Review: The Ethan I Was Before by Ali Standish

The Ethan I Was Before is a story of family, friendship, heartbreak, and growth. Ultimately, it is an exploration into the way life changes you in the aftermath of a tragedy.

Twelve-year-old Ethan is in the throes of guilt and loss when the novel begins, believing himself to be responsible for the death of his best friend. He and his family have uprooted their lives, moving from Boston to a small town in rural Georgia, in order to give Ethan relief from his hardship and an opportunity for a fresh start. Despite this and other extreme efforts from his parents, nothing seems to alleviate his despondency—nothing, that is, until he befriends Coralee, a clever little girl with a big heart and some tall tales, who gives him what he feels is a second chance at friendship.

Because of trauma that goes undefined for a good portion of the book, Ethan's life is divided into rigid categories of the Before and the After. He knew who he was before the tragedy struck—daring, athletic, happy—but he is discombobulated and struggles to reorient himself afterwards. Losing his best friend, his good relationship with his family, his interests, his school, and even his city, Ethan is no longer recognizable even to himself, especially to himself.  

Standish impeccably conveys Ethan's heartbreak at such devastating loss and thoroughly demonstrates his inability to move past it. He is a highly reliable, relatable, and empathetic character whose struggles are so tangible that the reader yearns to relieve him of some of his burden. The reader feels a sensation of helplessness as he plods through the days and aches for nothing other than to be with someone he can no longer be with.

Ethan is not the only multi-dimensional character. There is his grandpa's struggle to get past his own heartbreak; there is Coralee's family dysfunction; there is his mother's childhood baggage. Nearly every other character is fleshed out enough to give the reader glimpses of rich, intricately woven inner lives. Every relationship in the book is both complex and realistic.

Set in Georgia, the location becomes a character of its own, impossible to deny or ignore. The South is present in the diction and dialogue of the characters. It is present in the names of characters and places, in the weather, in the mannerisms. It is present in the endangered red wolves, which later become a crucial part of the story.

Something changes about halfway through the novel. It seems to diverge from the story of Ethan's healing to something more akin to a mystery when Coralee and Ethan come into possession of several expensive pieces of jewelry. Then the story veers into something like a thriller when Ethan and Coralee brave the outdoors in the zenith of a hurricane. Initially there is some question about how these various components of the story will pertain to the beginning, but it is quickly evident that these pieces are easily reconcilable. All aspects of this book are woven together seamlessly. When the reader has questions, there will ultimately be answers.

The pace in which the story is told is drawn out, but never once does it feel slow. Rather, this measured clip adds to the story's allure and suspense. What exactly happened to Ethan's friend? What did his brother say to him that wounded him so severely, and what mounted a barrier between them? What is Coralee hiding? Why is Ethan's mother's relationship with her father so strained? Why does Ethan feel so guilty? What really happened to Kacey? All of those questions and more are answered in due time, but the reader must possess an element of patience.

Though this is a novel intended for young adults, it holds appeal for mature audiences as well. It speaks volumes about the power of friendship, family, healing, and forgiveness. It is a remarkable thing to witness Ethan's recovery, to watch him grow and heal from start to finish. The Ethan at the end of the book is shockingly different than the Ethan at the start, but he ultimately evolves into a person that is whole instead of a person that is fragmented.

This review was also published in Yes! Weekly. 

Review: The Rose Society by Marie (The Young Elites #2)

If The Young Elites was good, then The Rose Society transcended any and all of my expectations. It's darker, sexier, and just fuller than the first one. Adelina has truly come into her own.

Adelina is supposedly the villain in her own story, but she never feels that way to me. Never once do I feel any sort of resentment or hatred towards her. She may be hell-bent on her revenge, but Marie Lu writes in such a way that Adelina is completely justified for her thoughts and actions. I root for Adelina. I hate her enemies with her. I feel myself descending into her madness alongside her. She is always in the right.

