Review: I'M GLAD I DID by Cynthia Well

Title: I'm Glad I Did
Author: Cynthia Well
Publication date: January 27, 2015
Publisher: Soho Teen

Rock and Roll Hall of Famer and songwriting legend Cynthia Weil's extraordinary YA debut opens the secretive doors of the Brill Building-the hit factory that changed history. Part Mad Men, part Grace of my Heart, part murder mystery, I'm Glad I Did is a coming-of-age story at an unforgettable cultural tipping point: the summer of 1963.

JJ Greene, a gifted 16-year-old songwriter, defies her lawyer parents by secretly applying for a job in the famed Brill Building-the epicenter of songwriting for a new genre called rock-n-roll. But their warnings about the evils of the music industry prove far darker than she imagined when she finds herself at the heart of a cover-up that involves hidden identity, theft, and possibly murder.

Story Locale: New York, NY

Between the retro cover and the strong introduction, I really hoped I’m Glad I Did would be a success. That didn’t happen. Told in first person by JJ Green, I easily connected with the narrative and couldn’t wait for her songwriting job to start. I enjoyed everything about the set-up. Then more things were added to the plot and instead of increasing interest and making the plot run smoothly, it weighed it down.

A few things that didn’t work for me:

• The romance. It wasn’t a focal point of the story, thank goodness, but even the romance that was there fell flat. I didn’t get the growing relationship between Luke and JJ because there was no chemistry for me. It felt forced.

• The mystery. There’s this whole mystery going on in the plot and while it does deal somewhat with racial and cultural issues, this also fell flat for me. Let’s be real, it bored me. There were some parts that were included that felt really unrealistic and everything that seemed to intend to move the story along only made it feel forced. 

• The cliches. Oh, the cliches. Sometimes I enjoy reading books, usually contemporaries, that has a different story (characters, relationships, etc.) but the same story structure. I know I like it and although it’s been done before, I still enjoy it. With this, I was promised something that I hadn’t really read before—a girl in the 1960s who defies her legalistic family to be a songwriter—but was given an unoriginal plot element or cliche too many times to count. The elements that “moved” the story along felt unoriginal as a whole, which goes back to the boredom I pointed out in the second point above. 

Although more enjoyable in the beginning, I did easily connect with JJ and I loved having a look into her perspective of the 1960s, even if it wasn’t as much as I had hoped. The narrative was entertaining, but the story fizzled and there wasn’t anything quite substantial to latch onto.

Verdict: A lukewarm book disappointing me with its potential.

Review: PRISONER OF NIGHT AND FOG by Anna Blankman

Title: Prisoner of Night and Fog
Author: Anne Blankman
Publication date: April 22, 2014
Publisher: HarperTeen
Source: an e-galley provided by the publisher for an honest review.

In 1930s Munich, danger lurks behind dark corners, and secrets are buried deep within the city. But Gretchen Müller, who grew up in the National Socialist Party under the wing of her "uncle" Dolf, has been shielded from that side of society ever since her father traded his life for Dolf's, and Gretchen is his favorite, his pet.

Uncle Dolf is none other than Adolf Hitler.

And Gretchen follows his every command.

Until she meets a fearless and handsome young Jewish reporter named Daniel Cohen. Gretchen should despise Daniel, yet she can't stop herself from listening to his story: that her father, the adored Nazi martyr, was actually murdered by an unknown comrade. She also can't help the fierce attraction brewing between them, despite everything she's been taught to believe about Jews.

As Gretchen investigates the very people she's always considered friends, she must decide where her loyalties lie. Will she choose the safety of her former life as a Nazi darling, or will she dare to dig up the truth—even if it could get her and Daniel killed?

From debut author Anne Blankman comes this harrowing and evocative story about an ordinary girl faced with the extraordinary decision to give up everything she's ever believed . . . and to trust her own heart instead.

Review: 

First line: Gretchen Müller peered through the car's rain-spotted windshield. 

I wish that the only response needed for this book is a standing ovation because that's easy. Sometimes you get a book that you enjoy to the point that you don't really have anything to say. You really liked it...now what? I'm sure there was a flaw somewhere throughout the book, but honestly, I can't remember and I'm glad I don't.

What I do remember is how great the antagonists were. Surprisingly, Hitler wasn't the only big, bad antagonist. No, it was her brother. That's right. HER BROTHER. I have no words to express how terrifying and despicable Reinhard was. "Uncle Dolf" was too, we all know that, but we had an even closer look in this book of how Gretchen's older brother was, who was implied to be a mini version of Hitler. Reinhard was a spectacular antagonist because he he wasn't coldhearted—he was no-hearted. He didn't care for a single thing, lacked emotion, and tortured for fun. SPOILER I couldn't take it when her kitten died. I was ready to just stop reading.END OF SPOILER.

