2012-08-31

Teen Review: Veil of Magic Series


The Nexus Ring by Maureen Bush
Release Date ~ April 1, 2008
Coteau Books
ISBN13: 9781550503623
Recieved from publisher for review

Goodreads Synopsis
Maddy's ring appears to be an ordinary stone ring, but soon, as the family travels through the mountains of BC, a menacing man, Gronvald, tries to steal it, and an elegant woman, Aleena, offers to help them keep it from him.

 
Aleena takes Josh and Maddy through a veil of magic, to a wondrous world that coexists with the human world. But Aleena can't be trusted--she covets the ring for herself. The kids then meet the otter-people, who insist the ring must be taken to the giant of Castle Mountain for safekeeping, so it can no longer damage the veil between the worlds. Somehow Josh and Maddy must return the ring to the giant. And then try to find their way home


Crow Boy by Maureen Bush
Release Date ~ September 1, 2010
Coteau Books
ISBN13: 9781550504293
Recieved from publisher for review

Goodreads Synopsis
Josh has the ability to do magic. He and his sister Maddy save the Nexus Ring from two greedy magical creatures-Aleena the water spirit, and Gronvald the cruel troll-who want to use the ring to cross the veil. Now, on a family camping trip, Josh and Maddy steal away to visit the giant of Castle Mountain, Keeper of the ring. But Josh drops the ring, and Aleena finds it. Josh and Maddy have to follow Aleena to get it back. As they travel all the way to Vancouver Island they are followed by Corvus, the magical leader of the crows. Then, Josh and the others are swallowed by an ancient cedar deep in the rainforest, and literally escape into the earth. But when the earth won't let them go, Josh must learn to "become earth," and use earth magic to help Aleena and Maddy return to the surface.

 
Finally, Josh, Maddy and Aleena return the ring to Keeper. The crows flock to Josh, recognizing the deep magic he's learned from the natural world. He has become Crow Boy, "the magic boy."


The Veil Weavers by Maureen Bush
Release Date ~ April 2012
Coteau Books
ISBN13: 9781550504828
Recieved from Publisher for review

Goodreads Synopsis
It's Halloween, and Josh and Maddy are all ready to go out trick-or-treating. But the arrival of their otter-people friends with an urgent message from Keeper the Giant changes everything.

 
Returning to the magical world, Josh and Maddy learn its inhabitants are not powerful enough to fix the increasing tears in the Veil. The magic that gives them strength is leaking away through the tears, and soon their lives will be at risk. A Gathering of the magical citizens decides Josh's power is the only thing that can save them – but how?
 
Josh, Maddy and Keeper learn they should approach the Weavers for help, and Josh and Maddy set off on a quest to find them. But the two face dangers on the way…and not everybody in the magical world wants them to succeed.


I have the tendency to compare books that have people that live in the normal world, transported to a magical world, to the Chronicles of Narnia series.  It isn't a fair comparison, so when I read these books I tried to break the habit.  I was glad I did because this book is nothing like the Narnia series.  I read these books altogether, so for me they read as one continuous novel in three parts.  Altogether, this series is about the length of an average, 300 page book.

  1. An Interesting Take on Magic:

    Usually in novels, when characters say that there is a "veil" over the magical world, hiding it from the non-magical world, they mean metaphorically.  I didn't expect these books to mean a literal veil of magic.  It's made from actual threads of magic that are weaved together to form this veil.  This veil holds the magic from leaking out into our world.  Crossing from the two worlds actually tears the veil, causing magic to leak out into our world.  I have never read or heard of anyone explain magic like this, so I was glad that these books brought something new.  I found the history of the magic, and the world itself to be really entertaining to read about, particularly in the third book, The Veil Weavers.
  2. The Two Completely Different Villains:

    Aleena and Gronvald are the two antagonists of the series.  I liked the fact that these two villains were not working together, and while they shared a common goal, they were really very different.  Gronvald is one of those villains that just enjoys being evil, and doesn't care about the consequences, of which he is fully aware.  Aleena, on the other hand, while evil, really just doesn't know the extend of the damage that she is doing to her world.  Her motives don't involve hurting anybody, while Gronvald doesn't care if he does hurt people.  I liked this clear contrast of villains, which is really evident in the second novel, Crow Boy.
  3. Josh's Hunger for Magic:

    Josh first gets his taste of magic in the first book of the series.  Throughout his two returns to the magic world, I could definitely sense just how much he loved magic.  By the third book, it almost looked like had an addiction to magic, which is pretty dark if you think about it.  I, at least, got the sense that he was constantly straddling the thin line between good and evil.  This part of the story is fantastic, and I found it so expected because these books are aimed at a younger audience.  I sometimes couldn't tell if he actually was going a bit evil, or if he was just pretending.
Overall, this series is really good.  It isn't a very long read, so it shouldn't take very long to complete.  if you're looking for a magical world that isn't a Narnia ripoff, this wouldn't be good for you.  I think that people from a whole range of ages will be able to read this series and still enjoy it.

