Holding Court

I knew just a few pages into KC Held's debut, HOLDING COURT, that I was going to enjoy the book--particularly after discovering that Held and I have a mutual adoration of Elizabeth Peters' wonderfully madcap mysteries, and those were part of her inspiration behind this book.

This book was fun, breezy, and witty with just the right touch of romance. Juliet ("Jules") Verity was a delightful main character--smart, loyal, and just self-deprecating enough to be relatable. Part of this, of course, comes from her "PTS"--or self-diagnosed psychic Tourette's syndrome, where she feels an inexplicable compulsion to blurt random things that turn out to be true. (Jules is aware that this isn't real Tourette's syndrome, and even comments on the fact that corprolalia, or the blurting tendency most commonly associated with Tourette's syndrome, only happens in 10 % of the cases). Whatever the cause, her blurts are a source of annoyance and embarrassment to Jules.

As the story begins, Jules is looking for a summer job--and finds the perfect one at a local Medieval dinner theater, where, she believes, she'll get to wear an attractive dress and discretely ogle her long-time crush from a distance. But life, of course, rarely works the way you planned (especially in novels!) and Jules finds herself cast as a mad, fortune-telling nun, of all things, and that her crush's girlfriend is also part of the staff. When Jules stumbles across a dead body (that disappears while she's trying to summon help), things only get worse, particularly as Jules tries to uncover information that could clear herself from suspicion.

Held does a wonderful job with this--it's compulsively readable, quick, and the characters run the gamut from funny to downright creepy. Despite the potential darkness of the murder, Held keeps the tone light even as the tension picks up (a perfect combination for me: there's a reason I read cozy mysteries!). Recommended for readers looking for a light-hearted, escapist read.

The Serpent King

Jeff Zentner's debut, THE SERPENT KING, is a little out of my usual wheelhouse--a more serious contemporary YA. But there's no doubt that this is a remarkable book: characters that stay with you long after the story has ended, a bitter-sweet exploration of friendship and small town life and the indelible affects both past and place have.

Dill Early is the infamous son of a preacher (also named Dillard Early) who was recently arrested for possession of pornographic images of a minor. That reputation haunts Dill--as do the rumors circulating about his grandfather, the Serpent King of the book's title. The only thing Dill cares about are his friends, Lydia and Travis, and his music--but as his senior year dawns, even those are threatened, as Lydia can't wait to get out of their small Tennessee town.

Lydia lives for her fashion blog and her dreams of the future, but she's intensely loyal toward her two friends, both outcasts in their small town. The third corner of their trio, Travis, spends his days working at his father's lumberyard, avoiding his father's temper, and his nights reading his favorite epic fantasy series and engaging in debates (and a possible flirtation) on the reader forums.

The plot, as plots go, isn't high concept or super fast paced. But the book has a way of gripping you and not letting go. The prose is gorgeous (probably award-winning), and the characters--in all their flawed, wondrous glory--are heart-breaking and hopeful. I would not be at all surprised to see Zentner go on to astound us.

Secrets of the Dragon Tomb

I don't read as much middle grade as I should, with a 10 year old reader at home who devours books, but I couldn't pass up a chance to read Patrick Samphire's delightful  middle grade sci-fi (though really, it reads as much fantasy as sci-fi). It's a bit Jules Verne crossed with Regency period pieces: Twelve-year-old Edward Sullivan lives with his very British family (including his slightly mad-scientist father and his society-obsessed mother) on a British colony in 1816 Mars. In this alternate universe, Mars has been inhabited for thousands of years, and the oldest inhabitants (much like the ancient Egyptians) left tombs (called "dragon tombs" for their tendency to bury perfectly preserved dragons in them) full of treasure: only in this case, the treasure is technology.

When a deadly and duplicitous explorer thinks Edward's family has clues to the hiding place of a hitherto unlocated dragon tomb, he kidnaps Edward's parents and sister, and it's up to Edward, his two sisters, and a family friend to cross the Martian desert and save them.

This story was, frankly, delightful. It has everything: adventure, humor, strong family relationships, cool gadgets, even cooler invented flora and fauna. And it's all set in a world that makes my 19th-century British loving heart beat faster. Best of all, this is the kind of book that kids and aduls can enjoy equally.

Beyond the Red

Sci-fi tends to be hit or miss for me--I adore Connie Willis and Lois Bujold, but other sci-fi series sometimes leave me cold. Luckily, that was not the case for Ava Jae's debut Beyond the Red--partly because the book, while technically sci-fi, has the feel of an epic fantasy. Part of that is the politics, which remain mostly on-planet. Kora is an alien queen, struggling with the growing riots of her people, who want to see her displaced in favor of her twin brother. But Kora knows that letting him take the throne would mean ruin for her people. A twist of events puts Eos, a half-human, half-Sepharon, in her path--and rather than having him killed (as her brother encourages her to do, since half-breeds are an abomination), Kora takes him on as a slave-body guard. Their growing friendship and attraction only complicates their situation--Kora has to marry well to ensure her throne's stability, and Eos risks his life if anyone suspects his feelings for Kora.