Then Hitler is told in a new perspective, as Uncle Dolf. He's shown as seemingly sweet and caring and in a fatherly way. Even if I didn't know he was Adolf Hitler, I would've thought him as a bad guy and definitely skeevy. 

New perspective on a historical figure? Check. Twisted antagonists? Check. Oh, did I forget to mention that we also have a great main character, a realistic portrayal of the historical setting, and an ever-present feeling of dread over our heads? Well, we do. It's sometimes hard to read historical fictions in third person, but Blankman did a superb job in still connecting me to Gretchen, sympathizing with her, and really knowing her. I felt her confusion and despair, which is necessary. I never actually felt safe in the story. The dread loomed over me, threatening to take away my characters or rain more hardships on them. In this story, that was even refreshing because I wanted to be apprehensive. And like all books, I wanted to be sucked in and to keep reading so I can find out at the end if everyone comes out alright. 

Really, what else is there to say? 

Verdict: If you love historical fictions, READ THIS. If you don't love historical fictions, STILL READ THIS.

Wishlist Wednesday #12

Hosted by Pen to Paper

Title: Cinders & Sapphires

Author: Leila Rasheed

Publication date: January 22, 2013

Publisher: Disney-Hyperion

One house, two worlds...

Rose Cliffe has never met a young lady like her new mistress. Clever, rich, and beautiful, Ada Averley treats Rose as an equal. And Rose could use a friend. Especially now that she, at barely sixteen, has risen to the position of ladies’ maid. Rose knows she should be grateful to have a place at a house like Somerton. Still, she can’t help but wonder what her life might have been had she been born a lady, like Ada.

For the first time in a decade, the Averleys have returned to Somerton, their majestic ancestral estate. But terrible scandal has followed Ada’s beloved father all the way from India. Now Ada finds herself torn between her own happiness and her family’s honor. Only she has the power to restore the Averley name—but it would mean giving up her one true love . . . someone she could never persuade her father to accept.

Sumptuous and enticing, the first novel in the At Somerton series introduces two worlds, utterly different yet entangled, where ruthless ambition, forbidden attraction, and unspoken dreams are hidden behind dutiful smiles and glittering jewels. All those secrets are waiting . . . at Somerton.

1. It's historical.

2. It's about "ruthless ambition, forbidden attraction, and unspoken dreams" along with "dutiful smiles and glittering jewels" and secrets! 

3. I already love the dynamic with Rose and Ada.

4. A rich family coming back to their home in over a decade and finding trouble. 

5. People have compared it to Downton Abbey. 

Did anyone just see that last line? DOWNTON ABBEY! 

What are YOU wishing for this week?

Review: GRAVE MERCY by Robin LaFevers

Title: Grave Mercy

Author: Robin LaFevers

Publication date: April 3rd, 2012

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Source: Shelver's bookshelf

Why be the sheep, when you can be the wolf?

Seventeen-year-old Ismae escapes from the brutality of an arranged marriage into the sanctuary of the convent of St. Mortain, where the sisters still serve the gods of old. Here she learns that the god of Death Himself has blessed her with dangerous gifts—and a violent destiny. If she chooses to stay at the convent, she will be trained as an assassin and serve as a handmaiden to Death. To claim her new life, she must destroy the lives of others.

Ismae’s most important assignment takes her straight into the high court of Brittany—where she finds herself woefully under prepared—not only for the deadly games of intrigue and treason, but for the impossible choices she must make. For how can she deliver Death’s vengeance upon a target who, against her will, has stolen her heart?

Review:

I'm going to start this off by showing you my reaction AFTER I finished the book. When I read the last page, shut the book, and set the book down beside my sister, Shelver, I felt like I only had one reaction:

That, readers, is the reaction of WHY DIDN'T I READ THIS SOONER? Oh, all of you must have experienced this one time or another. It doesn't matter if you're a blogger, author, librarian, or just a reader. At one point in your life, you have stumbled across a book that you wished you had read sooner. 

If you haven't read Grave Mercy yet, add that one to your list. 

Having been a failed abortion, left with hideous scars on her back, and marked as the daughter of Death, Ismae can't help but be strong. The townspeople have tormented her and her father has done even worse. Then after her dreadful father sells her off to a vile farmer, the local herbwitch and priest rescue her by whisking her off to the covenant of St. Mortain. 

This covenant? Trains assassins. A marque will appear on whoever Mortain says needs to die. Usually, it's one who goes against their duchess. We meet some people including the special Annith and Sybella before we leap three years to a trained Ismae. 

