If I Stay, by Gayle Forman

Let me just start off this post by saying that this book affected me more strongly than any other book I have ever read. Did I cry when Fred died? Absolutely. Did I shed a tear at Bella's happy ending? You betcha. But by the time I finished this book I couldn't stop the tears from gushing.

Here is the cover art:



And the summary:

In the blink of an eye everything changes. Seventeen ­year-old Mia has no memory of the accident; she can only recall what happened afterwards, watching her own damaged body being taken from the wreck. Little by little she struggles to put together the pieces- to figure out what she has lost, what she has left, and the very difficult choice she must make. Heartwrenchingly beautiful, this will change the way you look at life, love, and family. Mia's story will stay with you for a long, long time.

The book starts off very happy, with a family eating breakfast, chatting about the snow day. They take a drive to visit some family friends, and then the whole voice of the story changes as Mia has an out-of-body experience. She watches herself being taken away from the scene of the accident, wondering if she was dead, not knowing how to return to her body.

As she follows herself around, Mia slowly pieces together the details of the accident, while learning the fate of her parents and younger bother. Then she must make the decision to stay or join her family in death, while she watches a parade of loved ones visit her body, trying to convince her to wake up.

Throughout the book, Mia experiences flashbacks, helping the reader understand her, and simultaneously fall in love with her. The whole book lasts one long, tragic day as you navigate the trials of grief and indecision with Mia.

This book...I'd advise you to pick up this book with caution. It will definitely stay with you long after you finish it, but is quite the tear jerker. No matter Mia's choice, there will be no happy ending for a story like this, so for someone like me who thrives off of happy endings, it can be a bit difficult. So while I couldn't put it down, and it is indisputably an amazing, well-written, and eloquent book, I'm not sure if I would ever reread it, because I would rather fill my time with happy-yet-serious books like Entwined, by Heather Dixon (which I highly recommend!!).

All in all, a very good book, if a bit depressing.

Until next time dearies!

xoxo
Ariel

The Wild Queen

This book was a little different from the other books I've read in the past, because it is historical fiction. It follows the life of Mary, Queen of Scotland (circa 1530). Here is the cover art:



I bought this last summer, based purely off of the cover, and subsequently wasn't interesting in actually reading it until last week. I finally ran out of other books to read and thought I would give it a go!

Here is the summary:

Mary Stuart was just five years old when she was sent to France to be raised alongside her future husband. But when the frail young king dies, eighteen-year-old Mary is stripped of her title as Queen of France and set adrift in the harsh world, alone. Determined to reign over what is rightfully hers, Mary returns to Scotland. Hoping that a husband will help her secure the coveted English throne, she marries again, but the love and security she longs for elude her. Instead, the fiery young queen finds
herself embroiled in a murder scandal that could cost her the crown. And her attempts to bargain with her formidable “sister queen,” Elizabeth I of England, could cost her her very life.

So, as I mentioned earlier, this book is a far cry from my usual fantasy/fairy tale/mystery genre, but I found that once I gave it a chance, I quite enjoyed it! It is written from Mary's point of view, so you get to live the sumptuous life of a queen vicariously through her, which is always nice :)

Another thing I liked about this book was its basis in fact. It is cool to know a little somethin' somethin' about Scotland's history!

*Fun fact* Every single British monarch is descended from Queen Mary.

I will say one thing though, the ending was quite...disappointing? Depressing? If you are familiar with Queen Mary's demise, you will understand what I mean. It is definitely bitter sweet.

Despite that fact, I would highly recommend giving this book a chance! If historical fiction is you thing, then be sure to check out Carolyn Meyer's other books, because she has quite a few on similar topics.

On that note, I shall bid you adieux!

--Ariel

Strands of Bronze and Gold, by Jane Nickerson

Hello there!
Today I have a book review about a retelling of the classic Bluebeard fairy tale, by Hans Christen Andersen; Strands of Bronze and Gold. Here is the cover art :




And the summary:

The Bluebeard fairy tale retold. . . .
When seventeen-year-old Sophia Petheram’s beloved father dies, she receives an unexpected letter. An invitation—on fine ivory paper, in bold black handwriting—from the mysterious Monsieur Bernard de Cressac, her godfather. With no money and fewer options, Sophie accepts, leaving her humble childhood home for the astonishingly lavish Wyndriven Abbey, in the heart of Mississippi.

Sophie has always longed for a comfortable life, and she finds herself both attracted to and shocked by the charm and easy manners of her overgenerous guardian. But as she begins to piece together the mystery of his past, it’s as if, thread by thread, a silken net is tightening around her. And as she gathers stories and catches whispers of his former wives—all with hair as red as her own—in the forgotten corners of the abbey, Sophie knows she’s trapped in the passion and danger of de Cressac’s intoxicating world.

Glowing strands of romance, mystery, and suspense are woven into this breathtaking debut—a thrilling retelling of the “Bluebeard” fairy tale.

This book just came out early last March; naturally I went and bought it as soon as I could. The writing was beautiful, with the perfect amount of mystery. Nickerson possesses the gift of hinting at the truth, without every truly giving the plot away.

Sadly, I made the mistake of reading the original fairy tale about a third of the way into reading this book, because I was curious. I would recommend avoiding that if possible, because the story lines are quite similar and it would give away the big plot twists.

Other than that, I highly recommend this book! I'd say we have a promising young author to keep our eyes on, because if her next book is anything like this one it will be another winner.

My favorite thing about this book was its setting-- 1850s Mississippi. Nickerson wrote about controversial issues such as the slave trade, but managed to balance the undesirable truth with lovely descriptions of old time south, such as the lovely dresses and grand balls and that time period. Her eloquent writing transported me to Wyndriven Abbey with Sophia, and had me rooting for this brave heroine.

I look forward to reviewing Nickerson's next book! Until then lovelies,

Ariel

Ps. There was a perfect amount of romance woven into the complicated plot :)