This was a really fun, low-stakes retelling of “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.” And props to the author, because that is one classicCloser to 3.5 stars
This was a really fun, low-stakes retelling of “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.” And props to the author, because that is one classic that doesn’t really lend itself to retelling - but she put a really fun and intriguing twist on it. Even though the stakes are technically rather high, it doesn’t detract from the more cozy, adventure feel that permeates the story. Somehow, it manages to make high stakes feel low stakes without sacrificing the importance of what’s going down. While the odds mean a lot to the kingdom, it remains a very personal fight for the characters involved - and I really liked that.
The herbology was also really fun, both the real plants and the fantastical ones. I loved the twist of making Captain Nemo - here called Captain Aldo - an apothecary; it was fun.
Overall, I found this to be a fun, relaxing, quick read and I can’t wait to check out the other books in the A Classic Retold series....more
From the moment I picked you up, I knew I would like you. Part of that may be because of your author, whose previous works I enjoyed so thorDear Rook,
From the moment I picked you up, I knew I would like you. Part of that may be because of your author, whose previous works I enjoyed so thoroughly that I am convinced I’ll never dislike anything she writes. Ever. So yes, I went into you with a bit of bias, but I did my best to have an open mind regardless. Rook, you were the furthest thing from a disappointment.
It’s about 700 years in the future. The magnetic poles shifted way back in time, causing technology to malfunction and life as we once knew it to cease to exist. The time of cars, computers, and other electronics has sunken into the past as mysterious, forbidden legends of how people once lived. Paris, now known as the Sunken City, is in the middle of another Revolution. Convinced that technology was the cause of the Ancients’ downfall, the Premier of the Sunken City is executing aristocrats who (he claims) are funding laborers to recreate technology and “steal jobs from honest, hardworking common folk.” And like times of old, they are being put to the guillotine. But the wrongly condemned are not without hope. There’s the Red Rook - a mysterious figure who spirits them away from their prison cells before they can be executed. No one knows who the Red Rook is; divine spirit? Ghost? Mortal man? But the premiere wants his head. Only Sophia Bellamy knows the Red Rook’s secret: that he is a she - and in fact Sophia herself. But her plans are put in danger with her upcoming nuptials to a Parisian gentleman whose marriage fee might just save her family from ruin. But like Sophia, Rene Hasard is not all he seems, and suddenly she and her family are caught up in a very dangerous game of cat-and-mouse.
The world building is incredibly well done. While 700 years in the future, society has regressed to a Georgian-style era. Technology is banned, because it caused the downfall of the old society - the Ancients - and it steals away work opportunities for the peasants (so Premier Allemande and his Minstre of Security LeBlanc claim). But like civilizations in the past that have fallen and there’s very little left of them, Sophia’s world has turned things like plastic and old CDs into priceless artifacts. They wonder at what they used CDs for, theorize that little action figures might have been idols or representations of what the Ancients wanted to look like. So much information and history was lost in that 700 years. It was really fun and unique to read about “our society” from this viewpoint, and it actually was very realistic. While it’s hard to imagine, living as we do now, that plastic could ever be a mystery or people would value it, give humans a natural disaster big enough to wipe out records and 700 years to bury the remaining knowledge and maybe it isn’t so hard to believe after all. And of course, with the regression of technology and ways of living, Sophia’s world still had the historic charm that a retelling (or homage) of The Scarlet Pimpernel needs.
In this somewhat strange, yet amazing, landscape we have our main characters: Sophia Bellamy, her brother Tomas Bellamy, Rene Hasard, Tom and Sophia’s best friend Spear Hammond, Orla, and Rene’s mysterious manservant Benoit. On the other side of the spectrum are the villains: Albert LeBlanc and Premier Allemande. I could go on and on and on about each of these characters, but I will try and be fairly concise. I loved each and every one of them. Sophia is quick-witted, strong, and fiery. She has what it takes to be the Red Rook and save wrongly condemned aristocrats and anyone else LeBlanc wants to execute. Her brother Tom was wonderfully supportive and loving. He wants to protect Sophia, but knows that she has to do what needs to be done, so he doesn’t smother her. Orla and Benoit were mostly background characters, but had so much personality. Orla cares for Sophia as if she’s her own daughter, but also doesn’t smother Sophia. Benoit was quiet and mysterious and there was obviously so much more to him, and I just love characters like that. He knew things and turned up in odd places and clearly held more power than you realize, and he was just awesome. Rene is complicated, and I can’t say too much without giving things away. Suffice it to say, he’s a bit of a rogue, but it’s mostly an act, and when we get to know the real Rene, I fell in love. Spear is also another complicated character; I loved his support of the Bellamy family, and then he started to get his own agenda and I stopped trusting him, and in the end I kind of hated him. LeBlanc is a downright intimidating villain. He is totally and absolutely convinced that the Goddess of Fate is real; that he serves her and can hear her wishes; that Fate has plans for him. He becomes obsessed in his role, in killing anyone and everyone he thinks is standing in his way to bringing the Goddess glory. He’s zealous and it’s creepy. Allemande just serves himself, is cold and calculating, almost thinks of himself as a god. But these two together and they make for realistic dictators.
I even liked your love triangle, Rook. It’s safe to say that Sophia’s initial dislike of Rene doesn’t stay that way after a while. But she struggles with realistic feelings. She’s getting to know an entirely different Rene from who she originally met, and she likes this new Rene. But can she trust him? Is this really Rene or just another facade? She wants to trust him, but can she? Meanwhile, her childhood friend Spear has fallen pretty hard for her. And this is where I actually liked the love triangle: Sophia doesn’t feel that sort of love for Spear and she never did. He’s like a second brother to her, and unlike most protagonists in her situation, once Spear reveals his feelings, Sophia doesn’t suddenly start to wonder if maybe she does like him in that way after all. She knows she doesn’t. But Spear won’t take no for an answer, and he starts acting like there’s already an understanding between him and Sophia, and that’s when I started to dislike him. He wouldn’t listen to Sophia’s plans, he went behind her back, he ordered her around, and it just made me like Rene all the more. And that last move Spear pulled. . . .I couldn’t forgive him after that.
