Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco // Book review

Stalking Jack the Ripper (Stalking Jack the Ripper #1) by Kerri Maniscalco

Published: September 20th 2016 by Jimmy Patterson

Genres: YA, historical, mystery

Number of pages: 326

Summary: Seventeen-year-old Audrey Rose Wadsworth was born a lord's daughter, with a life of wealth and privilege stretched out before her. But between the social teas and silk dress fittings, she leads a forbidden secret life.

Against her stern father's wishes and society's expectations, Audrey often slips away to her uncle's laboratory to study the gruesome practice of forensic medicine. When her work on a string of savagely killed corpses drags Audrey into the investigation of a serial murderer, her search for answers brings her close to her own sheltered world.

REVIEW

It's always complicated to read hyped books months after their release day. I've been excited for Stalking Jack the Ripper since it was announced, because I'm obsessed with Victorian era and I find the mystery behind Jack the Ripper completely fascinating. So, I tried not to listen to the hype – almost impossible – and to finally read it. 

From the beginning, we discover the world of forensics in Victorian era and I found it so interesting. Before I realized I wasn't really into science, that's what I actually wanted to do with my life, so of course I loved that part. The atmosphere Kerri Maniscalco created with her novel, which is definitely in the vein of gothic novels, was so fitting to the time period, I felt like I was actually there. She definitely captured the essence of the time period and while I wasn't scared, I felt the darkness and the tension involved while the characters were trying to find Jack the Ripper. 

However, I found that the pacing of the novel was a bit off. Indeed, while I was very excited in the beginning, I lost interest a few times, which is a bit sad, considering this book was only 326 pages long. I'd say that the first two thirds of the novel are good, but not mind-blowing, while the last hundred pages are truly stellar and makes the whole book worth it. Well, I had guessed the identity of Jack the Ripper because of one small detail the author probably didn't think of, haha. But despite guessing it, it was so well done! 

Now, I'll tell you about what actually bothered me in this book. Like most of us, I'm always happy to see a character that challenges social constructions of her time and that doesn't want to live according to them. Obviously, when I saw that Audrey Rose wanted to have her own career and to be an independent woman, I was there for it. Then, I realized something was bothering me and it took me awhile to discover what it was. In the whole novel, when Audrey Rose talks to other women, it's always about men or parties. There is one exception when she sees another woman because she's here to see her father, but that's about it. I'm sorry, but to me, it means it's failing the Bechdel Test. Not completely, but at 90%. 

Moreover, during the whole novel, Audrey Rose feels superior to the rest of women. I don't mean that she feels superior to prostitutes because of her social class, no, but to her peers. She's judging them and saying that they're shallow and uninteresting, because they accept what society want them to be. Every time she's with them, she's complaining. There is only one time a woman finds grace in her eyes and is deemed interesting, but it's at the end of the novel. I consider myself a feminist but I don't think that judging women – who have no choice and rebel in other ways – is the way to go when you're a feminist.

Audrey Rose does think society has it wrong, regarding women (and she's right), but she doesn't get to feel superior because of that, and to judge other women in the process. It feels like the author was trying to make Audrey Rose better than all these women to make me like her, but it only angered me. I know some people won't agree with me, but it's a trope we see a lot in young adult but almost never discuss, and it's making me sick. (I'm done with my rant part I guess.)

Despite being mad at the main character, I really enjoyed the whole cast of characters. Indeed, they were multidimensional and I liked to see how the author showed that you can never know someone completely, because we all have secrets. I also loved Thomas Creswell's sassiness when he was interacting with Audrey Rose, I laughed quite a few times. 

Overall, Stalking Jack the Ripper was a good enough book and I can see why people loved it so much, because of the atmosphere, the mystery and the sass. But, I thought the pacing was a little off, and there was this huge business with Audrey Rose that made me mad. Nevertheless, I'm pretty sure I'll read the sequel, to see if Audrey Rose changes for the better, but also because it involves Dracula and discovering a country I've never been to.

