Summary - Sylvie Davis is a ballerina who can’t dance. A broken leg ended her career, but Sylvie’s pain runs deeper. What broke her heart was her father’s death, and what’s breaking her spirit is her mother’s remarriage—a union that’s only driven an even deeper wedge into their already tenuous relationship.

Uprooting her from her Manhattan apartment and shipping her to Alabama is her mother’s solution for Sylvie’s unhappiness. Her father’s cousin is restoring a family home in a town rich with her family’s history. And that’s where things start to get shady. As it turns out, her family has a lot more history than Sylvie ever knew. More unnerving, though, are the two guys that she can’t stop thinking about. Shawn Maddox, the resident golden boy, seems to be perfect in every way. But Rhys—a handsome, mysterious foreign guest of her cousin’s—has a hold on her that she doesn’t quite understand.

Then she starts seeing things. Sylvie’s lost nearly everything—is she starting to lose her mind as well?

Review - The Splendour Falls is another title that has dipped me into the murky and magical world of the South. Secrets, spells and family legacies are aspects that immediately capture my attention and this book was no different. However, at 512 pages, much of this intrigued was diluted and negatively impacted the pacing of the book. At times I was wondering how much more I could read about a dog barking or performing weird antics.

The strength of this novel is the mystery that swirls around Sylvie's family and how it plays into the current marina being proposed in the town. There's plenty to keep you interested between Sylvie's personal growth, the well being of her family's property to her interactions with two handsome guys. Characterisation is relatively strong though I do wish that the guys that are battling over her had been fleshed out more.

Rosemary Clement-Moore was an author who's work I was unfamiliar with prior to this book and I would definitely read more of her titles.

Published: September 8, 2009
Format: ARC, 518 pages
Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Source of Review Copy: publisher
Origin: USA

Summary - Jill Jekel has always obeyed her parents’ rules – especially the one about never opening the mysterious, old box in her father’s office. But when her dad is murdered, and her college savings disappear, she's tempted to peek inside, as the contents might be key to a lucrative chemistry scholarship.

To better her odds, Jill enlists the help of gorgeous, brooding Tristen Hyde, who has his own dark secrets locked away. As the team of Jekel and Hyde, they recreate experiments based on the classic novel, hoping not only to win a prize, but to save Tristen’s sanity. Maybe his life. But Jill’s accidental taste of a formula unleashes her darkest nature and compels her to risk everything – even Tristen’s love – just for the thrill of being… bad.

Review - Beth Fantaskey's debut, Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side, was a snarky and often amusing take on vampires. Fantaskey's sophomoric release, Jekel Loves Hyde, is a deeper exploration of a person's duality, familial and romantic love. Other than a mild supernatural theme and references to classic horror fiction, these titles are two different kinds of beasts. It's brave that the author has forgone the tone that saw her amass many fans and trying something different.

Jill is a loner, more interested in tolerating high school until she's finally out of there. She hasn't ever really experienced life due to her own hermit-ism and the sheltered existance of her parents. This all changes when her father is brutally murdered and Tristan offers some kind words when everyone else (including her depressed mother) switch off. While Jill ultimately undergoes the most change in this novel, it's Tristan who's the most interesting. Struggling with his own dual persona, a family legacy, he's struggling to grapple with an event in his past and a nightmare foretelling his future.

While the love story was an element of the story, it's the family element that is the strongest. How the sins of our forefathers can affect us generations later. How manipulative an obsessed individual can be against their own families. The nature of violence and how anger makes reason fly through the window. Jekel Loves Hyde is a completely different kettle of fish with it's dark introspection, heart pounding lust and mysterious overtones. It's a heavier read that really makes the reader take in the smaller details amidst the all encompassing emotions that swirl throughout.

I can't wait to see what Fantaskey comes out with next.

Published: May 3, 2010
Format: ARC, 288 pages
Publisher: Harcourt Children's Books
Source of Review Copy: publisher
Origin: USA

http://www.bethfantaskey.com

Not to alarm any of you but I am currently in hospital. Why am I writing this instead of resting? Because I am incredibly bored and my eye sight is a little fuzzy from the drugs and reading isn't so much of an option.

