Review: Demon Princess: Reign or Shine by Michelle Rowen

Reign or Shine (Demon Princess #1) by Michelle Rowen

As if trying to fit in at a new school isn't stressful enough, sixteen-year-old Nikki Donovan just found out that her long-lost father is, in fact, the demon king of the Shadowlands—the world that separates and protects us from the Underworld. When she is brought there by the mysterious—and surprisingly cute—messenger Michael, she learns that her father is dying, and he wants her to assume the throne. To complicate matters, a war is brewing between the Shadowlands and the Underworld, her half-demon qualities are manifesting, and her growing feelings for Michael are completely forbidden. Ruling a kingdom, navigating a secret crush, and still making it home by curfew—what's a teenage demon princess to do?

Review:

I've been looking forward to reading this for a long time. The cover made it appear to be a light and cute read, but the summary and title implied something darker. This was exactly what Reign or Shine was. It was a cute book, with darker undertones that made it an overall wonderful read.

The plot was extremely original and was a refreshing change from the vampire and werewolf scene. Demons are a set of creatures I've never read about and I really liked how Rowen presented them. Faeries and unicorns were both introduced in a new way. Rowen also introduced some new creatures like Shadows and Darklings. I really liked the idea of her father being a demon king. It added so much uniqueness and excitement to the novel, and the plot twists involving the Shadowlands and who was going to rule kept me turning the pages. While at times it was a bit predictable, overall Reign or Shine was a well orchestrated and original novel that was a great beginning to what I'm sure will be a terrific series.

Nikki was a great main character. She wasn't afraid to speak her mind, or kick some serious demon butt. She was thoughtful and intuitive. Nikki was able to figure things out and stand up for herself. Her mother was another solid character, I loved how she was a romance writer. Both of Nikki's parents played large roles and her best friend did as well. Melinda wasn't your typical preppy/popular girl and she had real substance, I'm just a bit suspicious of her after the "joking" comment she made with Nikki about demons. I don't want to give anything away though!

Michael was a sweet and realistic character, and I liked how he really cared for Nikki. I'm especially interested in seeing how their relationship progresses in book 2. There are some "bad guys" in this novel, and I was really surprised once I figured out who they were!

Overall, this was a great YA debut and I'm really looking forward to seeing where things go in the sequel. If you're looking for an exciting and original series, that's both lighthearted with darker parts tied in, you'll love this book!

Overall: 4 out of 5 stars

September 29, 2009/Walker BFYR/274 Pages/Young Adult/Book One

Source: Bought

Other books in the series: Reign Check (Demon Princess #2)

In My Mailbox (39)

These are just the books I bought or received for review this week, I'm not including my BEA stash. That will be posted separately this week :)

For Review:

Insatiable by Meg Cabot

And Then I Found Out the Truth by Jennifer Sturman

Endless Summer by Jennifer Echols (signed)

For the Win by Cory Doctorow

Picture the Dead Tshirt

Bought:

Folly by Marthe Jocelyn

Spells by Aprilynne Pike

She's So Dead to Us by Keiran Scott

The Exile of Gigi Lane by Adrienne Maria Vrettos

The Oracle of Dating by Alison van Diepen

A Blue So Dark by Holly Schindler

Going too Far by Jennifer Echols

IMM Is Hosted By: The Story Siren

Introducing 2011: Sara Bennett Wealer

Sara Bennett Wealer grew up in Manhattan, Kansas (the “Little Apple”), where she sang with the show choir and wrote for her high school newspaper. She majored in voice performance at the University of Kansas before ditching her operatic dreams and transferring to journalism school instead. Since then, Sara has been fortunate to make her living as a writer. She lives in Cincinnati with her husband and two daughters, and still sings when her schedule allows—most recently with the May Festival Chorus, the official choir of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra.

Her debut novel, RIVAL, will be published by HarperCollins in December 2011.

--

1. What was the inspiration behind RIVAL?

RIVAL was inspired by memories of what it was like to be a singer in a competitive high school music department. The arts can be pretty cut-throat, and when you add friendship into the mix it creates all sorts of tension. None of my experiences were dramatic enough to make a good story, and, obviously, the book is pure fiction. What I wanted to do was capture how it feels to be in a pressure cooker where you have to perform at your best, all the while keeping an eye out for someone else who could, at any moment, perform better than you and knock you out of the running. The pressure is even greater when that person is someone with whom you have a past. RIVAL is about friendship and betrayal and figuring out that the person you think is your enemy might just be the one who understands you the most.