Your plot is half world building, half build-up, half action. I love world building if it’s done well, and yours was. I loved the attention to detail Sharon Cameron paid to the real French Revolution and how she incorporated it into this “history repeating itself” scenario. Here’s an author who took the time to research the Revolution ideals and how destructive they were. So many people glorify the French Revolution; try to claim that the American Revolution copied it (which makes no sense, since the American Revolution happened first. . . .). But the American and the French Revolutions were motivated by two very different things; their ideals were almost complete opposites. And in doing her research, Sharon Cameron presented a very real and very frightening regime. The cat-and-mouse game was so much fun to follow; it got to the point where I really didn’t know who I could trust. I followed my gut feeling, but I honestly didn’t know for sure. And the ending is so suspenseful and exciting and perilous that any slowness the plot might have suffered (and I didn’t think it did) was totally justified.
I loved everything about you, Rook. I loved your characters - main ones and side ones; especially all of Rene’s uncles and his maman. I loved your world and the detail and history Sharon Cameron utilized and blended in to create a relatively plausible 700-year-later future. I loved your nod to The Scarlet Pimpernel; enough to be obvious, not so much that it can be called a straight-up retelling. I loved your premise, your twists and turns, your writing style, and your conclusion, which is one of the most satisfying ones I’ve ever read.
Cover Blurb: Yes or No? I love the cover! It's spooky and intriguing and it incorporates one of my favorite things: a mask! Seriously; how can you pasCover Blurb: Yes or No? I love the cover! It's spooky and intriguing and it incorporates one of my favorite things: a mask! Seriously; how can you pass up a pale bloody hand and a creepy silver mask speckled with blood? Unfortunately, the cover art is the only good thing about this book. And quite honestly - I have no idea what the cover even has to do with the book.
Characters: What characters? If Claire and Jake and Delia and the others were supposed to be "characters," I'm going to laugh. Seriously; a piece of balsa wood would make for a better cast than this lot. The daring needle in Hans Christian Anderson's fairytale was much more of a protagonist than Claire ever was. Talk about the dullest, most cliche group of Beverly Hills teens on Earth! The clicheness was so glaring that it was painful. And it wasn't even a cliche that I could like. Claire went around accusing other girls of being "desperate sluts," and yet she's the one who resorts to a love potion to make Jake notice her. If that's not desperate, what is? Her accusation of so-and-so being a bitch was the pot calling the kettle black, because that's all Claire ever did was behave like an over-pampered little princess. Delia was no better, and Jake and Sean were two twin surf boards with the world's blandest personalities. Oh, and let's not forget the villain - Mr. Puckerman. Okay, the name itself is awful. And his appearance was so overly creepy that he wasn't intimidating at all. And let's not even get into his horrible tendency to monologue.
The Romance: I've read a lot of two-dimensional love triangles, but this one didn't even have a second dimension. I had no idea emotions could be so 1D - I didn't even know 1D existed up until now! It was flatter than flat. I wasn't emotionally invested, I didn't care about anyone, and it was just silly. A poor attempt to make the book resemble A Midsummer Night's Dream, because without the love triangle and potion, it wouldn't have resembled Shakespeare's play at all.
Plot: Claire has always wanted to be in a movie, and when her parents' studio decides to redo an old horror film from the 1960s, Claire and her friend Delia signed up. The movie - Mayhem Manor - was never finished in the '60s because the original cast suffered terrible deaths on set. It was deemed cursed and no one has dared even venture into the manor since. But Claire's parents' studio needs publicity, otherwise it'll go under, and so they're willing to risk the supposed curse. However, potentially being sawed in half isn't Claire's only worries. She has a major crush on her childhood friend Jake, but Jake is too busy oodling her best friend Delia to notice. Meanwhile, Delia desperately wants to date Jake's friend Sean, but Sean is only interested in Claire. When Claire meets a creepy, hairy little man in a trailer onset, he offers her a love potion. Common sense tells Claire she shouldn't take it, but she isn't a very sensible girl. However, Mr. Puckerman isn't about to just give it to her, and Claire finds herself with the wrong potion several times. Added to these romantic complications is the fact that the curse of Mayhem Manor may in fact be real after all . . . . This is supposed to be a retelling of A Midsummer Night's Dream. However, the only resemblance to the play is 1) the love potion and the whole love triangle mix-up, and 2) Puckerman's name that is supposed to echo Puck, but I think we can all agree that Puckerman is nothing like Puck. That is where the "retelling" part ends, because everything else about this atrocious book is entirely different. I don't know if the Author was trying to make this story so unbelievably "bad horror flick" cliche, and if it was supposed to be funny. If it was supposed to be funny, it fell totally flat. If it was supposed to be genuinely scary . . . . Um, I'm embarrassed for the Author. Because I don't think this would have scared me even at the age of five. The "horrifying deaths" were absolutely comical, the suspenseful cliffhangers were utterly predictable, and moments of romantic comedy were annoying and ridiculous. I honestly had no idea a horror story could be this bad. In terms of the plot pacing, it's not a long book, but there's a remarkable amount of sitting around. Something bad happens on set, and the Reader is treated to several chapters of Claire and Delia recouping from the shock by treating themselves to cheesecake or hamburgers, while they talk about how much in shock they are. And by the way, their devastation is never convincing.
Believability: Not applicable.
Writing Style: First person, past tense. Claire is a very annoying narrator; I hated being locked inside her head. Setting that aside, lets just talk about the writing style itself. I can't believe this was a Young Adult book, because the style was kiddish at best. Content-wise, it was teen, but it read like a beginning readers' book. There was no real attempt at creepy imagery or disturbing violence. And while I'm not a fan of disturbing violence, it is something that is expected in a horror story, and in many ways essential. The Author didn't even try. And the dialogue - oh my gosh, the dialogue was horrendous!
Content: Drinking, yucky kissing, violence - but violence that is so B-movie that it was comical.
Conclusion: The final showdown between Puckerman and Claire was ridiculous. And his defeat was downright embarrassing. And I don't believe for one minute that the studio would have been allowed to release the film of everyone dying. I have read some R. L. Stine's Goosebumps books before, and they were actually very creepy. So when I found out that he wrote a YA horror book - and one based off of A Midsummer Night's Dream - I figured that it would be good. This book did not do R. L. Stine justice; I can't even believe that he wrote it, quite honestly. It was just so bad! The characters, the plot, the writing - it was just awful. So please, Readers; don't judge his writing based on this book, because he usually is a much better writer.
