I read:
Jane True is a young woman who lives in a small northeastern coastal town. Something from her past has lead the other townsfolk to treat her terribly, and she lives her life trying to avoid the worst of them and swimming in her personal cove. After discovering a body during one of her swims, Jane is tossed into a world of magic and mystical creatures.
On the plus side for this book, the author was kind enough to provide clever pronunciation tips for some of the names and creatures she describes in the book. Jane's feelings are identifiable and make sense in most of the situations she's in. There's a fairly detailed action scene and plenty of suspense. Tempest Rising is also a page-turner and a quick read.
On the other hand, I did have a few issues with the story. First off, this book definitely fits into the romance framework (2 or 3 explicit sex scenes plus several more vague references and 'fade-to-black' moments), but Jane and her new vampire beau, Ryu, seemed to be running of to do the dirty at fairly inappropriate times. They discover a new clue, or have a run in with a friend or foe, or find a dead body, which, in other mysteries, may lead to further investigations, here just leads to sex. The author was also very boob-focused - to the point where I started to wonder what Freud would say about it. Finally, the first part of the book felt very disconnected from the second part - first you hear about all the crap Jane has had to deal with, her not fitting in, people being mean, then she heads off to the magical compound and most of that seems to be forgotten. Also, it takes *forever* for the author to tell the reader about Jane's past, even though she leaves tidbits all over the place before the big reveal.
This was a good, but not great, read. I was tempted by the cover art, but it may have been more interesting than the actual text. I'm not sure if I'll read the follow up - we'll have to see.
Sophie is sent to a reform school for magic users after a spell-gone-terribly-wrong. There she makes friends and enemies and learns some Big Things about herself and her family.
A good book, but I think I may have read too many magic-boarding-school books. Hex Hall has some interesting and unique tidbits, but overall it fits the same vein as many other YA books.
Currently Reading:
The Monsters of Templeton by Lauren Groff
Jane Bites Back by Michael Thomas Ford
To Read: See photo from last Monday. The stacks haven't diminished much.
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