Midnight Secrets by Rita Stradling

The Vampire Legacy #1

Midnight Secrets

Publish Date: June 11th, 2019
Format: Ebook
Series: Blackburn Academy
Author: Rita Stradling
Author’s Goodreads
My Goodreads Review

Introduction

January has some problems: her mother is an addict, food in the house is scant, and their house is run down. But that’s not her most prominent problem – she was killed and woke up as a vampire. Calling the number provided to her when she woke up, she gets hooked up with blood. And a boy, Justin. He’s aloof, secretive, and handsome. He’s in the elite school that January has a chance to attend, if she can pass the tests. Said boy is adamant that she doesn’t go to said school, can’t tell her why, and she is determined to make her own decisions.     

Story

The story and the writing are great for older teens. Yes, it is a book about vampires, but it is also a lot more. January and her mom struggle with the very real problem of addiction and the consequences of it, family, classism, and toxic relationships. She also has more to prove to other people than regular people do.

Cover/Title

The cover is great! It conveys January's demeanour fairly well. She's a vampire but she's not out to murder everyone. She looks like, and is, a girl next door, with some problems she tries to take care of. 
  

While the cover is nice, it’s misleading. She isn’t enrolled at the school yet. This book is her prepping for the trials/tests/living as a vampire. Probably would have been more suitable for book 2. Also, January has blonde hair, but doesn’t dress like that, at all. She’s poor, she can’t get leather corsets. As for the title, I don’t know how to explain it. Sexual, yes, and needlessly so. The book is way more than sexual tension/relationships. If I were to be reading a physical copy of this in public, I’d be a bit embarrassed. It isn’t smut (hey, if you’re reading smut, that’s fine, be proud! But this isn’t smut yet it comes off as smut). My husband had some questions about what I was reading because the title is so sexual.

Ending

I knew it!

Final Verdict

I was very into this book. To say that I thoroughly enjoyed this book would be an injustice. I believe I read almost half in one night, then I couldn’t devote as much time to it. I assumed there’d six books in this series that I could devour at that instant, but alas, the second isn’t out yet (I actually didn't realize how so very new this book is!). It is a very nice change of pace for vampire fiction. There’s a set of three trials which I haaaaaate in books, especially because I’ve never heard of schools doing what this one does, so that gets an eye roll from me. However, I highly recommend this to older readers who want vampires, teens, and high school.

Update

Looks like the title and series title for this has changed. When it read it, it was called A Bite at the Cherry, in the Bite Me series or the Blackburn Academy Series. It now says Midnight Secrets in the Vampire Legacy series. Better titles, and have edited the review accordingly. Below is the original cover:

Prudence by Gail Carriger

The Custard Protocol
Prudence * Imprudence

Publish Date: March 17th, 2015
Publisher: Orbit
Series: The Custard Protocol

Format Reviewed: Book and Audiobook
Author: Gail Carriger
Author’s Website
Author's Twitter
Wikia (has spoilers!)

Introduction

Lady Prudence, known as Rue, had an unusual upbringing. Along with her mother and werewolf father, she was also adopted by another father, a vampire. She is a take-charge kind of twenty-something girl, and she is also a metanatural. A gift bestowed by her mother, Rue can touch a supernatural and take their form, strengths, weaknesses, and immortality, if only for a short time. Her vampire father tasks her to take her very own dirigible, The Spotted Custard, to India for a venture in tea. As captain, she gets a crew, brings along her best friend, and two boys to make a love triangle.

Setting

The setting is what brought me in. I've been meaning to read the steampunk genre and I finally took the dive. The conventions are there: industrial, steam-powered machines, but also aristocratic society as well. The paranormal is also integrated into London, as vampires and werewolves dress in fancy attire and attend balls. They own hat shops and live lives similar to humans. 

Love Triangle

I dislike love triangles and there is sort of one here. One is presented here not as an overt who will she choose?! We know both men are excessively handsome and available. It does become pretty obvious that one of the men will not be chosen, which was a shame, because he was arguably the most interesting character. The love story is flimsy and it went into a weird direction.

