A Study in Charlotte by Brittany Cavallaro

When Jamie Watson is offered a rugby scholarship to Sherringford, he isn't all that jazzed. It's not even like he's that great of a rugby player, it's just a way for him to work out his anger and aggression on the field rather than the alternative. Plus, Sherringford is a whole continent away from his mother and sister, and it's just around the figurative corner from the father he barely speaks to. 

But Sherringford does have one highlight: Charlotte Holmes. As the descendants of the historic best friends and investigators, Jamie feels certain that he and Charlotte are supposed to be friends. But just as he imagines kindling that relationship, the two are thrown together by fate.

A fellow hall mate of Jamie's is murdered in his bed, the scene eerily reminiscent of one of the classic Holmes cases. Unfortunately, Jamie was last seen fighting the boy and Charlotte's final words to him were essentially a promise of murder. Now the two teens find themselves forced to work together in order to clear their names. And as their friendship does inevitably blossom, the killer seems more determined than ever to see the two framed for murder!

A Study in Charlotte is cute and, in my opinion as an ho hum fan of Doyle's work (meaning, I can't be relied on to do an in depth examination of how true Brittany Cavallero has been to the source material), I thought it was very much in the spirit of - and honoring - Doyle's creation.

As characters, I loved Jamie. He has anger issues, abandonment issues, and is more than a little obsessed with Charlotte. It runs in the family apparently - his own father has long followed in classic Watson behavior by studying and obsessing over the Holmeses as well.

On the flip side, something about Charlotte felt a little too forced for me. She's quirky, which I definitely appreciated, and harbors quite a bit of understandable animosity towards her family. Plus, we find out that she does indeed have very good reason to want the dead boy gone. Other aspects of her personality, though, didn't quite mesh for me. In particular where it pertains to how the relationship with Jamie builds.

There were times in the narrative where both characters lost it. Really lost it! With one another. And that happens with friends, certainly, but I think the story needed more fleshing out of their relationship. More scaffolding, so to speak, for a relationship that grows out of necessity and inevitability. And the disruptions felt unprompted (barring one case where we find out it actually is). It didn't feel as though the relationship between the characters was growing as organically as it should have for a smooth story.

Then there's the mystery itself. There were some leaps that went maybe a bit too far. And maybe, while still in that spirit of Doyle's work, would have benefitted from just a bit more couching in present reality. Not the actual whodunit part, but some of the dunits as the book progressed.

This last complaint, though, is almost moot. The killer is following Holmes cases. I did absolutely love the fact that the premise here is that Holmes and Watson were very real. Both Jamie and Charlotte grow up being force fed Watson's tales. There's family history, there's an acceptance that these kids - because of who they are - can and will do things other kids won't. It's a fabulous premise, to be honest.

So I'm a bit of two minds about A Study in Charlotte. I want to love these characters enough to follow their continued story (The Last of August is due out in February). And while I do like them and am curious enough to move onto book 2, I'm not entirely committed to them just yet.

Rating: 3.5/5

The Rains by Gregg Hurwitz

Chance and Patrick Rain are as close as brothers can be. Orphaned and now being raised by their aunt and uncle, the two teens are always side by side. Just as they are the night they notice something strange at a neighboring farm. Upon inspection, they find two kids locked up in their house while their own mother tries to attack them. Their father? Well he'd climbed a water tower and physically exploded, spreading what looks like spores through the air. 

Confused, the two boys (with the rescued siblings in tow) return home only to find their own guardians have suffered the same fate. It doesn't take long for them to realize it's the fate of all the adults in their small town - anyone over the age of eighteen, in fact. And as they take refuge amongst a small band of kids at the local high school, they desperately search for answers and a cure to the strange outbreak - before Patrick turns eighteen himself. 

Gregg Hurwitz makes his teen debut with The Rains, a fun and fast paced alien invasion tale.

So an asteroid has crash landed in Creek's Cause, the small town and farming community that Chance and Patrick call home. And it doesn't take long for them to draw the conclusion that what's happening to the adults is tied to said asteroid. There's some science-y talk and theorizing on the part of the one surviving adult, a doctor who's retired and become a high school teacher after multiple sclerosis prevents his continued practice. The theory is that the spores attack the brain's white matter, which is still forming in children, leaving them immune until they turn eighteen.

The literal minute they turn eighteen.

