Parasite - Book Review

Parasite (Parasitology #1)
by Mira Grant

What is it about:
A decade in the future, humanity thrives in the absence of sickness and disease.

We owe our good health to a humble parasite - a genetically engineered tapeworm developed by the pioneering SymboGen Corporation. When implanted, the tapeworm protects us from illness, boosts our immune system - even secretes designer drugs. It's been successful beyond the scientists' wildest dreams. Now, years on, almost every human being has a SymboGen tapeworm living within them.

But these parasites are getting restless. They want their own lives...and will do anything to get them.

What did I think of it:
I wasn't a fan of Feed, the first book in the Newsflesh series by Mira Grant, but I love everything I've read from her under her Seanan McGuire penname. So I decided to give Parasite and try.

And it is so cool!

Sal is the first person to be saved from death by the SymboGen parasite and is still under observation six years later to see how she copes after her near death experience. She and her boyfriend Nathan get caught up in strange events involving the parasitic implants and they go hunting for the truth.

I loved Sal. She has amnesia since her accident and is trying to rebuild her life. Her parents however are afraid to let her go especially as she's not the same anymore. I loved reading how Sal tries to find her own way in life and how she copes when she and Nathan try to get to the bottom of the strange illness that seems to target people with a parasitic implant. I also really liked Nathan. He stands by Sal's side when she needs him and trusts her judgement where her parents do not.

Slowly things get worse and time seems to be running out. I was totally hooked and couldn't stop reading. I had to know what Sal and Nathan would uncover. Who was to be trusted, what was going on exactly, and would Sal and Nathan manage to uncover the truth in time. Some things in this book were quite obvious in my opinion, but I didn't mind one bit. Even knowing some things they might uncover I was totally rooting for them.

The worldbuilding is very realistic. I could easily belief a parasite like that could be engineered. I was at times seriously icked out by the descriptions and events. All in all a really cool read. You bet I'll get hold of the next book in this series.

Why should you read it:
It's a really cool and disturbing read.


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InCryptid Shorts

Before starting on book 5 in this series I wanted to read all the free short stories Seanan McGuire has on her website that feature Verity and that take place before book 5. They're too short to review all on their own, so here are my quick and short thoughts on them.


Incryptid Shorts
by Seanan McGuire

Snake in the Glass (InCryptid #3.3)
Verity and Dominic stay in an InCryptid hotel and solve problems.
I liked this one. It gives insight in Gorgon society and develops the relationship between Verity and Dominic a bit more.

Swamp Bromeliad (InCryptid #3.4)
Verity shows Dominic where her family came from and end up adventuring in the swamp.
Another cool story. Gives background info on the Price family and introduces a creepy InCryptid.

Waking Up In Vegas (InCryptid #3.5)
Verity and Dominic stay in Vegas for a special occasion and there's trouble.
Another fun short story. More relationship developments and Verity saves the day.

My Last Name (InCryptid #3.6)
Verity and Dominic arrive at the family home.
My least favorite. I really do not like Verity's parents.

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All in all these are fun shorts that grow the world a bit more and fill in some events between the moment Verity and Dominic left New York and the start of book 5, which I will soon read. Recommended to fans of this series.

Dead is a Battlefield - Book Review

Dead is a Battlefield (Dead Is #6)
by Marlene Perez

What is it about:
Love stinks!

Jessica Walsh is starting her freshman year at Nightshade High and trying to forget about the tragic events surrounding her brother's graduation. She wants to have a normal high school experience. But that's easier said than done in Nightshade.

When a new boy shows up at school, the girls are infected with a case of seriously creepy crushes. But when their obsession turns to violence, Jessica and her friends start to wonder if there's more going on than just a little friendly rivalry. Are the smitten girls turning into love zombies?

And Jessica has other worries - like her crush on Dominic Gray, the cute but moody new singer for Side Effects May Vary, and the mysterious tattoo that appeared on her arm one day that lets her know whenever there is trouble brewing. Jessica learns she's a Virago, a woman warrior chosen to fight evil whenever it threatens her hometown. But does a lowly freshman really have what it takes to keep Nightshade safe?

What did I think of it:
A fun if predictable read.

This is book six in a series, but the first book with Jessica as lead character as far as I understand, so I had no problem getting into the book and world.