That awkard moment when you don't care about the characters anymore... | Ghostly Echoes

Ghostly Echoes (Jackaby #3) by William Ritter

Published: August 30th 2016 by Algonquin Young Readers

Genres: young adult, fantasy, mystery, historical

Summary: Jenny Cavanaugh, the ghostly lady of 926 Augur Lane, has enlisted the investigative services of her fellow residents to solve a decade-old murder—her own. Abigail Rook and her eccentric employer, Detective R. F. Jackaby, dive into the cold case, starting with a search for Jenny’s fiancé, who went missing the night she died. But when a new, gruesome murder closely mirrors the events of ten years prior, Abigail and Jackaby realize that Jenny’s case isn’t so cold after all, and her killer may be far more dangerous than they suspected.

Fantasy and folklore mix with mad science as Abigail’s race to unravel the mystery leads her across the cold cobblestones of nineteenth-century New England, down to the mythical underworld, and deep into her colleagues’ grim histories to battle the most deadly foe she has ever faced.

REVIEW

I remember really enjoying the first book in the series, last year, because it was original and I was digging the Sherlock and Doctor Who vibes. Nevertheless, when I picked up the sequel, I remember having a hard time getting through it and thought it was because I wasn’t the mood. But, it seems like it happened again with Ghostly Echoes, which makes me so sad.

I really liked the world Ritter created: it’s rich and has endless possibilities, which he showed at the end of this third book. However, I sometimes find it very confusing, because supernatural creatures are everywhere and they’re all so different. I can’t process all of the information most of the time, which leads me to forget some important parts of the stories.

Moreover – and I had this impression in the second book – I think that because of the endless possibilities, the resolution of the mystery comes out of nowhere, because you can’t really see it coming. What I want, with mystery novels, is to be kept guessing, not to be left in the dark 90% of the novel, which leads me to understand… Nothing.

I was very excited about the plot of this third novel, because we were about to resolve Jenny Cavanaugh’s murder, Jackaby’s local resident ghost and I wasn’t disappointed on that point, because it was part of a much bigger plot, which will be resolved in the fourth book. Thanks to this plot, we dived more into Jenny’s past and to get to know her. In this novel, because of the foes encountered, we also learnt more about Jackaby’s past, which helped me to understand him even more.

However, I’m sorry to say that I didn’t care much for the characters in general. I had the feeling that Abigail was slowly fading, because we had so much backstory about other characters, but not about her in this one. The mystery aspect was very important but because of that, she was lacking a little character development, even if she was essential to the story at some point. However, for a few chapters, I felt like she was only a spectator and telling other stories. When finally, she had way more action, I thought it didn’t last long enough.

I felt exactly the same towards the ending. The revelation didn’t come as a shock, because I had been bored and confused for some time. In fact, the action I was interested didn’t happen until the last few chapters, which left me with a bittersweet taste in my mouth, as I was disappointed.

Overall, I don’t know if, I, as a person that reads so many books, is the problem, or if the book is. It’s just that in the middle of all the books I read this year, I don’t think I’ll remember a lot from this book – which is already the case with Beastly Bones. I still think the concept of the series was original though, so I don’t regret reading three books about Jackaby and Abigail, but I’m not sure I’m attracted to this series anymore.

Other:

• My review of Jackaby
• My review of Beastly Bones

Have you read any books in this series? If so, what did you think? Do you have recommendations for fantasy novels set in a historical setting?

An alternate Victorian society full of magic and amazing characters | Illusions of Fate

Illusions of Fate by Kiersten White

Published: September 9th 2014 by HarperTeen
Genre: young adult, alternate history, fantasy

Goodreads summary: Downton Abbey meets Cassandra Clare in this lush, romantic fantasy from New York Times bestselling author Kiersten White. 

“I did my best to keep you from crossing paths with this world. And I shall do my best to protect you now that you have.”

Jessamin has been an outcast since she moved from her island home of Melei to the dreary country of Albion. Everything changes when she meets Finn, a gorgeous, enigmatic young lord who introduces her to the secret world of Albion’s nobility, a world that has everything Jessamin doesn’t—power, money, status…and magic. But Finn has secrets of his own, dangerous secrets that the vicious Lord Downpike will do anything to possess. Unless Jessamin, armed only with her wits and her determination, can stop him.