Recommended Audience: Girl-read, sixteen-and-up. Quite honestly, I don't know what kind of Readers this would appeal to. Horror Readers would find it ridiculous and R. L. Stine fans will be disappointed....more
Cover Blurb: Yes or No? Despite the character impersonators, I actually do really like the cover. It's got the Gothic feel, with Giselle holding the cCover Blurb: Yes or No? Despite the character impersonators, I actually do really like the cover. It's got the Gothic feel, with Giselle holding the candle, and Castle Frankenstein in the background with a full moon.
Characters: Giselle and Ingrid are practically opposites when it comes to their personalities. Ingrid is obsessed with science and discovering how things work; she could not care less about fancy dresses or what society expects. Giselle, meanwhile, is a social butterfly and hopes to bring Castle Frankenstein back into society as a place of balls and lavish dinners. The two are identical in looks, and yet everyone considers Giselle the pretty one and Ingrid the plain one. Even with their opposing personalities, Giselle and Ingrid are very close to one another, and it was this sisterly bond that I really loved about them. I enjoyed Ingrid's inquisitive mind, and I appreciated Giselle's love for pretty things, but it was their close relationship that really stood out to me as a shared best quality between them. I also really liked the more minor characters: Investigator Cairo, Ingrid's best friend Arthur, and Walter Hammersmith. Because this is a really short book, we don't get to know these characters as well as I would have liked, but even in the short time that they are in the story, they made an impression on me.
The Romance: I didn't wholly understand Ingrid's immediate attraction to Walter. He seemed like a nice enough guy, and I liked him, but in terms of a romantic interest, I would have definitely picked Arthur over moody Mr. Hammersmith. And yes, there is a bit of a love triangle with Walter, Ingrid, and Arthur, but only just. Arthur, poor lad, takes Ingrid's rejection of his affections very well, which only made me love him all the more. Giselle, surprisingly, doesn't have that many romantic escapades; just one, and I almost wanted to smack her. It was so obvious that Johann was just after her fortune! Everyone else could see it - why couldn't she?
Plot: Dr. Frankenstein has died, leaving his family's castle to his two twin daughters. Giselle and Ingrid never knew their father; he abandoned them to protect them from his creation, though the girls don't know this. Eager to restore her family's good name, which Dr. Frankenstein has more or less left in tatters, Giselle sets about bringing Castle Frankenstein back to its former glory, while Ingrid explores her father's journals and befriends the reclusive Henry Hammersmith. But Castle Frankenstein has always been regarded with suspicion and fear by the villagers, and when a rash of mysterious murders spring up shortly after the girls' arrival, it only makes things worse, and causes Giselle's waking nightmares to return. Castle Frankenstein had many secrets, and it looks as if not all of them have disappeared with Ingrid and Giselle's father's death. Spin-offs from classics aren't usually very good - especially when they involve so-and-so's daughter. So when I picked up Dr. Frankenstein's Daughters, I wasn't anticipating anything special. The storyline would probably be mediocre. Imagine my surprise, then, when I discovered a terrific Gothic mystery that had me turning the pages as quickly as I could, just to see what would happen next. I was utterly riveted, so excited to explore this "what would happen if Dr. Frankenstein had daughters" tale.
Believability: The social protocol and science of the era was all quite correct. The Author, in fact, mentions that she made it a point to only use scientific theories and terms that would have been in use in this time period, and it really did a lot to make the story feel so much more authentic and period appropriate.
Writing Style: The narration is first person, and each chapter switches between Giselle and Ingrid. Because the two sisters are so different, their separate narrations have very distinct styles, making it quite easy to follow who is narrating when. It's also written like journal entries, but still has a very definite novel quality to it, and not the journal-feel of, say, a Dear America book. The liberties the Author took with Mary Shelley's original story were very slight indeed, and she stayed very true to Frankenstein, which I very much appreciated. Frankenstein isn't my favorite story - not even close, - but I don't like it when Authors take a classic story and twist it to their wishes. The resulting tale can hardly be called a retelling.
Content: None.
Conclusion: The final twist is, I'll admit, very easy to deduce on one's own, but that does not lessen the fact that it is a good twist, and rather than feeling let down at it being so easy, I was left feeling incredibly smug because I ended up being right. I also loved that the Author had Mary Shelley come to Castle Frankenstein and witness Ingrid's experiments and Dr. Frankenstein's lab. Now we know how she came up with her story! ;-) Dr. Frankenstein's Daughters was a very surprising and quick read. It could have been longer - it definitely would have been nice if the Author had taken the time to develop Ingrid and Walter's relationship, explored some of the characters a bit more, and built up even more suspense. But as it is, it's still enjoyable and a must-read for any Gothic novel or Frankenstein fan.
Recommended Audience: Girl-read (and guys who just love Frankenstein), thirteen-and-up due to interest level, great for Gothic novel fans, classic retelling fans, and Frankenstein purists....more
Cover Blurb: Yes or No? I am not a big fan of the cover at all - it, in fact, almost put me off reading the book altogether. It screams romance and giCover Blurb: Yes or No? I am not a big fan of the cover at all - it, in fact, almost put me off reading the book altogether. It screams romance and girly read and all those things that I really don't like. And while Romeo and Juliet isn't my favorite Shakespeare play, I was curious to see what a "what happened afterward" story would be like. So I ignored the cover and gave it a try.
