Waiting on Wednesday (118)

For Darkness Shows the Stars by Diana Peterfreund

Generations ago, a genetic experiment gone wrong—the Reduction—decimated humanity, giving rise to a Luddite nobility who outlawed most technology.

Eighteen-year-old Luddite Elliot North has always known her place in this caste system. Four years ago Elliot refused to run away with her childhood sweetheart, the servant Kai, choosing duty to her family’s estate over love. But now the world has changed: a new class of Post-Reductionists is jumpstarting the wheel of progress and threatening Luddite control; Elliot’s estate is floundering; and she’s forced to rent land to the mysterious Cloud Fleet, a group of shipbuilders that includes renowned explorer Captain Malakai Wentforth—an almost unrecognizable Kai. And while Elliott wonders if this could be their second chance, Kai seems determined to show Elliot exactly what she gave up when she abandoned him.

But Elliot soon discovers her childhood friend carries a secret—-one that could change the society in which they live…or bring it to its knees. And again, she’s faced with a choice: cling to what she’s been raised to believe, or cast her lot with the only boy she’s ever loved, even if she has lost him forever.

Inspired by Jane Austen’s PERSUASION, FOR DARKNESS SHOWS THE STARS is a breathtaking romance about opening your mind to the future and your heart to the one person you know can break it.

I have been intrigued by this book ever since Diana announced its deal a while ago. A dystopian/steampunk-ish retelling of a Jane Austen novel? Yes, yes, a thousand times yes! (The Pride and Prejudice movie quote was totally unintentional, by the way.) Diana is remarkably good at writing realistic and relatable characters, and I can't wait to see how she does this. CANNOT. WAIT.

For Darkness Shows the Stars will be published in hardcover by Balzer + Bray on June 12, 2012.

Review: Rampant by Diana Peterfreund

Publication date: Aug. 25, 2009 (HarperTeen)

Tags: YA, fantasy, unicorns, virginity, hunters, conspiracy

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Summary

Unicorns have been extinct for 150 years, but 16-year-old Astrid’s lineage-obsessed mother doesn’t seem to know that. She keeps on insisting that their family is descended from Alexander the Great, and that only his virgin female descendants have the ability to slay the man-eating unicorns. Astrid doesn’t want to believe her mother, but a resurgence in the existence of unicorns forces her to a convent in Italy, where, along with other girls, she is to be trained in the art of unicorn hunting and killing.

Reluctantly learning a whole new set of skills is just the beginning of Astrid’s troubles, however. Her “classmates” vary in their attitudes towards their history, destiny, and each other, and someone seems to be planning something sinister to do with the unicorns. Like it or not, Astrid must embrace her natural hunting abilities and work towards a new future in which humans and unicorns both exist.

Review

Never have I read such an interesting story about unicorns as Diana Peterfreund’s RAMPANT. This book is jam-packed with lore and fighting without taking away from Peterfreund’s signature writing style.

Diana’s greatest ability is in making each and every character stand out without resorting to clichés. There are easily a dozen characters to keep track of, and yet no real effort is required to do so. Each character has a distinctive voice and his or her own motivations and vulnerabilities, and no one falls into character stereotypes. I admired this most about Diana’s writing from her Ivy League series, and am happy that her characters continue to be just as complex and interesting in her YA novel.

RAMPANT begins with a running start, which may be disorienting as Astrid discovers the reappearance of unicorns and gets sent off to Italy very quickly after the story begins. However, once within the cloister walls, details are fleshed out, characters introduced and shaped into whole beings, and the multifaceted story emerges. In RAMPANT, old clashes with new, both literally, as modern-day teenagers get dumped within the aging convent’s walls, and figuratively: it’s not just about killing unicorns, but rather the ethical implications of using ancient techniques in modern times.

While I found myself unable to connect with the characters as well as I did with those in the Ivy League series, Diana Peterfreund has still written a tale that is a force to be reckoned with. The allure of unicorns (an as-yet-unmined idea) and expert characterization will make RAMPANT an easy winner in the YA fantasy genre.

