[Review: A Wicked Thing by Rhiannon Thomas]

"A Wicked Thing"
Author: Rhiannon Thomas
Series: A Wicked Thing #1
Pages: 352
Genre: YA, Fantasy, Fairytale Retelling
Date Published: February 24th, 2015
Publisher: HarperTeen
Format Read: eARC provided by publisher (via Edelweiss) for honest review

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Summary:

Rhiannon Thomas's dazzling debut novel is a spellbinding reimagining of Sleeping Beauty and what happens after happily ever after.

One hundred years after falling asleep, Princess Aurora wakes up to the kiss of a handsome prince and a broken kingdom that has been dreaming of her return. All the books say that she should be living happily ever after. But as Aurora understands all too well, the truth is nothing like the fairy tale.

Her family is long dead. Her "true love" is a kind stranger. And her whole life has been planned out by political foes while she slept.

As Aurora struggles to make sense of her new world, she begins to fear that the curse has left its mark on her, a fiery and dangerous thing that might be as wicked as the witch who once ensnared her. With her wedding day drawing near, Aurora must make the ultimate decision on how to save her kingdom: marry the prince or run.

Rhiannon Thomas weaves together vivid scenes of action, romance, and gorgeous gowns to reveal a richly imagined world … and Sleeping Beauty as she’s never been seen before.

-Goodreads
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My Thoughts:

An Open Letter To A Wicked Thing,

Hmmmm? I don't love you. I wanted to. I thought you were going to be cool, but you feel really flat for me. I will say that you ended on a bit of a high note, and I'll probably read the next book in your series if I feel so inclined, but I can't be sure. You were just a tad boring, that's all. Too boring for what could have been happening...

-The White Unicorn

We all know how I feel about Fairytale Retellings, so I was stoked when I heard about A Wicked Thing. I love the idea behind the book and a piece of me has always wondered what would happen after Aurora woke up. I think that my middle of the road review comes from the fact that this isn't what I would have picked to happen. I know that that isn't very fair, but I'm just being honest. I do feel like Thomas had some really clever ideas, but her execution of them left me not really caring when I knew that I was supposed to be feeling something substantial. Let's just say that this book did not give me the feels, and that made me sad.

Thomas drops us into the Sleeping Beauty story after Aurora is woken up by the kiss of a Prince. A Prince named Rodric who had the personality of a wet towel... or a door mat. She's instantly pushed into an engagement with the man and she's trying to deal with the fact that 100 years have passed since she took her long nap. I honestly kept being told that Aurora was a bit of a firecracker, but the whole time I was reading I didn't think she was a very strong character.

In fact, maybe that's where my biggest problem with this book happens. The characters just aren't that great. I feel like we're told, over and over again what these character are like, but in the end their actions don't back it up. Finnegan was the only one who kept my attention and even he was fairly boring. And Tristan? I forgot about him more than once. I don't think that should happen.

The story was okay and like I said it got better at the end. Once Aurora was actually let out of her room and what not. Seriously, so much of this book was in her rooms or the castle. 

So sadly, I didn't like this one. It wasn't terrible though and I think that a younger teen would eat it up with a spoon!

Rating:

2 Unicorns = It was okay, but something didn't work for me!

[Review: The Forest Of Hands And Teeth by Carrie Ryan]

"The Forest of Hands and Teeth"
Author: Carrie Ryan
Series: The Forest of Hands and Teeth #1
Pages: 308
Genre: YA, Horror, Thriller, Zombie
Date Published: February 9th, 2010
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Format Read: Bought paperback

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 Summary:

In Mary's world there are simple truths. The Sisterhood always knows best. The Guardians will protect and serve. The Unconsecrated will never relent. And you must always mind the fence that surrounds the village; the fence that protects the village from the Forest of Hands and Teeth. But, slowly, Mary’s truths are failing her. She’s learning things she never wanted to know about the Sisterhood and its secrets, and the Guardians and their power, and about the Unconsecrated and their relentlessness. When the fence is breached and her world is thrown into chaos, she must choose between her village and her future—between the one she loves and the one who loves her. And she must face the truth about the Forest of Hands and Teeth. Could there be life outside a world surrounded in so much death?

