Review: Please Don't Tell

Please Don't Tell by Laura Tims
Publisher: HarperCollins
Release Date: May 24th, 2016
Source: ALA Midwinter
Date Read: 4/24/16 to 5/21/16
336 pages

Rating: ✰✰✰✰

Joy killed Adam Gordon—at least, that’s what she thinks. The night of the party is hazy at best. But she knows what Adam did to her twin sister, Grace, and she knows he had to pay for it.

What Joy doesn’t expect is that someone else saw what happened. And one night a note is shoved through her open window, threatening Joy that all will be revealed. Now the anonymous blackmailer starts using Joy to expose the secrets of their placid hometown. And as the demands escalate, Joy must somehow uncover the blackmailer’s identity before Joy is forced to make a terrible choice.

In this darkly compelling narrative, debut author Laura Tims explores the complicated relationship between two sisters, and what one will do for the other. It’s a story that will keep readers turning pages and questioning their own sense of right and wrong.

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I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review. Quotes taken from ARC may or may not be in the published edition.

I went into Please Don't Tell not knowing what it would be about, and I do not regret it one bit. Reading it reminded me how important it is to read out of your comfort zone, even if it is a genre I would have never picked up!

Please Don't Tell follows Joy and Grace, twins that are surprisingly very different from each other. Although Joy is a little obnoxious, she views herself as a protector, both of her sister and her friends. Grace on the other hand is a straight A student, and there's no doubt in anyone's mind that she'll be going to college. Unfortunately, the same can't be said for Joy.

The POV not only switches between the sisters, but it also switches between the past and the present (or more accurately, the "before" and "after"). In Joy's POV, we see her struggling to not only deal with the aftermath of Adam's death, but also a blackmailer who apparently saw her murder Adam. In order for the blackmailer to not turn her in, Joy has to pretty much do whatever the blackmailer says. In Grace's POV, we see how the sisters were before, which was vastly different from the present. I had much less tolerance for Joy then, and Grace was like me in high school. Always studying, never really breaking out of her shell. Not until Joy comes along to drag her off to be a party animal.

To be honest, this is a very hard review to write because I don't want to spoil anyone. I went into this book completely blind, not knowing it dealt with a some hard topics, along with it being a mystery. The most I can say is that I kept on trying to guess who the blackmailer was (and failed to guess right). I really was just pointing fingers at everyone.

Most importantly, I loved how we can clearly see the changes in both Joy and Grace after what happened. It reminded me a little of The Way I Used To Be, where one event can completely transform a person, for better or for worse.

I can't hold it in, so highlight for spoilers! Let's talk about the reveal! [spoiler] I think something in me knew it would be Grace, although I was stuck on the blackmailer being Preston for a very long time (hey you never know). But wow, I can't believe her own twin sister blackmailed her! Makes me really glad that I don't have any siblings, though I'm sure that would never happen haha. [spoiler end] I feel like the last half of the novel was much more fast paced, as the beginning was a little slow for me. But very much worth it.

I really enjoyed Please Don't Tell, even though it doesn't seem like a Val book at all. I would definitely recommend this to anyone who enjoys a good mystery, or likes reading about darker topics.  

Review: Wink Poppy Midnight

Wink Poppy Midnight by April Genevieve Tucholke
Publisher: Dial Books
Release Date: March 22nd, 2016
Source: ALA Midwinter
Date Read: 1/12/16 to 1/14/16
352 pages

Rating: ✰✰✰

Every story needs a hero.
Every story needs a villain.
Every story needs a secret.

Wink is the odd, mysterious neighbor girl, wild red hair and freckles. Poppy is the blond bully and the beautiful, manipulative high school queen bee. Midnight is the sweet, uncertain boy caught between them. Wink. Poppy. Midnight. Two girls. One boy. Three voices that burst onto the page in short, sharp, bewitching chapters, and spiral swiftly and inexorably toward something terrible or tricky or tremendous.

What really happened?
Someone knows.
Someone is lying.

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I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review. Quotes taken from ARC may or may not be in the published edition.

I read this awhile ago, back in January, and it is definitely safe to say that it was quite different from what I was expecting. As the release date for Wink Poppy Midnight came closer and closer, I kept seeing a lot of positive reviews, which made me think "Yay that's really awesome for them, BUT HOW ABOUT ME? Did we both read the same thing?"