My few complaints from the previous book have been completely nullified. While I originally had a problem with flip-flopping perspectives (Adelina's lengthy chapters told in first person and random, shorter chapters in third), I find this book much more consistent in its presentation. I even looked forward to the random breaks in Adelina's monologue, where the side characters take over. Maeve, Teren, and Raffaele are all complex, sophisticated characters, each with an ulterior agenda.

Marie Lu does an excellent job balancing the new characters with the old. She doesn't bog us down with too many of them. It's wonderful to meet this new cast and to get a more in depth experience of all of their individual powers.

I must say that I now get the *big deal* surrounding Teren. I found him rather tedious in The Young Elites, but now he seems to be one of the most complicated characters in the story. I'm beyond eager to see what will come into play for him in the next book.

On the other hand, in The Young Elites, Enzo was one of my favorite characters, and now I find his presence a tad... offensive. I suppose coming back from the Underworld would change anyone, but it's easy to resent him when one takes into account the hypocrisy with which he treats Adelina. It's like my perspectives have flipped. It's complicated. 

It's all complicated. And that's one of the most amazing things about it. All the characters are so real; the world itself is well planned. This story is built upon layer upon layer upon layer, each layer being gradually revealed to us as deeper and more tangled than the last. 

I am both dreading and eagerly anticipating the ending. Who am I kidding? I'm basically drooling over it, desperate for it. But the dread is still intact. The biggest reason for this is that I know from my previous experience with the Legend series that Marie Lu will not write easy or tidy endings. There will be finality and closure, yes, but it will most likely rip some hearts to shreds in the process. It will probably rip up my own. Oh, I love sad endings, but they are still tremendously difficult to read.

I really can't praise this series enough. It's not just that this is an impeccable book; it's also that Marie Lu is an impeccable writer. I fully intend to read anything and everything she publishes.

Review: Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare (The Infernal Devices #2)

Clockwork Prince picks up shortly after the conclusion of Clockwork Angel, although enough time has passed for both relationships and routines to be established. Tessa has come to feel at home in the Institute, so it is unfortunate that Charlotte's position of leadership there is threatened. If they do not find the Magister in a timely manner, then Charlotte will lose her authority, and Tessa will find herself homeless. Racing against the clock, the team struggles to outsmart the devious man who has been calculating his revenge for decades.

Not going to lie, this book took well over 100 pages to enrapture me, but, once it did, it was hard to look up for even a moment. As the story progressed, I forgot all about the earlier tedium and was swept away by this dark world.

Tessa really grows as a character in this. She is no longer married to the idea that she has to look and think like a proper lady. She is expanding her knowledge of the reality of the world and her ability to defend herself. She yearns to learn more about what she herself is and what she can do. There's just something about her in this book that makes her so much less delicate and so much more admirable.

I guess you could say she also grows... sexually as well. It would probably be difficult not to, what with fellows like both Jem and Will professing eternal and undying love for her. However, this love triangle thing is a dilemma, sometimes a brutal thing to read. It's especially difficult to experience because the reader becomes privy to things that the characters are not.  

This is something I have a problem with. We are allowed to be in the know because the perspectives from random characters appear throughout the book. Tessa is the primary narrator, of course. The role of secondary narrator probably belongs to Magnus Bane, but there are several other characters that have random, singular chapters throughout. I found this to be a little bit jarring and almost... too intimate. I felt like I had no business in knowing what was going on in a character's head for such a small number of pages and that their chapters exist only for the purpose of info-dumping. Had there been a little more consistency with the characters used, I possibly would not have even noticed it, let alone have been bothered by it.

I hate hate hate love triangles, even if they are done well- nay, especially if they are done well! Because if they are done well, then you fall a little bit in love with both parties, and your heart is going to be a little bit broken no matter what the outcome is. Most people seem to easily flock to one side or the other, but I (again, only if it's done well) flounder and flitter hopelessly between the two until I've mentally exhausted myself. This is truly a very trying process and is better left avoided most of the time.

