Review: The Kingdom by Amanda Stevens

The Kingdom (The Graveyard Queen #2) by Amanda Stevens
Publisher: Mira
Released: 27th March 2012
Rating: 4/5

Goodreads description:

Deep in the shadowy foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains lies a dying town…

My name is Amelia Gray. They call me The Graveyard Queen. I've been commissioned to restore an old cemetery in Asher Falls, South Carolina, but I'm coming to think I have another purpose here.

Why is there a cemetery at the bottom of Bell Lake? Why am I drawn time and again to a hidden grave I've discovered in the woods? Something is eating away at the soul of this town—this withering kingdom—and it will only be restored if I can uncover the truth.

My thoughts:

The Restorer was one of my favourite books of last year, so naturally when I saw the sequel, The Kingdom, on Netgalley I practically fell over myself in my haste to request it.

The Kingdom sees our heroine Amelia heading off to a creepy, practically abandoned town for a mysterious restoration. Amelia is still shaken from the events of The Restorer, but she soldiers on bravely, and that's something I really admire about her. She's strong and independent and a hard worker and she's easy to like. 


One thing Amanda Stevens really excels at is atmospheric writing. You really feel exactly what she wants you to feel in these books, whether that's a prickly sense of foreboding, deep suspicion or heart-wrenching sympathy, you get a whole host of very genuine emotions. I pretty much felt suspicious, hesitant and even freaked out all the way through reading this which I think is a great achievement on the author's part. 


I liked the mystery element of this one, not as much as the previous book because it's less murder mystery-esque but still nicely complex and I was left guessing all the way through. I felt like I had all the strands of the story, I just couldn't bring them together to form a cohesive picture, until it was all revealed. which was really clever. 

The cast of characters were all really fleshed out and interesting...I liked all the backstories to them and to the town as well. I definitely found most of them fairly sinister which fitted the tone of the book perfectly. Thane Asher was an interesting character; but sadly he just didn't do it for me as much as John Devlin in The Restorer.

We find out a lot more about Amelia, her gift and her origins in this book which answered a lot of questions left over from The Restorer. Her backstory was both tragic and intriguing and I'm glad we got to hear it. There are still enough unanswered questions from both this book and the first to leave me hungry for more and needless to say I picked up The Prophet within hours of finishing this (and it was only that late because I had to work...)

Overall, I really enjoyed the feel and plot of this book and Amelia was as much of a loveable character as in the previous book. But it lacked a little something for me, hence the slightly lower rating.
  
My review of book one of the Graveyard Queen series--The Restorer  


This series is now going to be published in the UK! The Restorer was released in February and you can buy it here

Review: Surrender by Lee Nichols

Surrender (Haunting Emma #3) by Lee Nichols

Release date: 6th December 2011

Publisher: Bloomsbury

Rating: 3/5

Goodreads description:

After a devastating battle at headquarters in New York, the ghostkeeping world is in shambles. When Emma and Bennett return home, they are determined to defeat the wraithmaster, Neos, forever. But it's not going to be easy. Bennett's parents kick him out when they realize he is still using drugs to enhance his powers. Emma is convinced her aunt has come back from the dead to warn her of a new threat. And worst of all, Neos is using wraiths to possess the students at Thatcher Academy. If the ghosts manage to take over the entire school, even Emma won't be strong enough to stop them. But if either she or Bennett sacrifice his or her powers, they might be able to save the ghostkeeping world once and for all-and break the "ghostkeepers lose their powers when they fall in love" curse. The question is: who will be the one to surrender all power?

Fast-paced and romantic, this conclusion to the Haunting Emma trilogy will thrill readers as it brings the ghostly mystery to a close.

My thoughts:

I thoroughly enjoyed the first 2 instalments of the Haunting Emma trilogy and so had high hopes for the final book, Surrender. Unfortunately, I was left feeling underwhelmed and a little dissatisfied.

The characters that I loved so much seemed to be missing their spark slightly, Emma wasn't as easy to relate to, her friends were less funny than I remember and the friendly ghosts weren't as present as I would've liked.I can't help but feel the introduction of so many parents muted the appeal of the book slightly. It's weird, because in a lot of YA books the absence of adults is unrealistic, but with this book the presence of them felt the same way.

I also grew tired of Bennett and Emma's relationship. It was so creepy and unfounded. It was definitely my least favourite part of the book and I found myself hoping something awful might happen to one of them, just to stop it. There was a lot of personal drama in this book, from all sides, which detracted from the main plot.

The ending was pretty inevitable, it couldn't have ended any other way which definitely added to my disappointment. Despite my moanings though, I did still enjoy this, just not as much as I enjoyed the previous two books in the series which I think lead to me looking upon it so unfavourably.