But that's not the only danger to the children. The changed adults have been witnessed attacking and snatching up children. To what purpose is something the  brothers will only later discover.

The story is told from Chance's perspective, laid out as a journal that he's written in an attempt to recount the strange occurrences in Creek's Cause. I liked Chance as a character. Through his eyes, the reader is given a clear understanding of the situation and a look at the beginning breakdown of the society of remaining kids. And he's fleshed out quite well, with lingering issues over his parents' deaths, a strong loyalty and bond to his brother, and a bravery that comes in handy as their situation worsens.

There was a bit of a cheesy element to the story, though. The fact that the kids turn right at the time of their eighteenth birthday doesn't necessarily gel with the theory that the spores attack white matter considering human development doesn't really work that way - and this is somewhat addressed as a curiosity, but not to the extent that any explanation is found (which makes sense all things considered). This is, however, one of the the first of many bombshell moments (again something that's literally addressed by one of the character's comments), which start to feel just a little too... convenient, excessive, trite. Maybe just too.

Basically, The Rains is a fun read if you don't think too hard. If you don't poke some of the plot holes. And especially if you don't mind that it's THE FIRST IN A MULTI-BOOK STORY!

I wasn't expecting that last one. I did come to the realization that there was not going to be a satisfying conclusion when, with about 20 pages left to the book, things weren't really wrapping up in a way that made sense for that few remaining pages. And of course because there is no conclusion and we have to wait for a second installment, there was yet another bombshell in the end as well. Two, actually.

I'm not quite sure how I feel about the end. Again, this was a fun and fast paced read. I love the alien invasion aspect and especially the kids left to fend for themselves (which will make great tension for a second book if we are to continue in Creek's Cause in particular). And there was a bit of a hint towards one of those last revelations as well, which I am anxious to see an explanation to. But the way it was executed felt thrown in at the last minute. Like someone decided it should in fact be a series rather than a standalone and what can we do to stretch it out.

Rating: 3/5

Dreamology by Lucy Keating

Alice's dreams are full of wonders - and Max. Max is perfect and he's by her side in every adventure. But Max isn't real. 

Or is he. 

Alice and her father have just moved to Boston. Alice is the new girl, lonely already thanks to having to leave her best friend behind. A friend who advises her that it's time to give up the fantasy of Max and meet someone in the real world. But lo and behold, who does Alice meet on her very first day at school: Max. Real Max. And real Max IS dream Max. But the more time Alice and Max spend together outside of their dreams, the more their dreams seem to be seeping into the real world. 

Ah, Lucy Keating's debut is so freaking charming!

I dream. I dream vividly. Which I guess is something of a trade for the fact that I don't actually get much in the way of rest when I sleep thanks to hereditary insomnia. So yeah, there was part of the appeal in this one: dreams, dream boy, new girl in school, and overall a debut that sounded uber cute. Which it definitely was.

Passages of Alice's dream journal are peppered throughout the book, pretty perfectly depicting the wacky world of sleep. And her relationship with dream Max is incredibly sweet.

Of course, neither Alice or Max ever believed the other existed outside of their dreams. Which proves to be a bit problematic. And at first, Max doesn't even admit to knowing Alice at all. So poor Alice is faced with the one thing she's wanted and yearned for for so very long and the very possibility that it's all only in her head!

You can probably imagine Alice's emotional state as the story begins. Plus, there are issues with her mom. ISSUES.

Both Alice and Max are developed pretty well. They both have a lot of emotional baggage, which Keating subtly works into their behaviors and characteristics. Some of the side characters could have used a bit more attention, but seeing as how it wasn't their story it really isn't a complaint - simply a wish that I could have spent a bit more time with Dreamology before it ended.

Dreamology is a contemporary tale with a whimsical edge. Like I said, charming and oh so cute. As usual, I want to avoid spoiling anything for you. But yes, Alice and Max do find out why they're dreaming about each other and how it all began. Whether they get their happily ever after in their dreams or the real world is part of the story.

Shallow Graves by Kali Wallace

Breezy doesn't remember dying. She doesn't remember being buried either. But she knows she was under ground for a year when the first man she killed dug her up. Since then she's made her way haphazardly across the country, hitchhiking when she can and skateboarding when she can't. And it's ok, because Breezy can see the shadows that haunt killers. Oh, and she apparently can't die. Because Breezy is no longer completely human.

Kali Wallace's debut is fun, y'all! And dark.

