a witch's guide to fake dating a demon

In July I checked out a new bookstore near my summer spot in upstate NY. Perusing small town bookstores is one of my chosen summertime Hallmark movie-type activities, along with supporting volunteer firefighters at pancake breakfasts, going to outdoor concerts, and volunteering at the annual library book sale. I have a goal of racking up as many of these charming small town staples as possible for my own amusement. Alas, there was no bookstore meet-cute this time, but I ended up finding (and purchasing) Sarah Hawley’s A Witch's Guide to Fake Dating a Demon. Why this book? First, the main character’s name – Mariel Spark – is very close to one of my all-time favorite author’s names (Muriel Spark), second, it had fake dating in the title, and third, I always like to support an independent bookshop. Lucky me, it was a funny, witchy romance just right for a day or two of light reading, and perfect for this particular time of year.

Mariel Spark is prophesied to be the most powerful witch seen in centuries of the famed Spark family, but to the displeasure of her mother, she prefers baking to brewing potions and gardening to casting hexes. When a spell to summon flour goes very wrong, Mariel finds herself staring down a demon—one she inadvertently summoned for a soul bargain.

Ozroth the Ruthless is a legend among demons. Powerful and merciless, he drives hard bargains to collect mortal souls. But his reputation has suffered ever since a bargain went awry—if he can strike a bargain with Mariel, he will earn back his deadly reputation. Ozroth can’t leave Mariel’s side until they complete a bargain, which she refuses to do (turns out some humans are attached to their souls).
 
But the witch is funny. And curvy. And disgustingly yet endearingly cheerful. Becoming awkward roommates quickly escalates when Mariel, terrified to confess the inadvertent summoning to her mother, blurts out that she’s dating Ozroth. As Ozroth and Mariel struggle with their opposing goals and maintaining a fake relationship, real attraction blooms between them. But Ozroth has a limited amount of time to strike the deal, and if Mariel gives up her soul, she’ll lose all her emotions—including love—which will only spell disaster for them both.

The story opens with protagonist Mariel proving that she struggles with magic: she accidentally explodes a chicken in her kitchen. Mariel gets “simple” spells wrong all of the time, and is harassed about it by her self-important and -absorbed mother (the mothers in this story are THE WORST). Later when she tries to summon flour for a recipe, she instead accidentally calls a demon, Ozroth the Ruthless, to make a bargain. Two problems there: it was a mistake, and Mariel’s not interested in surrendering her soul for any of the things the demon may be offering. When her mother meets Ozroth (Oz for short), Mariel panics and says they are dating. Thus, a romance novel plot is born!

Character-wise, Mariel suffers from chronically low self-confidence due to unreasonable expectations placed on her by her family (there was a capital P prophecy at her birth!) and underperforming over the years. Her magic is nature-based, and only succeeds when she focuses where she has genuine interest (i.e. caring for plants and baking). Her loyal friends Calladia and Themmie join Oz in trying to build up her magical confidence and backbone with her toxic family, but Mariel must commit to that growth on her own. 

 

Oz, on the other hand, is looking for redemption. He used to be a cold, emotionless soul bargainer, but sometime in the past six months he accidentally got himself a human soul! He’s on thin ice in the demon realm and uncomfortable feeling things, so what better place to be stuck trying to set it all right than in the human realm with only the clothes on his back?! As Oz slowly adjusts his expectations, Mariel starts valuing herself, and various fake dating hijinks ensue. The romance itself is light, predictable, and features a fairly slow start (the characters kiss for the first time somewhere around page 170), but then takes off.  

There are two interesting things that set this book apart from the usual fare. First, although it is primarily a small town romance… this is a small town is set in an alternate universe where magic and magical creatures are accepted and commonplace, the demon plane exists, and there are different cultural rules throughout. For a full-on romance, it has one of the most well-developed fantastical settings I’ve ever seen. It is also a self-aware creature fic. By that I mean that there are lots of in-jokes and allusions to tropes that will resonate with folks who either read a lot of fantastical/paranormal romance or fanfiction. For instance, the main character knows about knotting, barbed genitalia, and so on, and there are funny asides and in-jokes, such as Oz liking pumpkin spice flavor ice cream best.

In all, this is a light, formulaic romance set in an interesting magical universe, with characters who must work through their pasts and toxic habits before they can commit to their happily ever after.

Recommended for: fans of small town and paranormal and fantasy romance, and anyone who is feeling witchy autumn vibes and wants to read a romance to enhance that feeling.

fangsgiving

I find the picture book world vast and intimidating – do you? It seems as though at least fifty new picture books are released each week. Only the strong could survive such an onslaught (not me, I am not that hardy)! Still, I need to keep up a bit, if only so that I have new titles to recommend to friends and gift to the littles in my life. Ethan Long’s Fangsgiving is a fun monster-mash of a Thanksgiving book that will be a hit year-round, but especially during the autumn months.

