Book Review: The Little Women Letters by Gabrielle Donnelly

Pages: 368

Genre: Adult Fiction

Pub. Date: June 7, 2011

Source: Received from publisher for review

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Goodreads says, "With her older sister, Emma, planning a wedding and her younger sister, Sophie, preparing to launch a career on the London stage, Lulu can’t help but feel like the failure of the Atwater family. Lulu loves her sisters dearly and wants nothing but the best for them, but she finds herself stuck in a rut, working dead-end jobs with no romantic prospects in sight. When her mother asks her to find a cache of old family recipes in the attic of her childhood home, Lulu stumbles across a collection of letters written by her great-great-grandmother Josephine March. In her letters, Jo writes in detail about every aspect of her life: her older sister, Meg’s, new home and family; her younger sister Amy’s many admirers; Beth’s illness and the family’s shared grief over losing her too soon; and the butterflies she feels when she meets a handsome young German. As Lulu delves deeper into the lives and secrets of the March sisters, she finds solace and guidance, but can the words of her great-great-grandmother help Lulu find a place for herself in a world so different from the one Jo knew? Vibrant, fresh, and intelligent, The Little Women Letters explores the imagined lives of Jo March’s descendants—three sisters who are both thoroughly modern and thoroughly March. As uplifting and essential as Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women, Gabrielle Donnelly’s novel will speak to anyone who’s ever fought with a sister, fallen in love with a fabulous pair of shoes, or wondered what on earth life had in store for her."

The three Atwater sisters are all very different. First, there's Emma who is reliable, goodnatured, and is currently planning a wedding.  The middle sister, Lulu, is as eccentric as her name.  She graduated college with a fabulous degree in the field of science, but has decided that it's not for her and has taken up miscellaneous jobs that are subpar.  The youngest sister, Sophie, is a ditzy, lovable actress who is trying to find her dream part on the London stage.  Fee, their liberal and unconventional mother, asks Lulu to look for old family recipes in the dark and cobweb filled attic.  While Lulu is up there, she discovers her great-great-grandma Jo's letters.  Through the years Grandma Jo has been the subject of many lighthearted jokes, but after reading some of her letters, Lulu is captivated by Jo's life and finds comfort in them.  Fans of  Louise May Alcott's Little Women will be delighted by Gabrielle Donnelly's The Little Women Letters.

It's easy for readers to at least identify with one of the sisters in The Little Women Letters as they are all decedents of Jo March. Just as readers were able to identify with Meg, Jo, Beth or Amy, it's the same case here.  Their interactions are at times funny, especially with Donnelly's use of witty dialogue.  Emma, the eldest sister, annoyed me with her perfection, but let's be honest, we all know someone like this!  Lulu, I personally liked, as she marches to her own beat.  She is finding her own way despite intense pressure from her parents to use her science degree.  Sophie is also likable in her own whimsical way. She's beautiful, captivating, everyone loves her, and she's a scene stealer.  In essence, she's the quintessential baby of the family.  I loved the way all three sisters interacted with their mother, Fee.  Donnelly captures sisterly jokes, family dynamics, and entertaining dialogue extremely well in The Little Women Letters.

The letters that Donnelly includes, which are Jo's letters to her various sisters, were spot-on. It was as if Jo, one of my favorite literary characters, was alive and well in another novel.  Donnelly truly brings Jo to life and serious fans of Little Women will love this.  True, some of the letters were longwinded, but I enjoyed this charming slice of Little Women and a glimpse at a simpler way of life.  Readers will enjoy Lulu's newfound connection and appreciation of one of her relatives.

It's true that there's not a lot of romance or action in The Little Women Letters, but Donnelly does an expert job of illustrating a modern family's life in London and I'm sure many readers can relate to the story.  It's charming, heartwarming and more importantly, it made me want to revisit one of my favorite classics.  You can't help but finish this book with a smile on your face.

*Buy The Little Women Letters

*Watch an interview with Gabrielle Donnelly

*Thanks to Kaitlyn at S&S for sending me this book in exchange for an honest review.

