Dreams of Shreds and Tatters

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by Amanda Downum

Reviewed by S.A.

(Quick note from S.A. : I am so sorry I haven’t posted a review in a while! Finals really took it out of me and I simply ran out of time. I barely read anything new this month! In any case, I am back, and will hopefully share good books with you on a more regular basis. I’m going to review some other books I read on our Tumblr, so we get more reviews in a week! – Sarah)

Every once and a while you find yourself reading a book, and before you know it, it’s got its hooks sunk deep into you. You try to put it down, but it calls you back: it doesn’t scream “find out what happens next,” but slowly whispers, “come, you must read more.” And Dreams of Shreds and Tatters  did exactly that: it beckoned me to read more, enticing me with an intriguing plot, compelling characters, and a nice dose of magic.

Summary

Blake has vanished: Liz Drake knows this, she saw it in a dream. Her dreams have always been more on the nightmare side, dangerously real, definitely not natural. As they steadily frighten her more, she knows she has to drop everything to find her closest friend, never expecting to see him in a coma, all the way in Vancouver. 

Slowly she uncovers strange aspects of her friend’s life: his close circle of friends, calling themselves artists when in fact they are much more, hiding dangerous secrets; snippets of the night of the accident that put Blake in a coma, which took his lover’s life; a drug which affects everyone differently, and no one wants to talk about… and magic.

As the nightmares grip her tighter, Liz finds herself caught between two worlds: the real, waking world, and the mysterious city of her dreams, the real of the monstrous Yellow king and his minions, who are seeping through doors into the waking realm. Knowing Blake’s life is on the line, she must fight her way through the dreamlands, saving her friend, and maybe the world.

What instantly caught me with this novel was the unique style: it’s like a distinctive style of art. The slow pace with the mystery bubbling to the top; the cold, dark undertones, that go between the real world and the dream ; the distinctive magic, and magical beings. None of them seem dramatic, which makes none of them out of place: they feel natural in the novel. AT some points, it does feel a little Lovecraftian, though it still stands its own. It’s an impressive feat.

The characters themselves also defeat the stereotypes. I am almost certain that Liz is Asexual (it may be outright said, but I may have missed it), and it’s completely natural. Kudos to the author! Actually, there is a diversity in the characters you don’t usually see, and none of the characters seem be be ‘tokens’. It’s an honest book, even if there is magic.

Even with all the magic in the forefront, relationships themselves may be the main focus of the novel. Liz and Blake’s friendship is so close, they’re almost siblings: she would go to the ends of the earth to save him. The relationships between Alex and Liz. We have people who care deeply about each other, with different forms of love.

But even with all this love, we can feel Liz’s cold isolation, which ads to the darkness of the novel. And she’s not the only POV character: the mystery deepens as we see the other players in the game, and each of them is as fascinating as the next. The artists, the magicians. The drugs and the secrets. Will Liz find them all out in time?

However, one thing that annoyed me was the symbolism that was shoved in your face. the idea of masks, the ties with greek mythology: a little bit of “show, don’t tell” could have gone a long way. It irked me, but only for a little bit. It’s probably just me. It doesn’t distract from the main plot.

So if you’re looking for a slow, bubbling plot, that will grip you in a gorgeous dark world of magic and intrigue, you should try Dreams of Shreds and Tatters. It will leave you wanting for more.

Hold Me Closer: A Kniterary Afghan Block

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I know we’ve been kind of silent the last two weeks. SA is finishing up finals for her first year of university; KM just started a wonderful job at a library. We’re not going anywhere! We’ll be posting a review tomorrow and should be back on schedule next week.

In the meantime, we do have something to share with you: our next Kniterary Afghan block!

The Kniterary Afghan is a project we introduced a few weeks ago; it’s a knit blanket made entirely out of knit book covers.

Today’s block comes from a book we reviewed a few weeks ago. It’s been our most popular review and it has a lovely cover, so we couldn’t wait to add it to our blanket. It’s Hold Me Closer by David Levithan!

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The pattern that we’ve created can be done in either stranded colorwork, double knitting (with a bit of duplicate stitch for certain parts), or cross-stitching. I’ll be doing my entire blanket in double knitting with duplicate stitch, but mine will not be reversible.

You can download the pattern for this block here: HMCDoc.

I Spell a Giveaway!

