"Red Queen" by Victoria Aveyard

Red Queen is the first book in a young adult fantasy series. This book is extremely popular and can be found pretty much anywhere. However, I have seen some mixed reviews. Some readers really loved it and could not wait for the second book whereas others felt that the book resembled too much other popular YA books such as The Hunger Games and The Mortal Instruments. Honestly, Red Queen did not remind me of any books I've read (including the ones I just mentioned), so I really enjoyed it.

A few words about the plot. The society in this book is divided by blood. Silver bloods are the ones with power and wealth. They also have magic/supernatural abilities: some of them command the wind, others - water, yet others are great healers, etc. Red bloods are poor with no magic abilities, and they basically serve the silvers and lead very miserable lives. Our main heroine Mare is a red blood by birth who quite unexpectedly exhibits some supernatural abilities that only silver bloods should be able to have.

The book is fast-paced and very well written. I did get a bit frustrated about half-way through because the entire fate of the state seemed to be put into the hands of two teenagers. However, if you get to that point, do not be fooled. The book is written from Mare's perspective, and you get her point of view with all the innocence and inexperience of a seventeen-year-old who had never dealt with politics or court intrigue. So in that sense, the perspective is very realistically written. I saw this once I finished the book and had time to reflect on it. I loved how the book ended and how all the plot lines were tied off. The ending also has a perfect set up for the sequel. I will definitely be continuing with this series. I liked this book much more than The Queen of Tearling, which I reviewed in the beginning of the month (see my complete review here).

"Wild: from Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail" by Cheryl Strayed

This was a slow read for me mostly because I saw the movie and then picked up the book. Since I already knew the story I did not feel rushed to get to the end. Instead, I slowly over a period of several weeks read this book little by little. This is non-fiction. Cheryl Strayed writes about her own experience of hiking the Pacific Crest Trail in the mid-nineties. The movie (starring Reese Witherspoon) is very true to the book. This story is not just about one young woman hiking the trail by herself. It is also, in her own words, the story of what brought her to the trail and of walking her way back to who she was.

Cheryl Strayed's life had fallen apart when she was a young woman attending college: her mother was diagnosed with terminal cancer at the age of 45 and died very quickly after that. Cheryl and her mother had been very close and the grief she felt after her passing set her on a path of self-destruction. Cheryl breaks her husband's heart by cheating on him multiple times, dangerously indulges in alcohol and drugs, drops out of school and persists in hurting herself and those close to her in an attempt to forget her own terrible pain of losing her mother.

The book is very raw and written from the heart. I could really feel Cheryl's suffering even though personally I could not relate to the choices she was making. People deal with pain differently. And her way was at all cost trying to forget. The thing I do admire about Cheryl is that at some point she decided to do this hike as a way of finally dealing with grief and resolving the issues that were making her hurt. With no prior serious hiking experience and very little resources, she puts everything she's got (financially, physically and emotionally) into getting to the trail and staying on it. Being alone in the wild and focusing on very basic needs (staying warm/cool, eating, getting enough water, etc) distracts her from wallowing in pain. She also has a lot of time to think about her past, and realizes that life is worth living; she will be okay despite hitting some rough patches. She learns to forgive herself and others and finally comes to terms with her past and begins to look forward to the future. I definitely recommend this book as well as the movie. It is not a story of what she did to hurt herself, it is the story of how she got out of it. Here are a couple of my favorite quotes from the book:

"Fear, to a great extent, is born of a story we tell ourselves, and so I chose to tell myself a different story from the one women are told. I decided I was safe. I was strong. I was brave. Nothing could vanquish me. " p. 51

"[Books] were the world I could lose myself in when the one I was actually in became too lonely or harsh or difficult to bear - p. 105"

"The Girl at Midnight" by Melissa Grey

This was another review book which is coming out April 28, 2015 - so very soon. This is the first book in a young adult fantasy series. I definitely see why it is marketed to the fans of "The Mortal Instruments" and "Shadow and Bone" series. There are elements from both of those present in "The Girl at Midnight". However, the plot itself is quite different and original. The story follows a girl (Echo) who ran away from home when she was very little and ended up living in the New York city public library. There, she one night meets a strange lady who takes her in. The lady, however, is not human but of a race called Avicen. Thus Echo discovers a hidden world populated with other races who practice magic, travel instantly through space and live very long lives compared to humans. Echo cannot help but feel different and desperately tries to fit in. She also finds herself caught between two ancient races embroiled in a centuries-long war. The stakes are quite high for her. Will she be able to find a key to ending this old conflict or will she be tried by the Avicen for treason?

