PURITY

– Acceptable

Book Summary: A novel about love, loss, and sex — but not necessarily in that order.

Before her mother died, Shelby promised three things: to listen to her father, to love as much as possible, and to live without restraint. Those Promises become harder to keep when Shelby’s father joins the planning committee for the Princess Ball, an annual dance that ends with a ceremonial vow to live pure lives — in other words, no “bad behavior,” no breaking the rules, and definitely no sex.

Torn between Promises One and Three, Shelby makes a decision — to exploit a loophole and lose her virginity before taking the vow. But somewhere between failed hookup attempts and helping her dad plan the ball, Shelby starts to understand what her mother really meant, what her father really needs, and who really has the right to her purity.

Purity by Jackson Pearce Book Review Overview:

• Oh hey, this book is more about sex; there’s friendship and father/daughter relationships and mourning (intense!)
• I loved the relationship between Shelby and her dad; it was so nice to read about how they both grew closer because of this debutant ball
• Would have liked an ending that was a bit more tied up

PURITY by Jackson Pearce is so straight-forward to the point that it was predictable – but it’s not something that is necessarily a bad thing. Jackson Pearce makes the reading experience a fun one regardless of the predictability because of her relatable characters and the overall execution of the novel. However, I still found that something was missing from PURITY to leave a lasting impression in my mind.

The main thing that stood out to me about PURITY by Jackson Pearce was the fact that this book actually manages to cram a lot of heavy and serious material in such a little and pretty package. From the very first page, you know as a reader that PURITY by Jackson Pearce is way more than just a book about a girl trying to lose her virginity on a deadline. Shelby is still mourning the loss of her mother, and she keeps her memory alive by keeping the three promises she made to her mother before she died. PURITY by Jackson Pearce is about Shelby’s internal struggle to live by these promises.

I absolutely enjoyed reading how Shelby mended her relationship with her dad. More than anything, this book is about how a father and daughter learn to cope and live after the death of a wife and mother. Shelby and her dad had a truly awkward relationship at the beginning of PURITY by Jackson Pearce, so it was such a rewarding treat as a reader to see them slowly bridge the gap between them.

I felt as if the ending of PURITY by Jackson Pearce left me hanging for more. I didn’t expect the ending to be tied up complete with a Happily Ever After, but I shouldn’t have felt like the ending was so abrupt.

I enjoyed PURITY by Jackson Pearce and I can see why so many readers are her fans. I look forward to reading her other novels. However, while I enjoyed PURITY as I read it, but it was missing something for me to leave a lasting impression.

Other Book Reviews:
Mermaid Visions
A Reading Nook
RJ Does Books

Post written by Muggle-Born.net

OBSIDIAN

– Poor

Book Summary: Starting over sucks.When we moved to West Virginia right before my senior year, I’d pretty much resigned myself to thick accents, dodgy internet access, and a whole lot of boring…. until I spotted my hot neighbor, with his looming height and eerie green eyes. Things were looking up.And then he opened his mouth.Daemon is infuriating. Arrogant. Stab-worthy. We do not get along. At all. But when a stranger attacks me and Daemon literally freezes time with a wave of his hand, well, something…unexpected happens. The hot alien living next door marks me.You heard me. Alien. Turns out Daemon and his sister have a galaxy of enemies wanting to steal their abilities, and Daemon’s touch has me lit up like the Vegas Strip. The only way I’m getting out of this alive is by sticking close to Daemon until my alien mojo fades. If I don’t kill him first, that is.

Obsidian by Jennifer L Armentrout Book Review Overview:

• Mary Sue-ish characterization aimed at book bloggers
• Over-repetitive descriptions of vanity
• Lack of chemistry

There are so many things I want to say about this book that I don’t even know where to begin. Unfortunately, most of them are negative. It sucks because I loved Jennifer L. Armentrout’s Half-Blood passionately. It also sucks because my best friend, Loreal, bought me a copy of this book for my nook – and if you know me, you know that I never ever buy anything for my e-reader. (Library for the win.) I had high hopes for my second read from author Jennifer L. Armentrout, but unfortunately, OBSIDIAN did not meet my standards of a good read.