Ismae is then placed with an important assignment: protect Duchess Anne from the French army and any dreadful, pushy suitors from stealing her duchy. To do this, she is forced to pose as the duchess's half-brother's mistress. Of course, the covenant thinks he might be a traitor as well so Ismae is always on her guard with Gavriel Duval. 

Duval. How wonderful is he? I mean, it's not my real last name but I knew he'd be good once I saw we had the same last name minus an "l." Suspicious, kind, stubborn, protective, and loyal...not to mention good looking. And Beast.

Give me a moment while I smile. 

Beast, Duval's friend, is one of the most charming characters ever. Although a secondary character, I looked forward to reading about it him whenever I had the chance. Basically all the characters, whether secondary or the main ones, I felt attracted to. I had no problem in getting sucked into the story and was never bored with one character. From the strong Duchess Anne who made me incredibly proud to Crunard who made me suspicious to Madame Hivern who was complex enough that you didn't exactly know what to think of her to Sybella who, although you only got a morsel of her, made you intrigued and craving for more. 

The characters were complex. That's what it comes down to: the characters were complex. I could never trust anyone all the way and they weren't fillers either. They had personalities and felt real, not just someone to be stuck in a story to just be there. 

Nocturne, the horse? Yes, I was even attached to him too. He made me want to avenge him by storming off the treadmill by doing who knows what, but gosh, I will do it emotional. Let's just leave it at that. The horse made me a little emotional. 

Ismae was wonderful too, while at points she might have been too stubborn, I'll over look it. She cannot be affected by poison. That's right. She won't die. She might feel something mild, but it won't kill her. She can talk to the souls after they're newly dead and can tell when someone is about to die. She can kill a man any way she wants to and believe me, there are a lot of ways. She's tough. Loyal. Not too sure of who to trust. Smart...and an overall great main character. 

I also wanted to point out the cover. The main line seems oh, so threatening on the top of the cover with the girl on the front having a crossbow in hand. The old buildings in the background have a nice touch too. I love the feeling with the cover, it feels deadly to me and since this book is all about death, I'm glad it wasn't just a girl with a pretty dress on the front.

But I guess I have to point out one other thing: Death. The whole covenant and Ismae worship him and while I see the point there, it made me a bit uneasy with my personal beliefs. However, most people won't have a problem with the whole plot of Death/St. Mortain. Also, Ismae did something inappropriate in the end that was crucial to the story, but still...parents should know about. 

Verdict: An intriguing, wonderfully crafted book that makes me impatient to read the sequel. 

If you would like to buy this book, I recommend going to my sidebar and clicking The Book Depository button and shop there. FREE shipping!

Cover Love #4

Property of Bookshelvers Anonymous

It’s 1950, and as the French Quarter of New Orleans simmers with secrets, seventeen-year-old Josie Moraine is silently stirring a pot of her own. Known among locals as the daughter of a brothel prostitute, Josie wants more out of life than the Big Easy has to offer. She devises a plan get out, but a mysterious death in the Quarter leaves Josie tangled in an investigation that will challenge her allegiance to her mother, her conscience, and Willie Woodley, the brusque madam on Conti Street.

Josie is caught between the dream of an elite college and a clandestine underworld. New Orleans lures her in her quest for truth, dangling temptation at every turn, and escalating to the ultimate test.

With characters as captivating as those in her internationally bestselling novel Between Shades of Gray, Ruta Sepetys skillfully creates a rich story of secrets, lies, and the haunting reminder that decisions can shape our destiny.

**Since Blogger is messing up ONCE AGAIN, I have to do it in this format. Not terrible, but not what I'm used to.**

Anyways, I've been looking at this cover for the longest time, impatient to put it in Cover Love. When I first saw it, I thought, "COVER LOVE!"

First of all, I love the colors. Then of course, the bird cage. It definitely fits into the synopsis with her wanting to get out of New Orleans and her past. You can't look at the bird cage without looking at the girl behind the cage either, which I like. She's just looking at it, as if that's her only life...which it kind of is. 

And although it's not part of the cover, can I rave about how much I love the past? It's not too historical, only the 1950s, but I love that time period. I also just love history. Period. 

I didn't realize until now after reading the synopsis for the hundredth time that Ruta Sepetys wrote this book. Seriously, if it didn't have a gorgeous cover, I would have just shoved it into a Wishlist Wednesday post since I can't wait to read this book. But Ruta Sepetys? My sister, *ahem* the one who actually runs Cover Love, just finished reading her bestseller Between Shades of Gray, which she drooled over. The same book that I now am dying to read. WWII! 

I know I'm rambling, but this looks great and I can't help but start squealing over other books. 

Now, what cover do you love? 

Comment!