Cold Spell by Jackson Pearce

Cold Spell by Jackson Pearce
Release Date – November 5, 2013
Publisher Website –  Little Brown/Hachette
Publisher Social Media -  Twitter
Pages - 323 pages
My Rating- 3/5
**received from publisher for review**

Here is the Goodreads synopsis

Kai and Ginny grew up together–best friends since they could toddle around their building’s rooftop rose garden. Now they’re seventeen, and their relationship has developed into something sweeter, complete with stolen kisses and plans to someday run away together.

But one night, Kai disappears with a mysterious stranger named Mora–a beautiful girl with a dark past and a heart of ice. Refusing to be cast aside, Ginny goes after them and is thrust into a world she never imagined, one filled with monsters and thieves and the idea that love is not enough.

If Ginny and Kai survive the journey, will she still be the girl he loved–and moreover, will she still be the girl who loved him?

Jackson Pearce, author of the acclaimed SISTERS RED and FATHOMLESS, has returned with a unique vision of Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Snow Queen,” one about power and redemption, failure and hope, and the true meaning of strength.

Jackson Pearce's fairytale retellings are always unique and provide some twist on the classic tale. Cold Spell is no exception. She takes the Snow Queen legend, and shapes it to compliment the previous novels in this series, and allows the reader to feel each and every icy blast along the way.

When I heard that this would be tied into the other novels in this series, I was skeptical. The mythology, however, is woven in beautifully. The allusions to the previous novels, and how this particular novel's lore fits into the over all arc of the series is this series strong point. It's this over all arc that has me invested in these books. Each ties into the next and yet allows Jackson Pearce to focus on completely different characters. 

The relationship between Kai and Ginny is built on the fact that they share a history. We're told the emotions are there, and we get to see it from time to time, but I wanted more from it. I would have liked just a little more development considering it's the catalyst for Ginny's journey and the entire story. It was refreshing to see a romance that was built on a different foundation than is typically written about. This was a friendship that switched with ease to something more. The friendship is never doubted, neither is the fact that they care for one another. I just had a harder time buying into the 'epicness' of their romantic love.

Ginny's transformation from someone who doesn't know who she is without Kai, to someone who can stand on their own was both agonizing, and needed. It was maddening to see Ginny reduce herself to nothing beyond Kai. As character after character called her on it I was able to see where the story was eventually heading, but the message pushed me away at first. Ginny needed to learn who she was. She needed the chance to reflect on herself. He mission to save Kai allowed an introspective look that she hadn't allowed herself before.

Mora, and her motivations are directly tied to the mythology of this particular novel. I don't want to give away the secrets, so I will only say that I was pleasantly surprised by her backstory. Her character was detailed enough to be both a villain, and someone you understood. The way she ties into the previous mythology was also well plotted.

A tale of love, and forgiveness that compliments a cold winter's day. Jackson's Pearce's trilogy when put together is greater than each individual novel when looked at individually, and Cold Spell adds another layer to it's deep mythology.

New To My Book Closet

It's that time of the week again. Time to show you what bookish goodies made their way into my home and book closet (to be saved from the evil book eating cat monster named Aria). This is inspired by the various "mailbox" posts out there (eg. In My Mailbox by The Story Siren, and Stacking the Shelves by Tynga's Reviews). 

A huge thank you to Hachette for the book that made it's way into my book closet this week. I am super excited to read this one, as I've read all others in this 'companion' series.

Cold Spell by Jackson Pearce (Goodreads)

Happy Weekend and Happy Reading!

Fathomless by Jackson Pearce

Fathomless by Jackson Pearce
Release Date – September 4, 2012
Publisher Website –  Little Brown and Company
Publisher Social Media -  Twitter
Pages -  304 pages
My Rating- 3.5/5
**obtained from publisher via BEA for an honest review**

**SPOILERS FOR SISTERS RED AND SWEETLY**

Here is the Goodreads synopsis

Celia Reynolds is the youngest in a set of triplets and the one with the least valuable power. Anne can see the future, and Jane can see the present, but all Celia can see is the past. And the past seems so insignificant -- until Celia meets Lo. 