This love triangle is particularly harsh for the following two reasons:

1. Because the two young men are not only best friends, they are parabatai (a very intense form of Shadowhunter partnership, more or less).

2. Because it's not so easy to blame Tessa for the awkward situation they are all in. If she were at all malicious or beguiling, then it would be simple to pin the blame on her and hate her. But she is not a hateful character, and therefore tension is just unbearable.

But she did not love anyone else in the world. These were the boys she loved. For better. And for worse.

It's a shame she can't just marry them both. And what about Magnus? He's still my favorite.

Really, there is a lot more to this series than just the aspect of romance. It takes place in an intricate, well-planned, and consistent universe with an ever-increasing panoply of supernatural creatures. As time passes, you can begin to see the story lines weaving together, although all of said lines are seamless. There is so much foreshadowing, but at the same time, no real hints. I was enraptured to learn the fate of Nate and Jessamine. I love the side characters, both the old ones and the new ones. I love the side romances-Henry and Charlotte, Sophie and Gideon.

Now I'm a little scared to read Clockwork Princess. Not because it will not be enjoyable, but because these characters are so very real and close to my heart that it's going to break no matter the conclusion.

Review: Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare (The Infernal Devices #1)

Let me start by saying I have not yet read the Mortal Instruments Series. Clockwork Angel is the first book I have read by Cassandra Clare, and I intend to read the rest of the Infernal Devices series before beginning Mortal Instruments. Ahem.

Clockwork Angel introduces us to Tessa Gray, concluding her journey from New York to London, where she expects her brother and a bright new life will be awaiting her. Unfortunately, neither expectation is present upon her arrival, and instead she is abducted by two hags who confine her in order to train her to "Change."

Apparently Tessa is able to turn into other people, to assume their bodies, personalities, and memories. She had no knowledge of this ability prior to her arrival in England, but her captors are both resilient and insistent in her training, and she becomes skilled in this ability quickly. When she is finally able to escape, thanks to the help of Will, she is exposed to a whole new world, filled with supernatural creatures and the politics that concern them. She meets the Clave of Shadowhunters, part angel and part human, who offer her sanctuary and aid in finding her brother in exchange for her help in return. 

My favorite thing about this book is the way that Cassandra Clare incorporates so many mythical creatures and combines them for one solid story. I don't often encounter books that deal with all this supernatural variety (angels, demons, faeries, vampires, warlocks, etc.) and make it work. You would think this many creatures would seem like overkill, but it really isn't. In fact, it all works together rather nicely.

I personally find it to be a good thing that the mystery of Tessa's origin is not immediately (or really, ever) revealed. It would certainly take away a lot from the merit of this story if it were all wrapped up neatly for us. But, at the same time, aside from a baseline frustration that comes along with wanting to know what's going on, I find this story well paced in the fact that it reveals its secrets in a timely fashion. It's not too drawn out, but things also aren't revealed entirely too soon. The former would make it irritating, and the latter would make it boring.

On the subject of Tessa's origin... how is she not ecstatic to discover what she is able to do? I realize that she is an 1800s lady and that there is a great deal of unpleasantness in this supernatural world, but she seems resentful of her abilities, or, at best, indifferent. Never once does she relish what she is able to do, nor does she appreciate the edge it gives her over everyone else. This is not mere shape-shifting (although that would be phenomenal all by itself); this is the ability to become another person or being, to know their thoughts, their pasts, their secrets. This is essentially the ability to become invisible, to walk through walls, to go anywhere or do anything, all because you can assume more than just a person's face; you can learn what they know, speak as they speak, do what they can do. I'll stop ranting about it, but, for the book's entirety, I was blown away at Tessa's response (or lack thereof) to her newfound power.

I loved the literary references thrown in throughout the book, particularly the reference to Dante and the cold ninth circle of hell. I often read about characters that proclaim to enjoy reading, but unlike many of them, Tessa truly seems to love it. She backs it up her claim with numerous titles, particularly relevant to the time period in which she lives. I've even taken a few of her beloved titles and added them to my To-Read shelf.