2. Which of your characters can you relate to the most?

There are two main characters in RIVAL: Brooke is popular and powerful, yet she yearns to escape and make a living as a professional singer. Kathryn, meanwhile, is a shy overachiever who sort of assumes people don't like her. I think if you ask people who know me, they'd say they see more of me in Kathryn. I'm a little more pensive, more of a loner. But I also feel like I've got some Brooke in me, too. She hates BS and wishes she could focus all her energy on doing what she loves. Some days I wish I could just live on an island and do nothing but write!


3. Music plays a big role in RIVAL, what's the story behind that?

Music has played a big role in my life! I grew up singing - I know the joy it brings and also, obviously, the tensions that come when you aspire to reach a certain level as a performer. I wanted to write a book for young adults who are interested in music and the arts, because I feel like there isn't enough out there that speaks to them (although the TV show "Glee" is doing a great job of starting to fill that gap). But I also wanted something everybody could enjoy. RIVAL has romance, parties, intrigue, a Homecoming Dance... and it might even inspire someone who's never heard opera before to check out Gounod or Puccini!


4. If you were trapped on a deserted island, what three books would you want with you?

Oh, that's hard!! "House of Mirth" by Edith Wharton is my all-time favorite book. And... you know what? I love too many other books to pick favorites. Can I cheat and tell you what three pieces of music I'd like to have instead? I'd take Beethoven's 9th Symphony (the Ode to Joy), Prokofiev's Romeo and Juliet, and anything by October Project or Tori Amos.


5. Is there a message you wanted to share with readers by writing RIVAL?

I guess I wanted to show how a rivalry can bring out the best and the worst in a person. It can inspire you to work to achieve your goals. At the same time, it can eat you alive. I also wanted to explore how the assumptions we make about other peoples' lives, goals, motivations, etc. are colored by our own experiences, needs and desires. It's hard to really know another person, and often we don't fully understand someone until we've hurt them and/or been hurt--until it's almost too late! I don't mean to sound hopeless or depressing. RIVAL actually ends up at what I think is a very sweet place. But I know a lot of teens are struggling with the conflicting emotions that a rivalry can stir up. I don't know if they'll learn anything from my book, but I hope they at least see that they're not alone.

--

Thanks so much, Sara!

Click here to visit Sara's website!

Shade Review

Shade by Jeri Smith-Ready

Publisher: Simon Pulse

Release date: May 4, 2010

Source: Publisher

Love ties them together. Death can't tear them apart.

Best. Birthday. Ever. At least, it was supposed to be. With Logan's band playing a critical gig and Aura's plans for an intimate after-party, Aura knows it will be the most memorable night of her boyfriend's life. She never thought it would be his last.

Logan's sudden death leaves Aura devastated. He's gone.

Well, sort of.

Like everyone born after the Shift, Aura can see and hear ghosts. This mysterious ability has always been annoying, and Aura had wanted nothing more than to figure out why the Shift happened so she can undo it. But not with Logan's violet-hued spirit still hanging around. Because dead Logan is almost as real as ever. Almost.

It doesn't help that Aura's new friend Zachary is so understanding--and so very alive. His support means more to Aura than she cares to admit.

As Aura's relationships with the dead and the living grow ever complicated, so do her feelings for Logan and Zachary. Each holds a piece of Aura's heart...and clues to the secret of the Shift.

Review:

Shade was a terrific YA debut that had me glued to the pages. Jeri Smith-Ready has a knack for writing a novel that keeps the reader unable to put the book down. With terrific characters, an original plot, and awesome writing- Shade is one of my favorite 2010 releases yet!

To begin with, Aura was a fabulous main character. She was well developed and readers could understand what she was going through, even if they'd never suffered such loss themselves. Aura's emotions were believable and not over-exaggerated so her intense attachment to Logan was understandable, not fake. This brings the love-triangle into play. I love, love, love love triangles. They add a lot to novels and keep the suspense going on who the girl is going to choose. Unfortunately, love triangles have been a little over-done lately, so I was worried how this one was going to play out. Luckily, it worked.

Logan and Zachary were both awesome. Logan, who originally seemed a little shallow, turned out to be a great guy and he was perfect for Aura. I also was a little unsure how the ghost angle would play out, but in this way I was able to better understand Logan's character. Zachary, on the other hand, was a living, breathing, awesome guy. While I really liked Logan there was something about Zachary that just made me love him! Maybe it was the Scottish accent...

