The Hollow: A Jessica Verday Week

This week is ALL about The Hollow, its creator Jessica Verday and its characters. A love story set in the town of Sleepy Hollow, check it out on Royal Reviews!

In My Mailbox 17

Ze Mailman Brought Me Goodies!

Another Faust by Daniel and Dina Nayeri

Title: Another Faust	Loved it	Graded
Author: Daniel and Dina Nayeri
Genre: Modern retelling
Publisher: Candlewick
Elements: Faustian bargain
Series: Book 1 of the Another series

One night, across four cities, five children disappear. Years later, five enigmatic teenagers appear at an exclusive New York holiday party with their strange but beautiful governess, Madame Vileroy. Rumor and mystery follow the Faust children to the elite Marlowe School, where their presence brings unexplainable misfortune.

Using a series of “gifts” given to them by Madame Vileroy, the children are able to soar to suspicious heights at Marlowe. The gifts seem child-like in their simplicity. The governess teaches them to cheat, steal, hide, and lie; ‘harmless’ she calls them, though they are much more. For the vicious over-achiever, reading an unsuspecting mind is simply to cheat. For the reclusive pariah, the gift of stopping time is just another way to hide. And who but an aspiring writer can weave a convincing lie?

Soon, Madame Vileroy’s gifts become darker and more complex. Living in a gray home designed to cultivate and corrupt them, they are enveloped in the side effects of their own addictions. They live cursed lives, making deals with the devil as they claw their way toward their goals….that is until two of them begin to uncover secrets more shocking than their most unforgivable sins. A modern retelling of an ancient dilemma, Another Faust recreates the story of the Faustian bargain. Set in present-day New York, but spanning the centuries, it is a chilling tale of ambition, consequences, and ultimate redemption.

I thought it was a smart plot. Intriguing and morbidly funny, it flowed very well. I loved how the characters were given time to develop in the middle, giving us readers a taste of how they use their powers and manipulate things to their liking. The writing was great.

It was kind of weird at the start. I was taken aback at how willingly some of the children gave their lives, family and souls up just for success and power. And they were children, that's the whole point. They were only 10 years old at that time. It's not a trade off most people would be willing to take part in, but those five children aren't most people.

There's Victoria, unloved by her parents and always wanting to be the best to gain their love and approval. I sympathised with her; it's hard being compared to your genius of a little brother. Maybe if she was more soft hearted or didn't step on people to get to her goals, I would actually sympathise more. But all that disappeared. In the end, all her antics were just petty and pitiful. It was hard not to laugh at her antics as they brought the Gossip Girl factor into play.

Valentin, a poet and writer who rewrites real life scenes to his advantage. He was charming and devious at the same time. Needless to say, I loved loved loved him! (Have you seen the model for Valentin with his head of curly hair? HAWT.) Christian, the jock who wants nothing more than to escape from hunger and poverty, but who changes his mind at the last minute. Sadly for him, there's no backing out once you give your consent. Belle, who wants to be different than her twin, and who wants to be pretty no matter what.

Then there's Bice. Compared to Victoria, she's like a mouse, hiding in the wings, making her appearance only when needed. She hides from everyone, and time stops whenever she wants to.

It seems amazing, all those powers. It seems easy, but what's the price? A boiling bath full of hope, drowning in your own desire? When you make a deal with the devil, there's always something to pay. It's not a one time deal, if so it'd be called a salesperson. Instead you just have to keep paying and paying and paying. Buddy is the perfect example. I loved his introduction to the story. He brought the humanity to the story and gave me something to relate to. It's sad knowing that no matter what, there'll always be something else you want. That's what Madame Vileroy preys on: the unending needs and wants of humans.

One thing I was slightly disappointed with was that there was no solid conclusion. While it was definitely thought provoking, I wanted to know something definite about what happened to the characters after that.

Interview With Madame Vileroy

In a corner, partially hidden by a shadow, sat a lady. She was blond and covered from head to toe in a flowing black overcoat, as if she were afraid that a single drop of sunlight would enter the house and burn her up. (Page 15, Another Faust ARC)

Tell us your favourite memory of home.
Why don’t you tell me yours, dear?

