Heir to Sevenwaters by Juliet Marillier

Synopsis:
The chieftains of Sevenwaters have long been custodians of a vast and mysterious forest--one of the last refuges of the Tuatha De Danann, the Fair Folk of ancient story. Human and Otherworld dwellers have existed there side by side, separated by a thin veil between the realms and sharing a wary trust--until the spring when Lady Ashling of Sevenwaters finds herself expecting another child, and everything changes.

With her mother pregnant, Clodagh fears the worst, since Aisling is well past the safe age for childbearing. Her father, Lord Sean of Sevenwaters, faces his own difficulties as warring factions threaten his borders. When Aisling gives birth fo a son--a new heir to Sevenwaters--the responsibility of caring for the infant falls to Clodagh while her mother recovers.

Then the family's joy turns to despair when the baby is taken from his room and something unnatural is left in his place. To reclaim her brother, Clodagh must enter the shadowy Otherworld and confront the powerful prince who rules there. Accompanied on her quest by a warrior who may be more than he seems, Clodagh will have her courage tested to its breaking point. But the reward may be far greater than she ever dreamed...

My Rating: 8/10

My Thoughts:
Books like this, where it's series predecessors are so good, are hard to review because I end up comparing it to them, rather then judge it based on its own merits.

With that said, I liked it. I loved being able to catch up with all the characters we met in other books and seeing what they have been up to. Almost like visiting old friends. Plus on top of that, we get to witness a new epic love story. Who could ask for more.

Unlike the other books, this one takes us into the Otherworld, and we learn more of the peculiarities of all the peoples that live there. While the Fair Folk have played a major part in the other books, they were always coming out of their world to manipulate the mortals. Here we have a mortal who is going to manipulate the Fair Folk.

I was slow to like both Clodagh and Cathal, but as the story gets going, both characters become much more likeable.

It was so fun to revisit Sevenwaters after believing the series was over, and now I can't wait for the next book to come out in December!

In The Woods by Tana French

Synopsis:
Three children leave their small Dublin neighborhood to play in the surrounding woods. Hours later, their mothers' calls go unanswered. When the police arrive, they find only one of the children, gripping a tree trunk in terror, wearing blood-filled sneakers, and unable to recall a single detail of the previous hours.

Twenty years later, Detective Rob Ryan--the found boy, who has kept his past a secret--and his partner Cassie Maddox investigate the murder of a twelve-year-old girl in the same woods. Now, with only snippets of long-buried memories to guide him, Ryan has the chance to uncover both the mystery of the case before him, and that of his own shadowy past.

My Rating: 7/10

My Thoughts:
Warning, possible spoilers....

First off, I love the cover. It was what initially made me pick this novel up.

I have mixed feelings about this book. The first half was really, really good. The mystery surrounding Robs childhood was marvelously creepy, and then the new murder being possibly connected really interested me. Plus on top of that I loved the relationship between Rob and Cassie. Their interactions were really fun, and they just seemed like cool people I would want to hang out with. And at about half way through, I was kicking myself for waiting so long to pick this book up. However...

The second half. GAH! Everything just falls apart. Cassie and Rob's relationship, the murder case, Rob's state of mind. The story just started to drag, and everything the book had going for it just went wrong. Plus I kinda figured out who the murder was way early. (And how could Tana French just leave us hanging on the mystery of Rob's childhood??? I mean, I understand leaving it a little ambiguous, but it's more like she forgot that his mystery was even part of the book and left us with nothing!) Ok, done ranting. So even though I kept reading to find out how it was going to end, I just wasn't impressed with the second half.

I don't know, maybe I'm just not getting the intellectual subtleties of the symbolism or something. Or maybe not. I've read a lot of reviews where people loved this book, so I guess I would just recommend reading it and deciding for yourself.

Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver

Synopsis:
Samantha Kingston has it all: the world's most crush-worthy boyfriend, three amazing best friends, and first pick of everything at Thomas Jefferson High--from the best table in the cafeteria to the choicest parking spot. Friday, February 12, should be just another day in her charmed life.

Instead, it turns out to be her last.

Then she gets a second chance. Seven chances, in fact. Reliving her last day during one miraculous week, she will untangle the mystery surrounding her death--and discover the true value of everything she is in danger of losing.

My Rating: 9/10

My Thoughts:
LOVED IT! And I wasn't sure I would. I thought Sam was going to be really unlikeable and overall the story would be really morbid, but it wasn't. You get to see Sam's despair, and then growth as a person as she deals with the realization that she is repeating her last day over and over.

This is one of those books that makes you think. You think about your own life and what you are doing with it, and you think about how you treat other people around you. Books that make me think are the reason I read YA.

Though this book is sad, it's also hopeful. None of the characters are all bad (like, Sam's best friend) and none of them are perfectly good either. Everyone makes mistakes and everyone has their own personal issues they are dealing with. And that's how real life is.

Plus there is a hint of romance.

Go out and read this one, it's worth it.

Nothing but the Truth (and a few white lies) by Justina Chen Headley

Synopsis:
Not quite a banana (Asian on the outside but white on the inside), and not quite an egg (a white kid who gets off on all things Asian), half-and-half Patty Ho has never felt completely at home in her skin. Life at House Ho is tough enough between her ultra-strict Taiwanese mom (epic-length lectures and all) and her Harvard-bound big brother. But things get worse when a Chinese fortune-teller channels Patty's future via her belly button... and divines a white guy on her romance horizon. Faster than Patty can add two plus two, her mom freaks out and ships her off to math camp at Stanford. Just as Patty writes off her summer of woe, life starts glimmering with all kinds of probabilities...

My Rating: 6/10

My Thoughts:
So this is the third and final Justina Chen Headley book that she has written. It was the first one she wrote, but the last one I read, and probably my least favorite. But that's not to say it doesn't have merit.

Patty is half Taiwanese and half Caucasian, and I enjoyed this different perspective. She struggles to fit in completely with either side of her ethnic background because each group views her as slightly other. There were many humorous parts, especially the Chinese fortune-teller and the smelly soup, and it's fun to read about people who's every day life is so different than my own, but at the same time so similar.

The things I didn't really like were, and you guessed it, it lacked romance, and a lot of it took place at a math camp. But these are mostly just personal perspectives, not faults that have to do with the writing or plot holes or any other aspect that would constitute a bad novel. I just don't like math, so maybe this book is for you. It just was not for me.