It would seem that we have a love triangle on our hands, although this one is much more subtle and less obnoxious than I find most others to be. Will and Jem are pretty solid characters, and I'm interested to see where this is going. But, personally, I am rooting for Jem, because I think bad boys are just a little overrated. On that note, it’s a shame that Magnus isn’t in the mix.

Ultimately this is the start to what appears to be a very solid series. I find it to be engaging and well researched, although I think bits of it are predictable, such as the fate of Tessa's brother and the true identity of the magister. But, for the most part, the twists are thrilling and the imagery is compelling. It’s certainly worth reading; this is obvious even from the beginning. I blinked and the first 100 pages had blown by.

Review: The Young Elites by Marie Lu (The Young Elites #1)

Adelina Amouteru is a maimed survivor of a blood fever that wiped out multitudes of adults and left even more children scarred. From this fever has risen a group called the Young Elites, marked young people with supernatural abilities born from their illnesses.

Adelina herself lost her mother and an eye to the sickness. For years, she has lived in fear of her hateful and volatile father who favors her beautiful and perfect sister, Violetta. When Adelina overhears her father making a bargain to sell her, she flees for her life and ends up killing her father with powers she did not know she possessed.

As always, I am blown away by the intricate world Marie Lu has woven together. I'm particularly impressed with this world because it is entirely original (or at least as original as a fictional world can be). Unlike Legend, which is dystopia, a future version of the world its readers live in, the world in The Young Elites has its own countries, creatures, races, religions, and even illnesses. I personally loved how detached from the reality this book is. It's been a long time since I've read a good fantasy. Every word and sentence in this book feels well thought out; it all seems to matter.

Not to mention how likable I find Adelina to be. For writers it's a difficult job to make a precocious character relatable to his or her audience. Much of the time they come across as pompous or holier-than-thou or just plain better, but Adelina seems like a very real person with a whole lot of reasons to give into the darkness that makes up her character.

And can I just add her darkness is fabulous? You don't often find this kind of legitimate dark emotion, especially not in YA. Despite the fact that it's fantasy, this sort of emotion is REAL, while so much else seems forced or insincere. There are some incredibly powerful scenes where Adelina is struggling with herself, half of her thrilling at her ability to make the world suffer and the other half lamenting over who she is becoming. I am ecstatic to find out in later books whether her powers seize control over her or if she will learn to tame them into submission.

One thing I do not like is the flipping back and forth between perspectives. I am very picky about this sort of thing anyway, but, since most of the book is told by Adelina, the other POVs seem unnecessary and honestly a little... inconsistent. The fact that other perspectives appear so infrequently makes them feel like a cop out; it's like those breaks exist only to tell the reader something that they couldn't learn from Adelina. This is fine, but I would have preferred either the whole story be told by Adelina or for it to have been broken up more steadily throughout AND for there to be consistency regarding first person and third person voice...

This is not to say that the other characters are not good or well rounded. In fact, I like most of them pretty well. There are a few who I do not care for-like Dante and Terren. This is not because they are bad characters (bad meaning "villainous"), but because they seem less complicated than the others. Dante never once wavers from whom I initially thought he would turn out to be. For that matter, neither does Terren. I have read plenty of reviews that say he turns out to be double-sided and deeper than he initially seems to be, but it never quite feels that way for me. He's also just the same character I thought he'd be.

Now Enzo... He's fantastic-dark and dangerous and complicated. The romance with him is subtle, but it's also filled with insatiable tension and holds the potential for so much more. 

Marie Lu has singlehandedly changed my mind about series. Until this year, I had a love-hate (mostly hate) relationship with them and I just could not fathom how so many authors stretch a book limp over the course of three or more books when it could have been a perfectly good standalone. However, Legend and now The Young Elites are proving to me what a good series is: fantastic world development, intricate characters, and intoxicating romance. 

Though I did not find this book to be quite as compelling as the Legend series, I am still anxious and excited to see what is waiting in The Rose Society.