In the beginning, I had trouble getting into the book simply because I could not relate to the main character. She seemed annoying and frankly very unrealistic to me. However, as the plot progressed I could not put the book down. I thought the world and the races in this novel were very interesting. The writing is beautiful, and I also really liked the male protagonist in the story. The book is written from several different points of view, but it is done very well. I could immediately understand whose perspective I was reading and the story itself unfolded very well this way. I will definitely be picking up the sequel although I am not particularly fond of love triangles, and this story definitely has one. Overall, a great read and I definitely recommend it. 

"The Miniaturist" by Jessie Burton

There is no simple way to describe this book. Set in Amsterdam in late 1600s, the book follows young Nella Brandt who arrives at the house of her new husband, a wealthy merchant named Johannes. Nella is overwhelmed and confused by what she encounters in her new house: her husband is distant, her sister-in-law is arrogant and seems to be in charge of the entire household, and the servants are independent-minded and outspoken. She feels lonely and sad until her husband purchases her a cabinet house - a miniature replica of their life. The cabinet has an eerie resemblance to their actual house and is populated with miniature dolls that look exactly like the actual members of the Brandt household. With each package, the miniaturist seems to either be predicting what's to come or revealing secrets hidden behind the closed doors of the Brandt household.

I went into this book knowing close to nothing about the plot. In hind side, it was the best way to read this book, in my opinion. The story is not fast paced, but as it progresses new shocking information is revealed about the life of the Brandt household. The atmosphere of the 17th century Holland is recreated perfectly. The outward piety and religious fervor of citizens are just a cover for greed, intolerance and hypocrisy. The plight of women during that period is very well described. As I read the book, I couldn't help but wonder what it must have felt like to be shut up in the house, being good only for birthing children, and having no other prospects in life. The female characters in this book are all extraordinary: strong, smart, compassionate, and yet completely dependent on men. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and highly recommend it to all fans of historical fiction.

"The Queen of the Tearling" by Erika Johansen

This is the first book in a fantasy trilogy set in a post-apocalyptic world where most of modern technology has been lost, but the world somehow acquired magical/supernatural powers. Unfortunately, the plot and the world building did not work for me.

I wanted to like this book so much.... I was really excited to read it, but I feel that the beginning of the book lacks consistency and common sense in so many areas that it sets the wrong tone for the entire book. For one, Kelsea, the young queen of Tearling, is raised in complete isolation and gains knowledge only through books and conversations with her foster parents. Yet, during the first days in the outside world she shows so much "worldly" knowledge as to be simply unbelievable to the reader. For example, she can "read" people and faces even though she had interacted with only two human beings up to that point. Also, for a nineteen year old girl who had led a very sheltered life, she is way too comfortable with such concepts as violence, sex, rape, and immorality. I also found the way the guards were treating her very unrealistic and inconsistent with the overall storyline. If they were sworn to protect her and maintained loyalty to her even while she was in hiding, I feel they should have been exhibiting more respect towards her person from the very beginning, even if it was simply honoring the title rather than her personally. Their conduct and attitude around her during their travel to the capital city was just completely illogical.

Despite such a weak beginning, I decided to stick with the book and continued reading. The story does get better in the second half of the book and I am curious to find out what happens next. So I am giving this novel 3 out of 5 stars simply because it kept me interested and because it had so much potential. I hope the sequel is stronger.

UPDATE: Now that I read the entire trilogy, I do love and highly recommend this series. The first book just does not work very well on its own. Taken as a whole, the series is great, one of my favorites now. Cannot wait to re-read it!