I think my main problem with it all, was the point. Apparently it flew over my head.

You see, Midnight used to like Poppy, but was done with her after realizing she was just using him. Yet, once he moves on to Wink, Poppy becomes jealous and tries to win him back, by oh you know sneaking into his room to do the naughty. Even though he is somewhat already involved with Wink.

For some reason, Wink sees all of this as a fairytale, where Midnight is the hero and Poppy is the Wolf. Or something. Which yes, does make sense. Especially since Poppy is such a bully and convinces Midnight to tie Wink to a piano in an abandoned mansion. WHO DOES THIS?

I'm not exactly sure where to start with this. I could probably say I was confused. And if you did read this, then I can tell you that I just did not get the point of it all. Why go through all of that if it's only going to be a lie? What was the point? I understood the book until I did get to that point where everything fell apart for me. Yes, I get HOW it happened, but WHY?

I suppose I could say that I liked Wink Poppy Midnight because it was different. The story itself wasn't written in a straightforward manner, in that it could be interpreted in a number of ways. Sadly I do not think I understood any interpretation. But maybe you will? I'll probably head over to Goodreads and read some reviews to see if I can wrap my head around it.

So, review is short today. I don't think I have anything else to add on here.

Review: A Study In Charlotte

A Study in Charlotte by Brittany Cavallaro
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Release Date: March 1st, 2016
Source: Edelweiss
Date Read: 2/28/16 to 3/4/16
336 pages

Rating: ✰✰✰

The last thing Jamie Watson wants is a rugby scholarship to Sherringford, a Connecticut prep school just an hour away from his estranged father. But that’s not the only complication: Sherringford is also home to Charlotte Holmes, the famous detective’s great-great-great-granddaughter, who has inherited not only Sherlock’s genius but also his volatile temperament. From everything Jamie has heard about Charlotte, it seems safer to admire her from afar.

From the moment they meet, there’s a tense energy between them, and they seem more destined to be rivals than anything else. But when a Sherringford student dies under suspicious circumstances, ripped straight from the most terrifying of the Sherlock Holmes stories, Jamie can no longer afford to keep his distance. Jamie and Charlotte are being framed for murder, and only Charlotte can clear their names. But danger is mounting and nowhere is safe—and the only people they can trust are each other.

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I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review. Quotes taken from ARC may or may not be in the published edition.

I read A Study In Charlotte because I was a tiny bit obsessed with BBC Sherlock. Or at least I was, back a couple of years ago. Unfortunately, this just was a tad bit too similar for me to enjoy it to the actual TV show. However, the problem with me saying this is that I have no idea whether it is because the book is based off of the original Sherlock Holmes, which is what the TV show is based off as well. I think I will just have to go with my gut.

Basically, I felt as this book was just a teenage version of BBC Sherlock, but with Sherlock as a girl. So we have Charlotte, who is from a long line of Holmes, and then we have James, who is from a long line of Watsons. The two coincidentally meet at the same boarding school. From there they are dragged into a murder mystery that incorporates the original Sherlock Holmes, using hints from each of John Watson's books about Sherlock Holmes.

I will be honest and say that I did enjoy reading about James Watson and Charlotte Holmes. I liked their interactions, and Charlotte felt a little more human to me than the BBC Sherlock version. Although there were times where she seemed a little distant, she didn't hide her friendship with James. Plus, things actually seemed to affect her. And she held guilt about her past actions.

On the other hand, there were a couple of things that were keeping me from loving this.

The first is that like I said before, this seemed a little too similar to BBC Sherlock. Charlotte did drugs as a coping mechanism. Her brother was overly protective of her. Also, I could have sworn that someone told me that in the original Sherlock Holmes, he died in the short story "The Final Problem"? Oh I just looked it up, and Conan Doyle was eventually persuaded to revive Sherlock Holmes. Nevermind!

The second, is that having actually GONE to boarding school, this is NOT an accurate representation of it. I should be used to this by now, because a lot of authors (*cough* John Green) have used the boarding school plot device. Newsflash. You CANNOT do anything you want in boarding school. You can't even have a car unless you are a day student. And even then you cannot drive a boarder without suffering heavy repercussions. And there is NO WAY you would be able to sneak OFF CAMPUS during the night. Nope. Anyways, I felt that I should mention this at least, seeing as I found it all highly improbable.

