Review: THE SWEETEST THING by Christina Mandelski

THE SWEETEST THING by Christina Mandelski
Young Adult
EgmontUSA
Hardcover, 336 pages
May 10, 2011

From Goodreads:

In the world of Sheridan Wells, life is perfect when she's decorating a cake. Unfortunately everything else is a complete mess: her mom ran off years ago, her dad is more interested in his restaurant, and the idea of a boyfriend is laughable.

But Sheridan is convinced finding her mom will solve all her problems - only her dad's about to get a cooking show in New York, which means her dream of a perfect family will be dashed.

Using just the right amount of romance, family drama, and cute boys, The Sweetest Thing will entice fans with its perfect mixture of girl-friendly ingredients.

The cover: Multicolored sprinkles in the shape of a heart, the soft lilac at the top... this cover caught my eye not only because it made me crave sugar cookies (always a good thing), it is softer and sweeter (pun intended) than most YA covers I've seen recently.

The book: THE SWEETEST THING was as refreshing as a cold fountain Coke at the beach. Since I've begun reading YA, I feel like I've read incarnations of every paranormal or legendary creature there is, every adventure with world-wide consequences possible, every horrific rendering of our future imaginable. Granted, I've yet to read many of the great YA contemporary novels, but SWEETEST is a lovely change from the doom and gloom, dirt and dust, that is currently in vogue.

Sheridan (and I do love that name, especially since there is a reason her parents' picked it) is a normal girl with a very dysfunctional family, a best friend who might just be her perfect guy, and a reputation as "Cake Girl." She can whip up cakes in her grandmother's bakery with more skill than The Cake Boss and Ace of Cakes combined, but when it comes to dealing with her mother's abandonment, Sheridan just can't let go. I waivered in my opinion of Sheridan's mother, who is off the page for most of the book, wondering if she could possibly as good as Sheridan believes, or as awful as those surrounding her hint. Sheridan's father shielded her from the truth about her mother for many years, and when the truth finally does come out, I appreciated the complexity and skill with which Mandelski reconciles Sheridan's hopes to fact.

It was pure fun reading the descriptions of Sheridan's cakes. It made me ache to pick up my apron and a spoon and get in the kitchen to attempt some of Cake Girl's gum paste, modeling chocolate, and fondant confections.

There is a subplot about Sheridan's religious faith that I find lacking in many books (except for the many dytopians I've read recently that look back and laugh at their idiot ancestors' antiquated beliefs) and therefore enjoyed deeply. Sheridan's question of faith is handled with a light touch, and very subtely at that, but it was nice to see faith wrestled with in a YA novel.

If you are looking for a quiet, fun novel that proves worlds don't have to crumble to tell a good story, this one might be for you.

Recommended especially for: Lovers of sweet contemporary romance, fans of baking shows.

ARC courtesy of Star Book Tours.

Review: WITHER by Lauren DeStefano

WITHER by Lauren DeStefano
Young Adult
Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
Hardcover, 368 pages
March 22, 2011

From Goodreads.com:

What if you knew exactly when you would die?

Thanks to modern science, every human being has become a ticking genetic time bomb—males only live to age twenty-five, and females only live to age twenty. In this bleak landscape, young girls are kidnapped and forced into polygamous marriages to keep the population from dying out.

When sixteen-year-old Rhine Ellery is taken by the Gatherers to become a bride, she enters a world of wealth and privilege. Despite her husband Linden's genuine love for her, and a tenuous trust among her sister wives, Rhine has one purpose: to escape—to find her twin brother and go home.

But Rhine has more to contend with than losing her freedom. Linden's eccentric father is bent on finding an antidote to the genetic virus that is getting closer to taking his son, even if it means collecting corpses in order to test his experiments. With the help of Gabriel, a servant Rhine is growing dangerously attracted to, Rhine attempts to break free, in the limited time she has left.

The cover: Am I the only one who thinks the cover model looks like Lauren Conrad? I was drawn to the cover because — Hey! Is that Lauren Conrad? — but the geometric designs, which continue throughout the book, and the juxtaposition of soft, flowing dress versus wild, frizzy hair piqued my interest. The cover is more symbolic than literal, but it does a lovely job in conveying DeStefano's dark, lush setting, as well as main character Rhine's deep inner conflict.

The book: I love the name Rhine, and I was relieved that her twin was not called Rhone.

As the narrator, Rhine is very aware of herself, even as she tries to define her own intense, contentious emotions and the motivations of those around her. WITHER is a harrowing but captivating read. Each time I set it down, I itched to pick it back up, wondering what the next page would bring.