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A few weeks ago, I got the great opportunity to review Spelled by Betsy Schow. Now, the publisher wants to give you all an opportunity to get a better sneak peek of this book that’s releasing next month on June 2nd!

Excerpt from Spelled:

Most of the crowd had dispersed. The final few stragglers looked at me with the all­too-common look of fear mixed with trepidation. Pix ’em. They were just servants. It wasn’t like their opinion mattered.

Only one remained, watching me with open curiosity. He looked to be in his late teens or was magically enhanced to appear so. He could have been a hundred for all I knew. I’d never seen him before in my life. He was handsome enough, for a commoner, even in his worn leather pants and cracked work boots. A foreigner, his hair was unruly and dark auburn, which complemented his tanned but dirt-smudged complexion, though the tall, dark stranger vibe was ruined by his piercing pale blue eyes.

Well, I’d had enough of being a sideshow for the day. “If you’re the new gardener, the hedges are overgrown and in need of a trim.” I pointed in the direction of my father. “While you’re there, you can help the king with the wisps.”

The young man’s expression clouded over, but he didn’t move.

I stamped my foot and pointed more forcefully. “Off with you. Courtyard’s that way. Be sure to clean those awful boots before coming back in.”

“Someone told me I’d find a princess of great worth here. One with the strength to be the hero this realm needs.” He stared at me with those unsettling blue eyes. They were cold, like ice water—made me shiver from head to toe. Then his gaze seemed to search even deeper. Finally, he looked through me, like I was nothing.

In brisk steps, he strode across the marble to the courtyard. But before crossing the threshold, he turned back to glare at me with his lip curled ever so slightly. “It seems she was mistaken.”

Just like that, I had been sifted, weighed, and found wanting.

I felt my own lip curl in response. How rude! Who the Grimm was this peasant to judge me? I was wearing a Glenda original. Original! Not some fairy-godmother knockoff worn by those servant girls turned royal. I was a crown princess, for the love of fairy, and no one dismissed me.

Before I could put the boy in his place—down in the dirt, where he belonged—a clatter came from behind, making me nearly jump out of my shoes. I checked and was relieved that Sterling had simply dropped his sword. By the time I looked back, the gardener was gone.

After stowing his blade, Sterling held up his shield, not in defense of the entrance but so he could look at his reflection. “Clearly he’s blind and doesn’t know what he’s talking about.”

I didn’t ask for Sterling’s opinion, but it made me feel better.

Until he opened his mouth again.

“Worth, pffft. I mean, look around at all the jewels. Your palace has everything you could ever want. Honestly, I don’t know what you’re fussing about. Why would anyone want to leave?”

Because a cage is still a cage, no matter how big or glittering the bars are.

And I would find a way free, no matter the cost.

Hooked yet? I know I was!

Keep your eyes open for this; it’ll be out on the shelves soon!

Now for the best part!
Sourcebooks is giving away a Spelled Gift Basket on Rafflecopter. 

 A Rafflecopter giveaway

Quicksilver

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by RJ Anderson

Review by KM

I tend to start book series without realizing it. I’ll grab a book with an awesome summary, compelling characters, and great dialogue. None of them will warn me of the cliffhangers or the anguish of waiting for the next book. It happens to me so often that I should really start a file to keep track of all of the sequels I’m waiting for. Maybe if I had one, I wouldn’t miss amazing sequels like this.

I read and reviewed Ultraviolet eons ago, back in 2011. I loved it; I have never found a book similar to it since. By chance, I found Quicksilver while strolling through my local library. I snatched it up in an instant and haven’t been able to put it down since.

Summary

Back home Tori was the girl who had everything a sixteen-year-old could want–popularity, money, beauty. Everything. Including a secret. That secret made her very valuable.

Now she’s left everything from her old life behind, including her real name and Alison, the only person who truly understood her. She can’t lose the secret. But if she wants to have anything resembling a normal life, she has to blend in and hide her unique…talents.

Plans change when the enigmatic Sebastian Faraday reappears in Tori’s life and delivers bad news: she hasn’t escaped. In fact, she’s attracted new interest in the form of an obsessed ex-detective now in the employ of a genetics lab.

She has only one shot at ditching her past for good and living like the normal human she wishes she could be. Tori must use every ounce of her considerable hacking and engineering skills–and even then, she might need to sacrifice more than she could possibly imagine if she wants to be free.