Naww, this interview is all about you. ;) How have the children been?
Wonderful. They’ve been brave enough to give up everything, and now they have everything. That’s how the world works.

Interview With Victoria Faust

You're only as good as your last performance. (Page 4, Another Faust ARC)

Tell us your favourite memory of home.
No, thanks.

How has Madame Vileroy been treating you?
I’m her favorite.

Who are you closest to?
Please. Can we have a less prissy question?

O.O Okay... What was your first experience in using your powers?

Interview With Valentin Faust

Someone once said that 'French is the language that turns dirt into romance.' Valentin knew this to be true because he lived in Paris, and when he wasn't feeling romantic, he was feeling like dirt. (Page 10-11, Another Faust ARC)

Tell us your favourite memory of home.
Our maid.

How has Madame Vileroy been treating you?

Interview With Christian Faust

As he squeezed his eyes closed, Christian wished for anything but this. He'd give anything not to be hungry all the time. But he didn't have anything to give, and so it was useless to wish. (Page 7, Another Faust ARC)

Tell us your favourite memory of home.
My mom used to make a full breakfast, the works, every Sunday.

How has Madame Vileroy been treating you?

Interview With Bice Faust

Belle could tell that Bice wanted to say something, but for all her languages, Bice just couldnt communicate that well. (Page 10, Another Faust ARC)

Tell us your favourite memory of home.
Um, home? What do you mean? I’ve always lived with Madame Vileroy. My favorite memories aren’t at home.

How has Madame Vileroy been treating you?

Launch of Another Faust

It's midnight, and you know what that means! The official launch of Another Faust!

One night, across four cities, five children disappear. Years later, five enigmatic teenagers appear at an exclusive New York holiday party with their strange but beautiful governess, Madame Vileroy. Rumor and mystery follow the Faust children to the elite Marlowe School, where their presence brings unexplainable misfortune.

Using a series of “gifts” given to them by Madame Vileroy, the children are able to soar to suspicious heights at Marlowe. The gifts seem child-like in their simplicity. The governess teaches them to cheat, steal, hide, and lie; ‘harmless’ she calls them, though they are much more. For the vicious over-achiever, reading an unsuspecting mind is simply to cheat. For the reclusive pariah, the gift of stopping time is just another way to hide. And who but an aspiring writer can weave a convincing lie?

Soon, Madame Vileroy’s gifts become darker and more complex. Living in a gray home designed to cultivate and corrupt them, they are enveloped in the side effects of their own addictions. They live cursed lives, making deals with the devil as they claw their way toward their goals….that is until two of them begin to uncover secrets more shocking than their most unforgivable sins. A modern retelling of an ancient dilemma, Another Faust recreates the story of the Faustian bargain. Set in present-day New York, but spanning the centuries, it is a chilling tale of ambition, consequences, and ultimate redemption.

Let's have a peak into one of Daniel and Dina's writing sessions.

Interview With Belle Faust

It might not be so bad sharing a face if at least it was beautiful. If she were fantastically beautiful, no one would mind that she couldn't blather out a few pleasantries in Mandarin. But Bice had talent; there was no denying that. That was how she set herself apart from her twin. But what did Belle have? (Page 9, Another Faust ARC)

Tell us your favourite memory of home.
Bice and I got into a fight and she said, “Who cares whose skirt that is? You wouldn’t notice if the world burned down around your ears.” So I snuck into mom’s room and stole her nail polish and locked myself in the bathroom. When mom found me, she asked what I was doing and I told her that I was putting a drop of nail polish deep inside my belly button, where it would be secret, because I suspected that if the world burned down, Bice would try to pass herself off as me. She laughed and said I was such a clever girl.

How has Madame Vileroy been treating you?
Nice, I guess. She says I’m her favorite, but I’m not sure that’s true. I’m not sure I want to be.

Who are you closest to, other than Bice?
Why do you say, “other than Bice”?

I hope you don't mind me saying this, but you sure don't look like Bice, your twin!
Thanks! But please don’t say that to her.

You're gorgeous. Do you consider that a power or a privilege?

