally smooth. There are a lot of humor and many funny references. The Juliet Spell is also action-packed, full of twists and suspense and the plot is fast-paced. The second half of the novel focuses more on the investigation and it enables the author to keep the reader's attention all along.

The author also deals with great accuracy with teenagers' relationships: friendship, love, jealousy and much more. Feelings are very well-written and described. Finally, I didn't expect that kind of ending at all and I was a little caught off guard, but it seemed right, consistent and faithful to the rest of the book. Overall I almost never saw the twists coming and I was often pleasantly surprised.

To sum up,  if you are looking for a light romance, funny and cute, if you want to spend a pleasant and relaxing time, then you should check this one out. And if you enjoy Shakespeare, and in particular Romeo and Juliet I think that The Juliet Spell will captivate you. I didn't know anything about Douglas Rees and I hadn't read anything by this author, but The Juliet Spell made me want to discover his other novels.

A copy was provided by the publisher, via Net Galley, against my completely honest review. Thank you.

Epic Fail by Claire LaZebnik

Will Elise’s love life be an epic win or an epic fail?

At Coral Tree Prep in Los Angeles, who your parents are can make or break you. Case in point:

As the son of Hollywood royalty, Derek Edwards is pretty much prince of the school—not that he deigns to acknowledge many of his loyal subjects.

As the daughter of the new principal, Elise Benton isn’t exactly on everyone’s must-sit-next-to-at-lunch list.

When Elise’s beautiful sister catches the eye of the prince’s best friend, Elise gets to spend a lot of time with Derek, making her the envy of every girl on campus. Except she refuses to fall for any of his rare smiles and instead warms up to his enemy, the surprisingly charming social outcast Webster Grant. But in this hilarious tale of fitting in and flirting, not all snubs are undeserved, not all celebrity brats are bratty, and pride and prejudice can get in the way of true love for only so long.

Title: Epic Fail

Author: Claire LaZebnik

Publication: 02nd August 2011

Publisher: Harper Teen

288 pages

My review

A cute romance, a sweet love story, an enthralling and funny plot, here is what is waiting for you in Epic Fail. This novel is the perfect summer book, if you're looking for something refreshing, delightful and entertaining you should definitively check out this one. It will offer you a pleasant and enjoyable read. This book keeps Pride and Prejudice's plot, but it also manages to be quite different and unique. Claire LaZebnik manages to create her own story and she even made me forget the original novel.

I had no trouble at all to dive into the story and I read it really fast as I wanted to know the rest of the story. The plot is fast-paced, well-written and interesting, with many twists. Even if the whole story is fairly predictable that does not stop me from spending a wonderful time with it. For me, it was a real pleasure to read it. Before starting this book, I wanted a funny, cute and interesting story, but also a quick-read and I must say that Epic Fail has totally met my expectations and even surpassed them.

Claire LaZebnik's writing is totally smooth, pleasant and often full of humor. The action is interesting, fast-paced and well-written. She managed to surprise me and I did not expect some events. The characters are endearing whether it's Elise, her sisters or Derek. Elise has a sharp tongue and I often laughed or smiled at her adventures. Finally, Derek is really charming and I may have fallen in love with him.

To sum up, if you are looking for a serious novel, then this book is not for you. However, if you like Pride and Prejudice, if you want a summer reading, a cute love story, often funny, then Epic Fail is exactly what you need and you should check this one out. I read it really fast, it was refreshing, light and delightful. It put me in a good mood and I now want to read Claire LaZebnik's other books. 

Supernaturally by Kiersten White

Evie finally has the normal life she’s always longed for. But she’s shocked to discover that being ordinary can be . . . kind of boring. Just when Evie starts to long for her days at the International Paranormal Containment Agency, she’s given a chance to work for them again. Desperate for a break from all the normalcy, she agrees.

But as one disastrous mission leads to another, Evie starts to wonder if she made the right choice. And when Evie’s faerie ex-boyfriend Reth appears with devastating revelations about her past, she discovers that there’s a battle brewing between the faerie courts that could throw the whole supernatural world into chaos. The prize in question? Evie herself.

So much for normal.

Title: Supernaturally {Paranormalcy, book 2}

Author: Kiersten White

Publication: 26th July 2011

Publisher: Harper Teen

336 pages

This book is the second instalment of a trilogy.

My review

I utterly loved the first instalment, Paranormalcy. So I had huge expectations for Supernaturally. I'm not disappointed in this sequel, but I am somehow perhaps less convinced than with the first one and I preferred Paranormalcy to Supernaturally. This book starts quickly with a lot of action and humor. Then, things slow down a bit and it took me a while to finish it. Fortunately when we approach the end of the book things accelerate and I'm now looking forward to reading the last instalment, it will be really hard to wait until next year.

