Review: Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

Synopsis:  From Goodreads, "A mysterious island. An abandoned orphanage. A strange collection of very curious photographs. Fiction is based on real black and white photographs. The death of grandfather Abe sends sixteen-year-old Jacob journeying to a remote island off the coast of Wales, where he discovers the crumbling ruins of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, and explores abandoned bedrooms and hallways. The children may still live."

Review:  You know those restless moments you have with reading where you're dying to read something new and original?  I realize that every storyline is based off a very small family tree of stories, but Ransom Riggs' novel Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children is a strange little ride through a variety of stories that make it feel very, very new.  

Admittedly, I'm an impatient reader with certain genres, so I feared that I would be that way with this novel.  That wasn't the case.  The first 75 pages or so set the novel up in a pretty catchy sort of a way that had me flipping pages to find out what happened to Jacob's grandfather, and what were the eerie pictures and creatures all about?  I really liked the mix of a fantasy-like tale mixed with the realism of young Jacob's life.  It didn't feel as though you were reading a fantastical story until he was actually on the island.  Then, things got interesting.

I really enjoyed this story and think that the eerie pictures and juxtaposition of real and fantasy worlds to be intriguing.  This was one story that I didn't feel like I was simply being told, but that I was actually IN the story as well.  My heart would accelerate in certain creepy scenes, and I even jumped a time or two.  Chalk that up to me being a big chicken, but I really got into this read.

For anyone who is looking for something new, that doesn't feel like it's been hashed over a million times, then you should give this novel a try.  It was refreshing, spooky, and beguiling--an odd combination, right?  That is just how this novel came together!  For sure, this is a book that I'll be sharing.  


*FTC Disclosure:  This review was based on a library copy of the novel.

Review: A World Without Heroes by Brandon Mull

Synopsis:  From Goodreads, "Jason Walker has often wished his life could be a bit less predictable--until a routine day at the zoo ends with Jason suddenly transporting from the hippo tank to a place unlike anything he's ever seen. In the past, the people of Lyrian welcomed visitors from the Beyond, but attitudes have changed since the wizard emperor Maldor rose to power. The brave resistors who opposed the emperor have been bought off or broken, leaving a realm where fear and suspicion prevail.

In his search for a way home, Jason meets Rachel, who was also mysteriously drawn to Lyrian from our world. With the help of a few scattered rebels, Jason and Rachel become entangled in a quest to piece together the word of power that can destroy the emperor, and learn that their best hope to find a way home will be to save this world without heroes."

Review:  A quest doesn't begin to describe the journey that goes on in this book.  This is definitely a story that takes you through  the ringer.  Jason is just this kid, who is bizarrely transported to this new world where suspicion and fear reign.  To some degree I was taken off guard by the level of danger and fear that this young boy had to face.  Okay, so there are some big name heroes who faced big, scary challenges in a story, but that's hard to remember when you're watching this boy hide away from some evil characters.

There is a lot of adventure built into this first book in the Beyonders series.  I liked the idea of Jason and his friend Rachel searching out a mysterious word, piece by piece throughout the story.  I'm a word person, so of course I loved that concept.  Some of what happens over the course of the book takes it all to another level with this evil wizard Maldor, who scares everyone into complying with his rule. 

I'll be honest.  I got lost in the story.  I'm not always good with fantasy stories where I have to think about what something might look like or even what's going on.  Had I read it straight through in one sitting, I might have followed Jason's adventure better.  There was just so much going on, that I often had to try to get the context and keep plowing ahead.  I've finally figured out that it's just me though.  All that action is really appealing to the teens that I teach, so I think it's evidence of my own inability to imagine!  Yes.  I'm admitting that one.  There is a lot going on in this story, with more to come.  If you are looking for a journey-tale that is packed full of action, mystery, and adventure, then this story fits the bill.  Brandon Mull is a really good writer, so I think that with the right catch, you can dive in and enjoy.