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2012-08-30

Blog Tour: Painted Blind


For my stop on the Painted Blind tour today, you'll find my review on this retelling of one of my FAVOURITE classical myths as well as a giveaway - with 3 signed print books open to US entrants and TEN international prizes too!

And make sure you stop at the rest of the blogs on this tour, as well!

Painted Blind by Michelle Hansen
Release Date ~ May 3, 2012
Self-published
ISBN13: 9781469972855
E-book received from author for blog tour

Goodreads Synopsis:
Seventeen years old and agoraphobic, Psyche Middleton vows her dad will never see the risqué photos she took during a summer modeling stint abroad, but one of them ends up on a billboard in her Montana hometown. Now everyone—especially her dad—can see it. And yet, somehow, those are the mundane things in her life because she is about to fall unexpectedly, head-over-heels in love with Erik, a mysterious young man who rescues her from a crowd of admirers, and who she’s never actually seen because…he can make himself invisible.

As strange as this may seem, it’s about to get even stranger. Erik takes her to his palace in an idyllic kingdom, and she is swept into the beauty and culture of his world, but his affection has one condition: she may not see him. Overtaken, intrigued, and still not wholeheartedly believing he’s real, Psyche is going to have to decide if she can love him blindly; because if she can’t, she may lose him forever.


The story of Eros and Psyche is one of my favourite classical myths, but I have to admit that as much as I adore reading retellings of it, I'm also a bit wary because so much of the story is a love story and I tend to worry that the authors will miss the author fantastic qualities in this epic romance.

Fortunately, Michelle clearly understood and included these other facets to the story in her retelling, a book which just gets better the more it moves along.

  1. Psyche makes for a very interesting heroine in a love story:
     
    Admittedly, she does pine away a little bit. But it IS an old love story, and there is a reason behind it. But more than that, she doesn't just sit around and do nothing. She takes risks and is loyal and caring to those she becomes close to. And I appreciated the fact that falling in love with Eros doesn't isolate her from others; in fact, in actually helps her to make more friends in the long run. I also like that Psyche is willing to accept responsibility for her actions and deal with the consequences. This is what truly makes her a strong character.
  2. A wonderful retelling of this lovely myth:
     
    And Michelle does a great job of retelling the story by incorporating a great character in terms of Psyche. She's brave and strong, unwilling to back done. And that's exactly what I love about the myth of Eros and Psyche! That it's the girl who really ends up having to save the day and work hard. It really stands out in terms of what a woman is able to do and accomplish on her own capabilities (or with a little help). It truly is a fairly good example of an old story being updated and retold in modern times.
  3. The fast-pace of the story when the tasks come around:
     
    The story moves so well as soon as Psyche embarks on her journey to complete Aphrodite's tasks. And ESPECIALLY during the last one we really get a good look at Eros' world, and there's a significant amount of danger and excitement involved. I particularly liked when we got some glimpses of other gods/goddesses and that they weren't necessarily stereotyped to their traditional roles. There's a bit more depth to them, for the brief times we get to see them.
But on the other hand, there were a few things that didn't work so well with the contemporary setting. There was a little too much swooning from Psyche who, for the most part, has her head screwed on pretty straight. But especially at the end, I was happy with how things turned out except that it seemed a little sudden and extreme given the scenario.

And I found the earlier half to be very slow compared to the last half of the book. It took me a littl while to really get in to the story and for me to be speedily reading along. And I found the relationship with her friend, Savannah, didn't impact me nearly as much as it was supposed to. I just felt indifferent (and surprisingly, so did Psyche for the most part). And I felt there were a fair number of other details and information given that in retrospect didn't add that much to the story.

You can find the author, Michelle Hansen online at:



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2012-08-28

Review: The Broken Thread

The Broken Thread by Linda Smith
Release Date ~ September 1, 2008
Coteau Books
ISBN13: 9781550503982
Review copy received from publisher for review

Goodreads Synopsis:
Destroying a deadly prince, in a violent court far from her home, was not what Alina expected when she was chosen to serve on the Isle of the Weavers.