The events in this book are overly predictable, but fun enough that it didn't bother me too much. I liked discovering the strange little town Jessica lives in and seeing how Jessica handles all the weird things happening around her. There were some fun minor characters as well.

All in all an easy and quick read. I don't think I'll read any other books in this series though.

Why should you read it:
Love Zombies!


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Secret Lives - Book Review

Secret Lives (Darke Academy #1)
by Gabriella Poole

What is it about:
You'll be dying to join the chosen Few...

The Darke Academy is a school like no other. An elite establishment that moves to an exotic new city every term, its students are impossibly beautiful, sophisticated and rich. And the more new scholarship girl Cassie Bell learns about the Academy, the more curious she becomes.

What sinister secrets are guarded by the Few — the select group of students who keep outsiders away? Who is the dark stranger prowling the corridors at night? And what really happened a year earlier, when the last scholarship girl died in mysterious circumstances?

What did I think of it:
This was a nice enough read, but quite forgettable.

I picked this up because I have a soft spot for stories set at boarding schools. And I finished it because it was an easy and mostly entertaining read.

Still I had hoped for something more. Something that would make it stand out in the sea of mysterious pretty students books there are out there. But it was not to be. Bitchy girls, mysterious hot boys, secret societies: check, check, and double check, but no real bite.

All in all a quick read, but I won't be reading any other books in the series.

Why should you read it:
It's an entertaining Paranormal YA read.


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Would-Be Witch - Book Review

Would-Be Witch (Southern Witch #1)
by Kimberly Frost

What is it about:
The family magic seems to have skipped over Tammy Jo Trask. All she gets are a few untimely visits from long-dead, smart-mouthed family ghost Edie. But when her locket-an heirloom that happens to hold Edie's soul-is stolen in the midst of a town-wide crime spree, it's time for Tammy to find her inner witch.

After a few experiences with her dysfunctional magic, Tammy turns to the only person in small-town Duval, Texas, who can help: the very rich and highly magical Bryn Lyons. He might have all the answers-and a 007 savoir faire to boot-but the locket isn't the only heirloom passed down in Tammy's family. She also inherited a warning: stay away from Lyons.

What did I think of it:
This is a fun read.

I immediately liked Tammy. She is the only non-witch in a family of witches, or is she? I loved getting to know her and the town she grew grew up in.

I didn't click with her 'on again/off again' ex-husband. although I can understand he doesn't belief in some of the things Tammy beliefs in, he does things that went too far for me. I'd have kicked his tralala years ago if I was Tammy. I did love Bryn Lyons though. He was nicely intriguing, mysterious, and a lot nicer than ex-hubby, even though he clearly has his own agenda.

The story is suspenseful and lots of things are going on. The crazy situations Tammy gets herself into, and the humor keep it light and fun though. I was hooked from the start and even before I reached the ending I already knew I wanted more.

So you bet I'll get my trotters on the next book soon.

Why should you read it:
It's a fun and enjoyable UF.


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Spinning Silver - Book Review

Spinning Silver
by Naomi Novik

What is it about:
Miryem is the daughter and granddaughter of moneylenders... but her father isn't a very good one. Free to lend and reluctant to collect, he has loaned out most of his wife's dowry and left the family on the edge of poverty--until Miryem steps in. Hardening her heart against her fellow villagers' pleas, she sets out to collect what is owed--and finds herself more than up to the task. When her grandfather loans her a pouch of silver pennies, she brings it back full of gold.

But having the reputation of being able to change silver to gold can be more trouble than it's worth--especially when her fate becomes tangled with the cold creatures that haunt the wood, and whose king has learned of her reputation and wants to exploit it for reasons Miryem cannot understand.

What did I think of it:
This was yet another Hugo read.

I really enjoyed this book, although I did think there were too many viewpoint characters. It did slow the story down. I will also confess I was more invested in Miryem's story than of one of the other lead characters.

That aside I loved the atmosphere and the mythology used in this story. It also weaves several fairytales together in an original way. I don't think I'll reread, but I might read more by Novik.

Why should you read it:
It's a very original fairytale retelling.


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Reading Update - Podcast

No Flight Without the Shatter - Book Review

No Flight Without the Shatter
by Brooke Bolander

What is it about:
After the world's end, the last young human learns a final lesson from Earth's remaining animals.

What did I think of it:
I just had to read more by Bolander, so picked up this novelette.