This is definitely a series worth reading, you connect so easily to the characters who are a diverse and well rounded bunch. The principle is really intriguing and well explored. It's just slightly let down by the final novel.

To read my glowing reviews of  Deception and Betrayal, go here and here

Review: The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson

The Name of the Star (Shades of London #1) by Maureen Johnson
Published: 29th September 2011
Publisher: HarperCollins
Rating: 4/5


Goodreads description:


The day Louisiana teenager Rory Deveaux arrives in London marks a memorable occasion. For Rory, it's the start of a new life at a London boarding school. But for many, this will be remembered as the day a series of brutal murders broke out across the city, gruesome crimes mimicking the horrific Jack the Ripper events of more than a century ago.

Soon “Rippermania” takes hold of modern-day London, and the police are left with few leads and no witnesses. Except one. Rory spotted the man police believe to be the prime suspect. But she is the only one who saw him. Even her roommate, who was walking with her at the time, didn't notice the mysterious man. So why can only Rory see him? And more urgently, why has Rory become his next target? In this edge-of-your-seat thriller, full of suspense, humor, and romance, Rory will learn the truth about the secret ghost police of London and discover her own shocking abilities.


My thoughts:

I think it’s genuinely a bit scary how authentic Maureen  Johnson’s  teenage voice was in this book.  Rory sounded how I’d want my main character to sound if I ever wrote a book. She had an individual voice, a strong narrative, a hint of the babble bug. She was witty and sharp and I just adored her.

I felt the characterisation as a whole was really hit and miss. I loved Rory, like I mentioned, and her roommate Jazza. Jazza is a typical quiet girl, she’d rather drink tea and read than do anything daring, unless it’s pointed out to her that no one would expect her to do it, in which case, she’s there. I also LOVED Alastair. He’s my favourite character of this book, even though he plays a fairly minor role. His love of The Smiths helped for sure, but I enjoyed his sarky comments. The rest though, very miss. Charlotte was unfairly persecuted in my eyes, Jerome was a total bore, as were Stephen and Callum and Boo…well. She was just an East End stereotype.

The setting was also a stereotype. A poncy English Boarding School with all sorts of traditions and odd ways. I used to not mind boarding schools but I’m starting to think they’re the setting of choice for the lazy writer. However, despite that, I did manage to feel some of the genuine fear that came from the pupils being locked in an enclosed space whilst murders happened around them. One thing I will say for Johnson is that she managed to outline ways in which England (and Great Britain and the United Kingdom) differ from America without seeming too condescending. Well, I found it slightly condescending, but I’m English and naturally I understand those things weren’t written in for my benefit, but I appreciated the appeal they’d have for American readers.

The take on ghosts in this novel was a really unique one. I feel I say that every review, but it seems authors are going above and beyond to develop the mythology of supernatural creatures at the moment so they don’t get too repetitive.  I loved the way in which people came to see ghosts, I thought that was definitely clever. Another thing I loved was how a seemingly insignificant event came to be the whole crux of the story.

I felt some parts of this book dragged slightly, I found myself reading for the enjoyment of the writing, and to find out the end, rather than because I was invested in the characters.  I thought the ending was clever however, I love bittersweet victories and whilst it didn’t end on a cliffhanger, it did end on an intriguing note, and left plenty of room for plot development in the later books.

This story contained many elements I adore in a novel. Aspects of the South of the US, a UK setting, a murder mystery and a relatable MC.  The use of the Jack the Ripper case was very clever, and very clevery developed on. It’s obvious that a lot of work went into the research for this novel, and Johnson manage to relate the facts of the Ripper case without seeming like she was writing a textbook on the subject. I’d give this book a 4, because of the problems I had with it mentioned above,  I will definitely be reading the rest of the series!

I am going to give away my ARC of The Name of the Star! 

To enter, simply leave a meaningful comment about my review along with an email address so I can contact you if you win.

Giveaway is UK ONLY and open until the 17th October!

Review: Betrayal by Lee Nichols

Betrayal (Haunting Emma #2) by Lee Nichols
Published: 5th September 2011
Publisher: Bloomsbury


Goodreads description:


Emma Vaile is the most powerful ghostkeeper in centuries. Which is great for battling the wraith-master Neos and horrible for her social life. Emma knows fellow ghostkeeper Bennett Stern is her soul mate, but when ghostkeepers fall in love, the weaker one loses all power. And until Neos is defeated, Bennett and Emma can't risk it.

