Tuesday, February 26, 2013

The Archived by Victoria Schwab - Paul's Review


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Title: The Archived
Author: Victoria Schwab
Year Published: 2013

The Archived Pre Reading

Review: First I have to say that Victoria Schwab is an excellent writer. Her writing style really flows well and truly conveys the emotions she wishes to show. There are other Young Adult Supernatural Hunter kind of books out there and they have nothing on Schwab's writing. 

I must have not paid enough attention in my research and prep for reading this book because I was surprised to find it set in the real world. I don't know why I was expecting a fantasy land. The only difference between this world and ours is that when you die, a Historie of you is left in an otherworldy library. Well I guess that could be our real world and we just don't even know it. I like when worlds like this are created, but I find the creator must be careful to make it seem like it really could be the real world and we just aren't clued in. Other media that has done this well include the Men in Black movies, Monster's Inc., the Disney tv show, So Weird, from the late 90's, and the YA Paranormalcy series by Kiersten White. It also has similarities to Kendare Blake's YA book, Anna Dressed in Blood.

One part of this book that I thought really fit well and made the story was the Da stories. Mackenzie Bishop's grandfather has passed away when the novel begins, but he was a big part of her life and interactions between the two of them are sprinkled throughout the novel. I like how Schwab used a different font for them and they were always relevant to the main storyline. 

Schwab does an excellent job at creating realistic relationships. The family dynamics of the Bishop household are very broke and real. The interactions between Machenzie's new and old friends as well as the other residents of the former hotel are done well. 

Schwab did an excellent job of world building and writing. Her beautiful writing style created such a believable world with her descriptions of the supernatural locations. I give this novel a 4/5 and I look forward to reading more from Schwab. 

-PAUL




Monday, February 25, 2013

Mars Attacks Volume 1: Attack From Space - Paul's Review


***I received an ecopy of this book from Diamond Book Distributors and IDW Publishing via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review***

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

Title: Mars Attacks Volume 1: Attack From Space
Author: John Layman 
Illustrator: John McCrea
Year Published: 2013

Release Date: February 26, 2013

Synopsis: The invasion begins! The first stories of an all-new Mars Attacks universe are here, bringing outrageous action and dark humor to the comics page. Eisner-winning writer John Layman (Chew) is joined by Eisner-winning artist John McCrea (Hitman) to sound the alarm. Beware! The Martians are coming!

Review: I remember really enjoying the movie when it was first released. I don't think I was old enough to see it in theaters in 1996, but I think my parents rented it one night. I may have even had toys for the film. It is a dark comedy with a very unique take on the well known alien invasion concept. 

This comic book series holds to that feel. The dark humor and outrageousness is there, as well as some nice storytelling. I don't think this takes place within the same universe as the film as many characters I don't recall are shown. We follow survivors of the initial attack as well as one of the leaders of the Martians. 

The artwork is done in the style of the film with gore and bright colors contrasting. I liked the details put into the insects and the skeletal remains. 

I think this is a good take on the Mars Attacks story. I give this first volume a 3/5. If you like the original film, you will love this graphic novel!

-PAUL

Thursday, February 21, 2013

The Archived by Victoria Schwab - Paul's Pre Reading


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Title: The Archived
Author: Victoria Schwab
Year Published: 2013

Synopsis: Imagine a place where the dead rest on shelves like books.

Each body has a story to tell, a life seen in pictures that only Librarians can read. The dead are called Histories, and the vast realm in which they rest is the Archive.

Da first brought Mackenzie Bishop here four years ago, when she was twelve years old, frightened but determined to prove herself. Now Da is dead, and Mac has grown into what he once was, a ruthless Keeper, tasked with stopping often—violent Histories from waking up and getting out. Because of her job, she lies to the people she loves, and she knows fear for what it is: a useful tool for staying alive.

Being a Keeper isn’t just dangerous—it’s a constant reminder of those Mac has lost. Da’s death was hard enough, but now her little brother is gone too. Mac starts to wonder about the boundary between living and dying, sleeping and waking. In the Archive, the dead must never be disturbed. And yet, someone is deliberately altering Histories, erasing essential chapters. Unless Mac can piece together what remains, the Archive itself might crumble and fall.

