Review: Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance
Paranormal Element: Gods Mythology
Series: Starcrossed #1
Order Online:  Amazon.com
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PJ's QUICKIE POV:

Jospehine Angelini’s debut novel, STARCROSSED was a enticing read that kept me engaged and emotionally involved from page to page. I fell in love with the characters, the setting, the plot and the mythical undertones of the storyline. Can you say, “Highly Impressed?” The whirlwind romance and emotional upheavals that resulted in Helen’s past, future and heritage was spectacular. I’m glad I don’t have a weak heart because this novel was a heart-attack inducer. I wanted to scream and cry and slap sense into the characters a few times as I read (well listened to them being read) these pages. I highly recommend STARCROSSED and am patiently waiting for DREAMLESS (2012).


REVIEW:

On the tiny island of Nantucket lives Helen Hamilton. Helen is one of the most beautiful girls that most people have had the opportunity to gaze upon, but her insecurity and penchant for shying away from the spotlight tends to make her more of an outcast than popular. Her only friend Claire is her saving grace but as Helen is wracked with nightmares that feel more real than a dream she feels like she is losing her grip on reality. To make matters worse every time she comes into contact with one of the Delos boys, the newest family to move to the island, all she can think of is that she wants to suck the life right out of them. Homicidal thoughts are very new to the usually peaceable Helen, added to her homicidal tendecies, she is also seeing images of three bloody women that appear before her every time she comes in contact with a Delos. Helen knows something is seriously wrong with her and it would seem the Delos' know a lot more about her than she does – but she can’t get close to them without trying to murder them. What is a girl to do?


The best way I can describe STARCROSSED is a Percy Jackson series for chicks. Angelini combines the mythical story of the Greek gods, action, romance, emotional turmoil and fate into one epic tale that kept me up at night, thinking about what Helen and Lucas will do next. The mythology of this story made it just so much more, Angelini brought it to life and made it seem real even though some of the aspects were a little hard to swallow. I also really enjoyed the characters of the book, especially Claire. I liked Claire and Helen’s flawed yet supportive friendship. It really worked for me.


On top of the plot twists and turns and the characters, I really enjoyed certain aspects that Angelini wove into the story. While odd, the “kill-on-sight” craziness that happened in the beginning of the novel was well executed and it worked. Angelini brought you from one extreme to the next, from insecurity to hatred to love to fear to acceptance, all within a few pages. It was definitely a roller coaster of emotional trauma.


Some have mentioned that the romance was a little too whirlwind, but I thought it worked. Helen and Lucas went from hating each other – to really sacrificing their lives for each other. Strong emotion can go both ways, so the fact that they went from hate to love was actually quite believable. You know how quickly you can go from love to hate, why can’t it be the opposite? On top of that he is the one that knows her history, her fate and he saved her life. These types of emotionally intense aspects can be transferred very quickly into love.


The setting of the book also became a living entity to me. Angelini brought the island of Nantucket alive in her writing and I loved hearing about it. I almost want to visit. I could really go on and on with this novel… how I liked that there was an adult presence in this book that is sometimes lacking in young adult books. The fact that I felt tied into the story and found myself thinking about it when I wasn’t reading it was a big plus for me. The emotional aspect of the novel being the most poignant and enjoyable as I listened. I did this one as an audio book and I was listening to it everywhere. I couldn’t get enough. And yet while I have crazy likes about this book, there were a few downers:
What I didn’t like about the novel was some of the plot points. Out of all the places in the world why would the Delos just happen to move to Nantucket and why wouldn’t they have killed Helen on sight? It might have been explained away slightly, but I didn’t quite grasp their holding back.


SPOILER: Another dislike is a spoiler so step back if you don’t want to read. I disliked the mom greatly and thought the fact that Helen went off with her mother ridiculous. Why would she have done this no matter what her mother said?

It didn't make sense to me. Shame on you Helen! :)

RECOMMENDATIONS:

Overall a great read and something I highly recommend for fans of Young Adult, mythology and romance. If you’ve enjoyed books like the Percy Jackson series, or Romeo and Juliet type romances this is the book for you.












Like this Like That

1. Oh. My. Gods. by Tera Lynn Childs
2. Unearthly by Cynthia Hand

Giveaway: The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making by Catherynne M. Valente

Twelve-year-old September lives in Omaha, and used to have an ordinary life, until her father went to war and her mother went to work. One day, September is met at her kitchen window by a Green Wind (taking the form of a gentleman in a green jacket), who invites her on an adventure, implying that her help is needed in Fairyland. The new Marquess is unpredictable and fickle, and also not much older than September. Only September can retrieve a talisman the Marquess wants from the enchanted woods, and if she doesn’t . . . then the Marquess will make life impossible for the inhabitants of Fairyland. September is already making new friends, including a book-loving Wyvern and a mysterious boy named Saturday.

With exquisite illustrations by acclaimed artist Ana Juan, Fairyland lives up to the sensation it created when the author first posted it online. For readers of all ages who love the charm of Alice in Wonderland and the soul of The Golden Compass, here is a reading experience unto itself: unforgettable, and so very beautiful.