I had some surgery that will make it possible for my oesphagus to function correctly again. Trust me to develop a condition that makes it nearly impossible to eat or drink and strikes mainly those people enjoying retirement. I am a complete medical mystery. (Plus side, I have lost a crapload of weight).

I have been cut, stitched and poked. I am sore but the drugs are lovely. This may explain why I haven't been around the blog or twitter traps the last few days. I am extremely happy because Christmas turkey is a possibility for my stomach on the 25th...it was a shallow goal, but one worth celebrating nevertheless!

Mwah to you all
Adele

As most readers of this blog are aware, I am a voracious Melina cheerleader and I was ecstatic to learn that she'd won this award in January. Here is her speech from the July ceremony.


Owing to incredibly good timing on my part, Melina was writing me a guest post when she found out that she'd been awarded such an honour. She asked if it was okay if she wrote about the week that followed to which I said "YES". You can read it here.

I don't know why I am doing this...actually I do. I am feeling pretty blergh (aka sick) today and I don't have anything to post. The only thing on hand is my NaNo piece. Sigh.

So here is the first and last glimpse you will have of my untitled piece for the 2009 NaNoWriMo challenge in all it's unedited glory.

Welcome short excerpt from Day 1:

She glared at him, trying to shrug off his entwined arm. This was his fault. She might have gone if he hadn’t felt it completely necessary to see his ailing grandmother. Actually, she wouldn’t have. Adam would have bitched and moaned but she would have stood resolute. Molly was not a party girl.

“You couldn’t really have expected me to attend that party full of Neanderthals and sluts without you.”

“They all went as cavemen and Playmates?” he asked incredulously. She thumped him in the arm. “Man, I really should have given Grandma the heave-ho.” Nearby an old guy nodded in agreement, this probably wasn’t the best place to have this conversation.

Adam saw the guy too and thumbed in his direction, “See? Even he agrees with me. You piked. You piked hard.”

“I couldn’t do it. Parties are lame. Footballers are lamer.” Adam leaned in closer, his ridiculously long eyelashes nearly touching my cheek. What was that when you were little and you’d flutter your lashes against someone’s face? Butterfly kisses? She couldn't remember.

“You are going to die a lonely old woman with cats.”

“No, I won’t. With your strike rate I never have to fear that you’ll desert me.” She laughed. Adam was always more preoccupied with the opposite sex, falling in love every other week and then being devastated until the next shark came along. It was no wonder he had no close guy friends, he was more sensitive than most girls combined...except when it came to her. Then his sensitivity took a nap and his inner bitch came out.

He placed his hand over his heart and did a fantastically hammy job of looking mortally wounded. Molly’s mouth closed firmly, she hated attention. Adam just went with it working to the masses; he shoved the nearest passenger away ignoring their voiced objection. He dropped to a knee, grabbed her hand and grandly proclaimed,

“Dearest, loveliest, stubbornest, dreamiest, maid-iest Molly. Will you do the honour of being my fall back wife, should I ever find myself in the unlikely position of being a bachelor at 64?” He was such an ass.

“No.”

He rose and turned around, “she said yes....” to his captive audience and they in turn clapped politely or rolled their eyes at the ridiculousness of youth.

Sigh.

A little ordinary in terms of the plot but I love that they are wearing Muggle street clothes. Plus they are continuing to plonk alternating patterns on Ron which always makes me grin.

Two vlogs in one week, aren't you lucky? - - Well this one is not so much of a vlog as a BIG CONGRATS.

Congrats Kami & Margie from Persnickety on Vimeo.

If you'd like to read more about Kami and Margie's fantastic news then you can read about it at Variety or EW.com.

The book's site can be found here.

**Excuse the eye baggage, it's been an exceedingly long day. Also, having seen screen shots of all my vlogs so far I realise I'm Queen of the Cardigan- bow before me!