Second Star by Alyssa B. Sheinmel - Ashley's Review

*I received this book as an eARC from Macmillan Children's Publishing Group/Farrar, Straus, & Giroux BYR on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

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Title: Second Star
Author: Alyssa B. Sheinmel
Publication Date: May 13, 2014

My Pre-Reading

Synopsis: A twisty story about love, loss, and lies, this contemporary oceanside adventure is tinged with a touch of dark magic as it follows seventeen-year-old Wendy Darling on a search for her missing surfer brothers. Wendy's journey leads her to a mysterious hidden cove inhabited by a tribe of young renegade surfers, most of them runaways like her brothers. 

Wendy is instantly drawn to the cove's charismatic leader, Pete, but her search also points her toward Pete's nemesis, the drug-dealing Jas. Enigmatic, dangerous, and handsome, Jas pulls Wendy in even as she's falling hard for Pete. 

A radical reinvention of a classic, Second Star is an irresistible summer romance about two young men who have yet to grow up--and the troubled beauty trapped between them.

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Review: So... this book. I'm really torn about it. There were times I loved it and times I hated it. But for all of the problems that I saw with it, I found things that I really liked. I haven't really felt this undecided about a book in a while. 

I think one of my major problems with this book was with Wendy. I liked that she was searching for her brothers, John and Michael, but I didn't like that it didn't really seem like she cared if they were alive or dead... she just needed closure. She mourned for them, but she even says that she was never really all that close to them because they were in their own world. I feel like if I lost my sibling, I would be a total wreck. She's also ridiculously indecisive. She spends the first of the book "in love" with Pete, and then she decides that she's "in love" with Jas for the rest of the book. I mean, come on.

And then, she decides that taking a drug that she KNOWS is crazy addictive and has destroyed lives is a good idea? Especially when nobody even knows what's in it? Ugh. I just wanted to slap her every time she did something stupid. I really wish I had connected more with her or actually felt sympathy for her, but I just couldn't. She's pretty much the worst. 

I was also a little concerned that I thought Jas was the better of the two boys. Like in what universe is a drug dealer better for a girl than the guy who is trying to help kids get off of drugs? I know there's always that "bad boy" appeal, but Jas isn't really a bad boy... he just does bad things to make money and is actually a very sweet guy. The characters are just so messed up and I am so conflicted about all of them.

The plot, however, was written very well and moved along at a pretty decent pace. I never felt like the story was lacking or that there was a lull in the plot. Everything happens for a reason, and by the end I honestly had no idea what to believe. I think that was done very well, and I would be interested to see if there's a sequel that would explain more about what Wendy is going through. I was definitely not expecting the explanation or the ending, so props on that!

I think, overall, this was an interesting reimagining of the Peter Pan story. It's unlike any Peter Pan story I've ever read, and it's definitely on that I'll remember for a while. It wasn't my favorite, and I really hated most of the characters most of the time, but it's still a pretty decent story with interesting twists and turns. If you enjoy Peter Pan stories, and especially want a little romance and mystery, I would totally recommend this book. I'd only give it a 3/5, but I think there's an audience for it. It just wasn't really me. 


--Ashley

Second Star by Alyssa B. Sheinmel - Ashley's Pre-Reading

*I received this book as an eARC from Macmillan Children's Publishing Group/Farrar, Straus, & Giroux BYR on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

Title: Second Star
Author: Alyssa B. Sheinmel
Publication Date: May 13, 2014

Synopsis: A twisty story about love, loss, and lies, this contemporary oceanside adventure is tinged with a touch of dark magic as it follows seventeen-year-old Wendy Darling on a search for her missing surfer brothers. Wendy's journey leads her to a mysterious hidden cove inhabited by a tribe of young renegade surfers, most of them runaways like her brothers. 

Wendy is instantly drawn to the cove's charismatic leader, Pete, but her search also points her toward Pete's nemesis, the drug-dealing Jas. Enigmatic, dangerous, and handsome, Jas pulls Wendy in even as she's falling hard for Pete. 

A radical reinvention of a classic, Second Star is an irresistible summer romance about two young men who have yet to grow up--and the troubled beauty trapped between them.

Why?: I'm a sucker for retellings of classic books and stories. Tiger Lily by Jodi Lynn Anderson was stunning, and I've been looking for another Peter Pan retelling since I read it. This one seems like it will only be loosely based on the original, but I'm intrigued nonetheless. 

Expectations: I don't really expect there to be as much magic in this story as the original, or any of the Lost Boys or Pete staying young forever. I'm also a little concerned about the apparent lack of pirates (I do love me some pirates!), but I hope it will work out with the story being told here. I definitely expect this to be heavy on the romance.

Judging a book by its cover: I love the colors of this cover! I can't tell if it's sunrise or sunset, and I really don't think it even matters. The couple on the front is a little cliche of YA romance books, but I do like that you can only see their silhouettes. I would probably pick this book up if I saw it on a shelf somewhere. 


