The Crown's Game Blog Tour: Review + Song

Tour stop before this one!

Title: The Crown's Game
Author: Evelyn Skye
Pub Date: May 17th, 2016
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Format: Hardcover, eBook

Vika Andreyeva can summon the snow and turn ash into gold. Nikolai Karimov can see through walls and conjure bridges out of thin air. They are enchanters—the only two in Russia—and with the Ottoman Empire and the Kazakhs threatening, the Tsar needs a powerful enchanter by his side.

And so he initiates the Crown’s Game, an ancient duel of magical skill—the greatest test an enchanter will ever know. The victor becomes the Imperial Enchanter and the Tsar’s most respected adviser. The defeated is sentenced to death.

Raised on tiny Ovchinin Island her whole life, Vika is eager for the chance to show off her talent in the grand capital of Saint Petersburg. But can she kill another enchanter—even when his magic calls to her like nothing else ever has?

For Nikolai, an orphan, the Crown’s Game is the chance of a lifetime. But his deadly opponent is a force to be reckoned with—beautiful, whip smart, imaginative—and he can’t stop thinking about her.

And when Pasha, Nikolai’s best friend and heir to the throne, also starts to fall for the mysterious enchantress, Nikolai must defeat the girl they both love . . . or be killed himself.

As long-buried secrets emerge, threatening the future of the empire, it becomes dangerously clear . . . the Crown’s Game is not one to lose.

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Filled with twists and turns, I felt the characters' struggles between the price of winning vs. the price of losing their soul. The entire concept is so thought-provoking; I cannot wait for this book to come out. - Nova @ Out of Time

Right off the bat, let's just talk about the lack of Russian-inspired fantasy in YA. Really, all I can think of at the moment is Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo. I loved that book so it's no surprise that I really really enjoyed The Crown's Game too! I hope that a bunch of people follow this lead and write more fantasies inspired by not only Russian culture, but any culture that is lacking representation.

As I already said, I loved how much I had to think while reading this. The theme that just blew me away was about how it is/isn't worth it to win if you're losing a piece of your soul. This theme is carried throughout the novel and you can see struggle on each side. It humanizes the characters so much, brings them to life and gosh, I just felt so bad for them. Characters that are strong are always an important part to the story but in this case, characters who are being strong because they literally don't have any other choice feel ridiculously human which is an awesome feat for an author!

Something that I wasn't completely sold on was the romance aspect. To be fair, I wasn't really in the mood for one. And to add in a love-triangle? My apathetic feelings were all over the place but the story itself made up for what I didn't like. In the end, however, I was personally victimized by an event and I realized that I actually do like the romance - it just took a while. This is mostly because I felt as though the stakes were built so high that the romance looked odd and out of place but by the end, I realize that in order for me to really have felt for the characters, romance was essential!

In terms of plot, I felt like it went from typical to a big surprise. Whenever I read stories, I always expect a certain "thing" to happen based on the events or the terms of the conflicts. However, the verdict of this story wasn't what I expected. I was so set in my ways that "this is what is going to happen!" and also very very shocked. Evelyn keeps you guessing with the plot, which is so important to me as a reader. I must be challenged as I can get a little judgmental and The Crown's Game just smiled at me and said, "Nope! You shall not guess my secrets!"

Overall, there are still lots of loose ends which makes me excited for the sequel! Skye has done so much with her world and I just cannot imagine the amount of action that is going to go down in the second book. Look at me, waiting for that when the first isn't even out yet. If that isn't an indication to read this, than hopefully, the song below is!

I also wrote a song based on this lovely novel!

Evelyn's Facebook | Goodreads | Twitter | Website

Evelyn Skye was once offered a job by the C.I.A., she not-so-secretly wishes she was on "So You Think You Can Dance," and if you challenge her to a pizza-eating contest, she guarantees she will win. When she isn't writing, Evelyn can be found chasing her daughter on the playground or sitting on the couch, immersed in a good book and eating way too many cookies. THE CROWN'S GAME is her first novel. Evelyn can be found online at www.evelynskye.com and on Twitter @EvelynSkyeYA.