Fifteen-year-old Alina comes from a long line of women who have gone to serve on the Isle of the Weavers. One day, the weavers come and take her there, where the destiny of the world is born. Alina struggles with her trademark impatience during the training to prepare her to be a weaver.

Alina finally gets her first glimpse of the awesome tapestry, with its multitude of threads, and colours, and shifting patterns. When she impulsively repairs a broken thread, thousands of other threads in the tapestry snap. What has she done? By reconnecting a thread that was meant to be broken, she has caused the end of thousands of others.

She must undo what she has done and so is transported to a faraway land, complete unlike her own beloved isles. There she encounters a people equally different from her own. But she learns that there are basic human similarities -- love, fear, jealousy, goodness -- wherever you go. And she also learns there is more than one way to change a person's fate.


The Broken Thread came HIGHLY recommended to me from Coteau Books after they learned how much I loved fantasy - and I want to support Canadian literature as much as I can, so I picked up this slightly older fantasy book from Linda Smith (written before she passed away).

Every once in a while you'll find a book that completely captures your heart and steals it away before you even realized it, let alone expected it. The Broken Thread was exactly that type of book for me - I lost yself in its pages and as I reached those final few pages, I knew I didn't want it to end (but knowing it would).

  1. A clever, stubborn heroine:

    Alina's bravery and courage doesn't stem from her skill with a sword or magical powers; she's quick-witted and willing and able to hold her ground. And that's what counts when she sets off on this adventure to save thousands of people all on her own. I love female knights and mages as much as the next fantasy reader, but I really loved reading about a character who's able to to use her intelligence to work through problems. It definitely gives her an edge on being able to relate to characters - and I found this to be a very similar idea to what I said about Seraphina in Rachel Hartman's 2012 debut.
  2. An outstanding cast of secondary characters:

    As much as I loved Alina, I found myself to be exceptionally taken with Daris and Ranjan. They both warmed my heart with the ways they were able to see past the norms and standards of their society, and embrace a better future and look for MORE out of life. And both characters worked so well in their little trio with Alina. They just played off of each other so well. And the rest of Ranjan's extended family I found rather endearing as well, which surprised me since I initially expected them to be rather flat and instead If ound them to be quite the opposite. And more than anything, I loved that I actually cared about these characters and desperately wanted to see things turn out well for them.
  3. A fantasy world with a mystery plot:

    The fantasy world is familiar enough, yet vibrant without getting bogged down in picky details which is great for readers who are either life-long fans of fantasy or those who are a bit more heistant with it. There's nothing intimidating about the world in The Broken Thread. And it has the added bonus of being heavily based on a mystery-driven plot line to keep the reader (and characters) guessing for most of the book. It isn't the most intricate mystery, but it's enjoyable nonetheless.
  4. The permanence of destiny and free will:

    I love books that raise good questions, and The Broken Thread was excellent at this. We really get the idea that Alina is struggling with a way to change what she feels is destined to happen, and she struggles with finding a way to undo the problems she's caused. But maybe- just maybe- we can all hope that there may be some way to save it all. And the answer to that isn't as simple as we'd all like.
In the end, I was really hoping it could have been longer because I was just craving more of this story. And we're able to assume much of what happens in regards to Alina's life with the ending, but I still wish we had been given a few more details for it just because I enjoyed the story so much and I like definitive endings.

Other than that, I really only wish a few other beginning details to the world building had been established earlier on as I did feel a bit jolted and just thrown into the story rather suddenly at first. But it was easy enough to adapt to and lose yourself in.


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I loved this book a lot, but because it's a fairly unheard of book and one that may be trickier to find around I'm giving away one paperback copy to one lucky commenter. Just fill out the form, answer the question, and good luck! Open internationally as long as The Book Depository ships to you.

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2012-08-27

Blog Tour: Entice

Entice (Violet Eden #2) by Jessica Shirvington
Release Date ~ September 4, 2012
Sourcebooks Fire
ISBN13: 9781402268434
ARC received from publisher for review

Goodreads Synopsis:
Violet Eden is Grigori - part angel, part human. Her destiny is to protect humans from the vengence of exiled angels.
Knowing who to trust is key but, when Grigori reinforcements arrive, it becomes clear everyone is hiding something. Even Lincoln. The only thing Violet does know: Phoenix's hold over her is more dangerous than ever.
The race to find the one thing that could tilt the balance of power brings them all to the sacred mountains of Jordan, where Violet's power will be pushed to the extreme. And the ultimate betrayal exposed.