*FTC Disclosure:  This review is based on a personal copy of the novel.

Review: Wings by Aprilynne Pike

As I mentioned yesterday, I'm participating in Utah Author Month.  In the book club I participated in this past school year, we read novels by local authors, which helps me to jump right in and share Wings by Aprilynne Pike!

Synopsis:  From Goodreads, "'Laurel was mesmerized, staring at the pale things with wide eyes. They were terrifyingly beautiful—too beautiful for words. Laurel turned to the mirror again, her eyes on the hovering petals that floated beside her head. They looked almost like wings.'

In this extraordinary tale of magic and intrigue, romance and danger, everything you thought you knew about faeries will be changed forever."

Review:  Before I read Wings, a small group of students in my Popular Fiction class read it in a reader's circle.  The girls thought it was a strange concept, for a girl to have the same cellular structure as a plant, and couldn't completely get over the odd facts about Laurel's life.  For instance, she was really only able to eat peach nectar and had the giant flower petals growing out of her back.  With that preface, I was a little nervous about my own response, but I can say that my own wasn't too far off.  The idea is original and pretty creative, to have a fairy be made of plant cells, and her wings really be the petals of a flower.  The creatures, therefore, are also interesting as we learn about Laurel's past and how she came to be with a human family.  My guess is that the second book might take off with a lot more action that the first book had to set up.  We find out that the faeries' land is being threatened by people who want to buy it, and other not so nice magical creatures that also come in to play.  The set up from this first book, as odd as it felt, might be leading to some more exciting story twists for Laurel and her new (and old) friends.

*FTC Disclosure:  Review is based on a personal copy of the novel.

Harry Potter Quandaries: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince #6

Since this is my first time reading Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince again, I thought I'd have a long list of things that stood out to me.  Unlike my good friend over at Truth, Beauty, Freedom, and Books with her awesome literary analysis and quandaries about the book (see the end of her post for additional comments), I felt somewhat stymied!  Actually, I think it was laziness on my part, because I just didn't have my reading cap on when I read book six.

Some of my lackluster reading of this particular book might be because I was much too influenced by the film this time around.  I'm not a huge fan of Ginny Weasley in the movie versions, and although she's sweet and cute, she also seems like an awfully flat character to me.  Where is the spunk that I see in her character in the books?  Where is the quick-witted girl from the books who practically has to beat the boys off with a stick?  What happened to the articulate, sparkling (in a non-vampire sort of way) character I grew to love in the books?  In the films, I'm actually not sure why Harry would pick her.  In fact, I cringe a little when Harry and Ginny have lovey-dovey scenes together!  Several of the things I like about Ginny from the books is that not only is she familiar to Harry in the sense that he has known and loved her family for years, but also that she, herself, is her own person who always feels able to propel the story forward on her own.  Both seem perfect for Harry, who we've seen as this lonely, yet talented kid.  In short, I like the Ginny in the books, and not so much in the films.  What's up with that?  Is it just an expected gap between my own imagination and what is portrayed on screen?

One last point that stood out to me in this book was the demise of Dumbledore and Snape's role in it all.  First off, the books do an excellent job of weighing out the tension that Harry feels towards Snape and the constant validation Dumbledore, Hagrid, and others at Hogwarts keep giving Snape as their ally.  If I heard one more character defend Snape I was going to scream!  Listen, I like Snape a lot.  In fact, he's been one of my favorites since about book three, but even I was ready to scream, "[you all] do protest too much!"  It seemed like a total overkill to constantly be telling Harry that he could trust Snape; it just played with my head and made me remember why I was grasping for book seven as soon as it came out.  In book six, it become painfully obvious that it's J.K. Rowling's intentions versus the reader's opinion!  Once you read this installment, you have to find out, for sure, what side everyone was playing.