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ARC Review: The Lifeboat Clique - Kathy Parks

Title: The Lifeboat Clique
Author: Kathy Parks
Pub Date: March 1st, 2016
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Page Count: 336

Some people might say that Denver had a death wish. Why else would she have dared to sneak into a Malibu beach party where she’d be surrounded by enemies, namely including her ex-BFF Abigail?

Oh yeah. Croix. Denver never thought in a million years he’d ask her out, but who was she to question this miracle of fate? Well, that wasn’t the only surprise fate had in store.

During the party a tsunami hit the coast of California, wiping out everything in its path. Denver and a handful of others escaped death by holding onto the roof of the house and were swept out to sea. Of course, one of her fellow castaways was none other than Abigail, who could barely stand the sight of her.

Now that she’s floating in the ocean, stuck on a small boat with the most popular kids in school and waiting to be rescued, Denver wonders what might kill her first-dehydration, sunstroke, or the girl she used to think of as a sister?

A hilariously dark and twisted story that sparkles with a remarkably fresh voice, The Lifeboat Clique is Kathy Park’s irreverent yet insightful novel about how to survive in the most unthinkable circumstances.

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Pitched as "Mean Girls meets Life of Pi," how could I not want to read this? Admittedly, its a quirky combination but it worked so well! - Nova @ Out of Time

The plot follows a girl named Denver who's stuck in a boat with a bunch of the popular people in her school. I want to say, before you read this, keep in mind that it's meant to be satirical. A lot of it is stereotypical and in any other situation, it would be a complaint but I found it humorous in addition to the plot.
Denver is a lot like me so I was able to relate to her. She has a very sarcastic personality but she uses intelligent sarcasm [like metaphors and SAT words] so the meanings usually go over peoples' heads when she makes fun of them. I wonder what it says about me that I usually have the same problem. Denver is probably one of my all time favorite main characters because I was able to relate to her so well.

If you've seen Mean Girls, the dynamic between outcast Denver and mean girl Abigail was like Regina George and Janis Ian [only that no one gets hit by a bus and there's a lot more interaction between the two.] The plot also jumps around from present to past, each past memory giving more context to the reason Denver and Abigail's relationship went south. It wasn't anything shocking but it also wasn't something I'd be able to guess. The reason I really enjoyed that part was because it wasn't a misunderstanding in which no one was guilty. I hate those. In this book, someone was guilty and I loved that because it showed fault to the characters.

There are some moments of this book that I felt were unnecessary. For example, one/two characters that were offed for what I feel was no reason. The problem is that the story is about Denver and Abigail. Every other character was irrelevant. While there were five on the lifeboat, the other three provided entertainment and the occasional banter but not much else. The story would've gone on with or without them.

The other part of the story involved their chronicles of survival. This included eating stuff that would make me green. Weird part is that while I was reading, I didn't really get that "grossed out" feeling. I've seen Life of Pi so that aspect was pretty similar. They were pretty resourceful, though - using an earring as a fishing hook. The survival part wasn't very large, though. It was just there to make the story more believable, as most of it wasn't even set on the book, it was set in the past.

Despite all of this, I did enjoy this book. I loved reading about Abigail and Denver and more importantly, I enjoyed the ending. It was real. In a book like this, in a movie like Mean Girls, I expected the ending to be something like an ABC Family special. Listen guys, I can take satire but I don't think I can take the amount of cheese that I thought I'd be getting. Instead, the author surprised me by giving a realistic and funny end to a story.

If you want something just for fun that you don't have to take too seriously, give this one a try! If you like sarcastic main characters who don't fit in with the "popular crowd," you might connect with Denver. Also if the idea of Life of Pi and Mean Girls made you laugh, caught your interest, trust that interest!

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ARC Review: Burning Glass - Kathryn Purdie

Title: Burning Glass
Author: Kathryn Purdie
Pub Date: March 1st, 2016
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Page Count: 512

Sonya was born with the rare gift to feel what those around her feel—both physically and emotionally—a gift she’s kept hidden from the empire for seventeen long years. After a reckless mistake wipes out all the other girls with similar abilities, Sonya is hauled off to the palace and forced to serve the emperor as his sovereign Auraseer.

Tasked with sensing the intentions of would-be assassins, Sonya is under constant pressure to protect the emperor. One mistake, one small failure, will cost her own life and the lives of the few people left in the world who still trust her.