Lo doesn't know who she is. Or who she was. Once a human, she is now almost entirely a creature of the sea -- a nymph, an ocean girl, a mermaid -- all terms too pretty for the soulless monster she knows she's becoming. Lo clings to shreds of her former self, fighting to remember her past, even as she's tempted to embrace her dark immortality. 

When a handsome boy named Jude falls off a pier and into the ocean, Celia and Lo work together to rescue him from the waves. The two form a friendship, but soon they find themselves competing for Jude's affection. Lo wants more than that, though. According to the ocean girls, there's only one way for Lo to earn back her humanity. She must persuade a mortal to love her . . . and steal his soul.

The ocean hides many secrets, and many dangers. Dangers camouflaged in beautiful packaging.

This novel blends the previous fairytales in this series with mermaids. We learn in Sweetly that young girls are taken by the wolves and turned into mere-creatures. This Little Mermaid retelling is dark like the original and keeps many similar themes.  The mermaids must get a mortal to love her and drown them to steal their soul. It’s the only way to regain the humanity and leave the ocean behind.

The underwater chapters were moody, creepy and yet strangely beautiful. They had a haunting quality to them and I enjoyed them the most. From the descriptions of excruciating pain when Lo walked on land, to the mermaids ability to drown someone, the mermaid components of the story chilled me. Their singular mind set and viewing themselves as a group rather than individuals added to this. It felt a little like a cult.

Some of these mermaids are desperate, and that makes them dangerous. Many of them do not remember their real names, or the lives they left behind. The ones that do remember are the most desperate of all, and even more dangerous. I thought these girls who have had everything taken from them were quite sympathetic. You can understand their motivations, even if you don’t agree with them.

The relationships in the novel were well developed. I felt I could relate to the relationship the three sisters had. They had moments of such loyalty to each other and yet were capable of hurting each other deeply. Their teasing and banter was also wonderful. They are very protective of each other. The romance between Jude and Celia was another highlight.  It was quite sweet and did not develop too quickly. They each had normal apprehensions about the other, especially given how they met. The friendship that develops between Lo and Celia was touching. Born out of each of them getting something they need from the other, a genuine friendship quickly forms.

Like in previous books in this series, I had a harder time connecting with the characters. I, however, liked a lot of these characters much more than the ones in the previous novels. Lo was the one character that really stood out. She was complex, and intriguing. Her fighting to remember who she really is, and the desire to forget. Temptation to give in is there, and she is fighting natural instincts every time she gets out of the water. The excruciating pain she feels in order to keep what is essentially her sanity made her sympathetic.

My only issue is that so much is left open ended. The ending, while unexpected, was less than satisfying for me. for a fourth book to pull all three together in a way that hasn’t happened yet.  Darkly chilling, and desperate mermaids saved this story, and made it a fine addition to the trilogy.

Sweetly by Jackson Pearce

Sweetly by Jackson Pearce
Release Date –  August 23, 2011
Publisher Website –  Little Brown Books for Young Readers
Publisher Social Media -  Twitter
Pages - 310 pages
My Rating- 3.5/5
**obtained from the library**

Here is the Goodreads synopsis

As a child, Gretchen's twin sister was taken by a witch in the woods. Ever since, Gretchen and her brother, Ansel, have felt the long branches of the witch's forest threatening to make them disappear, too. 

Years later, when their stepmother casts Gretchen and Ansel out, they find themselves in sleepy Live Oak, South Carolina. They're invited to stay with Sophia Kelly, a beautiful candy maker who molds sugary magic: coveted treats that create confidence, bravery, and passion. 

Life seems idyllic and Gretchen and Ansel gradually forget their haunted past -- until Gretchen meets handsome local outcast Samuel. He tells her the witch isn't gone -- it's lurking in the forest, preying on girls every year after Live Oak's infamous chocolate festival, and looking to make Gretchen its next victim. Gretchen is determined to stop running and start fighting back. Yet the further she investigates the mystery of what the witch is and how it chooses its victims, the more she wonders who the real monster is. 