Rhine and her sister wives are vividly painted. I was pleased that Ms. DeStefano did not take the very done route of jealous wives fighting over their shared husband. WITHER is deeper than that, and while the relationship between Rhine and her sister wives is complicated, and at times tinged with jealousy, it is not the defining factor in their interactions. The details of Rhine's life within her captor/husband's mansion, as well as her longing to be free, even at the cost of security, are richly depicted, though I would have liked a clearer physical description of Linden and his menacing father, Housemaster Vaughn.

The way in which the world, post-apocalypse, actually functioned left me confused. Sometimes the world seemed desolate and desperate, and sometimes it seemed as if nothing but the addition of new technologies and the shortening of human lives had changed. Maybe this is Ms. DeStefano's intention, to underscore the fact that society had digressed into one of extreme haves and have-nots, where some live like rats and others like kings?

The Chemical Garden Trilogy, of which WITHER is the first book, has me intrigued. After finishing WITHER, I ran to the computer to see if any information was available about the second book, but so far, no luck. I wonder how the rest of the trilogy will proceed. Will we pick up Rhine's story? Other characters from Linden and Vaughn's world? Rhine's brother, Rowan? Or will it go in a direction like Susan Beth Pfeffer's LIFE AS WE KNEW IT books, in which a new set of characters within the same world are introduced? Ms. DeStefano offers a few clues, but I look forward to finding out for sure when a description of the second book comes out.

Recommended especially for: Lovers of dystopian, strong female characters, and stories about longing for freedom.

ARC courtesy of Holly Dodson.

Review: THE FALSE PRINCESS by Eilis O'Neal

THE FALSE PRINCESS by Eilis O'Neal
Young Adult Fantasy
Egmont USA
Hardcover, 336 pages
Releases January 25, 2011

From Amazon.com:

Princess and heir to the throne of Thorvaldor, Nalia's led a privileged life at court. But everything changes when it's revealed, just after her sixteenth birthday, that she is a false princess, a stand-in for the real Nalia, who has been hidden away for her protection. Cast out with little more than the clothes on her back, the girl now called Sinda must leave behind the city of Vivaskari, her best friend, Keirnan, and the only life she's ever known.

Sinda is sent to live with her only surviving relative, an aunt who is a dyer in a distant village. She is a cold, scornful woman with little patience for her newfound niece, and Sinda proves inept at even the simplest tasks. But when Sinda discovers that magic runs through her veins - long-suppressed, dangerous magic that she must learn to control - she realizes that she can never learn to be a simple village girl.

Returning to Vivaskari for answers, Sinda finds her purpose as a wizard scribe, rediscovers the boy who saw her all along, and uncovers a secret that could change the course of Thorvaldor's history, forever.

The ARC cover

The cover: I was drawn to the original ARC cover (see right) because of the unique coloring of Sinda's dress, as well as the strange look on her face, which made me want to know why she stared off the cover in that peculiar way. However, I like the final cover better. I find books with partial faces (especially those that hide the eyes) very mysterious. These type of covers nearly always get a second glance out of me. Also, there's something about the set of Sinda's lips and chin in the final cover that portrays her inner-strength far better than the original.

The book: At first I was hesitant to read THE FALSE PRINCESS because of the kingdom's name - Thorvaldor. I put that name together with the genre and expected the book to be full of unpronounceable, multi-vowels-in-a-row fantasy names. You know the type: Eaoymmx. Thomaldanorfius. Something crazy like that. And while there were unique names, they weren't of the crazy, totally-made-up, subscribes-to-no-language's-rules kind. They were original, creative names.

PRINCESS drew me in from the first chapter. I enjoyed the magical system within the book, which was structured while remaining dangerous and slightly wild. The book had a subtle fairy-tale vibe to it, and I loved the way Ms. O'Neal does not hesitate to make her darlings suffer.

The one thing that bothered me was minor: the book dated itself. I no longer have it in front of me to reference, but I believe it took place in the 1100s. I would've preferred it remain a vaguely medieval, vaguely European story; dating it made historical facts and anachronisms run through my brain, blurring a bit of the make-believe fun.

I enjoyed following Sinda's journey as she learned her true identity, fell a few times, and picked herself up, building a new, better life in the process. The romantic aspect of the book was believable and well-earned. The mystery kept me guessing until the end, and the ending was satisfying without being too "neat." I'd love to read a sequel or a companion novel set in Sinda's world.

Especially recommended for: Fantasy-lovers; those who love novels about princesses (or royalty in general), mistaken identity, and overcoming seemingly impossible odds.

ARC courtesy of Star Book Tours.