Interview With Dina Nayeri

Another Faust would have been incomplete without partner in crime: Dina Nayeri.

Tell us about research for the book. Did you travel around the different cities to get a feel for how life is?
Dina Nayeri: We’ve traveled a lot already. Daniel and I have lived all over Europe. I live in Amsterdam now and used to live in Paris. Of course, we both have strong ties to New York. So yeah, we like to travel and we do it often. You really can’t understand a place unless you’ve been there and lived among the people.

Tell us more about the Faustian bargain.
The Faustian Bargain is a reference to Goethe’s Faust, a play in which the devil bets God that he can make Faust (God’s favorite, and a scholar who is trying to learn everything there is to know in the world) betray God. The devil appears to Faust and offers him a bargain that he will serve Faust and give him everything he wants on earth if he agrees to serve him in hell.

If you could make your very own Faustian bargain, what would you make it for?

Interview With Daniel Nayeri

Let's welcome one half of the dynamic duo who made Another Faust possible: Daniel Nayeri.

Tell us about research for the book. Did you travel around the different cities to get a feel for how life is?
Well, Dina and I have lived in all the locations we mention in the books, so thankfully we were sticking to the old adage, “write what you know.”

Tell us more about the Faustian bargain.
I have always liked the pre-Renaissance paintings of people in woods making deals with the devil. One, because back then they thought you had to kiss the devil’s butt in order to seal the deal…so, instant childish humor right there, and in a museum no less. And two, because it showed people in the woods at night, dancing with the devil. That always made sense to me, the idea that the bargain isn’t just a one-time exchange. It’s not so clear-cut. It’s more like building a relationship, communing with the devil over a long period of time, in order to get something you want. In the images, the devil dances in front of everyone, tantalizing them on. That’s one reason we had Vileroy staying with the kids, continuing them down the path she wants for them. It wasn’t just, “sign on the dotted line…great, and now your soul, please. And here’s your change.” It’s over the course of a whole life.

If you could make your very own Faustian bargain, what would you make it for?
I should probably come up with a better answer for this, but I don’t have one. I’m a huge fan of rice pudding….

*hands rice pudding* Why did you choose to focus on five kids?

Deal With The Devil: Another Faust Week

What do you want so much that you'd sell your soul for it?

Welcome to the kick off of Deal With The Devil: Another Faust Week!

This whole week (23rd to 29th August) on LiyanaLand is solely dedicated to the launch of Another Faust, its characters and the authors Daniel and Dina Nayeri. There will be author interviews, character interviews, contests and other fun stuff! Want to know what you might stand a chance to win?

A Living Nightmare by Darren Shan

Title: A Living Nightmare	Loved it	Graded
Author: Darren Shan
Genre: Paranormal
Publisher: Little, Brown
Elements: Circus
Series: Book 1 of the Cirque du Freak series

Darren Shan's an ordinary schoolboy, until he and his best friend Steve get tickets to the Cirque Du Freak, a bizarre freak show featuring such arcane performers as Hans Hands, Gertha Teeth, the Wolf Man and Rhamus Twobellies. In the midst of the ghoulish excitement, true terror raises its head when Steve recognises that one of the performers -- Mr Crepsley -- is in fact a vampire!

Steve remains after the show finishes, to confront the vampire -- but his motives are anything but ordinary! In the shadows of a crumbling theatre, a horrified Darren eavesdrops on his friend and the vampire, and is witness to a monstrous, disturbing plea.

Later, in a moment of insane daring, Darren sets out to steal the vampire's magnificent performing tarantula, an act which will have severe, tragic consequences for both Darren and Steve. Their lives will never be the same again ...

Tell me: how many of you read the Cirque du Freak series before you found out that the movie was coming out this year? *looks around*

...oh.

Well, that's really the only reason I started reading this. I've heard many good things about this series but since I'm a contrary person, I thought it was all hype. Luckily for me, I put my doubts to rest and actually tried this book out.

It starts off well. The protagonist calls himself Darren Shan. He's not actually Darren Shan, but he has changed all the names in the story to protect everyone's identities, should any curious soul decide to do a wee bit of Googling. Darren lives a normal life. He has a normal family and normal friends.

