My Lady Jane by Cynthia Hand, Jodi Meadows, & Brodi Ashton [Spoiler Free Book Review]

My Lady Jane [The Lady Janies, #1]

by Cynthia Hand, Jodi Meadows, Brodi Ashton

Genre: YA historical fantasy

My Rating: ★★★★

Description:

Sometimes history gets it all wrong. 

This is the story of Lady Jane Grey, in a way that it's never been told before. 

Overall Thoughts

This book was, in a word, fun. It wasn't world changing. It didn't really make me think, or impact me in any great way. It probably will be forgotten a few decades down the road. But oh boy was this book just a heck of a good time.
It's lighthearted and fluffy, which makes it a perfect read for right now.

The Characters

These characters were not deep. They weren't incredibly complex. But they were still fun to read about, you know, as in the sense that Marvel movies are still fun to watch. The characters aren't particularly well developed, but no one honestly cares very much, because they're still fun characters.
That was definitely the case here. I liked all the major characters, though I did have issues with one character's obsession with girls. It wasn't a huge part of the story, though, so I was able to ignore it.

Plot/Pacing

The plot for this book is absolutely ridiculous, true to a comedy form. It also has some elements of history woven in, so some of the events do align with real historical events.
The pacing is great; the book sucks you in and keeps you hooked through simple prose and a fast-moving plot.

Worldbuilding/Writing

The writing was not phenomenal, but that's not what I was expecting. It's a fun, light hearted comedy, and that's what the writing reflected.
The worldbuilding was a mashup of actual historical worldbuilding and the random addition of shapeshifting, which just added another layer to the already ridiculous (in the best way) plot. I thought it was fun.

Content

Recommended for ages 15 and up.

A few mild swear words. I don't recall any extremely offensive words being used.
There's some violence, but more along the lines of cartoon violence than anything else. Nothing extremely graphic.
In terms of sexual content, there are quite a few instances of sexual jokes/innuendo. Descriptions of women's bodies (in a sexual manner.) Kissing. Numerous instances of nudity.
A very brief sex scene, without much description (it's more implied).

[Mini-Review] Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys

Between Shades of Gray
by Ruta Sepetys

Genre: YA historical

My Rating: ★★★★★

Description: A young girl and her family are forced from their homes during Stalin's occupation of Lithuania. She draws what she sees, in the hope that someday, the tragedies that occurred in the labor camps of Siberia will not go unremembered.






My Review

I've put off reviewing this book for a long time, and I don't even know why, because I loved it so much! It's definitely not a light, easy read -- the things that the characters endure in this novel are horrifying and not sugarcoated, for which I was grateful. I'm glad that Sepetys used this novel to give readers an honest look at a period of history that has, for the most part, been forgotten.

I'm glad I read this book, because though I had heard of Stalin's labor camps before picking up this book, Between Shades of Gray showed me up close and personal the atrocities that were committed against the Lithuanian people during World War 2.

I would highly recommend this book to ages 15 and up.
TRIGGER WARNING: Sexual assault and rape.

Be aware going in to the book that there is a lot of heavy content. People are treated worse than animals, starved, beaten, and sold. Many characters die. Descriptions of dead bodies and blood. Nudity. A young girl is sexually assaulted by a soldier. Another female character is forced to have sex with her captors under threat (no actual scenes, but it is discussed.)
Depictions of tobacco use.

Code Name Verity [Code Name Verity, #1] by Elizabeth Wein

Code Name Verity [Code Name Verity, #1]
by Elizabeth Wein

Genre: YA historical

My Rating: ★★★★★

Description:

I have told the truth. 
October, 1943. A British spy-plane is forced to crash land in Nazi occupied France. The pilot and passenger are best friends, but only one has a shot at survival. The other has lost the game before it has begun.
Told in a series of confessions, Code Name Verity is a harrowing story of friendship and loyalty in the face of tragedy and ultimate evil.

Overall Thoughts

I have to admit, I did wonder what the hype was for Code Name Verity when I first started reading it. It was rather slow, and I couldn't really see what was so awesome about it that made everyone rave about it. But I'm so glad I stuck with it, because man, the hype is there for a reason. This book was a masterpiece! I liked the friendship between Maddie and Queenie; the raw, honest look at a dark time in history; and the plot twists that happened in the last 100 pages (can't say any more because of spoilers!)