Gretchen is certain of only one thing: a monster is coming, and it will never go away hungry.

Sweetly may just be one of my most surprising reads this year. It was not at all what I was expecting. Those looking for a Hansel and Gretel retelling should be warned - this isn’t the tale from your childhood.

The world introduced to us in Sisters Red plays such a huge part in this second novel. I went into it thinking each novel was more self contained and were tied together by the fairy retelling aspect. The novels are more intertwined that I anticipated. This made the world feel comfortable and helped me jump into the story right way. The surprise and delight at finding out how connected the two novels are is one of my favourite parts of reading it. However, I was a little disappointed that it was not a more self contained story, and not a more figurative retelling of the classic tale.

The theme of guilt runs throughout the story with each of our characters feeling as if they have to atone for something. Some of those supposed crimes are ones that the character should not suffer for, and others are right to feel responsible for their actions. The lines are blurred, however, and Sweetly will leave you wondering just who is culpable. I found Gretchen’s survivors guilt heartbreaking and exceptionally well developed.

Sadly, the characters in this one also kept me at arms length. I am not sure what it is, but I have a harder time becoming attached to them.  I am a very character driven reader, so it’s often hard for me to continue reading when this happens. It was the unique spin that Jackson Pearce has put on these fairytales that drew me in.

Here is where I admit that I am huge Little Mermaid fan. The introduction to what I can only hope is the storyline for Fathomless was woven into the plot flawlessly. I am already intrigued and engaged with the story, and again was surprised at how it ties into the werewolf mythology we already have been introduced to. Seashells play a little part in the mystery of Sweetly and I relished each mention.

This series has surprised me and I do have high hopes for Fathomless based on the set up from this novel.  I love the intertwined connections between the novels and am looking forward to meet Pearce’s mermaids.

Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce

Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce
Release Date – June 7, 2010
Publisher Website – Little Brown Books For Young Readers
Publisher Social Media - Twitter
Pages - 324 pages
My Rating- 3/5
**obtained from the library**

Here is the Goodreads synopsis

Scarlett March lives to hunt the Fenris--the werewolves that took her eye when she was defending her sister Rosie from a brutal attack. Armed with a razor-sharp hatchet and blood-red cloak, Scarlett is an expert at luring and slaying the wolves. She's determined to protect other young girls from a grisly death, and her raging heart will not rest until every single wolf is dead.

Rosie March once felt her bond with her sister was unbreakable. Owing Scarlett her life, Rosie hunts ferociously alongside her. But even as more girls' bodies pile up in the city and the Fenris seem to be gaining power, Rosie dreams of a life beyond the wolves. She finds herself drawn to Silas, a young woodsman who is deadly with an axe and Scarlett's only friend--but does loving him mean betraying her sister and all that they've worked for?

Fairytale retellings are very much all the rage right now. I knew when I came across this one I had to read it. While I enjoyed the twist on the Little Red Riding Hood story, this ended up being just an average read for me.

Scarlett is the more driven, revenge minded sister. I like that as in control as she is, she’s capable of falling apart. It’s easy to forget how young they are as you are reading, and her vulnerable side was a reminder of much they had lost at such a young age. Her jealously and passion both drive her. She almost doesn't know how to exist if she is not hunting. It was her way of coping with the loss.

Rosie has a lot of guilt. Guilt that her sister sacrificed so much for her, guilt that she isn’t has focused on hunting wolves as her sister. Her dreams to have something outside of the hunt made you want her to succeed. Her strength is different from his sister and it comes from being able to move on.

My main issue was that the sister’s voices sounded so similar. I used their descriptions of themselves and the slight differences in character to determine who was narrating. The tone, and style was identical. I was hoping for more of a clear “voice” for each of the sisters. This made it harder to connect to them and really immerse myself in their story. It kept me at a distance that prevented me from falling under this novels spell.