Supernaturally is perhaps a little less funny than the first one, but there are still a lot of funny moments, especially in the beginning of the plot. The action is still well-present and surprises are numerous. I had a few surprises and some passages were quite unexpected for me.

This second instalment focuses more on the questions left pending after Paranormalcy. We learn more about Lend, IPCA and obviously Evie. Many questions are answered and it may be why this book is perhaps a bit slower than the first one.

Evie remains true to herself. She is still as funny, quirky (especially for her love of lockers), witty and sarcastic. Once again, she is brave and she has a sharp tongue. She makes more mistakes (sometimes a bit stupid) than in the first instalment. Lend is less present in this sequel, but he is still as charming. I must admit that I missed him a little. We also meet new characters, but I will let you discover them.

Kiersten White's writing is once again a pleasure to read. I really love how she writes as well as Evie, who has a very special voice, of her own. I'm not sure how to describe it, but the writing is very successful, light, funny and often captivating. If the pace is perhaps a bit slower and I took my time to read it, interspersed with several other readings, I never get bored and I was pleased to find the answers to some of my questions.

To sum up, although this second instalment was a little less delightful than the first one it was nonetheless an excellent read, full of twists and supernatural creatures. Kiersten White's writing and Evie's voice, are funny and pleasant, I liked them a lot and now I'm really looking forward to reading the last instalment Endlessly next year.

White Cat by Holly Black {Curse Workers}

Cassel comes from a family of curse workers — people who have the power to change your emotions, your memories, your luck, by the slightest touch of their hands. And since curse work is illegal, they're all mobsters, or con artists. Except for Cassel. He hasn't got the magic touch, so he's an outsider, the straight kid in a crooked family. You just have to ignore one small detail — he killed his best friend, Lila, three years ago.

Ever since, Cassel has carefully built up a façade of normalcy, blending into the crowd. But his façade starts crumbling when he starts sleepwalking, propelled into the night by terrifying dreams about a white cat that wants to tell him something. He's noticing other disturbing things, too, including the strange behavior of his two brothers. They are keeping secrets from him, caught up in a mysterious plot. As Cassel begins to suspect he's part of a huge con game, he also wonders what really happened to Lila.

Title: White Cat {Curse Workers, book 1}

Author: Holly Black

Publication: 4th May 2010

Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry

310 pages

This book is the first of a trilogy.

My review

White Cat is the first instalment of a trilogy. It offers us a pleasant read, and it's a rather innovative book. The universe created by Holly Black is quite dark. In her world, which looks a lot like ours, some people want to use magic when some others don't and it is mainly governed by the crime. In the beginning I had a few difficulties to relate with Cassel and sympathize with him, but it didn't last and after a few pages I really enjoyed him and following his discoveries.

The narration is told from the point of view of Cassel, a young boy. It was really interesting to have the point of view of a boy, for once and it changes a little. White Cat doesn't focus on the romance at all, even if there is a tiny pinch, it's really not the main point of the story. The plot focuses on the atmosphere of this world and its discovery by the reader. I totally loved the mythology of this series, it was utterly interesting. Those who get the magic are not always good, on the contrary. Each wizard has a specialty, and they only need their hands, some specialties are more common than others and this gift is quite rare, and not widespread in the population.

The plot is interesting to follow, although it's at times a little too predictable. I really loved the atmosphere and the universe set up by Holly Black. Her writing is pleasant, smooth and it's sometimes tinged with a little humor, especially in the dialogues. Cassel's story is relatively dark and touching. I especially liked the mythology set up by the author. I think it's one of the big strengths of the story. Indeed, I found this totally original, uncommon and enthralling.

The plot is fairly fast-paced. It took me a few pages to fully dive into the world of White Cat, but after these few pages to get used to the atmosphere I was totally hooked and I couldn't put it down. It's totally different from the other young-adult novels that are released those days. The universe is quite dark, the characters are unusual and less wise and the mythology is totally uncommon.

To sum up, I totally enjoyed reading this novel and I especially liked the atmosphere. Even if I struggled a bit at the beginning to relate to Cassel, I particularly enjoyed the second half of the plot. Holly Black's writing is efficient, smooth and she manages to include her reader all along. Finally, White Cat ends on a cliffhanger and a final twist. So I think the sequel will be full of surprises and life won't be easier for our young hero. I'm now really looking forward to reading Red Glove.

Mortal Coils by Eric Nylund

Nothing interesting ever happened to fifteen-year-old orphans Eliot and Fiona while they’ve lived in the strict, oppressive household of their grandmother. A chance visit, however, reveals that there is much more to the twins. They are the offspring of a goddess and Lucifer, Prince of Darkness.

