ARC Review: Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco + Fashion Sketches

Title: Stalking Jack the Ripper
Author: Kerri Maniscalco
Pages: 336 pages
Release Date: September 20th, 2016
Source: ARC from Jimmy Paterson
Genre: Historical Fiction, Young Adult, Mystery, Horror
Rating: 5/5 stars

Seventeen-year-old Audrey Rose Wadsworth was born a lord's daughter, with a life of wealth and privilege stretched out before her. But between the social teas and silk dress fittings, she leads a forbidden secret life.

Against her stern father's wishes and society's expectations, Audrey often slips away to her uncle's laboratory to study the gruesome practice of forensic medicine. When her work on a string of savagely killed corpses drags Audrey into the investigation of a serial murderer, her search for answers brings her close to her own sheltered world.

The story's shocking twists and turns, augmented with real, sinister period photos, will make this dazzling debut from author Kerri Maniscalco impossible to forget.

Buy it now!

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

** DISCLAIMER: The publisher was lovely enough to provide me with an advanced copy of the book. This has not affected my thoughts and opinions in this review **

God damn JIMMY Patterson Books really knows how to pick 'em. Stalking Jack the Ripper is the first acquisition that this publishing company decided to print, and they should feel proud for making such a big splash in the water. This book is a new refreshing take on Young Adult historical fiction. I have to admit that I was a little reluctant about getting into this book in the first place. The whole historical fiction aspect didn't really sell me. It wasn't until Twitter blew up with early praise that I knew I had to request a copy from the publishers.

Audrey Rose lives a sheltered life under the eye of her father, who wants to preserve her innocence and give her the life a young lady should have. Tortured by her curiosity, she can't seem to stay away from her uncle's practice with examining dead bodies. She's not your average Victorian young woman. Along with the help of an unlikely ally who is rather charming, Audrey Rose thinks she can catch the killer responsible for the frequent murders. As blood is spilled and she is falling head over heels for her partner, Audrey Rose realizes that she might not want to find the answer at the end of the tunnel.

My favorite part was the writing style. Kerri was able to effortlessly mimic the accent and the way people talked in Victorian times. It was done so so well that from time to time I liked to go back into the book just to read the dialogue between the characters. If I could give you only one reason to read this book, the writing style would be it!

Extra points for originality! In the back there is an entire explanation of the creative liberties that were taken. The entire story was, of course, based off of the infamous killer. It was fun to see the author create her entire world around the real murders and events. If I'm not mistaken, the women murdered in the book were real names from history. She took many creative liberties to give these women a backstory and a life beyond knowing they were murdered.

It really bothers me that this book is labeled under horror on Goodreads. I think it's so misleading because this book wasn't scary at all! That's coming from a girl who's got an affliction with horror books and movies. I've already had some people say to me that they don't plan on picking it up because it's supposedly 'scary'. It was bloody, cringe-worthy and kinda nasty (if you don't like dead bodies and brutal murders kind of way), but definitely not scary! I've seen a lot of other people say the same thing, and I really wished it were changed.

I'm trying (trying is the key word) to keep this review short and sweet because I've got something else to show ya'll. I really think this book is worth a read! It's so unique from any other historical fiction on the market, and I commend Kerri Maniscalco for putting so much blood (haha, you get it?) and sweat into her work. It really does show from the effortless writing style, impeccable character development and swoon-worthy romance. She's got all the typical elements of a YA novel without it being too cliche. I had a fantastic time flipping through this title and only hope it's everything you've been looking for as well! 

5 bees for a must-read!

Fashion Sketches from Victorian England 

My sister has this dream of being a fashion designer. I'm her number one fangirl, and I really wanted to feature one of her pieces on my blog. She originally created these pieces for her school play as costumes, but I really though they fit this book's time period. Hope you enjoy and definitely be sure to give my sister a follow on Instagram (@kristina.ang). 