The werewolf lore in this story is fairly standard. I still enjoyed what elements Jackson Pearce did infuse. The use of the red cloak to entice and attract the werewolves was fantastic tip of the hat to the fairytale this is based on. The use of sexuality and flirtation, for me, was nicely complimented with the fact that these sisters could cause some serious damage. The weak, harmless woman routine gave way to strong, capable fighters. Any story that teases the ideal that you can be both feminine and not a push over is wonderful. On the flip side, I wished that maybe some of the werewolves could have been female. If there was some medical reason (the male chromosome or something) it would have made it less distracting for me.

The underlying storyline of the sisters growing up and apart added an element of realism to the plot. The strength of their bond, from having just each other to depend on, was intense. Each felt a duty to hunt, but for different reasons. Scarlett starts to realize that Rosie may not have the same desire or determination she does, and that ultimately they want different things. I could easily imagine similar feelings if two sisters who are close ended up going to different colleges after high school. Jackson Pearce made you feel the heartache, bitter sweetness, and unwavering bond that these sisters go through during the course of their journey.

The only other person the sister’s allow into their life is Silas, a handsome woodsman. He just a genuinely all around nice guy. His support for both sisters was admirable, and he tied into the growing apart storyline easily. Nothing about the romance made me feel strongly either way. Everything was just NICE. A little heat between he and Rosie was lacking for me, but I did enjoy their friendship first beginnings. There is a scene where he talks to Scarlett after she finds out about his relationship with Rosie that really touched me. It showed, in that brief scene, that he totally understood the bond between these two girls, and supported it. He also wanted them to each be who they are.

While it had a few issues for me, I found Sisters Red to be a decent story about growing up, falling in love and dealing with werewolves.

New To My Book Closet

It's that time of the week again. Time to show you what bookish goodies made their way into my home and book closet (to be saved from the evil book eating cat monster named Aria). This is inspired by the various "mailbox" posts out there (eg. In My Mailbox by The Story Siren, and Stacking the Shelves by Tynga's Reviews).

Two books by the same author this week! I checked these out of the library and would have taken a picture but I am not at home this weekend.

Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce (goodreads)
Sweetly by Jackson Pearce (goodreads)

All to prepare to read Fathomless! Super excited for these as I love fairytale retellings.

Happy Sunday and Happy Reading!

Weekly Obsessions

The awesome Kelly at KellyVision started posting a weekly post highlighting whatever she happened to be obsessed with that week. I LOVE this idea, so much in fact that I will be doing it myself every Saturday.

Here are my obsessions this week:

BOOKS

Fathomless by Jackson Pearce cover

AHHHH!!! I am a huge fairytale retelling fanatic right now and this cover.....LOVES! The Little Mermaid is one of my favourite fairytales (along with MANY others) and I love the sound of this darker take on it. Also, how am I just NOW finding out about Jackson Pearce's retellings? Bad book fan. I am getting them immediately.

The Evolution of Mara Dyer cover

This was my Waiting on Wednesday pick this week for obvious reasons. I loved the first book and these covers are some of the best I've seen. I love this photo shoot and am so glad they kept the same theme for the second book. Dying for October to get here so I can read this one! <3 Noah Shaw!

TV

Season Finale Time

This time of year always has me excited and scared. It's season finale time. Our favourite TV shows pull out all the stops and provide us with cliffhangers that make us scream at our TVs. A number of my favourite shows (Vampire Diaries, Once Upon A Time) will be ending within the next 2 weeks.

OTHER

Book Expo America

We are now in the final stretch before BEA. 1 month to go and I will be in NYC meeting up with fellow book lovers and hearing about the hot fall/winter books that are already making us drool.

Publishers Weekly released their "Must Get Galleys" list recently and I pretty much had a freak out of epic proportions. Fathomless by Jackson Pearce, Carnival of Souls by Melissa Marr, Black City by Elizabeth Richards, and What's Left of Me by Kat Zhang are just some of the titles I am freaking out over. My BEA excitement is at insane levels!

So what you are obsessed with this week?