It's the fourth Thursday of November, and the members of Fright Club are cooking up something spooky… a Thanksgiving feast!

But when Vlad's family arrives unexpectedly, they put their own spin on each of the dishes. Now, the rolls are as hard as headstones and the turkey has been cooked to death. Vlad loves his family, but they've made a mess of their meal!

Can this monster-filled family come together to save their feast and celebrate what the holiday is truly about?

Did you know that monsters celebrate Thanksgiving too? Vlad the vampire and his friends (a werewolf, a mummy, a ghost, and a witch!) are getting together for the holiday in Vlad’s treehouse. They’re nearly ready to sit down to eat when… Vlad’s whole vampire clan descends! Vlad’s family have their own ideas about what food looks good – from lump-kin pie with maggot meatballs to completely charred turkey. Will Vlad have a meltdown and kick out his family? In the end family and friends combine efforts to prepare and celebrate a Thanksgiving (Fangsgiving) worthy of the name.

Long’s loving mash-up of Halloween and Thanksgiving elements makes for fun, if predictable, picture book success. Fangsgiving includes themes of family vs. friends, “ruined” holiday plans, and working collaboratively to save the day. Long livens up the text with monster puns that will delight adults, while children will love the slapstick humor and seeing familiar Halloween-staple paranormal creatures in a new context. It’s not scary, though there are some gross-out food combos that will make kids scream “yuck!”

The art is a huge highlight, with appealing nighttime scenes (they’re creatures who go bump in the night, after all!) done in dark purples (graphite pencil, colored digitally), funny sequences rendered with care, and fantastic details (like skull-printed potholders) on each page. Long gives every character googly eyes – even the spider hanging from the ceiling, and this only adds to the enjoyment. With monster-ific food prep depicted on almost every page, kids should have plenty of questions and opinions to share, especially about the vampire family’s idea of cuisine.

In all, Fangsgiving is a cute, lighthearted holiday tie-in picture book that will delight readers young and old, especially at group storytimes in October and November.

Recommended for: children ages 5-7, and for classroom, library, and bookshop storytimes.

how to make friends with a ghost

In general I am not a Halloween sort of person (didn’t grow up celebrating it, never really caught the fever), but I will make exceptions for spooky + funny and/or spooky + cute. Rebecca Green’s picture book How to Make Friends with a Ghost fits firmly in the latter category – it’s an adorably illustrated guide to ghostly friendship, tailor-made for this time of year.

What do you do when you meet a ghost? One: Provide the ghost with some of its favorite snacks, like mud tarts and earwax truffles. Two: Tell your ghost bedtime stories (ghosts love to be read to). Three: Make sure no one mistakes your ghost for whipped cream or a marshmallow when you aren’t looking! If you follow these few simple steps and the rest of the essential tips in How to Make Friends with a Ghost, you’ll see how a ghost friend will lovingly grow up and grow old with you.

A whimsical story about ghost care, Rebecca Green’s debut picture book is a perfect combination of offbeat humor, quirky and sweet illustrations, and the timeless theme of friendship.

Ghosts are attracted to people who are sweet, warm, and kind, according to Green’s guide to lifelong (and beyond!) friendship. While directed at the reader who might want to make a cute ghostly friend (the illustrations really do make it seem desirable!), How to Make Friends with a Ghost also contains many friendship insights even if you plan to keep your pals strictly among the living.

With themes of friendship and supernatural sweetness, and sprinkled with funny anecdotes and properly cited “tips” from fake guides, this delightful picture book is sure to be a hit with the 7-10 year old set, adults, and aspiring artists. While a friendship guide is not your typical ghost story, this one charms with notes on care and feeding, growing together, hiding places, hazards, and even a recipe (a gross one, but still)!

While the text will win over many readers, it is the whimsical, witchy illustration style that elevates this book to something special. Green’s pages are filled with colored pencil, gouache, and hand-lettered text, and the clear pencil strokes can be studied/copied with ease. The whole book brims with love and care. I especially loved the busy endpapers full of spooky ingredients (Halloween-friendly)(and the “friendly” bit really is true!).

So, if you’re in the mood for a cute, cuddly ghost story that is not scary at all, How to Make Friends with a Ghost is the book for you. It is made with love, and perfect for autumnal reading.