Now, to settle the epic custody battle between these two families, the fallen angels create three diabolical temptations, and the gods fashion three heroic trials to test Eliot and Fiona. More than ever they need to stick together to survive and to learn how to use their budding supernatural abilities . . . for family allegiances are ever-shifting in the ancient, secret world they have entered.

Title: Mortal Coils {Mortal Coils, book 1} 

Author: Eric Nylund

Publication: 03rd February 2009

Publisher: Tor Books

608 pages

This book is the first one of a series. I read the French translation.

My review

After reading the summary of Mortal Coils, I really wanted to read this novel. I must say that I'm not disappointed at all and I spent a great time with this book.

This first instalment nicely sets up the series and it enables us to meet the different characters and the universe created by Eric Nylund. If the beginning of the book is relatively slow, it is nevertheless interesting and kept me spellbound. As for the second part, it is more action-packed, with twists and this second half of the book totally captivated me. The third-person narration allows the author to follow several characters. If the point of view is mostly focused on Eliot, we sometimes follow Fiona and, finally, some passages allow us to further meet other characters.

The twins are enthralling and their characters are rather uncommon in young-adult novels. Indeed, they are educated at home under the strict supervision of their grandmother, they are very erudite and have grown almost deprived of their liberty, with no other option, but to study and work in a pizzeria during the day. They are rather naive and, despite their cultural knowledge, they don't really know the outside world because they live behind closed doors, with their grandmother and great grandmother.

I preferred the young boy, Eliot, because Fiona seems a little more arrogant, but it was really pleasant to follow them in their discovery. They are both nice and especially full of resources. The second part of the book, when the mythology is fully developed, totally captivated me. I was really curious to see how the twins would cope.

Mortal Coils is full of twists, action, mysteries and surprises. The mythology developed by Eric Nylund is extremely pleasant. I totally enjoyed this aspect and the plot is full of magic, old myths, terrifying creatures and ancient warfare. The confrontation between the two clans is really fascinating, although many questions remain on hold at the end of this first instalment.

To sum up, if you want a novel that combines an original mythology, engaging characters, action and suspense, then you should check out this book. It ends on a small cliffhanger and I'm now really looking forward to reading the second instalment. I'm waiting for it with great impatience to know the answers to my questions and the rest of the story.

Possession by Elana Johnson

Vi knows the Rule: Girls don't walk with boys, and they never even think about kissing them. But no one makes Vi want to break the Rules more than Zenn...and since the Thinkers have chosen him as Vi's future match, how much trouble can one kiss cause? The Thinkers may have brainwashed the rest of the population, but Vi is determined to think for herself.

But the Thinkers are unusually persuasive, and they're set on convincing Vi to become one of them...starting by brainwashing Zenn. Vi can't leave Zenn in the Thinkers' hands, but she's wary of joining the rebellion, especially since that means teaming up with Jag. Jag is egotistical, charismatic, and dangerous--everything Zenn's not. Vi can't quite trust Jag and can't quite resist him, but she also can't give up on Zenn.

This is a game of control or be controlled. And Vi has no choice but to play.

Title: Possession 

Author: Elana Johnson

Publication: 07th June 2011

Publisher: Simon & Schuster 

416 pages

This book is a stand-alone novel, but a companion will be released in 2012. It won't be the same characters but we will nonetheless have some answers.

My review

I don't like being disappointed in a book, I always feel a bit guilty about that because behind a book there's a lot of work, from the author firstly, but also from the publisher and a lot of people are involved. It requires months and months of work for many people. Moreover, the book is like the author's baby, something in which he put all his heart. Wouldn't you feel like a nasty person if you told a parent that their child was ugly? Yeah that's a bit what I'm feeling right now. I'm really sorry because this review will be more negative than positive. However, I have seen a lot of eager reviews, from people whom I trust and very often share the opinion. So, I think that's just me, perhaps it's just that this book was not for me and you may love it.

Possession has great potential, nearly all the reviews I've seen are positive, especially the reviews of people who have all my confidence. However, it didn't work for me and I think that its potential is not fully exploited. I was not able at all to dive into the story and to appreciate the universe and atmosphere created by Elana Johnson.

My main problem came from the writing. I found it sometimes a bit disjointed, confused and unclear. In the first quarter of this novel, I did not understand a thing. I didn't understand at all where the author was getting at, I could not imagine and visualize this world, I was totally lost and nothing made sense. Elena Johnson mentions a whole lot of high-tech equipments, characters, places, and I never manage to really clear up all the ins and outs. The construction of Possession's society and universe is, in my opinion, a bit neglected to focus more on the characters, who, on the contrary, are really well-written and developed.

