The Wicked and the Just by J. Anderson Coats

The Wicked and the Just
J. Anderson Coats
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Released: April 17, 2012
Genre: Historical Fiction
Pages: 352
Source: Netgalley

Cecily’s father has ruined her life. He’s moving them to occupied Wales, where the king needs good strong Englishmen to keep down the vicious Welshmen. At least Cecily will finally be the lady of the house.

Gwenhwyfar knows all about that house. Once she dreamed of being the lady there herself, until the English destroyed the lives of everyone she knows. Now she must wait hand and foot on this bratty English girl.

While Cecily struggles to find her place amongst the snobby English landowners, Gwenhwyfar struggles just to survive. And outside the city walls, tensions are rising ever higher—until finally they must reach the breaking point.

This did start out a bit slow for me. I heard about it months ago and sort of forgot the synopsis by the time I actually picked it up. It wasn't really what I expected, but I ended up really enjoying it. Cecily and Gwenhwyfar found themselves forced into one another's worlds when Cecily's father moved them to a home in Wales where Gwenhwyfar was content to keep an empty house. Cecily immediately took issue with Gwenhwyfar, as they had very different ideas about what their roles should be.

I couldn't help but like Cecily more, because despite her often inappropriate behavior, she was mostly just a victim of ignorance. The guilt and remorse she felt throughout the book seemed very honest to me. Gwenhwyfar, on the other hand, was an extremely vengeful person. Even though she was surprised by Cecily's few acts of kindness, she had no empathy toward the hardships Cecily faced. And while I could definitely understand why Gwenhwyfar was so hardened, the emotional distance she kept prevented me from really connecting to her.

British history is something that really fascinates me, and the history of the Welsh being occupied by the English is not a historical event I know much about. However, after reading The Wicked and the Just I am very intrigued by this time, and I plan on doing some research to learn more.

I do fear that although this is a book written for teens it may not be well received by them, and that is a shame. This is not an action-driven story, and I think historical fiction is already under-appreciated in the young adult world. I, for one, will read anything this author pens as I very much appreciated the amount of research and care it takes to write a story like this.

Tens List with Elisa Ludwig

Today I have Elisa Ludwig, author of Pretty Crooked, on the blog for an interview of sorts!

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TOP 10 JOBS YOU'D WANT IF YOU WEREN'T A WRITER

Psychologist: I'm always intrigued by how people think.
Pastry Chef/Ice Cream Maker: I love baking and making ice cream at home.
Painter: I almost went to art school but chose a liberal arts education instead.
Travel Writer: Probably doesn't need an explanation!
Namer of Things: It's an actual job! I just read a great New Yorker article about it.
Interior Decorator: I still lament the passing of the late great Domino magazine.
Florist: How could you ever be in a bad mood?
Bed and Breakfast Owner: I may still do this later on.
Librarian: Seems very peaceful and fulfilling.
Professional Scrabble Player: I'd need a lot of practice to get there, but it sounds like fun, right?

Thanks for having me, Jamie. It's been super fun!

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Thanks, Elisa, for stopping by bookmarked today! Several of those occupations are also tempting to me, especially a Travel Writer. Be sure to check out the other tour stops for more interviews, guest posts, and reviews!

Character Interview: Bria from Wanderlove

Today I have Bria, the main character from Kirsten Hubbard's Wanderlove, for an interview! She is here courtesy of the Teen {Book} Scene blog tour. I LOVED Wanderlove and was super excited about getting to know Bria better.

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1. Twitter style: describe yourself in 140 characters or less.

Girl. Eighteen. Fond of drawing sea serpents and butterflies in unlikely places. Totally over her ex-boyfriend. A traveler, maybe.

2. What was your first thought when upon meeting your fellow vagabonds?

WHAT WAS I THINKING??
Not to be mean or anything, but... let's just say they were the exact opposite of the travelers in the Global Vagabonds pamphlet. Yikes. I didn't spend all my money on a trip to Central America to travel with my parents.

3. You and Rowan are very different. How did you make traveling with him work?

We were both interested in each other. Not in that way, necessarily. At least not at first. But I just found him so fascinating -- his insight, all the wild places he's been. And for some reason, he seemed just as fascinated by me. Also, unexpectedly, we have pretty much the exact same sense of humor. He's a little more into pranking tourists, though. The jerk.

4. What was your favorite experience from Central America?

My number one favorite experience... well, I'm not going to recap that here! But there were so many memorable moments. Like when we mud wrestled in Livingston. Super embarrassing but just so great. And those times we sat in a hammock together, late at night, just talking and talking.

5. Do you have any other trips planned?

I want to go EVERYWHERE.

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Thanks, Bria (and Kirsten) for stopping by bookmarked today! Be sure to check out the other tour stops for more interviews, guest posts, and reviews!

Author Word Association with Margie Gelbwasser

Today I have Margie Gelbwasser, author of Pieces of Us, on the blog for an interview of sorts!

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Vacation: Now please.
Dessert: Fruit
Cocktail: Super sweet wine
Windy: Blech
Black: goes with everything
DVR: can't live without it
Mall: samples and carousels
Cosmetics: black eyeliner
Watering hole: no good ones around here
Route: 4-the go-to highway here

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Thanks, Margie, for stopping by bookmarked today! Be sure to check out the other tour stops for more interviews, guest posts, and reviews!

Wanderlove by Kirsten Hubbard

Wanderlove

Kirsten Hubbard

Publisher: Delacourte

Released: March 13, 2012

Genre: Contemporary

Pages: 335

Source: Netgalley

It all begins with a stupid question:

Are you a Global Vagabond?