I think overall, I just felt meh about this. Maybe it is because I don't like Sherlock Holmes as much as I used to, or that I am just not familiar with the original story, especially since I didn't appreciate how the author incorporated the original Sherlock into her story (which was great by the way, I just didn't care? I'm sorry). I thought that the mystery was really well done, but I think I was just in the wrong mood for this book.

ARC Review: The Sacred Lies of Minnow Bly Blog Tour

The Sacred Lies of Minnow Bly by Stephanie Oakes
Publisher: Dial/Penguin
Release Date: June 9th, 2015
Source: FFBC Blog Tour
Date Read: 4/5/15 to 4/8/15
400 pages

Rating: ✰✰✰1/2 

With a harrowing poetic voice, this contemporary page-turner is perfect for fans of Laurie Halse Anderson's Speak, Julie Berry's All The Truth That's in Me, and the works of Ellen Hopkins.

The Kevinian cult has taken everything from seventeen-year-old Minnow: twelve years of her life, her family, her ability to trust.

And when she rebelled, they took away her hands, too.

Now their Prophet has been murdered and their camp set aflame, and it's clear that Minnow knows something—but she's not talking. As she languishes in juvenile detention, she struggles to un-learn everything she has been taught to believe, adjusting to a life behind bars and recounting the events that led up to her incarceration. But when an FBI detective approaches her about making a deal, Minnow sees she can have the freedom she always dreamed of—if she’s willing to part with the terrible secrets of her past.

The Sacred Lies of Minnow By is a hard-hitting and hopeful story about the dangers of blind faith—and the power of having faith in oneself.

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Stephanie Oakes is a teacher and YA author from Washington State. Her debut novel, THE SACRED LIES OF MINNOW BLY (Dial/Penguin, June 9, 2015), about a girl who escapes from a religious commune only to find herself at the center of a murder investigation, is based on the Grimm fairy tale, "The Handless Maiden."

THE ARSONIST, her second YA mystery through Dial/Penguin, is scheduled for publication in fall 2016.

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The Sacred Lies of Minnow Bly was completely different from what I expected at all. Actually, the cover reminded me of those Salem Witch Trials (which I live a couple towns over from), and though it is not about witches, it is about a cult. Same thing right?

This reminds me that I should keep watch AHS: Coven, I started it 2 years ago.

Minnow is part of this Kevinian cult that's in the middle of the woods. In the beginning, she follows the rules like the good little girl she is, but then over time she discovers that she's been brainwashed. And the boy in the woods who she's attracted to doesn't help. After a turn of events, Minnow ends up in juvie, which is where she tells her story to the FBI detective helping her.

To be honest, I wasn't expecting Minnow to be in juvie in the beginning. I expected a more linear narrative of what happened, without flashbacks. I didn't exactly know why she was there in the first place until more than two-thirds of the way into the novel. (I'm going to honest and say I'm starting to avoid novels about prison life because I end up pitying the characters in prison and I am also not very fond of authority and I NEED CHAOS). Actually, this book very much reminded me of The Walls Around Us, except without any paranormal aspects, and without hands.

SPEAKING OF HANDS, there were none in this book. Ha! Just kidding. But seriously, Minnow has no hands because it was punishment for fleeing the community. Books like this make me seriously question the existence of cults, and why they are exempted from the law (at least in this book). I felt bad for Minnow, but other than that, I didn't really connect with her. Sometimes I wonder if her disability should've caused more trouble than it did, but then again the emphasis wasn't on her missing body parts but more on her story.

And speaking of said story, this book REALLY keeps you in the dark until the last few chapters. Everything including the murder of the cult leader, to how Minnow got to juvie in the first place, and the fate of her "boyfriend" Jude. Of course, this is to be expected since the title IS The Sacred Lies of Minnow Bly, but it's not like the narrator was unreliable or anything, like seen in Code Name Verity.

I did enjoy the book, even though I didn't connect to the characters. The only character I did like was Angel, who was Minnow's cell mate, and I actually was more interested in her story over everything else. But other than that, I'm glad that I got to read this. Thanks FFBC tours!  

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Review: Tiny Pretty Things

Tiny Pretty Things by  Sona Charaipotra and Dhonielle Clayton
Publisher: HarperTeen
Release Date: May 26th, 2015
Source: Edelweiss
Date Read: 5/23/15 to 5/25/15
448 pages

Rating: ✰✰✰ 

Black Swan meets Pretty Little Liars in this soapy, drama-packed novel featuring diverse characters who will do anything to be the prima at their elite ballet school.