Embrace was a hit for me, and I was incredibly anxious to see how Violet would grow and change in the next book (along with everyone else and the rest of the story, of course). I had a few concerns about where I thought the series might end up going, but I was so impressed when I read Entice and realized it wasn't going to follow that predictable pattern exactly the way I thought it would.

And not only that, but I greedily devoured the story in this one and I'm ALREADY craving the final book, Emblaze! So much development took place in Entice, and while it still didn't blow my expectations out of the water it still surpassed them.

  1. A fantastic & atypical love triangle:

    My biggest reservations regarding the Violet Eden series has been regarding the love triangle; love triangles have just been done to death, and they're often exactly the same as every other one out there. The first book, Embrace, doesn't give us the best impression of the Phoenix and Violet and Lincoln triangle but I can assure you after reading Entice that it is moving in a GREAT direction. It's just painful enough, but strays from the area of becoming TOO much and too annoying. (And because I'm clearly Team Linc, I just have to say that he does WELL in this book. So, so well.)
  2. Intoxicating action scenes:

    Jessica's writing is good, but I find where it really shines (besides the kissing scenes which are also well done) is with the fight scenes. These are fight scenes where I literally cannot read fast enough, and my fingers are turning the pages as fast as I can to try and find out what's going to happen. I completely lose my mind to the story.
  3. Plenty of insight about the key themes:

    Entice is pretty heavy on the themes of free will, consequences and betrayal. These are the three ideas that keep the story focused and moving forward and lend a bit more realism to the story. They're exactly the types of things most readers will find easy to relate to, and cause plenty of problems for the characters. But I was easily impressed with how thoughtful Jessica was regarding these ideas, and how there are both benefits and drawbacks to them. And they make for some excellent twists!
That being said, there were a few times I felt like I was a little bit lost with the sudden plot twists when they initally came up and they had to be thoroughly explained before I could completely follow the gravity of the situation.

And in some ways, some of the story was a bit predictable - nothing's easy for the budding romantic relationships, love has its costs, and not everyone is who you think they are - although some times those insticts about someone turn out to be right. I wish I hadn't been able to figure these things out so early on in the story, but I'm definitely curious to see where they go later on in the last book! And I hope the love plot isn't dragged out quite as much. It's good, but I would really like to see things settled by the end.





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2012-08-24

Review: Lies Beneath

Lies Beneath (Lies Beneath #1) by Anne Greenwood Brown
Release Date ~ June 12, 2012
Delacorte Books for Young Readers ~ Random House
ISBN13: 9780385742016
E-galley received from publisher via Net Galley

Goodreads Synopsis:
Calder White lives in the cold, clear waters of Lake Superior, the only brother in a family of murderous mermaids. To survive, Calder and his sisters prey on humans and absorb their positive energy. Usually, they select their victims at random, but this time around, the underwater clan chooses its target for a reason: revenge. They want to kill Jason Hancock, the man they blame for their mother's death. It's going to take a concerted effort to lure the aquaphobic Hancock onto the water. Calder's job is to gain Hancock's trust by getting close to his family. Relying on his irresistible good looks and charm, Calder sets out to seduce Hancock's daughter Lily. Easy enough, but Calder screws everything up by falling in love--just as Lily starts to suspect there's more to the monster-in-the-lake legends than she ever imagined, and just as the mermaids threaten to take matters into their own hands, forcing Calder to choose between them and the girl he loves. One thing's for sure: whatever Calder decides, the outcome won't be pretty.

I've been a fan of mermaids for years, but my favourites have typically been of the red-headed, overly curious, rebellious type. So when I picked up Lies Beneath only to encounter a cold-blooded killer merman, I started off a little bit hesitant about the book.

I wasn't expecting Anne to entrance me with this touching story, and to weave an intricate tale with some ugly truth bared for the whole world to see - and yet still find a way to identify with a character I never thought I'd relate to. That's so rare in fiction, and even rarer in real life,  that it was a real treat to read about in Lies Beneath.

