To Catch a Killer by Sheryl Scarborough // A Large Disappointment

To Catch a Killer (Erin Blake #1), by Sheryl Scarborough
Publication: February 7, 2017, by Tor Teen
Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Mystery, Contemporary
Pages: 320
Format: Hardcover
Source: Publisher
Rating: 

Erin Blake has one of those names. A name that, like Natalee Holloway or Elizabeth Smart, is inextricably linked to a grisly crime. As a toddler, Erin survived for three days alongside the corpse of her murdered mother, and the case—which remains unsolved—fascinated a nation. Her father's identity unknown, Erin was taken in by her mother's best friend and has become a relatively normal teen in spite of the looming questions about her past.
Fourteen years later, Erin is once again at the center of a brutal homicide when she finds the body of her biology teacher. When questioned by the police, Erin tells almost the whole truth, but never voices her suspicions that her mother's killer has struck again in order to protect the casework she's secretly doing on her own.
Inspired by her uncle, an FBI agent, Erin has ramped up her forensic hobby into a full-blown cold-case investigation. This new murder makes her certain she's close to the truth, but when all the evidence starts to point the authorities straight to Erin, she turns to her longtime crush (and fellow suspect) Journey Michaels to help her crack the case before it's too late.

My Thoughts:

DNF @ 100 pages

UGH. I really wanted to like this one — there has been a lot of raving involved with this book (and the entire series) so I expected that I would like this one. However, with the mix of (A) weird names (B) a weird mystery and (C) an unlikeable protagonist, I quickly came to realize that this book wasn't for me. It was just so boring, and unrealistic. I have only read a few books where I felt that the main character was so unlikeable, and this was the case with Erin. I felt that everything about her was too good to be true, including her forensics knowledge and the fact that her teachers and adults around her liked her so much. 

To Catch a Killer bored the heck out of me, and by the hundredth page, I realized that I didn't care about solving the mystery. I was struggling to get through the book, let alone care about the ending.

This was a huge disappointment; I really wanted more, and I didn't get that. I really tried to enjoy it, as I usually love YA mysteries, but this seemed to be a rip-off of a Nancy Drew book. I'm over those kinds of know-it-all main characters.

*A review copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for a honest review. Thank you so much!*

Blog Tour: Vassa in the Night by Sarah Porter // A Fantasy Novel That Many YA Readers Will Adore

Vassa in the Night, by Sarah Porter
Publication: September 20, 2016, by Tor Teen
Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Fantasy, Romance
Pages: 304
Format: ARC
Source: Publisher
Rating: 

In the enchanted kingdom of Brooklyn, the fashionable people put on cute shoes, go to parties in warehouses, drink on rooftops at sunset, and tell themselves they’ve arrived. A whole lot of Brooklyn is like that now—but not Vassa’s working-class neighborhood.
In Vassa’s neighborhood, where she lives with her stepmother and bickering stepsisters, one might stumble onto magic, but stumbling out again could become an issue. Babs Yagg, the owner of the local convenience store, has a policy of beheading shoplifters—and sometimes innocent shoppers as well. So when Vassa’s stepsister sends her out for light bulbs in the middle of night, she knows it could easily become a suicide mission.
But Vassa has a bit of luck hidden in her pocket, a gift from her dead mother. Erg is a tough-talking wooden doll with sticky fingers, a bottomless stomach, and a ferocious cunning. With Erg’s help, Vassa just might be able to break the witch’s curse and free her Brooklyn neighborhood. But Babs won’t be playing fair. . . .
Inspired by the Russian folktale Vassilissa the Beautiful and Sarah Porter’s years of experience teaching creative writing to New York City students.

My Thoughts:

Sarah Porter’s Vassa in the Night is one of the books that many of us book bloggers, especially us YA ones, would adore. It’s unique, carries a plot in a setting rarely explored—a city that we all love and find enchanting beyond its billboards, New York City. In fact, Porter explores the city of Brooklyn, a city that still holds the glitz and glamour beyond Times Square. I ached to purchase this one—I ached to buy it and fall in love with it after BookExpo America this year. I was one of the unfortunate ones who wasn't able to grab a copy, but I was so happy to have been offered a spot on this blog tour. Vassa in the Night originally seemed that it would stun us readers so incredibly that it would pop up on many Top 10 lists this December. I was a little bummed, expecting a five star read, though, nevertheless, I would definitely recommend it.