The world of Shallow Graves is packed with monsters, human and otherwise. And it's the former who are the big problem. The latter live their lives quietly among us, passing as much as they can for "normal." Witches, ghouls, you name it... well, maybe not unicorns.

And then there's Breezy. Breezy is something else. Something no one can quite explain. And while she can't die, doesn't need to eat, and doesn't even need to breathe, Breezy does need answers.

The story is set roughly two weeks after Breezy wakes. As mentioned above, she knows she's been dead for a year but she has no memory of what happened. Nor does she know why she was dug up, why all the birds died that day, or how the man she killed even knew where to find her.

She knows she can't stay in her hometown. So she travels, aimlessly. And while hitchhiking might present problems for a normal person, Breezy is doubly safe. Not only can she not die by any obvious means (she's tried), but she has the ability to see the human monsters around her. The killers who drive and walk the streets she's traveling.

But Breezy isn't actually as safe as she believes. Apparently in her reality there are people who want to rid the world of its monsters and monsters who would help them in their efforts.

Reading along as Breezy tries to find out what she is and what her purpose might be is fabulous. I loved her as a character - she felt authentic and substantial. The kind of character who comes to life on the page in such a way that you think you could almost recognize them if you were to cross paths with them in the real world.

And there was an added layer to that authenticity for me thanks to the setting. Pieces of the story are set in Boulder, Colorado, and I found myself oddly trying to place the vaguely mentioned people and locations as I was reading. It was almost as though I could run into Breezy and Zeke and Jake strolling down Pearl Street one day and I needed to be prepared!

I know that's an element that most people won't have in their reading. It happens, though, that books are set in real places and readers can recognize those places. It happens seemingly less often for me than you might think - my hometown and college town are both small enough that they lose out to larger Louisiana cities for the most part when settings there are chosen. Here in Colorado it's less odd but still fun when it happens!

Anywho, I quite enjoyed Shallow Graves, if you couldn't tell. It's a great debut and a satisfyingly dark and quirky read!

Rating: 4/5

(Big thanks to Jennifer at Book Den for making me push this one up my reading list!)

The May Queen Murders by Sarah Jude

The history of Rowan's Glen is not a pretty one. Legend has it a murderer stalks its woods, screaming out in the night. Pets have begun to disappear and mutilated remains have been discovered in the fields. Some folks are starting to worry that the long unseen Birch Markle has returned. 

Ivy wasn't even born when Birch Markle began his reign of terror. But she's heard all the stories and knows about the death of the Glen's May Queen, their last - until now. And even with the tremor of fear currently running through their community, some believe it's time to bring the tradition back. 

There were a lot of things to love about Sarah Jude's debut. The atmosphere, the pacing, the superstition and folklore base...

Ivy and her cousin are part of a small community that lives outside of town. They attend school with the regular kids, but otherwise don't socialize outside of Rowan's Glen. And Ivy is fine with that. She's happy in the Glen. Her cousin, Heather, wants more. And though they share everything, Ivy soon discovers that Heather is keeping secrets after all.

The book begins with a missing animal. Another in a long string of missing animals considering they've been disappearing for some time. Which of course brings to mind the stories of Birch Markle - the Glen's most infamous resident. Ivy's grandmother shared the tales with both Ivy and Heather as they were growing up. But their grandmother doesn't talk these days.

All of these little details (ok, some not so little) give readers a fabulous understanding of Ivy, her home life, and the community she's part of. They also set the tone for an ominous read. It reminded me in part of The Village, obviously. But the superstitions - both Ivy's mother's and her grandmother's - added a great layer of intrigue to the tale.

It was the end where I felt The May Queen Murders faltered a bit. There's some misdirection that, unfortunately, feels a bit like an afterthought. Honestly, up until that stage I was all on board but I did kind of wish that the book had ended without that little extra bit thrown in.

All things considered, I quite enjoyed The May Queen Murders. It's an overall satisfying and chilling read and Sarah Jude is definitely one I'll be looking forward to reading more from.

Rating: 3.5/5

The Possibility of Somewhere by Julia Day

Eden has long fought against what she sees as a possible and maybe inevitable fate. Determined not to take the same path as either her biological mother or her father, she avoids most social niceties and focuses instead on her academics. A full scholarship is her best hope for a good college, and the Peyton Scholarship in particular seems to be the answer. With valedictorian all but in the bag, it seems she's on the right path for a ticket straight out of her hometown. 

