Review: City of a Thousand Dolls by Miriam Forster

An exotic treat set in an entirely original, fantastical world brimming with deadly mystery, forbidden romance, and heart-stopping adventure.

Nisha was abandoned at the gates of the City of a Thousand Dolls when she was just a child. Now sixteen, she lives on the grounds of the isolated estate, where orphan girls apprentice as musicians, healers, courtesans, and, if the rumors are true, assassins. Nisha makes her way as Matron’s assistant, her closest companions the mysterious cats that trail her shadow. Only when she begins a forbidden flirtation with the city’s handsome young courier does she let herself imagine a life outside the walls. Until one by one, girls around her start to die.

Before she becomes the next victim, Nisha decides to uncover the secrets that surround the girls’ deaths. But by getting involved, Nisha jeopardizes not only her own future in the City of a Thousand Dolls—but her own life.

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Though it's still early in the year, I feel that I can confidently say Miriam Forster's City of a Thousand Dolls will end up on my Best of 2013 List in December. The world, the characters, the mystery, and the romance within this novel's pages mark it as a stellar debut and a memorable fantasy novel.

One of the first things that drew me to Forster's debut was the similarities to Jacqueline Carey's Kushiel series for adults. Carey's books are definitely for an older audience (as they feature lots of adult content), but Forster's world has some similarities: an isolated estate where girls are apprenticed, taught, and eventually sold based on their skills, looks, etc. and a handsome and tempting boy from outside the walls. I've loved Carey's books for years (having read the first book, Kushiel's Dart, in seventh grade, when I was, in retrospect, probably much too young!) and have always wished there was something similar that was more appropriate for slightly younger readers and/or readers that would rather skip the sex as power but keep the romance. City of a Thousand Dolls is that book I often wished for... and it has far exceeded what I had hoped for. 

Since this is a YA title, not adult, the sex and sexual power that motivates Carey's novel is absent and the girls are apprenticed as more than courtesans; girls are also taught to be musicians, healers, and assassins. I really enjoyed the diversity of the houses and having Nisha as a main character, a character free of the limitations of belonging to one specific house, which added an interesting dimension to the novel.

Though the romantic plot line is often a secondary concern next to the mystery elements of City of a Thousand Dolls, it ended up being one of my favorite aspects of the novel. Though I wasn't entirely sure how every detail would fall into place, I had my suspicions regarding Nisha's love life and would have been miffed to find my guesses were wrong, but, thankfully, Forster was headed the direction I'd hoped. And, she managed to successfully resolve questions in a rather small number of pages (as these questions are answered near the very end of the book) - no small feat! I'm rather anxious to get my hands on book two and see more of Nisha and her boy!

City of a Thousand Dolls is a must read for fantasy fans. The world building is wonderful and doesn't bog down the story's pace, the main character is fantastic, the mystery compelling, and the romance is absolutely lovely. I highly recommend Forster's debut!

HarperTeen, February 2013, Hardcover, ISBN: 9780062121301, 359 pgs.

Review: Dualed by Elsie Chapman

You or your Alt? Only one will survive.

The city of Kersh is a safe haven, but the price of safety is high. Everyone has a genetic Alternate—a twin raised by another family—and citizens must prove their worth by eliminating their Alts before their twentieth birthday. Survival means advanced schooling, a good job, marriage—life.

Fifteen-year-old West Grayer has trained as a fighter, preparing for the day when her assignment arrives and she will have one month to hunt down and kill her Alt. But then a tragic misstep shakes West’s confidence. Stricken with grief and guilt, she’s no longer certain that she’s the best version of herself, the version worthy of a future. If she is to have any chance of winning, she must stop running not only from her Alt, but also from love . . . though both have the power to destroy her.

Elsie Chapman's suspenseful YA debut weaves unexpected romance into a novel full of fast-paced action and thought-provoking philosophy. When the story ends, discussions will begin about this future society where every adult is a murderer and every child knows there is another out there who just might be better.