  1. These aren't the mermaids most of us are familiar with...:

    (Somewhat unfortunately) Ariel doesn't make an appearance. (Props to Anne for mentioning her though!) The merpeople in Lies Beneath are vicious killers. At first, I thought I wouldn't be able to identify with them because of this and was afraid I wouldn't feel a connection with the book as a result. But instead I found it fascinating to see that they had their limits - there were times when they drew the line and stood their ground and fought against what we assumed to be their nature. This was easily the mos tinteresting aspect of the book, because we get to see such a huge change and we're led to ask a lot of questions regarding nature vs nurture.
  2. A feisty, strong love interest:

    I really didn't think I'd like Lily at first, but she grew on me SO quickly. I loved that she could dish it all back at Calder, and wasn't weak or whiny or oblivious. She totally keeps Calder on his toes all the time, refuses to back down, and makes some EXTREMELY selfless decisions.
  3. Unpredictable twists & surprises:

    There was plenty of mysterious mythology and legends to hint at what was going on, but just enough to keep me guessing. And there were some truly unexpected turn of events, which were cleverly hidden from the reader (and for good reason).
My only real complaint was that I did feel like a few too many of the issues were fairly neatly wrapped up; and while that's mostly a good thing, I still like a little bit of realism in my books. It isn't that everything turned out perfectly, but it was a little too convenient for my taste.

And it admittedly did take me a little while to get used to reading from the perspective of a sea "monster" so used to killing. That can be a little bit hard to swallow at certain times.

But this was one beautifully written and thought out story that I easily devoured. Exaclty the kind of merpeople book I like to read (and I'm picky about them, too).




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2012-08-23

Blog Tour: Fractured Light


As part of the blog tour for Fractured Light by Rachel McClellan, I'm sharing my review on the book with you as well as sharing with you a very special giveaway including signed copies of the book, e-books, and even some special necklaces! Good luck :)

And you can see the full schedule of tour stops here.

Fractured Light (Fractured Light #1) by Rachel McClellan
Release Date ~ February 8, 2012
Sweetwater Books
ISBN13: 9781599559421
E-copy received from author for blog tour

Goodreads Synopsis:
Llona Reese is used to living on the run. After the Vykens killed her parents, she knew they would eventually come for her too. But she never felt ready to face them---until now. Defying the Auran Council and everything she's been taught, Llona must learn to use her power over light as a weapon if she wants to survive.

At first glance, when I initially started reading Fractured Light I had the impression that it would be yet another forgettable paranormal romance - and while in some ways I was hoping for something more original and was a bit disappointed, there were enough elements that did stand out to make Fractured Light a fast read with plenty of excitement.

  1. Totally unique, creative concept:

    I loved the thought and creativity that went behind the Aurans - it was familiar enough in terms of archetypes, but still different so that it stands out from other paranormal mythology. And just enough of it was explained to keep me satisfied as a reader but without using the dreaded information dump.
  2. Incredibly creepy, don't look over your shoulder moments:

    I don't think a paranormal book (at least, any YA one I've read) has actually scared me. So Fractured Light is the first one to win that award - and it's scary/disturbing in the "what if something is watching me RIGHT NOW?!" kind of way. That sort of stuff just freaks me out. And Rachel nailed that with a few scenes she wrote.
  3. A seriously tough heroine:

    Llona didn't strike me as the strong heroine type at first, and I'm not sure she exactly was that at first. It really took her some time to grow into her role and figuring out how she was going to respond to the changes taking place in her life. And I liked that she DID choose to respond and deal with it head on - going so far as seeking out training to learn how to fight properly. She isn't just instantly amazing at this - she has to work at it, and grow into it.
Now the downside was that there were two areas in which I found the book to be completely predictable and mundane: the first is the romance, and the second is the villain. Both have been done before, and are easily recognizable. The romance was way too hot and cold for me, and I couldn't for the life of me figure out why Llona kept giving him chances and getting her hopes up. And the guy was just dumb- he kept apologizing for leading her on, then doing the exact same thing all over again. Luckily, I didn't find the romance to be the driving force behind the book so I could overlook it at times.

Secondly, the villain really wasn't that surprising at all. I found it unbelievable that none of the characters were able to recognize him whatsoever- and as for the reader, he just wasn't very subltely brought in to the story.

This definitely had the feel of one of my guilty pleasure type reads - one that I quickly absorb and am left curious enough about the sequel, but nothing earth-shattering either.