Recommended for: independent picture book readers, aspiring artists, and anyone who likes Halloween (minus the creepy stuff).

house of ivy & sorrow

I don’t know about you kids, but I can’t be trusted in a bookstore.  I mean, I love bookstores.  I adore them.  They’re full of books, and books = my jam.  BUT.  A bookstore is full of books for SALE, and that can pose a problem for my wallet.  I went into a bookstore this past spring with my friend Lauren, and I made some stupid proclamation along the lines of, “I’m not going to buy anything unless they have the exact title I want!”  Ha.  Hahahahahahahahaha.  I walked out with the prettiest book I saw in the Young Adult section, Natalie Whipple’s House of Ivy & Sorrow.  And I thanked my lucky stars that I didn’t do more damage.

They say a witch lives in the old house under the bridge…

What the residents of Willow's End don't know is that there are two witches living in the crumbling old house draped in ivy. Ancient, toothless Dorothea Hemlock … and her seventeen-year-old granddaughter, Josephine.

Jo has always managed to keep her magical life separate from her normal one. But now the mysterious Curse that killed her mother—and so many Hemlock witches before her—has returned. Soon Jo realizes that the life she's fought to keep hidden could destroy the one she's worked so hard to protect.

Josephine (or Jo, as everyone calls her) is a hereditary young witch living in the back-of-beyond Iowa with her Nana, a formidable (if nearly toothless) power, her two best friends, and her crush-turned-almost-boyfriend, Winn.  When a mysterious man appears on their doorstep, Nana looks forbidding, and Jo starts worrying about the Curse, a Black family legacy that killed her mother.  From there, things only get more dangerous, as the witchy mystery escalates and Jo tries to keep it together at school and at home.

I think this book wanted to be a lot of things.  It wanted to be funny, with snappy dialogue.  It wanted to pose deathly-serious consequences to magic-gone-wrong.  It wanted to be a sweet, first love kind of romance with just enough tension and another boy on the horizon to keep things young-adult-fiction-interesting.  What it managed, in the midst of all that striving, was to give me a headache.

The issue, as I see it, was tone + worldbuilding.  While it is possible to do light-hearted plus dark (see: Sarah Rees Brennan’s Unspoken), House of Ivy & Sorrow didn’t hit that level.  I felt like I had whiplash: first reading a scene of mild embarrassment over sitting next to a boy on the bus, and then an abrupt shift to tearing out teeth, gouging skin, or pulling hair out by the roots to make a powerful spell. The dialogue was frequently fresh and fun, but it didn’t match the magical system, where the ‘sacrifices’ practioners had to make were horrible (but never seemed to incapacitate) and the reasons for doing them either terrible or vague enough as to seem unnecessary.  Long story short, it didn’t gel.

Main character Jo had strengths and weaknesses, and it was refreshing to read a book where a young magic-user gets things wrong and fumbles around a bit (as you’d expect anyone new to a skill would!).  I also appreciated the small town setting, her healthy female friendships, and their realistic banter.  That said, Jo’s reactions under pressure were… not mellow, exactly, but not urgent.  And that didn’t match the sarcastic, smart, difficult girl she was supposed to be.

Let’s review: there was the matter of tone, discussed above, and various other inconsistencies (for example: these witches are always harming themselves… so how does no one notice that Jo isn’t completely covered in scars/bruises?!) that interrupted any flow before it could really get going. Additionally, what I would call the essential elements of a good fantasy/paranormal were the weakest bits. It was trying for spooky but not laying the groundwork for the proper atmosphere.  In all, House of Ivy & Sorrow was a mixed bag of a book.  It didn’t work for me, but I think it will appeal to those who aren’t regular readers of fantasy.

Recommended for: fans of Aprilynne Pike’s Wings or Kiersten White’s Paranormalcy, and those who like a mix of not-too-dark and light in their YA reading.

the undertaking of lily chen

I don’t read graphic novels on a regular basis, but I really should.  I was that kid who held onto picture book reading far past the time my peers gave it up.  I’m not saying I didn’t like chunky novels – I was reading those too.  But I leafed through the latest picture books in the children’s section and then went and grabbed a stack of Nancy Drew or Hardy Boy novels in the same library visit. Now, when I pick up a graphic novel, I’m always pleased – I read it quickly and then go back and pore over the illustrations and let it all sink in.  Danica Novgorodoff’s The Undertaking of Lily Chen caught my attention with its delightfully dark cover art and unusual title.  I thoroughly enjoyed it.

In The Undertaking of Lily Chen, Deshi, a young man struggling to make a life for himself in rural China, watches his life comes unhinged when he accidentally kills his older brother in a fight. His distraught parents send him on a hopeless journey to acquire a bride for his brother to marry posthumously so he doesn't enter the next world alone—an ancient Chinese tradition with many modern adherents. Eligible female corpses are in short supply, however. When Deshi falls into company with a beautiful, angry, and single young woman named Lily, he sees a solution to his problems.  The only hitch is Lily is still very much alive. 

Danica Novgorodoff, author of Slow Storm and Refresh, Refresh, brings her distinctive voice and gorgeous, moody watercolors to this wry, beautiful, and surprising literary graphic novel.