Macmillan page for the book & author:

http://us.macmillan.com/thegirlwhocircumnavigatedfairylandinashipofherownmaking

Author's website & blog:

http://www.catherynnemvalente.com/

http://blog.catherynnemvalente.com/

Embark on an epic adventure with a copy of Catherynne Valente's new book!

Contest Deets ONE WINNER:

1. Winner will receive a copy of: The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making
2. Please view PJVs contest policy policy before entering contest.
3. Winner will be chosen June 30th.

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Stormrage by Richard A. Knaak

 World of Warcraft: Stormrage by Richard A. Knaak

Hardcover novel provided by publisher.

PJV's QUICKIE POV: One page in PJ realized she was over her head and would not be able to give a credible review for this novel. Like the title states this is a World of Warcraft book, and has a lot of World of Warcraft lingo...therefor I was out of my league. So what did this reviewer do? I enlisted a WOW expert to give me a WOW worthy review. PJ would like to introduce Jerry, a co-worker of mine and also an avid WOW player.

Review:

Stayed with the World of Warcraft lore from a back end perspective.  Meaning, it was pretty exciting to see that it’s focus was primarily on the party of players (little non-boss types - Us people who have characters in-game) who are NOT kings or leaders or heroes but simpletons which lead to the success and failures of Malfurion.  The relationships of in game descriptions of spells, the authors way of painting the motions of battle gave as well as the aura of the environment while certain situations presented themselves was uncanny.

  The names of places and characters depicted in this book got one thinking about areas throughout Azeroth which we’ve traveled and fought ourselves (those who play WOW) while questing in some zones made me occasionally drift off thinking about the highlights of that zone I’ve played.  I could understand the distances and areas that they traveled and made relationships from book to game.  There was an area though I couldn’t understand how they got from one area the next they were 2 zones away but that didn’t take away from the story line.

The equipment armor and weapons gave the reader the sense of going through the motions with their in-game characters.  Although not an issue there was some questionable verbiage.  The book refers to Ax and in-game refers to Axe, which is the same thing but that stood out to me.

At times I found myself mentally engrossed as part of the fighting party thinking about what I would do to help out whether it was healing or fighting.  The winding down at the end of the book was we’ll written to give plenty of room to continue on other journey’s.

Overall was a pretty darn good read.  I would rate this 4 out of 5 stars (skulls)

Titus and Atreus by Meridi Myers *Giveaway!*

Titus and Atreus by Meridi Myers
Review copy provided by Meridi Myers

~*You Gotta See ---> Books Website <--- Very Neat!

PJVs Quickie POV:  Went into this book skeptical, because I haven't been enjoying the fantasy books that I've been reading lately, in fact I've stopped the last two before 50 pages.  At page five of Titus and Atreus I was captivated.

Review:  There are two sister worlds. Typhon and Earth.  On both worlds lives the same person, or twin souls.  They look a like, they are born on the same day, they die the same day.  If one breaks his arm, the other does also at the same moment.  On Earth lives Titus, on Typhon, Atreus makes his home.  While Titus is only a normal boy, ending his high school career and dealing with the death of his parents, Artreus is a prince.  Atreus has also lost his parents and is reluctant to take up kingship...especially now that a prophecy has been told about him.  A prophecy that speaks of war and involves his twin soul.

Juno, Atreus' trusted body guard, travels to Earth and brings Titus to his destiny, on another world.  A destiny that might lead to his death.

This book did not disappoint, it was face paced and the plot was well thought out and unique.  While a fantasy novel, it was not long winded and full of hard to pronounce names and bizarre humanoid creatures. There were angels, but that was about it when it came to the paranormal creatures. One of the best things about this book are the characters.  Atreus, Juno and Nightingale are excellently developed characters and enjoyable to read.  I would have said Titus, but sometimes his actions drove me a bit crazy because he seemed to lack a mind of his own or a spine, he was surrounded by all these strong-willed characters he was very much overshadowed.

The world Ms. Myers created was easily accepted.  Typhon, from what I could tell was based at about a Middle Ages technology level, but Myers didn't dwell on descriptives or over inflated explanations of functions.  She recited what was occurring and left it to the reader to decipher the subtleties. I really liked this narrow writing style, sometimes when an author launches into broad descriptions that set the scene...I skim. Hats off to Myers for while she spun a fantastical tale of angels, twin souls and a sea battle of rival kingdoms, she wrote in a tone that made it believable.

My only "problems" with the novel are mainly within character development, which like I said were very good, but I just have to mention some things. For one, I felt so sorry for Titus, he was so over-powered and bullied. He was confined to live in Atreus' shadow, forced off his own world (not like he was doing a good job in his own life, though) to just become a carbon-copy of Atreus.  He only really stepped up to the plate at the end, and was that because of him, (don't want to spoil here) or because he was becoming more like Atreus? Then there was Atreus, and for a strong-willed princling, he sure let those women bully him. I really didn't feel that a real royal would allow his Seer to treat him as she did.  She bossed him around, and even struck him at some point. Was this showing his selflessness, or just that he would be one of those men that let women walk all over them???