But Eden has a few obstacles in her way. The first is Ash Gupta, her primary rival in everything academics. The second is her father. And when Eden and Ash are forced to work together time after time, it seems their rivalry could be in danger of becoming attraction. 

The Possibility of Somewhere is a sweet and charming read. Eden, a somewhat foul-mouthed teen who closes herself off from everyone around her, immediately draws the reader in and rallies you to her side. Her home life isn't great, but it also isn't tragic, and she has the means and determination to do whatever it takes to ensure her future.

But that determination has a down side: Eden has no friends. She doesn't allow anyone to get close, especially when the few times she's made exceptions have backfired. But Eden's armor proves to be no protection against the new girl in school.

Mundy, a transfer from California who turns out to be the daughter of one of Eden's teachers, forces her way in and proves to be just the first big change of Eden's senior year. And Mundy proves to be exactly what Eden needs in her life - someone who will bring her out of her shell, offer her a shoulder to cry on, and will stand in Eden's corner no matter what. Though it turns out Mundy isn't the only one in Eden's corner by a long shot.

I loved The Possibility of Somewhere. It was an overall light read (which it turns out I needed) but it also tugged at my heartstrings more than just a little bit. I loved that, as mentioned above, the story wasn't oh, so tragic. I loved that Eden had obstacles in her way but wasn't broken by them. And I loved that in the end, with a few exceptions, Eden had a strong support system behind her - and she comes to realize it, too.

Like I said, sweet and charming!

Rating: 4/5

(The Possibility of Somewhere is due out September 6.)

The Only Thing Worse Than Me is You by Lily Anderson

It's senior year and that means that the war that's been raging between Trixie Watson and Ben West since first grade - when he broke her arm on the monkey bars - has reached its peak. With just one year left, Trixie has made it her goal to come out the ultimate winner in the fray by vowing to edge Ben out of his third place spot in their class ranking for good. But when a string of cheating accusations begins making the rounds, eventually targeting one of Trixie's best friends, she finds that her efforts are inevitably affected. Rather than focusing on Ben, Trixie is determined to clear her friend's name. And it turns out her worst enemy may be her best ally in this fight!

Oooh, Lily Anderson's debut is CYUTE!!! All caps worthy for sure!

Let's start with the fact that Trixie and her super genius friends are nerd girls to the max, with impeccable nerd taste. I mean, I knew this just reading the official synopsis - Trixie is a Doctor Who fan and all Whovians know a fellow Whovian is by default awesome!

Trixie is witty and can spin an insult at the drop of a hat, a super power she uses most often against Ben West, her nemesis supreme, and it makes for some hilarious reading. Don't worry, he does fight back. But then a funny thing happens: one of Trixie's friends begins dating one of Ben's friends, bringing the two groups together for way more socializing than previous years. Shared space in the form of the cafeteria lunch table means Trixie and Ben are forced into an awkward truce for the sake of their friends. And of course when their friends become caught up in the growing plagiarization scandal, they find common ground.

All of the teens are uber intelligent. The school they attend is one specifically catered to gifted teens, offering classes like "the physics of Star Trek and the chemistry of emotions" (Sounds a bit like my own college special topics dream school! Special topics being the cool but limited classes my own university offered on things like SFF lit and History of Film.) But the school is incredibly focused on academic standing and rank. So much so that when the cheating scandal breaks, no adult or student really questions the whole thing, immediately blaming the high stress and requirements of the school as the obvious reason any one of their students would break and turn to cheating. Except Trixie. Trixie knows that her best friend isn't the one behind the whole thing and stands by her no matter what, making her a pretty fabulous friend indeed. One who, although she's not a troublemaker or problem child in any way, is willing to test those boundaries if necessary.

The Only Thing Worse Than Me Is You is delightfully fun and charming. A teen contemporary that'll give you the warm and fuzzies even if you've fallen victim to the Cybermen! In fact, it's a book the Doctor could probably use to combat the Cybermen considering their goal is to wipe out all emotion. I'd place money on the fact that Anderson's tale could replace a "Delete!" with a chuckle or giggle for sure! (If you're a Dalek, there's probably no hope for you.)

Rating: 4/5

The Star-Touched Queen by Roshani Chokshi

Hi, everyone! Today I'm pleased as punch to be taking part in the blog tour for Roshani Chokshi's hotly anticipated teen debut, The Star-Touched Queen.

