Little White Lies by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Personally, I've never had much interest in debutantes. That high society stuff is a far cry from my own world experience. I can't deny that the ins and outs of this plot are compelling, though. Barnes has woven a complex plot of family secrets and the dark underbelly of polite society. We see a group of young ladies working a plot at multiple levels to reveal a series of dangerous secrets, all while presenting a front of refinement and class.
How We Became Wicked by Alexander Yates
Plague stories are usually a pretty exciting proposition. In this case, we have people transformed into a near childlike state of wonder and excitement but with a violent tendency. They are off hand about murder. They want to kill and are fairly open about that desire. No mindless zombies here. It makes their presence unsettling to be certain but not overly frightening. Yates does some interesting things with perspectives and timelines, revealing truths about the world in which his protagonists live in a metered way. Not especially pulse-pounding but an interesting read.
Hi friends! I find myself with a mostly free weekend, so I decided last minute to participate in the 24 in 48 Summer Readathon. This is a fun, low pressure readathon and a great way to check some titles off my TBR list. Check in with me over the next 24 (ish) hours and see how I'm faring.
I wasn't interested in Pokemon during it's original surge of popularity. Then, as it continued, I didn't really understand it. Recently, I gave in and watched the show and bought my first pack of cards. It's safe to say I'm completely hooked now, a level of interest that's started to be reflected in my craft projects. Like this little pompom Pikachu and pokeball I made over the weekend.
Title: The Oddmire: Changeling
Author: William Ritter
Genre: fantasy
Similar books: The Unicorn Quest by Kamilla Benko
Beyond the Deepwoods by Paul Stewart
Rating:
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| a great new series |
Summary (provided by publisher): Magic is fading from the Wild Wood. To renew it, goblins must perform an ancient ritual involving the rarest of their kind—a newborn changeling. But when the night arrives to trade a human baby for a goblin one, something goes terribly wrong. After laying the changeling in a human infant’s crib, the goblin Kull is briefly distracted. By the time he turns back, the changeling has already perfectly mimicked the human child. Too perfectly: Kull cannot tell them apart, so he leaves both babies behind.
Tinn and Cole are raised as human twins, neither knowing what secrets may be buried deep inside one of them. When they are thirteen years old, a mysterious message arrives, calling the brothers to be heroes and protectors of magic. The boys must leave their sleepy town and risk their lives in the Wild Wood, journeying through the Deep Dark to reach the goblin horde and uncover who they truly are.
My opinion: To my mind, changelings are a vastly under-explored mythological creature so I'm thrilled to read any book that examines the life of a changeling. Especially when the resulting book is as charming as this one. Ritter shows us several perspectives and motivations: the changeling, the human raised alongside him, the mother that raised them, and the goblin that attempted the swap. We see a world that is in flux, magic perilously hanging on and a darkness that threatens everything. And each character has a motivation. Sometimes these motivations intertwine, sometimes they are at odds with one another. And perspectives that are at odds one chapter may align the next. That sounds messy and confusing but the flow is nearly seamless.The ideas are complex but accessible even for a young middle grade audience. I look forward to seeing the directions Ritter will take this series.
More information: Changleling releases July 16.
Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley.
Nightlights by Lorena Alvarez
The plot of this book is a simple one: Sandy's art is influenced by a parasitic being, sewing self doubt so she comes to rely on its validation in order to continue creating. the arc is a simple one and the characters have little depth. That doesn't particularly matter. The enjoyment of this book is not about the plot. It's all about the art. Each illustration is incredibly detailed, with a great sense of motion and magic. It's complex and you can spend hours just admiring it.
Ever since I started experimenting with refashioning t-shirts, I've wanted to make a toddler dress. Since my niece is a teenager, though, I've never had anyone to make a dress for. Luckily for me, my cousin's little girl just had her first birthday. The perfect excuse for me to make this little adjustable length dress with matching headband.