Gigi, Bette, and June, three top students at an exclusive Manhattan ballet school, have seen their fair share of drama. Free-spirited new girl Gigi just wants to dance—but the very act might kill her. Privileged New Yorker Bette's desire to escape the shadow of her ballet star sister brings out a dangerous edge in her. And perfectionist June needs to land a lead role this year or her controlling mother will put an end to her dancing dreams forever. When every dancer is both friend and foe, the girls will sacrifice, manipulate, and backstab to be the best of the best.

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After finishing Tiny Pretty Things, I've come to wonder whether all ballerinas are like this, whether they are all super competitive. There is so much drama, tons of it, and why do these girls just keep harassing each other?

The chapters alternate between Gigi, the new girl in New York from California, Bette, the girl who has everything, and June, the perfectionist. Gigi is new and the only black ballet dancer in the Academy, and even so she has been casted the lead roles in both The Nutcracker and Giselle. Bette, having everything being taken away from her, including her boyfriend Alec, by Gigi, starts bullying Gigi. And then June, who is half-asian (!!) does the same because her mom is threatening to take her out of the Academy, since all she's been getting are understudy roles.

Did I mention how much drama there was in this? Does this actually happen in companies or I guess in ballet academies such as this one? Some of the things that happened to Gigi were horrible, yet to be honest I understood the jealousy that June and Bette had for her. Though honestly this is why the lead role should never go to the same person!

Even though I loved the diversity, there wasn't much going on plot wise. It was the same harassment, and it was sad to see Gigi slowly go a little crazy because of all the girls plotting against her. And no one was friends with anyone, or at least they pretended to be friends. Ha. 

To make it clear, the only reason I rated this as 3 stars is because I'm not such a huge fan of drama. And I hate reading about bullying. And someone really needs to enlighten me about ballet, because this is just scary if some of these things are accurate and actually happen. 

Review: The Last Good Day of the Year

The Last Good Day of the Year by Jessica Warman
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Children's
Release Date: May 19th, 2015
Source: Netgalley
Date Read: 5/14/15 to 5/16/15
288 pages
Rating: ✰✰✰1/2

Ten years ago, in the early hours of New Year’s Day, seven-year-old Samantha and her next door neighbor, Remy, watched as a man broke into Sam’s home and took her younger sister, Turtle, from her sleeping bag. Remy and Sam, too afraid to intervene at the time, later identified the man as Sam’s sister Gretchen’s much older ex-boyfriend, Steven, who was sent to prison for Turtle’s murder.

Now, Sam’s shattered family is returning to her childhood home in an effort to heal. As long-buried memories begin to surface, Sam wonders if she and Remy accurately registered everything they saw. The more they re-examine the events of that fateful night, the more questions they discover about what really happened to Turtle.

Master storyteller Jessica Warman keeps readers guessing in this arresting page-turner.

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The creepy teddy bear on the cover does not lie about the contents of this book. This is definitely one book where the cover accurately portrays its creepiness. Sure, it isn't a gory mess, but anything involving stalkers in Santa costumes tends to creep me out a bit.

I'm just going to go straight to what started it all, the abduction. Samantha Early, at age 7, spends a lot of time with her best friend Remy, and her little sister Turtle (Tabitha), who she may or may not love fully. One Christmas Eve, a man dressed up as Santa Claus enters through the screen door, and with both Remy and Sam watching, he kidnaps Turtle right under their noses. It isn't until 10 minutes later they have the courage to confront their parents during the Christmas Party. 

YEAH. CREEPY RIGHT? Basically this story is a mystery and a thriller in one. It jumps ahead 10 years into the future, where Sam has a new little sister, Hannah, and Turtle has been deemed dead. She was never found, however, there is a suspect. One who had been wearing a Santa suit that evening. However, is he truly the culprit? According to witnesses, he was only unaccounted for an hour. Is that enough time to hide a child from everyone? 

There is a lot of figuring out in the story. And honestly, I didn't really find the twist to be that much of a plot twist, just because it wasn't a character I really knew or cared about. However, the ending and the way the culprit was watching everyone was very, very creepy (But I won't spoil it for you). WHY DO PEOPLE KIDNAP CHILDREN? AND MURDER THEM? WHY?