Kiersten White captured readers’ hearts with her New York Times bestselling Paranormalcy trilogy and its effortless mix of magic and real-world teenage humor. She returns to that winning combination of wit, charm, and enchantment in Illusions of Fate, a sparkling and romantic new novel perfect for fans of Cassandra Clare, The Madman’s Daughter, and Libba Bray.

REVIEW

I decided to pick this book up because I'm really excited about Kiersten White's upcoming book, And I Darken. I wasn't disappointed and it actually made me eager to read more of her books!

Illusions of Fate is set in a world that seems to be an alternate history, since it had so many similarities to Victorian England (even the queen is eighty years old!). At first, we didn't get a lot of setting so I was a little confused and it made the book harder to read, but the more I progressed into the story, the more the gaps were filled by this author. 

I really enjoyed the main character, Jessamin. She comes from the colony so people despise her because of her skin color. She also suffered a lot of prejudices because she was a girl, of course. But despite all of it, she is strong and always stands for herself. At the beginning of the book, she was a student and no matter how unaccepted she was, she did her best at her studies. Because yes, that's how you prove your point. Moreover, when she met Finn, a handsome and arrogant lord, she still fought with him. He was trying to be overprotective and you can't really blame him since its his fault she was thrown into danger, and he was a product of his society. But Jessamin didn't want to hear him out and did what she wanted to. I really enjoyed that about her. Moreover, magic is involved in this society, but Jessamin? She would be one of those "mundane" girls. But still, it's because of her everything is resolved. She was an amazing main character, really.

Finn, the lord she met and turned everything upside-down, was also a very interesting character. I can't tell much about him, because it would be spoiler-y, but he was such a fun character to read about! I loved the dynamics he had with Jessamin, even there was some insta-love. I'm not really happy about it...

Eleanor, a secondary character, was also a strong woman, even if everyone thought the contrary. She knows everything about everyone, she's so good at gossiping! But at the same time, she's trying to be underestimated by everyone, and it totally worked! No one believed she was powerful, and that's exactly what made her powerful. Even Finn said he was scared of her, and he was the most powerful character of this world.

The villain was so scary. Torture is actually involved, it was awful. It was crazy since he was in the government and everything. Which I actually really enjoyed about him was... The ending, ha-ha. No but seriously, I did not see it coming, I was shocked. Moreover, he had familiars and one of them, Sir Bird, was actually a bird who could turn into a book, it was SO COOL!

I liked the magic system, it was really realistic. In fact, only some nobles had magic, the social hierarchy depended on magic, it was interesting. But it was still hidden from common folks.

In case you were wondering, yes, I loved these characters so much! This book was also gifted with a plot which didn't bore me, so many things happened! It was a great standalone overall, it was enough. I would have liked an epilogue (it would have been soooo cheesy but amazing) but it's okay. Overall, this book is a must-read!

Have you read this book or others by this author? What did you think of them/this one? Are you excited for And I Darken, her new novel published in June (I AM!)?

The Brontë's worlds were MORE than fictional | Worlds of Ink and Shadow

Worlds of Ink and Shadow by Lena Coakley

Published: January 5th 2016 by Amulet Books

Genre: young adult, fantasy, historical

Goodreads summary: Charlotte, Branwell, Emily, and Anne. The Brontë siblings find escape from their constrained lives via their rich imaginations. The glittering world of Verdopolis and the romantic and melancholy world of Gondal literallycome to life under their pens, offering the sort of romance and intrigue missing from their isolated parsonage home. But at what price? As Branwell begins to slip into madness and the sisters feel their real lives slipping away, they must weigh the cost of their powerful imaginations, even as the characters they have created—the brooding Rogue and dashing Duke of Zamorna—refuse to let them go.

Gorgeously written and based on the Brontës’ juvenilia, Worlds of Ink and Shadow brings to life one of history’s most celebrated literary families in a thrilling, suspenseful fantasy.

REVIEW

If you didn't know, I'm a huge fan of the Brontë sisters, even though I haven't read that much by them. Nevertheless, I've always been compelled to learn about them and when I heard about this book, I knew I had to read it. This book made me want to read all of their works even more than before, so it totally worked in that sense. I'm left craving for more of their writing and I'll do something about it soon.

