Review: Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare

Book: Clockwork Princess
Author: Cassandra Clare
Series: The Infernal Devices
Publication Date:  March 19th, 2013
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Rating: 4.5 Stars

Danger and betrayal, secrets and enchantment in the breathtaking conclusion to the Infernal Devices trilogy.

Tessa Gray should be happy - aren't all brides happy?
Yet as she prepares for her wedding, a net of shadows begins to tighten around the Shadowhunters of the London Institute.
A new demon appears, one linked by blood and secrecy to Mortmain, the man who plans to use his army of pitiless automatons, the Infernal Devices, to destroy the Shadowhunters. Mortmain needs only one last item to complete his plan. He needs Tessa. And Jem and Will, the boys who lay equal claim to Tessa's heart, will do anything to save her.

You are not the last dream of my soul. You are the first dream, the only dream I ever was unable to stop myself from dreaming. You are the first dream of my soul, and from that dream I hope will come all other dreams, a lifetime’s worth.

"I had hope enough to take out those old dreams again, to dust them off and give them to you."

"...yours is not the kind of love that can be redeemed only through destruction."
 
Can I say that after reading A Tale of Two Cities, all of these references suddenly make so much sense to me now? My God, my AP Literature teacher should've just let me read Clockwork Princess instead of harping continuously about how Darnay was the better man (which he was not).

I think this book is the best of Clare's that I've read so far, in that it ends the way the final book of a trilogy should end. Not the way City of Glass did, with more space for more books and unresolved endings. The epilogue has been controversial, and it reminds me a bit of the epilogue for the Harry Potter series. I recall that when people were messaging Cassandra Clare and wailing about whether the ending would make them cry, she said somewhere that it was a bittersweet one. And that's exactly what it is. Something Cassandra Clare really specializes in is not giving people what they want. Most people wanted that happy ending, that assurance that all Tessa's problems would be solved with some miraculous magic. There is magic, but there's also the reality of Tessa's situation and of her immortality. Unlike with The Mortal Instruments, I didn't get the feeling that Clare was pushing the envelope with her plot or the powers that are unveiled.

People have already said things about the love triangle and how beautiful it is, and I'm inclined to agree. Of course, I was a Will/Tessa shipper all the way through (if you couldn't tell through all the Will quotes that I used), but the way that all three of them love each other equally is something that's powerfully expressed throughout the series. Their love for each other is equal parts burdensome and joyful, and no character was left without honor.

One thing about Clare's books that always gets me is how I never seem to predict what will happen. She throws in a lot of curveballs, some more convincing than others. I'm really sad to see The Infernal Devices trilogy end because I loved everything about it. I loved the characters, their humor, the setting of 19th century London. There is a certain subdued power behind the series that I didn't get with The Mortal Instruments, and I hope that Clare brings it back in her next Shadowhunters series rumored to be set in the 1900s which I just stumbled upon in a review O_O (thank you, Maja).

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Review: Wait for You by J. Lynn

Book: Wait for You
Author: J. Lynn
Series: Wait for You
Publication Date: February 26th, 2013
Publisher: J. Lynn

Some things are worth waiting for…

Traveling thousands of miles from home to enter college is the only way nineteen-year-old Avery Morgansten can escape what happened at the Halloween party five years ago—an event that forever changed her life. All she needs to do is make it to her classes on time, make sure the bracelet on her left wrist stays in place, not draw any attention to herself, and maybe—please God—make a few friends, because surely that would be a nice change of pace. The one thing she didn’t need and never planned on was capturing the attention of the one guy who could shatter the precarious future she’s building for herself.

Some things are worth experiencing…

Cameron Hamilton is six feet and three inches of swoon-worthy hotness, complete with a pair of striking blue eyes and a remarkable ability to make her want things she believed were irrevocably stolen from her. She knows she needs to stay away from him, but Cam is freaking everywhere, with his charm, his witty banter, and that damn dimple that’s just so… so lickable. Getting involved with him is dangerous, but when ignoring the simmering tension that sparks whenever they are around each other becomes impossible, he brings out a side of her she never knew existed.

Some things should never be kept quiet…

But when Avery starts receiving threatening emails and phone calls forcing her to face a past she wants silenced, she’s has no other choice but to acknowledge that someone is refusing to allow her to let go of that night when everything changed. When the devastating truth comes out, will she resurface this time with one less scar? And can Cam be there to help her or will he be dragged down with her?