Since her birth, Maya's fate has been maligned by the stars. Her other siblings and the other mothers in her father's harem snubbed her or outright cursed her, telling her they would all be better if she died because of what they say was written in her horoscope. And Maya hates the stars because of it. 

Convinced she will never marry, and happy for it, Maya is surprised to find that her father has decided to use her as a bargaining chip to prevent war. But on the day of her she is to choose her husband, nothing goes according to plan and Maya finds herself wed to a man from a kingdom she's never heard of. He says he wants her to be queen, he wants her for her ideas and her mind, he wants her for her power. But secrets shroud their marriage and the new land she calls home. And as whispers and cries reach out to her from behind locked doors, Maya begins to understand the fate the stars have written for her. 

This book. THIS BOOK! Y'all everyone is raving about this book, so much so that I was actually worried when I started reading - worried that maybe it had been overhyped and that I wouldn't love it as much as everyone else.

That simply was not the case!

The Star-Touched Queen is steeped in Indian folklore and blended with the Hades/Persephone myth. (I was hesitant to include that particular tidbit in my review because I'd gone into the book without reading any real specifics about the plot at all and found myself both pleased and surprised by that element. But it's pretty much all over the internet including the original deal listing for the book so I figured I'd tell you.) I love folklore and will probably never tire of folk/mythology/fairy tale retellings. But coming across one that's unique and includes lore I'm fairly unfamiliar with is refreshing, to say the least.

But that's only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to what makes this book so fabulous! In addition to the lore that makes up the bones of the story, Chokshi has built a world that is lush and vibrant and absolutely filled with gorgeous and creepy imagery! It's a world that I wanted to eat, sleep, and breathe well after finishing the book.

Having said all of that (I know, I'm raving - it can't be helped), even the most beautifully built world and wonderfully built narrative are nothing without characters that are equal to their setting. Lest you think that Chokshi may have faltered here, let me set you straight. Maya does live up to the standard. She's stubborn and clever, a rule breaker even from the start. She defies her tutors, turns a mostly deaf ear to the overly loud insults in the harem, and sneaks into places women aren't even supposed to be in order to glean information and learn leadership from her father, the Raja. It all comes in handy as she begins her journey, too. And as her character and will are tested time and time again as the story plays out, her strength never falters.

The Star-Touched Queen is an absolutely phenomenal read, the first of what I hope will be many phenomenal reads from Chokshi!

Rating: 5/5

The Mystery of Hollow Places by Rebecca Podos

For as long as she can remember, it's been just Imogene and her father. Sure their small family extended just a few years ago when Immy's stepmother entered the picture, but that didn't take away from the bond she's shared with her dad for so many years.

See, Immy's mother left when she was just two, abandoning her family and disappearing without a trace. But that was ok because Immy and her dad had each other. But now, Immy's dad has gone missing too. Immy thinks she's knows where he's gone, though, and is determined to follow the clues until she finds him - just like the character in the books her dad writes.

I'm still not quite sure how I feel about Rebecca Podos's debut. It's undeniably well written and Immy is a character I genuinely felt for. Her story, though, is heartbreaking bordering on tragic.

Her dad is bipolar and it's quickly discovered that he's gone off his meds and up and left. Yep. He left his teenage daughter who has already been abandoned by her mother. He does leave her in the hands of her stepmother, who's actually the most responsible adult in Immy's immediate circle - so there is that. But still...

Immy decides that her dad must have gone in search of her missing mother and that he must want her to find them. He left her clues - the geode that plays a big role in family lore and the series of mystery novels he's been penning most of Immy's life. And with the help of her steadfast best friend, Immy sets off on her investigation.

What Immy discovers about her own mother is not pleasant. Honestly, if the teen was a real person she'd be way more screwed up than Podos has actually written her. I know plenty of people can come out of situations like this as healthy adults but I've also witnessed enough mess along these lines that I know it's beyond difficult for anybody come out the other side without serious scars.

And I guess that's my real issue with why I can't decide whether I liked this book or not. As a mystery it's great. Immy is wonderful, her best friend is pretty awesome (something Immy does acknowledge herself), and even her stepmother, while still not exhibiting the best judgement for a family therapist, is an admirable character in Immy's life. The family drama, though, is a little to painful to make this a book I'd really enjoy.

Rating: 3/5