In this haunting, richly imagined novel, Victoria Schwab reveals the thin lines between past and present, love and pain, trust and deceit, unbearable loss and hard-won redemption.


Why?: I have heard really good things about this book. I follow the author on twitter, and she seems like an awesome person. You can follow her at @veschwab. I don't know the protocol for using the word "at" next to the "at sign", but I think you understand what I meant. Anyway, just the concept of this book is so intriguing. Everyone wonders about the afterlife and what happens after you die. Dead bodies on shelves in a library? Sounds interesting to me. The cover is also very captivating. 

Expectations: I expect a mystery with some really interesting concepts. What is death? How does one continue after death? 

Judging a book by its cover: This cover is just amazing. I love the colors and the simplicity of it. The key with the smoke in the form of a girl's face is so interesting. I want to know what it means! To add, the inside of the book is beautiful as well with old wallpaper like lining. Time was definitely taken on the details of this book. 

-PAUL

Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Scarlet (Lunar Chronicles #2) by Marissa Meyer - Paul's Review


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My CINDER Review
Ashley's CINDER Review

Title: Scarlet (Lunar Chronicles #2)
Author: Marissa Meyer
Year Published: 2013

Review: There are quite a few perspectives in this book. It took me a little while to get into each of the stories, but once I knew all the characters I was absolutely hooked! Cinder is back and we meet Scarlet. There are also a few chapters following Prince Kai and the Lunar Queen. 

Each of the stories are separate for the most of the novel, but they all come together really nicely in the end. I also like the hints of future characters and plot lines. Each of the books in this series are based off of known fairytales, but the stories aren't predictable or made up of obvious formulas. It's more interesting to see how Meyer manages to hint at and play with the themes of the original fairytale. 

Once the characters from the different stories interact, it feels like an awesome larger ensembled tv show, like something Joss Whedon would excel at. If these books are ever made into movies, Joss Whedon would do an amazing job!

In this book, we get to see more of the world introduced in Cinder. I like how some of the normally magic and supernatural elements of the fairytales are portrayed in a more scientific way. The Loyal Soldiers to the Order of the Pack were cool. Wolf, as a character, stays away from the modern wolf love interest-type that has become popular in YA recently. 

Thorne is another male character introduced that adds a nice contrast to the other characters, especially Cinder. He is debonair and rogue. I am looking forward to see what part he will play in the Rapunzel retelling. In the original story, the prince has a run-in with thorns. 

My favorite side character was Iko, the robot. I love her personality and what she becomes in this book. 

This is one of the best series in YA right now. I am definitely looking forward to Cress, which won't be out until 2014!

I give this book a 5/5 and I recommend this series to anyone interested in sci-fi, fairytale retellings, and cool ensemble stories. But, I think anyone who enjoys reading will enjoy this series!

-PAUL


Friday, February 15, 2013

Alice in Wonderland by Rod Espinosa - Paul's Review


***I received an ecopy of this book from Diamond Book Distributors via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review***

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Title: Alice in Wonderland
Author: Rod Espinosa
Year Published: 2013

Release Date: February 19, 2013

Synopsis: Lewis Carroll's classic tale Alice in Wonderland is adapted to comics by Rod Espinosa (The Courageous Princess, A Christmas Carol: The Night That Changed the Life of Eliza Scrooge).

The curious Alice follows a flustered white rabbit to a magical land of talking animals, evil queens, and enough riddles to strain any logically inclined brain. It's all here: a hookah-smoking caterpillar, a mad hatter, potions to drink, cookies to eat, and a Cheshire cat. Alice discovers that Wonderland may be a fascinating place to visit, but you don't want to live there...

Eisner and Ignatz Award-nominated Rod Espinosa adapts one of the most popular tales of all time, Lewis Carroll's Alice!

Review: I am always interested in retellings or reincarnations of classic stories. I find it interesting how modern authors put their spin on older tales. This graphic novel is pretty much an exact retelling of the original Lews Carrol story. The artwork is colorful and fun, but if you are expecting something new this is not that. Espinosa does an excellent job of translating the book into a visual form. Many of the frames are similar to the Disney animated film, although Espinosa kept parts of the original story that were edited out of the Disney cartoon. The Duchess and her pig are present. 

The art within the book is the same as the cover. The Mad Hatter looks creepily like Jay Leno. I liked Espinosa's take on the Queen of Hearts. 