The idea of the Shift was one of the most original in any YA novel I've ever read. The idea of only a certain age group being able to see ghosts, the idea of the secret government group working against them, the Shade angle... there were so many parts to this novel that all weaved together to create a fantastic story.

This was an emotional, exciting read with plenty of twists that kept the plot moving. It had an award-winning set of characters and the ending left a lot open for the sequel. I can't wait to see where she takes the story next!

Overall: 5 out of 5 stars

Interview: Lisa Brown & Adele Griffin

What are the pros and cons of writing together?

The pros of writing together are plentiful. We both came to this project with different professional backgrounds (Lisa is a designer and a writer and illustrator of picture books, and Adele is a writer of middle grade and young adult fiction) but a similar personal interest in what we enjoyed reading and writing. We like to say that we are graduates of the “school of Brontë” because we both grew up devouring that genre of dark, windswept gothics. So our biggest pro was that we had so many of the same points of reference, and such a kinship of influences. Plus we were always bookswapping.

Our big con was geographical. Adele lives in New York and Lisa lives in California. Which meant that if either of us had an epiphany, it might have to wait for the other one to enter a (relatively) normal hour of the of day. Of course, some ideas just can’t wait that long …

In what ways do each of you relate to Jennie?

Jennie is a quietly determined character, and there was something quietly determined about the process of creating this book. And of course she had to have some kinship with us, because we wanted to relate to all of her choices. We both would have liked to hang out with Jennie—and that’s an important litmus test, when creating a heroine.

More personally, Jennie shares our romantic streak, and our dislike of pointy French heels. We are all three more about the perfect T-shirt and stompy boots. Alas, it was 1865, nothing but hoops and stays for poor Jennie.

How did you tie in the illustrations with the storyline?

The illustrations tell parts of the story that the text cannot. They’re Jennie’s scrapbook, and so they’re the objective glimpse into the truth of what she, as the subjective narrator, can’t see. In some cases, we even embedded clues to the mystery that a sharp reader could actual stumble across before Jennie did herself. Lisa conceived the characters visually at the same time that we were building up our cast, so we had the fun of looking at portraits as we built scenes. It was a very dramatic, highly satisfying way to invent a book.

Was it difficult to use paranormal elements, but still keep it historically accurate?

Just the opposite! Spirit photography was a brisk industry during the American Civil War, so we had a great jumping-off point as we set up our theater in our Spiritualist Heinrich Geist’s studio. It’s much easier to build a credible ghost story on the back of the actual mindset of the period. Civil War era folk were in shock and in mourning, and therefore very susceptible. So it wasn’t hard to shake up our heroine, as she was already rattled from everything she’d been through in wartime.

If you could go back in time to any period in history, when would it be?

Adele: My great-great-grandmother’s home was destroyed in a flood in 1889, and so she left her husband and kids for a few months to do “dramatic readings” around the country to raise money to build a new house. When she was older, she wrote about it in her (self-published) memoir. I’d have loved to come along on that tour of ’89 because it seems very weird and I just can’t figure it out. Who would pay for that? Talk about a hoax.

Lisa: I have always wanted to be a fly on the wall during one of Gertrude Stein’s salons in Paris in the 1910s and 1920s. But also to completely skip World Wars I and II, thank you very much.

--

Thanks so much Lisa & Adele!

Click here to visit their website!

My review for Picture the Dead will be posted soon :)

In My Mailbox (38) + Signing Recap & Charlie's Birthday

This was a great week book wise. I got a lot of cool things in the mail and also got to attend an author signing with two fantastic authors :)

Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce (review)

Deception by Lee Nichols (review)

My Invisible Boyfriend (review)

Something Like Fate by Susane Colasanti (trade)

Once Was Lost by Sara Zarr (trade)

Various swag

Forgive My Fins Splash Team swag

IMM Is Hosted By: The Story Siren

-------

I also went to Beth Fantaskey & Alyssa B. Sheinmel's signing on Saturday. It was a lot of fun. Beth and Alyssa each read passages from their books and then answered questions before signing. I got my copies of Jekel Loves Hyde, Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side, and The Beautiful Between signed! Both authors were really sweet and if you haven't already, I definitely recommend checking out their books!

Kelsey- Best Wishes! Beth Fantaskey

Kelsey- Keep spreading the word about great books, Beth Fantaskey

Dear Kelsey, Happy Birthday Charlie! Very best, Alyssa B. Sheinmel

__

It was also my puppy Charlie's first birthday yesterday! <3