And the jumping back and forth between the past and the present was pretty random. I'm not sure if it was because I didn't pay attention to the dates, but at one point I thought something was taking place in the present, but actually it was taking place in the present. And that was just hard to process. But more importantly, there really wasn't any closure. And I guess that is the point of the novel, but I need my closure! 

To be honest I thought this book was going to be bad, but I ended up liking it more than I did! This really was a page turner, and I really wanted to know what happened and who the abductor was really. Sadly we never get the whole story, but you get what you get.

ARC Review: Suspicion

Suspicion by Alexandra Monir
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Release Date: December 9th, 2014
Source: Netgalley
Date Read: 1/9/15 to 1/9/15
368 Pages
Rating: ✰✰1/2

A modern-day twist on the classic thriller, Rebecca, with a dash of the supernatural, a powerful romance, and a deadly family mystery.

“There’s something hidden in the maze.”

Seventeen-year-old Imogen Rockford has never forgotten the last words her father said to her, before the blazing fire that consumed him, her mother, and the gardens of her family’s English country manor.

For seven years, images of her parents’ death have haunted Imogen’s dreams. In an effort to escape the past, she leaves Rockford Manor and moves to New York City with her new guardians. But some attachments prove impossible to shake—including her love for her handsome neighbor Sebastian Stanhope.

Then a life-altering letter arrives that forces Imogen to return to the manor in England, where she quickly learns that dark secrets lurk behind Rockford’s aristocratic exterior. At their center is Imogen herself—and Sebastian, the boy she never stopped loving.

Combining spine-tingling mystery, romance, and unforgettable characters, Suspicion is an action-packed thrill ride.

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I received Suspicion from NetGalley in exchange for an honest opinion.

Suspicion was, well, it was pretty bland for me. I understood the motivations of the characters and the mystery surrounding the whole Rockford Manor, but I honestly could not bring myself to care about any of it.

Suspicion starts with the Imogen Rockford, and her past with her parents. Although she moved to New York City, every summer her family visits the Rockford Manor because 1) it's theirs and 2) they're important or something. I'm not familiar with the roles of Dukes and Duchesses and the whole social hierarchy. All I know is that they are important.

Long story short, tragedy happens, Imogen is left without a family, and she moves back to New York City to live with her family's best friends/neighbors instead. Seven years passes, and she finds out that BAM, both her grandfather and cousin died so now she's the Duke and she's inherited the entire manor. So now she goes back to FIGURE OUT ALL THE MYSTERIES.

Imogen is nice enough, but I'm not exactly sure where her elemental powers come into play. Like why are they there in the first place? And then, her childhood, "romantic interest" is just "eh". First off, he was with her cousin, and second, does he even have a personality? For me, I use the five-finger rule, in other words, if a character does not have at least five characteristic traits by the end of the book, then they aren't well-developed. For Sebastian, his looks were mentioned a lot, and that was pretty much it. Oh and I guess he is good at polo. Ok then.

Have I mentioned that this is also a mystery? Ok. I thought the way everything played it was pretty clever, but unbelievable. I also didn't like how Imogen automatically assumed things without taking the time to investigate on her own. WOULD NANCY DREW DO THAT? No (I have been playing too many Nancy Drew games)

So yeah, Suspicion reminded me of a poorly made Nancy Drew game (especially with that "wrapping it up conclusion" epilogue at the end). Everything was also just telling rather than showing, which is what I think really brought the novel down with me. 

Review: Dangerous Girls

Dangerous Girls by Abigail Haas
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Release Date: July 16th, 2013
Source: Library
Date Read: 10/1/14 to 10/4/14
388 Pages
Rating: ✰✰✰✰✰

It's Spring Break of senior year. Anna, her boyfriend Tate, her best friend Elise, and a few other close friends are off to a debaucherous trip to Aruba that promises to be the time of their lives. But when Elise is found brutally murdered, Anna finds herself trapped in a country not her own, fighting against vile and contemptuous accusations.

As Anna sets out to find her friend's killer; she discovers hard truths about her friendships, the slippery nature of truth, and the ache of young love.

As she awaits the judge's decree, it becomes clear that everyone around her thinks she is not just guilty, but dangerous. When the truth comes out, it is more shocking than one could ever imagine...

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what.

what.


