Brad About Books: This Strange and Familiar Place by Rachel Carter

Read on July 21, 2013

THIS STRANGE AND FAMILIAR PLACE
Published: July 2, 2013
Publisher: Harper Teen
Format: Hardcover
Page Count: 264 pages
Source: Purchased
Series: So Close to You, #2

This review is entirely spoiler free, even if you haven't read book one, So Close to You. 

This Strange and Familiar Place is a very nice sequel, however, I felt that it was lacking in progressing the story along in certain parts of the plot. Though I had this problem with this sequel, it was still entertaining. 

I'll start with what I did enjoy about This Strange and Familiar Place: more questions appear and the stakes are raised to a new notch. Book one set up the whole conspiracy theory, but book two plays on it and evolves it into something so much bigger than what the reader - and Lydia, the protagonist - ever imagined it to be. When there's an action scene in This Strange and Familiar Place, you're in for a wild ride that will have you glued to the edge of your seat.

But my problem with This Strange and Familiar Place was the parts that weren't action-filled, and unfortuantely, there's quite a lot of them. Even though the book clocks in at just a little over 250 pages, the story feels very dragged out over parts - and the middle of the book felt filler, in my opinion. Nothing evolved from the plot in the middle, and I didn't find anything that pushed the storyline further. I am happy, though, that the ending of This Strange and Familiar Place saved the book for me. It was fast-paced, and there were things that really made my jaw drop. I just wish that there were more scenes like that consistently throughout the sequel. The ending did set up a very nice overview to the conclusion of the series, so I will definitely be checking out book three, Find Me Where the Water Ends. 

My favorite part about This Strange and Familiar Place has to be Lydia's character development. In So Close to You, she was very naïve to everything around her, but in This Strange and Familiar Place, she knows what she needs to do to take charge, and I really appreciated her character development. Carter did an exceptional job at building up Lydia's character, and I adored how she wasn't afraid to break her down. While This Strange and Familiar Place was just okay for me, it still grabbed me like book one did. I can't wait to find out how everything wraps up!

Overall, This Strange and Familiar Place is a pretty good sequel with a slow middle chunk but an ending that makes up for it.

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Brad About Books: Emerald Green by Kerstin Gier

Read from April 29 to 30, 2013

EMERALD GREEN
Expected Publication Date: October 8, 2013
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (Macmillan)
Format: ARC
Page Count: 464 pages
Source: Publisher in exchange for an honest review
Series: Ruby Red, #3

This review is entirely spoiler free, even if you haven't started this series.

Read my reviews for previous novels in this series:

Ruby Red • Sapphire Blue

Talk about a fantastic ending! Emerald Green is an incredible, stunning conclusion to one of the most addictive YA series. Nailed it!

Don't you just love that feeling when you walk away from a series and know that each novel in said series was even better than its predecessor? That's how I feel about the Ruby Red trilogy. Every single book was better than the one before it. Emerald Green was truly fantastic! Kerstin Gier brought it every single question raised in the first two novels and tied up all the loose ends. And every question played an important role to the story! Emerald Green definitely showed that Gier was a master of wrapping everything up very nicely, and I applaud her for that. If you love this series, Emerald Green will not disappoint at all!

I have to talk about Gwen: she's the best. She was naïve about the whole time travel experience in the first novel, but in Emerald Green, everything is on her shoulders, but she's ready to tackle it head-on. She's grown so much as a character over this trilogy, and it's been a blast to go on these adventures with her and watch her mature and evolve. Due to circumstances with with Gideon and Gwen, Emerald Green made it very tough on their relationship. The boulders and mountains they must climb to achieve what they both want is extraordinary, and I appreciate how Gier wasn't afraid to break Gideon and Gwen down to ashes. They've faced so many hardships, but Emerald Green puts their bonds of love to the ultimate test. I loved that so much!

It's insane how much backhistory and research goes into these novels. We're presented with family trees and maps to complement the story, and I have to admit, Emerald Green provided my most favorite information about Gwen's past. I was shocked and stunned with how much work has gone into these novels, and I loved every single bit of it. I'm sad to see this series go, but I couldn't have asked for a better ending. Brilliant!

Overall, Emerald Green is a phenomenal finale to a marvelous, unique series that shines bright. Loved it so much!

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Brad About Books: Sapphire Blue by Kerstin Gier

Read on April 22, 2013

SAPPHIRE BLUE
Published: October 30, 2012
Publisher: Henry Holt (Macmillan)
Format: Hardcover
Page Count: 362 pages
Source: Purchased
Series: Ruby Red, #2

This review is entirely spoiler free, even if you haven't read book one, Ruby Red.

Sapphire Blue is wild, thrilling ride that hooked me from the first page and never made me want to put it down. I wasn't sure if this sequel could be any better than book one, but it was! This series is a one of a kind gem!

Time travel is such an interesting and unique topic, and the way that Kerstin Gier handles it is flawless. There's so much history and backstories behind this family, and I loved getting to experience it all with Gwen. Gier has put so much thought and time into making this family tree of history just bloom off the page and come alive, and I applaud her for that. It makes this series complete! With Sapphire Blue, we delve deeper into the mystery of what's going on behind closed doors; this sequel blew me away. If you loved Ruby Red, Sapphire Blue will knock your socks off!

Not only are Gideon and Gwen stunning characters, new characters get a spotlight in this sequel, adding to this already rich world. This series is a breath of fresh air in YA, and I couldn't get enough of Sapphire Blue. Gier's melodic and captivating writing style flowed off the page masterfully - it's vibrant and bubbly, but also has a dark undertone that breaks through the cracks to reveal sinister secrets. I was so happy to see that the dreaded Sequel Syndrome flew over this series' head. So good!