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Elsie Chapman's debut Dualed is one of the best dystopian novels I've read since The Hunger Games and Divergent. For me, it was the action, philosophical elements, and strong female heroine of Dualed that put it in the same league as these successful predecessors. In addition to these elements, Chapman offers readers an entirely new world and society to explore... and attempt to comprehend. 

In West Grayer's world, every individual has an Alt: a genetic twin. Each twin in raised separately and grows up training to face the other in a fight to the death. Neither knows when they will be pitted against the other or what skills the other might bring to the table. In this forced showdown meant to simulate a "survival of the fittest" scenario, it isn't always clear who should be considered the "fittest." 

I loved the questions raised by Dualed. It could easily be assumed that the reader would want West to win against her Alt, but things aren't so clearly black and white.West's Alt is very much like and very much unlike her, meaning she's still just a girl. It's difficult for the reader to determine if she has any villainous traits that would help guarantee that West is definitely the one who should survive between the two. There is a scene in which West eavesdrops on her Alt's parents, and they appear to be completely normal people who don't deserve to lose their daughter. With these types of portrayals and scenes, it's hard to pick a side while West and her Alt battle to survive.

Another interesting element of the plot is West's involvement with a group of organized criminals who oppose the government. West becomes an hired assassin, available to kill an Alt at a price for an individual for an Alt who feels unable to do it themselves. Highly illegal and dangerous, West and the group's actions called further attention to the idea of which individuals are the "fittest" and most deserving of a future. The government clearly finds physical strength and ability (and any other talents that make for good soldiers and fighters) to be the most desirable and "fit," while having no use for more intellectual or creative skills. In essence, the government is for the death and eventual extermination of those who possess undesirable and unnecessary talents. This is an completely terrifying idea - imagine a world filled only with individuals who possess one type of talent. What a boring and, ultimately, ill-equipped world.

Dualed is a fantastic debut that will truly make the reader consider the importance of diversity while entertaining with a fast pace and strong protagonist.

Random House for Young Readers, February 2013, Hardcover, ISBN:  9780307931542, 304 pages.

Review: Also Known As by Robin Benway

Being a 16-year-old safecracker and active-duty daughter of international spies has its moments, good and bad. Pros: Seeing the world one crime-solving adventure at a time. Having parents with super cool jobs. Cons: Never staying in one place long enough to have friends or a boyfriend. But for Maggie Silver, the biggest perk of all has been avoiding high school and the accompanying cliques, bad lunches, and frustratingly simple locker combinations.
Then Maggie and her parents are sent to New York for her first solo assignment, and all of that changes. She'll need to attend a private school, avoid the temptation to hack the school's security system, and befriend one aggravatingly cute Jesse Oliver to gain the essential information she needs to crack the case . . . all while trying not to blow her cover.

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I have so much respect for every one of Robin Benway's novels. Each one has a totally unique premise and main character, but they're all somehow easy to relate to and more fun than the last. 

The protagonist in Also Known As, Maggie, reminds me of a younger version of Stella, Charlize Theron's character, from the movie The Italian Job, which is one of my absolute favorites. Maggie is a teenaged safecracker who travels the world with her parents and she's the best at what she does. What Maggie isn't so good at is being a "normal" 16-year old girl, which is a key element of her newest mission: Jesse Oliver. 

It's Maggie's job to gain Jesse's trust in order to find out information about his father and gain access to the safe in their home. As one might imagine, things don't go exactly as planned. Maggie quickly learns there's a lot more to Jesse than she first assumed... and he's more than a little interested in her as well.

While I loved Maggie, her friends, Angelo and Roux, often came close to upstaging her. Both were such interesting characters that I found myself wishing Benway would tell more about them. Angelo is a friend of Maggie's family who also works for the same organization, but as a forger. He gives exceptionally good advice and has wonderful fashion sense. Roux is a strong individual who fully admits to creating her downfall from the popular crowd, but she never loses sight of who she is. I would love to see a future book about Roux, which some involvement from Angelo of course, since the two characters really seemed to be bonding by the end of Also Known As.