And some things are worth fighting for…

I can basically dumb this book down for everyone else who hasn't read it yet with 10 basic sentences.

1. Girl with dark, secret past that she's ashamed of telling to anyone because it'll make people see her differently moves to a new place.
2. Girl tries to avoid deep connections with other people, especially attractive males who seem to be potential boyfriend material.
3. Girl runs into Boy on first day of class (literally). Boy is attractive (surprise!).
4. Boy is very interested in Girl even though Girl turns down his every advance (actually, maybe that's exactly why he's interested...).
5. Girl finally lets Boy in. They do lots of fun things, like going to a drive-in theater, meeting parents, feeding each other eggs...
6. Girl finds out that Boy is definitely worth it, and so she pushes him away.
7. Boy and Girl fight because Girl is still insecure even though Boy has made it completely clear that he would do anything for her.
8. Boy and Girl get back together because they're both masochists (especially Boy).
9. Boy and Girl fight again because Girl can't get over anything and would rather cry.
10. Boy and Girl get back together and Girl suddenly decides to forget her past and move on.
11. SEX. Or, as Avery words it, "swesomely amazing sex."

I definitely was reminded of Beautiful Disaster while reading this. It's the exact same formula, with less throwing things and abuse on the male's part. Actually, I think Avery is pretty much guilty of all abuse in this book. I must say that if there's one thing that Armentrout is good at, it's her male leads. Despite all their moments of douchiness, they turn out to be upstanding men, and that's what Cam was. He had astonishingly good moments. There was this one part when Avery says, "Cam, you're a good guy" and he replies with, "I'm only good with you." Pretty heart-melting stuff. His biggest character flaw was getting involved with the hot mess that was Avery. I don't know what to think about the way sexual abuse is addressed in this book. I thought it was overdone in that it was mentioned too much without any details, and it told me nothing new. In a way, it was more a device to further the plot than anything else. In addition, there was an explosion of spelling/grammatical mistakes, and some of the characters have the tendency to speak like middle schoolers who still have to put quarters in the swear jar.

Overall, I didn't really enjoy this. Unlike a lot of people, I actually like the tired, trite formula, just because I'm a sucker for the cliche. But I guess this moment was bound to happen sometime. Now I'm going to expect to bump into a hot guy my first day at college, and what a disappointment that will be.

P.S. WHY IS THIS BEING MADE INTO A SERIES?
P.P.S. Still don't get the title. It was like it was drawn out of a hat marked "Typical YA Romance Titles," and then J. Lynn forced it to relate to the plot.  

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Review: Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

Book: Throne of Glass
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Series: Throne of Glass 
Publication Date: August 7th, 2012
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Children's
Rating: 4 Stars

After serving out a year of hard labor in the salt mines of Endovier for her crimes, 18-year-old assassin Celaena Sardothien is dragged before the Crown Prince. Prince Dorian offers her her freedom on one condition: she must act as his champion in a competition to find a new royal assassin. Her opponents are men-thieves and assassins and warriors from across the empire, each sponsored by a member of the king's council. If she beats her opponents in a series of eliminations, she'll serve the kingdom for four  years and then be granted her freedom.

Celaena finds her training sessions with the captain of the guard, Westfall, challenging and exhilarating. But she's bored stiff by court life. Things get a little more interesting when the prince starts to show interest in her... but it's the gruff Captain Westfall who seems to understand her best.

Then one of the other contestants turns up dead... quickly followed by another.

Can Celaena figure out who the killer is before she becomes a victim? As the young assassin investigates, her search leads her to discover a greater destiny than she could possibly have imagined.

Not a bad book to pick to bring me out of my fantasy drought. I've been a frequent FictionPress member, and I remember finding out about all the people raving over Queen of Glass, which was the original title of this novel. Imagine my disappointment to find out that it was removed, and then imagine my excitement to find out that it was slotted for publication. I was pretty darned excited for this book because assassins. Killing! Blood! I love killing. And blood. I guess you can't really have one without the other.

Anyhow, I'll come right out and say it: this book does have problems. It has problems with world-building, and it has problems in the way that Celaena is touted as a world-famous assassin when she never actually assassinates anyone. She just threatens to rip out eyeballs and cut heads off. Which is not bad, but I would've liked a better demonstration of her abilities. There's also the love triangle. I don't have too big of a problem with love triangles; unlike many others, I'm actually waiting for a love triangle that will actually fulfill the purpose of a love triangle, as in it is an equilateral love triangle. Not a scalene or isosceles one. Not a Twilight-esque one where everyone knows who the main character's going to end up getting married and having half-vampire babies with. Throne of Glass nearly accomplished that because I'm really uncertain whom Celaena is going to end up with. The tests themselves aren't very important to the rest of the story, even though they seem to be emphasized in the book summary. There are nebulous references to Celaena's past and the formation of the kingdom of Erilea, but not enough to really form a cohesive other world.

