Princess Academy by Shannon Hale

Princess Academy is second Shannon Hale book I’ve read (after Book of a Thousand Days) and I have to say I adored it.

Miri and her family live in a small village near Mount Eskel. Their lives follow the same pattern each day, an endless amount of pounding away in the quarry, mining linder. Except for Miri, that is.

Miri’s not allowed to mine linder, leaving Miri to wonder if she’s too weak and what use she has..

But then tradition comes knocking. And what it brings is about to change Miri and the villagers’ lives forever. For it seems that the priests have declared that the prince’s bride must come from their village. A fact that is first met with disgust and indignation from the court. The court refuses to believe that Mount Eskel has anything to offer their kingdom- after all the villagers are uneducated and seemingly worthless.

So a Princess Academy is set up to “fix” the girls and make them worth the king marrying. Olana, their tutor, isn’t too happy with the prospect. She’ll do anything to make their lives miserable.

But Miri’s never been one to give up and she’ll do anything to prove that she’s not weak and that she has a use…


This is not a shallow tale as the title suggest, rather is it a tale of a girl staying true to herself. Vivid characters coupled with Shannon Hale’s beautiful prose makes this book a truly superb novel. I can’t wait to read what she writes next.

5/5

Happy Reading,

Reader Rabbit the Second

City of Ashes: Cassandra Clare

Yep, I know I said it was coming soon but did you expect it to be...this soon?
I bet not.
But I just finished reading it and it's
just wonderful so...without furthur delay...








In City of Bones we were introduced to the riveting world of Shadowhunters as well as a stunning cast of characters.

City of Ashes commences with Clary and her friends in a precarious situation. Clary's mother is still in a coma, the Clave is under the belief that Jace is a spy for Valentine and Clary's friend Simon continues to pursue her romantically.

We finally get to meet Alec and Isabelle's parents, The Lightwoods. Maryse (Mrs. Lightwood) doubts Jace's word ever since the relevation of him being Valentine's son. Afraid that Valentine has sent Jace as a spy in the Clave, she insists that he leaves the Insitute. Her doubt also leads her to call The Inquisitor to question Jace about Valentine. And Maryse and the Inquisitor believe in Jace. In fact, the Inquisitor seems to have a personal grudge against Jace and subjects him to horrible punishments and unwarranted imprisonments.

Valentine's latest plan is to steal the Soul-Sword and transform it from a demon killing sword to a sword to kill the members of the Clave. But this transformation requires the blood of different types of young Downworlders, causing danger to Simon and Maia, a member of Luke's path.

Along with the increasing danger and the discovery that Jace and Clary may have some unknown powers, City of Ashes furthur explores the characters...Alec and Magnus are developed more and Luke's motives for helping Clary's mother are also revealed. Clary's friend Simon also encounters some problems of his own. And of course, Clary and Jace are still trying to get used to their new status as brother and sister.

Cassandra Clare has written a fabulous sequel to City of Bones, one that readers should not miss. Remember to pick CITY OF ASHES up next month when it's released.

5/5

Happy Reading

Reader Rabbit


ETA: City of Ashes will be released March 25!

City of Bones: Cassandra Clare

Clary is just an ordinary teenage girl...or so she thinks. Then, it all changes. She and her good friend Simon head over to an all-age nightclub for a bit of fun except what they get is anything but.

When Clary sees a strange blue-haired boy in the night club killed by a group of three other teenagers things start changing for Clary. Especially when a bouncer is called and he (and no one else) can see the three mysterious teenagers.

Along with the havoc there, Clary recieves a phone call from her mother. A very unusual phone call. When she dashes back to her apartment, she finds it in ruins, her mother gone and a demon waiting there...just for her.

Luckily, she's rescued by one of the "unseeable" teenager from the nightclub, Jace who turns out to be a Shadowhunter-or someone who kills demons-and someone whom she can trust.

He takes her to an Institute, a place of safety for his kind. There she meets Jace's companions from the nightclub, Isabelle and Alec,who are two other Shadowhunters.

Despite the danger to herself, Clary's determined to find her mother and to know who (or what) she is. With many plot twists and turns and likeable characters for the ride, City of Bones is a remarkable novel that all teens who like a bit of fantasy, romance and intrigue, should pick up.

4.5/5


Happy Reading,

Reader Rabbit

Don't miss our review of CITY OF ASHES, the enjoyable sequel to CITY OF BONES, coming soon!!

Blog Party :)

The Story Siren is hosting a blog party for the release of Fire Study by Maria Snyder. Maria Snyder's study series are extremely good and I know I can't wait to read Fire Study. So go on over to her blog and join in on the fun (which will involve an interview, excerpt, review and a great contest).

Review: Almost Home by Jessica Blank

Jessica Blank's novel showcases the lives of seven teens who have found themselves on the streets. Tracy,Eeyore, Rusty, Squid, Critter, Scabius and Laura create their own litle community on the rough streets of Vegas.