I felt like this book was quite unique, with its imaginary worlds created by writing about them, it was quite interesting. This concept of traveling to them was based off a folktale, which I could totally picture in the 19th century moor. It was so mysterious the whole time and I loved the explanation. The fact that it was about these imaginary worlds the characters could access reminded me of the Gemma Doyle trilogy by Libba Bray, in a way, because it was as eerie and a little scary. But I didn't read this book at night so this effect was a little lost on me.

However, while I was interested by this concept, I was totally underwhelmed during the whole book. I kept reading, but I never got the spark that pushed me to read until I was done. For me, it was quite a slow book, but it wasn't necessarily a bad thing, because it got along with the atmosphere of this book, it's just that I was never hooked (which is a little sad). Moreover, I would have liked to see more of the madness mentioned in the synopsis. Yes, they were seeing things but it lasted for a couple of chapters and it didn't actually feel like madness.

My motivation to keep going lied in the Brontë siblings, because I love them so much and it felt close to their actual stories. Indeed, the author said she had based her novel upon their work, even though she had taken some liberties. I loved that it truly showed the power of words, but also how sometimes, the characters do whatever they want, even if you are the writer. However, I would have liked to know more about Anne. I know that she's the youngest of the four, but I couldn't quite picture her motivations, when I understood Branwell, Emily and Charlotte completely. Moreover, what happened in those fictional worlds felt like the beginning of something bigger, namely the novels of the Brontë sisters and I could see Heathcliff in Rogue or Mr. Dorchester in Zamora.

However, while I liked reading about the Brontë siblings, I think that they were unmemorable characters and that I will only remember them because they existed in real life. While the book was unique, I never felt like the characters truly shone and it was just the same for the fictional characters, that they had created to be huge clichés. I didn't came to care for any of them. For the romance, it felt just the same, I had definitely seen it coming and it was just okay for me.

Overall, this one had potential and I don't regret reading it, because I learnt a lot about the Brontë siblings, whom are my little babies. The concept was definitely interesting and the author did her research, but because I didn't actually love the characters and I wanted a more fast-paced plot, it didn't do it entirely for me. But now I want to read all the books by the sisters.

Have you read this book yet? Do you love the Brontë's sisters? Have you read any of their books?

Mutant and proud | These Vicious Masks & Glass Sword

I read quite a few books in February which means that... If I did one review per book, my March schedule would be full already! So I choose to pair some of them, you'll have more content this way! ;) I tried to do mini-reviews... But failed, I wrote way much more than I wanted to. The two books I'm talking about today were both released on February 9th and are both fantasy books about human beings with special powers.

These Vicious Masks (These Vicious Masks #1) by Tarun Shanker and Kelly Zekas

Published: February 9th 2016 by Swoon Reads

Genre: young adult, fantasy, historical

Goodreads summary: Jane Austen meets X-­Men in this gripping and adventure-­filled paranormal romance set in Victorian London.

England, 1882. Evelyn is bored with society and its expectations. So when her beloved sister, Rose, mysteriously vanishes, she ignores her parents and travels to London to find her, accompanied by the dashing Mr. Kent. But they’re not the only ones looking for Rose. The reclusive, young gentleman Sebastian Braddock is also searching for her, claiming that both sisters have special healing powers. Evelyn is convinced that Sebastian must be mad, until she discovers that his strange tales of extraordinary people are true—and that her sister is in graver danger than she feared.

REVIEW

I was quite intrigued by the pitch: "Jane Austen meets X-Men" and I thought it totally lived up to that. This novel is set in Victorian England, so of course, it was a total winner for me. I was so excited to get back into this time period, and wasn't disappointed, at all. This book was set in London and we saw society parties just like dark places and streets, which I really enjoyed. I totally felt like the authors had done their research and felt like I was there.

Evelyn was a great main character, she was snarky and independent. I really liked being in her head during this story and she made me laugh quite a few times. I liked the other characters but felt like some of them were a little cliché, like Laura, Mr Kent's young sister, she totally thought she was in the middle of a gothic novel or something. I found Miss Grey to be really interesting and I'm eager to read about her more in the next book. It seems that the book was setting a love triangle, and I really, really, really don't want that *sigh* For now, I like Sebastian more, but we'll see in the next book.