However, I still gave this book four stars. When I was a sad little surfer on FictionPress, looking for stories that didn't mix up your and you're or alternate between first and second person, I would've gotten through this story in a day. It has a fascinating premise, some creative ideas, a heroine who isn't a simpering whiner, and court intrigue. But given all the books I've had exposure to, this isn't anything special anymore. But it kept me interested, and I didn't really notice the flaws until I put it down when I was done and thought about it. The last scene in the end when Celaena is fighting Cain, I was hopping up and down in the middle of Spanish class. And we were about to take a quiz. But I think that Maas does a good job with the action, and I didn't have a hard time visualizing what was happening. I also liked the descriptions of Celaena with her dresses and primping, though it got a bit too frivolous sometimes.

What I really enjoyed was the relationship between Celaena and Chaol. I never liked Dorian very much because although he did have ulterior motives besides playing lapdog to the king, he still seemed too much like a jaded pretty boy. Their interactions were more spurred by physical attraction than anything else. Celaena and Chaol, on the other hand, verbally spar. But when it's important, they have an understanding of each other that goes deeper. I hope we get more than just a couple glimpses of that in the next book. In conclusion, I liked the book. I like any books that manages to keep my interest. It's only when I write this review that I really acknowledge what it was lacking. On a happier note, my thirst for YA fantasy novels has been awoken again! I'll quench it once I finish the other five books I'm reading...
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Review: The Lost Girl by Sangu Mandanna

Book: The Lost Girl
Author: Sangu Mandanna
Publication Date: August 28th, 2012
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Rating: 4 Stars

Eva's life is not her own. She is a creation, an abomination--an echo. She was made by the Weavers as a copy of someone else, expected to replace a girl named Amarra, her "other," if she ever died. Eva spends every day studying that girl from far away, learning what Amarra does, what she eats, what it's like to kiss her boyfriend, Ray. So when Amarra is killed in a car crash, Eva should be ready.

But sixteen years of studying never prepared her for this.

Now she must abandon everything and everyone she's ever known--the guardians who raised her, the boy she's forbidden to love--to move to India and convince the world that Amarra is still alive.

What Eva finds is a grief-stricken family; parents unsure how to handle this echo they thought they wanted; and Ray, who knew every detail, every contour of Amarra. And when Eva is unexpectedly dealt a fatal blow that will change her existence forever, she is forced to choose: Stay and live out her years as a copy or leave and risk it all for the freedom to be an original. To be Eva.

From debut novelist Sangu Mandanna comes the dazzling story of a girl who was always told what she had to be--until she found the strength to decide for herself.

But I don’t have a sword. My shield is broken. I don’t know what is and isn’t honorable anymore. And now I’ve sent my knight away.

It took me a long time to finally get to reading this book, but I guess the wait was worth it. I've hear raving reviews about it for a long time, but when I initially read the blurb, it didn't really appeal to me. After all, we've already seen lots of stories about girls who switch spots in life. True, there's a more supernatural twist added to this premise, but not enough to change the supposed outcome (girl adjusts to new life, finds new boy to love, makes friends that she never would've made otherwise, etc). Really, it should have all the elements of a feel-good chick lit.

But that's not what The Lost Girl is about. It's comprised of three parts. In the first, we learn about Eva's peaceful life in a cottage beside a lake, surrounded by people who love her but always with the looming concern that one day, she will have to serve her purpose. She exists for another person, and it's difficult because she must imitate every facet of her Other's lifestyle. In this part, I really appreciated the kindness that humans are capable of, especially in the way Eva's guardians behave. Although they follow the rules, the small allowances they make are what endeared me to them. Sean, especially, is wonderfully portrayed as logical but sweet. In my opinion, the first part is the best portion of the book: Eva's world and her conflict is beautifully portrayed, and the way it all comes screeching to a halt adds to the drama.

In the second part, Eva adjusts to her new life. What I loved about this was her frequent memories of her old life and the bittersweet nostalgia that those memories are tinged with. I liked her new family, and I thought there was a nice balance between their belief and disbelief that Amarra was still alive. It was relatively normal and typical, until she starts breaking the rules. The third part is when she finally goes on the run.

