Haunted - Book Review

Haunted (Dreaming Anastasia #2)
by Joy Preble

What is it about:
Anne Michaelson "is trying to forget everything that happened last year. But it's hard to do when her heart aches for Ethan and there's a wild-haired woman stalking her...

Ethan Kosinsky is embracing his newfound mortality. But something is drawing him back to the girl he left behind--back to Anne and back to the magic...

A mysterious stranger is hunting Anne wherever she goes. No one sees her but Anne. When she searches for the woman's identity, Anne exposes secrets about her own life-- things that will change her life forever. And when the gorgeous Ethan returns, her life gets a lot more complicated.

Anne thought her journey with the Romanov family had ended, but it was just the beginning...

What did I think of it:
I really liked the first book in this trilogy, but must say I was a bit reluctant to read the second book, because I feared it would ruin the ending of book one.

Luckily that wasn't the case.

This book did of course introduce a second love interest for Anne, to be able to create a sort of love triangle...

Overall this book didn't draw me in as much as the first book. It felt messier. Anne is flopping around, not knowing what to do for a large part of the book. When she does what she has to do, it feels more like luck, than that she actually figures out what's going on.

Still this book was pleasant enough to keep me reading. There also weren't any difficult fonts used, like in the first book, making it easier to read. There are some interesting developments and discoveries in this book, that make me curious what will happen in the next book. Having come this far, I think I'll see if I can get my trotters on the last book to find out how this trilogy will end.

Why should you read it:
It's a nice Paranormal YA read.

Dreaming Anastasia - Book Review

Dreaming Anastasia (Dreaming Anastasia #1)
by Joy Preble

What is it about:
What really happened to Anastasia Romanov?

Anastasia Romanov thought she would never feel more alone than when the gunfire started and her family began to fall around her. Surely the bullets would come for her next. But they didn't. Instead, two gnarled old hands reached for her. When she wakes up she discovers that she is in the ancient hut of the witch Baba Yaga, and that some things are worse than being dead.

In modern-day Chicago, Anne doesn't know much about Russian history. She is more concerned about getting into a good college - until the dreams start. She is somewhere else. She is someone else. And she is sharing a small room with a very old woman. The vivid dreams startle her, but not until a handsome stranger offers to explain them does she realize her life is going to change forever. She is the only one who can save Anastasia. But, Anastasia is having her own dreams…

What did I think of it:
I will confess having a weakness for stories that use Tsar Nicholas II and his family, especially Anastasia. I think that started when I saw the 1956 movie Anastasia with Ingrid Bergman and Yul Brynner.

Now I know that in the years since I saw that movie new evidence has been found, DNA has been identified, and in no way could Anastasia have survived.

Still...

The myth of Anastasia surviving and escaping, does have all the elements of a suspenseful and intriguing story.

So when I came across this series I had to give it a try.

And it turned out this is a really cool read.

I was hooked from the start and was more than eager to find out what was going on. Why is Anastasia trapped in Baba Yaga's cottage? Why does Anne seem to be the key to rescuing Anastasia? Is this Ethan who keeps appearing to be trusted?

I very much enjoyed discovering what was going on, and to see how everything slowly fitted together. I loved the use of Baba Yaga as well.

I did have trouble with the letters that Anastasia wrote: instead of using a normal font, they decided to use a font that made the letters look handwritten. It was difficult to read, and dragged me out of the story.

This book also did make me wonder why so often in YA the best friend of the heroine is some kind of manic weirdo. I've encountered several books now where this is the case. Is this some kind of archetype I'm not familiar with? I find these manic weirdo characters unbelievable, tiring, and annoying to be honest.

But those grumblings aside: I really enjoyed this book. The ending surprised me, but was perfect in my opinion. This book could easily be read as a standalone, but you can bet I'll be reading the next book. In fact, it's already in my tbr-pile.

Why should you read it:
It's a very enjoyable Paranormal YA read.