Now that I've finally read book six again, I'm sure I'll have more to consider down the line.  This time around though, I just enjoyed that lovely escape factor once again.  Like a cherished memory, it took me back to those days when we all anxiously waited for each installment to come out!

Review: The Hourglass Door by Lisa Mangum

As part of my district's Local Author Book Club, we read The Hourglass Door by Lisa Mangum.  We actually met last month to discuss the novel, as well as had the chance to have a Q&A with the author.  This has been a really great opportunity to read more local authors, and for me, a chance to participate in a book club again!  For whatever reason, book clubs have proven to be impossible for me in the past, so taking another shot at one has been a great experience.

Synopsis:  Abby is having a perfect senior year and has the perfect boyfriend.  That is, until the new Italian student Dante arrives at school and throws everything out of whack.  Dante seems mysterious and spontaneous, while her own longtime friend and current boyfriend is predictable and a little disconnected from what she really likes.  Besides the intrigue that hangs over Dante, Abby finds that she's feeling off kilter a bit.  In fact, she has moments that just don't seem set in the present or at any moment.  Dante seems to have the answers that help Abby feel back in the present moment again, maybe because he doesn't come from the present, but more like the past?

Review:  In the beginning I really struggled to relate to the relationship between Abby and her long-time boyfriend.  While I understand that teenagers can fixate on their young love, I was a bit nauseated at times by the seemingly over the top romantic elements of the story.  Having spoken to some of my students who have read the novel though, they loved it and felt it tapped into ways they felt, so it must just be my age and experience (yes, and even my job as a teacher of teens) that gets in the way.  Abby isn't a totally helpless character, but she definitely has the "damsel in distress" element going for her, as the male characters play into the hero portion of the story. 

Once the story hits about the mid point, it really picks up speed.  There is a time-travel element to it that is intriguing, as well as references to classical literature that kept me on my toes.  Because of the unique twists in the story, it's hard to know exactly where the story is going, which is nice.  Yes, it has a love story.  Yes, a problem (a BIG problem) pops up to try to separate the couple.   However, you can't really predict what is going to happen, at least not completely.  In fact, the ending is so surprising in a way, that I'm glad I don't have to wait for the next book to be published to find out more!

One thing I did question in the novel, that really isn't a criticism of it, per se, but about young adult novels in general.  Where are the parents?  It seems like there are fleeting references to them being involved in their child's life, or even questioning them, but where do they go when their child is falling apart or risking life and death in some over the top action sequence?  I'm sure an author has to keep the parents less involved than some, so the character can experience a more dramatic conflict than the parent who keeps tabs on their child 24/7, right?  I get that you can't have the parents interrupt the story too much, but I've always wondered why the parents don't pick up on more of the craziness going on around them?!?

Overall, this is a fun book to read and consider.  While it had it's slow opening, and sometimes frustrating character interactions, it had a unique set of circumstances that kept me reading.  As a teen novel, I can say from experience with my students that they really liked it and felt connected to the story, which is a great thing when you're wanting to captivate young readers!

Lisa Mangum has also published Book 2, The Golden Spiral.  The final book in the trilogy, The Forgotten Locket will be released in May 2011.  For more information, see Lisa Mangum's official website.

*FTC Disclosure:  This review is based on a personal copy of the novel.

This review also counts as one of my 7th in the TBR challenge.  I'm not sure I'll be able to finish the challenge, but am happy to be able to say that this was one of the books I've had for awhile and meant to read!  Why I don't pick away at more from my pile, I'll never know. 

Harry Potter Quandaries: Another Non-Review of Harry Potter #3 & #4

Since I'll be teaching Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows this fall, I have been rereading the series.  If you can believe it, this is my first time going all the way back through them and it has been a pure delight!  Along the way though, I have had questions and observations pop up that I didn't notice the first time I read them.  Maybe you can join in and help me out?