This story is poignant and beautiful in its sadness.

Bolander has a way to give a more than believable voice to animals and cuts you right to the bone. Once again she had me in tears and kept me thinking about the story and its atmosphere long after I finished the book.

You bet I'll get my trotters on more of her work.

Why should you read it:
It's a heartbreakingly beautiful novelette


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Teaser Tuesdays - The Modern Faerie Tales

The horse-thing snuffled closer to her, its hooves sinking in the mud, snapping twigs. It smelled of brackish water.

(page 31, The Modern Faerie Tales, Tithe by Holly Black)


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Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following: - Grab your current read - Open to a random page - Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you sh"are doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!) - Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Shades of Milk and Honey - Book Review

Shades of Milk and Honey (Glamourist Histories #1)
by Mary Robinette Kowal

What is it about:
Shades of Milk and Honey is exactly what we could expect from Jane Austen if she had been a fantasy writer: Pride and Prejudice meets Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell.

In Regency England, Jane Ellsworth of Dorchester is a woman ahead of her time.

Not only is she highly skilled in the manipulation of glamour - plucking strands from the Ether to create genteel magical illusions - she's also ambitious for her art, and dreams of being recognised as a glamourist of note in her own right, as men are permitted to.

First and foremost, however, a lady of quality must marry well, and alas Jane's ambitions do not extend to her romantic prospects. Compared to her beautiful sister Melody, Jane feels invisible to suitors, and is resigned to a life of spinsterhood.

But when her beloved family comes under threat, Jane uses her magical skills to put things right, which attracts the attention of professional glamourist Mr Vincent . . . and unwittingly wanders in to a love story of her own.


What did I think of it:
After I read The Calculating Stars I decided to pick up this book to see if it was just as engaging. Now I must confess I'm no fan of Jane Austen, but I like the mash-ups, re-imaginations, etc of Austen stories well enough most of the times, so I hoped this Austen-like Paranormal would be fun.

And I can tell you that Austen fans will most probably love this book. It does everything I don't like about Austen books, and it does it well. I was bored and annoyed at the same time. I kept reading in hope it would get better the moment Jane's family comes under threat as promised in the blurb, but this happened too late and wasn't as suspenseful as I had hoped.

All in all this is not a bad read, but it was not what I wanted it to be. I might try other books by Robinette Kowal, but won't read other books in this series.

Why should you read it:
Fans of Jane Austen will probably love this book.


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The Calculating Stars - Book Review

The Calculating Stars (Lady Astronaut #1)
by Mary Robinette Kowal

What is it about:
On a cold spring night in 1952, a huge meteorite fell to earth and obliterated much of the east coast of the United States, including Washington D.C. The ensuing climate cataclysm will soon render the earth inhospitable for humanity, as the last such meteorite did for the dinosaurs. This looming threat calls for a radically accelerated effort to colonize space, and requires a much larger share of humanity to take part in the process.

Elma York’s experience as a WASP pilot and mathematician earns her a place in the International Aerospace Coalition’s attempts to put man on the moon, as a calculator. But with so many skilled and experienced women pilots and scientists involved with the program, it doesn’t take long before Elma begins to wonder why they can’t go into space, too.

Elma’s drive to become the first Lady Astronaut is so strong that even the most dearly held conventions of society may not stand a chance against her.

What did I think of it:
This was another Hugo read, and I was surprised by how much I liked it.

I usually am not too bothered by the whole race into space thing. Give me aliens! This story immediately pulled me in though. The apocalyptic meteorite that starts this alternative history story sets the stakes right from the start: if humanity doesn't succeed in getting into space, there won't be any humans left in a couple of years.

Elma is a brilliant mathematician who also loves flying planes and has lots of experience as a WASP pilot. As she gets involved in the space program she begins to dream to go into space and to become an astronaut, but conventions and bigotry stand in her way.

I rooted for Elma from the start. It's frustrating to see how she and other women have to step back just because of their gender. Even though this story is an alternate history Robinette Kowal succeeds in creating the atmosphere of the time and fills the book with characters so real I wanted to kick the ones who stand in Elma's way.

Next to Elma's fight for a more equal society the race into space was also a lot more fascinating than I would have thought. I was glued to the pages to see where things would lead and if Elma would manage to fulfill her dreams. I liked how Elma herself isn't flawless, and how she is made aware of her privilege.

