YA fans–especially fans of mermaid tales that are a bit lighter on the romance and heavier on action and intrigue–will want to check out this engagingYA fans–especially fans of mermaid tales that are a bit lighter on the romance and heavier on action and intrigue–will want to check out this engaging and suspenseful debut novel.
What it’s about:
Seventeen-year-old Chloe defies her water-phobic parents and goes off on an ocean vacation—her first—with best friend Baylie’s family. But it’s more than just a forbidden jaunt to the Pacific. In the days to come, she’ll uncover her true identity, dodge a cult of terminator-merfolk who want to kill her, find out the truth about her strict and fearful parents, and maybe possibly fall in love.
Why you might like it:
Relatable parent-teen conflict. Anyone who’s struggled to forge her own identity and separate from strong-willed parents will relate to Chloe, whose mom and dad have a mysterious water phobia that clashes with her lifelong yearning for the ocean. More than just a plot point, this well-drawn conflict perfectly captures how frustrating and arbitrary a parent’s restrictions can seem when you’re a young person on the brink of independence. I kinda wanted to shake her parents, who seem unaware of the first rule of teenagers: the more you forbid, the more they’ll want what’s forbidden. (I mean, it turns out they have logical supernatural reasons for protecting Chloe from the water all her life, but yeah—they’re still pretty shakeable.)
Dual narration that works. I only like he said/she said narratives when there’s a clear purpose behind them, and in this case it works well. Chloe’s chapters alternate with first-person narration from Zeke, a fellow “Dehaian” (merperson) who draws us into the world Chloe’s destined to be a part of. Without his perspective, all the weird things happening to Chloe would have no context, and Malone was smart to invite us into the merfolk’s world through the eyes of a young, likable guy. Hearing from Zeke personalizes the Dehaian world and makes it believable (and it gives us two great protagonists to root for). I’d like to see even more development of Zeke’s family and the Dehaian world in book 2.
Fresh take on mermaid lore. I say that with ridiculous conviction, as if I regularly read all manner of mermaid lore. But there’s a darkness and an edge to the merfolk in Awaken that felt fresh to me, even though the broad strokes of the story were familiar. The intricacies and dangers of Zeke’s undersea world are fascinating, and Malone pulled off the worldbuilding well—there’s not too much infodumping, but still enough detail to make the Dehaian history and conflicts feel real.
Also: whenever there’s a mermaid in a book or movie, you’re always waiting for that first magical transformation scene, right? With Chloe there was no “oh cool, look at my glittering tail and seashell bra” moment—Malone wisely keeps it real, letting Chloe’s confusion and horror drive those scenes. I loved the fact that she’d nearly transform at inopportune moments—spikes rising from her arms, the whole thing beyond her control.
Action! Awaken is a bit of a slow burn at first, but that’s okay. You know everything’s going to hit the fan soon, so you don’t mind spending some extra time on setup and getting to know side characters like Baylie and her family. Malone did a great job of ratcheting up the drama once the truth about Chloe’s identity surfaces—there’s a relentless cult of rebel merfolk, the Sylphaen, who want to capture her, and the dangers they pose to both Chloe and Zeke make for some awesome action scenes. The feeling of “you are not safe ANYWHERE” was so palpable I caught myself not breathing more than once.
Non-obnoxious impending love triangle. Awaken is pretty clearly setting up a Chloe-Zeke-Noah love triangle, and I’m okay with that. The guys aren’t set up as standard-issue “good boy/bad boy” types, and they’re both good for Chloe in different ways. Zeke understands her current situation like no one else can, and Noah is her best friend’s brother, so he’s an anchor to her life in the human world (well, sort of—if I say any more I’ll reveal a final-act twist that made me smile). So I’m really interested to see how the triangle plays out in the second book.