I thought the relationship was well-drawn and I rooted for both Kora and Eos. But what really fascinated me was the world-building here--the desert planet with its ruthless, terrible beauty, the fragile peace between humans and Sepharons, the treachery and dangerous political navigation Kora has to undertake to survive.

Ava Jae is a young writer (she graduates college this spring!) and definitely one to watch.

Summer of Supernovas

SUMMER OF SUPERNOVAS was just as charming as you might expect about a headstrong young woman, Wilamena (Wil) Carlisle, who plots her future according to her astrological chart. Believing this summer to be her last shot at finding true love until the next time the stars align in nearly a decade, Wil is determined to find her one true love. Naturally, just as Wil decides she's meant to find true love, she stumbles across two boys: one who's perfect on paper, the other who makes her heart sing, but is totally, fatally wrong for her according to their astrological signs. As Wil tries to navigate a tricky tangle of relationships, hilarity and heartbreak ensue.

I adored Wil: she was complex, funny, strong, sweet, and loyal. I would have gladly followed Wil through just about any story--it was just my good luck that hers happened to be an epic romance. But for all that the romance had my heart pounding and twisting in a painfully good way, the core of the story was about much more than that. This was a story about friendship and family and finding yourself even as you fall more deeply in love with the ones around you.

These Vicious Masks

I was fortunate to get an ARC of THESE VICIOUS MASKS, by Tarun Shanker and Kelly Zekas, in exchange for an honest review. To be honest, I have wanted to read this book since the first time I heard of it pitched as Jane Austen meets X-Men (though it probably should have been more Oscar Wilde meets X-Men, since the late Victorian era is not quite Austen's Regency era--but that's just quibbling. In any case, I adore Oscar Wilde almost as much as Jane Austen).

Evelyn and Rose Wyndham are gently bred young women--but there's nothing typical about them. Between Rose's insistence on healing the neighborhood, and Evelyn's obvious disdain for social events, their mother is about to toss her hands up in despair. When Rose disappears mysteriously, Evelyn believes she's been kidnapped, but her parents refuse to believe her. So Evelyn does what any good sister would: she follows Rose to London, societal conventions be damned. There, she has the help of a witty young gentleman named Nick, and is plagued by a mysterious and brooding Sebastian, who also seems to be searching for Rose--and worse, insisting that Rose has some absurd kind of power. As Evelyn's search leads her deeper into the underbelly of London, she discovers that things are much darker--and more dangerous--than she could have believed.

This book hit so many of my reader buttons: strong-willed and indomitable heroine, mysterious powers, high (and low) society, banter (oh, the banter is quite excellent!), wild escapes, and more. Evelyn is a remarkable heroine, and the plot twists consistently surprised me. And the ending nearly slayed me.

My only complaint is that there wasn't enough--I am devoutly hoping this book has a sequel!

Assassin's Heart

On the face of it, Sarah Ahiers' ASSASSIN'S HEART is a classic vengeance story: Lea (Oleander) Saldana belongs to the first family of clippers in Lovero--highly trained assassin's whose work is in service of the dark goddess who protects their kingdom. Her privileged life is only complicated by a secret romance with a rival Da Via--until she comes home one night to find her family murdered by the Da Vias. Lea vows vengeance, promising not to rest until the Da Vias (including the boy who loved and betrayed her) are dead.

But the story is much more than just a revenge plot. Ahiers' world is rich and complex. The cities of Lovero have some of the rich and vibrant feel of Italy, but this is a world of fascinating gods and angry ghosts that haunt the dead plains between walled cities. Lea's quest for vengeance forces her to confront the limits of her abilities, her heart, and her faith.

I loved the immersive world Ahiers' wrote (though I think I'd be terrified to actually visit it). I loved the surprises and twists she threw into the story, I loved Lea's growing relationship with Les, and I was sad to leave the world as the story ended.

Bookishly Ever After

Isabel Bandiera's debut, BOOKISHLY EVER AFTER, is the kind of book I wish I could have read as a bookish, nerdy teenage girl who knew more about book boyfriends than the real kind.

Phoebe Martin is perfectly happy with her life, working at a knitting store, hanging out with her best friends, and reading as many books as she can fit into her life. She finds book boys more appealing than real-life ones (aside from the unattainable boy she crushes on from afar). That is, until her best friends presents one of her friends as a real-life option, and when Phoebe finally notices Dev "that way," she starts to flounder. Not knowing how to handle a real crush, she turns to her beloved books for advice--with funny, and charming, consequences.

This book was sweet--Phoebe was adorable and genuine, and I thought the portrayal of a crush (and the often terribly awkward ways they unfold) was one of the most realistic I've read in some time. For a fun, sweet, clean YA read, this one is just about perfect. 

Ivory and Bone

I was lucky enough to read an ARC of Julie Eshbaugh's masterful debut. This is a book I've wanted to read since I first heard about it--a YA novel set in pre-historic era is unlike anything else I can think of in the market right now. I wasn't entirely sure what to expect going in, but that didn't seem to matter--Eshbaugh drew me in almost at once with her sharp prose and interesting characters (and she manages to pull off a second-person narration, which can be extremely hard to do).