Then one day, he is introduced to Cirque du Freak, a travelling freak show. And that's when his life started to go all the way from MLIA to FML.

I liked Darren. He was a likeable kid, and though his choices seemed pretty dumb to me, his heart was in the right place. The plot was straightforward and easy to follow, which is a nice change from the plots that make you go "Whaaa...?" halfway and then you'll have to re-read the story and read the innuendos which you didn't notice the first time.

What I didn't like was that the story was too short! It was more of an introduction to the series. I still haven't found what makes the readers oooh and ahhh, but with eleven more books, I'm content to read and find out.

Waiting On Wednesday 2

Blood Promise by Richelle Mead
(Note: Which reminds me, I want Spirit Bound, the fifth book in the Vampire Academy series too. It's out May 18, 2010.) Rose Hathaway's life will never be the same.

Strange Angels by Lili St. Crow

Title: Strange Angels	Loved it	Graded
Author: Lili St. Crow
Genre: Paranormal
Publisher: Razorbill
Elements: Vampires
Series: Book 1 of a series

Dru Anderson has been “strange” for as long as she can remember. She travels from town to town with her father, hunting the things that go bump in the night and eat the unwary. It’s a weird life, but a good one–until it all explodes and a zombie busts into her new house.

Alone, terrified, and trapped in an icy town, Dru’s going to need every inch of her wit and training to stay alive. Can she trust the boy who is just a little too adult–and just happens to get bit by a werwulf? Or the strange blue-eyed boy who tells her she’s heir to a long-forgotten power? Can she even trust her own instincts?

Because Dru is not the first in her family to be killed by the darkness of the Real World. The monsters have decided to hunt back–and now Dru has to figure out who to trust, who to fight, and when to run. And not incidentally, she has to figure out how she’s going to get out of this alive. And she has to do it by sundown, or it’s all over…

I like reading about girls who kick butt, but the things Dru has to go through even from the start? Wow. A hunter, she's somone who doesn't open up to outside people (meaning everybody) but she has to after her dad turns into a zombie and attacks her, and she kills him.

And that's just the prologue.

She's all alone, but lucky for her there's Graves, a classmate who took her under his metaphorical wing. After a lifetime of being close to her family members, I thought Dru grew up a lot. She seemed more human, and she wasn't as one track minded on the mission, having Graves to take care of too.

After killing the zombie formerly known as Dad, she doesn't go into a downward spiral. It's not guilt that makes her hear his voice in her head, rather he's the voice of long standing reason in her head, the one who prods her to "move move move, or get killed damnit!". After all, both she and her dad knew the risks of going into the hunting business and this day was sure to come. Dru really impressed me then, by how she held herself together and kept things going.

But that's just one part of it. The action that followed was utterly exhilarating and I wasn't disappointed one bit. There was one scene however that put the D in DUMB for me. When you're running away from the big baddie, you don't stand there and fight over who drives you out of there. That's just stupid. Fight after you get out of there safely.

All in all, it's a thoroughly satisfying read that leaves me wanting more. I can't wait to find out what's in store for Dru in the sequel, Betrayals.

In My Mailbox 16

Borrowed:

Initiation by Susan Fine
Mauricio Londoño's goal for his freshman year at St. Stephen's is simple:
basic survival. "I had no idea what could come of packing all those boys into one school building, how the competition would play out in relentless insults, the constant sorting-out that went on every day, all day, to determine who was okay and who was worthless."
Terrified and feeling like an uninvited guest at the all-boys St. Stephen's School, Mauricio Londoño sets his main goal for freshman year: basic survival. But despite his efforts to tiptoe through the school year, Mauricio can't resist the allure of the world inhabited by his precocious classmates and the drama that plays out on FaceSpace. When a cruel digital scheme sweeps through the school, Mauricio not only becomes one of its victims but also starts to think that maybe it's not so bad to be honest about who he really is.