There’s a cliffhanger at the end, which I know some people don’t like, but don’t let that dissuade you—book 2 is already out. A refreshing, skillfully imagined read—fans of mermaid lore and paranormal YA will really enjoy this one! ...more
Just reread this for the first time in donkey's years. It's COMPLETELY charming. I found it in a bin at The Book Thing in Baltimore and it smelled likJust reread this for the first time in donkey's years. It's COMPLETELY charming. I found it in a bin at The Book Thing in Baltimore and it smelled like a church basement, but the cover brought back fifth grade like a dodgeball to the boob, so I had to pick it up. It sounds like your standard young-teen-gets-crush-on-English-teacher boilerplate, but it seriously made me laugh out loud every other page. The dialogue is A++. The characters are so well-drawn that I found myself calculating how old they'd be today and making up little Where Are They Nows in my head.
This was so unexpectedly good that I felt zero shame carting the dated hardcover around over the July 4 weekend, which is incredible considering the "heartthrob teacher" on the cover looks like if Tom Selleck ran the Dead Poets Society. This one's worth tracking down if you can. Get yourself a nice unmoldy copy that won't make you sneeze while you're laughing. ...more
One summer. Two boys. Ten carousel horses. OH THE FEELS.
This is one of the sweetest, most distinctive m/m romances I’ve read in many moons, and I recommeOne summer. Two boys. Ten carousel horses. OH THE FEELS.
This is one of the sweetest, most distinctive m/m romances I’ve read in many moons, and I recommend it to all m/m and YA fans looking for something pleasingly different.
FALLING FROM THE SKY hinges on a creative concept, something I always appreciate. Away at basketball camp for the summer, 16-year-old Ridge meets Micah, a Native American boy his age who runs the carousel at the local mall. Micah tells him the 10 carousel horses each have a special connection to him and his tribe, and he offers to reveal all the backstories to Ridge in a series of summer outings. Ridge accepts, reluctantly. He plays it off like he has nothing better to do, but he’s clearly intrigued by this confident, super-friendly guy who “talks too damn much” and “needs a haircut worse that I do.” (Yeah, Ridge can be pretty grumpy. It made me smile; he reminded me of a friend of mine, and his voice felt authentic.)
The ten-horse plan is an ingenious way to stir up sparks AND ramp up tension. It gives the developing romance a built-in countdown: What happens when the boys run out of horses (and summer)? A happy ending doesn’t seem like a foregone conclusion. Ridge has always identified as straight, and he wraps his growing feelings for Micah in reams of denials and justifications as they go on their “horse dates” and bond over Xbox Zombie Sanctuary 3.
If you’ve read Godwin’s other books, you already know she’s a master of slow-burn romance. The boys back into awkward friendship at first, which evolves into an “I want Micah to want me” situation that intrigues Ridge as much as it unnerves him. Soon he finds himself stalking his phone for Micah’s next text, getting pinpricks of jealousy when other guys are around his new “friend.” It gets to the point where you just FEEL that first kiss about to happen–but Ridge is such a tangle of emotion that you don’t have the slightest idea how he’ll react, and that’s both exciting and gut-wrenching.
That tension drives the book’s first half, but Godwin’s got more up her sleeve than a cat-and-mouse tease. FFTS is a fully developed romance between two teen boys who both challenge and complement each other. They open up about things that matter: Micah about his much-loved Nanna and his troubles with his parents, Ridge about his father’s death in the plane crash that haunts him. They push each other out of their respective comfort zones: Micah challenges Ridge to jump off a bridge with him, Ridge challenges Micah to ride a Ferris wheel. Neither one of them is perfect—Ridge is testy and full of typical teen-boy insecurities, Micah sometimes has trouble with boundaries—but I think their relatable flaws are what made me buy them as characters and root for their relationship.