Here are some of the things I noticed or questioned in book three:

• In Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, we don't actually end the novel with a showdown with Voldemort.  I think I somehow missed that, since it was only the third book.  I wondered then if this was a time that he was getting more strength to make his big attack in the fourth installment?
• After reading #3, I watched the movie and have to say I remember why I wasn't thrilled with it.  In the scene where Harry's classmates are all learning how to fight off a boggart, Harry jumps in and finds himself face to face with a Death Eater.  I had forgotten that in the book, Lupin doesn't actually let him join in on the activity, fearing that he might conjure up Voldemort instead (and wouldn't that have scared his classmates to death).  I'm sure it was for time and space, but I thought it was interesting that they skimmed this.
• I was reminded how sorry I felt for Lupin and his condition as a werewolf.  This is a good novel to show that Snape really was much more engaged in the "good guy" team and not the complete bad guy we thought.  We could say that Dumbledore made (coerced) Snape into making the potion to control Lupin's changing, but Snape seemed much more in the loop in this novel than I remember.
• I will still admit to not being 100% positive on the role of the stag that Harry uses to fight the Death Eaters.  It's a beautiful, touching scene though when Harry realizes that it's not someone else saving him and Sirius, but that he has it within himself to fight the Death Eaters.  Such a great scene.

Okay, so let me ask about book four, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.  This happens to be my favorite of the series, which I've read about four times now.  I do have some thoughts and questions though:

• Why is it that Professor Moody, if he's not the real Moody, would come to Harry's aid and punish Draco Malfoy for attempting to fight him?  I'm thinking this might be due to Barty Crouch being angry at Malfoy's father for not standing up for The Dark Lord and going to Azkeban as he had?  I'm not sure.
• This isn't really a question, but more of an observation here, but I have to say that I was sad that the film cut out the Winky part of the storyline.  The house elves played such a larger part in the books than in the films and actually added a social justice element to the storyline that I appreciated.
• In the book, Viktor Krum is made out to be a moody twit.  Although he was this great Quidditch god, he really seemed to be portrayed as more of  a fringe character than I remembered.  In some ways, because of the role he plays in showing the boys that Hermione is more than just a smart girl, I almost wish he was a stronger romantic lead than the book let on.  Am I weird in thinking that?  
• The Christmas dance made me a little envious of the entire boarding school type of system.  I don't know that I could have handled staying at school, rather than with my parents, but as a teenager I have to say that celebrating with friends like they do in this installment looked pretty awesome.
• My favorite scene has to be in the third challenge when Harry and Cedric touch the portkey and are transported to the cemetery.  I love how Rowling uses a juxtaposition of a weak Harry with one who is made strong through the aid of loved ones to battle Voldemort.  I CRY every time I read this scene!  Maybe because my own father has passed away and I feel Harry's eagerness to see them, but when Harry and Voldemort's wands touch and Harry says he knows who will be coming out next and his mother appears to tell him his father is on his way, I can't hold back the tears.  In such a monumental moment of need, his parents are there to help him.  I have to remember though, that only moments before those killed by Voldemort came back out of the wand, Harry had managed to push the bead between their wands closer to his enemy.  That tells us that Harry has a power over Voldermort that is unique and clearly all his own.  *sigh*  It's just such great reading!
• FYI about the scene above, I need to go back and check the American version, but I've been told that the order the characters pop out is backward to the British version (which I'm reading); instead of his mother popping out first, his father does?  I will have to go check that out to see if that's the case, and if so, why they would do that?
• This begins a dark phase to the series, where innocent characters are being killed off in front of Harry, and each of us as readers.  Is death an important element to help mature and push Harry? (I'm thinking that's a yes, but have been thinking more about the change this brings to Harry?)

I've really fallen in love with this series even more and am glad that I'm doing this before the final two films come out.  Most likely I'll risk looking like a ninny in the theaters because I know I'm going to shed a few tears, knowing this is the end of an era that brought such excitement into my life.  What other books have I stood in line for or even anticipated the films to the point that I waited on a theater's corridor floor to insure that I get the best seats possible?  Were we just lucky enough to be alive at the time of a phenomenon that was once in a lifetime, or will another series come along to reshape the industry and a globe of readers?  I know there are good books that come along, that grab our attention and hearts, but to this magnitude?  I just don't know.