Overall, this is a comic book version of Lewis Carrol's Alice in Wonderland. Don't expect it to be an interpretation in any way. I give this graphic novel a 3/5.

-PAUL

Monday, February 11, 2013

Scarlet (Lunar Chronicles #2) by Marissa Meyer - Paul's Pre-Reading


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My CINDER Review
Ashley's CINDER Review

Title: Scarlet (Lunar Chronicles #2)
Author: Marissa Meyer
Year Published: 2013

Synopsis: Cinder returns in the second thrilling installment of the New York Times-bestselling Lunar Chronicles. She’s trying to break out of prison—even though if she succeeds, she’ll be the Commonwealth’s most wanted fugitive.

Halfway around the world, Scarlet Benoit’s grandmother is missing. It turns out there are many things Scarlet doesn’t know about her grandmother and the grave danger she has lived in her whole life. When Scarlet encounters Wolf, a street fighter who may have information as to her grandmother’s whereabouts, she has no choice but to trust him, though he clearly has a few dark secrets of his own.

As Scarlet and Wolf work to unravel one mystery, they find another when they cross paths with Cinder. Together, they must stay one step ahead of the vicious Lunar Queen who will do anything to make Prince Kai her husband, her king, her prisoner


Why?: Cinder was one of my favorite books of last year. It was such an amazing combination of so many things I like: fairytale retelling, sci-fi, and young adult. Scarlet is the sequel/companion, introducing a new lead character and a new fairytale: Little Red Riding Hood. 

Expectations: I expect Scarlet to be the main feature, but I am hoping Cinder plays a pretty big role. I want to learn more about the Lunar Kingdom and the Queen. From what I can gather, it seems like the Lunar Chronicles is going to be an epic gathering of characters, like The Avengers. I am hoping for interesting interactions between new characters and old characters, leading up to an epic ensemble cast. 

Judging a book by its cover: I really like this cover. The "red riding hood" is on the cover. Pale skin and ginger hair can also be seen. I like the font of the title. 

-PAUL

Friday, February 8, 2013

Geography Club Trailer


The trailer and poster for the film adaptation of Brent Hartinger's book, Geography Club, came out today! The video isn't embeddable, so here is the link:

GEOGRAPHY CLUB TRAILER

What do you think of it? What do you think will be different than the book? Comment below!

Here's some other links to check out:

Brent Hartinger's Website
My GEOGRAPHY CLUB Book Review

-PAUL

Asunder by Jodi Meadows - Paul's Review


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My ASUNDER pre-reading
My INCARNATE Review

Title: Asunder (Newsoul #2)
Author: Jodi Meadows
Year Published: 2013

Review: Jodi Meadows does an amazing job yet again. The world she has created is so interesting. I love when books present questions and while reading both Incarnate and Asunder, I had so many questions and thoughts on the world. Because of the concluding events of Incarnate, it is unknown whether there will be more Newsouls and whether all those that died are gone forever, Darksouls. What is Janan? And, what are his/its intentions?

One of my favorite new characters was Cris. I like how the people of this world have been both male and female over different lifetimes so same-sex pairings are common place. I like Cris as a gardener and his "blue flowers". 

Music! Meadows writes about music so well. You can really tell she is a musician herself. The way the instruments are described and the details of warming up on arpeggios and scales make it all the more realistic. She even describes the temperature outside changing the pitch of the notes. 

Meadows also does an excellent job in writing romantic scenes. There is one point in the book where there is an almost "intimate" moment and I really liked the way it was written. 

I want more of this world! In Asunder, you learn more about sylphs and phoenixes. I hope in the next book we get to learn more about other creatures, especially dragons and centaurs. I expect we will venture outside of Heart and Range in the conclusion of the trilogy. 

This was an excellent sequel. It is thought provoking, with concepts of reincarnation and love. I give this novel a 5/5! I suggest Incarnate and Asunder to everyone! If you like YA, read it! If you like fantasy, read it! If you like sci-fi, read it! If you like reading, read it!