Gripes 

There's too many. Here are some in point form: 

This is the first book in a series, but not the first book in this established universe. I had seen others ask, can you read this if you haven't read the author's other books? Internet says yes. After reading, I disagree, unless you like being lost. I have too many questions and went unanswered, or they were brought up late in the book. 

Werewolves also can't be in the daylight (do they die like vampires, turn back mortal, no idea). I didn't know werewolves had some concern about daylight at nearly the end of the book.

Hives, drones? What does this all mean? There are different levels of governments and policies and decrees that went right over my head. Apparently, this is all managed somehow, but the book was throwing stuff at me like I just knew. No, I don't live here, please elaborate.  

For perhaps 50 pages or more, not much happens. She's on her dirigible, flying about to India. Alright. But nothing happens. Almost DNF'd, and I don't DNF. 

Rue literally has her nose in the air for most of the book, so I didn't particularly like her. If the author/world acknowledged that she was arrogant and full of flaws, fine, but it doesn't. I'm supposed to like her. 

When you steal someone's supernatural state, they become mortal. Which means they can die. I'd be fairly annoyed if she stole my immortality, and someone took the opportunity to off me. 

Lots of talk about what people are wearing. Oh boy, could I care less about all the details.

EDIT 03/09/2020

After reading the entire Parasol Protectorate series, I revisited this story by listening to the audiobook. I have updated my original rating and have come to the following thoughts:

• This series, along with the Parasol Protectorate, is definitely an adult series by the grace of the characters' ages alone. However, teens can very easily get into the stories. Aside from the steamy bits being too much for some teens (or their parents), there's nothing stopping teens from enjoying the universe (language, themes, pacing, etc.) However, Prudence is listed in the YA genre on Goodreads. In the next book (Imprudence), we learn that Prudence hit the age of majority (21). YA is generally considered 13-18, though I think there's some wiggle-room for that. Based on the age ranges and sexual passages that happen, this puts it in the adult category.  
• So, what does this mean? My library split the universe into two: The Parasol Protectorate in regular fiction, and The Custard Protocol into YA. Whoa. What a huge disservice to the series and the readers! For librarians who may come across is, these really belong together. Just because Goodreads has it listed as YA, keep it wherever you have the Parasol Protectorate series. 
• I did check some other public libraries. For my own privacy, I will not be naming or linking, so please take my word for it. What I found was that both Prudence and Soulless were in regular fiction (not the YA section) or the science fiction section (also not YA exclusive). The call numbers on both of them were FIC CAR. 
• Ok, seriously, I have a point. A lot of my above gripes could be solved by reading The Parasol Protectorate first. I still think you have to do some backtracking for people who don't remember what was explained four books ago. But these books belong together, don't split them up. The author is a marvellous story-weaver with many series set in the same universe, and it also does her a disservice to split her work up across the stacks. 
• Goodreads also isn't the final say on genre, as genres are determined on user-created "shelves", which can be incorrect.               

Final Verdict 

The setting is what brought me in and I am still fairly intrigued! I'm going to pick up Soulless from the library to read about this universe more, and maybe I'll give this series another chance. If you have teens that like steampunk, or if you want to build on that genre, this is alright, though there are probably more gripping stories out there. I say that because for about 50 pages, nothing happened and I was bored to tears. Only objectionable content I say in here is the representation of India. The author could probably have used some sensitivity readers first.  

EDIT 03/08/2020:
I read Soulless and I LOOOOOVED it. Go read that first. 

The Revolution of Ivy by Amy Engel

The Book of Ivy

The Book of Ivy * The Revolution of Ivy

Publish Date: November 3rd 2015
Publisher:  Entangled Teen/Listening Library
Format: Audiobook, Unabridged

Series: The Book of Ivy
Author: Amy Engel

Narrated By: Taylor Meskimen

Author’s Website

Goodreads

Introduction

The second book of the duology takes place directly after Ivy is put out of Westfall, the only home she's ever known. Without her husband, Bishop, or her family, she has to survive without any gear or basic survival skills. She has to navigate the world outside of her isolated city and meet new people and deal with old acquaintances she'd rather never see again. But of course her old life begins to catch up with her, and trouble in Westfall is stirring. 