Each teen tells some of the story from their own point of view, with blatant references to the drugs, the addictions and the cruel sex-trade that inflitrates their lives. Each of the teenagers' have their own reasons why they've no longer have a home (These include boredom, sexual abuse and love.) Almost Home is a strong novel and does not sugarcoat the reality of streetlife.

However, Blank does not leave the reader with no hope. When Eeyore's situation takes a turn for the worse, one of her fellow streetkids manages to muster the strength to help and save her.

My opinion: I thought that this book was pretty amazing. The characters had depth and their reasoning was understandable, while not exactly ideal. It's a must read for teens so if you head to the bookstore...PICK IT UP! (Warning: descriptions and language are a a bit graphic so be warned).

Rating: 5/5

Happy Reading,
Reader Rabbit

Review: Ophelia by Lisa Klein

When you think of the name, Ophelia, you probably think of Shakespeare or Hamlet. Sure, Ophelia played a role in the tragedy, Hamlet but in this superb retelling, Ophelia takes a major role and becomes a much stronger female character.

Ophelia spends a large majority of her childhood, playing with her brother and his playmates, which occasionally include the prince, Hamlet and his dear friend, Horatio. Meanwhile, her father neglects her as his life revolves around his rank in society.

Then, Ophelia becomes a lady-in-waiting to the queen. Soon, she begins to evolve from an unruly young tomboy to a passionate, headstrong young woman. These qualities soon cause the prince, Hamlet, to fall in love with her. Before long their love escalates into a secret wedding. But on their wedding night, disaster arrives when the ghost of Hamlet’s father appears. The ghost claims that he didn’t just die-he was murdered. And he demands revenge…

Hamlet’s determined to satisfy his late father’s request, no matter what the cost. But, slowly, he begins to lose himself, succumbing to madness. That’s when Ophelia realizes that she must escape from the deaths, madness and chaos that seem to have taken over the court…

I really loved this novel. The characters, the writing and the intriguing end were all extremely well-done. Lisa Klein’s beautiful prose succeeds in creating vivid descriptions as well as bringing the characters to life. Indeed, Ophelia being portrayed as a strong, independent character only adds to the brilliance of the novel. With all this in mind, I recommend that you read it and become enthralled, like I was.


Rating: 5/5


Happy Reading,

Reader Rabbit the Second

Our Very Last Challenge- YA Lit Challenge

Okay, honestly, this is our very last challenge. It's also hosted by Thoughts of Joy. Here are the details:

~ Choose 12 Young Adult novels
(you may switch novels at any time)


~ Link your YAC list from your blog onto Mister Linky

(and subsequent monthly reviews)


~ Read them during 2008
(you may read them at your own pace)



Since we read mostly YA books anyway this challenge should be pretty easy so to make this challenge harder we'll follow the fabulous Story Siren's lead and not use any books from our other challenges.

Review: The Princess and the Hound

George is a prince living in a land where animal magic is forbidden and those who possess it are prosecuted.

The queen, George’s mother, has animal magic. And, so does George. His mother teaches him how to use it and whenever George is with her, he feels as if he truly belongs.

But then his mother dies, leaving George with his father who barely knows him. George tries to fit into the mould that the kingdom (and his father) has for him, hiding his true self and any traces of his animal magic. He appears to be the perfect prince, even being willing to marry Princess Beatrice to achieve peace between the rival kingdoms.

When George meets Beatrice he meets someone wild and stubborn but determined to do her duty (marrying George). She wants to prove to her father that she isn’t useless. However, her father, along with his kingdom, continues to mock her, leaving her virtually alone. The only person who cares for her is her hound, Marit.

Both George and Beatrice are fiercely independent and have isolated themselves from others. But soon, they find themselves united through their dark secrets. And then, slowly, love blossoms between two individuals despite their differences.

The romance occurs subtly throughout the whole story, sometimes hidden under the action. Beatrice and George spend a large portion of the book chasing after a man who has committed many crimes (including poisoning George’s father as well as one much, much worse).

The cover is a little deceptive in that it seems that the book is about the Princess. Despite the fact that she is a fairly major character of the book, George is the main character and he narrates the book.

This book has a few surprises in there. I felt that some parts of the book didn't add up perfectly. However,because of its complex ideas and well-written story I still enjoyed it. Mette Ivie Harrison has a brilliant idea here and I think she managed to pull it off fairly well.

Rating: 4/5


Happy Reading,
Reader Rabbit the Second

More Challenges

We'll be participating in two more challenges. The first is the Chunkster Challenge where you have to read four books of over 450 pages. We'll probably be reviewing City of Bones, City of Ashes, Memoirs of Cleopatra and another book yet to be determined.