Characters: I at first didn't care about anyone. As a matter of principle, I tend to not have an opinion either way about the characters of Romeo and Juliet, no matter who they are. So it was that when I first met Rosaline, I shrugged and said, "Eh, whatever." But it really didn't take long for Rosaline's spunky personality to win me over. She and her sister, Livia, have a strong-willed character that is both period appropriate and refreshing in a story that is made rather famous for its flighty females. Benvolio, too, started off as someone I really didn't care all that much about. The most sensible Montague youth in Verona, he showed enough potential as a character that I was willing to give him a bit more of a chance than Rosaline (I'm usually harder on female characters), but I still didn't really care about him. And like Rosaline, he grew on my affections very rapidly. Sensible and honorable, he was perhaps my most favorite male character in the entire story. On the flip side, Escalus began as someone I rather liked and then was less likable as the story progressed. At the same time, I appreciated his sticky situation. The ruler of Verona, Escalus is desperately trying to keep the Montagues and Capulets at peace with each other. He's willing to use desperate measures if it calls for it. I knew Escalus didn't want to, but as he continued to deal with Rosaline harshly and with deceit and manipulation, I liked him less and less. But then he redeems himself in the end, and I went back to liking him.
The Romance: Yes, there is a love triangle. Rosaline and Benvolio begin the story by hating each other. Their mutual dislike is perhaps a bit petty, as they each lay blame on the other for things that really weren't their fault, but it is also understandable. Benvolio has lost his two best friends and Rosaline is mourning her young cousin's death. But circumstances force them to work together, and they are both united in the fact that neither wants to marry the other. Besides, Rosaline could never Benvolio even if things were different between their families, for her heart belongs completely to Escalus. But as romance usually goes in stories like this, the more Rosaline gets to know Benvolio, the more she realizes that he truly is someone she could love. Especially given the cruel lies Escalus has recently used against Rosaline for his own ends. Surprisingly, though, the love triangle is not nearly as prominent or as annoying as one might think. Benvolio and Escalus are both very likable young men. Escalus has his up-and-down moments, but he really is a good person in the end. Rosaline is torn between the two young men, but she doesn't spend a lot of time bellyaching over it. There are far more important matters to attend; romance can wait. And Benvolio and Rosaline's attraction is gradual and feels genuine and deep, unlike many romances, so I actually became emotionally invested in what happened to them. In short, this is a love triangle that actually works.
Plot: With the deaths of young Romeo and Juliet, the Montagues and Capulets have promised their lord, Escalus, that they will set aside their blood feud. But someone is trying to stir up trouble between them again, and the truce will not last long. In an attempt to solidify it, Escalus forces his childhood friend and Juliet's cousin Rosaline of the Capulets to marry Benvolio of the Montagues, Romeo's boyhood friend. He prays that such a union will bring the two families together at last and see peace restored to Verona. But neither Rosaline nor Benvolio wants the marriage to take place. Before Juliet, Romeo pined for Rosaline, who spurned his attentions. Stricken with grief over his friend's death, Benvolio is convinced that if Rosaline had not turned Romeo away, the two tragic deaths would never have happened. And Rosaline has renounced marriage and wishes to join a convent, for her heart already belongs to another - a man she can never have due to her low station in life. United in their determination to break off their engagement, Rosaline and Benvolio agree to work together to discover who it is that is trying to stir up trouble between the Montagues and Capulets. But they are running out of time, as a masked man stalks the streets killing Montague and Capulet alike. Verona is once more on the verge of war, and it is up to them to fix it. Part of what makes Still Star-Crossed such a better story than Romeo and Juliet is it has a purpose; it has a real plot. Part mystery, part espionage, part political intrigue, this imaging of "what happened afterward" had my attention within 30 pages. I admit that at first I wasn't all that interested, simply because it had to do with Romeo and Juliet. But after that, I was very intrigued, as more twists were revealed and I became more and more invested in what happened to Rosaline and Benvolio. There were moments of frustration, when characters would take one step forward towards solving the mystery, and then two steps back, but it was a good kind of frustration. The villains are relatively easy to figure out after a while, but it is easy to see why the protagonists wouldn't see it as soon as the Reader does. It's, all in all, a great alternative for those who don't want to read Romeo and Juliet.
Believability: The Author notes that she is writing about Shakespeare's Italy, and is therefore not necessarily historically accurate the geography may not be realistic. I can accept that, especially since she acknowledged it in her note.
Writing Style: Third person, past tense. I highly commend the Author for her astounding effort to copy Shakespeare's style while still making the story easy for the everyday Reader to understand. I was extremely impressed in this area. I also really enjoyed her little hidden references to Hamlet and Much Ado About Nothing. I challenge the Reader to find them.
Content: None.
Conclusion: When circumstances go horribly wrong for Benvolio and he is forced to flee, he and Rosaline discover that whoever is behind the attacks against the Montagues and Capulets has far greater ambitions than they initially thought. And if they don't act fast, it will be too late for Verona - and Escalus. The climax stays true to Romeo and Juliet in that it has a tragic end. But because it is also better than said play, the tragedy isn't pointless and just there for tragedy's sake. It is the sort of tragedy I enjoy: it creates a very bittersweet end, where things overall conclude very well, but with a bit of a dark shadow dampening it. I wasn't disappointed at all, and was downright impressed with this book.
Recommended Audience: Girl-read, fifteen-and-up, great for fans of Romeo and Juliet, as well as Readers who don't care for Shakespeare's star-crossed lovers story. I would recommend this to any of my anti-Romeo and Juliet friends in a heartbeat....more
Cover Blurb: Yes or No? Yes. Can't see the character impersonator's face, and it's just kind of intriguing, even though it's actually a rather boring Cover Blurb: Yes or No? Yes. Can't see the character impersonator's face, and it's just kind of intriguing, even though it's actually a rather boring cover. The title is what really catches one's attention, but I do still really like the cover.
Characters: At first, I thought Juliet was going to be sensible and tough protagonist. Never mind she was little crazy; I'm all right with a protagonist who isn't entirely sane, so long as she's practical. Sometimes insane characters are the most practical. Well, not Juliet, apparently. It didn't take very long at all for her to become empty-headed, rash, and too emotional. Love triangles tend to do that, which is part of why I hate them so much. As much as I dislike tampering with classics, I actually didn't like what the Author did with Montgomery in this. In H. G. Wells's original The Island of Dr. Moreau, Montgomery is anything but likable. He's a drunkard and cruel to the island's inhabitants. The Author takes all of that away, and presents a kind Montgomery who hates what he's done, and tries to redeem himself. Edward Prince - the Author's rendition of the story's original Edward Prendick - was too eaten up with jealousy for me to really care all that much for him. Like I said, love triangles ruin good characters. Balthazar - M'ing's counterpart from The Island of Dr. Moreau - actually rather grew on my affections after a while, even though I don't really care for animal-like characters. But I did actually really like him, and Alice.