Communication/The Truth

Hey, look, another character that can't communicate. Tellin (from Fins are Forever) exibited HUGE plot convenience by using poor communication. Ivy not communicating/telling the whole truth is part of her character and backstory. So in the new world outside of Westfall, it'd be easy to change up what you want to forget. If I were her, I would definitely have trouble telling the truth to new people too. However, I was internally screaming for her to just explain some circumstances at that moment because you know it's catching up to her. But nope. Gonna die by those lies, ok. 

This, except tell EVERYONE the truth. 

Secondary Characters and Antagonists

Engel could absolutely write a book (or two or three) about the two characters that Ivy meets. They are both unique characters with interesting backstories and their own personalities. They definitely weren't throw-away cardboard cut-outs and they become part of the plot. 

There are a few antagonists in this one. One, Westfall society. Two, the Lattimers. Three, Ivy's family, who abandoned her outside of the fence. Finally, there is another character that waltzes in and inserts chaos into Ivy's new life. When an irredeemable, disgusting antagonist is so well-written, you really get behind the protagonist's goal of triumphing over them.   

Essay Topics

Survival, found families, dystopian civilizations (and how they are overthrown), loyalty...

Final Verdict

The book folds up the story nicely. Yes, Bishop and Ivy are off doing other things by the end of it, but Ivy's revolution, her family and his, Westfall, all of that, is done. It drags a bit with all of Ivy's...less than stellar treatment of Bishop. This installment has more interesting action and stakes. The first one was slower with planning and scheming. This book starts with her trying to not die outside. Then fighting for her life. It gets a bit slower when it looks like she can carve out a place for herself in this world. 

This book does a very good job describing how it would be for a young city dweller to be thrown out into the wilderness and how things can go badly very, very quickly. Plus, it's brutally honest with the kinds of people you will meet outside who will take advantage of you. And I'm not talking about scamming you out of squirrel meat, I'm talking violent assaults. If violence scares you, or if Mark Laird's crimes from the first book bothered you, don't read this. 

Overall, I recommend this book if you read the first one. Probably shouldn't bother reading it if you didn't read the first one. 

The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert

Publish Date: January 30th 2018
Publisher: Flatiron Books
Author: Melissa Albert
Website: Author's Twitter, Author's Instagram

"There are no lessons in it. There's just this harsh, horrible world touched with beautiful magic, where shitty things happen." (pg 111)

Introduction 

Alice is seventeen and she's only really ever had her mother. They spent their lives on the run from the "bad luck" that was always on their heels, ruining any chances of happiness they had. They've lived everywhere from their suitcases, outstaying their welcomes, straining friendships, and the constant was each other, and their car, which they sometimes had to sleep in. One day Alice's mom, Ella, goes missing, Alice is understandably frantic. Ella left behind a message to stay away from the Hazel Wood. The backdrop of this story is Ella's mother, Althea, and her estate, the Hazel Wood. Althea wrote a book of short stories called Tales from the Hinterland (TFTH), and Ella had expressly forbade Alice from ever reading the book or asking about Althea.   

So what does she do? The most sensible thing every heroine does - she does exactly what she's been warned not to do. Along with Finch, an Althea fan-boy, she travels to the Hazel Wood and becomes tangled in the Hinterland's gruesome lore. Alice travels through a dark and creepy landscape to rescue her mom and figure out what exactly her story is.  

Alice, Unlikable Main Character 

If you don't like unlikable main characters, skip this book. There's no way to sugarcoat it. But she's real. She and her mom struggled to stay afloat and ahead of the bad luck for over a decade. She has anger issues, she's quick to judge, and she talks over other people. However, she knows of her faults and tries to act differently, it's just hard to rein it all in. By the end of the book, you get some explanations as to why she is like this. If you hang on and keep reading, you can understand her a bit better. I still found some of her outbursts completely ridiculous, and I feel that they are there just to drive the plot in a certain direction. I rolled my eyes and continued on. 