You can get in touch with Rachel here if you want to know more:
http://www.facebook.com/AuthorRachelMcClellan
www.RachelMcClellan.com
Twitter: @RachelMcClellan


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2012-08-22

Teen Review: Cuttlefish

Cuttlefish (Cuttlefish #1) by Dave Freer
Release Date ~ July 1, 2012
Pyr ~ Prometheus Books
ISBN-13: 9781616146252
Review copy recieved from Pyr Books for review
Goodreads Synopsis
The smallest thing can change the path of history.
The year is 1976, and the British Empire still spans the globe. Coal drives the world, and the smog of it hangs thick over the canals of London.

Clara Calland is on the run. Hunted, along with her scientist mother, by Menshevik spies and Imperial soldiers, they flee Ireland for London. They must escape airships, treachery and capture. Under flooded London’s canals they join the rebels who live in the dank tunnels there.

Tim Barnabas is one of the underpeople, born to the secret town of drowned London, place of anti-imperialist republicans and Irish rebels, part of the Liberty - the people who would see a return to older values and free elections. Seeing no further than his next meal, Tim has hired on as a submariner on the Cuttlefish, a coal fired submarine that runs smuggled cargoes beneath the steamship patrols, to the fortress America and beyond.

When the Imperial soldiery comes ravening, Clara and her mother are forced to flee aboard the Cuttlefish. Hunted like beasts, the submarine and her crew must undertake a desperate voyage across the world, from the Faeroes to the Caribbean and finally across the Pacific to find safety. But only Clara and Tim Barnabas can steer them past treachery and disaster, to freedom in Westralia. Carried with them—a lost scientific secret that threatens the very heart of Imperial power.


At first, this book didn't really stand out in my mind. So I read it, not really knowing what to expect.  Little did I know that this book was a fantastic mix of historical, adventure, and steampunk fiction. This is one of those books that I am SO glad I took a chance on, because I ended up loving it and discovering a new book I would have missed out on otherwise.

  1. An incredibly well thought out universe:

    I didn't realize just how much thought was put into the world that this novel takes place in until I finished the novel, only to find pages and pages of explanations for everything.  There's a whole synopsis of the history in this alternate world, and an explanation for why things are the way they are.  I was really glad that those were put there, because it did clear everything up for me.  I really liked that after reading about the alternate world, I could see that things could very well have possibly turned out that way.  Things made a lot of sense logically, which I appreciate.  After reading these, I could really see just how much effort was put into this really cool alternate universe.
  2. The really intriguing story:

     Although the book does start off a bit slow, once I hit about page 60, I found the story became really, really interesting.  Really exciting, and sometimes kind of scary things start happening.  The characters begin to find themselves in seemingly hopeless situations.  After point, I didn't want to put the book down; I just wanted to keep turning pages.  I find the whole story in general to be really unique and interesting.  I enjoyed seeing different events, and the way that the story played out in this different world.  The story is a lot more than just  historical fiction, which is what the synopsis makes it out to be.  It has some amazing adventure and steampunk elements that make the book that much more enjoyable.
  3. Characters that I could actually relate to:

    Nothing bothers me more than characters being completely unrealistic.  I don't enjoy reading about characters that have no flaws or weaknesses.  The thing that I really liked about Cuttlefish was its wide array of characters. Now, the sheer number of characters did make it a tad confusing at times, but by the end of the novel I began to know more and more of them.  The two main characters, Tim and Clara, I found to be really excellent characters.  They are both really strong, and come from tough backgrounds.  They are both courageous and manage to accomplish a lot.  The thing that I really liked about them though, is that they are not fearless.  Multiple times throughout the book, both Tim and Clara become terrified in a certain situation.  What made me admire them, was the fact that despite their fear, they did what they were supposed to do, which I find top be much more admirable than somebody with no fear accomplishing the same thing.  I thoroughly enjoyed all of the characters showcased in this book.
  4. A great little romance subplot:

      I really liked that the romance in this book was not the main focus, it was really more of a subplot.  I mean, the amount of romance that is actually in the book is so small that it isn't even mentioned in the synopsis.  There's enough though, to satisfy anyone who does enjoy a bit of romance in books(like me).  The romance goes by kind of slow, which I don't think is a bad thing.  It starts off with friendsip, and slowly but surely goes into something more.  Also, I liked that it wasn't a super dramatic romance.  It was just a simple little love story. 
I did really, really like this book.  The only flaws that I found in it were that I found the large number of characters very hard to keep up with, and it was a bit slow at the beginning.  Both of those flaws didn't seem to matter too much by the end of the book though, so they are really very minor.  This is a really great book, and once I got through the slow part, it took me no time at all to finish it.


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