Yeah, argue with me on this one, but Katy is not just coincidentally a book blogger. Honestly, she struck me completely as a not genuine character. She reminded me of a Mary Sue – a fan fiction term that I hate using when reviewing a book, but there’s really no better way to describe Katy. Katy is a Mary Sue for the book blogging community. She’s snarky, kind of kick-ass, and stubborn with a banging body but she doesn’t know it! GASP! And the best part is… she reviews books on her book blog! I don’t know… I just felt like OBSIDIAN by Jennifer L. Armentrout was trying too hard to cater to a (very) specific target audience and it was obvious. I don’t want Katy to be the idealized version of myself. I want her to be her own unique character.

And then of course, there’s Daemon, the love interest – or as how I like to think of him: The Biggest Jerk Ever. OBSIDIAN by Jennifer L. Armentrout plays on the whole forbidden romance between human and alien. Alright. I usually eat up forbidden romances like it’s nothing. But the romance in OBSIDIAN by Jennifer L. Armentrout was just all wrong for me. It didn’t even feel like Daemon was playing hard to get for me. He was just a jerk. He would have a rare tender moment with Katy in one scene then totally acting like she’s nobody the next. Not acceptable. Not sexy and definitely not cool.

… And don’t get me started on the over-repetitive descriptions of how sexy Daemon is. Because seriously, I got it the first time. The guy is a looker. But I really do not need a reminder every time the guy pops into a scene.

I couldn’t even enjoy the excessive banter between Katy and Daemon because the chemistry itself felt a little too forced. I didn’t feel an internal struggle with Daemon. I felt like he could turn off or on his views on friendships with humans. The danger about the friendship didn’t really sink in with me, and because of that, Daemon’s excuses were pretty lame without some strong backing.

Unfortunately, nothing went right for me in OBSIDIAN by Jennifer L Armentrout, and I will probably not continue with the series.

Other Book Reviews:
Book Rants
Elegantly Bound Books
Justin’s Book Blog

Post written by Muggle-Born.net

THE HUNT

– Exceeds Expectations

Book Summary: Warning! This summary is really spoilery! Geez, publisher. In a world where humans have been eaten to near extinction, seventeen-year-old Gene has only managed to survive by painstakingly concealing his true species. If the bloodthirsty creatures surrounding him knew what he really was–a human–he would be devoured swiftly and terribly. When Gene is chosen to participate in the government-sponsored hunt for the last remaining humans, it thrusts him into the fight of his life–and into the path of a human girl who makes him feel things he never thought possible. Now, he must learn the art of the hunt and elude his fellow hunters whose suspicions about his true human nature are growing. But most importantly, Gene and the girl he loves must find a way to forge a life together in a brutal world that’s bent on their destruction.

The Hunt by Andrew Fukuda Book Review Overview:

• World-building like you’ve never read before. Finally, a book about a human who realizes he’s vampire-prey
• Relatable hero; who doesn’t want a human to win?
• This is something that I don’t say lightly: If you’re a fan of The Hunger Games, chances are you’ll like THE HUNT by Andrew Fukuda, too.

In this backwards world, humans are going extinct. In THE HUNT by Andrew Fukuda, the main character must hide in plain sight by living among the vampires and pretending that he is one of them. But then he is chosen to participated in a government-sponsored hunt to track down the few remaining humans and eat them. Things just got a little more complicated…

As a reader who never quite fell into the whole vampire craze, I was so happy to hear that there was a finally a vampire book that appealed to me. In THE HUNT by Andrew Fukuda, vampires are the bad guys, not the love interests. The world-building is quite awesome because it steers away from the stereotypical vampire love that has saturated the young adult market. Humans have always been prey. But what makes THE HUNT so original and fresh is the fact that his characters know that a date with a vampire means he’ll be dead before dessert and not a happily ever after. But it makes me wonder: why have I never picked up a book like this before?

