The Syrena Legacy Series by Anna Banks REVIEW (Of Poseidon, Of Triton, & Of Neptune)

Of Poseidon 
Of Triton 
Of Neptune
Author: Anna Banks
Publisher: Feiwel and Friends



      Over the past week I have had my nose in the last two books of the Syrena Legacy series. I read book #1, Of Poseidon, back in December of 2012 and after quite some time I decided to join Emma once again in her beautiful world of both land and sea that was created by Anna Banks. I have some mixed feelings regarding these books, but overall I thoroughly enjoyed my time following a story of love, and of an entire people seeking harmony and safety.

     To summarize the entire series without spoiling everything for those who have yet to read the books, these novels tell the story of an American teenager named Emma who is trying to find a sense of identity after realizing that those who she holds closest to her heart may not be telling her the whole truth about her place in the world. Emma takes part in her own love story throughout her journey, and it's definitely an exciting one that she needs to fight for to keep. She also finds herself in the middle of great change in the world, and learns that being confident in her own skin is the very thing that can keep everything from falling apart. Man, it's hard to summarize the plot of the entire series without giving anything away!

    In both Of Triton and Of Neptune we are introduced to a slew of new characters, some that we have anticipated meeting and some that we never expected. We receive just as much background information on the world of the Syrena and how the kingdoms have been functioning as we get plot turns and twists that reveal the future fates of the characters we love dearly. Our list of characters that we are invested in the future of quickly grows, and makes turning the page to a new chapter even more exciting.

    As a fan of mythology and fantasy (although Banks categorizes the series under Science Fiction), I love reading about a world of mer-people, but if you're not into things of that sort, then I definitely would not recommend this book. It's a great read regardless, but the mythology is central to the whole plot and you'll just get bothered by the intricate details we are given about Syrena life. Furthermore, if you are not a fan of YA literature, then you really wouldn't be able to get through this book. YA Fiction is my genre of choice, but even I had a hard time dealing with some of the "younger" and more dramatic word choices. It felt a bit like the author was trying too hard to give Emma a youthful voice during her narration, and I did have a few "really...?" moments in reaction to some of the things Emma said or thought. But if you're invested enough in the story line, like I immediately was, it's definitely still readable.

    Both books are a quick read, in my opinion, and the story moves at a perfect pace so that you can put it down if you need to.....but you can also fly right through the entire book in a sitting or two if you so choose. I am sad to say goodbye to some characters I definitely wish I could read more about, but I was certainly satisfied with the ending. I've finished another trilogy recently, and with both that series and this one, I have felt that if the author truly wanted to, they could come back and add on to the story because true fans will definitely want to hear about where these characters ended up a decade or so down the line. But, I guess we will just have to wait and see about that!

   My bottom line is: I would recommend the Syrena Legacy Series to any YA Fiction, Fantasy, or Mythology lover. I'm sure you will learn to love Emma, Galen, and all of the other characters (even Rayna) just as I have.  If you have any specific questions or a question about an aspect I didn't cover, feel free to ask! If you've been wondering about this book or searching for a new book, I hope this helped!


                                         Sincerely, 

                   Spenser Lee & Simply Lovely Lit 

The Selection by Kiera Cass REVIEW

The Selection
Author: Kiera Cass
Publisher: Harper Teen
Publication Date: 2012


     I am sitting down to write this review minutes after putting down this book having finished reading it. I have so many emotions about this story right now, but all I think is "why do I have to wait three long months to finish this story that I got so wrapped up in!?" I started this book two weeks ago, and put it down until this past Wednesday, and since then I couldn't put it down. It is now 2:30 am, but I need to get all my thoughts out now since I am so pleased with the story and already on edge to find out what happens next. 

     So, as always, we start by looking over the cover. This one gets the seal of approval from me. Both the sleeve and hard covers are pretty to me. The image of our leading lady, or at least a model that resembles her physically, is posed on the cover in a stunning ball gown surrounded by mirrors capturing all of her different angles. It captures the eye, and may even help to sell the book, as Cass mentions in her "Acknowledgments" section in the back of the book. The hard cover of the book is a light blue with silver crown imprinted on it. It's simple, but I prefer when a book's hard cover has a small emblem that is representative of the story printed on it versus a plain cover of a solid color and not much else going on. 

     But enough with aesthetics, lets get to the even better part: the plot and story itself. At first I wasn't completely captured by the book, but, let me tell you, it didn't take very long for me to get hooked. By the time I was a few chapters in I wondered about what was going to happen next and had a pure desire to keep on reading. For me, the story was a imaginative way to envision the future, a story that allowed me to relate to the main character (who is a young girl fighting for her individuality while dealing with realistic teenage-girl-things), a touching romance (that isn't even completed in the first book!! cliff hanger warning!), a more behind-the-scenes experience to a show like The Bachelor, and a book that even offered me a few Hunger Games-esque elements that kept me very satisfied. I may be rambling, but I feel like this book had so much to offer that I always seem to enjoy while reading. And, even though I am a teeny bit frustrated that I can't just continue reading about America Singer and The Selection, I am satisfied with the fact that The Elite (Book #2) is coming out in April, 2013, so I don't have to wait too long like I have had to in the past while waiting for sequels. 