The transitions are sometimes a bit messy and I was occasionally a bit confused because there were no links between the scenes or time. In fact, it feels as if some parts of the story, where the explanations should have been, were missing. And how can you fully appreciate a novel when you do not understand half of it? I am apparently one of the few to have had that impression so I may be too dumb (or maybe too blonde). If it gets a bit better in the rest of the book, I never managed to fully understand some actions and passages. 

On the other hand, and that's why I think that Possession has potential, even though I was not able to dive into this world, the characters are endearing and appealing. Moreover, the dystopia is really interesting. Vi is the kind of female character that I really like. Indeed, she is amazing. She is strong, determined and really brave. Jag is also the kind of male hero that I totally like. In the beginning he is really mysterious, but the reader discover him, more and more. If you do not like love triangles, I think that Possession may not be for you because there is also an other male interest, namely Zenn who is quite important to the story.

The plot is fast-paced, there are a lot of twists, mysteries and suspense. Possession is quite action-packed, and intense. I think that after reading the ending and the denouement you will most likely be totally stunned. Indeed, it is relatively unexpected, unpredictable (except a few pages before, but not earlier) and utterly surprising. On the contrary, some other events are a bit predictable. The dialogues are really enjoyable and often sarcastic. Finally, the universe and the atmosphere are relatively original. 

To sum up, I think that Possession was just not for me, especially because I've seen a lot of positive reviews. I feel as if I have not enjoyed this book as much as I should have. The ending will leave you totally amazed and stunned. I was utterly surprised to see that the author has made this choice and has chosen to let the readers and her characters in this situation. A companion book will be released in June 2012 and even if I was a bit disappointed in this first instalment, I'm nonetheless really curious to see what it holds for the readers and the characters.

The Iron Daughter and Winter's Passage by Julie Kagawa {Iron Fey Serie}

Half Summer faery princess, half human, Meghan has never fit in anywhere. Deserted by the Winter prince she thought loved her, she is prisoner to the Winter faery queen. As war looms between Summer and Winter, Meghan knows that the real danger comes from the Iron fey—ironbound faeries that only she and her absent prince have seen. But no one believes her.

Worse, Meghan's own fey powers have been cut off. She's stuck in Faery with only her wits for help. Trusting anyone would be foolish. Trusting a seeming traitor could be deadly. But even as she grows a backbone of iron, Meghan can't help but hear the whispers of longing in her all-too-human heart.

Title: The Iron Daughter and Winter's Passage {Iron Fey, book 1.5 and book 2}

Author: Julie Kagawa

Publication: 01st August 2010

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

359 pages

This book is the second novel of a series. 

My review

It is not absolutely necessary to read Winter's Passage in order to enjoy The Iron Daughter, since Julie Kagawa recalls the main elements useful for the reader in the beginning of the second instalment of her series. However, Winter's Passage nonetheless helps the reader to remember the main key points and it was for me a pleasure to dive, once again, into this captivating universe. I was really happy to read this short novella because it enables to prolong the pleasure. I totally loved the atmosphere, the universe and the characters of The Iron Fey series and I was not disappointed at all in Winter's Passage, as well as The Iron Daughter. I really enjoyed the short story because it gives us a new development really interesting and captivating.

In the second instalment, I immediately dived into the universe and the story. I had huge expectations after loving The Iron King, but it has met them and even surpassed them. In my opinion, The Iron Daughter is richer in action, twists, suspense, feelings and emotions. I really spent a wonderful time with it.

I was totally happy to follow Meghan, once again. This time the young girl is prisoner to Mab, the queen of winter, but far from being deterred our young heroine is more combative than ever. The other characters whether Ash or Puck remain true to themselves. This book may focus more on the love triangle than the first one, and if my heart is taken by the dark and mysterious Prince of Winter I really do not know how things could end in the next book.

The action is extremely captivating, I was totally hooked, spellbound and compelled, I could not stop, I had to continue reading. I could not wait to know how things would evolve and what Meghan would have to cope with. I was totally enthralled and I read it really quickly. The Iron Daughter ends on a huge cliffhanger and a final twist. I must admit that I am now looking forward to reading the third book and to finding out how things are going to evolve for our young heroine. I didn't expect that kind of twist so I was utterly surprised.

Julie Kagawa's writing remains true to itself. It is extremely pleasant, smooth and with at times a little humor. Feelings, and in particular when we approach the end of the book, are maybe even more present than in the first instalment. I was very touched and moved by one event in particular. Julie Kagawa shows the reader that everything is not always black or white.

To sum up, Winter's Passage is a short story that is very pleasant and is a nice transition between the first and the second instalment. And The Iron Daughter is as captivating and enthralling as the first one, for me it was even better. If you loved The Iron King then you should love that one too. As for me, I'm now looking forward to reading the third instalment, and I really can't wait.