With the twelve time travelers, Gwen has a lot on her shoulders in Sapphire Blue, and I loved that Gier wasn't afraid to break her characters. She put them through so many trials of betrayal, defiance, and love, and they all played a key part in this sequel that wove together an incredible story. Sizzling and daring, Sapphire Blue exceeded my expectations and more!

Overall, Sapphire Blue is a compelling and fantastic sequel that grabbed me right from the beginning and never let me go. Kerstin Gier nailed it with this one!

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Brad About Books: Ruby Red by Kerstin Gier

Read on April 20, 2013

RUBY RED
Published: May 10, 2011
Publisher: Henry Holt (Macmillan)
Format: Hardcover
Page Count: 322 pages
Source: Purchased
Series: Ruby Red, #1

Gwyneth Shepherd's sophisticated, beautiful cousin Charlotte has been prepared her entire life for traveling through time. But unexpectedly, it is Gwyneth, who in the middle of class takes a sudden spin to a different era!

Gwyneth must now unearth the mystery of why her mother would lie about her birth date to ward off suspicion about her ability, brush up on her history, and work with Gideon--the time traveler from a similarly gifted family that passes the gene through its male line, and whose presence becomes, in time, less insufferable and more essential. Together, Gwyneth and Gideon journey through time to discover who, in the 18th century and in contemporary London, they can trust.

Ruby Red is a whirlwind of a novel, with combinations of epic moments and wonderful characters that make this crazy and awesome read even more enjoyable. I wish I could travel back in time to experience Ruby Red again!

The concept of Ruby Red is very engaging and highly addictive - how could you not resist a time travel story?! And luckily, Ruby Red is one of my favorite time travel stories I've ever read. Wanna know what I loved most about this time travel? There was a plot reason for time travel. It's not just something cool to give the story that extra dazzle, extra push. The story revolves around family secrets, heartbreaking betrayals, and traveling back in time to fix the past and restore the future. And the mystery! Gosh, Ruby Red is such a tension-filled, edge-of-your-seat type of book, and it's impossible to put down. My only regret was not picking this one up sooner! Loved it!

Gwen was awesome, short and simple. I get that some times, characters need to be a little naïve in order to get a true grasp on the situation at hand, but I feel that some characters go way past the boundaries with being naïve. Thankfully, Gwen wasn't that type of character. Sure, she was apprehensive at first (who wouldn't be?), but she handled the situation very maturely, and I loved her character! And can I just give Kerstin Gier a round of applause for not putting insta-love in the book? It could've been so easy to make Gideon an insta-love character that would fall in love with Gwen, and the story could have taken off from there. But Ruby Red doesn't revolve around love! It worked flawlessly. Ruby Red was masterfully structured and complexly rich; Kerstin Gier did an incredible job with this fantastic novel.

And while I had just a little trouble getting into the beginning (by, like, 25 pages, maybe?), it's so easy to be captivated and fall under the spell of Ruby Red. It will absorb your mind and consume you whole; I never, ever wanted to put this book down. It was that awesome.

Overall, Ruby Red is an explosive, fiery tale that wrapped itself in my brain and never left. I still think about it to this day. Ruby Red is epic!

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Brad About Books: So Close to You by Rachel Carter

Read on May 1, 2013

SO CLOSE TO YOU
Published: July 10, 2012
Publisher: HarperTeen
Format: Hardcover
Page Count: 313 pages
Source: Amazon.com
Series: So Close to You, #1

Lydia Bentley has heard stories about the Montauk Project all her life: stories about the strange things that took place at the abandoned military base near her home and the people who've disappeared over the years. Stories about people like her own great-grandfather.

When Lydia stumbles into a portal that transports her to a dangerous and strange new reality, she discovers that all the stories she's ever heard about the Montauk Project are true, and that she's in the middle of one of the most dangerous experiments in history.

Alongside a darkly mysterious boy she is wary to trust, Lydia begins to unravel the secrets surrounding the Project. But the truths behind these secrets force her to question all her choices—and if Lydia chooses wrong, she might not save her family but destroy them... and herself.

So Close to You is a captivating read! One of the most originals novels I've read in a long time.

Historical fiction with time travel... yes please. I wasn't sure how I felt about So Close to You in the first few pages - but after page 40, things got interesting. And by interesting, I mean our protagonist, Lydia, is thrown back in time to the 1940's. Which is awesome. In this time, everyone is going crazy about World War II, and I loved how it was explored upon. The feelings, the emotions, the heartbreak; Rachel Carter did a fantastic job at incorporating all those elements into a fast-paced and unique story. 

Speaking of characters, I adored Lydia! I actually wasn't a fan of her in the beginning, but she grows and develops as So Close to You progresses. She became strong and tough, and she's definitely a standout in characters I've read about! And Wes, Dean, practically everybody was great in their own way. I love it when I get connected to not only the protagonist, but the ensemble as well - and I did very much so in So Close to You.

That ending was crazy! Thrilling endings are my cup of tea, and man, So Close to You is insane! I tore through those final 50 pages like it was nothing. It was so engrossing and enticing - I couldn't set the book down, and when I would, it was the only thing on my mind. Excellent time travel at its best!

Overall, there are no words for how great So Close to You. I was a bit wary in the beginning, but the middle and ending were epic! This book glows from its complex plot down to its marvelous. Carter is an author to watch!

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