Chloe by Lyn Cote

Chloe is the first in a quartet that covers four generations of woman across Ivy Manor. This one is about (you guessed it! :0) Chloe. It spans thirty years of her life, beginning in 1900 and ending during the Great Depression.

Growing up, Chloe Kimball was subject to the political whims of her father and the social whims of her mother. But, when she turns 17, she's offered a chance to escape from her parents and the life that they planned for her. She escapes to New York City, taking on a job as a model. But her newfound freedom is short-lived as she finds herself tested by ill fortune.

I never would have picked this book up if my friend hadn't lent it to me. The blurb made the book seem all melodramatic and...well, kind of cliched. And, when I first started it, it seemed as if I was right. The book did tend to be overdramatic and Chloe seemed like a Mary Sue character; beautiful and perfect at everything with everyone falling in love with her. Chloe lost the Mary Sue-ish qualities a little throughout the book; although, most of the other characters are not well-developed.

The plot (as mentioned) covers thirty years which mostly worked. However, there were a couple moments where it would be a little confusing as to when something was going on.

Nevertheless, the historical parts of the novel were excellent. It was interesting seeing each of the characters deal with issues in that century in their own way. Both the war and the Great Depression are discussed in the book. As well, the racial issues of the time period are mentioned. Minnie, the Kimballs' black servant and my favourite character, leaves with Chloe to New York City. She decides to pursue a career as an actress and is fortunate enough to snag a modeling job with Chloe. This decision (to have a black model) is met with surprise and shock by the audience.

Despite my problems with the book, I ended up enjoying the book. So, if you're at all interested in historical fiction (especially that of the twentieth century), then you should definitely pick this book up.

Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick

Nora Grey’s doesn’t want any new complications in her life, but when she’s paired up with an utter stranger for Biology, her life takes a turn for the more dramatic. Patch is everything that Nora does not need. He’s perversely attractive and has eyes that seem to bore right into her. Nora knows he’s dangerous but she can’t help but be lured to him.

Try as she might, Nora just can’t stay away from Patch and he always seems to be near her. But along with his closeness comes a series of terrifying events which cause Nora to throw everything into question. She doesn’t know who she can trust, what’s going on and she can’t figure out exactly how she feels about Patch. And how he feels about her.

And as things become clearer and clearer, it’s too late for Nora to get out of the battle she’s wound up in. A battle between the fallen immortals. A battle in which Nora herself is only a pawn.

While the synopsis of Hush, Hush seems reminiscent of Twilight, it would be unfair to write Hush, Hush off as yet another Twilight-wannabe. While it does encompass similar elements to Twilight such as the bad boy who may want to kill the heroine who meet in a science classroom, a supernatural type battle and such, Hush, Hush is more.

For one thing, the plot is significantly more twisty and warped than Twilight, and in a good way. The story, while revolving around Patch and Nora, comes with a jagged storyline that leaves you confused and bendy trying to figure everything out.
And for another, the characterization in Hush, Hush is terrific. Nora is not your simple, boring teenager. She has her own mind, her own hobbies and a bit of common sense, unlike most heroines. She knows she has to stay away from Patch and does her best to make it happen, to a point.

Patch is also three-dimensional. He’s intriguing, alluring and a jerk. It’s easy to see why he’s ohsoattractive but yet oh so bad for Nora.
I’d have to say, though, one of my favourite characters was Nora’s best friend, Vee. She’s tall, with a lot of spunk and also is one of the characters who tends to lighten the mood with her appearance.

The only thing that irked me was the pacing of Nora and Patch’s relationship. Things seemed to happen fast, too fast, at times.

On the other hand, Becca Fitzpatrick’s writing is smooth and easy to get into. Hush, Hush is a book that you can curl up with and finish within a couple of hours. For those of you who love Twilight, it’s a no brainer, you’ll adore Hush Hush. And for those of you who didn’t? Hush, Hush would still be a decent way to pass by a few hours.

Be sure to pick Hush, Hush up on Oct 12. when it's released!

Happy Reading,
Reader Rabbit

And the Winners are....

Chosen by the random number generator, the winners are..

Charlotte

lulubee183 (Wendy C)

Kate

Shawna

Indigo

Send us your addresses and we'll get the book sent out to you right away!