What’s funny is that I never noticed that the author never uses the main character’s name – or should I say, “designation” – until 2/3 of THE HUNT by Andrew Fukuda. I think it’s a bit unfair that I start using it now when I got so comfortable just reading from his perspective without ever knowing it. I also think it’s unfair that the summary gives it away. And speaking of the summary: Dude, the summary gives away like the biggest secret in the book. There are a ton of surprises along the way for the main character, and some of them you see coming way before the big reveal. While I usually don’t like predictability, I was hooked into THE HUNT by Andrew Fukuda because of the great execution. You can’t help but think: Hey, I might know what happens later on, but right now, I just want to cheer for the hero. Humans rule. Vampires suck.

It’s so easy to relate to the hero of THE HUNT by Andrew Fukuda because as a human, you cannot help but put yourself in the hero’s shoes. There is nothing that makes the hero particularly special; it’s the fact that blood runs in his veins that makes him a target. Against all odds, he’s survived on his own surrounded by vampires and it would really suck for him to just get eaten up.

And I guess I should explain why this would definitely appeal to The Hunger Games fans. The set up of the actual hunt is quite similar to The Hunger Games. Each of the participants of the hunt were selected through a random lottery. Upon their selection, they were sent to the research facility to train for the upcoming hunt. Beyond the set up of the hunt, there are few other similarities that would remind readers of The Hunger Games.

Furthermore, Fukuda set up a great pacing in THE HUNT. The last few chapters of the book were complete nail-biters. Andrew Fukuda really drew out the tension and built it up until the very end when the Hunt began. THE HUNT by Andrew Fukuda is an impressive first installment of a new series that I will definitely keep up with. And after the massive, jaw-dropping cliffhanger, let’s just say that I’m eagerly awaiting the next book.

Finally, I think this is the paranormal / vampire book that can appeal to boys. The romance is minimal at most and the gore is at its best. There’s no sparkly vampires in THE HUNT by Andrew Fukuda.

Other Book Reviews:
Diary of a Book Addict
WinterHaven Books

Post written by Muggle-Born.net

WONDER

– Exceeds Expectations

Book Summary: I won’t describe what I look like. Whatever you’re thinking, it’s probably worse.

August (Auggie) Pullman was born with a facial deformity that prevented him from going to a mainstream school—until now. He’s about to start 5th grade at Beecher Prep, and if you’ve ever been the new kid then you know how hard that can be. The thing is Auggie’s just an ordinary kid, with an extraordinary face. But can he convince his new classmates that he’s just like them, despite appearances?

R. J. Palacio has written a spare, warm, uplifting story that will have readers laughing one minute and wiping away tears the next. With wonderfully realistic family interactions (flawed, but loving), lively school scenes, and short chapters, Wonder is accessible to readers of all levels.

Wonder by RJ Palacio Book Review Overview:

• Mostly told through Auggie’s perspective but also switches to the perspective of other characters
• Inspiring and touching story; Auggie is such a delightful character to read about
• Makes you think twice about how you act towards someone with a disability

There is always some hesitation in my part when picking up middle grade novels, because there’s always the chance where the novel is not as accessible to older readers. I didn’t have a problem with WONDER by R.J. Palacio in that aspect. I think that Palacio does a wonderful job of making her writing appeal to readers of all ages.

What surprised me the most about WONDER by R.J. Palacio is the impact it had on me in terms of my thinking of how I act towards someone with a disability or a handicap. Auggie is such an inspiring character to read about. His life is hard – there’s no doubt about that. And it made me sad to read about him. But Auggie is such a fighter and he tries so hard no matter how many obstacles get in his way. Auggie made me put my problems into perspective. My problems seemed so petty in comparison to the life that he lives. Furthermore, WONDER by RJ Palacio made me think about how I conduct myself in public. WONDER will make me think twice next time I see someone with a disability or a handicap.

At first, I wasn’t sure how I felt about the switching perspectives throughout the novel. For the most part, the novel is told from Auggie’s point of view, but randomly switches to other characters such as his friends. My dislike for the multiple perspectives was short-lived; I fell in love with Palacio’s writing style and I loved seeing Auggie from other people’s eyes. My love for him as a character grew even more.