But Sonya’s power is untamed and reckless, her feelings easily usurped, and she sometimes can’t decipher when other people’s impulses end and her own begin. In a palace full of warring emotions and looming darkness, Sonya fears that the biggest danger to the empire may be herself.

As she struggles to wrangle her abilities, Sonya seeks refuge in her tenuous alliances with the volatile Emperor Valko and his idealistic younger brother, Anton, the crown prince. But when threats of revolution pit the two brothers against each other, Sonya must choose which brother to trust—and which to betray.

BURNING GLASS is debut author Kathryn Purdie’s stunning tale of dangerous magic, heart-rending romance, and the hard-won courage it takes to let go.

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After hearing such positive reviews of this novel from reviewers I trust, I feel as though I wasn't reading the same novel. - Nova @ Out of Time

This review is a rant. It is angry and possibly long winded. If that is not your thing, I advise that you don't read on.

About a year ago, I wrote a review for The Sin Eater's Daughter in which I highlighted things like a useless main character and nonexistent plot that bothered the crap out of me. This review goes down as one of the most negative I've ever written. I never thought I'd be in a position to write another review, but here we are again.

Burning Glass started off very quickly. It immersed me into the story without much warning so I felt as though I was being thrown in the deep end. I was actually a little confused. But that went away really quickly. What first struck me was how quickly the disaster happens. I felt as though the disaster was written really well and really darkly. I could feel Sonya's pain and survivor's guilt. But after a few chapters, it's like she forgot that all the people she grew up with are dead.

Nevertheless, I kept going and realized that things started to get better. We're introduced to Prince Anton and Emperor Valko. Immediately, I got the sense there would be a love triangle. Cue an eyeroll. The story doesn't do much, going between idle politics and the push/pull between the characters. Nearing the end, it's like the book realizes it hasn't done anything and thrusts and entire story worth of action in a few chapters. The plot itself is very dry and not original. Corrupt ruler gets overthrown by an unlikely heroine. You already know how this ends. It concludes with the main character doing something "strong" and proving that she's got power even though there was no building of any kind. Things fell into place too easy. It made no sense.

Sonya was idiotic and you know, if there was development, I wouldn't have minded. However, there wasn't. Being away from boys for your entire live and then sensing the allure of a prince [and an Emperor], I get it. The initial swoony feeling is totally natural. But once one of the two starts to force themselves on you and treating you like a mistress, I feel as though the choice is pretty clear. Sonya, unfortunately, did not. In the end, she does do something but it has nothing to do with the way the character treated her, which, to me, is SO NOT OKAY. It took her a long time before she realized a person's true nature. It's even more of a joke when you realize that Sonya's Auraseer power makes it so she's supposed to be able to sense people; their intentions and emotions. For someone of that power, she's exceptionally naive and useless.
This went from bad to worse nearing the end as I say it again. When she finally realizes her power, it's like there is no work involved to reach her goal of saving people. The people who have been terrorizing the fictional world since the beginning of the novel happen to bend to the will of a teenager without consequence?

I'm honestly so sick of this trope where the main character has more power than the entire country in her pinky. It stunts development, in my opinion. The worst part is that it's evidently clear that Sonya lacks any kind of control with her power. I don't understand why that wasn't a setback in the novel. Instead, it was all smooth sailing. More setbacks would slow down the story but it would also encourage development and natural growth.


The rest of the characters were no better. I felt as though I was in a wax museum the entire time. First we have the ruler bent on control. Then, there's the naive girl in the wrong place. Lastly, a prince with good intentions and a smoldering gaze who can do no wrong. I love how unique these characters are!1!11!1 Oh wait. This story relied on Sonya as the focal point. The other characters came into when it was in relation to her. It's hard to believe Sonya was not born in the palace with the way people kept kissing her ass.

I'm shaking my head while writing this review. I have no idea how to express my thoughts on this one. I found it a complete waste of my time, only pushing through because I kept assuming there would be something more; that there would be a part that blew my mind and made me realize why I heard so many great things. This didn't happen and now I'm snarky.

