The Darkest Part of the Forest by Holly Black

Title: The Darkest Part of the Forest

Author: Holly Black

Length: 336 pages

Publisher: Little Brown Books for Young Readers

Classification: Young Adult, Fantasy, Magic

Release Date: January 13, 2015

Source: ARC (Thank you so much to the NOVL newsletter!)

Read: November 2014

Children can have a cruel, absolute sense of justice. Children can kill a monster and feel quite proud of themselves. A girl can look at her brother and believe they’re destined to be a knight and a bard who battle evil. She can believe she’s found the thing she’s been made for.
Hazel lives with her brother, Ben, in the strange town of Fairfold where humans and fae exist side by side. The faeries’ seemingly harmless magic attracts tourists, but Hazel knows how dangerous they can be, and she knows how to stop them. Or she did, once.
At the center of it all, there is a glass coffin in the woods. It rests right on the ground and in it sleeps a boy with horns on his head and ears as pointed as knives. Hazel and Ben were both in love with him as children. The boy has slept there for generations, never waking.
Until one day, he does…
As the world turns upside down, Hazel tries to remember her years pretending to be a knight. But swept up in new love, shifting loyalties, and the fresh sting of betrayal, will it be enough?

GoodReads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Books-a-Million

***I received an ARC (Advance Reader Copy) of this book from the NOVL Newsletter in exchange for an honest review***

My first thought upon finishing this book was "Why in the world did I wait so long to read a book written by Holly Black?!"
I don't really know why the only other thing I have read before this one was the short story that was published in My True Love Gave to Me. 

But after reading The Darkest Part of the Forest, I now know that I need to read more Holly Black! 

This book is awesome! I really enjoyed reading it!

Hazel and her brother, Ben, live in a fascinating world full of humans and fairies. In the town that they live in the humans and fairies not only know about each other, but have been coexisting for years. For the most part, the fairies play pretty harmless tricks that attract curious tourists. But Hazel starts noticing that things are changing and the fairies may be more dangerous than anyone knows. And at the center of it all is the horned boy that has been asleep in a glass coffin in the forest for years. Hazel has to figure what is happening and how to protect everyone as she discovers things that she didn't know before. 

The writing style really pulled me in. The words and details made it really easy for me to be sucked into Hazel's world! 
I was so captivated by the writing, world, and characters, it was hard for me to put the book down. I really tried to take my time so I could savor the book, but I couldn't stop reading. Even when I wasn't reading the book, I was thinking about the story and the characters.

I absolutely love that this book has some mysterious elements to the story. The cryptic messages for example. Overall, there were some surprising twists that kept me guessing and the story very entertaining for me! Several things that I didn't see coming. There were a couple small things that I guessed, but these things made me happy.

I find Hazel to be a strong character. I love that she is determined to do whatever to keep doing what she wants to do.

Ben is another fun character. One of my favorite things from this book is the sibling relationship between these two characters. I feel like it is realistic. They are each keeping things from one another to try and protect them. I like the development and love that I see in their bond as brother and sister.

Jack is another character that I really like. I found his part of the story to be really interesting. And I really love how he is a good friend. He really cares about Ben and Hazel.

The horned boy is a bit mysterious. Even though we learn his name and information about him throughout the story, I still feel like I wanted to know a bit more. And a little bit more interaction with the characters. But I still liked this character as well.

My Recommendation:

Read it! I really enjoyed reading this book. I didn't want to put it down and I didn't want it to end. I think that the writing is beautiful and entertaining. I was enamored with the world and the characters. 
I am so glad that I was able to read this book! 
And I am really looking forward to checking out some of Holly Black's other books.

Would I Buy/Pre-order this book? Yes! This is definitely a book that I want to have a finished copy of.

My Rating:

Salt & Storm by Kendall Kulper

(source)

Title: Salt & Storm
Author: Kendall Kulper
Length: 416 pages
Publisher: Little Brown Books for Young Readers
Classification: Young Adult, Fantasy, Paranormal, Witches, Magic, Historical
Release Date: September 23, 2014
Source: e-galley (I was approved for this ARC via NetGalley. Thank you Little Brown!)
Read: July 2014

GoodReads 
Barnes & Noble
Books-a-Million

A sweeping historical romance about a witch who foresees her own murder--and the one boy who can help change her future.
Sixteen-year-old Avery Roe wants only to take her rightful place as the witch of Prince Island, making the charms that keep the island's whalers safe at sea, but her mother has forced her into a magic-free world of proper manners and respectability. When Avery dreams she's to be murdered, she knows time is running out to unlock her magic and save herself.
Avery finds an unexpected ally in a tattooed harpoon boy named Tane--a sailor with magic of his own, who moves Avery in ways she never expected. Becoming a witch might stop her murder and save her island from ruin, but Avery discovers her magic requires a sacrifice she never prepared for. (From GoodReads)

***I received an e-galley of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review***



My Rating:

After seeing the cover of this book and reading the summary, I was so glad that I was approved by Little Brown via NetGalley to read an ARC!
The cover is so lovely. I really like that the picture is simple, but at the same time pretty. And I love the font used for the title!