Musings

Okay, first off, this is just as good — if not extremely better — than Ultraviolet. I miss the descriptions of synesthesia; those were just awesome. the plot is just as action-packed, but the stakes are higher. I adore Niki — or Tori, rather — as a narrator. She’s a strong female with a passion for engineering and a quick reaction speed. If the zombie apocalypse was coming, I’d want to be on Tori’s team.

I don’t want to define anyone by their sexuality, because it’s only a trait and isn’t the be-all end-all of a person. But holy cow, can I get a hallelujah for an asexual main character in a science fiction novel? I’m not even talking about implied asexuality, folks; I’m talking about her self-identifying herself as asexual, and possibly or possibly not aromantic, in a conversation and it being totally accepted by the other person.  Representation is awesome.

Quicksilver is definitely going to be one of my recommended books for a long time. It’s definitely a female protagonist that I’d love to see girls look up to as a role model, with her passion for science and take-no-crap attitude.

Becoming Darkness

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by Lindsay Francis Brambles

Review by KM

Alternate Universes has to be one of my favorite tropes and I so rarely see it in published fiction. The idea behind this book, mixing fantasy, alternative universes, and I guess a bit of historical fiction together presents a great new story. The only comparison I can even use to describe it would be the better parts of Twilight mashed with the BioShock video games.
Summary

Like everyone else living in Haven, seventeen-year-old Sophie Harkness is an Immune–a carrier of the genetic mutation that protects her from the virus Hitler unleashed upon the world more than half a century ago. A virus that wiped out most of humanity and turned two-hundred million people into vamps. But after her best friend is brutally murdered and several attempts are made on her own life, Sophie becomes determined to find answers to what seems to be a conspiracy running generations deep. And when she questions the peace treaty that keeps her small community protected, Sophie begins to discover terrible truths about herself and what it means to be human in a world ruled by darkness.

Musings

I’m being completely honest here; the first twenty pages are tough to get through. I kept having to put the book down and text SM about my worries: was this going to be another version of Twilight? I didn’t want to repeat that experience. I swore to her that if it ended up being a double, I was going to post this review under “Not Another Vampire Love Story.” It’s not posted under that, so relax. Becoming Darkness is so much better.

The plot was so meaty and full of turns that I could really choose to ignore the romance if it bothered me. In some parts it did; in some parts it didn’t. I will say, I do have a problem with the whole vampires-dating-teens trope. It presents a power struggle of age and that was more than present in this. I want to clarify that I’m not saying there isn’t a problematic relationship in the text, but that I enjoyed the book despite it.

The other characters more than made up for it, though. I think motives of side characters is something that often gets left out of a plot, but Becoming Darkness felt like all of the characters had their own moralities and motivations. It definitely makes for more rounded people.

There were more than a few loose ends left in this novel. I can only hope that it means there is an intended sequel. With this first installment being nearly five hundred pages of packed action, I hope the story continues to hold up to that standard.

A Darker Shade of Magic: a Kniterary Afghan Block

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Recently we introduced a new aspect of Readcommendations: Bookcrafting.

The Kniterary Afghan is going to be the biggest project that we’re crafting; it’s a full blanket constructed of thirty five squares made to look like our favorite book covers.

We’ve chosen V. Schwab’s A Darker Shade of Magic, which we reviewed a few weeks ago, for our first cover. I couldn’t be more excited for how it’s come out.

The pattern that we’ve created can be done in either stranded colorwork, double knitting (with a bit of duplicate stitch for certain parts), or cross-stitching. I’ll be doing my entire blanket in double knitting with duplicate stitch, but mine will not be reversible.

You can download the pattern for this block here: ADSOMPattern.

The Fangirl’s Guide to the Galaxy

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A Handbook for Girl Geeks

By Sam Maggs

Reviewed by SA

This is the guide you’re looking for.

Believe me when I say: you need this book in your life. It is the most complete guide to fan-geekery I have ever read, and I finished it feeling proud of my quirks and fandoms. It was complete and gorgeous, and I think it may need the tagline ‘A reference for the rest of us‘ on the outside, because I am certain that everyone, not just the fangirl, would benefit from reading this book.

So what is this guide? What does it guide you to? What’s in it that makes it so special? Well, first of all, let me address the fangirl who’s wondering why she even needs a guide to the galaxy. For starters, you probably don’t need a guide, because let’s face it, you’re awesome, and you’ve made it this far, right? But this guide is special. Because for once, it’s a guide with you on its mind. You’re the one it’s written for! That was a big first for me: it’s rare to get good books for the female geek. It’s tailored to your needs. Which is pretty dang cool.