In parts of rural China, an old tradition of ghost marriages still persists. There are those who say that a man who dies unmarried cannot be happy in the afterlife unless his body is ‘married’ to a female corpse and buried with her.  When Deshi’s brother dies in an accident, his parents demand that he locate a ghost bride before the day of his brother’s funeral.  Deshi’s journey into the countryside to find a body is filled with a little too much adventure, and when he encounters Lily, a girl whose only aim is to flee her dead-end life, he wonders if he’s found a solution (for at least one of his problems).

Novgorodoff’s graphic novel is a morbidly funny book with a unique setting, a feisty heroine, and a backstory that delves into unfamiliar folk beliefs and stretches the imagination.  Deshi’s task is by turns tragic and comic, and his general flailing (and failing) at life, though a well-trodden storyline in adult lit, is revived in the uncommon setting.  Nevertheless, Lily and her family are the highlight of the book. The Chens’ simple life and unsubtle reactions paired with the delicacy of watercolors make for a striking combination. 

Speaking of the art… the palette is neutral, movement mostly implied, and the best part (in my opinion) are the landscape panels.  In all, The Undertaking of Lily Chen is an easy read with an understated art style that compliments the dark, wry humor.

Recommended for: fans of Neil Gaiman and those who like dark fiction and adult-level graphic novels.

black dog giveaway

2014 is still young, but I’ve already read some great books.  As I mentioned on twitter yesterday, the best young adult book I’ve read so far this year is Rachel Neumeier’s Black Dog.  It has unique mythology, complex characters, diversity, and a plot that just won’t stop.  Basically, it’s AWESOME. 

I want to share my love of this book with all of you!  I’ll give away a paperback or ebook copy of Rachel Neumeier’s Black Dog to two giveaway winners.  To enter to win, simply fill out the FORM.  Giveaway open internationally, will end at 11:59pm EST on February 28^th.  Winners will be selected randomly and notified via email.  Good luck!

Natividad is Pure, one of the rare girls born able to wield magic. Pure magic can protect humans against the supernatural evils they only half-acknowledge – the blood kin or the black dogs. In rare cases – like for Natividad’s father and older brother – Pure magic can help black dogs find the strength to control their dark powers.

But before Natividad’s mother can finish teaching her magic their enemies find them. Their entire village in the remote hills of Mexico is slaughtered by black dogs. Their parents die protecting them. Natividad and her brothers must flee across a strange country to the only possible shelter: the infamous black dogs of Dimilioc, who have sworn to protect the Pure.

In the snowy forests of Vermont they are discovered by Ezekiel Korte, despite his youth the strongest black dog at Dimilioc and the appointed pack executioner. Intrigued by Natividad he takes them to Dimilioc instead of killing them.

Now they must pass the tests of the Dimilioc Master. Alejandro must prove he can learn loyalty and control even without his sister’s Pure magic. Natividad’s twin Miguel must prove that an ordinary human can be more than a burden to be protected. And even at Dimilioc a Pure girl like Natividad cannot remain unclaimed to cause fighting and distraction. If she is to stay she must choose a black dog mate.

But, first, they must all survive the looming battle.

black dog

I am intrigued by the idea of werewolves, and I know I am not the only one out there (see: the popularity of paranormal fiction and film).  Even more than werewolves themselves, I’m interested in the mythology and world-building it takes to make a story with werewolves in it viable and more-or-less believable.  So: I was interested, and I’d heard about Rachel Neumeier’s Black Dog, But what actually got me reading?  Stephanie Burgis’ tweet and Liviana’s review.  All at once I felt a pull toward the book – you could even say it was like the lure of the full moon (if you wanted to be incredibly cheesy) – and I am so glad I heeded that call.  The puns, they just write themselves…

Natividad is Pure, one of the rare girls born able to wield magic. Pure magic can protect humans against the supernatural evils they only half-acknowledge – the blood kin or the black dogs. In rare cases – like for Natividad’s father and older brother – Pure magic can help black dogs find the strength to control their dark powers.

But before Natividad’s mother can finish teaching her magic their enemies find them. Their entire village in the remote hills of Mexico is slaughtered by black dogs. Their parents die protecting them. Natividad and her brothers must flee across a strange country to the only possible shelter: the infamous black dogs of Dimilioc, who have sworn to protect the Pure.

In the snowy forests of Vermont they are discovered by Ezekiel Korte, despite his youth the strongest black dog at Dimilioc and the appointed pack executioner. Intrigued by Natividad he takes them to Dimilioc instead of killing them.