Kathryn's Facebook | Goodreads | Twitter | Website

Kathryn’s love of storytelling began as a young girl when her dad told her about someone named Boo Radley while they listened to the film score of TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD. In high school and college, Kathryn focused on acting, poetry, guitar, and extensive journal writing. Years later, when she was in recovery from donating a kidney to her brother, inspiration for her first novel struck. She’s been writing darkly fantastical stories ever since. Her debut novel, BURNING GLASS, releases winter 2016 from HarperCollins/Katherine Tegen Books.

 

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ARC Review: The Girl From Everywhere - Heidi Heilig

Title: The Girl From Everywhere
Author: Heidi Heilig
Pub Date: February 16th, 2016
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Page Count: 464

Heidi Heilig’s debut teen fantasy sweeps from modern-day New York City to nineteenth-century Hawaii to places of myth and legend. Sixteen-year-old Nix has sailed across the globe and through centuries aboard her time-traveling father’s ship. But when he gambles with her very existence, it all may be about to end. The Girl from Everywhere, the first of two books, will dazzle readers of Sabaa Tahir, Rae Carson, and Rachel Hartman.

Nix’s life began in Honolulu in 1868. Since then she has traveled to mythic Scandinavia, a land from the tales of One Thousand and One Nights, modern-day New York City, and many more places both real and imagined. As long as he has a map, Nix’s father can sail his ship, The Temptation, to any place, any time. But now he’s uncovered the one map he’s always sought—1868 Honolulu, before Nix’s mother died in childbirth. Nix’s life—her entire existence—is at stake. No one knows what will happen if her father changes the past. It could erase Nix’s future, her dreams, her adventures . . . her connection with the charming Persian thief, Kash, who’s been part of their crew for two years. If Nix helps her father reunite with the love of his life, it will cost her her own.

In The Girl from Everywhere, Heidi Heilig blends fantasy, history, and a modern sensibility with witty, fast-paced dialogue, breathless adventure, and enchanting romance.

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This book is perfect if you go in with the right expectations - I didn't. However, I still found a sense of enjoyment in the writing style and rich culture. - Nova @ Out of Time

That's a rather worrying opening line, isn't it? And despite a lot of my complaints, I really did enjoy the story. The main problem is that the summary led me to believe one thing when the book was really something else. I expected the plot to be about what happens after Nix finds the map and how it could hurt her past [something like a sci-fi vibe.] Instead, the book was about the actual finding of the map. I spent the whole time thinking, "ugh! when is she going to find this map already?" If I'd known that the book was about the journey, rather than the destination, I'm sure my enjoyment would've greatly increased. So yes, to set the record straight, this book is about finding it. Don't go in with the wrong idea, like I did.

I terms of character, I didn't feel immensely connected to Nix. She didn't have any distinct characteristics that related to me. That's not to say that I didn't like her, though. She was enjoyable. She was brave and strong - qualities I admire in a protagonist. I liked where her values were set and I don't think many other people, real or fictional, would've been able to do what she did in this novel.

Her male counterpart, though. Dang. Let's just say I love Kashmir. I really enjoyed his humor because it was something I could relate to. In many ways, Kash was Nix's safety [even in situations where she felt that she didn't need it.]

The biggest thing that I loved was the amount of culture that was in the story. Not only that but how the diversity wasn't meant to prove a point - it was just a natural part of the story. I've read so much diverse fiction where the author is like, "SEE! NOT ALL CHARACTERS ARE WHITE!" and while I appreciate the intention, it's irritating that people's sole intention for including diversity is to make a point. This novel just felt so natural and rich. It felt like being in a world history class without the pain of boredom and homework. I was taken to all the different settings and it was perfect.

Which leads me to my next point: I don't think it's easy to be able to pull of the descriptive language so easily. I applaud Heilig for her description and beautiful language. There was a part of the Chinese the confused me [because I was taught something different and because she used the pinyin, not the actual characters] but other than that, I had no real problems.

So why isn't it full stars? Like I said before, I didn't understand the plot until after the book was done. I kept expecting more action and something crazy to happen. It was a lot of talking and a lot of uncovering answers. Action happened in the last quarter and even though the story was never straight-up boring, the thrilling point came too late for me.

Despite this, I am so glad I read this, though. I do recommend it! Please go read it for the beautiful world in different countries and different times. I don't particularly like history but I loved the history in this. I can tell so much work went into the culture, the myth and legends and it is so much appreciated.