I'm off to read book five. Now that school has started, I worry that I'll take forever to get through it!  Wish me luck as I push ahead through O.W.L.s and angst-ridden teens (at school and in the book).

I'd love to hear any observations you have on any of the questions or ideas I've posted, as well as thoughts you might have on these two books. This would really help me as I prepare to teach book seven, so thank you ahead of time!

Review: Bones of Faerie by Janni Lee Simner

I'm going to be amazingly uncharacteristic for myself and write a shorter review for once!  Although I like to wax poetic in my writing, I am going to break my own trend.  Maybe it's my own sadness over leaving paradise in about week, to responsibilities stacked so high I can hardly so over or around them?  Yep, that might be why.  My other reason?  I simply couldn't get into, nor wrap my head around Bones of Faerie, which I had been trying to read for about eight months. *sigh*

Synopsis:  From Publishers Weekly, "It has been 20 years since the war between faeries and humans destroyed everything. Liza, a teenager living in what was once the Midwest, has always been taught that magic kills. When Liza's mother gives birth to a faerie baby with hair clear as glass, her father abandons the infant on a hillside to die; Liza's mother then runs away, and Liza begins to have magical visions of her own. Petrified that her powers might cause death, Liza flees into the woods with her friend Matthew, only to be attacked by deadly trees and rescued by a woman with magic. The plot quickens as Liza realizes that the woman is connected to her mothers past, knowledge that propels Liza into a dangerous journey into the land of Faerie, in search of her mother."

Review:  Yes, it had magic, shapeshifting, and apocalyptic sort of events.  Yes, it had well written sentence constructions and interesting concepts.  I just couldn't get into it.  Now, I realize that because I didn't get into it, doesn't mean someone else might, and actually love it.  I just didn't.  It was hard to get into, the characters were difficult to attach to, and once I did, their bizarre behavior and adventures threw me off.  Yep, it was imaginative, and maybe that's my problem. In this case, I simply didn't have it in me for a drawn out "faerie"-tale with a lot of creepy factor mixed in.

Here are some reviews though that felt just the opposite though, so obviously, don't take my word for it!
Genevieve's Blog :  Something Bookish
Charlotte's Library  (Pros and cons explained.)
Fantasy Book Critic
The Reading Zone (They loved it & had lots of reasons listed why they loved it.)
Pam at Bookalicious even listed it as one of the "Unsung YA"

I'm wondering what my deal is in this case?  I'll be the first to admit that I don't do well with some fantasy and science fiction, so maybe that's what happened?  There is a bit of imagination needed here, and maybe mine has pooped out for a bit?

*FTC Disclosure:  This review was based on a purchased electronic copy of the novel.

I'm actually counting this as my 4th of 12 in the TBR Challenge, as I've had it for over a year, and yet took eight months to read it!  LOL.  I think that should count more as a "To Try To Finish" Challenge!

Do you have any books that have taken you ages to get through?  What were they, and why do you think it took you so long to get through it?

Harry Potter Quandaries: A Non-Review of Harry Potter 1 & 2

As mentioned previously, I am going to be teaching Popular Young Adult Fiction this fall, so I'm rereading the Harry Potter books in preparation for teaching book seven.  Here's my issue.  My students who have read and loved Harry Potter, KNOW IT in and out, and will try to stump me with questions I can't answer.  Trust me.  That will be easy to do in my case.  I just don't remember the itty bitty details like they do! 