Now they must pass the tests of the Dimilioc Master. Alejandro must prove he can learn loyalty and control even without his sister’s Pure magic. Natividad’s twin Miguel must prove that an ordinary human can be more than a burden to be protected. And even at Dimilioc a Pure girl like Natividad cannot remain unclaimed to cause fighting and distraction. If she is to stay she must choose a black dog mate.

But, first, they must all survive the looming battle.

Natividad and her brothers Miguel and Alejandro are on the run – and they’re hoping that their destination will offer a refuge.  Hoping, but not counting on it.  Natividad’s parents were killed in Mexico in an attack from their father’s enemy, and now they’re fleeing to his homeland Dimilioc, in Vermont. Dimilioc is their only option, despite its repulation.  Natividad is Pure, a rare girl who can use magic, her twin Miguel is human, and Alejandro is a black dog, a shifter.  And Dimilioc is famous for being the home of the most vicious and protective black dogs – black wolves – in North America.  But before they can find a place in Dimilioc, they will have to prepare for a battle against the enemy that followed them across a continent.

I REALLY liked this book.  It had unique werewolf lore, diversity, fantastic world-building, beautiful writing, layered characters and an intense fight for survival (aka plot).  Wait, I need to write more?!  Ha.  Let’s go with Natividad.  She’s a girl who has recently lost her home as well as her mother, but she’s still intensely protective and caring.  She’s not surrendering to anger or turning her emotions into reasons to fight. She doesn’t always know the answer, she sometimes acts rashly, but she’s constantly learning and hoping and surviving, driven all the time by love for family. I wonder if it is possible NOT to fall in love with Natividad.

Even if Natividad didn’t carry the story, there’s Dimilioc and its complicated hierarchy, and Miguel and Alejandro struggling to find a place in it – all the while wondering if death is around the next corner.  It’s pretty intense stuff, and that’s not even counting the fight against Malvern Vonhausel, their father’s old enemy.  Add in the very nature of black dogs, where the ‘shadow’ of their other self is always trying to overtake their human side, and you have a setting rife with tension and anger, shame and secrets that keep trust from taking root.  And still, that’s not all.

Neumeier has written a story where familial relationships shine.  Miguel and Alejandro and Natividad are the obvious family unit, but so too are the Dimilioc wolves.  The give and take of those relationships adds layers of depth to every character – there are no cardboard representations in Black Dog.  Also wonderful: the diversity of those characters and families, and the Spanish dialogue that Natividad and her brothers fall into unwittingly or use to describe their magic/nature.  The obvious contrast of Mexico and Vermont adds to the strangeness of the situation for the newcomers.  As Natividad assimilates to her new environment, so does the reader.  It’s really rather genius.

You may have noticed that I have said nothing yet about the fact that Natividad, due to her status as Pure, must choose a mate (it’s right there in the official summary). I understand that this is part of the culture/tradition in this setting, but it still made me uncomfortable in the extreme, especially at the beginning.  I believe Neumeier deals with this element well (by narrowing the field almost immediately), but the fact remains that all of Natividad’s dealings with the Dimilioc wolves have at least a double meaning.  Of course they value her magic, but they value her possible fertility even more.  I can’t decide if I think this is creepy enough to be a true reservation, or adds to the world-building.  Probably a little bit of both.

I will certainly be reading the sequel, and I very much enjoyed the book overall.  It’s young adult fantasy with a bite, and the tension and pace compliment the characterization and plot wonderfully well.

Recommended for: fans of werewolves and unique paranormal lore, those who like diversity, great world-building and solid characters, and anyone who loved Robin McKinley’s Sunshine or Anne Bishop’s Written in Red.

Fine print: I received an e-ARC of Black Dog from the publisher (Strange Chemistry) via NetGalley for honest review.

lockwood & co: the screaming staircase

There are times when you need to sit with a book for a while after finishing it to process your feelings and reactions.  Maybe the reading experience was emotionally exhausting.  Maybe the subject matter was disturbing (or nightmare-inducing!).  Maybe… a lot of things.  After I finished Jonathan Stroud's Lockwood & Co.: The Screaming Staircase, I struggled to evaluate my reaction.  My roommate walked in and saw me sitting on the couch, book closed on my lap, staring into space.  I told her, “It was a good book, but creepy as hell.”  She said, “Put that in the review.” Great advice.

When the dead come back to haunt the living, Lockwood & Co. step in…

For more than fifty years, the country has been affected by a horrifying epidemic of ghosts. A number of Psychic Investigations Agencies have sprung up to destroy the dangerous apparitions.

Lucy Carlyle, a talented young agent, arrives in London hoping for a notable career. Instead she finds herself joining the smallest, most ramshackle agency in the city, run by the charismatic Anthony Lockwood. When one of their cases goes horribly wrong, Lockwood & Co. have one last chance of redemption. Unfortunately this involves spending the night in one of the most haunted houses in England, and trying to escape alive.