Waiting on Wednesday: Dark Souls

This is a weekly meme hosted by Jill from Breaking the Spine.  "Waiting on Wednesday" spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Dark Souls by Paula Morris

Pub. Date: August 1, 2011

Goodreads says, "Welcome to York, England.  Mist lingers in the streets.  Narrow buildings cast long shadows.  This is the most haunted city in the world. . . .  Miranda Tennant arrives in York with a terrible, tragic secret. She is eager to lose herself amid the quaint cobblestones, hoping she won’t run into the countless ghosts who supposedly roam the city. . . . Then she meets Nick, an intense, dark-eyed boy who knows all of York’s hidden places and histories. Miranda wonders if Nick is falling for her, but she is distracted by another boy — one even more handsome and mysterious than Nick. He lives in the house across from Miranda and seems desperate to send her some sort of message. Could this boy be one of York’s haunted souls? Soon, Miranda realizes that something dangerous — and deadly — is being planned. And she may have to face the darkest part of herself in order to unravel the mystery — and find redemption."

*You had me at ghosts, England, narrow buildings, and cobblestone streets....this one sounds fascinating. I know many of my students read her other novel, Ruined, and loved it, so I need to get my hands on a copy of this one. Thankfully, it is coming out soon and I think it would look especially good in my beach bag. 

Book Review: Nevermore by Kelly Creagh

Pages:  543

Genre: YA Fantasy

Pub. Date: August 31, 2010

Source: My copy

My Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Goodreads says, "Cheerleader Isobel Lanley is horrified when she is paired with Varen Nethers for an English project, which is due—so unfair—on the day of the rival game. Cold and aloof, sardonic and sharp-tongued, Varen makes it clear he’d rather not have anything to do with her either. But when Isobel discovers strange writing in his journal, she can’t help but give this enigmatic boy with the piercing eyes another look.  Soon, Isobel finds herself making excuses to be with Varen. Steadily pulled away from her friends and her possessive boyfriend, Isobel ventures deeper and deeper into the dream world Varen has created through the pages of his notebook, a realm where the terrifying stories of Edgar Allan Poe come to life.  As her world begins to unravel around her, Isobel discovers that dreams, like words, hold more power than she ever imagined, and that the most frightening realities are those of the mind. Now she must find a way to reach Varen before he is consumed by the shadows of his own nightmares."

Isobel is paired with Varen for an English project and they are pretty much polar opposites. She's a popular  cheerleader and he's a sullen goth.  They have to write a paper and create a presentation on a dead American writer and naturally, he chooses Edgar Allan Poe.  The project is due the night before Halloween, which only accentuates the spookiness of the whole situation.  At first Isobel sort of writes Varen off as he barely communicates with her, but as she catches some of his writing in his journal, she starts to notice that there is much more to him.  Isobel finds herself drawn to Varen and stops spending as much time with her boyfriend, Brad, and her other cheerleader friends.  As they continue to work on the project together, Isobel starts to become consumed in this world that Varen has created in his journal; a world where Poe's stories come to life.  Kelly Creagh's debut, Nevermore, is an eerie read inspired by many of Poe's classic tales.


There's no denying how unique this story is.  The characters are unlike any other characters I've encountered in YA literature. Isobel is a girl torn between two words: the "popular" group and the goths.  She is realizing that she cannot be a part of both and as she separates herself from the popular group as they become extremely mean to her and Varen.  I swear, some of their antics were taken straight out of Mean Girls.  However, Isobel is a strong character and stands up for herself.  On the other hand, Varen is the typical loner/tortured artist. I know many reviewers really enjoyed him and even thought he was hot, but he didn't do it for me. I like loners and impassive boys as much as the next girl, but at times he was down-right crotchety and that gets old.  Isobel had to stand up for him at times and what can I say?  I like my literary heroes with a bit more guts and cojones.


The one aspect of Nevermore that I struggled with was Isobel and Varen's relationship.  I'm going to be honest with you. I simply didn't buy it.  All of a sudden, Isobel drops her former life (albeit consumed by mean girls and a possessive boyfriend) for Varen and has this undeniable interest/attraction to him.  I didn't get it.  It didn't feel real to me, especially in the dreamworld, and because of that I wasn't 100% sold on Nevermore.


There's no denying how creative Creagh is.  She really brought to life Poe's scary tales and set the stage for a heart-pounding read.  There were scenes that were downright spine-chilling and I wish that I read this book in October as opposed to my beach vacation.  Also, Creagh creates this dreamworld that was simply put..... strange. This is another aspect of the book I didn't really buy into.  Yes, it was unique and unlike anything I've read before, but at times, I got lost.  Creagh included a lot of details and this book is VERY long, which at times made it feel a tad overdone.  