-PAUL

Wednesday, February 6, 2013

Broken by A.E. Rought - Ashley's Review

My Pre-Reading 

*I received this book as an eARC from Strange Chemistry/Angry Robot on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*

I was really excited to come across a modern spin on Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. I love retellings, and I wanted to like this one so much. Going into this with such high expectations kind of made it a little meh for me, I think, which was really unfortunate. I tried so hard to get into this and to connect with Emma, but I just... couldn't.

Don't get me wrong - I think the idea of this book was really interesting, and I absolutely loved Rought's writing; I was hooked from the first page and had a hard time putting it down when I needed to do things like...you know... sleep. But there were just so many things I couldn't connect with Emma on, and so many twists that were totally predictable. For example, knowing that there's going to be some sort of Frankenstein's monster really takes away from discovering with Emma. The whole time I kept thinking how obvious it was the Alex wasn't exactly who (or what) he should be. Maybe that was part of why I couldn't connect with Emma - I just couldn't see how it took her so long to realize Alex's secrets.

I loved Alex though, and I felt like Rought did an excellent job of humanizing (for lack of a better word) him without even delving into his perspective. It's so easy to see his confusion and his hurt and his anger and all of his feelings because the poor kid wears his heart on his sleeve. And then to put him in that awful position of "is my life really worth more than theirs?" Seriously. Poor kid.

The imagery and the whole Gothic feel of this novel were fantastic. Although it's technically set in our world, I felt like I had entered a whole new parallel universe that is much darker and more exciting. Actually, it almost feels like the whole book could be set in a giant cemetery, even though I know it isn't. I would love to read more of Rought's work, especially if she creates her own world.  It just amazes me sometimes how some authors can take a world that readers are totally familiar with and make it something completely new and different. Bravo. Hats off to you.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good retelling of classic stories. Even though I was a little disappointed that there weren't many twists and turns, I still thought that this was overall an enjoyable Frankenstein retelling, and I would think that many fans of the idea of Frankenstein's monster and YA would enjoy this as well. I would give this book a 3/5.


--Ashley

Tuesday, February 5, 2013

The Island of Dr. Moreau by H.G. Wells - Ashley's Pre-Reading

Paul's Review


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Title: The Island of Dr. Moreau
Author: H.G. Wells
Year Published: 1896

Synopsis: 

Ranked among the classic novels of the English language and the inspiration for several unforgettable movies, this early work of H. G. Wells was greeted in 1896 by howls of protest from reviewers, who found it horrifying and blasphemous. They wanted to know more about the wondrous possibilities of science shown in his first book, The Time Machine, not its potential for misuse and terror. In The Island of Dr. Moreau, a shipwrecked gentleman named Edward Prendick, stranded on a Pacific island lorded over by the notorious Dr. Moreau, confronts dark secrets, strange creatures, and a reason to run for his life. 

While this riveting tale was intended to be a commentary on evolution, divine creation, and the tension between human nature and culture, modern readers familiar with genetic engineering will marvel at Wells’s prediction of the ethical issues raised by producing “smarter” human beings or bringing back extinct species. These levels of interpretation add a richness to Prendick’s adventures on Dr. Moreau’s island of lost souls without distracting from what is still a rip-roaring good read

Why?: I mean, why not? I haven't read a good, classic, science-fiction book in a while and this seems like it will definitely fit that bill. Plus, The Madman's Daughter is finally out, and I want to know the original story before I go pick that one up. Because I'm totally intrigued by The Madman's Daughter and have wanted to read that for quite some time.

Expectations: I expect a very scientific book that also explores the less scientific nature of life. I'm also expecting a lot of grotesque creatures that are probably described in way too much detail, but I'm kind of looking forward to that. Plus, the usual mystery!

Judging a book by its cover: There are so many covers for this book that it's hard to judge just one. I think some of them, like the one shown above, would probably catch my attention if I saw it on a shelf somewhere. Other ones though are very plain and "classic," and wouldn't really stand out amongst all of the other classics that would be with it. So I'm not really sure how I would judge this book by its cover...


--Ashley

Monday, February 4, 2013

The Witch of Duva by Leigh Bardugo - Ashley's Review

You can read this for FREE on Tor's website!

Amazon | Goodreads

Title: The Witch of Duva - A Ravkan Folk Tale

Author: Leigh Bardugo
Year Published: 2012

Summary: There was a time when the woods near Duva ate girls…or so the story goes. But it’s just possible that the danger may be a little bit closer to home. This story is a companion folk tale to Leigh Bardugo’s debut novel, Shadow and Bone.