Set in a city stalked by specters, The Screaming Staircase is the first in a chilling new series full of suspense, humor and truly terrifying ghosts. Your nights will never be the same again…

Lucy is a girl with: an exceptional ability to listen to ghosts, bad mistakes in her past, and a tendency toward obsessive preparedness.  She’s also an agent at London-based Lockwood & Co., a small outfit whose job it is to banish spirits.  To do her work Lucy abides by three rules: 1) Get in quick, 2) Don’t use electricity, and 3) Wear a watch with a luminous dial.  The other (unspoken) rule is that things never go quite as expected.  Increased hauntings are plaguing Britain, and only the young can detect and eliminate them.  Which is how/why three teenagers came to run a business of a sinister nature. 

In this first in a new paranormal series, Stroud introduces three young ghost hunters: the narrator Lucy, Anthony Lockwood and George.  Lucy is new and trying to prove her competence.  George is abrasive and fanatical about jelly doughnuts and research.  Lockwood brings them together as a clever and charismatic leader.  And Stroud unites their disparate talents and abilities to tell a dark and disturbing tale for middle grade readers.  Oh, it’s also funny, smart and can’t-put-it-down-addictive reading.  If you like mystery,danger, and stories that involve escaping by the skin of your teeth, this is the book for you.

Did I love it?  I had a hard time knowing for the first few days.  It scared the freaking daylights out of me in parts, but I couldn't stop reading.  I loved Lucy and George and Lockwood, and I will be counting down the days until the next book releases and I can find out what happens next.  I thought the mystery was extremely well-executed, with twists you could see coming, and others you couldn't.  In some ways, I was intrigued in spite of myself, because I say I don't like scary books.  And yet.  I couldn't stop thinking about The Screaming Staircase.  I think this is what being in love with a complex book looks like, folks.  Yes, I think it must be love.  Because while the story offers all the thrills and chills expected of a good ghost story, it's also about three characters who have the odds stacked against them and still rely on their ingenuity (and luck!), and let their stubborn will and intuition guide them through.  That sort of pluck will win me over any day.

Let me be clear: The Screaming Staircase is close to perfect.  It has a well-realized fantasy world with an insidious paranormal problem, engaging characters and real danger.  The story has enough twists, surprises and scares for everyone.  It's also great all-ages (10 and up?) reading - I'm giving a copy to my 23 year-old brother for the holiday.  Yeah, that's a pretty whole-hearted recommendation.  It IS love!

Recommended for: readers ages ten and up (especially those who like mysteries), fans of Neil Gaiman's The Graveyard Book, and anyone who likes a good ghost story.

sunshine

For quite a while I thought there was something special about long-time favorite books.  Something like a block or a mental brick wall that kept me from being able to put words on a page and describe how I loved that story, and how much the reading and re-reading of it changed me.  Well, there IS a special magic surrounding old, favorite and familiar tales, but I’ve worked myself around to being able to write about them (a bit).  Robin McKinley is one of my most favorite authors, and her adult fantasy (paranormal? urban fantasy?) Sunshine is one of her best books.  The other day I needed sunshine in my life, and I picked it up off the shelf for an extremely well-timed re-read.

"Her feet are already bleeding - if you like feet..."

There are places in the world where darkness rules, where it's unwise to walk. Sunshine knew that. But there hadn't been any trouble out at the lake for years, and she needed a place to be alone for a while.

Unfortunately, she wasn't alone. She never heard them coming. Of course you don't, when they're vampires.

Sunshine is a young, perfectly ordinary (she thinks!) girl with a loving, messy, normal family.  The only thing is, her world is full of the Others, including demons, Weres, and the Darkest Others, vampires.  But you can get through life pretty well as long as you avoid the dangerous parts of town and have a modicum of good sense and luck.  At least, that’s how it should be.  It turns out that Sunshine’s life won’t be so simple after she decides to drive out to the lake one summer night.

My friends know about my thing for zombies, but I usually protest that I don’t read about vampires.  This is the book that proves me a hypocrite.  It’s not that these are seductive vampires.  No, they are the utterly alien, terror-in-the-night kind.  But as Sunshine discovers, her destiny lies in a gray area, and she won’t get to pick the cut-and-dried human ‘side.’  She’ll have to live with impossibilities.  The story that takes her on that journey is fascinating and (as I said) an all-time favorite.

McKinley has created an entire world with unnamed Wars in recent history, a vampire menace, partblood discrimination, and a friendly coffee shop at its center.  However, the story’s focus is Sunshine, and her first-person narration is what makes the book work.  She’s self-deprecating, funny, afraid, and wants to cling to the normality she knows.  At the same time, she finds that deeply-hidden well of courage and strength needed to face evil, to keep on living, and to choose the right thing, even when it all seems bleak.  She’s no perfect heroine, and that, I think, is one of the reasons why readers will fall in love with her.