The ending of WONDER by RJ Palacio gave me such a warm and fuzzy feeling. As a reader, I felt like I grew so much with Auggie on this emotional roller coaster. His character was developed so well throughout the book and I wanted to give him a massive congratulatory hug at the end.

WONDER by RJ Palacio is the kind of middle grade novel that should be read by all. It’s not just a “children’s” book.

Other Book Reviews:
Poetry to Prose
The Reading Date

Post written by Muggle-Born.net

SCARY SCHOOL

– Acceptable

Book Summary: You think your school’s scary?

Get a load of these teachers:

“Ms. Fang,” an 850-year-old vampire
“Dr. Dragonbreath,” who just might eat you before recess
“Mr. Snakeskin”–science class is so much more fun when it’s taught by someone who’s half zombie
“Mrs. T”–break the rules and spend your detention with a hungry “Tyrannosaurus rex”

Plus

Gargoyles, goblins, and Frankenstein’s monster on the loose
The world’s most frighteningly delicious school lunch

And

The narrator’s an eleven-year-old ghost

Join Charles “New Kid” Nukid as he makes some very Scary friends–including Petunia, Johnny, and Peter the Wolf–and figures out that Scary School can be just as funny as it is spooky

Scary School by Derek the Ghost Book Review Overview:

• A fun (and totally not too scary) book for young early chapter book readers
• Loved seeing the various characters illustrated in each chapter
• Reminded me of Louis Sachar’s Wayside School series

SCARY SCHOOL by Derek the Ghost is not my typical read. I usually don’t read this young, but I decided to give it a shot because his email pitch was so convincing and his website is so awesome. I have a younger sibling and a bunch of younger cousins so I wanted to give this book a shot and see if it was something that they might end up liking.

SCARY SCHOOL by Derek the Ghost had me feeling a little nostalgic. It reminded me of Louis Sachar’s Sideway Stories from Wayside School series – which i had read while growing up. Scary School is not your ordinary school. There’s a giant T-rex on the school faculty and a one-fanged teacher who teaches monster math… Dying is a daily occurrence – but don’t worry, you’ll probably end up coming back as a ghost. Each chapter focuses on a different character and by the end of the book, readers will have met a colorful (and frightening) variety of students, teachers, and faculty monsters – I mean, members.

I was afraid that I would be a little too old to get the jokes and the silly antics in the book, but I admit that I did end up laughing out loud a few times. I can only imagine just how funny this book would be to a younger audience. The playful illustrations only added to the fun. It was great seeing the different whacky characters illustrated in each chapter.

Overall, SCARY SCHOOL is a fun refreshing first in a chapter book series by Derek the Ghost. If Hogwarts and the Wayside School were somehow able to make a baby, Scary School is what you’ll get.

Post written by Muggle-Born.net

For more about my internship experiences, make sure to check out my Internly Insights posts!

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THUMPED

– Exceeds Expectations

Book Summary:  It’s been thirty-five weeks since twin sisters Harmony and Melody went their separate ways. And now their story has become irresistible: twins separated at birth, each due to deliver twins…on the same day!

Married to Ram and living in Goodside, Harmony spends her time trying to fit back into the community she once believed in. But she can’t forget about Jondoe, the guy she fell for under the strangest of circumstances.

To her adoring fans, Melody has achieved everything: a major contract and a coupling with the hottest bump prospect around. But this image is costing her the one guy she really wants.

The girls’ every move is analyzed by millions of fans eagerly counting down to “Double Double Due Date.” They’re two of the most powerful teen girls on the planet, and they could do only one thing to make them even more famous:

Tell the truth.

Book Review Overview:

• Teen pregnancy is no laughing matter … but THUMPED will make you crack up
• There are two swoon-worthy guys in this book: Jondoe and Zen.
• Satisfying conclusion that is definitely worth your money

I can’t believe I had doubts coming into THUMPED by Megan McCafferty. I breezed through BUMPED by Megan McCafferty and I could not have enjoyed it enough. I couldn’t wait to read more about Harmony and Melody, but I couldn’t help but feel a bit of apprehension when I picked up the sequel. Would THUMPED by Megan McCafferty be as funny? Would it live up to my expectations? The answer is yes. THUMPED by Megan McCafferty is the perfect conclusion to Melody and Harmony’s story.