To Godwin’s credit, she’s more interested in exploring the specifics of that relationship than the implications of “straight” Ridge loving a guy. I know that might seem like a controversial approach, but Ridge’s story arc is less about deciding how to label himself and more about opening himself to love in an unexpected guise. I love a good coming-out book, but I found FFTS’s approach refreshing. That’s not to say things are glossed over—there’s candor and depth to Ridge’s narration, but because it’s delivered with Godwin’s wry humor and light, assured touch, this never feels like a heavy “issue” novel. This isn’t the book to pick up if you’re looking for hot and heavy—sex hasn’t really entered the equation for these two yet, though you know it’ll be great when it happens. But don’t let that dissuade you: this is a seriously sweet, thoughtful, and romantic book, with scenes you’ll be thinking about with a smile weeks later.
“We can’t change what we’ve done, we can only change the future. We still have the future. Let’s not throw it away.”
That’s what Melanie says to her v“We can’t change what we’ve done, we can only change the future. We still have the future. Let’s not throw it away.”
That’s what Melanie says to her vampire-rockstar-lover Ryder in NIGHT MOVES, the latest entry in Kristen Strassel’s sexy, edgy NIGHT SONGS series. I jotted that line down as soon as I read it, because it pretty much sums up the book’s appeal for me.
It starts off as a seriously shocking revenge fantasy: Melanie finds her louse of a boyfriend cheating with their downstairs neighbor and commits a stunning crime in the heat of fury that’ll upend her life forever. Suddenly she’s on the run. She ditches everything—her nowhere job, her old rut. She has no clue what the future holds until she bumps into her old crush Ryder, now an established rock musician and SECRET VAMPIRE, who invites her on tour and pulls her into a makeshift witness protection program (er, “perpetrator protection program”). Ryder’s got his own troubles, from his endless head-butting with arrogant frontman Drake to the memories of his left-behind family, and he and Melanie cling to each other like flotsam in a cold night ocean.
NIGHT MOVES will be deeply appealing to all sorts of romance readers; it plays to so many of our most primal, tempting fantasies. When times get really tough, who doesn’t dream of changing everything, just getting in a car and driving nowhere fast? Who hasn’t thrilled to the thought of starting over in a whole new place with no plan and no one to answer to? Who wouldn’t love a white-hot secret affair with someone both wild and devoted—and just as screwed up as you? Strassel knows how to build an irresistible premise and keep the tension cranked high at the same time. We get to revel in Melanie’s new life on the road and root for a future for her and Ryder, but we also know it’s just a matter of time before the cops put two and two together and track her down. (And then there’s that pesky vampire underworld throwing extra black flies in the Chardonnay...)
Another great thing about this book is the nuanced female friendship between Melanie and Erin, and old friend and fetish model who’s entangled with the loathsome Drake. Mel and Erin respect each other, challenge each other, and fight like sisters. They point out the cracks in each other’s romantic liaisons – “Are you both working on it, or just you?” – and help each other survive within the confines of this narrow, dark world they’ve committed themselves to. I love a romance that doesn’t skimp on developing supporting relationships, and this one doesn’t disappoint.
Readers of Strassel’s other NIGHT SONGS books will love the way the climactic showdown dovetails with Because the Night – I wasn’t expecting the way it unfolded, but it was actually perfect and got me stoked for the conclusion. (Be prepared: The cliffhanger will have you shouting.) Recommended for lovers of paranormal page-turners, super-sexy vampire romance, and taut tales of lovers on the run. Stands on its own, but read Strassel’s Seasons in the Sun and Because the Night for background and context. ...more
Exciting, expertly paced YA fantasy from a new author who's one to watch. Full review to come very soon! Exciting, expertly paced YA fantasy from a new author who's one to watch. Full review to come very soon! ...more
The return of the world’s sweetest superpowered couple. This sequel to ONE, Leigh Ann Kopans’ debut YA sci-fi romance, picks up exactly where the firsThe return of the world’s sweetest superpowered couple. This sequel to ONE, Leigh Ann Kopans’ debut YA sci-fi romance, picks up exactly where the first book left off—and catapults our heroes straight into a strange new life with a host of fresh challenges. A great second installment with a perfectly calibrated ending.