     Instead of raving about my own connections to the book and the specific things I love, let me give you a short plot summary if you have no idea what the book is about. The story takes place in the future, in the country of Illéa, which stands in place of the United States of America. Society in this time and place is divided into a very strict caste system that categorizes people by wealth and occupation. Our leading lady, America Singer, appropriately named, is a Five which makes her an artist/musician. As a way to give commoners hope and the chance of drastically improving their family's caste, the royal family holds a Selection for the future princesses of Illéa, by having girls from all over the country enter a competition to win the affection of the prince who is approaching an age to be married at. In the book, a Selection is about to take place and America is eligible. If she chooses to enter and gets selected, that could be hope and happiness for her already-struggling family. But, this choice could also mean the loss of the live she genuinely dreams of for herself. I'll go no further in describing this book right now though, to make sure I don't include any spoilers. 

     Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I fell in love with the characters and the world they live in, I fell in love with the plot, and I cannot wait to read The Elite and find out what happens next. Kiera Cass did a fabulous job with this book, in my opinion, and I encourage everybody to go buy this book or take it out at their local library. I certainly think it is worth the read, and I most definitely think it will be worth waiting for the sequel to come out. But I can't be certain until April! It's already set to be pre-ordered in my Barnes & Noble cart. 

     Bottom line: this book is a great read and extremely captivating, and I highly recommend giving it a shot. If you have any specific questions or a question about something I didn't address in this post, feel free to ask and I'll be sure to get back to you! If you've been wondering about this book or if you've been searching for a new book to read, I hope this helped!



                                  Sincerely, 

                Spenser Lee & Simply Lovely Lit

My "To Read" List

      A new year means new books! There are quite a few books that should be coming out in 2013 that I am so looking forward to buying and reading. In the same fashion as my last post, I am going to just tell you guys which books I am personally looking at just in case you see any titles or authors you have any interest in.
      The first book I plan to read in 2013 is The Selection  by Kiera Cass. I bought this book a while ago and never got around to reading it, so I plan to finish it soon. The next book I bought and plan to read is City of Bones by Cassandra Clare. I had been meaning to start reading the Mortal Instruments series since I have already read the books in the Infernal Devices series that have been published. But, since the movie version of City of Bones is meant to come out this summer, I want to be sure I've read the book first so I can see the movie after I have already established my own concept of the story.
      I keep a bookmark that is really just an index card with books written on it. Every time I finish a book that has a sequel, or other books in the series that are yet to be published, I write it down so I can have a running list and not forget. This is what my list looks like so far:

1. The Kill Order by James Dashner (which came out in August, I'm just waiting to purchase it until I finish the other two books I mentioned)
2. Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare (the third book in the Infernal Devices series, which was said to be expected in March of this year)
3. Divergent #3 (Untitled) by Veronica Roth (I cannot wait to find out the title of the third book and when to be expecting it for sure, although for now it is said to be expected in the fall)
4. Requiem by Lauren Oliver (the third book in the Delirium series, which is supposed to be published in March of this year as well)
5. Tempest #3 by Tracy Deebs (the third book in the Tempest series, that I am unsure about enjoying, but I feel that I need to finish the plot for my own curiosity - it's supposedly coming out this summer)
6. Dark Triumph by Robin LaFevers (the next book in the His Fair Assassin series, expected to come out on April 2)
7. Of Triton by Anna Banks (the sequel of Of Poseidon, which I just read, which is said to hit stores on May 28)


     So that'd my "To Read" list, and I hope that you found a few books you may want to add to your own "To Read" list, too! If you had questions about publications dates I hope I was able to clear some of that up for you! If you have any questions remaining, feel free to ask!


                             Sincerely,

                Spenser Lee & Simply Lovely Lit

Tiger Lily by Jodi Lynn Anderson REVIEW

Tiger Lily
Author: Jodi Lynn Anderson
Publisher: Harper Teen 
Publication Date: 2012 


    I read Tiger Lily over the summer, and since then I have filled my brain with a college semster's worth of knowledge and hopefully not forgotten enough to mar the value of this review. If I falter on the plot or details, I can assure you that the one thing I know for certain is that I absolutely loved this book. 

    As always, beginning with the cover, it's pretty cool. At first glance you may think it is an actual tiger lily, the flower, but it's actually a girl in a fiery gown curved in just a way that the strips of fabric fan out like petals. The actual hard cover is simply orange with a black binding over the spine - I'm not usually a fan of the orange-and-black theme unless its Halloween, but I guess it goes with the motif of the flower. 