While Also Known As isn't a terribly complicated thriller and mystery, as it focuses much more on the characters and their relationships than the actual mystery (I can't actually remember exactly what Maggie is hoping to find when she picks the safe in the Oliver house), it still kept me guessing. I was never completely sure who Maggie could or should trust.

For me, Benway's newest offering is in the same vein as Ally Carter's Gallagher Girls and Heist Society books, but perhaps for a slightly older audience. I have a soft spot for Carter's books and, while Also Known As has definitely similarities, both authors successfully bring something unique to the premise. I highly recommend Also Known As and am sincerely hoping for a sequel!

Bloomsbury Juvenile, February 2013, Hardcover, ISBN:  9780802733900, 320 pages.

Review: Blaze (Or Love In the Time of Supervillains) by Laurie Boyle Crompton

Blaze is tired of spending her life on the sidelines, drawing comics and feeling invisible. She's desperate for soccer star Mark to notice her. And when her BFF texts Mark a photo of Blaze in sexy lingerie, it definitely gets his attention. After a hot date in the back of her minivan, Blaze is flying high, but suddenly Mark's feelings seem to have been blasted by a freeze-ray gun, and he dumps her. Blaze gets her revenge by posting a comic strip featuring uber-villain Mark the Shark. Mark then retaliates by posting her "sext" photo, and, overnight, Blaze goes from Super Virgin Girl to Super Slut. That life on the sidelines is looking pretty good right about now...

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I picked up Blaze (Or Love in the Time of Supervillains) because I loved the title and concept. While I felt that there were some definite rough parts of Crompton's debut, I can't say it wasn't unique.

My favorite aspect of the novel is the close relationship between Blaze and little brother (and only sibling). The two are extremely close and, though he's younger, Blaze's brother is very protective of her. Their relationship felt realistic and reminded me of my own relationship with my little brother. 

Blaze's insistence that her crush, Mark, is actually a good guy and that he is genuinely interested in her felt realistic most of the time, but sometime it pushed into less unbelievable territory. Still, I have to consider the fact that, after an individual has convinced themselves of certain things, it can be hard to change perception or admit being mistaken. So I think this played into Blaze's letting things go so far with Mark (or Sleazeball as I like to call him). 

Throughout the novel, Blaze alternates between embracing her role as "soccer mom," driving her little brother and his friends to soccer and whatnot, and being very bitter towards her adopted role and her single mother who works long hours at the hospital. Blaze romanticizes her absent father, who left the family years before to pursue an acting career in New York City, and often paints him as the hero to her mother's villainy. I know that this may be a typical adolescent point-of-view and reaction to the situation at hand, but, after Blaze realized her father wasn't all she had made him into, I would have really liked to see her apologize to her mother! Or have some type of moment with her. 

I also found the "guy" humor in the novel to be a bit jarring. I don't consider myself a prude or anything, and I know that teenage boys are smelly and whatnot, but discussion of those smells and all that has never been very amusing to me and for some reason, still doesn't seem like something people should talk about aloud. It doesn't offend me or anything, I just avoid it, but it's unavoidable in Blaze. Maybe I'm just weird and nobody else would be thrown off by this, but it was kind of distracting for me.

In comparison, I loved the comic book elements and talk Blaze often slips in and out of or makes reference to. The illustrations within the text are all amazing and were a positive addition to the text. They definitely allowed me to connect more closely with Blaze, who I was feeling some distance to because of the previously mentioned "guy" humor.

Lastly, at the end of the book, Blaze's brother and his friends decide to slash Mark's tires. WHAT!? Again, maybe it's just me, but this did not seem like acceptable retaliation or like something Blaze should congratulate them on doing... Maybe this is something kids do these days? As someone who had to replace a tire this week (not even all four tires) and who wanted to cry as I paid the bill, I couldn't help but feel this was over the top and unnecessarily cruel because, in the end, Sleazeball's parents are going to pay that bill. Plus, helloooo, destroying property is not cool. 