4.5 stars. Interconnected short stories; emotional but never maudlin, quirky without being insufferable about it. The writing's uniformly awesome, tho4.5 stars. Interconnected short stories; emotional but never maudlin, quirky without being insufferable about it. The writing's uniformly awesome, though some stories leave more of an impact than others. ...more
I literally hugged this book when I was done with it. Edging past The Sandcastle as my favorite Iris Murdoch. As always, everything that shouldn't worI literally hugged this book when I was done with it. Edging past The Sandcastle as my favorite Iris Murdoch. As always, everything that shouldn't work does--the overstuffed roster of characters, the melodrama, the misunderstandings and misrouted letters. The ending manages to be both improbable and hugely satisfying. Recommended for patient fans of elegant writing....more
This story is freaking stunning. When words are this lovely, you can't even stop to get sentence envy. It's a poem in 30 pages. And somehow it managesThis story is freaking stunning. When words are this lovely, you can't even stop to get sentence envy. It's a poem in 30 pages. And somehow it manages worldbuilding, character development, and a romance that crumples your heart up and sets it on fire. JUST READ IT. ...more
Thumbs up for Running Home, a vampire novel recommended for fans of paranormal horror-romance, unusual heroines, love affairs with equal parts passionThumbs up for Running Home, a vampire novel recommended for fans of paranormal horror-romance, unusual heroines, love affairs with equal parts passion and nuance, and richly evocative writing.
First things first: is it a good vampire novel? Does it bring something different to the table? Yes, and here’s why. It was an incredibly smart decision to spice up the Original Recipe vampire tale with elements of Japanese Shinigami mythology. It adds depth and shading to what’s usually a pretty straightforward obstacle to romance. In this universe, a vamp who wants to sidestep a human kill has to fight more than just hunger and base instinct – he has to fight fate itself. It’s a powerful, agonizing dilemma that really bears fruit in the second half of the novel, when [SORT-OF SPOILER ALERT] romantic lead Nicholas learns he’s fated to kill someone close to Eliza, the girl he loves.
That brings me to Running Home’s secret weapon—the thing that sets it apart and makes it a hugely appealing read even if you’re not into vampires. Eliza is a great narrator with a specific voice that resists cliché or easy categorization. She can be sullen and withdrawn, but she’s also capable of great tenderness and vulnerability. She’s wry and smart (how can you not love a character who warns her best friend not to dress her “like a human cupcake”?), but she never comes across as a cookie-cutter snarky heroine. She has a quiet strength, but Nicholas is her weakness, and Running Home has the guts to fully explore all the beauty and ugliness of a first love that starts to snowball into obsession. There’s a very good reason Eliza and Nicholas fall for each other so hard and fast (which I won’t reveal here), but even if you take out the vampire element, there’s so much to relate to here: the insecurity and maddening uncertainty of a relationship’s early stages, the almost palpable joys of discovering someone who really gets you. Those relatable parts really anchor the story and keep us on Eliza’s side, even as we facepalm at some of her decisions (hooray for heroines with realistic flaws!).
The deliberate pace of the book’s first half is somewhat surprising, but I actually found it refreshing, especially since the writing is so strong and vivid. I liked that the character development wasn’t perfunctory; we spend a nice stretch of time really getting to know Eliza and her best friend Kat (great female friendship, by the way) and seeing her relationship with Nicholas develop before the plot amps up in the second half. If I didn’t know Eliza so well before the plot started twisting and turning, those twists and turns might have been much less affecting. Plus Hutchings seeds the first half with just enough mystery and small-scale horror, so it’s still a page-turner that builds smoothly to later events.
Also: the end. There’s a development in the final chapters that made me gasp and put my Kindle down for about five minutes. I hated that it happened, but I knew exactly WHY it had to happen, and I respect an author who follows a plot thread to its logical end, even if it devastates the reader. What happens at the end raises a ton of fascinating questions, and I can’t wait to see how it all plays out in the sequel, Running Away. (I hope we don’t have long to wait!) ...more
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