All in all a compelling and engaging read. I immediately dug up a book by Robinette Kowal I had in my TBR to see if it would be just as good.

Why should you read it:
It's a very enjoyable Alternate History read.


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The Only Harmless Great Thing - Book Review

The Only Harmless Great Thing
by Brooke Bolander

What is it about:
In the early years of the 20th century, a group of female factory workers in Newark, New Jersey slowly died of radiation poisoning. Around the same time, an Indian elephant was deliberately put to death by electricity in Coney Island.

These are the facts.

Now these two tragedies are intertwined in a dark alternate history of rage, radioactivity, and injustice crying out to be righted. Prepare yourself for a wrenching journey that crosses eras, chronicling histories of cruelty both grand and petty in search of meaning and justice.

What did I think of it:
As I loved Bolander's short story that was nominated for this year's Hugo Awards, I had to read her entry for Best Novelette of course.

*insert wildly flailing and blubbering piggy*

This is such a painfully beautiful story!

This alternate history has elephants working in a factory to paint the dials and numbers on watches with radioactive paint. As the story unfolds you get to know the girl who is instructed to teach them, and one elephant who is slowly getting to her breaking point. In between there are parts where elephants tell each other the stories of their ancestors.

I can not even tell you how much this story gripped me, how much I was rooting for the characters, and how much I cried over this book. I can tell you that I immediately ordered a print copy of this book when I finished it, and that I'll definitely will read more by Bolander.

Why should you read it:
It's a painfully beautiful story.


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Girl Gone Viral - Book Review/Rant

Girl Gone Viral
by Arvin Ahmadi

What is it about:
For seventeen-year-old Opal Hopper, code is magic. She builds entire worlds from scratch: Mars craters, shimmering lakes, any virtual experience her heart desires.

But she can't code her dad back into her life. When he disappeared after her tenth birthday, leaving only a cryptic note, Opal tried desperately to find him. And when he never turned up, she enrolled at a boarding school for technical prodigies and tried to forget.

Until now. Because WAVE, the world's biggest virtual reality platform, has announced a contest where the winner gets to meet its billionaire founder. The same billionaire who worked closely with Opal's dad. The one she always believed might know where he went. The one who maybe even murdered him.

What begins as a small data hack to win the contest spirals out of control when Opal goes viral, digging her deeper into a hole of lies, hacks, and manipulation. How far will Opal go for the answers--or is it the attention--she's wanted for years?

What did I think of it:
*might be spoilery*

This book was not what I hoped.

It starts out good, but soon there was this very black and white divide between people who don't like technology and those who do. With Opal discovering that technology can be used to make people lose their privacy very easily I had expected that would be explored more, and that there would be a bit more critical voice added to talk about the misuses of technology. Instead there were only two factions. One was the people who thought all technology was bad, and they were clearly the 'bad guys', while the other group was all for technology and didn't stop to think about how it can be misused, or if they did they were the ones misusing it and loving it.

This made that I soon got very annoyed with the story. I continued reading in hope that the misuse of technology would finally be addressed, but alas. Opal was too busy being popular and finding information about her father to care about anything else.

All in all a disappointing read.

Why should you read it:
It's got its moments.


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Teaser Tuesdays - Dead is a Battlefield

I heard her groan, "So hungry," and then she was on me. She wrapped an arm around my windpipe and started to squeeze.

(page 64 Dead is a Battlefield by Marlene Perez)


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Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following: - Grab your current read - Open to a random page - Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you sh"are doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!) - Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

The Orchid Throne - Early Book Review

The Orchid Throne (Forgotten Empires #1)
by Jeffe Kennedy

What is it about:
Welcome to the world of Forgotten Empires from award winning author Jeffe Kennedy that begins with The Orchid Throne.

A PRISONER OF FATE

As Queen of the island kingdom of Calanthe, Euthalia will do anything to keep her people free—and her secrets safe—from the mad tyrant who rules the mainland. Guided by a magic ring of her father’s, Lia plays the political game with the cronies the emperor sends to her island. In her heart, she knows that it’s up to her to save herself from her fate as the emperor’s bride. But in her dreams, she sees a man, one with the power to build a better world—a man whose spirit is as strong, and whose passion is as fierce as her own…

A PRINCE AMONG MEN

Conrí, former Crown Prince of Oriel, has built an army to overthrow the emperor. But he needs the fabled Abiding Ring to succeed. The ring that Euthalia holds so dear to her heart. When the two banished rulers meet face to face, neither can deny the flames of rebellion that flicker in their eyes—nor the fires of desire that draw them together. But in this broken world of shattered kingdoms, can they ever really trust each other? Can their fiery alliance defeat the shadows of evil that threaten to engulf their hearts and souls?