Overall, Blaze (Or Love in the Time of Supervillains) was pretty good, but there were some negative aspects that definitely detracted from my enjoyment. I do, however, think my issues were entirely personal in nature and the next person to pick up the novel may not be fazed at all! Unless you really connected with something in my review that you think you'd find distracting, I recommend giving this debut a try! Don't forget to check out my interview with the author, Laurie Boyle Crompton, here!

Sourcebooks Fire, February 2013, Paperback, ISBN: 9781402273438, 309 pages.

Interview: Laurie Boyle Crompton - Blaze (Or Love in the Time of Supervillains)

I'm thrilled to welcome Laurie Boyle Crompton to The Hiding Spot to talk a little bit about her new book, Blaze (Or Love in the Time of Supervillains)! Keep reading to learn more about Laurie's entertaining debut and check out my review, here!

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The Interview

Did you have trouble writing any of your characters or specific scenes within the novel? Or, were any characters or scenes particularly easy to write? 

In the book Blaze makes some really bad decisions and it was difficult to allow her to make those choices. It was completely true to her character and it’s not an author’s job to protect their characters from themselves, but it was really hard to let her fall. Especially the scene when she is on the date in her van with Mark. I wanted to yell at her to run away through the cornfield! On the other hand, the scenes with the cretins were especially fun to write and flowed easily.

Has the title changed or stayed relatively the same as your novel journeyed towards publication?

I originally submitted the book under the title Fangirl and her Subatomic Sweatmobile of Doom. This was initially shortened to just Fangirl and Sourcebooks designed a cover with that title and a girl’s face wearing a superhero mask. That image was released online and posted on Amazon for a few months before a decision was made to completely rework the book so that people who weren't superhero fans would give it a chance, too. I absolutely loved that original cover, but I had been careful to make the book accessible to those who aren't necessarily comic geeks and agreed it would be a shame if others wouldn't give it a chance based on the cover. Along with the cover redesign they played around with a number of titles and finally settled on Blaze (or Love in the Time of Supervillains). I couldn't be happier with the way everything worked out and am glad I trusted the Sourcebooks team to come up with an even better cover and title for the book.

What book or author has most influenced you as a writer or in general? 

I read Anne Lamot’s book on writing titled Bird by Bird many years ago and it really gave me a good perspective on how to approach writing and publishing. It also has some great life lessons in there and is a book I highly recommend. Also, I was a huge fan of Stephen King back in high school and when he wrote a book titled On Writing I absolutely devoured it. So much great insight and wisdom from both of these authors! I rarely re-read books, but have gone back to each of these numerous times.

What jobs did you have on your way to becoming a writer/published author? Is there a certain work experience that has shaped your writing? 

I've done everything from waiting on tables to teaching high school English at an all-boy’s school. I think waitressing did the most for me as far as motivation is concerned. That is one tough job! On your feet all day for little pay and going home smelling like burritos. Just awful. That was what convinced me to get my butt back to college. It was also great for observing all sorts of people and gathering information for my novels. Waitresses meet all sorts of characters and then in the end they get to see how different people tip. The customers who give you a hard time, but then are generous with a tip are interesting in a way that friendly and generous ones or mean and stingy ones aren't I've also written for various trade magazines which taught me about editing and deadlines and writing, but I’d recommend waitressing if you really want to give a writing career a kick in the butt.

If you had to pick a favorite word, what would it be and why? 

The word “Offer” because that is what was in the subject line of the email I got telling me I sold my first book. After years of skimming rejection letters for the word “Unfortunately” it was such sweet victory!

My blog is dedicated to my personal hiding spot, books. Who, what, or where can be credited as your personal escape from reality? 

We have a rustic trailer across from a farm upstate in New Paltz, NY which is where I spend every spare moment I can. Sometimes reality and work follow us up there so it’s not a total escape, but it is far preferable to the noise and busyness of Long Island.

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Find out more about Laurie and her books here! 