    Now, on to the story. This review may be short, but it'll be sweet. This story tells the tale of Neverland and Tiger Lily pre-Pan (as in Peter). I have loved the story of Peter Pan since I was little, I even had a crush on the cartoon version (not really sure how that happens). When you open up the front cover of the book it says, "Before Peter Pan belonged to Wendy, he belonged to the girl with the crow feather in her hair..." So I had to hear about this romance that had never crossed my mind as a possibility, and I am very happy I did. Major props to Jodi Lynn Anderson, because in my opinion, it takes a lot of creativity and guts to create a story that thrives off of the existence of an already-successful one. I think this for two reasons: one, you are writing something that could potentially conflict with the perceptions of the fans of the already-established work and they will react negatively towards your story, and two, you have to write in accordance with every little detail that occurred in the first story and find a way to make it fit in a believable way. It takes a lot of thought, consideration, and imagination to do those things, and Jodi Lynn Anderson was very successful in the creation and publication of Tiger Lily. 

    I'm not going to lie, this story had me crying. Even though I flew threw it (because I was so into it),  I got so attached to the characters and fell in love with the story. It changed my opinions of the characters that had already existed in my mind for so long, I fell farther in love with some, fell out of love with others, but still had an extreme appreciation for both stories. Peter Pan is such a classic, and if you loved it as a kid and just aren't satisfied with one trip to Neverland, pick up Tiger Lily and go there again, it's worth it.  

    If you have any specific questions or a question about an aspect I didn't cover, feel free to ask, but my bottom line is: It's such a fantastic read and definitely worth it! If you've been wondering about this book or searching for a new book, I hope this helped!



                                Sincerely, 

                   Spenser Lee & Simply Lovely Lit
    

Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers REVIEW

Grave Mercy (His Fair Assassin Series #1)

Author: Robin LaFevers

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin

Publication Date: 2012

     Since reading The Hunger Games series in February, I've really been into reading books that star a kick-ass female protagonist who makreaes me wish I could live a few days in her shoes or just escape into the world that she lives in for a little while as a spectator. In this book, Ismae is our leading lady, and she lives in the European country of Brittany in the 1400s. I've always had a thing for the Medieval and Renaissance periods, so when I flipped to the first page of text and saw that the date read "1485" I was really excited to see what historical aspects were incorporated into the story. I love books with a real historical basis, because since it's based on truth I feel like it makes the story that much more significant to me knowing some of these people were living, breathing individuals dealing with decisions and obstacles that I am so enthralled with now in 2012. But anyway, before I get more into the wonderful literary aspects of the book, I want to talk about the esthetics because I am the kind of reader who does judge a book by it's cover.

    The cover of the book is really well done, complete with the quote "Why be the sheep when you can be the wolf?" I love the quote, and the spine of the book has a little wolf image on it which I thought was cool/cute. The actual hard cover is your run-of-the-mill black cover with gold writing on the spine. I tend to like when a symbol of some sort is placed on the front of the hard cover to give it some mystery and prettiness, but it's really not that big of a deal. Past the publication and dedication pages, there is a map of the parts of Europe in which the story takes place, which I always love to see in books so that I can go back and re-trace the character's journey. Past the map is a dramatis personae, which I also loved because I love the theater and plays and there were a few allusions I picked up on that hinted at the theater, and some of the interactions between characters are deceitful and false as if it were "all just a ruse or a play."

   Now, let's get down to the nitty-gritty of it all. It's a good book. I didn't really feel like it was slow at all in the beginning (which I feel with most books that I read and end up loving), and I finished the book really quickly because I couldn't bring myself to put it down even though it's a huge book and my hands aren't big enough to easily hold it open for hours! The story of Ismae is empowering and touching, and you really can't help but root for her through the whole book. You quickly find yourself thinking about the other characters as she would, and sometimes I even found myself reading some of the things she said out loud (as embarrassing as that is) as if I were reading her lines in a show. You also learn to love Anne, the Duchess, who is actually a real historical figure that had a life just how it is described in the book. Other characters you're introduced to don't really exist historically, but after reading this book it's really hard to believe they didn't. 

   This book has a little of everything. Action (tons of it). Love. True Friendship. Faith. Death. Sorrow. Joy. And, since the book is the first in a trilogy it certainly leaves you wanting more, but the ending is not one of those heart-wrenching cliff hangers that you want to re-read over and over because you can't buy the next book until next  year! If you find yourself reading dystopian books similar to the Hunger Games, there's a good chance you'll like this book, but the books have very different plots, Ismae and Katniss are definitely not comparable, and the time period is in the past - not the future so they can only be so much in common. 

   If you have any specific questions or a question about an aspect I didn't cover, feel free to ask, but my bottom line is: read it. It's worth it! If you've been wondering about this book or searching for a new book, I hope this helped!

                             Sincerely,

                     

                  Spenser Lee & Simply Lovely Lit