I think it is important to remember the author’s intention when reading THUMPED by Megan McCafferty. No, she is not trying to promote teen pregnancy. McCafferty is forcing readers to think about media and society and the way we portray teen pregnancies. We shouldn’t be glamorizing teen pregnancies. We shouldn’t be making these pregnancies as a form of entertainment on MTV. By poking fun of teen pregnancies in the most hilarious and absurd way ever, Megan McCafferty forces you to realize how serious the matter is. The world in BUMPED and THUMPED is based on reality.

It’s been a while since I read BUMPED so immediately, I had a problem differentiating between Harmony and Melody. They are completely different people, but because of the similarity of their musical names I have difficulty in remembering who’s who. I can finally tell the two apart, but it did take me a couple of chapters to get used to their names again.

I loved reading about Harmony and Melody and seeing them grow as characters from the first book to the end of THUMPED by Megan McCafferty. Harmony obviously changed a lot more than Melody because she previously had such a conservative lifestyle. I found it inspiring to read about how she finally manages to balance out her religion with her other beliefs. It’s not as if she traded religion for a whole new life with her sister, Melody. She found a way to live with both, and I honestly respect that.

Furthermore, I definitely got my romance fix in THUMPED by Megan McCafferty. Okay, Jondoe is seriously pushing tacky at times, but there are other moments where he just made my heart melt. His intentions are so pure – sometimes a little bit naive – that you just can’t help but fall for him a little. I know Harmony has a reason to distrust him, but I really couldn’t help but cheer her on to trust him again.

On the other hand, there’s Zen. Oh my gosh. Of the two guys, Zen has my heart. I seriously love the chemistry between Melody and Zen. Reading about the two of them was one of the biggest highlights of the book. I probably sped through the book so quickly just to read how the conflict between the two of them would be resolved. I wish that there were more chapters that focused on the two of them, and I did feel that Harmony and Jondoe overshadowed the others at times.

The ending of THUMPED by Megan McCafferty was satisfying, but at the same time, it was not tied up entirely. Readers can only guess what will happen to Harmony and Melody, and what impact the truth might have for the rest of the country and even the rest of the world. Harmony and Melody did not end teen pregnancy – that is something completely out of their hands. But they managed to make an impact in the way they can. The open ending leaves the characters in the book to act upon the sisters’ impact and create even more change.

I strongly urge you to pick this up if you read and loved BUMPED by Megan McCafferty. If you’re a fan of her Jessica Darling series, you should really read this series. They’re completely different and you really won’t find yourself comparing the two.

Other Book Reviews:
Birth of a New Witch
I Eat Words

Post written by Muggle-Born.net

ZERO

– Acceptable

Book Summary: For aspiring artist Amanda Walsh, who only half-jokingly goes by the nickname Zero, the summer before college was supposed to be fun—plain and simple. Hanging out with her best friend Jenn, going to clubs, painting, and counting down the days until her escape. But when must-have scholarship money doesn’t materialize, and she has a falling out with Jenn that can only be described as majorly awkward, and Zero’s parents relationship goes from tense to relentless fighting, her prospects start looking as bleak and surreal as a painting by her idol Salvador Dali. Will life truly imitate art? Will her new, unexpected relationship with a punk skater boy who seems too good to be real and support from the unlikeliest of sources show Zero that she’s so much more than a name.

Zero by Tom Leveen Book Review Overview:

• Zero has quite the abrasive personality so it was at first hard for me to like her as a protagonist
• I just couldn’t relate to the band scene, even though I would have loved to
• Hopeful and realistic ending

Meet Zero. She’s an aspiring artist. Unfortunately, her lack of self-confidence (and lots of family drama) prevents her from going after her dream: to attend a prestigious art school in Chicago. It’s supposed to be Zero’s fun, laid-back summer before college. Instead, she’s stuck at home with one less friend, living in a house where her parents never stop arguing.