No, but 18-year-old Bria Sandoval wants to be. In a quest for independence, her neglected art, and no-strings-attached hookups, she signs up for a guided tour of Central America—the wrong one. Middle-aged tourists with fanny packs are hardly the key to self-rediscovery. When Bria meets Rowan, devoted backpacker and dive instructor, and his outspokenly humanitarian sister Starling, she seizes the chance to ditch her group and join them off the beaten path.

Bria's a good girl trying to go bad. Rowan's a bad boy trying to stay good. As they travel across a panorama of Mayan villages, remote Belizean islands, and hostels plagued with jungle beasties, they discover what they've got in common: both seek to leave behind the old versions of themselves. And the secret to escaping the past, Rowan’s found, is to keep moving forward.

But Bria comes to realize she can't run forever, no matter what Rowan says. If she ever wants the courage to fall for someone worthwhile, she has to start looking back.

I am reminded of the part in Little Women where Professor Bhaer gives Jo a bit of advice: write what you know. Obviously there isn't really a Godspeed, sparkling vampires, or arenas full of lethal children (thank God), so that advice isn't necessarily warranted in today's world of Young Adult literature. But Kirsten Hubbard's experience as a travel writer and frequent trips to Central America make Wanderlove a gorgeous novel no one else could have written.

I am one who believes there should be more "older YA" on the shelves. How many twenty-year-olds feel like adults? Hell, I'm twenty-four, and I still feel like a kid playing house sometimes. The transition from high school to college/career/whatever the character does after high school is a huge part of growing up, and I am so glad Kirsten picked a recent graduate as her main character.

Bria is fresh out of high school, newly single, and unsure of her future. Despite warnings from her best friends who bailed on her, Bria signs up for a chaperoned trip to Guatemala. Before the plane even lands, Bria is embarrassed by her fellow travelers aka retirees and strict guides. All she wants is some freedom - to be carefree like the backpackers she envies. Before long, Bria breaks rank and joins a reserved backpacker named Rowan and his sister Starling. Although she almost immediately realizes backpacking isn't quite what she thought it would be, Bria follows the siblings across Central America discovering more about herself than the places and people surrounding her.

I very much enjoyed Hubbard's debut novel, Like Mandarin, for its beautiful descriptions and lyrical prose. These aspects are not missed in her sophomore novel, and as an added bonus, Kirsten includes her own artwork sprinkled throughout. She is extremely talented in both medias, and has an incredible way of inspiring me to travel to the places she so vividly describes. I may be a bit biased, as I had the pleasure of meeting Kirsten twice and enjoyed her very much; however, my love for her craft is genuine, I promise you.

Wanderlove is a unique view of the after-high-school experience, and whether you're backpacking across Central America or lingering around your hometown, any teen can relate to Bria's journey to self discovery.

FTC: I received an eARC of this novel from Random House via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Waiting on Wednesday (36)

Waiting on Wednesday was started by Jill at Breaking the Spine. It features upcoming releases we can't wait to get our hands on.

This week's pick is...

... by Jenny Han

I have been in a major reading slump lately. I read several things I was really excited about but just didn't deliver, and I haven't been able to pick up anything else. For the past several weeks the only thing that has brought me comfort has been rereading Jenny Han's Summer series. I heart Belly like she were a different version of myself, and daydreaming of the ocean, sand, and the Fisher boys makes me long to leave reality. I know Jenny is currently working on a supernatural trilogy with Sioban Vivian, which I will most definitely read, but I yearn for another of her contemporary romances she's so incredible at crafting.

Pieces of Us by Margie Gelbwasser

Pieces of Us
Margie Gelbwasser
Publisher: Flux
Released: March 8, 2012
Genre: Contemporary
Pages: 336
Source: The Teen Book Scene

Two families. Four teens.
A summer full of secrets.

Every summer, hidden away in a lakeside community in upstate New York, four teens leave behind their old identities…and escape from their everyday lives.

Yet back in Philadelphia during the school year, Alex cannot suppress his anger at his father (who killed himself), his mother (whom he blames for it), and the girls who give it up too easily. His younger brother, Kyle, is angry too—at his abusive brother, and at their mother who doesn’t seem to care. Meanwhile, in suburban New Jersey, Katie plays the role of Miss Perfect while trying to forget the nightmare that changed her life. But Julie, her younger sister, sees Katie only as everything she’s not. And their mother will never let Julie forget it.

Up at the lake, they can be anything, anyone. Free. But then Katie’s secret gets out, forcing each of them to face reality—before it tears them to pieces.

This book is freaking harsh. Like, it's hard for me to write about. Abuse, neglect, date rape, and depression, among other tough subjects, are all covered here. Alex and Kyle and Katie and Julie certainly have their share of family and social drama throughout the year. But when they meet up at the lake every summer with their grandparents, they can forget all that and pretend everything's normal for a while. Only as they get older, it becomes harder and harder for them to morph into different versions of themselves.

Told from each of the four main characters' points of view, Pieces of Us is very much a character driven story. Love them or hate them, Alex, Kyle, Katie and Julie certainly leave the reader wide-eyed throughout the novel. Margie Gelbwasser does a fantastic job of making each of these characters believable. They're not always likable, but that's kind of the point of the story. This isn't fluff - Pieces of Us leaves a reader wrecked. I thought Katie and Kyle were the most deserving of my empathy. I was honestly appalled by some of Alex's and Julie's actions. And don't even get me started on their mothers. It's bad.

I'm still unsure how to describe my overall feelings about this book. I can't really say I enjoyed it; I think the subject matter makes it difficult for anyone to enjoy it, but I did very much appreciate it. It was painfully honest and shined a light on what is unfortunately a reality for many teens.