ARC Review: The Star-Touched Queen by Roshani Chokshi

Title: The Star-Touched Queen
Author: Roshani Chokshi
Pages: 352 pages
Published: April 26th, 2016
Source: ARC from Brittany
Genre: Science Fiction, Fantasy, Young Adult
Rating: 3.5/5 stars

Fate and fortune. Power and passion. What does it take to be the queen of a kingdom when you're only seventeen?

Maya is cursed. With a horoscope that promises a marriage of Death and Destruction, she has earned only the scorn and fear of her father's kingdom. Content to follow more scholarly pursuits, her whole world is torn apart when her father, the Raja, arranges a wedding of political convenience to quell outside rebellions. Soon Maya becomes the queen of Akaran and wife of Amar. Neither roles are what she expected: As Akaran's queen, she finds her voice and power. As Amar's wife, she finds something else entirely: Compassion. Protection. Desire...

But Akaran has its own secrets -- thousands of locked doors, gardens of glass, and a tree that bears memories instead of fruit. Soon, Maya suspects her life is in danger. Yet who, besides her husband, can she trust? With the fate of the human and Otherworldly realms hanging in the balance, Maya must unravel an ancient mystery that spans reincarnated lives to save those she loves the most. . .including herself.

A lush and vivid story that is steeped in Indian folklore and mythology. The Star-Touched Queen is a novel that no reader will soon forget.

Pre-order now!

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

** Thanks to Brittany from Brittany's Book Ramble for the ARC **

What attracted me the most about this anticipated release was not the cover or the promised fantasy and science fiction elements. It wasn't the fact that this was one of the most sought after books in the blogosphere. Neither was it because the early reviews of this book have been raising the standards for this book and calling it a "masterpiece". It was simply because this book, you guys, is a standalone novel. 

Like seriously, how often do we see standalone YA fantasies nowadays. SCARCELY! So when this book was announced to have fantasy, mythology and a hint of Indian folklore, I was hooked and I knew that I needed to get this one in my hands ASAP. My wish came true when the wonderful and lovely Brittany sent me a copy!!

Maya is the narrator, a princess with a cursed horoscope. Because of her foretold curse of a "marriage of death and destruction" she is scorned by everyone, but her little sister Guari. Saved from an arranged marriage put together by her father, she has no choice but to put her fate in a stranger named Amar who promises to give her the one thing she's always wanted -- freedom. But silence turns to secrets and darkness turns to monsters as she discovers that Amar is not who he says he is and that there's something bigger than herself that she doesn't know about.

The writing is phenomenal. I know you've heard this in just about every review of this book but it's really a spectacle. Roshani Chokshi's knack for weaving worlds and use of imagery adds so much to the story and the mood. It's a great way to get lost in the book! I didn't think it was flowery at all.

Because this book is labeled under fantasy I immediately had the idea that it would be told from several different POVs. It didn't. I think the one person perspective really fit the story line. Unlike most YA fantasies, it was refreshing to hear the story from a single perspective rather than having many conflicting perspectives of people with different intentions.

I had a huge problem with the pacing. The beginning was exciting and very suspenseful with the arranged marriage and her father's hidden intentions. I don't remember the exact part where the story just started dragging for me but it was somewhere around the time when Amar saved Maya from the engagement ceremony. That was when the story really immersed itself into the bulk of India mythology, which was great. I had no problem with the aspects of mythology thrown in. I think because I wasn't familiar with the mythology beforehand, it was harder for me to understand. I constantly got lost in trying to write down information and understanding what was happening to the characters.

The book itself had a chilling and eerie vibe, which I absolutely adored. It's not with every book that you begin to develop goosebumps and hide under the covers of your bed. The atmosphere was very dark and at times, scary. The main protagonist always heard voices in the darkness surrounding her *makes ghostly sounds*

INDIAN MYTHOLOGY. The mythology, I believe, was really hit or miss. I grew up reading and learning about Greek mythology, and I don't think I was ready for the huge switch. India mythology is very different from Greek mythology. I think that although the author did a great job in terms of weaving together fiction and mythology, she lost me at times. It felt like the author was constantly adding several stories from mythology to find some connection to the characters that would make sense.