WHAT WHAT WHAT WHAT WHAAAAAAT.

(That was my initial reaction after I finished. Yeah. This should just automatically convince you to read it.)

This has been on my TBR list since the hype surrounding Dangerous Girls and Dangerous Boys. Does it live up to it? Yes, yes, yes, yes.

To keep it short and simple, Dangerous Girls centers around a group of friends spending their summer break in Aruba by themselves. Everything is fun and all, until one of them gets murdered.

To be honest, I had some major, personal issues that I had to deal with while reading this book. First off, it gave me major stress because I grew super attached with the main character, Anna. I absolutely hated how her friends betrayed her while she was standing trial. There were just so many emotions and feelings going through me, that I had to pause in between chapters to process what was happening. I really wanted everything to be okay.

Honestly I had so many theories. I just kept pointing fingers at everyone, yet still, STILL, I was tricked, lied to, and everything that I thought was true, wasn't.

The changing of the present, past, and the time on the island was executed very well. Each chapter focuses on a scene from a different time, like the trial of Anna which takes place in the present, Anna's high school days which is the far past, and then the time on the island before the murder took place, which is the past. The best part of this, is that each chapter connects to the next, even though they take place in different times. It's very well done, though to be honest, I was constantly looking forward to the chapters on the trial, because I really wanted to know who did it. WHO MURDERED ELISE?????

Or course, when I found out, it was just......oh man. I don't want to swear, but it was a mindfuck.

Even now I'm still not exactly sure. I need to talk to someone about this hahaha.

Nessie Reviews ☆ A Series of Unfortunate Events

A Series of Unfortunate Events

Number of Books: 13

Publisher: HarperCollins

Release Date of First Book: September 30th, 1999

Release Date of Last Book: October 13th, 2006

The executor of the Baudelaire estate -- a phlegm-plagued banker named Mr. Poe - sends the children to live with a distant relative: a conniving and dastardly villain named Count Olaf, who has designs on the Baudelaire fortune. Count Olaf uses the children as slave labor, provides horrid accommodations for them, and makes them cook huge meals for him and his acting troupe, a bunch of odd-looking, renegade good-for-nothings. When the children are commandeered to appear in Count Olaf's new play, they grow suspicious and soon learn that the play is not the innocent performance it seems but rather a scheme cooked up by Olaf to help him gain control of the children's millions.

All this bad luck does provide for both great fun and great learning opportunities, however. Violet is a budding McGyver whose inventions help the children in their quest, Klaus possesses a great deal of book smarts, and Sunny -- whose only real ability is an incredibly strong bite -- provides moral support and frequent comedy relief. Then there are the many amusing word definitions, colloquialisms, clichés, hackneyed phrases, and other snippets of language provided by the narrator (a character in his own right) that can't help but expand readers' vocabularies. Though the Baudelaire children suffer myriad hardships and setbacks, in the end they do manage to outsmart and expose Olaf's devious ways. But of course, with luck like theirs, it's a given that Olaf will escape and return to torment them again some day. If only misery was always this much fun.

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When I was little, my school's library had the Series of Unfortunate Events series, but they had two red dots on their spines. One read dot meant that you had to be at least in sixth grade to check it out, and two red dots meant that only eighth graders could check it out. However, by the time I reached sixth grade, I realized that the local public library had no such age restrictions and read the entire series within a month. I thoroughly enjoyed the series, but I didn't quite understand why the series was restricted to the older kids. Yes, it was a bit sad at times, but nothing my little eleven year old self couldn't endure.

However, having read it for the second time--this time at twenty years old, I can wisely say that my eleven year old self was dead wrong. I don't know what I missed as a kid but these books are SO FRICKING DEPRESSING. For example, the series opens with the Violet, Klaus, and Sunny Baudelaire's lovely day at the beach being interrupted by the news that their house burnt down in a fire that also claimed the lives of their parents. Did I mention that their respective ages are 14, 12, and under 1?

Anyways, after getting this news the orphans are placed in the custody of Count Olaf, who is their "third cousin four times removed or fourth cousin three times removed" according to Mr. Poe, the incompetent banker in charge of the Baudelaire fortune until Violet turns eighteen. However, after spending some time at his filthy mansion, the orphans discover that Olaf is only after their fortune. I really don't want to give too many spoilers away in this reviews, but the Baudelaires are able to stop his scheme and placed in the custody of another guardian. But Olaf is not so easily assuaged and hunts them down and comes up with a scheme to once again steal their fortune. And this is pretty much the formula for the first few books: orphans arrive in custody of an eccentric new guardian, things are relatively okay (sometimes not) as they adjust, Olaf shows up and causes trouble and/or deaths, then the kids are shipped off to another home. 