The other Challenge we'll be participating in is the 2K8 Challenge hosted by Teen Book Review. I'll put a list on the sidebar for the books we'll be (hopefully) reviewing!

And I promise, this is the Last Challenge. It's the Royalty Rules Challenge hosted by The Magic of Ink. Basically all you have to do is read 4 books about royalty. The list is on the sidebar!

Review: Wildwood Dancing

Dance all night; work all day. Jena and her sisters have been living that theory once per month for years. That’s because they cross a portal into the mysterious Wildwood (where anything is possible) every full moon. There they see treasures of incomparable beauty and meet interesting people that captivate their hearts. Or in Tati’s case a person who stole her heart (and won’t give it back). No one knows their secret (except Gogu, the frog) and they hope to keep it that way.


Then Jena’s father gets sick while away from home, leaving Jena alone to fend for her sisters. Not that Jena minds it. She’s always been the leader, the responsible one. Unfortunately, her cousin, Cezar, doesn’t think she’s up for the task and so moves in to keep a close eye on them. In fact, he watches so closely that he realizes that something’s different at full moon. And he’ll do anything to find out their secret and if he finds the Wildwood he’ll destroy it…

There are so many good things about this book. The beautiful prose that shines in Juliet Marillier’s other books is here. There are strong and interesting characters. Jena is an unforgettable character, who is so strong in all her opinions-sometimes to the point of being completely bull-headed. And then there’s the great plot- that was, yes, inspired by the Twelve Dancing Princesses, but Juliet Marillier’s really made the story her own. And what a great story it is!

Rating: 4.5/5


Happy Reading,

Reader Rabbit the Second

I've Been Tagged/Memmed/Whatnot

The Ravenous Reader (http://theravenousreaderreviews.blogspot.com/) memed me. So..


Which book do you irrationally cringe away from reading, despite seeing only positive reviews? Honestly?

.
Oo. Hm. City of Bones by Cassandra Clare I know it's really really awesome and she has such a crazy fanbase but for some reason I can't bear picking it up.

If you could bring three characters to life for a social event (afternoon tea, a night of clubbing, perhaps a world cruise), who would they be and what would the event be?

Clio from Girl at Sea, Gaia from Fearless and Jess from 1-800-WHERE-R-U. Because they seem like interesting fun people and Gaia could teach me some awesome moves ;)

(Borrowing shamelessly from the Thursday Next series by Jasper Fforde): you are told you can’t die until you read the most boring novel on the planet. While this immortality is great for awhile, eventually you realise it’s past time to die. Which book would you expect to get you a nice grave

I would actually read the LOTR books, because while i skimmed the first and the end of the rest, actually reading them would probably be one of the boringest things ?ever for me. (Don't hate me!)

Come on, we’ve all been there. Which book have you pretended, or at least hinted, that you’ve read, when in fact you’ve been nowhere near it?
Wow. I was just thinking about this and I forgot. The Crucible I think.

As an addition to the last question, has there been a book that you really thought you had read, only to realise when you read a review about it/go to ‘reread’ it that you haven’t? Which book??

Never had that experience XD

You’re interviewing for the post of Official Book Advisor to some VIP (who’s not a big reader). What’s the first book you’d recommend and why? (If you feel like you’d have to know the person, go ahead and personalise the VIP.)

Harry Potter of course. And maybe I'd throw in the His Dark Materials Triology.

A good fairy comes and grants you one wish: you will have perfect reading comprehension in the foreign language of your choice. Which language do you go with?

French so I no longer fail in school. Or maybe I'd go with one of the mail chinese languages (Canto? or maybe Mando? (spsp)) so I can understand some friends when they're yattering away.

A mischievious fairy comes and says that you must choose one book that you will reread once a year for the rest of your life (you can read other books as well). Which book would you pick?

I reread all the time so this isn't really a big problem. I'd go with...wow. Anything I like really. I'll go with Ill Wind by Rachel Caine.


I know that the book blogging community, and its various challenges, have pushed my reading borders. What’s one bookish thing you ‘discovered’ from book blogging (maybe a new genre, or author, or new appreciation for cover art—anything)?
It just made me reserve a whole lot more books on my library card that I'd ne(ver heard of before. My library must hate me after all the requests I've put in.

That good fairy is back for one final visit. Now, she’s granting you your dream library! Describe it. Is everything leatherbound? Is it full of first edition hardcovers? Pristine trade paperbacks? Perhaps a few favourite authors have inscribed their works? Go ahead—let your imagination run free.

My dream library is actually just paperback or regular hardback copies of any book that I've read/owned/want to own/ and will want to own. And it should be magic and shrink so I can carry it in my bag.


So. Meming time. I'll tag The Book Muncher {http://thebookmuncher.blogspot.com/}((please let you not have been memed already =/)

-Reader Rabbit

Contest

Bookburger is giving away five sets of books. The books include Gossip Girl and The Clique. Go here to enter.