I really love folk tales and fairy tales, and I was so excited to find that Bardugo wrote one that is told in Ravka. The world that she created in Shadow and Bone was already so rich, and I think that this story adds a little bit more depth and color to that. It does make me want more stories like this though, so I'm going to start hoping that there's going to something like a Grimm Brothers or Hans Christian Anderson collection of fairy tales that are told to Ravkan children.

Bardugo does an excellent job of taking a lot of the common themes in the folk tales we all know and love (missing children, scary woods, witches, evil stepmothers, grieving fathers, etc) and turning them into something completely new and different. The whole time I was reading this story, I felt like I was a Ravkan child listening to one of my parents tell me about Nadya and her story.

While the story is pretty straight forward, there are a couple of twists and turns that took me a little bit by surprise (although I totally should have seen it coming). I thought the pacing was excellent, and I spent most of the time reading this on the edge of my seat. I did think a few things could have used a bit more explanation, but I suppose that if Ravka were a real place and I had grown up there, it would have been fine.

I would definitely recommend this story to anyone who has read Shadow and Bone, and even to anyone who just enjoys reading folk tales or fairy tales. I think this story could totally stand on its own, but knowing a little bit about the Ravkans makes it just that much better. Plus, you have nothing to lose by reading it - you can read it for free! I would give this story a 4/5, and I'm looking forward  to hopefully having more Ravkan folk tales to read as the other Grisha books come out!



--Ashley

Sunday, February 3, 2013

Surrender by Rhiannon Paille - Ashley's Pre-Reading


*I received this book as an eARC from Coscom Entertainment (through CreateSpace) on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

Amazon | Goodreads


Title: Surrender
Author: Rhiannon Paille
Year Published: 2012

Synopsis: 

How far would you go to save everything you ever loved? 

Kaliel was warned about her love for the Ferryman. One day he will marry the land and leave Avristar forever. She doesn't listen, and because of what she is-- a Flame-- one of nine apocalyptic weapons, she sparks a war. In a desperate attempt to save her home and her love, Kaliel tries to awaken Avred, not knowing she may have to make the ultimate sacrifice.

Why?: I'm not usually a huge fan of romance novels, but this one sounds like it has just enough magic and mystery to hold my attention. And there's a war, and a pending apocalypse... Yeah, I think I can handle the romance with all of those other things.

Expectations: I expect this to be mostly a romance with a little bit of war, magic, and all of the fun stuff. And some cool other-worldly creatures.

Judging a book by its cover: The cover reminds me of a lot of other paranormal YA books, so although I think it's very pretty, I might not pick it up in a a bookstore or library based on the cover alone.


--Ashley

Saturday, February 2, 2013

The Dead and Buried by Kim Harrington - Ashley's Review

My Pre-Reading

*I received an eARC of this book from Scholastic on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

I always love a good ghost story, and while this one had its moments, I don't think it really lived up to all of the other ghost stories I've read. I mean, don't get me wrong, there was quite a lot I did like about this book - the mystery, the romance, the realistic nature of it - but it was overall just kind of meh. I think if I had read this when I was younger, I would have enjoyed it more.

I think my main problem was that I just really did not connect with Jade at all. She drove me crazy for most of the novel, and I didn't like how she started using people to get what she wanted. Especially Kane. I really sympathized with him more than with Jade, and I felt so bad for him. I also didn't like how Jade would just suddenly jump to conclusions about people who were supposed to be her friends. I would have kicked her to the curb if she had done that to me.

Once I got past not liking Jade though, I thought the story was very interesting. Kayla is murdered in her own house, and the murderer is never caught. Was it an accident? Was it done in cold-blood? A crime of passion? And who would have been able to push her down the stairs without her knowing who it was? It was actually kind of nice to read a standalone book like this so that all of my questions were answered by the end.

I really enjoyed how Kayla's diary entries were included throughout the book. It was kind of cool to get to know Kayla as something other than a malicious ghost, and it was kind of fun trying to figure out which people in Kayla's life were which numbers in her diary. Some of them were kind of obvious, but others took me a little bit to figure out, and I think that added quite a bit to the novel.