Alright, let me admit it: when I first found out that I was going to be an Ambuzzador for ZERO by Tom Leveen, I thought, “Uh-oh… This is not the kind of contemporary that I read.” And, I’m not going to lie; it’s true. I like sweet, romantic contemporaries and the cover does not give that impression at all. It looks edgy and punk rock and not me. But I was determined to give ZERO by Tom Leveen a shot. And this is one of those cases where I shouldn’t have judged a book based on its cover.

Amanda, a.k.a Zero was a tough protagonist to like based on first impressions. Zero has a pretty abrasive personality and it took me a while to find something about her that I could relate to. At first I couldn’t help thinking, Geez, what a Negative Nancy! Amanda was really overly critical and cynical about almost everything. But once I learned more about her, I understood why she acts that way. After a while, I related immensely with Amanda. Every now and then, a girl feels self-conscious about her body. It’s really only with time that a girl comes to love herself. Furthermore, I really could relate with Amanda’s frustrations with the college system. It is unbelievably expensive nowadays and it’s terrible how the cost of education can prevent one from going after their dream.

Music plays a huge role in ZERO by Tom Leveen. Unfortunately, I’m pretty much the complete opposite of an audiophile. As much as I would have loved to relate with the whole punk rock scene, it just didn’t happen. I wanted to get into the music as much as Zero did but for someone who isn’t into music as much, I think it’s hard to imagine being part of the audience of a concert. There are so many mentions of different bands in ZERO by Tom Leveen and my music knowledge is so limited that I couldn’t tell if they were real or fake bands. (I never really did find out…) However, I do think it would have been awesome to have actually heard some of the songs that Tom Leveen had written for the book.

Furthermore, there is a pretty realistic romance in ZERO by Tom Leveen. Mike is pretty likeable and I think he is one of the things that was key for Amanda’s character development. His encouragement to push her to follow her dreams as well as his own passion for his music really helps prioritizes Amanda’s goals in the near future.

ZERO by Tom Leveen also touches on a little bit of LGBTQ issues in the form of Amanda’s best friend. Initially, I thought Amanda was homophobic, but after I kept on reading I thought her reaction to be quite normal. It doesn’t matter if Jenn is straight or gay. If it had been me and one of my friends (guy or girl) I think I would have been freaked out at first if I really didn’t see it coming. I’m glad how their friendship developed in the book.

Lastly, art is essential to the book. If you’re not familiar with Salvador Dali, or have never even heard of him, go look him up on Wikipedia before reading ZERO by Tom Leveen. I think it’s important for a reader to at least be familiar with some of the works that inspire Amanda so much in the book.

While I enjoyed reading ZERO by Tom Leveen quite a bit, I think what makes this book different from a four-star book is memorability. I just don’t think that ZERO by Tom Leveen will leave a lasting impression on me, despite the fact that I liked reading it. The ending of ZERO by Tom Leveen was perfect. I couldn’t have been more satisfied with Amanda and I was really glad on how much she had matured over the course of the book.

I would recommend ZERO by Tom Leveen to readers who love contemporary novels – especially those about art and/or music.

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Dreamland – Teen Fantasy
Wear the Old Coat

Post written by Muggle-Born.net

THE ACADEMIE

– Poor

Book Summary: Eliza Monroe – daughter of the future president of the United States-is devastated when her mother decides to send her to boarding school outside of Paris. But the young American teen is quickly reconciled to the idea when-ooh, la-la!-she discovers who her fellow pupils will be: Hortense de Beauharnais, daughter of Josephine Bonaparte; and Caroline Bonaparte, youngest sister of the famous French general. It doesn’t take long for Eliza to figure out that the two French girls are mortal enemies-and that she’s about to get caught in the middle of their schemes.

Loosely drawn from history, Eliza Monroe’s imagined coming of age provides a scintillating glimpse into the lives, loves, and hopes of three young women during one of the most volatile periods in French history.

