Review: Empath

Empath by S. Usher Evans
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I love how this is a fantasy story framed by instances in the real world, which seemed almost a little bit too real for me at times! The best way I can describe it is Rogue from the X-Men meets a modern-day fantasy story in which the heroine ultimately saves herself. It takes some typical romance and fairy tale tropes and re-writes them, which I can truly appreciate. I would not have known about this book if it weren't for the Dragoncon YA Literature track, so mad props to Dragoncon! I'm a bit of an "empath" myself, so I can appreciate the balance Lauren had to strike between healing others and taking time to address her own inner dragons. I can relate to the story on a personal level, and I'm glad the book addresses real life issues: anxiety, depressive episodes, the pressure for young southern women to get married by a certain age (without it always mattering to whom), trying to find a vocation you truly love and that fits you, I could go on! I almost wasn't sure I could finish the book because it almost seemed a little bit too real for me, but I'm really glad I did. Really, I'd give it 4 1/2 stars if I could, as I really enjoyed going on this journey.

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Review: The Edge of Everything

The Edge of Everything by Jeff Giles
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I'm a huge fan of this book and think that everyone who loves YA, Horror, Fantasy, Fairy Tales, and Young Love books should read it. It's gripping like a horror story, and you fall in love with the characters, who are realistic and believable. Also, I love how it switches back and forth between X's and Zoe's perspective, and as a teacher, I think all readers will appreciate it and relate to the characters. Jeff Giles is apparently a big Peter Jackson/Lord of the Rings fan, and it shows; this book actually reminded me a bit of the Lord of the Rings narrative, only set in the present day. Also, it explores parental relationships in a complex way, and only so many YA novels really do that well. (Sarah Dessen's The Truth About Forever is another novel that does a good job of this, but I've only found so many). This novel actually doesn't come out until January, but lucky me, I got an Advanced Reader's copy! It's awesome, and enjoyable to read, so put it on your Goodreads and/or Amazon wish list now!

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Review: Ghosts

Ghosts by Raina Telgemeier
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book was sweet and a lot of fun to read. I have a younger sister, so I could very much relate to Cat and Maya's relationship. Raina Telegeimer is always spot on in her depiction of sister relationships. Also I love the Bay Area of California, and with the fog, it really is the perfect setting for a ghost story. There is a serious side to the story with Maya's cystic fibrosis diagnosis, but it is balanced out with fun stories of a young adolescent and her kid sister. I think the cystic fibrosis struggle could have been delved into more deeply, but I also understand that the author was trying to keep the story age appropriate. The family is quirky, but loves each other, like mine! There's diversity of character representation in this story, which is done well. Raina did her homework, and as someone who has been to The Mission area of California, I felt like I was there with the characters. I found myself wanting to visit my brother-in-law and sister in San Francisco close to Halloween one year, so I can go to one of the "Day of the Dead" celebrations in The Mission. Overall, this was a solid and enjoyable read.

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Review: Throne of Glass

Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I finally finished this book, and I'm so glad I did! Honestly, it took me a while to get into it. I tend to be more of a horror, urban fantasy, and modern-day fantasy person than I am a high fantasy person, although The Hobbit is one of my all-time favorites, and I love the Lord of the Rings movies. However, about 1/3 of the way through, it REALLY got good, and I was hooked for the rest of the novel. I was afraid it was going to be predictable, and in some ways, it was. However, there was a twist at the end that I did not see coming. Some of you heard me rant at Dragoncon about how I'm tired of the Love Triangle plot in YA literature, and (not to be too spoiler-ish), there is a little bit of a love triangle plot here because two men are interested in the protagonist. However, I forgive it, because the love triangle is secondary, and she's a totally tough, smart assassin who reads voraciously, and I love Celaena (a.k.a. "Lillian"). Also, since I love fairy tale retellings, I appreciated the murmurings of a Cinderella plot...only she's an assassin instead of a maid, thank goodness! Traditional gender roles, be damned! Also, I appreciated the "other world" and mystery elements of the novel greatly. I'm not as hooked on this one as I am on Vivian Apple and some other two-part and series books, but I did enjoy it, and I might read the others. Many of our English Education YA literature students/Teacher Candidates loved it, so I'm glad I read it in part to connect to them. I think it's an important step forward in children's and YA literature because the protagonist takes charge of her own story, and it has blatantly feminist lines in it, which I love. So, overall, it was a great read. I recommend it!

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