Set the Stars Alight

Set the Stars Alight
By Amanda Dykes
Published by: Bethany House
Publication Date: June 30, 2020

Description:
Lucy Clairmont's family treasured the magic of the past, and her childhood fascination with stories of the high seas led her to become a marine archaeologist. But when tragedy strikes, it's Dashel, an American forensic astronomer, and his knowledge of the stars that may help her unearth the truth behind the puzzle she's discovered in her family home.
 Two hundred years earlier, the seeds of love are sown between a boy and a girl who spend their days playing in a secret sea cave, while the privileged young son of the estate looks on, wishing to join. As the children grow and war leads to unthinkable heartbreak, a story of love, betrayal, sacrifice, and redemption unfolds, held secret by the passage of time. As Lucy and Dash journey to a mysterious old estate on the East Sussex coast, their search leads them to a community of souls and a long-hidden tale that may hold the answers--and the healing--they so desperately seek.

Review:
This book has so much going for it--there are wonderful characters (both the main and secondary characters), two storylines (the contemporary one with Lucy and Dash, and the one set two hundred years ago, with Frederick), each of which is compelling, a mystery, family dynamics of both the heartbreaking and heartwarming variety, sweet stories passed from Lucy's father to her and Dash, love stories, and so much more--and it's all wrapped up in this beautiful writing style. There are lots of great authors in the world, but only a few of them have this almost mystical storytelling ability, and Amanda Dykes has it. This is one of those books that you want to hurry through because you HAVE to know what's going to happen but that you also want to read slowly so you can savor every single bit...and that you then want to go back and re-read as soon as you finish. Very, very well done. This will be very well-loved by many, many readers.
5 stars.
I read an ARC provided by the publisher via #NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Prodigy

Prodigy

By Marie Lu

Putnam, 2013. 384 pgs. Teen fiction (I read the ARC)

Summary:

Day and June have escaped from the Republic soldiers and make their way to join the Patriots; although they aren't entirely certain that they want to work with the Patriots, they figure joining them is the only way to get Day the medical attention that he needs and to try to get his little brother out of the hands to the Republic. After declaring their allegiance to the Patriots, they're told what their new assignments are: June is to return to the Republic and win the trust of the new Elector, Anden, by telling him of a plot against his life, all the while leading him into the true plot, where Day will assassinate him. As they settle into their responsibilities, both Day and June wonder if they're doing right thing, if assassination is really the right answer, and if they can trust anyone--including each other.

Review:

This sequel to Legend should have fans of the series frustrated, in that GOOD way that means the author has gotten you all emotionally invested in a book and taken characters (and by extension, readers), to somewhere they needed to go, even if it's painful. There's going to be a LOT of yelling, frustration, exclamations of disbelief, etc. as readers suffer through the last couple of chapters of this book and realize that they're going to have to wait a long time for any sort of resolution. That's not a bad thing, though--other than the fact that it's quite possible that the ending is going to leave readers crying or having panic attacks. 

There were a couple things I didn't necessarily like about book: for starters, Day and June's relationship. It seemed liked there's supposed to be this magnetic, hot attraction...but it felt forced sometimes. The emotion just seemed to be lacking sometimes. I was actually somewhat more intrigued by the developing love triangles (yes, plural--both Day and June have someone else who is interested in them, and who they could possibly develop feelings for) than the relationship between Day and June, for a lot of the book. Not all of it...but a lot of it. Also, perhaps a small note, and something that could probably be easily corrected in the final edition, but there seemed to be an over usage of parenthesis. Now, obviously, I'm a fan of them myself, but I have to say if the reader starts noticing how often you're using parenthesis, you're probably using them too often. What's the big deal, you ask? Well, I think it made the writing awkward; it seemed weak. A few parenthesis here and there is fine, but when you have several in a row, that can be a warning sign, and in this case, I think was indicative of Lu not always knowing how to incorporate descriptive details and internal dialogue into the rest of the sentence or paragraph. Unfortunately, that can jolt the reader out of the flow of the book, and I hope there's some revision to address that problem before the actual publication of the book.

Anyway, parenthesis aside, it's still an engaging book, with a good plot twists and a believably bad government. We get a look a really interesting new character (the new elector), and I'm excited to see what happens in the third book.

4 stars. A little bit of language and some making out.

How to Save a Life

How to Save a Life
By Sarah Zarr
Little, Brown, 2011. 341 pgs. Teen fiction

Jill is a senior in high school when her mother decides she's going to adopt a baby; via the internet she has "met" a young mother who is willing to give up her baby, but she wants it done without lawyers and agencies. Jill has tried to convince her mother that this is a bad idea, that she's just grieving for her late husband and that she can't just impulsively adopt a child. And yet, her mother invites Mandy to come stay with them in the weeks before the delivery. At first, Jill, who has cut herself off from pretty much everyone since her father's death, can't stand Mandy or the idea of her being there, and she's certain Mandy isn't telling the truth about a lot of stuff (and she isn't). And yet, as the time passes, it turns out that Mandy and her baby might be exactly what Jill and her mother need.

Jill and Mandy alternately narrate this novel of love and healing and hope. Each girl has struggles that readers, although perhaps not in the exact same situation, will be able to relate to and will be able to take hope from the changes and healing that come about for the two protagonists. Both girls have moments when they're frustrating, but it never goes over the top, which means Zarr nailed the personality of the normal teenager without antagonizing readers. There's some language and off-screen sex, and it tackles hard issues so it's probably best for mature readers. I'd be putting off reading this one for months for some reason (maybe because I didn't particularly like Zarr's book Sweethearts), but I'm definitely glad it made it's way to the top of my list. It's a rewarding book for those who looking for a little insight into life and love. It's also the sort of book that invites you to compassion--I think I might have sided with Jill on some things (like it being really weird for a mom to invite a pregnant teenager to their home without getting more information and stuff), and I tend to be a little judgmental myself, like Jill, and so as a reader, it was good for me to be able to see Mandy's point of view and gain a little compassion and be able to grow along with Jill.

I listened to the downloadable audiobook. The narrator who did Mandy's voice was a little grating at first but grew on me by the end; the narrator for Jill's voice was very good.

4 stars.

Legend

Legend

By Marie Lu

G. P. Putnam's Sons, 2011. 305 pgs. Teen fiction

Summary:

Day and June come from totally different worlds, even though they are both citizens of the Republic of America. June has been raised as a privileged member of the elite class, a military prodigy who scored a perfect 1500 on her Trial--something that has earned her some special opportunities but also leaves her a little too precocious for her own good. Day, however, is a poor criminal, a Trial failure who escaped from the government and and now is working against them. While he's never gone so far as to defect to the Colonies (the Republic's enemy that makes crazy claims they used to be one united country) or joined the Patriots (a group within the Republic working against the military government), he gets in his punches when he can. His latest challenge, though, is finding a cure for the plague that has infected his little brother. As Day is trying to protect his family, June is hunting him, determined to bring him to justice for killing her beloved brother.

Review:

Told in chapters alternating between Day's point of view and June's, this book does a great job conveying the inequity in this society. Both Day and June are interesting characters, and this is a book that could appeal to both male and female readers. It's also a good dystopia for reluctant readers; some dystopias are kinda detail-overloaded (at least for a reluctant reader), but this one is deep enough without getting too deep (in a totally good way). I assume this will be the start of a new series, but it doesn't have a cliffhanger ending, either, so readers will be satisfied with it as a stand-alone, too.

4 stars. Clean read...I think. I can't remember any language and there is definitely no sex. Some violence, but not described in gory detail.