Overall, I thought that the pacing was decent, although there were some parts that definitely dragged. Especially Jade's interactions with her stepmother (who was another character that I was not really a fan of). I wish there had been more hauntings and less high school life than there was, but I think this was a pretty decent book for what it is. I would recommend it to the older middle-grade/younger YA crowd, especially those who like a little bit of horror thrown into their mysteries. I'd give this book a 3/5.


--Ashley

Friday, February 1, 2013

Asunder by Jodi Meadows - Paul's Pre-Reading


Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

My INCARNATE Review

Title: Asunder (Newsoul #2)
Author: Jodi Meadows
Year Published: 2013

Synopsis: 
DARKSOULS
Ana has always been the only one. Asunder. Apart. But after Templedark, when many residents of Heart were lost forever, some hold Ana responsible for the darksouls–and the newsouls who may be born in their place.

SHADOWS
Many are afraid of Ana’s presence, a constant reminder of unstoppable changes and the unknown. When sylph begin behaving differently toward her and people turn violent, Ana must learn to stand up not only for herself but for those who cannot stand up for themselves.

LOVE
Ana was told that nosouls can’t love. But newsouls? More than anything, she wants to live and love as an equal among the citizens of Heart, but even when Sam professes his deepest feelings, it seems impossible to overcome a lifetime of rejection.

In this second book in the Incarnate trilogy, Ana discovers the truth about reincarnation and will have to find a way to embrace love and make her young life meaningful. Once again, Jodi Meadows explores the extraordinary beauty and shadowed depths of the soul in a story equal parts epic romance and captivating fantasy.

Why?: I absolutely LOVED Incarnate! So, of course, I am reading the sequel! Jodi Meadows created such a unique world and I want to know so much more about the world and everything in it!

Expectations: I expect awesomeness. I want more sylphs, dragons, centaurs, and more! I expect to learn more about the world and why it exists/happens/occurs.

Judging a book by its cover: The cover is stunning. I love the colors. It reminds me of Lisa Frank notebooks, which I think represents the world pretty accurately. I image it colorful and magical, but the people within it and the situations are very real and thought provoking. Underneath the cover, the hardback is blue with a rose on it. Maybe the blue roses will come back in this book.

-PAUL

Broken by A.E. Rought - Ashley's Pre-reading

*I received this book as an eARC from Strange Chemistry/Angry Robot on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

Title: Broken
Author: A. E. Rought
Year Published: 2013

Synopsis: 
Imagine a modern spin on Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein where a young couple’s undying love and the grief of a father pushed beyond sanity could spell the destruction of them all.

A string of suspicious deaths near a small Michigan town ends with a fall that claims the life of Emma Gentry's boyfriend, Daniel. Emma is broken, a hollow shell mechanically moving through her days. She and Daniel had been made for each other, complete only when they were together. Now she restlessly wanders the town in the late Fall gloom, haunting the cemetery and its white-marbled tombs, feeling Daniel everywhere, his spectre in the moonlight and the fog.

When she encounters newcomer Alex Franks, only son of a renowned widowed surgeon, she's intrigued despite herself. He's an enigma, melting into shadows, preferring to keep to himself. But he is as drawn to her as she is to him. He is strangely... familiar. From the way he knows how to open her locker when it sticks, to the nickname she shared only with Daniel, even his hazel eyes with brown flecks are just like Daniel's.

The closer they become, though, the more something inside her screams there's something very wrong with Alex Franks. And when Emma stumbles across a grotesque and terrifying menagerie of mangled but living animals within the walls of the Franks' estate, creatures she surely knows must have died from their injuries, she knows.

Why?:
I always love a good retelling, and this sounds so interesting. I haven't read a good Frankenstein retelling yet, and I'm really hoping this one does the original story justice while putting a new, modern spin on it.

Expectations: I expect a very dark novel, filled with lots of secrets and mystery. I don't really expect the mystery to be too in depth or very tangled, but I do expect there to be some things that are harder to figure out. Plus, some romance and some sort of zombie-like creatures.

Judging a book by its cover: This cover stands out quite a bit with all of the red, and I would probably at least pick it up off of a shelf. I think the girl looks a little too cartoon-ish though, so that probably could have been done a little bit better... but I love the cemetery and the gothic feel of the whole thing.


--Ashley