For one of my most anticipated releases of this year, I definitely wasn't completely satisfied. At some points in the middle I had the urge to put it down because of the slow pacing and the amount of mythology and new information that was being thrown at me. But I sucked up my gut and stayed till the end, which was great and satisfying! I can see why it really doesn't need a sequel. For fans of immersive fantasy books that read like you're in an entirely new universe with many twists and turns

. 

Kill the Boy Band by Goldy Moldavsky

Title: Kill the Boy Band
Author: Goldy Moldavsky
Pages: 320 pages
Published: February 23rd, 2016
Source: Hardcover from Books of Wonder
Genre: Dark Contemporary
Rating: 3.75/5

Okay, so just know from the start that it wasn't supposed to go like this. All we wanted was to get near The Ruperts, our favorite boy band.

We didn't mean to kidnap one of the guys. It kind of, sort of happened that way. But now he's tied up in our hotel room. And the worst part of all, it's Rupert P. All four members of The Ruperts might have the same first name, but they couldn't be more different. And Rupert P. is the biggest flop out of the whole group.

We didn't mean to hold hostage a member of The Ruperts, I swear. At least, I didn't. We are fans. Okay, superfans who spend all of our free time tweeting about the boys and updating our fan tumblrs. But so what, that's what you do when you love a group so much it hurts.

How did it get this far? Who knows. I mean midterms are coming up. I really do not have time to go to hell.

Buy it now!

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

 

No, I don't love One Direction. I don't listen to their music on loop and stalk their social media accounts. I don't have a serious infatuation with any of the members of any boy band. No, I don't stare at a computer screen waiting for tickets to be released. I don't do anything fangirl worthy of the sorts, but for some reason I adored this book.

There is something so enjoyable about scary and evil humor. It's a hybrid of something totally sarcastic and sadistic. 

The only qualm I had with this book was the lack of originality. I knew the history behind the boy band in the story would be based off of One Direction. I didn't expect it to be the exact same thing as One Direction! The backstory was exactly the same. A group of boys who meet on a singing competition show and are all grouped together because the judges thought they'd work better as a group. And they're British! I don't know about you but that sounds exactly like One Direction... What really kills me is that she didn't even try to be original. She could have said they were Australian or Asian, but British? Really? 

Moldavsky really thought the entire story through. Although it follows 4 fangirls and their plot to get near their favorite boy band, we only hear the from the voice of one of the characters. This was an interesting spin on what could have been a story told from 4 point of views. But now that I think about it, 4 would have been way too confusing and hectic. Especially choosing to tell the story from the weakest link in the group was ingenious.

There were actions of the characters that seriously irked me but were understandable, considering the circumstances they were put under. I wouldn't go as far as to say that I resented the characters because they, in more than one way, reflected me and my actions. If my friend kidnapped a member of a famous boy band, I would react just as Samantha (the protagonist). 

Not over the top or offensive to the species of fangirls/fanboys in any way. If anything, this book will make you question why you're a fangirl in the first place. In fact, she brings up some great philsophical points . It almost makes me proud to be a crazed human-being. 

"I don't know how it was in the days of yesteryear, but the fangirls of today are a way more sophisticated bunch. Loving someone so fiercely gave us permission to also be critical of them." 

- pg. 46, Kill the Boy Band by Goldy Moldavsky 

Finally a YA book that doesn't think romance is the only think keeping the genre afloat. No more pretentious romances and god-awful plot twists. We need more dark and sadistic contemporaries!

 I guess there's an inner boy-band lover in me after all. 

Meeting Goldy at the NYC Teen Author Festival @ Books of Wonder

The Girl From Everywhere by Heidi Heilig + GIVEAWAY!

Title: The Girl From Everywhere
Author: Heidi Heilig
Pages: 464 pages
Published: February 16th, 2016
Source: Hardback from Books of Wonder
Genre: Historical Romance YA
Rating: 4/5 stars

It was the kind of August day that hinted at monsoons, and the year was 1774, though not for very much longer.