Similar Authors

Cassandra Clare

Libba Bray

Writing: 4/5

Characters: 3/5

Plot: 3/5

Overall Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Cover discussion: 2.5 out of 5 - Am I alone in liking the old cover better than the one they switched to? There's just something more virgin hunter-y about the old one, a "spark" that I feel the new one lacks. Both of them are attractive in their own rights, though.

A million thanks to Brooke, who was kind enough to send me her copy when she saw how much I wanted to read this one!

Waiting on Wednesday (1)

Hunger: a Gone Novel by Michael Grant

After the Thanksgiving weekend battle against Caine and the other snotty, rich, and troubled Coates Academy kids, the most pressing problem is... starvation. Due to a lack of supervision and authority, the kids--all 15 and under, as those over the age of 15 have disappeared mysteriously--are eating everything they want. Sam is under a lot of stress to keep it together, as he's generally looked upon as the leader. However, Caine is building up for another attack, Sam's friends are switching loyalties, and the mystery of why everyone older has disappeared continues to grow.

I really enjoyed Gone, the first novel in this purported six-part series (see my review here), and am looking forward to the sequel. Plus I think I am quite enamored of the cover. The brilliant bittersweet orange contrasts yet complements the blue tones of Gone's cover.

Hunger: a Gone Novel is being released in hardcover by HarperTeen on May 26, 2009.

Rampant by Diana Peterfreund

There are not enough stories out there about unicorns. And killer unicorns? Nope, don't recall there being any in the market about them. How about killer unicorns who can only be killed by the virgin descendants of Alexander the Great?

That's the premise for Diana Peterfreund's outrageous next novel, the next step in her (hopefully prolific) writing career after the Ivy League novels (which are also great; see my review of Secret Society Girl here). Astrid Llewelyn, who once laughed at her mother's silly stories about unicorns, is forced to confront her heritage and destiny when a unicorn attacks her boyfriend.

I think this book is going to be fantastic. Diana Peterfreund tackling a thoroughly original plot with her normal dose of strong and intriguing characters, wit, and creativity... what more could you ask for?

Rampant is being released in hardcover by Harper Collins on--oh, whoa!--May 26, 2009. Two good books to snatch up as soon as I can find them in the library, then..

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What books are you waiting for this Wednesday?

Review: Secret Society Girl by Diana Peterfreund

Wow! I am absolutely bowled over by the number of people who, like me, are excited about my contest! Thanks for participating, yay! And spread the word so that more people can have this exciting opportunity as well! Good luck all!!

So onto the review...

Secret Society Girl by Diana Peterfreund

Tags: college, secret societies, sexism

Amy Haskel is a junior at the esteemed Eli University, editor of the college literary magazine…and not much else. Which is why she is utterly surprised when she is “tapped” by one of the famed Eli secret societies—in fact, by THE most notorious secret society of all, Rose & Grave, for which admittance promises eternal job security, prime networking, and lifelong happiness, more or less.

Encouraged by her friend-with-benefits Brandon Weare to stop overthinking for once, Amy accepts Rose & Grave’s tap, and soon finds herself swept up in the strange new world of initiation and the company of people she would never have associated with if it weren’t for the common bond of their society: sons of governors and bitchy girls who did her wrong, for example. Surrounded by the rich, beautiful, accomplished, and famous, Amy feels extremely out of place, and wonders if she had been mistakenly tapped.

All of a sudden, a crisis descends that threatens to tear apart the whole society. Until Amy’s tap class, Rose & Grave had been exclusively a male-only society, and many of the old-fashioned patriarchs want to keep it that way. Amy and her new society siblings must scramble to come up with a plan that will keep Rose & Grave intact…and their futures out of the gutter.

SECRET SOCIETY GIRL marks the beginning of a series that is unlike most female-protagonist, secret-society books in that it is actually intelligent and funny. I found myself laughing out loud at many spots, and Amy is a wonderful protagonist, a girl with a backbone and a splendidly snark-filled voice. Of course, there are still plenty of romantic entanglements to satisfy our natural desire for, well, desire. I’m excited to pick up the next book in the series and devour it like I did this one!

You'll like this if you also like...

Megan McCafferty

E. Lockhart (The Disresputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks)

Rating: 4.5/5

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I'm excited for Waiting for Wednesday tomorrow, because... well, you know.... guess you'll see....