The Romance: And here's where the story fell down. I realize that Montgomery and Juliet were supposed to have known each other for a long time prior to the story's beginning, but when Montgomery first comes into the story, this is the first time the Reader is meeting him, thus the romance between Juliet and Montgomery seems super fast. There's also the fact that while Juliet and Montgomery might have known each other as kids, it's been years since they've been around each other, and they don't really know one another anymore. Edward Prince just throws in complications, as Juliet finds herself attracted to him, even though she knows him even less than Montgomery, and it becomes apparent that her "love" isn't love at all, but lust. If this had been a side plot, maybe I would have been okay with Montgomery and Juliet liking each other, but the Author focuses on it quite a bit, putting this more in the romance category more than horror.
Plot: If you know anything about The Island of Dr. Moreau (the book, that is, not the 1977 or 1996 movies), then you'll get the general gist of the book's plot. The Madman's Daughter is essentially a retelling, only the Author has put in her very own protagonist (since Dr. Moreau never had a daughter in the original), she's changed pretty much everyone's name and character, and has just kept the original story's basic structure. I, personally, didn't like what she did. This probably isn't the case, but it felt like the Author liked the original story's idea, but not the characters, so she just did what she wanted with it. I am not saying that that is what the Author was thinking when she wrote this, but that is what it felt like. And in doing so, she took away all that makes The Island of Dr. Moreau a chilling and engaging story. A lot of the changes she made are subtle, but they bothered me. If there isn't a reason for changing something in the original story, don't change it. With Edward Prince, she did have a reason, and I actually liked it, so I'll excuse that. I also really liked the addition of the monster; that was kind of creepy.
Believability: Not applicable.
Writing Style: It is very choppy, with lots of very short sentences. There's nothing beautiful about it, nothing poetic, and pretty modern.
Content: 3 g--damns. Juliet is almost raped (pg. 52), but it doesn't go very far. The violence isn't very detailed, but it is gruesome at times.
Conclusion: The big twist in the end was unexpected and good, but it didn't redeem the fact that rather than an awesome retelling of The Island of Dr. Moreau, this was really just a sappy love story with characters that I really didn't care about all that much. I liked Montgomery well enough, but mostly because I was just desperate for someone to like, and in the end, I didn't care what happened to him.
Cover Blurb: Yes or No. No; it's leering at me, and the lipstick is way too bright and thus that's all the Reader can focus on (making this a "lippy rCover Blurb: Yes or No. No; it's leering at me, and the lipstick is way too bright and thus that's all the Reader can focus on (making this a "lippy read"). I like the bugs and flowers and vines, though.
Characters: I am actually not going to start with the protagonist, but with "the boys." I didn't like Jeb the moment he stepped into the story. I don't do the Goth/skater punk types, but sometimes I can ignore that if their personality is awesome (like Wesley in The Archived). But Jeb is a controlling jerk. His protectiveness of Alyssa didn't strike me as gallant or endearing; he treated her like he was five years old and she was a favorite toy he was obsessed with. He never listened to anyone; he would just run over them and be like, "No, we're doing this and you can't argue." He was constantly talking over Alyssa, or answering for her, and jerking her around by her arms or shoulders. Yeah, sorry - not much to like. And then there's Morpheus, who I liked even less. This guy oozed manipulative creep, with his long hair and leather clothes and ridiculous hats - and describing his breath as smelling like smoke and licorice just added to it. The Author couldn't have chosen worse smells to have associated with him. Oh yes, and we can also label him a stalker. Morpheus has been hanging around Alyssa since she was a little girl, manipulating her even then, and terrorizing her previous ancestors (including her mom). Morpheus doesn't know the meaning of the words "personal space" and never once does he come across as trustworthy. I would be carrying more than bear mace around this guy. And finally we come to Alyssa, the story's protagonist. Our very first introduction to Alyssa is her relating how she enjoys murdering bugs and using their corpses in her art. That's sick! Alyssa is emotionally strung out in more ways than I thought humanly possible. I'm not blaming her, because it would be difficult to not be emotional after all that's happened to her, but as a protagonist, it gets old very quickly. Because it then gives her an excuse to be scatter-brained, flipflop between which guy she likes more, act totally insane, and just be overall indecisive. It's exhausting; I was emotionally wrung out by the time I finished Splintered.
The Romance: And here is where the story completely failed. On the whole, Splintered had a relatively interesting plot (more on that later), but rather than focusing on that, the love triangle takes center stage, and it really is one of the worst love triangles to date. As I've said, Jeb is a controlling jerk, so there's nothing to like there. And Morpheus is a manipulative creep. The Reader knows as soon as you meet him that he's up to no good at all. I would say he's a good villain, but he's so obvious! And it comes as a real shocker to Alyssa that he's been playing her the whole time. You would have to be a complete blockhead to trust that guy! And yet, while Alyssa admits that Morpheus makes her uncomfortable, she can't deny that she feels something for him - simply because she has vague childhood memories of him (never mind Morpheus has been stalking her her whole life, and tormenting her mom; those are minor details, and completely obliterated in the full glory of his "hotness"). Give me a break. Just 'cause he smells "nice" (personally, I think licorice and smoke is one of the worst combinations ever), bares his "milky white" chest, has well-toned legs, and is somehow alluring in his sleazy bearing - that doesn't make all that he's done suddenly all right. And because Jeb and Morpheus are both controlling jerks, they spend all of their time posturing at each other like jealous peacocks. Love triangles only get worse when the two guys start fighting.