Fans of Edgar Allan Poe as well as creepy fantasies will definitely appreciate Nevermore. The second book in the series, Enshadowed, comes out in January. To be honest, I am not 100% sure that I will be picking the sequel up.  If I do, I hope there is more of Varen and Isobel in the "real" world as opposed to the dreamworld, because that worked better for me.

*Buy Nevermore

*Pre-order Enshadowed

Book Review: Wolfsbane by Andrea Cremer

Pages: 400

Genre: YA Fantasy

Pub. Date: July 26, 2011

Source: ARC from Book It Forward Tours

My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

*Haven't read Nightshade yet? Read my review here.

Goodreads says, "This thrilling sequel to the much-talked-about Nightshade begins just where it ended-Calla Tor wakes up in the lair of the Searchers, her sworn enemy, and she's certain her days are numbered. But then the Searchers make her an offer-one that gives her the chance to destroy her former masters and save the pack-and the man-she left behind. Is Ren worth the price of her freedom? And will Shay stand by her side no matter what? Now in control of her own destiny, Calla must decide which battles are worth fighting and how many trials true love can endure and still survive."

Calla wakes up in one of the worst possible situations. She's with the Searchers, her enemies, or so she thinks. As she spends more time with them, she realizes that perhaps she was mistaken.  They present her with a plan to work together.  A plan that will free her and her pack from their masters and ultimately rescue Ren.  In the back of her mind, she is also worried about how Shay will feel regarding all this, but how can she leave her pack behind?  Wolfsbane by Andrea Cremer is an action-packed and entertaining sequel to Nightshade.


Calla is an awesome heroine. She's a kick-butt alpha and I like that about her.  However, Calla is really torn in this book between Shay and her pack.  It's not just a love triangle in this book as there is more at stake.  As much as I love Calla, she annoyed me a bit in Wolfsbane.  She left her family behind at the end of Nightshade and caused all of these major problems for them.  I had a hard time understanding Calla when it came to her dealing with this reality and the consequences of her actions. I am not sure if it's because she's an alpha and/or is impassive, but with the news she receives in Wolfsbane, I was expecting more emotion and more feelings. She finds her family and friends in a precarious situation, (because of her choices!) and really doesn't deal with it emotionally.


Shay versus Ren is still quite alive and well in Wolfsbane.  If you read my review of Nightshade, I wasn't sure which boy to root for and after reading Wolfsbane, I was still not be 100% sure as there is definitely more than meets the eye with this crazy love triangle.  And it does get a bit crazy in Wolfsbane! There are some definite steamy moments that fans of romance will enjoy.


This book is action packed. Seriously. I was up reading way past midnight, my heart was racing and I was on the edge of my seat. There's a lot of fighting and a lot of planning to attack that will keep readers in suspense.  Plus, Calla and Shay learn the truth surrounding the Guardians and Searchers. Readers get a lot of back story and history in Wolfsbane, so the action really was a nice break from that.  At times, I felt all the information and backstory was rather confusing and monotonous, but thankfully, it didn't last too long and Cremer hits the readers up with a crazy action-packed scene to balance it out.


Wolfsbane ends with a nutty cliffhanger and this series is reminding me more and more of Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead. If you know me, you know this is a serious compliment.  I will definitely be picking up the third book in the series, Bloodrose, because the way that Cremer ends Wolfsbane will keep me wondering for awhile.  Wolfsbane is one of my favorite books of the year....now if only I could decide if I'm Team Shay or Ren?

*Pre-order Wolfsbane

*Buy Nightshade

*Pre-order Bloodrose

OBX

OBX- Spring 2009

It's vacation time!!!  I'm going to be spending the next week in North Carolina at the glorious Outer Banks.  I have visited the Outer Banks once before and being the beach bum that I am, I absolutely adored it.  I can't wait to relax at the beach and hang out with family.  


I am excited that I can bring my dog, Scout. I am hoping to take him to the ocean for the first time! And on a nerdy note, I can bring my computer with me on this trip since there is wi-fi. So, I will still be blogging and reviewing! I'll be sure to include some of my beachy adventures as well as some pictures.


Have any of you been to the Outer Banks? Any recommendations for me? Let me know!

Have a great weekend,