Heidi's Goodreads | Twitter | Website

Heidi grew up in Hawaii where she rode horses and raised peacocks, and then she moved to New York City and grew up even more, as one tends to do. Her favorite thing, outside of writing, is travel, and she has haggled for rugs in Morocco, hiked the trails of the Ko'olau Valley, and huddled in a tent in Africa while lions roared in the dark.

She holds an MFA from New York University in Musical Theatre Writing, of all things, and she's written books and lyrics for shows including The Time Travelers Convention, Under Construction, and The Hole. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband and their pet snake, whose wings will likely grow in any day now.

 

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ARC Review: Truthwitch - Susan Dennard

Title: Truthwitch
Author: Susan Dennard
Pub Date: January 5th, 2016
Publisher: Tor
Page Count: 384

On a continent ruled by three empires, some are born with a “witchery”, a magical skill that sets them apart from others.

In the Witchlands, there are almost as many types of magic as there are ways to get in trouble—as two desperate young women know all too well.

Safiya is a Truthwitch, able to discern truth from lie. It’s a powerful magic that many would kill to have on their side, especially amongst the nobility to which Safi was born. So Safi must keep her gift hidden, lest she be used as a pawn in the struggle between empires.

Iseult, a Threadwitch, can see the invisible ties that bind and entangle the lives around her—but she cannot see the bonds that touch her own heart. Her unlikely friendship with Safi has taken her from life as an outcast into one of reckless adventure, where she is a cool, wary balance to Safi’s hotheaded impulsiveness.

Safi and Iseult just want to be free to live their own lives, but war is coming to the Witchlands. With the help of the cunning Prince Merik (a Windwitch and ship’s captain) and the hindrance of a Bloodwitch bent on revenge, the friends must fight emperors, princes, and mercenaries alike, who will stop at nothing to get their hands on a Truthwitch.

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2015 has been a year full of adventure - Truthwitch was one of those adventures. - Nova @ Out of Time

I'm not sure how I feel about high fantasy anymore. I'd always thought that it wasn't for me but this year [and this book] proved that high fantasy can be for me. When it comes to Truthwitch, I was really happy with the way I felt after reading. It was different, it was interesting and I was completely invested in the story and its characters.

My favorite element of Truthwitch is the friendship. It's sisters before misters in this one because while the romance was cute, it wasn't that big of a deal. It was enough to make my fangirl heart beat but not enough to overpower the stakes of the story or how important it is to have a good relationship with your threadsister. This is like those gifs where you feel like screaming, 'friendship goals' because Safi and Iseult were definitely friendship goals.

The actual plot went from very interesting to a little bit of a lull back to high thrill again. The parts that felt a little boring were mostly when it was on the boat. I mean, in the middle of the sea, it's bound to get a little calmer, right? However, before I could even complain, things went back to interesting shortly after so I really liked that switch.
The story itself is kind of meh. It wasn't very complicated and that has both its pros and cons. Pros because I followed this very easily and it leaves room for even more twists in the future but cons because there were hints at something very complex but it would be in the next book since it was only revealed close to the end. Truthwitch 2, I need you noooow.

However, the characters and the world. Yes, I'm grouping them together because they were equal. That means fantastic on both fronts. The world was so interesting and I love how there are so many different kinds of witches. It was hard to keep track of after a while but it reminded me kind of like X-Men, where the amount of powers are left up to the imagination.
Merek was wonderful. I loved every scene with him. He was entertaining to read and I really liked his personality. I even like Aeduan, even though he wasn't good because he wasn't one dimensional. I hate it when authors try to make the anti-hero have a tragic past but this didn't happen and some events showed that while he's a villain, Aeduan still had some form of humanity.

I don't know about Safi because I was a little confused with her power. She's a lie detector? In the book, it's almost like she's a golden snitch and everyone wants her but I didn't really see it. In comparison to Iseult's power, I felt like Safi was a little useless. I hope to better understand her power in the second book. That aspect just confused me. I did love her personality though. She's impulsive and emotional, in stark contrast to Iseult who's more calm and neutral. [Basically, Safi is Starfire and Iseult is Raven for my lovely Teen Titans fans out there.]