What did I think of it:
It's a good thing I write my reviews and don't do podcasts like Carien does, because my spoken review would contain a whole lot of incoherent squeeing and excited trotter waving. Because this book is so completely and totally awesome!

This is the first book in a trilogy and it's told from the viewpoint of both Euthalia and Conrí. Euthalia is a woman who plays her cards close to her chest and even in her chapters she is so guarded it takes time to get to really know her, but it was so worth it! Her court and kingdom are intriguing, wonderful, but also dangerous places, and I loved to discover the beauties and secrets of Calanthe.

Conrí is far more straightforward than Euthalia and so is the one of the people closest to him. I fell in love with his closest friend Sondra right from the start. He also has a really cool adviser, but if I start talking about him more, I'll get spoilery and I'll be squee-typing.

The world building, the characters, the story are all terrific and I was hooked from the start. I couldn't put the book down and read deep into the night to finish it. What a fantastic and beautiful read! You bet I'll get the finished book once it releases and that it will be reread while I impatiently wait for the next book!

A must read for anyone who loves Fantasy with romantic elements.

Why should you read it:
It's a squee-worthy Fantasy read!


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In an Absent Dream - Book Review

In an Absent Dream (Wayward Children #4)
by Seanan McGuire

What is it about:
This fourth entry and prequel tells the story of Lundy, a very serious young girl who would rather study and dream than become a respectable housewife and live up to the expectations of the world around her. As well she should.

When she finds a doorway to a world founded on logic and reason, riddles and lies, she thinks she's found her paradise. Alas, everything costs at the goblin market, and when her time there is drawing to a close, she makes the kind of bargain that never plays out well.

What did I think of it:
I ended my Wayward Children binge with In an Absent Dream, another prequel that can be read as a standalone.

This is my least favorite of the series. Not because the story isn't good. Not because the world isn't interesting. Both were as excellent as in the previous books. It was because of Lundy. She is the kind of character I want to kick some sense into. She sees herself as being responsible for the people around her, and she tries to take on their problems and solve them. In this she takes away their agency and their opportunity to fix their own mistakes and learn from them. I really did not like her, and the impending disaster you just can see coming because of her choices made this also a far more depressing read than the other books.

Still this is a valuable addition to the series and I'll be eagerly awaiting the release of the next book.

Why should you read it:
It's a compelling Fantasy read.


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Beneath the Sugar Sky - Book Review

Beneath the Sugar Sky (Wayward Children #3)
by Seanan McGuire

What is it about:
When Rini lands with a literal splash in the pond behind Eleanor West's Home for Wayward Children, the last thing she expects to find is that her mother, Sumi, died years before Rini was even conceived. But Rini can’t let Reality get in the way of her quest – not when she has an entire world to save! (Much more common than one would suppose.)

If she can't find a way to restore her mother, Rini will have more than a world to save: she will never have been born in the first place. And in a world without magic, she doesn’t have long before Reality notices her existence and washes her away. Good thing the student body is well-acquainted with quests...

A tale of friendship, baking, and derring-do.

Warning: May contain nuts.

What did I think of it:
And finally I got to the book that is a Hugo nominee this year! I will confess that I did feel a bit guilty that I read the two books before this one, because I did put aside two of the Hugo nominees in the novella category for not being the first in a series. But then again: at least I'm trying to get some of the nominations read instead of just voting for what sounds familiar.

Anyway: This story is mainly told from the perspective of Cora. A new student at Eleanor's school. There are characters who played an important role in the first book who are once again playing bigger roles in this book as well. So I'm glad I read the first book, because it made this story come alive even more.

The children/teens decide to help out Rini, who is from the future of the Fantastical world her mother traveled back to as a child after staying at the school. Except... her mother died before going back. So it's up to Cora and her friends to find a way to undo the past.

I loved getting to know yet another fantastical world, and to learn more about the students I already met in the first book, as well as getting to know the new characters. This book wasn't as emotional for me as the first, but I very much enjoyed the adventures and the camaraderie between the teens.