That alone doesn’t mean you need this book, so just listen to what the guide actually contains. It’s basically an encyclopedia of geek terms, an overview of major fandoms, fabulous advice for everything from dealing with Trolls to having the best time ever at Con, interviews with kick–s successful ladies that we love, and resources for finding great places on the internet.

The interviews were a great touch: the women interviews are writers, artists, geeks who have really put their names out there, and their input is fantastic. It’s a reminder as to why being a fangirl is something to cherish. Many of these women are already personal inspirations to me, pushing me to follow my dreams (as cheesy as that sounds) and reading their thoughtful words just makes me love them more. You go, girls!
a lot of feelings

However, I feel like while this book is aimed towards us fangirls, it’s a great resource for the people around us. I think my mother might gain a better understanding into how I spend my time if she were to read it. My father might understand what I’m talking about when I start using ‘internet vernacular’. My non-geek family could gain a better respect for the culture of my community.

Yes, a lot of the terminology defined is something a fangirl would have picked up even on her first day on the internet. But that’s why I feel like it’s slipped in for the benefit of the others, as a way to invite out family and friends into the fold. And what a great way to do that! It gives us a starting point to build off when we want to share our love of all things fandom with our actual loved ones.

The greatest thing that comes from this book, however, I think is the empowerment. The validation. The guide reminds us that we should be proud of what we chose to love, that we will not be held down because of it. It is inclusive of everyone (not just fangirls) and supportive of all interests. It offers resources against online bullying and anything that can be thrown at you out IRL.

This is why the Guide is not simply a guide. It’s got a bit of something for everyone, and everyone will love it. Expect it on May 12.

Freaks of Nature

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by Wendy Brotherlin

Review by KM

I’m a lover of supernatural “freak” main characters. When reading the summary, I was instantly reminded of Misfits, the amazing television show. Having a dud ability typically leads to hilarious mishaps and I couldn’t wait to read more.

Summary

The global Ebola-X pandemic of 2022 lasted five months, two weeks, and six days before a cure could be found. In its wake, it left a generation of psionic freaks, who can turn a single thought into a weapon…or worse. Fifteen-year-old Devon McWilliams is one of those freaks, but Devon rates a big fat zero on the scale of cool psychic abilities. Days after escaping from his psionic detainment facility, the military intercepts him. Regaining consciousness, Devon finds himself restrained aboard a military airship headed toward certain death. Aboard this one-way flight to doom are six other psions. One of them, a telepath named Bai Lee Chen, claims to have the means to escape. All the others have to do is convince her that they’re worthy of freedom by allowing her to telepathically replay their memories. The last thing Devon wants to do is reveal his useless plant-talking prowess to this destroy-you-with-a-thought crew. To complicate matters further, he’s crushing hard on Alya, the group’s lovely healer. Devon knows he must keep his wits about him if he’s going to survive this wild ride. And that’s going to be a tricky thing to do around a telepath who seems to have a diabolical agenda all her own.

Musings

There were some good things and some bad things about this book.

The action scenes were written terrifically. I was immediately absorbed into the fights; I was connecting with her characters and wanted them all to win. It was great. My favorite had to been Vahn. He was by far the most compelling. I suspect this is going to be written into a series, so I’m hoping there is a book centered around him completely.

The writing style flowed well, too. The entire book took me around two hours, sitting in the car waiting for my husband to get out of work. It was the perfect book to read on the go; it fast enough for a one-day read, but intriguing enough to keep you involved in the story.

Now for the not so good:

As my friend phrased it so well, this story suffers from exposition-itis. Seventy percent of those brilliant fight scenes and characterizations are all the character’s memories. If I had to boil down the entire plot, which I will not do because it’d be full of spoilers, I’d be left with four sentences. I understand why it was done this way. It’s an easy method to get out a lot of back-story, making future books in the series able to summarize, rather than spell it all out once again.

All of these main characters are described as “hot” or “gorgeous”. These are fifteen to eighteen year olds. Now, I’m not saying we didn’t have some beautiful people in high school, but five out of five is really pushing the limit. Where are teenagers with braces, acne-ridden faces, and slumped shoulders? Teenagers are gawky, self-conscious creatures; I saw very little of that here.