Finch, Hipster Fan-Boy

Finch is the most prominent secondary character in this story. He has read TFTH so he has vital pieces of information that Alice needs to navigate her situation. He's the only POC in this book as well and has some unique perspectives of the world that Alice does not (which is promptly dropped, btw). Hipster, yes. Rich, yes. Creepy, hell yes. I found him to be so awkward at first. He is basically in the cult-like fandom of Alice's grandmother, and it makes his interactions with Alice so weird. As the story goes on and he relaxes a bit and gets to know Alice as a person who knows nothing about Althea, he's better. As the pages go on and on, I liked him more. His money was certainly helpful in this situation, as I can't stand teens who go on adventures, buying whatever, when they all come from middle-class families. 

Writing 

I enjoyed the writing style immensely. I am well aware that some people detest it, and I'm not afraid to proclaim my love for it. The naysayers will stamp it as flowery, and it seems to be one of the reasons why people dislike this book so much. Personally, I like it, and it's like an amped up version of my own writing. Some examples: 

"A trio of women with bodies like fronds wound around each other in a way that looked boneless, their edges meeting and melting together in a watercolor blur." (pg 239) 

"It made the woods on Earth seem like the pencil sketches of a blind man who'd read about trees but never seen them." (pg 255) 

Every once in a while I would notice less-than-perfect sentences. "Her face was lost in shadow, her hands lit white spiders on the wheel." (pg 211). I know what Albert is trying to say, but it could be done with more clarity. I also noticed a few times, particularly close to the end, when I wasn't sure which character was speaking or being referred to. Overall, though, I think her writing adds to the haunting elements. 

Book Within a Book...

So this book is a book about a book/stories. There are only two stories from TFTH, which is a shame. But the author is making a solo book of TFTH, so look forward to that! An essay that you can do is compare it to other books that use a "book within a book"/embedded/nested kind of setup (I know there a literary term for this, I once wrote an essay on this, but Surprise! I can't find my folders containing my university essays/assignments. It's not metafiction or metanarrative, though).  

  

Gripes

After reading, I am still questioning why/how some characters did what they did. No spoilers here. Don't tell me "because it's a fairy tale". My other gripe is something that bothers me with urban fantasies in general - how do people not notice all these things happening in broad daylight?  

Final Verdict

"When Alice was born, her eyes were black from end to end, and the midwife didn't stay long enough to wash her." 

I loved this book. TFTH is a mysterious puzzle piece we, and Alice, don't have (but we will!). The first half of the book is contemporary New York and the second half is a haunting atmosphere of surreal happenings and a little bit of horror. The Hinterland portion reminds me of a game called Darkwood, if anyone is interested. This book is darker and gorier than I thought it would be, but I am 1000% here for that. At first, BookTube had enough people very pleased with this book. I got hyped. Then it seemed that everyone I followed hated it, and I'm so glad I took the chance and bought it anyway. It may be a little confusing, as I am struggling to sort out motivation/"how?" for some things, but I a greatly enjoyed my time with this book.  

Book Feels.

Now I just have to wait until the second book, The Night Country, is released. Goodreads current lists it as: 

Just for Fins by Tera Lynn Childs

Forgive My Fins * Fins Are Forever 

Just for Fins

Publish Date: July 3rd 2012

Publisher:  Katherine Tegen Books

Format: Audiobook, Unabridged

Author: Tera Lynn Childs

Narrated By: Emily Bauer 

Website: Author’s Website

Quick Review

This book is about Lily trying to save the underwater kingdoms that are in trouble because humans suck and are destroying everything unintentionally. She tries her best to perform her royal duties and balance her student life, but it is difficult.

We get to see her go to the different kingdoms and meet more mermaids, which was by far the best part of the book for me. 

I HATE it when books make the characters do three trials. Video games, sure. Films, not so much. Books, please, don't do it. This book is less about romance and more about saving the kingdoms, which was a premise I liked more, but that's just me and I typically don't like romance. So, yeah, go save the world. 