The thing that resonated most with me this re-read was the juxtaposition of Sunshine’s primal urge to make food and feed it to people (a metaphor for creation and nurture), and her mission/calling to do what she can to destroy evil (killing, getting her hands dirty).  Sunshine also grapples with the questions of how to be a good person while doing something that she fundamentally disagrees with, how to keep the balance of light and dark in her life, and if there is such a thing as a visible taint of evil. 

I find that the best books will speak different messages to you at different points in time.  I felt very adult this time ‘round, reading Sunshine.  It was… interesting.  In any case, it’s still a wonderful, immediate, funny, dark sort of pleasure, and I’m sure it’ll remain on the favorites shelf for years to come.

And now!  An aside featuring food: As the baker/pastry chef at her stepdad Charlie’s coffee shop, Sunshine makes many cinnamon rolls (as big as your head!), muffins, cherry tarts and Killer Zebras throughout the book.  What are Killer Zebras?  A type of cookie, of course.  The passage below (from page 227) got me thinking about making them.  A woman named Maud has just interrupted Sunshine’s solitude, and offered her a generic cookie from a packet.  It turns out that it is just this sort of fellowship with her fellow humans that Sunshine needed.

“Sometimes you have help,” I said.  “Sometimes people come along and offer you Chocolate Pinwheels.” 

“Sometimes,” she said.

“I’m Rae,” I said.  “Do you know Charlie’s Coffeehouse?  It’s about a quarter mile that way,” I said, pointing.

“I don’t get that far very often,” she said.

“Well, some time, if you want to, you might like to try our Killer Zebras.  There’s a strong family resemblance…Tell whoever serves you that Sunshine says you can have as many as you can carry away, to bring back to this park and eat.  In the sunshine.”

“Are you Sunshine then too?”

I sighed.  “Yes.  I guess.  I’m Sunshine too.”

“Good for you,” she said, and patted my knee.

So I did a little searching and found Robin’s mention of Killer Zebras as basically Betty Crocker Harlequin cookies.  I couldn’t find the original Betty Crocker recipe, but I did find this one for Chocolate Harlequins from Simon Rimmer’s Cooking for the Weekend.  I tried it.  And failed (they... spread. and the consistency is wrong).  Needless to say, I’ll be searching the cookbook section at used bookstores and sales until I find the original recipe!

Recommended for: anyone interested in paranormal and urban fantasy, fans of Emma Bull, Neil Gaiman and Sharon Shinn, and those who appreciate the full-immersion experience in a character and a fantastical world.

Interested in other food-related posts?  Check out Beth Fish Reads’ Weekend Cooking!

outcast by adrienne kress review, giveaway & blog tour

Today’s review is part of the blog tour for Adrienne Kress’ new book, Outcast.  It’s a paranormal romance with a vintage vibe and a gun-toting heroine (with attitude).

We all know (or suspect) how much a pretty cover can influence us to pick up a book.  This is me, admitting to giving this book a chance because of its cover.  What can I say? It’s so SHINY!  *ahem*  Back to business.  Often, authors don’t have anything to do with their book covers, but in this case, Adrienne Kress helped create the beautiful artwork for Outcast, and I think you must agree with me that she’s one talented human being.  After all, she wrote a funny paranormal romance, AND designed its cover. 

After six years of “angels” coming out of the sky and taking people from her town, 16-year-old Riley Carver has just about had it living with the constant fear. When one decides to terrorize her in her own backyard, it’s the final straw. She takes her mother’s shotgun and shoots the thing. So it’s dead. Or … not? In place of the creature she shot, is a guy. A really hot guy.  A really hot alive and breathing guy.  Oh, and he’s totally naked. 

Not sure what to do, she drags his unconscious body to the tool shed and ties him up. After all, he’s an angel and they have tricks. When he regains consciousness she’s all set to interrogate him about why the angels come to her town, and how to get back her best friend (and almost boyfriend) Chris, who was taken the year before. But it turns out the naked guy in her shed is just as confused about everything as she is. 

He thinks it’s 1956. 

Set in the deep south, Outcast is a story of love, trust, and coming of age. It’s also a story about the supernatural, a girl with a strange sense of humor who’s got wicked aim, a greaser from the 50’s, and an army of misfits coming together for one purpose: To kick some serious angel ass.

Riley Carver has spent the last year mourning her best friend, who was ‘taken’ by the angels only a week after they’d shared their first kiss.  Now, on the anniversary of his disappearance, she’s mad instead of sad.  When she sees an angel, she lets the anger take over and shoots it.  In the face.  If only that were the end of things!  Somehow the angel has turned into an unconscious naked guy.  When he wakes and believes he’s from the 1950s, Riley has to decide who to trust, what to do with a town of angel-obsessed people, and how to survive this year in high school.  It’ll be quite an experience.