Plot: Alyssa is descended from the famous Alice Liddell, who was friends with Lewis Carroll and inspired Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. But what people don't know is that Alice's adventures were real - to an extent. In reality, Wonderland is a much darker and sinister place than Lewis Carroll painted. But when Alice went down to Wonderland, she messed some things up, and now the female descendants of Alice Liddell are cursed. Alyssa's mom has been committed to an insane asylum because of this curse, and now Alyssa is hearing flowers and bugs talk, and she knows that it's only a matter of time before she ends up in an asylum herself. In order to save her mom - and herself, - Alyssa decides to go down the rabbit hole and right the wrongs her great-great-grandmother caused, thereby lifting the curse. But her guide, Morpheus, has his own agenda (which is so obvious from the start!), and there's things he's not telling Alyssa. And to make things much more complicated, Alyssa's emotions are in a whirlwind, as she finds herself trapped between her life-long crush on her best friend Jeb, and the mysterious childhood playmate who taught her about Wonderland in her dreams: Morpheus. The first 100 pages are boring beyond all imagining, as Alyssa's emotional situation is established; I almost stopped reading right there. But by Chapter 6, Alyssa heads to Wonderland and it gets a little bit better: things start to happen. The first plot - lifting the curse, traveling through Wonderland, and discovering that Morpheus hasn't been telling the truth after all (no surprise there) - was interesting. Unfortunately, it took a backseat to the romance, and it melts into a sort of hazy and convoluted background. Nightmarish renditions of the traditional Wonderland characters flit in and out of the story, staying long enough to pique one's interest, and then disappear with no promise of further participation in the plot. Morpheus lies so many times about what he really wants with Alyssa that it eventually becomes difficult to determine what his goal really is. Right when you think all of his deceits have been revealed, another springs up, tangling the plot even further, until I just gave up trying to figure out Morpheus' true intentions. I also have to beg the question of: what was the point of Alyssa getting high on the Tumtum Berries? I realize it ended up being one of the "tests," but it seems like it was more for the purpose of making Alyssa temporarily behave ridiculously.
Believability: Not applicable.
Writing Style: Present-tense, and I hated it. It didn't lead to choppy writing, but I still hated it. The Author was also way too much into describing how "hot" and "sexy" her bad boys are. We get a full X-ray of both Jeb and Morpheus - their abs and biceps and hips and lips, and yes their smells. For the record, I don't enjoy reading about protagonists mentally stripping people with their eyes. Nothing can make me hate a character faster than a full-scale physical description - especially if the words "yummy" and "fresh" are used. What are they - a head of organic cabbage? A celery stick? The Author also seemed to have a real fascination with Jeb's garnet labret (chin piercing), because she takes every opportunity she can to mention it. Oh yes - and we have lots of makeout sessions. And they're detailed. Once more, I am totally put off of kissing - gross, gross, gross! Her rendition of Wonderland is properly dark and creepy, but I didn't enjoy it as much as I thought I would. The original Wonderland is creepy enough; this was like a nightmare, the colors too bright, the creatures grotesque. Tim Burton's rendition of Wonderland wasn't even this bad. I could see some of the enchantment in his Wonderland; there was nothing enchanting about A. G. Howard's Wonderland.
Content:Lots of detailed kissing, Morpheus makes suggestive comments, and the story has an overall undertone of sensuality as Alyssa, Jeb, and Morpheus' emotions heat up.
Conclusion: This book ends about three different times, and all in the space of two chapters. You think someone is dead and defeated, but no! They're still alive! There's a sudden influx of characters literally crammed into one tiny room, tons of revelations and twists, and it quite frankly gave me a bit of headache. But I will admit that once we get to the final finale, the Author wraps it up pretty well, while setting up Book Two nicely. Not that it matters to me; I'm not going to read Book Two. When I first picked up Splintered, I knew it probably wouldn't be to my liking. It just gave off that sort of vibe. But I was willing to give it a chance; maybe it would be yet another popular book that would surprise me. Not surprisingly, it didn't. It's the Alice in Wonderland fan's Twilight.
Recommended Audience: Girl-read all the way, seventeen-and-up, Twilight fans and fans of teen romances in general. Alice in Wonderland fans might enjoy reading about this darker, Tim Burton-ish Wonderland....more
Cover Blurb: Yes or No? Divided. The colors are pretty, and the font, but it took me an extremely long time to finally realize what it was supposed toCover Blurb: Yes or No? Divided. The colors are pretty, and the font, but it took me an extremely long time to finally realize what it was supposed to be a picture of.
Characters: Tiger Lily was a success - I really liked her, and I was extremely pleased with this, because Tiger Lily has always been my favorite character in Peter Pan. The Author successfully portrays Tiger Lily has a strong, proud, no-nonsense, reserved girl who isn’t trying to make a point with her strength; she just wants to be left alone. She’s a woodsman, an outcast of her village who has had to build up a wall of hardness to protect herself. While I didn’t like it when she was mean to Pine Sap, I mostly saw it as a defense mechanism because she was (rightly) afraid that Pine Sap wanted them to be more than friends. The insight the Reader is given into Smee and Captain Hook’s pasts was very interesting, and furthered my appreciation for them as villains. But. That being said, I must address to glaring problems with Peter Pan himself. One: he was too old!!!! What ever happened to the boy who never grew up? In the original story, that was meant literally. Peter Pan hadn’t even lost his baby teeth yet in J. M. Barrie’s classic children’s story. He wasn’t a teenage guy; he was a young boy. In this story, Peter Pan doesn’t even act like a kid; he just behaves like a jerk who has a very short attention span. In the original story, Peter Pan clearly thought everything was a game. The Lost Boys are all too old as well, though Wendy was properly annoying - she struck me as a completely manipulative little brat, and Tik Tok was just . . . pointless. I don’t get why the Author had to make him the way he was (gay, transvestite; I’m not sure which he was supposed to be, but it was unnecessary). It honestly felt like she just did it so she could turn Phillip into the cliché judgmental and ignorant Christian who tries to change the “quaint” livelihood of the village.
The Romance: The Author tried to do a Romeo and Juliet with this story, and in doing so, she ruined Peter Pan. She upped his age to way too old, while still trying to maintain some of his “kiddish-ness,” but all that did was make him the last sort of person you would want to date. While Tiger Lily didn’t become annoying once her interest in Peter Pan was piqued, I also didn’t sympathize with her plight, because my thought was, Girl, run away now. I did sympathize with her when it came her forced engagement to Giant, who truly is a despicable, horrible, lewd man. But why she had to choose between either, I don’t know. Personally, I wanted her to end up with Pine Sap. He was kind, stable, and cared a great deal for Tiger Lily.