Interview: Kirsten Miller (Author of The Darkness Dwellers)

I'm thrilled to welcome the very talented Kirsten Miller to The Hiding Spot to talk a little bit about her newest book, The Darkness Dwellers, the third installment in the Kiki Strike series! Keep reading to learn more and find out why - *gasp* - Kirsten's favorite word might be of the four-letter variety.

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The Interview

Did you have trouble writing any of your characters or specific scenes within the novel? Or, were any characters or scenes particularly easy to write? 

Now that I’ve taken three crazy adventures with the Irregulars, my band of unruly girl geniuses, they all feel like old friends to me. I know their quirks, their pet-peeves—even their shampoo preferences. Starting a new Kiki Strike book is like going on a road trip with a bunch of people I’ve known since childhood. The Darkness Dwellers scenes set in Paris were probably the most challenging, since I had to rely on my memory (and Google maps) to describe the city and the catacombs beneath it. 

Has the title changed or stayed relatively the same as your novel journeyed towards publication?

Coming up with the title for book #1 (Kiki Strike: Inside the Shadow City) was a bit of a challenge. My editor and I spent a few weeks trying to figure out what it should be. But choosing titles for book #2 (The Empress’s Tomb) and book #3 (The Darkness Dwellers) was a piece of cake. 

What book or author has most influenced you as a writer or in general? 

It’s hard to say. I’ve been influenced by countless books and writers. But where the Kiki books are concerned, I’d have to say that one of my biggest influences was a picture book I read when I was small—Liza Lou and the Yeller Belly Swamp by Mercer Mayer. It’s about a little bayou girl who singlehandedly rids the Yeller Belly Swamp of haunts, ghosts and witches. I guess you could say that Liza Lou is Louisiana’s version of Kiki Strike. 

What jobs did you have on your way to becoming a writer/published author? Is there a certain work experience that has shaped your writing? 

I have always had a job of some sort. As a kid, I had to work for my parents. (They renovated old houses—that’s how I learned how to fix things.) As a teenager I held a few different jobs—waitress, cleaning lady, etc. Since then, I’ve worked as a dental assistant (awesome job), a publishing copywriter and an advertising strategist. The point is, I’ve been working my butt off since I was in grade school—and that experience has made all the difference. Because of all the jobs I’ve ever held, writing is by far the hardest. 

If you had to pick a favorite word, what would it be and why? 

It would probably be something you wouldn’t want to print. If you saw a picture of me, you might understand. I am blond and rather sweet looking. I’m also from the South, and when I speak you can still hear traces of an accent. These three things have led many people in New York (my hometown of 20+ years) to believe that I am dimwitted or naïve. A well-chosen four letter word can quickly set them straight. (In fact, this strategy worked wonders the other day when a woman was trying to pick my pocket in the Container Store.) 

My blog is dedicated to my personal hiding spot, books. Who, what, or where can be credited as your personal escape from reality? 

My hiding spot used to be books as well. That’s one of the things that has changed since I started writing. These days, I have two hiding spots. #1 is the gym. I jump on a machine, put This American Life on my iPhone and totally zone out. #2 is the outdoor café at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. Surrounded by greenhouse domes, it’s weirdly magical—and almost never full. There’s nothing I love more than having lunch there on a spring/summer/autumn afternoon.

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Find out more about Kirsten and her books here! 

Review: Me, Him, Them, and It by Caela Carter

ME is Evelyn Jones, 16, a valedictorian hopeful who's been playing bad girl to piss off THEM, her cold, distant parents. HIM is Todd, Evelyn's secret un-boyfriend, who she thought she was just using for sex - until she accidentally fell in love with him. But before Evelyn gets a chance to tell Todd how she feels, something much more important comes up. IT. IT is a fetus. Evelyn is pregnant - and when Todd turns his back on her, Evelyn has no idea who to turn to. Can a cheating father, a stiff, cold mother, a pissed-off BFF, and a (thankfully!) loving aunt with adopted girls of her own help Evelyn make the heart-wrenching decisions that follow?