We immediately are thrown into this day-and-night imagery cycle, really reminding me of something that Shakespeare would write about. Sarah Porter uses Night as the most enchanting part of the day in the world we’re reading about. The characters, especially Vassa, seem so much more intriguing when they are described side by side in accordance with Night. We never hear much about “Day,” which could be some kind of religious reference or allusion, but we usually read about Night. Everything, everything that was written about in the story has meaning to it. No matter if you look at this book as a page, or as a chapter, everything had extreme imagery and meaning. Thank you, Sarah Porter, for that. 

One of the issues I had with this all was the pacing and concept. Fantasy is a hit or miss for me, as I constantly mention, and I do have to say that this was more of a miss from my perspective. Something that bothered me was the fact that I got constantly bored with the story. I didn’t get some of the plot points and all of that. I did get extremely emotionally attached to the characters, if I do say so myself.

ERG. VASSA. EVERYONE. Can I just cry right now? (I feel like I need them in my life and I do not want to spoil anything about them because they’re mine. Okay? *giggles*) Is there romance? Heck, yes. THE SHIPS ARE REAL. 

I just adored reading the story and it was so enjoyable. I don't know if I would a hundred percent want to go ahead and read a sequel, but I must say that Porter is a talented author who keeps on impressing readers again and again. I have read the first book of her Lost Voices trilogy, which hadn't gone well for me, but many have adored it so… *twiddles eyebrows* This definitely can go perfectly well for many people. I was somewhere in the middle.

*A review copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for a honest review. Thank you so much!*

EXCERPT TIME!

  I pick her up between my thumb and forefinger and wrap her in a hand towel. She’s a pretty thing with her swooping violet eyelids and tiny ruby mouth, her thin arched black brows and perfect curls. She has a carved wooden dress, sky blue with white painted loops standing in for lace at the collar and cuffs. Her exposed skin is just varnished pale wood, then her legs end in white socks with more of that curly trim and black Mary Janes, all painted. Her knees, elbows, and waist are jointed and she can pivot her head. Nice workmanship. Too bad they didn’t spend more time on her personality.In spite of myself, I kiss the top of her shiny head. She tries to bite my lip, but I yank her back in time and her little wooden jaws snap on empty air. 

  When I said that magical things in Brooklyn should be shunned like the plague? I’m sorry to say that’s not always an option. I was leaving Erg out of the equation although, with her being a talking doll and everything, she’d be magic by anyone’s standards. I don’t have much chance of avoiding her, since we’re bound to each other for life. And no, I didn’t name her that. It’s what she calls herself. When I was younger I tried to get her to accept names like Jasmine or Clarissa but she wasn’t having it. 

  I plonk Erg down on my lap and get out the bottle of lemon oil from under the sink. It’s her favorite and I always try to keep some around. Dab the oil on some toilet paper and give her a nice rubdown, working it up and down her limbs while she makes little purring sounds. Getting oiled makes her sleepy and she rolls on my black flannel pajamas and rubs her face against me like a kitten. She can be cute sometimes. She’d better be cute, really, considering all the trouble she causes.

What is your newest favourite fantasy read? What are some good books featured in NYC?

Truthwitch by Susan Dennard // Mishaps and Positives

Truthwitch (The Witchlands #1), by Susan Dennard
Publication: January 5, 2016, by Tor Teen
Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Fantasy
Pages: 416
Format: Finished Copy
Source: Publisher
Rating: 

On a continent ruled by three empires, some are born with a “witchery”, a magical skill that sets them apart from others.
In the Witchlands, there are almost as many types of magic as there are ways to get in trouble—as two desperate young women know all too well.
Safiya is a Truthwitch, able to discern truth from lie. It’s a powerful magic that many would kill to have on their side, especially amongst the nobility to which Safi was born. So Safi must keep her gift hidden, lest she be used as a pawn in the struggle between empires.
Iseult, a Threadwitch, can see the invisible ties that bind and entangle the lives around her—but she cannot see the bonds that touch her own heart. Her unlikely friendship with Safi has taken her from life as an outcast into one of reckless adventure, where she is a cool, wary balance to Safi’s hotheaded impulsiveness.
Safi and Iseult just want to be free to live their own lives, but war is coming to the Witchlands. With the help of the cunning Prince Merik (a Windwitch and ship’s captain) and the hindrance of a Bloodwitch bent on revenge, the friends must fight emperors, princes, and mercenaries alike, who will stop at nothing to get their hands on a Truthwitch.

