All Our Pretty Songs (All Our Pretty Songs #1) by Sarah McCarry

Description from Goodreads:

The first book in an exciting YA trilogy, this is the story of two best friends on the verge of a terrifying divide when they begin to encounter a cast of strange and mythical characters.

Set against the lush, magical backdrop of the Pacific Northwest, two inseparable best friends who have grown up like sisters—the charismatic, mercurial, and beautiful Aurora and the devoted, soulful, watchful narrator—find their bond challenged for the first time ever when a mysterious and gifted musician named Jack comes between them. Suddenly, each girl must decide what matters most: friendship, or love. What both girls don’t know is that the stakes are even higher than either of them could have imagined. They’re not the only ones who have noticed Jack’s gift; his music has awakened an ancient evil—and a world both above and below which may not be mythical at all. The real and the mystical; the romantic and the heartbreaking all begin to swirl together, carrying the two on journey that is both enthralling and terrifying.

And it’s up to the narrator to protect the people she loves—if she can.

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The first thing that captured my attention in All Our Pretty Songs was the amazing, lyrical language. At times I felt like I was reading poetry rather than fiction. McCarry used beautiful and gripping imagery that sucked you right into the world and made you see the world like the nameless narrator did - you feel like you are experiencing the same things, right there, with her.

I don't think I can emphasise enough the fact that I loved the magical realism in the book. I have loved the genre since I read One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez in high school, and it can be an amazing experience if you read a well written magical realism. There were various scenes in the book when you start to question if the events are really happening or are they just happening in the narrators own mind. I think the fact that the narrator is a recreational drug user just confuses the readers' perception of the events even more. Is this all real, or just her imagination? And the fact that you can never be sure made me really like this book. 

I was really surprised that even though the book did contain quite a bit of angst, it didn't really bother me. I'm usually hate books which have main characters who are overly emotional and dwell on their misery, but I wasn't really bothered by the plentiful angst this time. But I think I was able to overlook it because the readers are well aware of the narrator and her best friend's, Aurora's, situation: neglected by the parents, and having to rely on each other while being still adolescents themselves, on every issue.

All Our Pretty Songs deviates from the other young adult books in terms of how the major themes are presented and addressed in the book - most of the time, especially the painful, issues are sugar coated and treated as something that will pass with time. However, the current book took a long hard look at issues such as excessive partying, friendship, drug use, casual sex, growing up, and intra-familial neglect and what sort of consequences these had on the girls and their future. All Our Pretty Songs gives, maybe unintentionally, a wake-up call of what living without rules can do to a person.

However, there were things that I didn't really like. The love interest, Jack, left me completely cold. Apparently he was supposed to be this charismatic, artistic, and insightful guy, but we don't really learn that much about him, not to even mention that I felt like he was playing with the nameless narrator and didn't even really care that much for her in the end. But at some point I started to wonder that maybe All Our Pretty Songs wasn't really about romantic love at all? 

The book also took its time to present the supernatural element, and at some point I was even wondering if I had misunderstood it being an urban fantasy book. In a way it was rather refreshing that the supernatural wasn't thrown in the readers faces straight away, but there was a long (and also a bit anxious) wait before it was revealed in which fantasy sub genre the book belonged to. But the wait definitely was worth it as it was quite surprising to me and I think the book took an interesting, new approach to the supernatural. 

I can very honestly say that I hadn't read a book before and after reading All Our Pretty Songs that reminds me of this book. There was something quite unique about the book, most likely due to the lyrical language and magical realism, that made you to think about the book even days after finishing it. But then again there were quite a lot of angst and sometimes it was difficult to relate to the nameless narrator which definitely lowered my opinion of the book. I think you need to read the book to understand what I mean. This quote quite well sums up the book:

"This is a story about love, but not the kind of love you think. You'll see."

☆☆☆ 

Bleeding Hearts (Demimonde, #1) by Ash Krafton (2012)

Description from Goodreads:

Sophie Galen is an advice columnist who is saving the world - one damned person at a time. Shy and sensitive Sophie has all but given up on love until she meets Marek, a mysterious stranger who seduces her with his striking good looks and his take-charge attitude. Yet the darkness she senses within him may be more than she is prepared to handle when Marek draws her into a world of vampires, werewolves, and treachery. Forced to leave behind the comfortable routines and certainties of her past, Sophie makes unbearable sacrifices and uncovers hidden truths about herself and the world around her.

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Thank you Ash Krafton for giving me the chance to read your book!

