Unforsaken by Sophie Littlefield

Unforsaken (Banished, Book 2)
by Sophie Littlefield
October 2011
Delacorte

I just wanted to be a normal girl in a normal high school with normal friends and normal habits.  And the thing I longed to do was not normal at all.

It's really hard to write a review for the second book in a series without giving too much away.  If you haven't read Banished yet, I highly suggest you do so as it is an excellent, fast-paced read with a unique twist on necromancy.  This book continues Hailey Tarbell's story as she struggles to pretend to be normal and hide her unique healing abilities.  Overall, Unforsaken is very similar to Banished as we run into many of the same villains who continue to have the same goal of capturing Hailey and others like her for their abilities.  If given the choice, I think I would have liked to see these two books meshed into one.  The first book was exciting and engaging but the second felt a little as if there simply wasn't enough new material for an entire book.  That said, together these books make a complete story and this one is definitely worth reading if you've read Banished.  If you like to read books about necromancers and people with special powers, be sure to check out this reading list.

Banished Books
Banished
Unforsaken

The Lace Reader by Brunonia Barry ★

The Lace Reader
by Brunonia Barry
July 2008
William Morrow

My name is Towner Whitney.  No, that's not exactly true.  My real first name is Sophya.  Never believe me.  I lie all the time . . . 

If Amazon.com reviews are any indication, this is one of those books that you either love, or love to hate.  I myself had a very hard time getting into this one, but persevered due to my fascination with the setting as well as the intriguing characters.

It has been years since Towner Whitney last set foot in her hometown of Salem, Massachusetts.  Although she comes from a long line of Salem lace readers, Towner has never affiliated with the other mystically gifted women in town.  When two women go missing, however, Towner is drawn back to Salem to confront the truth behind her twin sister's death and bring her killer to justice.  There is not much more that I can tell you about this book without giving its secrets away, but know that while you may think you understand what is going on in these pages, you don't.  And you won't until the end.  With a rich, haunting setting and characters that ultimately reveal such depth that you want to start the book over as soon as it ends, I highly recommend The Lace Reader and hope that you too will make it to the shocking conclusion.

If you liked The Lace Reader, but also enjoy chick lit that make you laugh out loud, try Wicked Appetite by Janet Evanovich.

Pure by Julianna Baggott

Pure (Book 1)
by Julianna Baggott
February 2012
Grand Central Publishing

Burn a pure and breathe the ash.
Take his guts and make a sash.
Twist his hair and make a rope.
And use his bones to make Pure soap.


I'm not going to lie, this is one freaky book.  All the horrors of nuclear war are brought to life in this post-apocalyptic novel.  Instead of somewhat healthy characters cheerfully bemoaning their fate and scrounging for food, these characters simply survive, melted to the things they were using or standing next to when the bombs went off.  Bicycles, birds, and even their children.  Fused to the baby doll she was holding, Pressia lives in the ashes of this demolished world.  However, she derives hope from gazing at the massive dome which houses those who made it inside before the world ended.  The people inside are "pure", completely unscathed and unmarked by the war.  The pure have promised to come back for all the wretches outside the dome.  But it's taking too long . . .

For someone who has studied the effects of the bombs dropped in Hiroshima and Nagasaki this book was truly terrifying.  Unlike most post-apocalyptic fiction, this one really does allow the reader to get a feel for what nuclear fallout would be like.  Due to some of the graphic wartime images, I don't recommend this one for anyone not emotionally mature enough to handle it.  This book is disturbing to say the least.  But also thought-provoking and heartbreaking in all the right ways.  For more dystopian and post-apocalyptic fiction, check out this list.

Pure Books
Pure
Fuse (TBR)
Burn (TBR)

Legend by Marie Lu ★

Legend (Legend, Book 1)
by Marie Lu
November 2011
Putnam Juvenile

June is a military prodigy.  Obedient, passionate, and committed to her country, she is being groomed for success in the Republic's highest circles.  Day is the country's most wanted criminal.  But his motives may not be as malicious as they seem.

So you know how sometimes when you're reading a book you feel that magical something that tells you this would make an awesome movie and/or Broadway musical*!?  Well this book should be an anime!  Wait!  Don't go!  Hear me out . . .

The year is 2130 AD and the United States of America has dissolved into The Republic of America (located in CA) and its surrounding colonies.  The RA is ruled by a military government that decides the future of each citizen through an aptitude test when they are sixteen years old.  June is the only person to have ever scored perfectly on the test.  Day has the lowest score.  June has lived her life in the highest circles of society.  Day is a fugitive and has been hiding on the streets for years.  June has been trained to track criminals.  Day will do anything to avoid capture.  June and Day are going to meet.  But will they survive the encounter?

Reasons this should be an anime:
1. Did you not just read that description?  All we're missing are the Gundams!**
2. June is totally Asian.***
3. So is Day!  Except get this - he's Asian, but with freaking blond hair!  I know, right?!  Sooo anime character cliche!

And there you have it.  Whether this is ever made into an anime or manga or not, Legend is a fantastic, fast-paced read for fans of The Hunger Games and other dystopian fiction.