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Me, Him, Them and It is definitely one of the best books I've read that takes on teen pregnancy. Caela Carter tackles the subject with a careful hand, and while it can be said that she pushes her heroine, Evelyn, in some directions more than others, I felt that the novel presents a well-rounded and realistic portrayal of a teen faced with an unexpected pregnancy.

Evelyn is a smart girl who makes some reckless decisions in an attempt to both punish and draw the attention of her very absent parents. While she used to have a relatively strong relationship with her father and at least a passably good relationship with her mother, that all changed when her father had an affair. Instead of her parents splitting up, her mother decided to take her father back and stay together, but things are far from normal. The house is always tense and silent and Evelyn rarely see her parents who are so busy avoiding each other they forget she's even around.

Evelyn takes what one might consider the stereotypical route and begins rebelling. She quits her extracurriculars, starts lying, distances herself from her friends, and decides to lose herself in meaningless sex. Except for what starts out as meaningless sex turns into more when Evelyn finds herself falling for Todd. And then finds herself pregnant.

One of my favorite aspects of Me, Him, Them and It is how real Evelyn felt. There are moments when she's brave, moments of realization, and moments of undeniable immaturity. At first, she's terrified of what will happen to her life and what people will think of her. Not only is she pregnant, but she doesn't have a boyfriend, which she knows will create all kinds of gossip. Her aunt, who she looks up to and considers one of the only reliable adults in her life, lives far away and has no idea how much she's changed and Evelyn fears disappointing her. Along with the fear of what others will think, come Evelyn's fears about losing her freedom, gaining weight, her grades slipping, and her entire future. Overwhelmed, Evelyn shuts down and attempts to push all the decisions regarding the pregnancy and the baby onto her parents and every other adult she comes in contact with. But the author doesn't let Evelyn off the hook that easily, which I feel is extremely important. Evelyn's mother would be more than happy to make all the decisions, but she doesn't. Instead, she stresses to Evelyn how important it is that she make the decisions because, ultimately, it is her life and no body can live it for her. This doesn't mean that our heroine is left all alone to figure things out, after all, she's only sixteen. There are many great secondary characters that form a support system for Evelyn that are integral to her decision making process.

In addition to Evelyn's parents, she also gains insight from her aunt, her partner, a counselors, and doctors. Despite her negative view of her parents, it's clear that they care a great deal for her and, though they've both made mistakes, are determined to be there for her no matter how she decides to proceed. Evelyn's aunts, who she lives with during the decision making process, are a fantastic support system, as one provides much needed understanding and the other provides structure, while they both provide plenty of love. 

One character who is notably absent from the decision making process is the baby's father, Todd. While he does have some input, more or less saying that the decision is completely Evelyn's and that he doesn't want to participate in the baby's life if she chooses to keep it, he is otherwise absent when it comes to the pregnancy. I came to appreciate this detail as Evelyn struggled internally with her feelings for Todd and the idea of the baby being a catalyst for them to start a family. I'm so glad that Todd wasn't physically near Evelyn as she sorted through her options because it would have been entirely too easy for her to succumb to that fantasy, but it was fantasy and his distance allowed her to see that.

I also appreciated that Me, Him, Them and It touched on every available option to consider when faced with an unexpected pregnancy and the pros and cons. Adoption, both open and closed, teen parenthood, alone and with help or the father, and abortion are all discussed and explored. Furthermore, Planned Parenthood, religion, and family opinion are all considered. I truly felt that all options were fairly represented.

In the end, I feel that Evelyn not only made an educated decision, she also made the decision that was best for her. Of course, I can't say much more without spoiling the ending, but had come a long way by the conclusion of the novel. Her situation, though not ideal, forced her to think about her future, change her lifestyle, and her take some time away from a pretty unhealthy environment to figure things out. Though the novel did wrap up neatly, I wasn't left feeling that things were too calm or perfect. The Evelyn at the end of  Me, Him, Them and It is clearly different than the one at the beginning and that, for me, allowed for a satisfying conclusion.

Bloomsbury, February 2013, Hardcover, ISBN: 9781599909585, 320 pages.