Raven by Allison van Diepen

Title: Raven	Loved it	Graded
Author: Allison van Diepen
Genre: Paranormal
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Elements: -
Series: Stand alone

Zin dances with fire in every step, speaks in a honey-sweet voice, and sees with eyes that can peer into your soul. Nicole's friendship with him is the only thing that saves her from the boredom of school and the turmoil of her family life. It's no wonder she is madly in love with him.

But she can't understand why he keeps her at a distance, even though she can feel his soul reaching out for hers. Zin is like no man Nicole has ever met, and he carries with him a very old secret.

When Nicole uncovers the truth, her love may be the only thing that can save him from it.

This review was so hard to write, partly because I'm so conflicted about it. There are things make me go "oooh!" like the fact that Nicole is a break dancer. And then there are so many others that make me go "bleh", like the minor characters. They seemed like basic sketches; I didn't know a lot about them and thus I didn't care if anything really happened to them. The main point however was Nicole and Zin's love for each other, and that was well done.

The tone, the style of writing: it's not something I was used to. I found it hard to relate to Nicole at the start because her lifestyle is just so different from mine: she works and a club and she's also a break dancer, while I'm more the stay at home type. Luckily for me, underneath it all she's still a girl and that I can relate to.

Nicole and Zin are in love with each other, there's no doubt of that. Their bond was obvious from the start of the story. They were the best of friends: he was her rock, the one she turned to whenever something happened. When Nicole's brother Josh went on a downward spiral from his addiction to drugs and split their family apart, Zin was there. Sometimes it felt like Zin could see right through her soul, he knew everything about her! After Nicole was almost killed and then saved by Zin, the secret finally comes out.

The secret wasn't a shocker for me, having been played out often. I could honestly say that I went "Huh. That's all? What's the big deal?" after the truth came out, but since I'm a sucker for seemingly star crossed lovers and I love to see how they overcome things, I had to finish reading. The ending was a slight disappointment. It just doesn't seem to be a satisfying conclusion. Luckily the rest of the story redeemed it.

Waiting On Wednesday

After much thought and internal debate, I've decided to take part in this meme, hosted by Jill over at Breaking The Spine. For this debut WoW post, let's highlight a few *cough* books that I've been in a state of "WANT! Mine! Gimmegimme!" ever since reading their summaries.

The Hollow by Jessica Verday
When Abbey's best friend, Kristen, vanishes at the bridge near Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, everyone else is all too quick to accept that Kristen is dead and rumors fly that her death was no accident. Abbey goes through the motions of mourning her best friend, but privately, she refuses to believe that Kristen is really gone. Then she meets Caspian, the gorgeous and mysterious boy who shows up out of nowhere at Kristen's funeral, and keeps reappearing in Abbey's life. Caspian clearly has secrets of his own, but he's the only person who makes Abbey feel normal again...but also special.

The Hunger Games

I'm sure most of you would have heard of The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins, and that it is going to be made into a movie. Here is a great fan made trailer linked from Lenzi Likes It.

In My Mailbox 15

Update: It's Singapore's 44th National Day today. Happy birthday Singapore!

The title of this post should be: This is going to be one long post (AKA Why You Should Update More Often Or Else The Books Pile Up And Then You Have To Squeeze Everything Into One Post Which Is NOT Good).

Fairy Tale by Cyn Balog

Title: Fairy Tale	Loved it	Graded
Author: Cyn Balog
Genre: Fantasy
Publisher: Delacorte
Elements: Fairies
Series: Stand alone

Morgan Sparks has always known that she and her boyfriend, Cam, are made for each other. But when Cam’s cousin Pip comes to stay with the family, Cam seems depressed. Finally Cam confesses to Morgan what’s going on: Cam is a fairy. The night he was born, fairies came down and switched him with a healthy human boy. Nobody expected Cam to live, and nobody expected his biological brother, heir to the fairy throne, to die. But both things happened, and now the fairies want Cam back to take his rightful place as Fairy King.

Even as Cam physically changes, becoming more miserable each day, he and Morgan pledge to fool the fairies and stay together forever. But by the time Cam has to decide once and for all what to do, Morgan’s no longer sure what’s best for everyone, or whether her and Cam’s love can weather an uncertain future.