The Academie by Susanne Dunlap Book Review Overview:

• Love the concept, but did not enjoy the execution
• Immature characters with uncompelling story lines
• Lacking love interests

Post-French Revolution historical fiction is not one that I pick up a lot so I was really excited to read THE ACADEMIE by Susanne Dunlap. I admit that I do have a fascination with Napoleon (I didn’t realize he had such an interesting family!), and I wanted to get a glimpse of what life was like during his reign. I loved the idea of reading the novel from the perspective of the three main characters: Caroline, Napoleon’s younger sister; Hortense, the daughter of Napoleon’s wife; and Eliza, the daughter of the future United States president. When I picked this up, I intended to read a juicy story while learning a bit of history, but instead I got unnecessary drama and gossip.

THE ACADEMIE  by Susanne Dunlap is more about romance and gossip than anything else. I failed to understand the relevant historical context during which the novel took place in. Whenever something serious was going on, the girls always had to be in the middle of an extravagant scheme to get themselves where the action was happening. Unfortunately, the focus was put more on their elaborate cross-dressing than the political climate of the time. So I had read that Something Big happened, but I can’t as a reader tell you what.

I think the biggest problem that I had with THE ACADEMIE by Susanne Dunlap was that everything was just a little too convenient. The characters did run into trouble every now and then, but the story line still felt too perfect to be realistic. Part of that is because THE ACADEMIE is loosely based on true history – keyword here: loosely. Hortense, Caroline, and Eliza are all based on real people in history, but they were not all attending school at the same time. Dunlap had to stretch history a little in order to get all three girls together.

Of the three main characters, I disliked Eliza the most. To be honest, I really did not understand her importance as a character in the book. Okay, historically, Eliza does travel to France to study, but I fail to see the relevance of her character in the overall story. It’s not as if she acts as a catalyst that sets off even more drama between Caroline and Hortense; very early on in the story, it was clearly established that the two girls do not exactly get along. Eliza’s character felt out of place, and I just could not relate to her.

Furthermore, I know that Eliza is quite young, naive, and inexperienced when it comes to boys, but she is one of the reasons why I also was not fond of the romance in THE ACADEMIE  by Susanne Dunlap. It drove me crazy how Eliza can develop a massive crush after meeting a guy just once. She is already fantasizing about romance and a Happily Ever After when in reality they barely exchanged words. As far as the other love interests, I didn’t really find any of the romances to be quite compelling. I always love the idea of forbidden love, but it’s not as fun when there isn’t any chemistry between the two characters.

However, I did like the glimpse of Napoleon’s family dynamics in THE ACADEMIE by Susanne Dunlap. I constantly cheered Hortense on throughout the story, because out of everyone, she was clearly the underdog. There is a lot of tension between her and Caroline, but because Caroline is Napoleon’s sister, she can’t exactly complain about Caroline’s nastiness. And of course, it’s no secret that Caroline does not approve of Hortense’s mother, which only adds more to the drama. Furthermore, I loved reading about Hortense’s interactions with Napoleon, her mother, and her brother. Her relationship with her family is quite complex.

Bottom line: in terms of taste, I think there is still some appeal to those who are fans of historical fiction. However, I think THE ACADEMIE by Susanne Dunlap would appeal to fans of the Luxe series by Anna Godbersen rather than fans of Jennifer Donnelly’s novels such as REVOLUTION or A NORTHERN LIGHT. THE ACADEMIE by Susanne Dunlap full of gossip and drama but not much substance.

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I’d So Rather Be Reading
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The Readventurer

Post written by Muggle-Born.net

Behind the Book is an exclusive feature at Muggle-Born that gives readers an inside look into the editorial process of some of our favorite books. Plot changes, lost characters, and many more interesting topics are tackled in an interview with the author.

The Hero’s Guide to Saving Your Kingdom by Christopher Healy

Did You Know?

• THE HERO’S GUIDE was written on and off for a year
• The character Lila originally had the name Ramona
• THE HERO’S GUIDE had a relatively lengthy list of alternate working titles that included: Prince Who?, Don’t Call Me Charming, and much more!
• Read on to find out more Behind the Book info about THE HERO’S GUIDE TO SAVING YOUR KINGDOM!