I really liked this take on Witches. I really found their abilities and how they do magic/charms very interesting. 

The Story:

I really like that the story wasn't only about what was happening to the characters in the story, but also about the history of the island and the Roe witches. I think the author did a great job at including a lot of background and information while not overshadowing the plot and storyline. 

I really like the  setting and the descriptions. There were times where I wished I could be on this island, seeing what the characters would be seeing. 

I like that there was a mystery feel to the story as well. I was very interested in the mysterious dream that the main character, Avery, kept having. I also really enjoyed the mystery surrounding the other characters. I felt like they all were mysterious in their own ways. I had fun trying to figure out what was going on with those characters individually and how it relates to Avery.  
 For most of the book, I was left guessing what would happen next. But around the middle of the story, I made a guess for what I thought would happen and ended up being close. But it didn't take away from me enjoying the book. And it definitely did not keep me from feeling emotions about the events and the ending. 

The Characters:

 I think that the characters are well written with well-developed backstories. I found them to be very fascinating characters and I enjoyed learning more about them as the story progressed.

Avery is interesting, determined, and at times stubborn. But I really like that she knew what it was she wanted and that she would do whatever she could to fight to achieve it. 

Tane is a very mysterious character. While reading the story, I kept thinking about how there was so much more I wanted to know about his character. I was very happy with the development and found his backstory to be captivating. 

Avery's Mother is a frustrating character for me. We view her from Avery's POV (point of view) and as a reader I could feel the anger and frustration that Avery had for her mother. 

My Recommendation:

If you like reading about witches and like informational stories, then I would recommend giving this book a read. The story was fascinating and mysterious. I liked the characters and the island. 

Half Bad by Sally Green

(source)

Title: Half Bad (Half Life #1)

Author: Sally Green

Length: 394 pages

Publisher: Viking (Penguin Group)

Classification: Young Adult, Paranormal, Witches, Magic

Release Date: March 2014

Source: ARC (ARC tour hosted by On The Same Page)

Read: May to June 2014

GoodReads

Half Bad by Sally Green is a breathtaking debut novel about one boy's struggle for survival in a hidden society of witches. You can't read, can't write, but you heal fast, even for a witch. You get sick if you stay indoors after dark. You hate White Witches but love Annalise, who is one. You've been kept in a cage since you were fourteen. All you've got to do is escape and find Mercury, the Black Witch who eats boys. And do that before your seventeenth birthday. (From GoodReads)

First I want to thank Brittany, Alyssa, and Amy (On The Same Page) for hosting the ARC tour. It is fun to get to borrow a book that I am interested in reading.

My Rating:

I wasn't really sure what to expect when I first picked up this book to read. I saw that a lot of bloggers had marked it as To-Read on GoodReads, then I saw the sign-ups for the ARC tour and decided to give it a try.

The Story:
I started to read the book and was instantly confused by the writing style. I kept reading, but there were a couple times in the beginning I started thinking, "This might not be for me. I might end up DNFing this one."

But I kept reading. And I am so GLAD that I did!

Once I got past the interesting writing style, I loved the story. It was interesting and unique. And it gave me a lot of feelings, there were times that I was frustrated, upset, angry and heartbroken for Nathan, the main character.

The further I got into the book, the more the story and the characters hooked me.

I really loved the concept and plot of the story. And I liked that the author took the time to explain things without it just being a bunch of information thrown together.

The story kept me guessing. I wasn't sure what was going to happen next and I only guessed something that would happen a couple of times. And most of the time it was just small things.

This was a great starting book for an interesting series. I enjoyed this story enough that I know I will read the next book, and I am anxious to find out what happens next.

The Characters:
I thought the characters were all very well written. There were characters that frustrated me, (but they were supposed to) and there were characters that I felt for.
There were characters that I think were full of depth and they weren't exactly what I thought they were. And there were some characters that I was left wanting to know more about them.
I felt that these are characters that I can feel for and care about. And I am excited to find out more about their lives and the things that will happen to them in the next book.

My Recommendation:
If you like interesting stories that involve witches and magic, then I think you should give this book a try. The writing style probably isn't for everyone, and it was a bit different and unique. But once you get used to the writing style, I felt hooked to the story. And I am looking forward to book #2 coming out (hopefully) next year!