Fairy Tale was a light read. Unique, it was somehow more realistic for me. This is due to one factor: when Cam changes into a fairy, he shrinks. I like reading everyone's perceptions of fairies but this is the one form that strikes with me. Cam's transformation from a human teen to a fairy king is barely noticeable. Other than one part about his commaniding gaze and the fact that he orders Dawn (his advisor/future wife) around, he's still the same lovable Cam.

Morgan, as a narrator, was quirky, spunky and relatable. After knowing that Cam is a fairy, she does all that she can to keep him with her. I loved reading about their past experiences. They were just so loving and tender towards each other, and it was sad to think that there won't be anymore, unless Morgan does something.

It doesn't feel like I got to know Dawn all that well. I knew too little about Dawn to actually care about her. And other than her back story, I cannot find one redeeming quality about her. Maybe I'm just biased. After all, I'm rooting for Morgan and Cam. If there's a sequel, I hope Cyn Balog will give develop Dawn as a character more.

P.S.- I scheduled this post for 12.34am on 7th August 2009. Let's imagine the whole thing is like 12:34:56 7/8/9. :D

The Demon's Lexicon by Sarah Rees Brennan

Title: The Demon's Lexicon	Loved it	Graded
Author: Sarah Rees Brennan
Genre: Paranormal
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry
Elements: Demons
Series: Book 1 of The Demon's Lexicon trilogy

Nick and his brother, Alan, have spent their lives on the run from magic. Their father was murdered, and their mother was driven mad by magicians and the demons who give them power. The magicians are hunting the Ryves family for a charm that Nick's mother stole -- a charm that keeps her alive -- and they want it badly enough to kill again.

Danger draws even closer when a brother and sister come to the Ryves family for help. The boy wears a demon's mark, a sign of death that almost nothing can erase...and when Alan also gets marked by a demon, Nick is des-perate to save him. The only way to do that is to kill one of the magicians they have been hiding from for so long.

Ensnared in a deadly game of cat and mouse, Nick starts to suspect that his brother is telling him lie after lie about their past. As the magicians' Circle closes in on their family, Nick uncovers the secret that could destroy them all.

This is the Demon's Lexicon. Turn the page.

I thought The Demon's Lexicon was excellent in every way. It was witty and shrewd at times, and the twists and turns just kept me coming back for more. Nick and his brother have been on the run from magicians for all their lives. In this case, magicians = the big, bad and ugly, and they're after a charm that Nick's mother stole- and keeps her alive.

If it was up to Nick, he'd let the magicians get their charm back. Nick and his mother have never been close, in fact that's an understatement. They hate each other, and while it was weird for me, it is a totally normal relationship for them.

I loved Nick even before reading the story; he had an air of mystery and protectiveness that was very appealing. Looking at the world through Nick's eyes showed me the little things that we humans take for granted; unnecessary things that we do, but we take in stride every day: lying, for example. Nick seemed a little cold and uncaring at times, but it is offset by how much he loves his brother. Whatever he does, he does it for Alan, and this is what proves to me that he still has humanity in him.

It is for this very reason that Nick puts up with two strangers, Mae and Jamie, that come for help in the middle of night -and endangers Alan's life. While Nick is all for throwing them to the wolves (for good reason!), Alan chooses to help them, putting others before himself.

I'm a little disappointed to close the book on such a fantastic story. Good news though! It's going be a trilogy, and the next book (The Demon's Covenant) is going to be told from Mae's eyes. While I'm not really a fan of Mae and I'll miss reading from Nick's point of view, it'd be great to see how Sarah Rees Brennan develops the storyline and evolves the characters.

Update 27th September 2009:
I prefer Mae to be with Alan because I like the idea of Nick being a free agent, unattached to any one particular girl and yet being happy about it. It opens up a wide spectrum of possibilities that I'd love to explore as a reader. One thing I'd definitely love to see is more types of beings in the Demon's Lexicon universe. And for once I want the girl not to get the guy, yknow?

Also, Mae seems very suitable for Alan. He's gentle whereas she's... rougher in a way. But well, suitability's not necessarily what gets our blood pumping, is it?