Plot: It mostly revolves around Tiger Lily and Peter Pan’s romance, and I have already voiced my opinion on that: it didn’t work. You can’t turn Peter’s story into a star-crossed lovers tragedy.
Believability: Not applicable.
Writing Style: I really liked Tinker Bell as the narrator. Tiger Lily is not the sort of character who would tell her own story. Tinker Bell gave a very convincing “these are the events I observed” type of narration, and her attachment and care for Tiger Lily actually made me like her a lot (Tinker Bell has never been a favorite). What I didn’t like was what the Author did to Neverland itself. In trying to place the fairy-world literally on Earth, she took away all of its magic. Neverland turned into a harsh, swampy, hot, buggy, and miserable jungle. There’s absolutely nothing appealing about it. My inner kid was screaming at the transformation of a place I always dreamed of visiting in my kid imagination.
Content: It is implied that Moon Eye is raped.
Conclusion: It’s true that the original Peter Pan doesn’t have a strictly happy ending - I always found it kind of bittersweet - and Tiger Lily is the same way, except more bitter than sweet. I was already on a massive disappointment rollercoaster, so to have it end the way it did just depressed me. So I guess this is my final opinion of the book: Tiger Lily is a very good protagonist - I loved her. But everything else was depressing. J. M. Barrie, I believe, would be appalled.
Recommended Audience: People who are a fan of J. M. Barrie’s original story of Peter Pan will be extremely irked with this one, but those who don’t mind a much older Peter who would be the world’s jerkiest boyfriend might enjoy this Author’s retelling. Girl-read, fifteen and up....more
Cover Blurb: Yes or No? Yes; it's mysterious, Gothic-esque, and intriguing. I don't even mind the character impersonator, because you can't see her faCover Blurb: Yes or No? Yes; it's mysterious, Gothic-esque, and intriguing. I don't even mind the character impersonator, because you can't see her face or anything especially definite about her.
Characters: I wasn't expecting to like Araby all that much, but she surprised me. For a girl who has suffered from so much trauma - losing her twin brother in a violent manner - Araby is blessedly unemotional. Not to say that she doesn't express feelings - she does - but Araby isn't flying off the handle or breaking down all of the time. She keeps her cool when a situation is dire and is very matter-of-fact about her emotions. Whether this level-headedness will persist in Dance of the Red Death has yet to be seen. Araby may be fine now, but she is entirely capable of taking the same road as Katniss and turn into a puddle. April is a loose cannon, but as a side character, I was all right with that. Her personality served the purpose it was supposed to, and even she surprised me later on in the story, with her self-sacrifice and blase attitude about what's happening. Probably not surprisingly, I adored Will. He was kind and not too proud to accept what little help Araby could extend to him and his siblings (who were, by the way, genuinely adorable kids). Elliott was interesting. I didn't like him, nor did I necessarily dislike him. While Araby kept insisting that he was arrogant, I never saw that. What I did see was a very unstable personality, someone who affected surety to order to hide what he was really feeling, and an overall untrustworthy person. He has his agenda and he's going to do anything to get what he wants. If that means being someone's friend, fine, but he'll abandon said friend as soon as it becomes necessary. Characters like Elliott make a story's cast very interesting, and he added a lot to this one. The times we Readers meet Prince Prospero, the villain, are entirely forgettable. Prince Prospero didn't make an impression on me at all, which is sad, because he certainly sounds like a creepy guy.
The Romance: There is a tentative love triangle. Ever since Araby has been going to the Debauchery Club, she's had an interest in Will. And Will reciprocates. Araby will admit that Elliott is attractive, but she doesn't trust him, and her crush on Will is pretty darn deep. Unfortunately for her, Elliott is falling for her. In Masque of the Red Death, the love triangle actually isn't very annoying - or even very prominent. Political intrigue takes center stage to it. And so long as Araby keeps her first impression of Elliott constant, things should be all right. Because only an idiot would fall for Elliott; the dude is clearly in need of psychotherapy. The times that the love triangle does get kind of annoying is when Elliott and Will are in the same room together, as they start behaving like boys their age and glare and posture at each other.
Plot: A plague has swept the nation (of America?), killing thousands. The only way to stay safe is to wear porcelain masks specifically designed to keep the plague germs away. But Prince Prospero controls the manufacturing of these masks, and only the very rich can afford them. Araby Worth is the daughter of Phineas Worth, the scientist who invented the masks. After the plague took her twin brother, she's been on a downward spiral to oblivion, hanging out at the Debauchery Club where she can get drugs that help her forget. But then her friend April goes missing, and April's enigmatic brother Elliott approaches Araby with a proposal. He intends to overthrow Prince Prospero and rebuild the city's prosperity. But he needs Araby to steal the mask blueprints from her father. Thinking his cause a worthy one, Araby agrees. But as time goes on, she becomes more and more embroiled in Elliott's revolution, and she begins to suspect that maybe Elliott isn't as trustworthy as she first thought. And then a plague worse than first appears: the Red Death. The world of Masque of the Red Death is both disturbingly enchanting and maddeningly confusing. I think it takes place in the future, but the technology and fashions are steampunk, with steam carriages, airships, corsets, and muskets. The world feels both modern and historic, which I loved and hated with equal measure. I am assuming it took place in a devastated America, but the story never says - which I am actually more okay with than I thought I would be. I can never see America turning into a monarchy. The plot itself, though, is very engaging. Elliott's rebellion, naturally, isn't the only one; there's another major one led by a Reverend Malcontent, and they're causing all sorts of havoc. The intrigue and sabotage keeps the story moving and overshadows the romance enough to keep it from becoming annoying. But if you're hoping that Masque of the Red Death is anything like Edgar Allan Poe's very short story, you might be disappointed. The original idea of the Red Death is borrowed from the story, and Prince Prospero's masked balls, but that's it. Even so, this Masque of the Red Death has its own creepiness and ambiance that is just as intriguing as the original.
Believability: My biggest issue was the masks. How did they work? Was there a super-fine filter built into them? And why could only one person use one mask? That seemed like a convenient aspect of the masks that was thrown into patch up potential plot holes, and made no real sense. And why did they make the masks out of porcelain? What did the masks even look like? At times I got the impression that they were shaped like Venetian masks, while other times it sounded like they just covered the nose and mouth.