I have really loved rereading the books so far, and have been sucked back in by the magic that is Harry Potter all over again.  It has been "magical," for no better way of putting it. I'm also, finally getting to the first two in the Harry Potter Challenge that ends next month!  Rather than do actual reviews, I wanted to pose questions that I've had about the stories, and see if anyone can help me out.   Before I do that, let me just give a really quick run down of what is in the first two books:   

In Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, Harry is introduced to the magical world, his own past, and his rivalry with Voldermort.  He faces off with the weakened, yet still powerful Dark Lord as they battle for the Sorcerer's Stone that had been guarded there at Hogwarts. In Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, he returns to Hogwarts to continue his studies, only to be surrounded by the mysterious turning to stone of fellow classmates and residents of the school.  Harry and his friends learn about the opening of a curious chamber, that a giant basilisk serving the Dark Lord resides, and where Harry would eventually go to save a dear friend.

I don't need to go on and on about how amazing and utterly engaging these novels are.  Really, I don't.  This is one case where hype doesn't seem to ruin the reading (at least it didn't for me).  However, I do want to talk about the things that confuse me, and have me asking questions.  I thought I'd post my questions here, and see if anyone has answers or theories for me!

• In Book 1, Harry and his friends seem to know more about the Sorcerer's Stone and its location than many of the other faculty.  Is that just what we're seeing from our side of the story, or do you think more people know about it?  In other words, are the faculty privy to information about the stone?
• How can anyone "rig" the Quidditch games by putting the spell on Harry's broom, and the crazy bludger?  If they're so smart, couldn't they just put a charm over everything in the game to prevent that sort of interference and cheating?
• In Book 2, I don't understand how no one ever seems to know that Harry and his friends are sneaking off to learn more about the secrets at Hogwarts.  With all that magic, wouldn't someone catch them up and about the castle?  This sounds like a silly question, but I always wonder how they get away with exploring the school so much.
• Correct me, or at least set me straight.  Dobby is part of a powerful, old magical community of elves.  Their magic is powerful, but can be kept by people as servants.  Are wizards just the natural, top of the food chain, so to say, when it comes to magic?
• How in the world does Tom Riddle/The Dark Lord not know about the phoenix and his magical properties?  For being the most powerful wizard, I'm always curious how he forgets so much?  Was it because he was in the body of Tom Riddle for this particular scene, and as such, doesn't have all of his knowledge?

These might seem like silly questions, or like I'm finding fault with the stories, but I want to assure you, I'm not.  I have kind of wondered these things about the story and the magical wizards, but haven't ever had a place or time for bringing them up.  Well, now that I'm looking at the stories again, I wanted to ask these questions and see if anyone has a theory or answers that I've missed? 

Authors Against e-Readers? Would You Buy Your Favorite Books Again?

So, here I am in Hawaii, spending the summer at my mother's place. As movie number six in the Harry Potter series gets closer and closer, my desire to read book six again has increased exponentially. However, I'm here in Hawaii, don't have a copy, and you can't download it to your Kindle because Rowling hasn't/won't release them to electronic format. Sigh. That is truly her prerogative, and she has every right to do with her craft as she chooses, but from my perspective...why, oh why won't you just let me download it so I have it wherever I go?!?

I already own the American version in hardback, because seriously, who could wait for them to come out in paperback? I was definitely part of that, reserve or wait-in-line-at-midnight crowd, so I definitely have them all already. Then, as a belated 30th birthday present, I purchased the UK, adult version all in hardback. What a pleasure and joy to track them as they went from Glasgow, to London, to New York, and across the country to my doorstep (until DHL misdelivered them, which is another story altogether). I felt as though my special books had taken the Hogwarts Express, and were every bit as special as the magic the books held. (For more information on the British version, you can visit Amazon.co.uk.)


So here's my quandary. I already own two sets of the novel. I just can't carry those huge books when I travel, and I refuse to let my UK versions out of the house, so I'm stuck when I go on vacation! It doesn't seem that I'm one of those people who is losing the book-holding experience with these novels, especially since I own two copies of them, and would gladly purchase them all a third time for my Kindle. Am I wrong in thinking that real fans of the books would be willing to own more than one version/copy?