I’ll just put this out there: I’ve been burned by the angels-as-paranormal-heroes thing before.  But when I read the first few pages of Adrienne Kress’ new book, I knew that I’d found a different kind of story.  For one thing, heroine Riley Carver is a quirky badass.  After all, she shoots angels (well, just the one, really).  After that, there’s really no telling what will happen next, because things just get more and more unlikely.  In a really interesting way, of course.

As a character, Riley is a hoot.  She’s introspective, feels like an outsider, is dealing with losing her best friend, and trying to figure out what to do with a lot of mysterious occurrences and a guy who she may or may not be able to trust.  Oh, and small town life.  Riley’s adventures and misadventures reminded me a bit of Nancy Drew, although her inner dialogue was a lot more sassy and hilarious than I remember that other teenage sleuth being.

Gabe, the ‘angel’ is a James Dean lookalike with a chip on his shoulder and over fifty years of history to catch up on – but it’s pretty clear he thinks Riley is fantastic.  His only ‘con’ would be a propensity to always address Riley as either sweetheart or dollface.  That gets old pretty quickly.  His and Riley’s friendship (once they develop a level of trust) is one of discovery and fast-paced banter.  It’s light and enjoyable reading.  However, my favorite character aside from Riley is cheerleader Lacy.  She’s not a cardboard secondary character – in fact, I think her story (only hinted at) is probably just as interesting as Riley’s in its own way.

As for the plot, it follows Riley and her adventures in Hartwich over the course of a year, and there’s a lot of growing up mixed in with the occasional moments of fear, paranormal activity and high school politics.  It makes for an unusual blend, but it works for the most part.  My two small quibbles with the story have to do with the fair amount of exposition (rather than action) that it takes to describe what is actually going on in this sleepy Southern town, and one of the late-in-the-story reveals. 

The strongest part of Outcast is definitely Riley, but Kress also writes dialogue with humor and feeling.  The awkward conversations felt awkward.  Riley’s interactions with her parents were spot-on.  And the swoony bits were very good indeed.  In addition, Kress’ unique take on angel mythology was pretty fascinating.  In all, this is an entertaining light paranormal romance with some interesting twists and a fantastic heroine. 

Recommended for: fans of Gina D’Amico’s Croak, those who like light romances with a paranormal twist, and anyone looking for hilarious dialogue as a main element in their YA reading.

Adrienne Kress is a Toronto born actor and author who loves to play make-believe. She also loves hot chocolate. And cheese. Not necessarily together.

She is the author of two children's novels: Alex and the Ironic Gentleman and Timothy and the Dragon's Gate (Scholastic) and is a theatre graduate of the Univeristy of Toronto and London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts in the UK. Published around the world, Alex was featured in the New York Post as a "Post Potter Pick," as well as on the CBS early show. It won the Heart of Hawick Children's Book Award in the UK and was nominated for the Red Cedar. The sequel, Timothy, was nominated for the Audie, Red Cedar and Manitoba Young Readers Choice Awards, and was recently optioned for film. She's also contributed to two anthologies in 2011: Corsets & Clockwork (YA Steampunk Romance short story anthology, Running Press Kids), and The Girl Who Was On Fire (an essay anthology analysing the Hunger Games series - Smart Pop).

Her debut YA, The Friday Society (Penguin), was released in the fall of 2012 to a starred review from Quill and Quire. And her quirky romantic YA, Outcast (Diversion Books), is out this June.

Interested in learning a little more about Outcast and Adrienne?  Check out these blog tour stops:

June 4: http://hobbitsies.net

June 5: http://birthofanewwitch.wordpress.com/

June 6: http://www.bibliophilicbookblog.com

June 7: http://www.reviews.snarkybooks.com/

June 8: http://www.intothehallofbooks.com

June 10: http://ceceliabedelia.blogspot.com

June 11: http://bookgirl-mel.blogspot.com

June 11: http://readrinserepeat.blogspot.com/

June 12: http://read-a-holicz.blogspot.ca

June 13: http://www.yanovelreader.com

June 13: http://www.amidsummernightsread.com/

June 14: http://www.supernaturalsnark.blogspot.com

June 14: http://appraisingpages.com

AND… if you’ve made it this far, please do enter the giveaway!  One entrant will receive an e-copy of Outcast.  To enter, simply fill out the FORM.  Giveaway open internationally, will end on June 24^th at 11:59pm EST.  Winner will be selected randomly and notified via email.  Good luck!

Fine print: I received an ebook of Outcast for honest review from Diversion Books.  Giveaway prize will be provided by the publisher.  I did not receive any compensation for this blog tour post.