Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder
Murder, mayhem and magic…
Locked in a coffin-like darkness, there is nothing to distract me from my memories of killing Reyad. He deserved to die—but according to the law, so do I. Here in Ixia, the punishment for murder is death. And now I wait for the hangman’s noose.
But the same law that condemns me may also save me. Ixia’s food taster—chosen to ensure that the Commander’s food is not poisoned—has died. And by law, the next prisoner who is scheduled to be executed—me—must be offered the position.
Yelena is an amazing main character. As she talked about her past, she showed me that she was willing to do whatever it took to save others and herself, a trait which I greatly admire. She has guts, for lack of a better word, and she’ll only take so much ill treatment before she takes action herself.
The characters that surround Yelena were awesome as well. I couldn’t get enough of Ari and Janco. Talk about perfect older brother material! In the beginning, I really liked Rand as well. A guy who can cook is total win! Valek was another intriguing character. I wasn’t quite sure what to think of him at first, but I warmed up to him after a bit. My attitude towards him mirrored Yelena’s almost exactly.
The plot in this book is always jumping. Poison Study is one of those books that I absolutely could not put down. It kept me riveted the entire time.
The ending! The ending of this book resolved enough to leave me satisfied, but it also had me rushing out to the bookstore at the very next available opportunity to get a copy of the next book in the series, Magic Study
Borrow Poison Study
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The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson
Bailey was the star. She dazzled everyone, but now she’s dead. Lennie, Bailey’s sister and best friend, suddenly finds herself smack in the middle of a drama that rivals even the most dramatic stories Bailey shared with her.
Two boys. One who makes Lennie forget of her grief, the other who seems to be the only one who understands.
I found myself rooting for Lennie again and again, even when she did some pretty stupid things. The poetry she wrote was absolutely fabulous and probably my favorite part of the novel. She’s so talented. A great poet and an incredibly gifted clarinetest, although she doesn’t see herself that way.
And Joe. Joe was so awesome. I love one of Lennie’s observations of him when she first meets him.
The guy looks unabashedly jack-o’-lantern happy which couldn’t be more foreign to the sullen demeanor most of us strove to perfect. (From an ARC. May differ from final version.)
To me, that’s very easy to picture in my mind. It’s like a moth to a light. You can’t help but be attracted.
Not to say that Toby and Lennie together wasn’t absolutely intriguing. While Joe and Lennie’s relationship makes Lennie seemingly forget about the grief that haunts her, allowing her to be happy, at least for a little while, Toby really does understand, and their relationship often comes across as darker and more seductive. Still, I definitely knew who I was rooting for!
The supporting cast of characters were great, as well. I think Uncle Big was my favorite character, after the three mentioned above. So odd and different. Sarah, “the most enthusiastic cynical person on the planet,” was a pretty great friend to Lennie, and I loved her.
The Sky Is Everywhere*
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2010 Debut Author Challenge
Here’s a challenge that I’ve seen quite a few of you join, and I thought it would be fun to jump in as well:
Hosted by The Story Siren, the purpose of this challenge is to read YA and MG books released in 2010 written by, you guessed it, debut authors!
Here’s a few books I’m planning on reading for the challenge:
Harmonic Feedback
I’ve been excited for this book since I first found out about it! In fact, it was my very first WoW post. It comes out on May 25th.
Change of Heart
I just recently came upon this novel while browsing goodreads, and it sounds like a great story! What would you do if you were not sure if you would get a heart you desperately needed to survive? It comes out in April.
Anna and the French Kiss
by Stephanie PerkinsYou should all go check out this author’s blog: Natural/Artificial. I think it’s great. Sandy introduced me to it. Here’s what the book’s about:
How am I supposed to wait until December? December??
Everlasting
Losing Faith by Denise Jaden
by Heidi R. Kling—
The Cinderella Society
Brightly Woven
The Snowball Effect
The Mark
Forget-Her-Nots
The Sky Is Everywhere
This challenge is going to be a lot of fun!
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