At the recent BEA conference back in May, many of you might have heard about the comment author, Sherman Alexie made about e-Readers being "elitist," and how he wanted to "hit" a woman on a plane that he saw using one. (Wait...remind me again how expensive hardback books are! So, are they elitist too?) This really gutted me! I love Sherman Alexie, and even studied his work for my MA. I get that Alexie, along with many other authors, which include Rowling, are against e-Readers for the manipulation of the market and possibility of piracy that they pose. Sometimes, however, I do feel like by holding out, I'd be a lot more tempted by the masked person in the back alley saying, "Psst...I have a free copy of that book you wanted to download!" No, I don't pirate materials, and I won't, but I sure would love the option of legally purchasing them for my Kindle. (Here is a great follow-up article to that response, where he clarifies those remarks over at Edward Champion's Reluctant Habits.)

My argument/question here is not whether e-Readers are good or bad (I obviously have one and love it), but rather about people's book buying habits. If you owned one, or if you already do, would you be willing to legally purchase your favorite books again, and why?!?

Well, since the library here doesn't have book six in, I'm off to see if I can buy a cheap copy at the local bookstore! I know. I should have planned ahead. Sigh.

Wait...they DO have third party sellers for the UK version! See: The Complete Harry Potter Collection Box Set: The Philosopher's Stone; The Chamber Of Secrets; The Prisoner of Azkaban; The Goblet of Fire; The Order of The Phoenix; The Half Blood Prince; The Deathly Hallows (The Complete Harry Potter Collection, 1-7)

Review: Club Dead by Charlaine Harris

Thank you to those who stopped by to give me some great advice on conquering my book slump. I did end up setting aside the books that I think were tripping me up, and slowing me down a bit. Thankfully, I have been able to read a couple more since then, and now feel almost back to my old reading self again! In fact, I had been reading Club Dead by Charlaine Harris for a little while, which once the action got going, grabbed me and kept me reading.

Synopsis: ***Some spoilers*** Picking up from where book two left us, with tension between our two main characters, we find Bill has been "kidnapped." As with previous adventures, Sookie is called on to help get inside all the action, to help solve crimes and mysteries. New to this adventure is a Were named Alcide, who is getting over his relationship with his girlfriend. Alcide and Sookie bond as they work towards finding Bill, and so we add yet another character that is smitten with Sookie and her charms. Where has Bill been taken, and what sort of future does Sookie have now that she's become so fully involved in the vampire world?

Review: As I expressed in my book two review for Living Dead in Dallas, I can't say that I was terribly smitten with book two, and now I know why. In book two, you could see that Harris was going to be manipulating her characters into new relationships and adventures, and at the time, I didn't care for it. Book two seemed too rushed to me, pushing and pulling characters in directions I couldn't see for them (mostly on an emotional level). And, to top it off, I couldn't completely understand some of Sookie's passivity, even though she was being a brave cookie. Book three is then the answer to most of my frustrations.

In book three, Sookie works through her feelings for Bill, and how she then relates to the rest of the men she associates with. I'll still admit to rolling my eyes at the "everyone's attracted to me" bits, but I understood where they were supposed to be taking us in evolving Sookie's character from the supposed "freak" she used to feel that she was. What I could readily hang on to in this book was that Sookie expressed her anger and frustration. I know that if I was continually put in danger, I would be ticked off too! Sookie didn't just fold and let others wimper and moon over her, but took matters into her own hands, saved herself, and let everyone know that she was tired of all the drama.

Overall, you can still see where Harris is taking the story in regards to characters; however, in storyline and action, it's anyone's guess. I liked book three much more than book three, and am glad to see characters making more sense to me.

This book also fulfilled book #3 for my e-book Reader Challenge.

For more information see: Club Dead (Southern Vampire Mysteries, Book 3)