While teenagers are quick to form crushes, I did think this took it a bit far. I googled the average flight from Mexico to Washington: it’s four and a half hours long. Within two hours of being on this flight, where they’re worried about surviving, quite a few characters were exhibiting signs of gooey-eyed infatuation. I’m sorry; please prioritize your life before your love life.

I don’t want to come off sounding like it’s a bad book. I know I’ll be first in line to buy Vahn’s book, if he ends up getting one. It was certainly a quick read and a fun one.

A Magic Dark and Bright

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by Jenny Adams Perinovic

Reviewed by SA

This book made me mad for all the right reasons. Let me just start by saying that. Why? Because the ending is amazing. Really, incredibly, painfully amazing; and so is everything leading up to it. I was spellbound, from start to finish.

Summary

She meant to help a ghost…not unleash a curse.

Amelia Dupree hasn’t seen the Woman in White since the night her brother died.  The ghost seems to have disappeared from the woods surrounding Asylum, Pennsylvania—that is, until Charlie Blue moves into the creepy old MacAllister House next door. Amelia can’t help liking him, even though she spent her childhood thinking his grandmother was a witch. And she definitely can’t ignore the connection between his arrival and the Woman in White’s return. 

Then Amelia learns that the Woman in White is a prisoner, trapped between the worlds of the living and the dead. Devastated by the idea that her brother could be suffering a similar fate, Amelia decides to do whatever it takes to help the Woman in White find peace–and Charlie agrees to help her.

But when Amelia’s classmates start to drown in the Susquehanna River, one right after another, rumors swirl as people begin to connect the timing of Charlie’s arrival with the unexplained deaths. As Charlie and Amelia uncover the dark history of Asylum, they realize they may have unleashed an unspeakable evil. One they have to stop before everything they love is destroyed.

This is a trope breaking novel: as soon as I felt it turning towards the familiar, it changed its direction and gave me something new. Like with the character of Amelia, a young woman recovering from a very painful and traumatic event. She could easily have become obnoxious, but she instead went through incredible growth over the course of the novel. Or with her relationship with Charlie, which at some times seemed to take precedence over the plot, but then defied expectation by turning into something, well, different. And there I must stop, to avoid spoiling anything for you. Suffice to say, this is not your normal YA.

The plot is oddly paced: at times, it feels like not much is happening, while at others, it’s action after action. But it adds to the tone of the novel, where it feels as if the characters are allowed to return to a normality before being thrown back into horror. It also adds to the suspense, the mystery of it all, and its slow resolution, which is sure to raise anticipation, and leave you with a few questions… It all leads through amazing twists and a roller coaster of an ending, leaving you breathless, and craving for more.

From the first line – A woman haunted the woods behind my house. – you know you’re in for something amazing, all the way to the end… and hopefully beyond, because, after a cliffhanger like that, I am going to NEED a sequel!

A great and thrilling novel about life and death, about ghosts and magic, about the dangers of prejudice and jumping to conclusions, A Magic Dark and Bright is a must read for paranormal lovers everywhere. Beware – chills included.  Comes out April 28th.

Introducing BookCrafting

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Here at Readcommendations, we don’t just love books. We love crafting. Whether it be knitting, painting, or cross-stitching, we’re into it and probably making a mess. It only makes sense to mix our love of books with our crafts (as long as we keep the paint away from the lovely pages).

Occasionally, we’re going to be making posts that fuse this love of crafts with this love of reading. Whether it be knitting, crocheting, or even embroidery, or other cool crafts we haven’t yet thought about, we’ll be sharing these fun quirky patterns right here on readcommendations. They’ll be here when you least expect them, so get ready!

You may already know that we’re very geeky crafters. Kenzie has just recently made this awesome Harry Potter vase, and Sarah has made an (albeit small) name for herself with her Night Vale Bookmarks . We both love to design things, and we’re so excited to share this love with our readers!

One of the BookCrafts we’re going to be posting is an ongoing project: The Kniterary Afghan. It’s inspired by the brilliant Geek-A-Long blanket from Lattes and Llamas. All of the blocks for this blanket will be covers of books we’ve loved and likely reviewed here on Readcommendations. Unfortunately, we’re not going to be able to post a new one each week, but we will provide the patterns for each cover we knit.

This will be our Master Project here on Readcommendations, for now, so many of our crafty posts will include charted versions of your favorite book covers. Please feel free to add your own! We’ll happily share your designs on our tumblr, and we’ll post the finished pieces here, with your credit, of course.