Tag Archives: Headstrong Girl

The Wheel of Fortune by Susan Howatch

British Literature May 17, 2010 Superfast Reader 5 Comments

Synopsis: The saga of a Welsh family haunted by submerged passions and unfulfilled desire. Review: I was hooked on The Wheel of Fortune from the first pages. It’s juicy, lush, psychologically complex, and keenly observed. The story opens with Robert, scion of the Godwin family, heir to Oxmoon, lusting after his second cousin Ginevra, on the night that she elopes with an Irish rake, Connor Kinsella. When, in pure tragic form, Robert is able to consummate his desire, a chain of events unfolds that scars…

The Lonely Hearts Club by Elizabeth Eulberg

American Literature January 7, 2010 Superfast Reader 2 Comments

Synopsis: After getting her heart broken by her childhood love, Penny Lane takes inspiration from her parents’ favorite band and forms a “Lonely Hearts Club” that takes her high school by storm. Review: The Lonely Hearts Club by Elizabeth Eulberg is peppy, feisty, altogether modern, and a really fun teen read. The concept isn’t the freshest I’ve encountered, but Eulberg’s fine execution more than makes up for it. Though the book wouldn’t be considered edgy by most definitions, I felt like Penny and her friends…

Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte

British Literature November 6, 2009 Superfast Reader 2 Comments

Synopsis: His true love thwarted by unfeeling family and Cathy’s callow thoughtlessness, foundling Heathcliff wreaks havoc on all who fall under his sway. Review: Wow, I had no idea what I was in for when I started Wuthering Heights! I knew it was a classic of Gothic romanticism, but I was expecting a florid love story of the kind I don’t usually enjoy. Instead I got a pile-on of selfish people behaving very, very badly and I loved every minute of it. What i liked…

The Naming by Alison Croggon (The First Book of Pellinor)

Australian Literature September 23, 2009 Superfast Reader 4 Comments

Synopsis: A slave discovers that she is The One prophesied by the mystical race of Bards. Review: It really is all about execution when it comes to epic fantasy. I mean, that one sentence synopsis of The Gift could pretty much describe about a zillion other books, many of them truly dreadful. In fact, I was listening the audiobook of Mistborn at the same time, which has basically the same premise! So far, Alison Croggon is delivering a fine, fine tale. She admits to being…

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

American Literature September 9, 2009 Superfast Reader 4 Comments

I’m giving away 3 copies of Hunger Games–check out this post for rules & to enter! Synopsis: After winning the Hunger Games, underdog Katniss Everdeen finds herself caught up in political intrigue as rebellion foments in other districts, and when the president himself makes a game-changing move, Katniss must choose between love and freedom. Review: I was totally and completely sucked in and swept away by Catching Fire, Suzanne Collins’s sequel to last year’s it novel Hunger Games. The series is starting to remind me…

The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson (Mistborn)

American Literature September 5, 2009 Superfast Reader 2 Comments

Synopsis: A street urchin discovers that she is Mistborn, able to synthesize metals that give her superhuman powers, and falls into a plan to overthrow the seemingly immortal Lord Ruler. Review: I listened to The Final Empire on audiobook, and I have to say I was really impressed by the narrator’s ability to give every character a different voice. It really made the story easy to follow, especially because the characters themselves were not particularly well-drawn. Oops–did I start criticizing already? Well, another reason I…

Fade to Blue by Sean Beaudoin

American Literature August 28, 2009 Superfast Reader

Synopsis: Sophie Blue is so goth she’s roadkill, at least in her dreams, as she searches for her lost father and tries to find herself. Review: Fade to Blue is very, very hip and very, very stylish–so much so that it made me feel old because I didn’t really get it. I am kind of old, closer to middle- than teenage, so maybe that’s okay. The writing is fantastic, and the plotting creative, but I just didn’t click with it. I think many teens will,…

Another Faust by Daniel and Dina Nayeri

American Literature August 25, 2009 Superfast Reader 3 Comments

Synopsis: Five teenagers at an elite Manhattan private school game the system–because they’ve sold their souls to the devil. Review: When I picked up Another Faust, my expectations were low. I figured it was going to be yet another first in a series capitalizing on Gossip Girls and Twilight. Don’t get me wrong–I figured I would like it–but I didn’t expect anything more than light entertainment. So I was thrilled to realize that Another Faust was a spiritual and literary heir to the Gothic tradition…

Enna Burning by Shannon Hale

American Literature August 10, 2009 Superfast Reader

Synopsis: Given the power to summon fire, a young girl finds herself torn between duty to her country and her fears that she will be consumed by magic. Review: Enna Burning is a sequel of sorts to The Goose Girl, but as far as I know it is not based on a fairy tale. Enna is goose girl Isi’s confidante, and her adventure begins when her brother Leifert shows up with a mysterious vellum that has granted him the ability to summon fire. But his…

The Red Wolf Conspiracy by Robert V.S. Redick

American Literature August 3, 2009 Superfast Reader 2 Comments

Synopsis: A tarboy on a magnificent sailing vessel finds himself at the center of a conspiracy to start a war by magical means, and his friendship with a betrothed young Lady might be the beginnings of a plot to defeat an evil mage. Review: I’ve mentioned a million times how much I hate summarizing epic fantasy in one sentence. You need a little more backstory to really get what a story is about. But rules is rules, sez I, and one sentence synopses is my…

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