How many months did it take for you to write the original draft of THE HERO’S GUIDE TO SAVING YOUR KINGDOM?
Hard to say exactly. Approximately twelve months, I think. But it wasn’t a solid year of writing. I had to squeeze book time in between my regular freelance assignments. It was basically: Write a page of the book, write a video game review, write a page of the book, write a roundup of children’s apps, and so on. Even though I was devoting quite a bit of time to it, the book was still theoretical at that point. Once the manuscript sold, however, and I had an actual deadline to meet for the final draft, I had to kick into high gear. The revision process took far less calendar time, but was way more concentrated and probably took more actual hours of work.

How long did the overall production of your book take from the moment you got your agent to the final publication date?
It’s been an amazingly streamlined process. Agent accepted the manuscript in March of last year. Pub date is May 1st, so that’s only fourteen months. I could use a nap.

Throughout the editorial process were there any significant changes to your story in terms of plot?
Well, Zaubera’s evil plot was entirely different in the very first draft. She was kidnapping farmers and placing them in dozens of towers that she had constructed all over the map, and was planning on simultaneously blowing up all the towers at a designated time… for some reason. It was — how shall I put this? — incomprehensible. But I don’t think my agent even got to see that draft. Luckily, my wife is a brilliant editor, and she was able to very bluntly tell me, “Honey, this makes no sense.”

Did you lose any characters along the way or go through any name changes?
I didn’t lose any characters (though in earlier drafts, Rosilda Stiffenkrauss played a larger role than the one scene she ended up in). On the contrary, I gained a few — and they’re some of my favorites: Lila and Ruffian the Blue. Neither of them was in the first draft. And even when I originally added Lila, she was only in two scenes. And her name was Ramona. I decided that Ramona didn’t sound like the kind of name her parents would have given to their little princess. My daughter suggested the name Lila and it stuck.

The other name change that occurred was for Briar Rose. Historically speaking, there have always been two names used for the Sleeping Beauty character: Aurora and Briar Rose. I initially used Aurora (and nicknamed her Rory), which felt right at the time, because in my very first draft, Sleeping Beauty was a meek and mellow character. I soon found her boring to write, though —which meant she would be even more boring to read. So I gave her a personality adjustment, and along with it, switched her name to the more pointed Briar Rose.

What was the most challenging part of writing and the editorial process?
All the tough, grueling parts about writing and revising Hero’s Guide were self-inflicted wounds. It was my choice to write a book with a crazy number of characters and plot threads to keep in order. I could have written a lovely little story about one Prince Charming, maybe even two. But no, I had to go for four. And the four princesses to go with them. And then I had to push it farther and say, No, let’s make it five princesses. And add a bunch of villains. There are about fifty distinct characters — many of whom have their own plot lines. Writing this book felt a little like air traffic control at times.

On several occasions, I found I’d written myself into a corner, so I had to go back and change something that happened earlier — and whenever I did that, I realized that the change would create a butterfly effect and necessitate even more changes down the line. There were honestly some grueling moments. I learned from those long, head-banging evenings at the computer, though: I outlined Book II before I started writing. Of course, it has even more characters, though, so…

Did THE HERO’S GUIDE TO SAVING YOUR KINGDOM go through any title changes?
More than I can remember. I submitted the book to my agent as The Princes Charming. But we thought that might be too easily misread as “Princess Charming.” The title after that was The League of Princes. But during the editorial process, we decided we wanted the title to be more expansive, to incorporate not just the four princes, but all the other characters who are looking for their inner hero over the course of the series. That’s how we ended up with The Hero’s Guide to Saving Your Kingdom. But there was also a ridiculously long list of alternate working titles that popped up along the way. Some lasted for a few days, others no more than a moment before being deservedly tossed out.

A few highlights (for better or worse):
The Aspiring Kingdom-Savers Handbook
Don’t Call Me Charming
Prince Who?
I Saved the Kingdom and All I Got Was This Lousy Nickname
The Princes Formerly Known as Charming

Is there anything else that you could tell us about THE HERO’S GUIDE TO SAVING YOUR KINGDOM that we wouldn’t know unless we were part of the editorial team at Walden Pond Press?
I assume you’re referring to the office pool in which the staff is placing bets on which prince I kill off first. Sorry, I have been legally advised not to comment on such matters.

Post written by Muggle-Born.net