Secondly, lets talk cover. As an illustrator and designer I usually don't critique covers, because well I feel I would be too critical. I nitpik design like you wouldn't believe, but only in my head (if I said it out loud I would blow my "I'm Not Really That Bitchy" cover). The only reason I want to discuss this cover is because of the reaction people had to it around me.  Now I like this cover, I like the illustrations, once I read it, I've grasped the symbolism.  But... on first glance, well what I have heard is that it looks like the boys might be lovers. A fellow reviewer questioned this, so did my husband and my mother-in-law. So I wouldn't be writing this if it wasn't a prevalent first impression. So...peeps don't judge this book by it's cover.  This is a good read, and there is no m/m involvement.

 Recommendations: Little violence, no sexuality or harsh language. Recommended for 13+, adults and teens. If you read and enjoyed books such as Eragon, Harry Potter, and Percy Jackson, you just might enjoy this one!

Contest: Win some Titus and Atreus Swag! Bookmarks, Posters and Cards!  One commenter will get some swag that the author sent over.

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Contest ending Feb 27th

The Lightening Thief by Rick Riordan

The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book 1)

Bought and paid for, courtesy of Border's

Author's Website

PJV's Quickie POV:  Compelled to read because of the impending movie release I was captivated by the rich and entertaining story.  The Lightening Thief is fast-paced and high-energy, keeping you on your toes the entire time.  Yet, I found myself throughout the entire book thinking Dumbeldore might pop up at any moment and instead of a capture the flag tournament they might all run out and play Quidditch.

Review: Perseus Jackson, known to his friends if he had any as Percy, is a troubled kid.  Kicked out of every school he has attended he has been moved around, man-handled and ignored for the better part of his life. Yet, strange things have always plagued 12 year old Percy Jackson.  Odd occurrences happen around him, so he isn't that surprised when his math teacher sprouts wings and tries to kill him.  It does anger him when everyone acts like nothing happened, especially his new found friend Grover, because Grover can't lie very well.

Percy is intent on finding out the truth, but the truth is a little more than he expected and he is whisked away to summer camp, a special summer camp for the children of gods and goddesses.  A special place where the half-mortal offspring of the gods can harness their powers and learn how to control them and become the heroes that they were meant to be.  In an epic fight on the doorsteps of camp, Percy battles his way in...just to find the battle might not be over and there are whisperings.  Whisperings that he might be a little more than just the son of a god...he might be the one.

While the story was entertaining the striking resemblance to the Harry Potter series threw me through a loop during the entirety of the book. It was obvious the author took the premise of Harry Potter and rewrote it from a Greek perspective. It was just too similar.  Twelve year old boy, orphaned, goes to a magical place to discover his true potential.  All the while the big baddie lurks...ever present and threatening.

Don't get me wrong, inspired by HP it is, entertaining and worth a read it is also. The book definitely kept me engrossed and wanting more.  I will read on and I will see the movie.

Recommendation: Tweens, to Teens to Adults, everyone should partake. Harry Potter fans will very much enjoy unless you are territorial. The tone is young so go in and embrace your inner child.

Queene of Light by Jennifer Armintrout - Blog with Bite Review

H B I C R E V I E W  - by Parajunkee

Regarding the book Queene of Light, I’m not going to bore you with intricate details on this book. Too many times I find myself rambling with long explanations – that boils down to one thing. Yeah I liked the book. Well, for Queene of Light, yes I did like it. But, I also had some major problems with it. First off, let me tell you why I liked it. For one, the concept was interesting and original. Secondly, it was well written and the plotlines were tight. Thirdly, the tone of the book was consistent.

Now, for the reason my stomach was a bit queasy while reading this book. The author employed a very over-used romantic ploy that I am going to call the Edward Cullen Technique in honor of the New Moon release. The I Love You So Much I Need to Break Your Heart Send You Away And Pretend I Don’t Like You Technique. In this book the author turns it around – the chick does this to the male, instead of vice versa, but it’s the same as a lot of other books out there.

Why would this technique be employed over and over in romantic settings? I understand it builds dramatic tones, and the hopes that the couple will be reunited. Yet, in Queene of Light it was used to basically eradicate the male supporting character. With one fell swoop he is gone and the story progresses without even a backwards thought of him. In New Moon I think this technique really worked, in fact it held together the entire book. But, the filler of the “push away” was loaded with another romance blooming between Bella and Jacob. Within the pages of Queene of Light there is no secondary romantic filler – there is only the original conflict that was established before the “push away” occurred. So, for this book I don’t think the technique worked, which was why it didn’t sit well with me.

Besides that, I enjoyed reading about this interesting world. I recommend it to fantasy fans that like a little modern grit in their genre. Yet, because of the “push away” problem, I really don’t want to give it a high rating. Queene of light gets a 2/4 BWB rating.

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