The story is told from the point of view of a British prisoner of war, a girl who was captured on French soil and is now being forced to give up everything she knows to the Nazis. It was a hard-hitting read at times -- the prisoners of war are treated horribly, and it could definitely be disturbing to some readers. But I feel that what was talked about was necessary to the story -- we need to understand that that time was horrible. The book didn't sugar-coat anything, and I'm glad it didn't, because I feel that would ultimately have taken away from the story.

The Characters

The characters are well-drawn and realistic. The friendship that develops between Maddie and Queenie was wonderful and realistic and complex, and some of the minor characters were well-thought out as well.

Worldbuilding/Writing

The historical atmosphere of the novel also felt really authentic, which I liked. Even just small things -- like the mention of the road signs being blacked out -- really added to the realism of the story itself. 

I'm finding it incredibly difficult to talk about what I liked about this book without going into spoilers. But let me say this: this book deserves the praise it receives. It really is a work of genius. 

Content

Recommended for ages 16 and up.

TRIGGER WARNINGS: Sexual assault; rape.

Mentions of sexual assault. Mentions of rape. 

Several descriptions of torture methods, which could definitely be disturbing for some readers. Descriptions of wreckage. Descriptions of a burned body. Several on-page murders and acts of brutality that are described rather graphically; definitely not for anyone sensitive to violence. 

Bombings and other war-related violence. 

Characters drink and smoke.

The Lost Girl of Astor Street by Stephanie Morrill

The Lost Girl of Astor Street
by Stephanie Morrill

Genre: YA historical mystery

My Rating: ★★★

Description:

Piper Sail's best friend, Lydia, is missing. Though the police have promised to do all that they can, Piper is convinced that they're looking in the wrong places and starts her own investigation. With the help of the young police detective Mariano, Piper begins uncovering clues to Lydia's disappearance.
But soon, she has to decide just how far she's willing to go to learn the truth... especially when the trail of clues begins to lead back to her own affluent neighborhood.

Overall Thoughts

If you're looking for a complex, twisty historical mystery novel -- this isn't the one. While The Lost Girl of Astor Street was a well written, enjoyable story, the mystery was definitely not my favorite and didn't include all of the twists and turns that I have grown to expect from mysteries (or maybe I've just seen too many episodes of Murdoch Mysteries to be surprised anymore? I hope not!)

Speaking of Murdoch Mysteries, though, this book did remind me quite a bit of the show. Not in a bad way, but it had a very similar feel -- perhaps it's the historical mystery that's making me draw lines between them.

The Characters

The characters were definitely the best part about this book. Piper was a decent main character, and I liked reading her POV. Her reactions to the situations she was faced with felt realistic, and I appreciated that. I wasn't as huge a fan of her love interest, Mariano. I didn't hate him by any means, but I would have liked the two of them better as friends. Emma Crane was also a great character, and just an all around nice person? I really related to her character. I also liked her brother, Jeremiah (who would have been a better love interest, in my humble opinion.)
I will say that the villain didn't really have the greatest motive, and I wish that this aspect of the story had been done better. (But then, I had a problem with a lot of the mystery aspects.)

Plot/Pacing

Now, for the plot. While the mystery wasn't extremely twisty, it was a decently plotted out storyline. I wish that Piper had found more clues earlier -- for the first little while, it seemed as though she was just aimlessly ambling around looking for clues and not finding any. But once she did start finding clues, the story became really engaging and fast-paced.
In terms of subplots, there were several dropped threads that I wish the author had tied up, as there was quite a bit of page time spent on some of them. For example, her father's engagement to Jane. Piper doesn't like Jane, and voices it on numerous occasions, and really, by the end of the book, it seemed like nothing had changed between them? Which I found to be sad, and also slightly annoying, considering how much time Piper spent complaining about her.

Setting

As for the setting -- I loved it. I've always had a soft spot for historical fiction (ever since my seventh grade days of binge reading Dear Canada and The Royal Diaries... ah the good old days.) But anyway, since I love historical fiction, I loved reading all the historical details the author wove into this book. The setting felt genuine and vibrant. It also explored a period of history I haven't read very much about -- the 1920s -- which I liked. It seems like so many historical novels are based during WW2 nowadays that this was a refreshing change. (Not hating on WW2 novels, though: it was an important and tragic period of history, and one that we shouldn't forget any time soon.)

Conclusion: if you like historical fiction, you might want to keep The Lost Girl of Astor Street on your radar. But if you're a die-hard mystery fan, it might be worth your while to look elsewhere.