My Thoughts:

Truthwitch compares to a boyband, teenage heartthrob. In a legit way. The fans went crazy, the press went crazy, reviewers knew that they wanted to review the book and snatch a peek at it before everyone else did. To be honest, I was extremely impressed with the outcome of this popular 2016 novel, written by an exceptional author, Susan Dennard, who never fails to impress. It's thrilling, like a ride on the horseback where there are bumps in the way, though you can never stop reading/holding on since it is so beautiful throughout. Books like are spectacularly difficult to review because you feel like there are an equal amount of flaws and positives. 

Truthwitch is a wild ride, as I say for the third time probably. It is and at the same time is not your typical high fantasy novel. There are aspects that specifically relate to just Susan's writing and that you could only find if you dig into her thoughts. (That does not mean to sound as real as it actually does.) It is about different kinds of witches, and basically about how they are discriminated in this fictional world. Our main character is kick-butt Safi, who knows how to deal with hardships about equality and hiding her powers about being a Truthwitch. There's a hot prince and a nice world set that makes readers dream about what it is like to live in a mystical, fantasy world.

I imagine turning to a magical world if I ever have a tough time. I'm a dreamer, what can I say? Truthwitch is a world I would adore to live in. You know how some Top Ten Tuesday posts ask you to list ten books that have worlds that you would want to live in? I would choose Truthwitch. Just as Susan Dennard's past series, Something Strange and Deadly, I feel like Safi is talking to me, that all of this fantasy is perfectly real, and that basically had me even more captivated. 

"When her witchery had manifested at nine years old, Iseult's heart had felt like it would pound itself to dust. She was crumbling beneath the weight of a million Threads, none of which were her own. Everywhere she looked, she saw the Threads that build, the Threads that bind, and the Threads that break. Yet she could never see her own Threads or how she wove into the world." (23)

So for a quick round-up, let us talk about what was great and what was not... in a nutshell.

The Flaws of This Good Tale:

-I was constantly bored. This is a chunky novel, with a hardcover filled with 416 pages of glory. I was bored and my attention span continued to be going up and down like a line graph went... wrong/right? It was not exactly as I aspired this story to become, but at the same time, it was beautifully written. No doubt about that. My experience with boredom took out much of the 2 stars that were deducted from the five star rating.

-The romance? Was it trying to become one? Yeah, there's a hot prince. Safi is involved with some kind of fling, but I do not feel like making ships with the characters and predicting what's happening next, because I probably would not bear to read the sequel of this lovely series. You see how I'm playing with words? It's pretty complicated.

The Positives of This Good Tale:

-Safi. She is your dream heroine, definitely comparing to Sarah J. Maas' Celaena. She was a witch (which makes things extra cool) and makes the story feel extra real. It is truly rare to find a character who makes the words flow into her mouth and out so wonderfully. I adore this precious lady.

-The diction. Susan Dennard's writing is lyrical, medieval, and perfect for any setting she writes about. I loved the way the words came into my mouth, even if the action was not all there. I found that I could easily pay attention to the writing than the actual storyline and events.

Truthwitch is a fantasy lover's best friend. If one made a checklist that includes all of the factors that clump together to create a great mythological tale, this would be one of the best. Of course, it did not turn that way for me because fantasy usually is a give or take, hit or miss for me. Susan Dennard demonstrated beautiful writing, and all of the above, as you can see if you got here. Overall? Recommended, since Dennard has always pleased.

*A finished copy was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review. Thank you so much!*

What is your newest fantasy favourite? Have you/will you read this book?