Sixteen-year-old Nix Song is a time-traveller. She, her father and their crew of time refugees travel the world aboard The Temptation, a glorious pirate ship stuffed with treasures both typical and mythical. Old maps allow Nix and her father to navigate not just to distant lands, but distant times - although a map will only take you somewhere once. And Nix's father is only interested in one time, and one place: Honolulu 1868. A time before Nix was born, and her mother was alive. Something that puts Nix's existence rather dangerously in question...

Nix has grown used to her father's obsession, but only because she's convinced it can't work. But then a map falls into her father's lap that changes everything. And when Nix refuses to help, her father threatens to maroon Kashmir, her only friend (and perhaps, only love) in a time where Nix will never be able to find him. And if Nix has learned one thing, it's that losing the person you love is a torment that no one can withstand. Nix must work out what she wants, who she is, and where she really belongs before time runs out on her forever.

Buy it now! 

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble 

It seems as if 2016 is dominating in debuts with this one novel. If all debut novels are like Heidi Heilig's The Girl From Everywhere, I'm in trouble because there's not enough money in my wallet to afford all those hardcovers! Heidi's novel was one that I never planned on starting. I was waiting for her event to start in Books of Wonder and picked up the book out of sheer boredom. I honestly wasn't going to start the book until my April break, but I'm so glad I did. 

What do you get when you mix time travel with romance and an epic heist? You ultimately end up with The Girl From Everywhere. Attending the book launch Q&A was a big plus for anyone who wanted to understand more about why Heidi chose to write about time travel or why she chose the specific settings mentioned in the book. From modern day New York City, nineteenth-century Hawaii, to the ancient Qin Dynasty, the change in setting with always keep you entertained. I found it especially interesting how the author chose to focus on Hawaii, a paradise island where people only dream of going. There's so much myth that follows the island and it was so refreshing to see mythology play a major role.

The story follows Nix as she's traveling aboard the Temptation with her father and his crew. Her father has the ability to Navigate, which means you can travel anywhere, anytime as long as you have a map. With that map, you would travel back in time to where the map was showing and when the map was inked. Her father is obsessed with finding the map of 1868 Honolulu to reunite with his lost love, Nix's mother, and although he's gone through many maps, he can't seem to find one that will work. However, obtaining that map could mean the very end of Nix's existence. This concept was so ingenious. Who would ever think to use maps in time travel? NOT ME! 

At the same time, the time traveling aspect confused me tremendously. Sometimes I would get so lost in the historical information that I would look up the info on Google and go back to read, only to find myself back to square one. Keep in mind, I don't read historical fiction very often and it's normal for this type of thing to occur.

As I mentioned above there is a heist involved. I'd suggest reading the book to learn more about the heist and how it connects to the story (I'm trying to restrain myself from releasing spoilers into this review). The heist reminded me of the one in Six of Crows or Mistborn and it might be safe to say that I love reading books with a dangerous heist.

Romance didn't play a huge part at all but that's exactly what I expected. Relationships were vital to the story line and the character's decisions in the end. I know that Heidi Heilig values family and it was nice to see that idea come to life in the book.

The characters were the real MVP's of the book. Kashmir, my absolute favorite, reminded me of Aladdin and how he was a street urchin stealing a bunch of things from vendors. Plus, the ladies swooned over him... The main character was very much moral-filled but it wasn't to the point where she was a real pain. Well well, what would a book be without a pestering character of some sort? I couldn't stand reading about Nix's dad. He acted like some love-struck teenager that yearned for the past. WHY DON'T YOU FOCUS ON WHAT'S IN FRONT OF YOU? *ahem ahem* YOUR OWN DAUGHTER.

The Girl From Everywhere is a story you won't want to miss. There aren't many books based on time travel that can claim they've transported you into another world, but I believe this one did quite the job. With the author's prior knowledge of nineteenth-century Hawaii and a mix of ancient mythology, Heidi Heilig brings the true meaning of family and love in her debut YA novel. 

Check out my Instagram (@thebooksbuzz) to learn more about the giveaway. It's an Instagram giveaway where you can win a signed copy of Heidi's The Girl From Everywhere.