Legend Series
Legend
Patriot (TBR September 2012)

*Let the record state that I have never actually thought this.
**Hopefully Patriot will rectify this obvious mistake.
***Of course you don't have to be Asian to make the cut for an anime.  Sailor Moon was born in Tokyo with two silky blond Swiss pigtails for crying out loud.  But in this case, I think it lent that "Asian" feel and only strengthened the case for an anime.

Good In Bed by Jennifer Weiner

Good In Bed
by Jennifer Weiner
May 2001
Atria

"Love is nothing, nothing, nothing like they say."  ~Liz Phair

If you've ever been a woman in her late twenties or early thirties there's a pretty good chance you've read some form of diet chick lit.  We've all read books about girls who are unhappy with their weight and we secretly scour the pages for the magic bullet or super diet secret that magically transformed these miserable women into the hot babe at the office.  While these books can sometimes be motivating, they ultimately leave me feeling inferior and disgusted with my own non-barbie figure.  This book, however, was something different.

Good In Bed tells the story of Cannie Shapiro, who is overweight and struggling with life.  Her ex-boyfriend details their past sex life in a popular magazine, the new boy in town wants nothing more than friendship from a big girl like her, her doctor won't give her diet pills, and she can't seem to land any big stories for the newspaper where she currently works.  This book has been called a "modern Cinderella story" because of the way that Cannie's life begins to change, but there is nothing fairy tale-ish about her struggles and the way she handles them.  Cannie is real.  And her story will make you laugh, ponder, and maybe even cry as she deals with the challenges that women have to face every day.  Good In Bed is a redeeming read and a good reminder that the glamour of Hollywood should never have the final say in how we feel about ourselves or live our lives.

You can read the continuing adventures of Cannie Shapiro in Certain Girls by Jennifer Weiner or try these other similar books about women who struggle with their weight.

Fat Chance by Deborah Blumenthal
The Next Big Thing by Johanna Edwards
Jemima J by Jane Green

Touch of Power by Maria V. Snyder ★

Touch of Power (Healer Series, Book 1)
by Maria V. Snyder
December 2011
Mira

Magician, heal thyself.

Woot!  Hurary!  It's a brand new series from Maria V. Snyder!  In case you don't remember, I practically begged her for a new series when I posted about her young adult book, Outside In last June.  From this, I can only conclude that she is reading my blog!  Seriously though, I think this is her best book since Poison Study.  I picked it up right before bed as a way to relax.  An hour later my husband was fast asleep in bed and I was on the edge of the couch devouring this book as a midnight snack.  A few hours after that, I finished the book completely satisfied but also looking forward to the next book in the series.  How great is that?!  But enough about me and my nocturnal habits . . .

Avry is a healer; a magician able to take on the injuries and illnesses of others in order to cure them.  Once honored for her abilities, she now spends her days running for her life, as healers are hunted and killed for their seeming indifference to a plague that has recently swept the land.  Avry is not surprised when her charitable acts of healing finally catch up to her and she is thrown into prison for immediate execution.  She is shocked, however, when the leader of a band of rogues abducts her and subsequently drags her all over the nine mountains to save a plague ridden prince.  While facing magical danger, betrayal, and the stirrings of love and friendship, Avry must decide whether peace in the land is worth her life.  And you must decide whether or not this book is worth your time.  If you ask me, it's a resounding YES!

Healer Series
Touch of Power
Scent of Magic (TBR 2013)

Entwined by Heather Dixon

Entwined
by Heather Dixon
March 2011
Greenwillow Books

Every night, Azalea and her eleven sisters may step through the enchanted passage in their room to dance in The Keeper's silver forest.  But there is a cost.  The Keeper likes to keep things.

Amazon has been telling me for almost a year now that I needed to read this book.  Every time I looked up a book, there it would be, sitting in the "Customers who bought this, also bought . . . " list.  Well Amazon, you're corporate and a little creepy, but you do seem to know me pretty well.  I absolutely love fairy tales that have been retold or rehashed in some way and this book is a cute, heartwarming rendition of the Twelve Dancing Princesses.

As the oldest daughter in a family of twelve princesses, and as the King's heir to the throne, Azalea has a lot of responsibility.  Keeping up with her duties has never been a problem, however, as long as she finds time to dance.  But when her mother dies, the kingdom is thrown into mourning and dancing is banned.  Wanting to honor their mother's memory, the princesses search for a place where dancing is allowed, and ultimately gain access to an enchanted forest with a strange keeper. Azalea thinks she understands the price of this new found freedom.  But she does not.

While I still prefer Juliet Marillier's Wildwood Dancing for my top Twelve Dancing Princesses pick, this book was charming and unique in it's own way.  Unlike many young adult books written today, the girls don't put up a fuss about being, well, girls.  They are very feminine and expect gentlemen to behave a certain way toward and around them.  I don't really have an opinion regarding the "rightness" of one view or another, but it was certainly a nice break from all the heroines that yell "What, you think I can't do it myself?!" when a guy opens a door for her.  Inner strength isn't all about who opens the door, regardless of gender.

This book also had a very nice message about families and helping one another, even when the other person is acting like they'd really rather you never talked to them again.  Overall, a cute, clean read with endearing characters and positive messages throughout.  Oh, and it gets a plus one for not being a part of a series.

For more books based on traditional myths or fairy tales, see this reading list.