It has been a long time I last read a vampire book. I think this has been mainly due to the fact that vampires seem to be a really hot topic among Young Adult audience, so I grew a little bit tired of them. But then I got an email of having a chance to read Bleeding Hearts, and as the description sounded fine, I wanted to give vampires another shot. 

I loved the main character Sophie! She was so funny, charismatic, and has a very gentle soul. She has a major saviour complex and she is determined to save every possible soul even if takes forever. Even though I liked her character quite a bit, I couldn't help but wonder why the author wanted the book to be Young Adult book (the book was categorised as one in Goodreads). She is a 34-year-old woman, so I'm not sure how well young adults can identify with her character. In my opinion, Krafton should have taken the extra step and written the book for older audience. 

There is another reason why the author should have written the book for slightly older readers. Even though the chemistry was impeccable between Sophie and Marek, I think Bleeding Hearts would have gotten a little more kick if there was a little bit of smut. If I remember right none of the kisses nor the more intimate scenes were described more than with few sentences. I found this a little bit of a shame as there was all the potential to have very sexy scenes. Krafton's writing style would have ensured it!

However, I have to give respect for the fact that Sophie and Marek's relationship wasn't all physical. I loved how they actually had conversations and got to know each other before they went any further. Even though there was the initial attraction between these two they didn't act on their urges immediately. I find it kind of rare these days which is a shame. But I have to mention this: how come Sophie didn't completely freak out when Marek revealed he being a demivampire? It wasn't very realistic as she almost immediately after initial shock seemed to be cool Marek being a supernatural being. 

The plot was okay and interesting, even though I wished there were more adrenaline rushing moments. Nevertheless, there was some mythology matters going on with the plot which I found really fascinating. It's obvious the author had done some research about Egyptian mythologies and on top of this, she was able to present them in a subtle yet captivating way. In addition, there was a religious aspect included which didn't really charm me.

I think I would have enjoyed the book more if I were more into vampires, and if there would have been more adult scenes. Nevertheless, Bleeding Hearts was a decent book with funny and adorable heroine that kept me entertained the whole time. 

☆☆☆

Ink (Paper Gods, #1) by Amanda Sun (2013)

Description from Goodreads:

On the heels of a family tragedy, the last thing Katie Greene wants to do is move halfway across the world. Stuck with her aunt in Shizuoka, Japan, Katie feels lost. Alone. She doesn’t know the language, she can barely hold a pair of chopsticks, and she can’t seem to get the hang of taking her shoes off whenever she enters a building.

Then there’s gorgeous but aloof Tomohiro, star of the school’s kendo team. How did he really get the scar on his arm? Katie isn’t prepared for the answer. But when she sees the things he draws start moving, there’s no denying the truth: Tomo has a connection to the ancient gods of Japan, and being near Katie is causing his abilities to spiral out of control. If the wrong people notice, they'll both be targets.

Katie never wanted to move to Japan—now she may not make it out of the country alive.

--

From the first page, I felt like I was in Japan myself. I have read from somewhere that the author herself, has liven in Japan when she was younger - and this really shows. All the cultural things from language, traditions, mannerism, history to buildings are described precisely and subtly integrated in the story. As Katie struggles with the completely new culture, so do the readers. However, when she becomes more familiar with the language and interactions, also the reader feels more comfortable while reading. I was really absorbed in the world of Ink, and I have to say that the novel has one of the most original and interesting plots I've read.

Katie is a character of whom I have very mixed feelings. On the other hand, I admire her courage to put herself out there when she is in a strange country, virtually with no basis with language and customs. Nevertheless, she manages to become part of the society (but of course first encountering some obstacles) and live her life to the fullest. That being said, Katie also had this really annoying side to her - she was very co-dependent. She needed to be constantly near Tomohiro and at times was even possessive of him. A huge no-no for me. 

The strength of the novel definitely has to be the setting and the idea - an ink god in Japan. Ink stands out from the majority with its unique idea, and I was really impressed by the fact that someone had decided to write something more original. Most of the YA authors seem to rotate the same ideas, but Sun had created something completely new. The story in whole was very coherent and I was never bored while reading it. 

If you are interested in Japanese culture, but also like a twist of paranormal in your books, Ink is probably a really good choice to read. The book kept me captivated the whole time, even though Katie's personality without fail lowered my overall score for Ink. I think the book would have worked as a stand-alone, but apparently Ink is a part of trilogy/series. I think this is kind of a shame, because there seem to be less and less decent stand-alone YA books. Nevertheless, I'm really interested how the story will develop and I will most definitely read the second book, Rain. Actual rating 3.5.

“They tell you you'll forget how it used to be. You'll get used to it, that it's better to move on. They don't realize you can't. You're not the same person anymore.”

☆☆☆