Content

Recommended for ages 15 and up.

TRIGGER WARNINGS: Kidnapping, mentions of human trafficking. 

No swearing that I can recall (this book is published by Blink, which usually means there is little to no profanity).

Sexual content is limited to kissing; there are also mentions of brothels and prostitution, as well as some talk and anxiety of what might have befallen Lydia (in terms of human trafficking). A minor character is married and having an affair with an unmarried character. One character reveals that she was sent away by her family to get an abortion. She didn't go through with it. 

Violence includes being held at gunpoint, a child is found to have been beaten, talk about a dead body and how the person died, a character experiences rough treatment including being dragged across gravel.

Romanov by Nadine Brandes

So much for getting this posted on Wednesday. :P Really sorry, everyone. 

Romanov
by Nadine Brandes

Genre: YA historical fantasy

My Rating: ★★★★

Description:

Nastya was once known as the Grand Duchess Anastasia, daughter of the Tsar of Russia. Now, her family is being forced into exile, and she has been entrusted with a single task - smuggle a powerful spell to the House of Special Purpose. It might be the only thing that can save her family.

But with the leader of the Bolshevik army hunting them, Nastya is soon faced with a choice - release the spell... or enlist the help of Zash, a confusing soldier who Nastya believes she can trust.
That is, until he's on one side of a firing squad... and she's on the other.

Overall Thoughts

I adored this book. I was about to hit the publish button and just leave the whole review at that, but I'm pretty sure that isn't the greatest idea. :P
But yes. I came to Romanov with high expectations, because after reading Fawkes, I knew that Romanov had a lot to live up to. While it wasn't quite as good as Fawkes (it's very hard to be as good as Fawkes), Romanov did not disappoint.

The Characters

First -- the characters. I loved Nastya, and I thought she made an excellent main character. Anastasia being the POV character for a book about the Romanovs may be cliche, but it certainly worked in this case. I really liked how much she cared about her family -- this was really admirable. I also appreciated her strength through a lot of difficult situations, but how she also felt human. She made mistakes and got angry and frustrated and found it hard to forgive her captors.
I also loved her relationships with her family members -- particularly Alexei. Their interactions felt really genuine. I wasn't sure how I felt about Alexei himself at first -- mostly because his personality is nothing like mine, so I had a hard time understanding how matter-of-fact he was about some things. But he's still a good character.
Zash was amazing. I really liked his character development, and I like how the author took time to develop his character arc and not rush to the conclusion.
The only major character that lacked a lot of development was the main villain, the Commandant. I wish he had been written with some more motivation and backstory, because sometimes he seemed to be evil for the sake of being evil. He does have a motive, but I wish more work had been done to deepen it, if that makes sense.

Plot/Pacing

The plot was solid -- not the strongest point of the book, in my opinion, but solid. It actually almost feels like two separate stories: you have the "before" story about the Romanovs living in the House of Special Purpose (which feels overall more historical) and then you have the "after" story, which occurs just after... well, you'll know when you get there. :P
I've read several Anastasia stories before this one, and so the "before" felt very familiar to me. I feel that if it had gone on much longer, I would have started to get bored. I feel that most readers probably won't have the same problem, since being obsessed with a single period of history isn't very common. The "after" definitely had a faster pace, but neither the "before" nor the "after" messed up, pacing-wise. I was never bored.

I also really liked how Brandes didn't shy away from tough topics. There were some very emotional, bloody, and hard scenes in this book -- namely the ones at the beginning of the "after" segment of the book, and the ones at the very end. This is technically Christian fiction, but I appreciated that Brandes showed the horribleness of what happened to the Romanovs, and also the emotional consequences for the survivors.

Were there things I didn't like about Romanov? Yes. Finding a perfect book is near impossible, which is why I so rarely give a five star rating to any books -- even ones I love. There was one paragraph near the end of the book where the theme of the novel is pretty much summarized... and I wish the author had avoided doing this. I never see the purpose of laying out a message for the reader to see, and I feel Brandes did a good enough job weaving her message into the narrative that having the paragraph didn't really add much to the story.

Content (Possible Spoilers)

Recommended for ages 14 and up.

TRIGGER WARNING: A character attempts suicide, but does not succeed. The actions this character took are not glorified by any means.
No swearing as far as I can remember. Kissing.
There are several brutal scenes in the book with a lot of blood, not gory, but maybe enough to upset very sensitive readers.