While this formula is quite obvious for the first seven books, it doesn't get tiring at all. Each new guardian is more absurd and quirky than the last. In the third book, The Wide Window, they are put under the care of their Aunt Josephine who is cripplingly afraid of everything. For example, the kids can't even turn on a stove to heat up food because she's terrified it might result in the house burning down. But outside of those, she is truly a loving guardian. They spend the fifth book, The Austere Academy, at a boarding school that has teachers who give the Baudelaire's a hard time because their orphans and where Sunny (the baby) is forced to become a secretary for the principal. However, while there they meet another set of orphans, the Quigley's who become very important as more secrets are discovered in the series. The Vile Village takes the saying "It takes a village to raise a child" proverb literally and the orphans spend the seventh book in the legal care of an entire (and quite strange) village. 

The ending of The Vile Village also drastically changes the tone and direction for the remaining books of the series. The Baudelaire orphans are framed for a crime that they did not commit and must spend the remaining books on the run as they try to discover more about the mysterious V.F.D-- a secret organization of which many characters they encounter (and their late parents) are members. There are so many questions that are raised in the second half of the book such as: what is the connection between the Quigley's and the Baudelaires? Why does Count Olaf harbor such a deep grudge against the Baudelaires? What exactly is V.F.D and what happened to it? What is the sugar bowl and why is it so damn important? And many, many other questions since the second half of the series isn't just about the Baudelaires but is also about V.F.D and the other characters they encounter.

Their motto and symbol

 However I'm sad to report that not all these questions get answered. The Baudelaire's chapter of the story get full closure (for the most part), but the larger story of which they only play a part, doesn't really get answered. And while reading, it's clear that it's not a result of laziness on the part of the author--he knows everything, but just isn't telling. It is a bit frustrating having all these questions that never will get answered, but I promise you this series is still worth a read. So I guess I'll talk about the things this series does right.

One aspect of the series that I appreciated a lot as an adult was the moral ambiguity. In the beginning, good and evil is as defined as black and white--which was something that I expected of a children's book. However as the series goes on, determining who or what is good and bad is not as simple anymore. Especially since the Baudelaires are forced to do things that are clearly quite horrible (especially in The Penultimate Peril--Book 11 >.<), but they are still good kids and those things were only done in order to protect themselves. A character in the tenth book, The Grim Grotto, says it the best:

People aren't either wicked or noble. They're like chef's salad, with good things and bad things chopped and mixed together in a vinaigrette of confusion and conflict

In addition, Lemony Snicket is the best narrator--his writing style is so unique and mature that you won't even feel like you're reading a children's book. He spends a good amount of each book urging you not to read it because of how depressing the subject matter is and has the best sense of dry humor. I guess the best way to say it is that he doesn't seem to care what he does, but that's not quite getting at it, so I'll try giving some examples. In the sixth book, The Eratz Elevator, there a a few pages that are just black, in order to show just how dark the environment was for the orphans at that point in the book.

Who cares about saving trees anyways.

There is a point The Bad Beginning when Klaus, the bookworm up late at night reading a book, and Lemony Snicket writes this.

The book was long, and difficult to read, and Klaus became more and more tired as the night wore on. Occasionally his eyes would close. He found himself reading the same sentence over and over. He found himself reading the same sentence over and over. He found himself reading the same sentence over and over.

And, my personal favorite (which technically is not from the Series of Unfortunate Events series, but it's still amazing) 

If writers wrote as carelessly as some people talk, then adhasdh asdglaseuyt[bn[ pasdlgkhasdfasdf. ~Horseradish

However, in addition to writing ridiculous sentences like these he also manages to write some of the most true things that I have ever read

“The way sadness works is one of the strange riddles of the world. If you are stricken with a great sadness, you may feel as if you have been set aflame, not only because of the enormous pain, but also because your sadness may spread over your life, like smoke from an enormous fire. You might find it difficult to see anything but your own sadness, the way smoke can cover a landscape so that all anyone can see is black. You may find that if someone pours water all over you, you are damp and distracted, but not cured of your sadness, the way a fire department can douse a fire but never recover what has been burnt down.” ~The Bad Beginning

So this post is already much longer than normal so I'm going to cut myself off here, but let it be said that I have not even covered half of what makes this series so amazing for me. There is so much more about the plot that could be said, so many unique characters that I've fallen in love with, and so many quotes that I am dying to share with you. However, I shall cut myself here in hopes that you will take it upon your self to read this wonderful series, I can promise you that you will not regret it.