-Goodreads 

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My Thoughts:

The Forest of Hands and Teeth was one of the prettiest scary books I've ever read.  It didn't short itself on gore, or death or intense survivalist adventure and it still managed to be very soothingly written.  In a way, I think this fact adds to what makes this novel so haunting.  There is always something that is just a little off about the characters, or the setting or the action that reminds you that this isn't the type of book that makes you say "and they all lived happily ever after" at the end.  Ryan also plays with your mind.  You know that this book takes place in the future, after The Unconsecrated take over, but there is something about the world she built for Mary that will make you think of The Dark Ages.  The story has hints of "The Village", which is a movie that I adore and Ryan uses that to play with your head!

Can we just take a moment to step back and say what an awesome choice it was for Ryan to call the zombies in this book The Unconsecrated?!  In my humble opinion, that's what I think every zombie should be called for the rest of time.  Zombie is such a funny word when you think about it, but The Unconsecrated sound like something strait out of hell.  I love it!

Right away Ryan introduces us to death and sadness when someone she loves is infected, throwing her world into chaos.  Mary is a tough character.  She's young, there are things that happen in the village were she lives, but she longs for something else.  It's her faith that there is something better beyond the gates that keep them safe that makes her both a character that you want to root for and a character that you want to yell at.  This girl has layers to the extreme and sometimes they make you love her and sometimes they don't.  But I think that's what makes a great MC, someone that is flawed and messed up and brave.  

The love story in this one was a little weird for me.  It worked for the novel, but wasn't my favorite.  Plus, I always root for the underdog, even when I know they're gonna loose.  Travis and Harry are brothers.  They both love Mary.  Mary only loves one, but she engaged to the other and the guy she likes is engaged to her best friend.  Yep, it's a messy love triangle and it's kinda weird.  Parts of it totally worked and others, I felt, got in the way of the story.  This love story was the reason that this book didn't get a full 5 from me, but it didn't hinder my enjoyment either.  

This book is full of adventure and interesting characters.  There are little boys and black puppies and red vests and 100 more little things that make this book wonderful.  Also, Ryan doesn't forget to give us real relationships as Mary and her small group of friends and family run for their lives.  The sibling rivalry is there in a big way and I loved that she kept those real elements.  

I have to say that I'm a big fan of this series already and that I can't wait to get my hands on the other books.  I want to see what happens next!  So, if you like books full of secrets, The Unconsecrated and survivalist adventure with a dose of a creepy Sisterhood, this is the book/series for you!

Rating:

   4 Unicorns = Close to perfect! 

Now, go hop on over to Read My Breath Away to read Jess's review of Masque of the Red Death by Bethany Griffin!

[Top Ten Tuesday: Beach Reads]

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly linkup hosted by The Broke And The Bookish!

I love Beach Reads!  I tend to read different books during the summer than the rest of the year.  For awhile I would tackle one large classic every summer, one summer I read music related biographies and one summer I read a few series that I had been wanting to get through.  So, I'm gonna give you a few of my favorites in each of those categories.  It looks like this summer will be a bit different as I want to get through a lot of fun girly summer books.  So here are my favorites in the three categories that I already mentioned.

Favorite Classic Beach Reads:

"Gone With The Wind" by Margaret Mitchell:  This one actually took me a whole summer to get through back in my teens, but it was so worth it!  I mean the book is almost 1,000 pages long and not contemporary language.  I fell in love with this book so much that I now have three old school hardback editions of it!

"Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Bronte:  I love me some Gothic lit and this is one of my favorites!  It's got so much mystery and some really screwed up and yet lovable characters.  Honestly, if you haven't read this one yet, you should get on that!   

"The Great Gatsby" by F. Scott Fitzgerald:  I read this one summer on the beach and I know that I didn't get everything about it, but I've revisited it and also watched the resent movie (which I LOVED!)  It's so much darker than I was expecting and I think that one of the things that I liked most about this story.  Plus it's set in the 1920s!

