TEEN BOOK REVIEW: The Game of Love and Death by Martha Brokenbrough

Good Reads Summary

Antony and Cleopatra. Helen of Troy and Paris. Romeo and Juliet. And now... Henry and Flora.
For centuries Love and Death have chosen their players. They have set the rules, rolled the dice, and kept close, ready to influence, angling for supremacy. And Death has always won. Always.

Could there ever be one time, one place, one pair whose love would truly tip the balance?
Meet Flora Saudade, an African-American girl who dreams of becoming the next Amelia Earhart by day and sings in the smoky jazz clubs of Seattle by night. Meet Henry Bishop, born a few blocks and a million worlds away, a white boy with his future assured—a wealthy adoptive family in the midst of the Great Depression, a college scholarship, and all the opportunities in the world seemingly available to him.

The players have been chosen. The dice have been rolled. But when human beings make moves of their own, what happens next is anyone’s guess.
Achingly romantic and brilliantly imagined, The Game of Love and Deathis a love story you will never forget.

Teen Review

The Game of Love and Death written by author Martha Brockenbrough follows the lives of two star-crossed lovers. Flora, an African-American girl who aspires to become the next Amelia Earhart while working as a jazz singer in Seattl;, and Henry, a Caucasian boy who comes from a wealthy adoptive family, spends his day focusing on school, baseball, and his love of music. Although their backgrounds and the prejudices of the 1930s separate them in many ways, they have one thing in common, they are both pawns in a game that is played by love and death.

The Game of Love and Death is a complex and intense love story that will keep you guessing till the very end. Author Martha Brockenbrough not only writes about the complexities of love and death and their impact on the human experience, she also discusses issues that impacted both people in the 1930s and in modern day such as racism, mortality, poverty, and accepting one's self for who they truly are. Because such issues are prevalent in today’s society the novel allows the reader to bond with the characters and their struggles.

In short, The Game of Love and Death is a novel that should be put on every avid reader’s “must read list”. Whether someone is new to the genre of romance or has read thousands of romance novels this novel is sure to be a fantastic read with a message about life that will stick with the reader for years to come.

Stephanie (Teen Reviewer)

Book Review: Snow Like Ashes by Sara Raasch

GoodReads Summary:

Sixteen years ago the Kingdom of Winter was conquered and its citizens enslaved, leaving them without magic or a monarch. Now, the Winterians’ only hope for freedom is the eight survivors who managed to escape, and who have been waiting for the opportunity to steal back Winter’s magic and rebuild the kingdom ever since.

Orphaned as an infant during Winter’s defeat, Meira has lived her whole life as a refugee, raised by the Winterians’ general, Sir. Training to be a warrior—and desperately in love with her best friend, and future king, Mather — she would do anything to help her kingdom rise to power again.

So when scouts discover the location of the ancient locket that can restore Winter’s magic, Meira decides to go after it herself. Finally, she’s scaling towers, fighting enemy soldiers, and serving her kingdom just as she’s always dreamed she would. But the mission doesn’t go as planned, and Meira soon finds herself thrust into a world of evil magic and dangerous politics – and ultimately comes to realize that her destiny is not, never has been, her own.

Review:

This debut novel by Sara Raasch is a tale of loyalty, love and discovering one’s destiny.  While in the end I adored Book 1 of this soon-to-be-discovered series, at first, I found myself exasperated by Meira and her ungrateful, irritable nature.  I was expecting a strong, confident character from the top of the novel.  However, I soon found myself engrossed in the growth of her character and wishing I hadn’t been so quick to judge. 

As the story progressed, I found myself honored to be a part of Meira’s growth into the resilient and poised character I was looking for. Sara Raasch surprised me in the end with some heroic and fantastical scenes that left this heroine wanting more! I am so excited to read the next installment of this series, Ice like Fire, out in October 2015!

Happy Reading,

Valerie
YA Reader’s Advisor

Teen Review: How to Love by Katie Cotugno

How to Love

by: Katie Cotugno

 

 

Summary

Before:

Reena Montero has loved Sawyer LeGrande for as long as she can remember: as natural as breathing, as endless as time. But he's never seemed to notice that Reena even exists . . . until one day, impossibly, he does. Reena and Sawyer fall in messy, complicated love. But then Sawyer disappears from their humid Florida town without a word, leaving a devastated-and pregnant-Reena behind.

After:

Almost three years have passed, and there's a new love in Reena's life: her daughter, Hannah. Reena's gotten used to life without Sawyer, and she's finally getting the hang of this strange, unexpected life. But just as swiftly and suddenly as he disappeared, Sawyer turns up again. Reena doesn't want anything to do with him, though she'd be lying if she said Sawyer's being back wasn't stirring something in her. After everything that's happened, can Reena really let herself love Sawyer LeGrande again?

In this breathtaking debut, Katie Cotugno weaves together the story of one couple falling in love-twice.

 

Quick Review

Have you ever enjoyed a vanilla cupcake? It wasn’t chocolate, it wasn’t frosted, and it wasn’t covered in sprinkles, but it was still so delicious because of its simplicity. How to Love by Katie Cotugno is that vanilla cupcake. It was a simple sweet and realistic novel about the happy moments and struggles of a teenage couple. It describes the journey of the female protagonist, Serena, when she first meets the love of her life Sawyer LeGrande, and then when she encounters him again after he disappeared mysteriously 2 years ago. Sawyer had unknowingly left Serena when she was pregnant with their daughter Hannah, and now he returns a changed man. Will Serena be able to forgive him? Will Serena drop everything she has built over the last 2 years to be with Sawyer again? I would personally give this story a 7 out of 10.

Long Review

The most unique feature of this book has to be how it is structured. The book is divided into two stories, the story of the first time Serena met Sawyer and the story of the second time Serena met Sawyer. The two stories are told in alternating chapters, which makes it easier for the reader to compare the difference the two years had on Sawyer and Serena’s personality. However, because the stories share so many similar attributes, the two stories sometimes start blending in your head. For instance, in one of the chapters she is at Sawyer’s house and he is buying oxycotin from a friend (1^st time she fell in love with Sawyer), then suddenly Sawyer and Serena start talking about Aaron, Serena’s new boyfriend after Sawyer left her. Without rereading and realizing that you already entered a new chapter, the stories get quite confusing. If the author made chapters longer than 3 pages this story of storytelling would have been more effective.

The story takes place in warm Florida which is not highlighted in the book. The book overlooks the need to describe the setting and other inanimate objects. The focus is placed primarily on character behavior and character dynamics. The author, Katie Cotugno, wants all the readers’ attention on how each character felt and why that led to the decisions they made. As a result it is difficult to picture the story happening, but it is really easy to feel the story happening.

My favourite part of the entire story is how realistic it is, the female protagonist isn’t perfect and she is frequently on an emotional rollercoaster. But, most importantly, the male protagonist, is prince anti-charming and he is real. He isn’t terribly smooth, he does drugs, he has problems, and he isn’t obnoxiously wealthy. Sawyer isn’t just about having fun and partying. He knows when he is required to step up and take responsibility.

I really enjoyed this book, but it wouldn’t be one I would read again. The book felt very still to me.*Spoiler Alert* If you are a sucker for cute endings. You would love how this book ends.

Review by: Betty