While I can't say I completely raved about it, for my first Susan Dennard book, this was wonderful! I'm definitely going to keep an open mind about her other books now - especially when it comes time for Truthwitch #2!

Susan's Facebook | Goodreads | Twitter | Website

Susan Dennard has come a long way from small-town Georgia. With a masters degree in marine biology, she got to travel the world—six out of seven continents, to be exact (she’ll get to Asia one of these days!)—before she settled down as a full-time novelist and writing instructor.

She is the author of the Something Strange and Deadly series (from HarperTeen) as well as the forthcoming Witchlands Series (Tor, 2015). When not writing, she can be found hiking with her dogs, exploring tidal pools, or earning bruises at the dojo.

 

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ARC Review: Soundless - Richelle Mead

Title: Soundless
Author: Richelle Mead
Pub Date: November 10th, 2015
Publisher: Razorbill
Page Count: 272

From Richelle Mead, the #1 internationally bestselling author of Vampire Academy and Bloodlines, comes a breathtaking new fantasy steeped in Chinese folklore.

For as long as Fei can remember, there has been no sound in her village, where rocky terrain and frequent avalanches prevent residents from self-sustaining. Fei and her people are at the mercy of a zipline that carries food up the treacherous cliffs from Beiguo, a mysterious faraway kingdom.

When villagers begin to lose their sight, deliveries from the zipline shrink and many go hungry. Fei’s home, the people she loves, and her entire existence is plunged into crisis, under threat of darkness and starvation.

But soon Fei is awoken in the night by a searing noise, and sound becomes her weapon.

Richelle Mead takes readers on a triumphant journey from the peak of Fei’s jagged mountain village to the valley of Beiugo, where a startling truth and an unlikely romance will change her life forever...

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Boring, seemingly random and riddled with deus ex machinas that stunted the development of the main character. - Nova @ Out of Time

This was my first Richelle Mead book and because of that, I didn't really have any expectations for the book. I know she's a popular author and her VA/Bloodlines series got a lot of success. That being said, my expectations were directed towards the writing style and her ability to craft a story - not the actual book itself.

I'm thinking that maybe I did the right thing. Because even though I didn't have expectations for Soundless, it still managed to let me down. I was frustrated with pretty much everything in the book. The only thing I really enjoyed was the culture [because Chinese culture is mine] and the Asian girl on the cover. The Asian culture was represented pretty well, even if some of it was unbelievable.

First off, this book lacked logic. Food comes in if the village produces metal. Metal is produced by miners. So doesn't it make sense for the food to go where the source of income is? WROOOOOONG! In this book, food is given to the servants and the artists - almost none for the miners. Excuse me, but aren't the miners the only reason the entire village is getting food?

I also could not feel or connect to anything in the story. There was some really awkward romance that read like instalove to me. The love interest sparkles, which should be enough reason in itself. Our main character, while had honorable intentions, failed to impress me in any way, shape or form. Rather, she felt so bland and one-dimensional. I also failed to see much action on her part that affected the plot. Yes, she can hear but in the end, it wasn't actually her that caused things to be resolved.

Which leads me to the amount of deus ex machinas in this book. Jeez. A deus ex machina is when someone random is introduced to fix a seemingly unsolvable problem. The main character and the love interest are stuck in a foreign place while people are starting to take notice. Panic is about to happen. Things are going to get bad - I can see it. When suddenly! A women comes out of the darkness, beckoning them to follow her so she can lead them out of danger. Isn't it funny that she's in the right place at the right time and is also able to sign because she knows they can't hear?
Exhibit B: We're led to believe that the male lead is doomed because he pulls a Jack and lets the girl escape. Yes, they have a nauseating "never let go" moment. However, when things all go to chaos [because obviously, the girl can't do anything on her own] he comes in on a frickin' stallion. Alright.
Don't even get me started on the pixius at the end of the novel because no problem is too big that can't be solved with the arrival of mythical beings.

So much of this book was solved so simply - the main characters never went through much struggle and that caused them to feel so irrelevant. Mead's writing was alright - I could see the skill of an author who'd written a book [or many] before. However, this book just really wasn't for me.

