Sabriel by Garth Nix

I've been having trouble writing a review for this book. No fault of the book - just outside influences. Life is busy this Spring.

I bought this book from a used book store at least a year ago. It was sitting on my to-be-read shelf looking sad. So I decided on a whim to pick it up and give it a shot. I assumed it was young adult because of a vague recollection. So bonus, I could screen the book for my seven-year-old (who reads above his level and loves fantasy). Verdict: I really enjoyed this book. I enjoyed it so much that I squealed with delight when I found the second book of the series at a used book store yesterday. As for my seven-year-old, I think he'd like it. But I'm going to put it off for a little while. It has a bit of romance that I don't think he'd care for (not to mention the ginormous list of books he wants to read already).

The premise: Sabriel is the daughter of the Abhorsen - a necromancer from the old kingdom. Unlike most necromancers, the Abhorsen does not raise the dead, but rather ensures that the Dead do not return to Life. Sabriel is raised on the other side of the Wall away from the Old Kingdom and must venture back to save her father and, well, the world.

I particularly enjoyed the way Nix described the descent into Death. The river, the gates, the frost - it was very well done. The characters are thought out and well developed (which I find rare in YA books). I enjoyed the characters so much that I was disappointed to find that the sequel takes place a full fourteen years later! My only bone to pick was the ending. It was too abrupt. I felt that a lot of things that could/should have been wrapped up (or at least embellished) were left to hang. That's probably a personal preference, though.

All in all, Woo! This book was fun. I'd recommend it to just about anyone.

Beast by Donna Jo Napoli

I've always loved the fairy tale Beauty and the Beast, so when I found this retelling I was excited. It is shelved in my local library as Young Adult, and I couldn't agree more with that designation.

The story itself is interestingly set in Persia. I found the religious references and the folk lore fun to read. The majority of the story is set in both Persia and India. These were my favorite parts. I was hoping the Beauty part of the story would vary more than it did. But again, we had to travel to France and meet an oh-so-sweet girl who is destined to free the Beast from his curse.

I was honestly disappointed with the lack of originality in the end. This did not stop me from enjoying the book for what it was - a retelling of a classic aimed at a younger audience than myself. I will definitely be recommending it to my niece and my own children when they're a bit older.

The Medusa Project: The Set-up by Sophie McKenzie

This was given to me by the lovely Ally at Simon and Schuster UK.

Nico is a student at his step-father's boarding school. While he was still in his mother's womb, he was injected with a virus thought to "unlock" psychic talents at the onset of puberty. He and three other children were given this treatment. Now they are all coming of age and their powers are manifesting. Nico is facing conflicting information concerning the use of his powers and ends up getting himself into trouble.

I had to keep reminding myself that this was a young adult novel - maybe I'm finally getting old. The story wasn't bad, though I had to let go of some preconceived expectations. I was anticipating a combination of the television shows Dark Angel and Heroes with a hearty bit of teenage shannanigans. It didn't quite work out that way. I expect that the following books will be more enjoyable since the background has now been laid. Being American, some of the British slang threw me at times, but I think I got the gist of it. I think this would be a great book for pre/early teens.

Snippets

It's summer. It's summer and life is chaotic. So my reviews have suffered. Here are some brief thoughts about the books I've read recently:

The Sunflower House By Sharon Lovejoy. This book was a gift to me from a dear woman that has always been wonderful to me and my family. I'm ashamed to admit that this was the first time I'd really looked at the book since she gave it to us many many months ago. I love to garden. It's a passion of mine. Well, this book set fire to that passion. I find myself wishing I had acres and acres of land to work with to create magnificent gardens that my children and I could roam and dream in. If you have a place in your heart for gardening or children in your life, I highly recommend this book. It is full of wonderful things to dream about.

The Knights of the Black and White by Jack Whyte. I've owned this book for a while. It's home has been my enormous "to be read" shelf and I'm very pleased that I finally took it down. The time of the Crusades fascinates me. I love reading both fiction and non-fiction from all sides of the "conflict." The places depicted are always the hardest for me to come out of when I set the book down. Damascus, Jaffa, Acre. These places are as real to me as any I visit in the flesh. I hadn't realized at the time that this book was the first of a trilogy. I look forward to reading them. This book begins with Hugh de Payens and sidetracks eventually to focus on Stephen St. Clair. It took me a while to accept that Hugh was no longer the focal point, but once I did I thoroughly enjoyed the story. I was especially tickled that Hasan and the "Assassins" were mentioned. They are another of my strange fascinations.

Santa Olivia by Jacqueline Carey. Let me start with this: I love Jacqueline Carey's Kushiel's Legacy books. Love them. Immensely. So when I realized she had written a new and different novel, I pounced. Who knew I would be disappointed? The story has real potential. The plot isn't exactly new (though it mirrors recent events a little too closely for my comfort - it was creepy), but it was executed well. I couldn't get over the feeling of "this is a Young Adult book" though. Perhaps because the main characters were kids? Maybe I'm just getting too old. The story built up, got you interested, sucked you in, and then ended in a huge convenient rush. I'd still recommend it, but not as fervently as some of her other works.

Speaking of Jacqueline Carey, I just received a copy of Naamah's Kiss from the library. I've only read about half of one page, though. Also from the library, I have The Sign by Raymond Khoury to look forward to. And then, Ally from Simon & Schuster UK sent me a copy of The Medusa Project: The Set Up by Sophie McKenzie. My reading plate is full! And company is coming, which means I'm unlikely to get much reading done. Ah, well.

The Poison Garden by Sarah Singleton

I received this book from simon_saysuk.

Thomas's grandmother has died, leaving him a mysterious box. After her funeral, Thomas is introduced to a strange and magical garden. Four years later he becomes an apprentice for Mr. Constantine - a chemist. There he learns about the Guild of Medical Herbalists and their very special boxes. In the midst of this discovery the members of the Guild diminish as someone begins killing them off.

This was a very interesting book. The concept of the gardens reminded me of the Ephemera books by Anne Bishop. It was difficult for my mind to separate the two at times. I didn't find the continuity to be jumpy, as some reviewers did. I thought that with an exception or two, it flowed well and always kept my interest. For most of the book I had the wrong character pegged as the villain. I'm usually pretty good at picking them out, so it was nice to be surprised.

I thought this was a little dark for a young adult novel. The back proclaims "11+" but I'm not sure my almost twelve year old niece would be quite ready for it. There is a fair amount of doom-and-gloom, but it certainly would have appealed to me as a young adult.