Biographies For Music Nerds Who Also Like The Beach:

(I'm obsessed with classic rock and musical theater)

"Love, Janis" by Laura Joplin:  I love Janis Joplin and her solo music as well as her years with Big Brother and the Holding Company.  I have their album on vinyl and it's one of my favorite things!  This book was awesome and told Janis's story in her sister's words as well as her own.  It was so cool to read about her life through the letters that she wrote to family and friends.

"A Little Bit Wicked: Life, Love and Faith in Stages" by Kristin Chenoweth:  This book made me laugh and laugh and laugh.  I'm such a huge fan of Kristin's work and this book.  She talks about everything.  Beauty Pageants, You're a Good Man Charlie Brown, Pushing Daisies and Wicked!  And that's not all.  Her wit shines through in this book too!  

"Wilderness" by Jim Morrison:  Jim was the lead singer of The Doors.  The man died at the age of 27, same as Janis.  This book of poetry is wack, but genius as well.  Sometimes I want to read something that's really wack and this is what I go to.  

Series To Beach About:

(I'll link you guys to the first book in the series)

"The Gemma Doyle Trilogy" by Libba Bray:  It's Victorian.  It takes place at a boarding school.  It has sexy gypsies.  It's got loads of humor (which we all expect from Libba).  It's epic and full of some of the craziest plot twists that made me want to scream and cry and also give out high fives to Libba for having the guts to write them.

"The Darkest Power Trilogy" by Kelley Armstrong:  These books are spooky and have a slew of known paranormal creators and yet it's an odd mixture which adds some new elements to the story.  These are super fast and fun reads.  The perfect kind for sitting on the beach or by a pool.  

"The Wicked Lovely Series" by Melissa Marr:  There are 5 books in this series and they're all out.  So you don't even have to wait for the next books like I did.  I happen to love these books a whole lot, even though that third one almost didn't get read all the way through.  The rest of the books are awesome!

"The Flappers Trilogy" by Jillian Larkin:  In all honesty I have only read the first book in this series so far, but I have the other two and loved the first one so much!  I'm really excited to get to the other ones and I think they will happen this summer!

Well there's my list!  What's on yours?  I wanna know.  Leave your link below or tell me in the comments!

[Top Ten Tuesday #4: Series I Haven't Read, But Want To]

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly linkup hosted by The Broke And The Bookish!

This week we were asked to share the series that we would like to start, but haven't yet.  I have to admit that I have a ton on my list, way more than 10.  It's scary.  But I narrowed it down to these ten, because for the most part I already own the first book of the series.  Or in some cases I already own the whole series...

So here we go (in no certain order) 

 (P.S. the links will take you to the first book of the series)

 The Anna Series by Kendare Blake.

I love ghost stories and both Anna Dressed In Blood and Girl Of Nightmares sound right up my alley.

The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare.

I have to admit that I have all four books.  I just haven't read them yet.  I wanna read the first one before the movie though.

The Divergent Series by Veronica Roth.

Another one I need to read before the movie.  Everyone raves about these!

The Heist Society Books by Ally Carter.

I wanna read these!  They sound cute, but also a little edgy at the same time!

The Kiki Strike Books by Kristen Miller.

I'm still confused about what these are actually about.  But I think they are like detectives in New York?  They sound so good!

The Saving Angels Series by Tiffany King.

After reading "Jordyn" which is a spin off of this series, I know I need to get my hands on these!

The Archived Series by Victoria Schwab.

Ok, these sound really creepy and wonderful.  I need to get on this book!

The Liar Society Books by Lisa and Laura Roecker.

Emails from dead friends?  I'm sold!

Under the Never Sky Series by Veronica Rossi.

These sound so good and I need a new series like this!  Plus, everyone loves these books!

The Chemical Garden Series by Lauren DeStefano.

There is much unrest about this series out there.  Some love it, some don't and I wanna know why!

Well there's my list!  What's on yours?  I wanna know.  Leave your link below or tell me in the comments!