Oh no, a potential love triangle

The plot focused on a mystery, finding Rose, Evelyn's sister. I really enjoyed that, because mysteries were such a trend at that time! This type of plot kept me entertained during the whole book, which wasn't that hard to accomplish, since it was pretty short. Some aspects of the ending surprised me, because I hadn't thought the authors would go there, but it will serve its purpose I guess.

I liked that there was a theory about the abilities the characters possessed. A doctor thought it was a consequence of evolution, which made sense in a society that were influenced by Darwin's works, at that time. It also felt so much more realistic. Nevertheless, it seems like there must be more than that and it will be explored in the next book. At the end of this book, it totally feels like some of the characters will go in search of other people with abilities, which I'm really excited about, it feels like the beginning of the X-Men.

I really enjoyed this book and am excited to read the sequel next year, especially since it seems we'll see Belgium (!!). I felt like the setting of this book was realistic and I really enjoyed the plot, but some of the secondary characters felt a little cliché. It's a quick book to read who'll keep you entertained, which is all you can ask for!

Glass Sword (Red Queen #2) by Victoria Aveyard

Published: February 9th 2016 by HarperTeen

Genre: young adult, dystopia, fantasy

Goodreads summary: The thrilling second book in the #1 New York Times bestselling Red Queen trilogy follows Mare Barrow on her mission to defeat the traitorous Maven.

Mare Barrow’s blood is red—the color of common folk—but her Silver ability, the power to control lightning, has turned her into a weapon that the royal court tries to control. 

The crown calls her an impossibility, a fake, but as she makes her escape from Maven, the prince—the friend—who betrayed her, Mare uncovers something startling: she is not the only one of her kind.

Pursued by Maven, now a vindictive king, Mare sets out to find and recruit other Red-and-Silver fighters to join in the struggle against her oppressors. 

But Mare finds herself on a deadly path, at risk of becoming exactly the kind of monster she is trying to defeat. 

Will she shatter under the weight of the lives that are the cost of rebellion? Or have treachery and betrayal hardened her forever? 

The electrifying next installment in the Red Queen series escalates the struggle between the growing rebel army and the blood-segregated world they’ve always known—and pits Mare against the darkness of her own heart.

REVIEW

I was on the fence about Red Queen and I think that I liked Glass Sword slightly better. I really enjoyed the plot of this book, that we learnt more about the Scarlet Guard, I was interested during the whole book and never got bored. I'll concede that the pacing was uneven and that it was really slow in the beginning, after two fast-paced chapters. Moreover, I really liked to see other newbloods in the story, even though there were so many of them that I'm not sure I'll remember any names… I'm sure I'll need a recap when the next book will be released.

Mare got on my nerves in this book, she was totally unreliable and reminded me a lot of Katniss at some point - I felt like some aspects of the story were similar to the Hunger Games - but maybe I'm just on witch hunt mode for similarities. Anyway, one of the problems that I had with this book is that… I don't care for the characters, they don't move me, I don't really know why. 

I didn't really like the romance either, because I felt like everyone was in love with Mare… And the rest hate her. Not really but at some point, it felt ridiculous. Kilorn was such a Gale from District 4 since he was a fish boy, it made me laugh so hard. He's just in the same situation that Gale was with Katniss, which made me roll my eyes. Of course, there is also Cal, and maybe Maven, who knows what happens in his sick head? Some aspects of Mare and Cal's relationship was actually reminiscent of Katniss and Peeta's in the first half of Catching Fire… So there is also that *sigh*

One of Aveyard's strengths is to write suspenseful endings, which she showed again at the end of Glass Sword. It was full of twists and turns and was sometimes unexpected. This ending made me gasp for more, but why isn't it like that the rest of the time? Some readers might totally give up and never get to the ending, so I don't think it's a wise move to do it this way, but well… It's so frustrating to have an okay book and then a good ending. I'll probably read the next book, or during the time span of the year, I'll lose interest in the series. I don't really know, but there are still two books to be published and I don't know what the author will say during those two books. 

Have you read any of these books or do you plan to do so? Are you a fan of the Red Queen series? Of Victorian England novels?