Ivory and Bone follows Kol and his family, a pre-historic clan living on the fringes of the great ice, where they hunt mammoth and other animals for meat and furs. The world Eshbaugh describes is one of incredible beauty and incredible danger, and that tension undergirds Kol's story, as his family--already worried about the future of a clan in which there are no young women for Kol and his brothers to marry--celebrates the arrival of Mya, her sister and her brother, members of a thriving clan to the south. This arrival promises welcome alliances and friendship between the clans, but almost at once, Kol and Mya find themselves wary of one another--a hesitation that's only complicated by the arrival of still a third clan and the slow unveiling of deep-held secrets that might destroy them all.

Eshbaugh does a wonderful job of fleshing out an unusual world. Though my life is nothing like Kol's, I could understand and relate to his worries--his fears for the future and his more immediate fears of being stalked by a saber-tooth tiger--and the pleasure he takes in hunting for honey. The relationships she draws were moving and believable, and I loved the slow unfolding of Kol's friendship with Mya. As the action climaxed, I couldn't put the book down. Definitely one to read in 2016!

The Girl from Everywhere

If you don't follow Heidi Heilig on twitter (@heidiheilig), you should. Not only is she funny and smart, but she posts the most amazing book-inspired fashions for all the 2016 debut authors.

I wasn't at all surprised to find that Heidi's debut, THE GIRL FROM EVERYWHERE, is as delightful and detail-conscious as she is. Sixteen-year-old Nix was born in 1868 Hawaii, but she hails from, well, everywhere. Her father is a Navigator, able to travel across time in his ship, so long as he has an accurate map of his destination. His current obsession is returning to 1868 Hawaii, to save Nix's mom before she dies giving birth to Nix. But much as Nix has loved traveling with her father, much as she likes the idea of meeting her mother, this is one destination she wants to avoid at all costs: if her father succeeds, it might wipe out Nix's very existence.

While much of the book deals with Nix's wrestle with her father's obsession, there's so much more. When they arrive in 1884 Hawaii in search of the much-sought-after map, she meets a range of new characters who challenge her in new ways, and she falls in love with the island that might be the closest thing she has to home.

The characters in Heilig's debut are charming, from strong-willed, smart-mouthed Nix, to her friend Kashmir, a talented thief; to the more-straight laced American-Hawaiian boy she meets in 1884. But what really sold me on the story was the details: the deftness with which Heilig throws in a casual reference to the Arabian tales cheek by jowl with the sky-herring who light the lamps of the Temptation (her father's ship). The story itself is interesting, complex, and fast-paced, but it was the attention to wonderful historical details that made me fall in love with this story. 

Rebel of the Sands

I've been wanting to read Alwyn Hamilton's REBEL OF THE SANDS since it was announced. (Really: her announcement was at the top of Publisher's Weekly's deal announcements the same week mine was announced. It was hard not to notice!)

So I was not unnaturally thrilled at a chance to read an ARC--and I loved it just as much as I hoped I would. Alwyn's world--a desert kingdom inspired by Arabian culture with religious links to the First Beings (djinn and other mystical creatures)--is so vivid. But it's not an easy world, and for Amina, a sixteen-year-old orphan living in Dustwalk, in the middle of nowhere, all she wants to do is get out. Her opportunity comes in the unlikely form of a boy named Jin, who's wanted by the Sultan's soldiers. But as Amina gets farther from the world she was born to and learns more about the politics destroying her native land and the rebellion growing to change that, the  more she begins to question who she really is--and what she wants.

I loved this book--I loved Amina's strength, and Jin's humor (even when it got him in trouble. Or maybe especially then). I adored the setting, how I could imagine riding through the night across a Nightmare-haunted desert. The story is wonderfully paced too. It has all my favorite things: a unique setting, a powerful romance, and terrifying and powerful creatures. Really, a book for all YA fantasy readers to enjoy.

Scarlett Epstein Hates It Here

From the moment you start Anna Breslaw's witty, heart-felt SCARLETT EPSTEIN HATES IT HERE, it's pretty clear that Scarlett is not your ordinary teen--and Breslaw isn't your ordinary writer.

Scarlett's a smart, acerbic teenager who'd rather live on the boards of the fandom for her favorite TV show than interact with the real-live teenagers in her high school. When the TV show is cancelled, Scarlett, desperate to keep some of the top fanfic writers together, proposes a new twist on the show: fanfic with original characters. The only problem? Scarlett models these original characters on real people, including her long-time crush Gideon who has recently, inexplicably, joined forces with the Populars. And that's only the start of Scarlett's complications.

As other reviews have noted, this isn't a plot driven novel, so much as it is an intimate look at Scarlett's life, her struggles to fit into a virtual and real life that don't always have clear-cut boundaries, her strained relationship with both her mother and the writer father she idealizes (but who has left them behind for a new family in NYC). No one in this story is perfect, and that's part of what makes the story so wonderful--a perfect blend of humor and heartache. Really though, Scarlett's voice carries this story--she's the kind of person I would have loved to know in high school (though I'm afraid she would have been too cool for me).

Some language, discussion of sexual situations.