Vanessa is Val's bestest buddy, and she will be guest posting throughout the summer because she loves to read and write. You can also find her at her own blog, Musings of an Aspiring Writer.

Nessie Reviews ☆ The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes

The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Publisher: Little, Brown Company
Release Date: 2004
Source: Bought
Date Read: 8/23/13 to 8/15/14
303 Pages
Rating: ✰✰✰

The last twelve stories written about Holmes and Watson, these tales reflect the disillusioned world of the 1920s in which they were written. Some of the sharpest turns of wit in English literature are contrasted by dark images of psychological tragedy, suicide, and incest in a collection of tales that have haunted generations of readers.

Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | Book Depository

I impulse bought this from a local bookstore in New York half-way through my Freshman year because I was really upset about BBC's Sherlock hiatus and wanted something to fill the void, so I figured reading the original Sherlock would be the best way to satisfy my craving.

Two things I need to let you guys know up front before getting into the review: 1) I read this book on and off over the course of a year. I treated it more as a filler book when I wasn't able to get my hands onto anything else. 2) I didn't realize these were the last Sherlock stories until after I finished reading it and checked its Goodreads page, because I'm just a genius like that. 

This is the perfect time to mention that I DETEST reading things out of chronological order

Anyways, this collection contains the final twelve adventures of Sherlock and his dear Watson. Of these twelve my favorite was "The Problem of Thor Bridge" because of the twists and turns the case took, the motive of the culprit, and just how it all came from an unfortunate misunderstanding. This is not to say that the other cases weren't as engaging (I also thoroughly enjoyed "The Adventure of the Retired Colourman" and "The Adventure of Lion's Mane"), it's just that in general I don't find most British works written in the late 1800's to early 1900's as engaging or interesting as other books that I read. I think it just something to do with the language and the way it's written that I think creates some distance between me and the story--and it's the only reason that I gave this collection 3 stars. Actually...the more I think about it, I think the style just reminds me too much of the books I was required to read, but cared little for throughout high school and college.

That being said, Sir Conan Doyle is an excellent writer. He's not as flowery or beautiful as Fitzgerald (one of my favorite writers) in his writing, but he exerts quiet kind of control that I really enjoyed. I guess the best example of this is through his descriptions of the various characters. When a new character entered I would immediately visualize them in one way or another. However, over the course of a couple paragraphs or pages Doyle would quietly drop the occasional adjective or note about their demeanor, that made me revise my mental image of them. These little revisions were done so discreetly that it wasn't until the character left the scene that I would realize just how drastically my imagining of them had changed. Even outside of character descriptions, throughout reading I felt comfortable that my narrator was in complete control of the story and would gently guide me along where I needed to go.

Also, I was pleased to see that Sherlock was just as much as an immature,

"The good Watson had at that time deserted me for a wife, the only selfish action I can recall in our association."

sassy little twat,

"On my word, Watson, you are coming along wonderfully. You have done very well indeed. It is true you have missed everything of importance, but you have hit upon the method..."

that is in love cares deeply for his good friend Watson,

"'You're not hurt, Watson? For God's a sake, say that you are not hurt!'
It was worth a wound--it was worth many wounds--to know the depth of loyalty and love which lay behind that cold mask. The clear, hard eyes were dimmed for a moment, and the firm lips were shaking. For the one and only time I caught a glimpse of a great heart as well as of a great brain. All my years of humble but single-minded service culminated in that moment of revelation."

that I remember from BBC Sherlock.

So if you've only ever heard of Sherlock Holmes, but never actually read any of the book give it a shot! However, don't make the same dumb mistake I did and actually start with the first Sherlock story, titled A Study in Scarlet.

Vanessa is Val's bestest buddy, and she will be guest posting throughout the summer because she loves to read and write. You can also find her at her own blog, Musings of an Aspiring Writer.