Richelle's Facebook | Goodreads | Twitter | Website

Scorpio Richelle Mead is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of urban fantasy books for both adults and teens. Originally from Michigan, Richelle now lives in Seattle, Washington where she works on her three series full-time: Georgina Kincaid, Dark Swan, and Vampire Academy.

A life-long reader, Richelle has always loved mythology and folklore. When she can actually tear herself away from books (either reading or writing them), she enjoys bad reality TV, traveling, trying interesting cocktails, and shopping for dresses. She's a self-professed coffee addict and has a passion for all things wacky and humorous.

 

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ARC Review: Hotel Ruby - Suzanne Young

Title: Hotel Ruby
Author: Suzanne Young
Pub Date: November 3rd, 2015
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Page Count: 288

Stay Tonight. Stay Forever.

When Audrey Casella arrives for an unplanned stay at the grand Hotel Ruby, she’s grateful for the detour. Just months after their mother’s death, Audrey and her brother, Daniel, are on their way to live with their grandmother, dumped on the doorstep of a DNA-matched stranger because their father is drowning in his grief.

Audrey and her family only plan to stay the night, but life in the Ruby can be intoxicating, extending their stay as it provides endless distractions—including handsome guest Elias Lange, who sends Audrey’s pulse racing. However, the hotel proves to be as strange as it is beautiful. Nightly fancy affairs in the ballroom are invitation only, and Audrey seems to be the one guest who doesn't have an invite. Instead, she joins the hotel staff on the rooftop, catching whispers about the hotel’s dark past.

The more Audrey learns about the new people she's met, the more her curiosity grows. She’s torn in different directions—the pull of her past with its overwhelming loss, the promise of a future that holds little joy, and an in-between life in a place that is so much more than it seems…

Welcome to the Ruby.

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The best way to describe this book would be an interesting twist that combines Psycho with Monster House. - Nova @ Out of Time

Suzanne Young is one of my favorite authors so when I heard about this book's release, I was ecstatic! The premise sounds really interesting and after reading it, I can confirm that thought. I really enjoyed the idea because I and the main character were left in the dark for a long time. I was slightly frustrated but really on the edge of my seat and when things were revealed - I loved it!

The main character, Audrey seemed kind of... stupid to me. I didn't mind her and even liked her intentions. This book has a lot to do with family and how far people would go for family love [not romantic love - which is interesting!] However, Audrey kept seeing suspicious things; characters would say things like "you're never leaving" and she would brush it aside. It was almost like she was in her bubble of happiness. I wanted her to realize how creepy Hotel Ruby was and do some investigation of her own rather than keep screaming "I don't know what's going on!" like she did.

I wasn't sure about the romance. It didn't really seem necessary. There was SO MUCH family love in this book. Audrey and her family have lost their mom so all of them are suffering. When they go to the Ruby, Audrey meets a boy and they hit it off. I do admit, Elias is charming. However, he isn't as charming as some I've seen and I felt like his shadiness was kind of a dealbreaker [for me.] Their romance went real fast so I kind of went unsure. However, in the end, Audrey's last decision was like the end of the Frozen movie [and equally cheesy but sometimes - that's what we need] and I was overall satisfied.

Something I really did like that I always do like is Suzanne's writing. I felt connected to her world and very immersed in the story. Some of the descriptions made me feel like I was in this creeptastic hotel myself. Because of that, I really couldn't stop reading this one and it only took me an hour and a half. I blazed through this one because it was awesome!

The actual Hotel Ruby has really interesting history. I like that there was an origin story and not just, "this is a creepy hotel and no one knows where it came from." What was really interesting to me was that some of the characters were descendants of the original Ruby and they always seemed to know more than they'd let on. I wonder why... hmm?

Overall, this book, while it did feel juvenile towards the end, had a pretty good message and combined two movies [for two different age groups] to create a fantastic young adult novel.

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Originally from New York, Suzanne Young moved to Arizona to pursue her dream of not freezing to death. She currently resides in Tempe, where she teaches high school English. When not writing obsessively, Suzanne can be found searching her own tragic memories for inspiration.

Suzanne is the author of several books for teens, including THE PROGRAM, A NEED SO BEAUTIFUL, and A WANT SO WICKED. Friend her on Facebook or follow her on Twitter @suzanne_young. 

 

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