All in all a great addition to this series, and I immediately went on to read book 4.

Why should you read it:
It's a really fun Fantasy read


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The SULLIVANS - The Results Are In!

The votes have been counted, the awards have been made, and the results are in! A big thank you to the people who voted so not all decisions on who should win were in my trotters alone.

And now:
The Winners!


Best Science Fiction:

The High Ground by Melinda Snodgrass
This book is the first book in a series and takes place at a military academy in space. It is totally awesome.


Best Urban Fantasy:

Three Mages and a Margarita by Annette Marie
This is the first book in a really fun Urban Fantasy series full of action and cool characters.


Best Young Adult Fantasy:

Pawned by Laura Bickle
This book takes place in a pawnshop and has a demon who looks like a miniature T-Rex! It is awesome!


Best Zombie Book:

Flesh by Laura Bickle
A funeral home where the dead go missing, a creepy catfish and lots of (st)icky situations. Another awesome read.


And lastly:
The book that won both Most Swooniest Romance and the Award for Awesomest Book of Awesome:

The Arrows of the Heart by Jeffe Kennedy
This book has it all: a swoony romance with the most dreamiest hero according to Voodoo Bride and Olivia. A suspenseful story, creepy creatures and even more creepy people, and even a sort of zombies. This book released last year and we've already read it several times, because we can't get enough of it!


I will be personally handing over the award for Most Swooniest and Awesomest Book of Awesome to Jeffe Kennedy later this year, and I hope to hand Melinda Snodgrass her award rosette as well. Laura Bickle will get send her special award piggy for winning two categories her way, and I'll see if Annette Marie will want her rosette send her way as well.

*The piggies started their life as piggy banks, but were transformed into award piggies by me and Carien especially for the SULLIVANS. The rosettes were altered by us as well.*

Let me know if you want to see me do another SULLIVANS event next year.

Every Heart a Doorway - Book Review

Every Heart a Doorway (Wayward Children #1)
by Seanan McGuire

What is it about:
Eleanor West’s Home for Wayward Children
No Solicitations
No Visitors
No Quests

Children have always disappeared under the right conditions; slipping through the shadows under a bed or at the back of a wardrobe, tumbling down rabbit holes and into old wells, and emerging somewhere... else.

But magical lands have little need for used-up miracle children.

Nancy tumbled once, but now she’s back. The things she’s experienced... they change a person. The children under Miss West’s care understand all too well. And each of them is seeking a way back to their own fantasy world.

But Nancy’s arrival marks a change at the Home. There’s a darkness just around each corner, and when tragedy strikes, it’s up to Nancy and her new-found schoolmates to get to the heart of the matter.

No matter the cost.

What did I think of it:
After reading Down Among the Sticks and Bones I decided I needed to read the first book as well, before moving on to book 3 for... clarity. Yeah, that's it: clarity. Not because I was eager for lots more of this series. *cough*

And this book just blew me away!

Eleanor West’s Home for Wayward Children is a boarding school for children and teens who found a doorway to a another world, but then got back home where they don't fit (anymore). at Eleanor's school they learn how to deal with the loss of the world they had to leave and they can share their stories with others who understand.

Ever read a book where at the end the kid comes home after amazing adventures in a fantastical far away world and where they made tons of friends, and instead of seeing it as a good ending you cried for the loss of the magic, the friends, and the fitting in that the lead character found in that world? This book is for you if you answered yes!

I was hooked from the start and felt for Nancy. She misses the world she found, the acceptance she got there, the life she had there, and mourns that loss. Her parents don't understand her and in the hope of getting her to become normal again (read: be the happy pastel colored daughter they want, instead of the quiet girl dressed in black she wants to be.) they send her off to Eleanor West’s Home for Wayward Children. I tell you: if I found a door like Nancy's door when I was a child, this story could have been about me!

I rooted for Nancy while also being grabbed by the mystery of what dark thing is going on at the school. I couldn't put the book down until I reached the end. And I bawled my eyes out in the best of ways, I can tell you. It's been a long time since a story hit me this hard emotionally.

You bet I immediately ordered a print copy of this book and it will be reread and hugged often. I also picked up Beneath the Sugar Sky right away.

Why should you read it:
It's a beautiful and emotional Fantasy read.


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