When the temptation of being with Emma gets to be too much, Bennett disappears, pursuing a dangerous path to increase his powers. Heartbroken and alone, Emma tries to lose herself in school. But when the Knell, a secret ghostkeeping society, sends two new ghostkeepers to Echo Point—one a snarky teen guy, the other a British scholar—Emma throws herself into training to battle Neos. But as the team grows stronger, so do the ghosts. And worse, one of their own will betray them. One Emma never suspected. . . .


My thoughts:


Another great installment in this series; I'm loving ghostkeepers so much right now. I definitely felt more attached to Emma in this book than in the last which was great. I felt myself warming to her character more and I found her less naive and a bit more mature. I loved the new characters we got to see, Lee Nichols is very clever at maintaining many characters with distinct personalties; I never mix her characters up. I can't help but wonder how Emma gets so attached to people so quickly; it seems a bit unnatural to me. But I wonder if it's down to the absence of her family, or that they bond due to shared circumstances. Eitherway, I hope it doesn't become a consistent theme because I'm not a huge fan. I thought it was good how Sara and Harry weren't forgotten about; we got to see their pain and their rage towards Emma and I felt that aspect of the story was dealt with very well. Emma has to deal with the consequences that the situation has caused, which was very realistic. 


The plot was definitely as action packed and well paced as the last. I felt the fight scenes packed a bit more of a punch than in the previous book which was a great improvement for me. I loved how this plot is developing, inching forward so you feel as though you're slowly but surely piecing all the parts together. What I didn't like as much were a few predictable elements. The betrayer for example, was fairly easy to work out, as was Emma's 'condition'. I also was not a fan of the turn Bennett took in this book, I found it really distasteful and to be honest I think the whole ghostkeeper relationship thing was added more to further this plot point rather than as a genuine aspect of their mythology.  A few aspects of the plot confused me slightly, I'm not sure if I read them wrongly or if they just weren't very clear, but altogether this was another enjoyable and gripping read, one that kept me up until the early hours because I was desperate for the end.


I can't wait for the third book to find out more about what happens to Emma and the other ghostkeepers, and this book gets a solid 4/5 from me. 

Review: Deception by Lee Nichols

Deception (Haunting Emma #1) by Lee Nichols
Published: September 5th 2011 (UK)
Publisher: Bloomsbury


Goodreads description:


When Emma Vaile’s parents go missing while away on a mysterious business trip, she’s left all alone in her creepy old house. But her brother’s very cute best friend, Bennett Stern—Emma’s knight in J. Crew armor—arrives unexpectedly to whisk her away to New England. There, Emma settles into his family’s museum-like mansion and enrolls at an old-fashioned private school. She quickly finds friends in the popular legacy crowd at Thatcher and spends her free time crushing on Bennett.

But the eerie visions she’s been hiding from everyone have gotten worse. Emma has memories of Thatcher that she can’t explain—it’s as if she’s returning home to a place she’s never been. Finally, Emma confides in Bennett and learns she is a ghostkeeper, a person who can communicate with ghosts. Bennett brought Emma to Thatcher to protect her, but now he needs her help tracking an other-worldly murderer


My tho
ughts:


I loved this book!! So much gets squashed into its pages, it's so well paced and imaginative. Lee Nichols is not scared to create action and heartbreak. I loved the concept of the Ghostkeepers, it was original and really cool. Some of the plot elements were really intense and stuff I wouldn't expect to happen so early on  did happen. This book definitely does not suffer from first book syndrome, and any set up that was there felt more realistic because you were learning alongside Emma. I felt the action scenes were a little anti-climatic and lacklustre, but the rest was excellent. 


The writing was fairly standard for a YA book, enjoyable and it definitely pulled me into the story, but nothing stood out either positively or negatively.


 Onto the characters; Emma was what is now a typical YA heroine. Doesn't think much of herself but all the boys are in love with her, nothing special and yet the most special etc...which annoyed me a little. I just felt such a great book deserved more than a cookie-cutter heroine. I also wasn't a fan of Bennett, he felt personality-less and much older than his actual age and not a great love interest at all. Such a shame that the main characters weren't up to par, however the supporting cast was truly amazing. The resident ghosts were spectacular; I especially liked the Rake and Nicholas but all of them had distinct voices and personalities and I loved the way they interacted with each other and with Emma. My absolute favourite character was Harry for sure, he was so eccentric and hilarious. 


The plot as I mentioned earlier was jampacked, I did not feel bored for one second. I adored the main plotline of Emma growing into her ghostkeeping powers, but also the side stories of what happened at school, and the love stories there. I loved the theme of how important family and friends are, how Emma needs a support system and actually does miss and need her family. 


I have to give this 4/5 because I just wasn't feeling Emma or Bennett much but this book is truly spectacular, one of the best ghost based YA's I've read.