--Ashley

Crewel (Crewel World #1) by Gennifer Albin - Ashley's Review

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Title: Crewel
Author: Gennifer Albin
Year Published: 2012

My Pre-Reading
My Department of Alterations Review

Synopsis: Enter a tangled world of secrets and intrigue where a girl is in charge of other’s destinies, but not her own.

Sixteen-year-old Adelice Lewys has always been special. When her parents discover her gift—the ability to weave the very fabric of reality—they train her to hide it. For good reason, they don’t want her to become a Spinster — one of the elite, beautiful, and deadly women who determine what people eat, where they live, how many children they have, and even when they die.

Thrust into the opulent Western Coventry, Adelice will be tried, tested and tempted as she navigates the deadly politics at play behind its walls.  Now caught in a web of lies and forbidden romance, she must unravel the sinister truth behind her own unspeakable power.  Her world is hanging by a thread, and Adelice, alone, can decide to save it — or destroy it.

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Review: This book was everything I hoped it would be and also so much more. I wish more books were like Crewel - it was seriously that good. Everything about the world building and the characters and the story and all of the minor details that start to come together make this book beautiful and thrilling and completely unforgettable.

I loved so much about this book that I don't even know where to start. I guess with the world-building? Albin's world is simple, but complex. The Guild controls everything, with the help of the Spinsters, and normal people lead pretty normal and simple lives. It's amazing how Albin weaves (haha) all of these different things together to make a society that isn't terribly unbelievable. If there were people who could weave the very fabric of time and the universe, I imagine it would result in something exactly like what Albin writes about. And then when Adelice describes hat the weave looks like... I seriously felt like I could see it myself. It's awesome, and I want to know so much more about this world.

The characters in the world are also incredible. Adelice is confused, but she's still strong. The more I read, the more invested I became in her well-being and in her story. I wanted to hug her when she was sad, and celebrate with her when she was happy. She grows up quite a bit in this book, and she learns things that no normal girl should have to learn (not that Adelice is anywhere close to normal). She has to deal with so many different things, and never gives up on wanting to learn the truth - even if it means sacrificing the things she holds dearest. I admire her, and can't wait to find out more about her in the rest of the series. 

The more minor characters are all very nicely written as well. Jost and Erik are surprising and charming, and although I'm definitely Team Jost right now, I'm interested to see where the romance goes in the next book. Speaking of the romance, it was slow-paced and believable, and that was a really nice change of pace from the whole "love at first sight" thing. While I also enjoyed the heroes and the villains, I think my favorite characters were the ones who were somewhere in the middle. They waiver between which "side" they support, and I think that really helped move the story along.

Albin's pacing is also very well done. She takes time to give you necessary and important details, and to drop hints about future events, but it never slows the story down. Things also don't happen so quickly that you might miss something if you aren't paying close enough attention. This was a fairly easy read, and I found myself not wanting to put it down to even sleep or eat. 

I could really gush about how beautifully written this book is all day, but I don't think it will do it enough justice. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys an excellent sci-fi read, regardless of if you're a fan of YA or not. I don't even know what to compare this book to, because it's not like anything I've ever read. I'm so excited to read the next book in this series, especially since it comes out soon! Definitely do  NOT miss this book. A 5/5 from me. One of my favorites I've read this year. 


--Ashley

Crewel (Crewel World #1) by Gennifer Albin - Ashley's Pre-Reading

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

Title: Crewel
Author: Gennifer Albin
Year Published: 2012

Synopsis: Enter a tangled world of secrets and intrigue where a girl is in charge of other’s destinies, but not her own.

Sixteen-year-old Adelice Lewys has always been special. When her parents discover her gift—the ability to weave the very fabric of reality—they train her to hide it. For good reason, they don’t want her to become a Spinster — one of the elite, beautiful, and deadly women who determine what people eat, where they live, how many children they have, and even when they die.

Thrust into the opulent Western Coventry, Adelice will be tried, tested and tempted as she navigates the deadly politics at play behind its walls.  Now caught in a web of lies and forbidden romance, she must unravel the sinister truth behind her own unspeakable power.  Her world is hanging by a thread, and Adelice, alone, can decide to save it — or destroy it.

Why?: A girl who can weave destinies, a group of highly powerful women that are apparently also very dangerous, a mystery, forbidden romance, and all sorts of other things? This book sounds so epic! YA Fantasy books are my favorite, and I'm really interested in this one. I'm also curious as to if there will be any references to the Fates and to ancient Greek/Roman mythology. I have so many questions just from reading the description, and I hope that this book contains at least most of the answers!

Expectations: I expect a pretty epic story with a lot of world building. Also, I expect there to be quite a few twists to keep me on my toes. I'm not really sure what else to expect - I haven't read many reviews or anything to try and figure anything out. I'm hoping for a good story with even better characters.

Judging a book by its cover: I really love this cover! Everything about it is just gorgeous, and it definitely caught my eye as I was browsing on Amazon. I would pick this up off a shelf in a heartbeat if I  saw it in a bookstore or in a library. So much cover love.


--Ashley