What stands out about this book is not its idea, but rather the way it's executed. The emotions running through it--desperation, hope, desire--are almost tangible. Each character is well-written, though maybe not as three-dimensional as I'd hoped. I can't say I absolutely loved the book, but I liked the precision that characterized its structure. I couldn't really get sucked in because I was always dubious about the idea of having an echo replace a loved one. What kind of person could convince him/herself that a copy is the same as the original?

At any rate, I enjoyed the book, especially the sweet love story and Eva's struggle for freedom. It's not the most intricate plot I read, but I definitely think this is a worthy debut.

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Review: Pivot Point by Kasie West

Book: Pivot Point
Author: Kasie West
Series: Pivot Point #1
Publication Date: February 12th, 2013
Publisher: HarperTeen
Rating: 4 Stars

Knowing the outcome doesn’t always make a choice easier . . .

Addison Coleman’s life is one big “What if?” As a Searcher, whenever Addie is faced with a choice, she can look into the future and see both outcomes. It’s the ultimate insurance plan against disaster. Or so she thought. When Addie’s parents ambush her with the news of their divorce, she has to pick who she wants to live with—her father, who is leaving the paranormal compound to live among the “Norms,” or her mother, who is staying in the life Addie has always known. Addie loves her life just as it is, so her answer should be easy. One Search six weeks into the future proves it’s not.

In one potential future, Addie is adjusting to life outside the Compound as the new girl in a Norm high school where she meets Trevor, a cute, sensitive artist who understands her. In the other path, Addie is being pursued by the hottest guy in school—but she never wanted to be a quarterback’s girlfriend. When Addie’s father is asked to consult on a murder in the Compound, she’s unwittingly drawn into a dangerous game that threatens everything she holds dear. With love and loss in both lives, it all comes down to which reality she’s willing to live through . . . and who she can’t live without.

This book packs a punch, it really does. I've been reading positive reviews about it for a long time, and so I was pretty excited when I won it through First Reads. When I started, I wasn't too blown away. The story centers around Addie, who has the ability to see two alternate fates when she's forced to make a decision. She decides to use the power when her parents divorce and she has to choose who she'll follow: her father, to the "normal world," or her mother in the world she's used to.

The superpowers themselves aren't that amazing. They're very similar to your typical X-Men powers, from moving mass to erasing memories. What really surprised me was how Kasie West wove the plot. She approaches it in a different and creative way by alternating between the two possible futures that Addie sees. We know which choice Addie is experiencing by the definitions that precede the chapters, which either have a word containing PARA (for Paranormal) or NORM (normal, obviously). I bet some of you are like, "Well, duh. What else could they be for?" but I actually only figured this out when I was 3/4 through the book. Call me stupid -_- I thought they were just dumb definitions that were supposed to somehow hint at what the chapter was about.

My favorite part was probably Addie's Norm life. I think that's because of Trevor. He's adorable and quietly confident, as opposed to Duke. Duke is the very exemplification of any annoying YA teenage boy: charming, cocky, making the girls drool (I do not drool over football players who think they're cool, thank you very much). I was like "Oh God, love triangle" when I started reading about Duke and Trevor, but it turns out that it's not a love triangle. Addie's choice of boys is made from the very start, and I think West deserves points for subtly hinting at who really is the boy for Addie. Back to Trevor; his love for comics was a surprise, and I really enjoyed it. The approach that Addie takes to finally telling him about her secret is interesting. I doubt many girls who are hiding their supernatural abilities from unsuspecting, cute high school boys use a comic to get their point across. Addie's final choice absolutely broke my heart, since I was rooting for the other option. Hopefully, things will get better in the second book...

Anyway, apart from the boys, I really enjoyed the plot. I do find Poison a bit random and believe that West should've expanded on why the Bureau decided he was the one guilty. Also, I'm still waiting to see why there's such a big deal made about the fact that Addie is Divergent and not Clairvoyant. Other than that, I was way hooked on the last couple chapters. The ending definitely threw me for a loop; I wasn't expecting so many secrets kept. And when you step back and think about the book and the way that West chose the characters that she did to have certain powers, you really have to admire the way she strung everything together so that all of these choices are relevant. All in all, this book has restored my faith in YA.

Also, Trevor and Addie 5EVA.

Thanks to HarperTeen for giving me a chance to read and review this book.

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