Writing Style: First person, present tense. And it actually worked. The Author was able to capture a lot of the moody ambiance of Araby's world through the first person, present tense narration without it feeling overly movie-ish. While not poetic like Victoria Schwab's present tense narrations, Bethany Griffin definitely joins the slim ranks of the very few Authors who actually made me like present tense.
Content: There's drug abuse, and very slight sexual allusions. But nothing graphic in either quarter.
Conclusion: With the break-out of the Red Death, the city has been thrown into absolute chaos. It's a perfect moment for Elliott's people to seize control. The only problem is Reverend Malcontent has had the same idea. The climax was exciting, fast-paced, and full of plot twists that I was totally not expecting. One of them I was at first very distraught over, but decided that it was an interesting twist. The second one was really good and wholly surprising. Masque of the Red Death was a "maybe-good/maybe-bad" read. I wasn't certain that I would like it - in fact, I was pretty sure that it was going to be no good. But it turned out to be much better than I thought it would be. Araby was a good protagonist, Will was likable, Elliott was interesting, and the world and plot were engaging. Sometimes one cannot fully judge a book even by its synopsis.
Recommended Audience: Girl-read, fifteen-and-up, fans of more futuristic steampunk and strong female protagonists....more
Cover Blurb: I like the cover. Since the girl is looking up and off to the side, she doesn’t leer at me, I like the silhouettes of the leaves and grasCover Blurb: I like the cover. Since the girl is looking up and off to the side, she doesn’t leer at me, I like the silhouettes of the leaves and grass, and I like the title’s font. And the girl isn’t done up too much.
What I Liked: Guy of Gisbourne was spot on and creepy. I’ve always preferred him as the villain over the Sheriff of Nottingham - or even Prince John. He just always seemed more cruel and heartless. And he’s all that in Scarlet. And for once I even liked Robin Hood himself. Maybe it’s because I watched Errol Flynn too much when I was little, and therefore Robin Hood has always struck me as annoying and yes, a bit gay, but I’ve never been especially attached to Robin’s character. I like him in Nancy Springer’s Rowan Hood series, and I didn’t mind him in Robin McKinley’s The Outlaws of Sherwood and Rosemary Sutcliff’s The Chronicles of Robin Hood. But I never really cared about him. Well, in Scarlet, I actually warmed up to his character. He wasn’t always laughing and had merry blue eyes, and he wasn’t always picking on people who were minding their own business. He had depth.
What I Disliked: Sadly, my dislikes far outweigh my likes. Mostly, because of Will Scarlet being a girl. Initially, I thought, Alright, this might work. And it might have . . . In the hands of another Author. But this Author gave pretty Scarlet The Attitude. Her surliness, tough-girl attitude, and lack of humor drove me up a wall. One of the “boys” would offer to help her or would make a little joke and she’d snap his head off. If someone was as bad-tempered as often as Scarlet, I wouldn’t ever help them and I certainly wouldn’t hang around them. I also didn’t like that everyone in Robin Hood’s gang knew she was a girl. It eventually led to romantic troubles that got even further on my nerves. While Scarlet keeps telling John Little that she doesn’t love him, she doesn’t really stop him when he gives her kisses and puts his arm around her, which irritated me as well. Make it bloody plain to him that you don’t like his attentions, Scarlet! Drive home your point painfully, if you have to! That wasn’t the most annoying aspect of the romance, though. We’ve got a bit of a love triangle going on here, and nothing irritates me about a love triangle more than when the two boys start fighting over the girl. Not only did this irritate me from the standpoint of a love triangle, but I also didn’t like John Little and Robin Hood being at odds with each other. I always liked the camaraderie between him and John, and I didn’t like that the Author changed it by throwing in a girl. I also didn’t like that the Author changed John’s personality from being a noble young man who protected everyone like a big brother, to a flirtatious womanizer. And I didn’t feel like I really got to know Much all that well. I also didn’t like that the Author replaced Marion with Scarlet as Robin’s love interest. The Author says in her Author’s Note that Marion “was always doe-eyed and waiting to be rescued.” Uh, actually, I’ve read lots of versions that depict Marion as a very strong woman. She rescues herself from an unwanted marriage because Robin is late in getting to the castle in time, and she’s always at Robin’s side, giving hope to the people and being supportive. How is that “waiting to be rescued?” The nickname “Scar” also really got on my nerves, for some reason.
Believability: Scarlet did rely mostly on stealth and quickness when she killed people, but the karate backflips and kicks started feeling silly very quickly. And sorry, but if Scarlet was that determined to hide as a boy from Guy of Gisbourne, she would have cut her hair. The dialogue also did not feel very authentic.
Writing Style: No present-tense (yay!), but it still managed to be extremely movie-ish. Scarlet is the narrator, and everything is written in what is supposed to be an English street urchin accent. It’s not hard to follow, but it just didn’t work for me. I didn’t feel right. As for storyline structure, I honestly have to wonder why Scarlet had to be a girl at all. As I got closer to the end, it struck me that the Author could have had basically the same story even if Will Scarlet were kept as a boy. And it would have been better.
Content: 5 g--damns, and Scarlet is almost raped (pg. 214). Her attacker rips her shirt off, but then things are halted in a timely fashion.
Conclusion: It’s exciting, and if the Author decided to write a sequel, she could, though I certainly don’t think it needs one. Even if it were a good book, I wouldn’t think it needs one. Tangled up emotions get straightened out, people are killed, Scarlet and Robin finally talk about how they feel, and Robin’s band starts to grow. So it’s a pretty predictable ending, but fits.
Recommended Audience: This is definitely a girl read. So guys who are looking for a good Robin Hood retelling, you might want to look elsewhere. I am actually almost tempted to throw this into the romance genre, there’s that bloody much of it. People who don’t mind a bad-tempered female protagonist, and who don’t mind a bunch of changes to the Robin Hood legend, would probably not mind Scarlet too much. But, honestly, if you want to read a Robin Hood story that has a girl disguised as a boy - or just a good female character - Rowan Hood by Nancy Springer and The Outlaws of Sherwood by Robin McKinley are both much better....more
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