Lily just...forgot about her career storyline? I know she has a lot on her plate but you know...it just got DROPPED. So...she's not going to college anymore? She'll just be under the sea, eating sushi, Netflix and chill'n?

If there was a fourth book, I'd listen to that too. Especially because of what will become of Quince - which was a nice touch.

Fins Are Forever by Tera Lynn Childs

Forgive My Fins * Fins Are Forever 

Just for Fins

Publish Date: June 28th 2011

Publisher:  HarperCollins

Format: Audiobook, Unabridged

Author:  Tera Lynn Childs

Narrated By: Emily Bauer 

Website: Author’s Website

Quick Review

Guilty pleasure read. Well, listen. I listen to these on audiobook. This is a quick review; so, look, you like mermaids? You like YA? You like easy stories that you won't lose sleep over? Right here.

What is this book about? A lot. Lily is all set to not be a princess anymore so she can be with Quince, who is actually a good guy (at least from what I remember), and that was refreshing. (How often do we read about girls throwing away their future for "the one" who is gaaaarbaaaage?) She has to deal with some mean mergirls, but they don't really matter in this book. She's dealing with leaving her world and being on land as an adult who has to pick a job and grow up. Seems like everyone is disappointed in her, but she wants to be with Quince, she has made her choice. That was a great part of the book. 

Oh heeeeeey....Did you know about global warming and all the effects we humans have on ocean life because we're garbage? Mermaids are obviously better.

So, Doe has to come live on land with Lily and Rachel because of something she did DUN DUN DUH. It was mildly entertaining. However...why doesn't Rachel do ANYTHING about it? Fine. Don't expect anything great about Doe's motivations, because it's not there.

What takes off a star from me is Tellin. Alex, I'll take "Situations that could have been avoided with the barest level of communication" for 100, please.

But Tellin is an interesting character with cool colours, so we're just supposed to ignore his/the author's colossal stupidity.

The narrator of the audiobook can't do male voices still, and Quince's voice is dreadful. I'm supposed to like Quince in some way, right?

Did I write this just so I can post gifs of mermaids? Yes. Bye.

Public Enemies by Anne Aguirre

Immortal Game

Mortal Danger * Public Enemies

Published: 2015
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Author's Website
Series: Immortal Game
Goodreads

Introduction

Taking place directly after the first book, Edie has burned through all of her favours with Wedderburn and Kian has made another deal with the Harbinger to ensure Edie's safety. The action is amped up in this installment, as the unpredictable Harbinger comes into play, old allies and enemies resurface, and Edie gains new powers. She is still a pawn in the game, but she is determined to play harder and better than the rest to save Kian.

The Harbinger

The newest character is the Harbinger, old entity of mischief and chaos. You can clearly see that Aguirre is fond of this new character, and she does acknowledge this in the Author's Note. For me, he was the best part of the entire book. He is capable of kindness, but he is also self-motivated, and ultimately he is driven to cause others pain. While he protects Edie in this book, I think it's important not to think of him as part of a love triangle. I think Aguirre set up a very intriguing character, and it will be interesting how Edie interacts with him in the third book.

Edie

The main character gets herself into gear--she trains (knowing it will only give her a slight edge against gods), gets new weapons/items, and gathers allies. She demonstrates agency and is active in moving the plot forward, not just reacting to it. For a while, I feared she was going to be OP (overpowered). She almost does, but Aguirre cleverly saw this too, and used it as part of Edie's arch and the story.

Gripes

I could have done without Edie and Kian constantly bickering. There were mistakes in this book, too (one is on page 331, "Like Nicole, when she was pretending to be our teacher." No, HE was pretending, not Nicole). A pivotal death scene in the book was so very anticlimactic and the writing wasn't very clear. It reminds me of the major death scene in Sever. In regards to another character, DCS would have taken him in. It's so obvious and it isn't addressed. Finally, another character death happened too soon. There was some attachment forming between the other characters, but when said character dies, I didn't care so much. If you're going to kill off a character, more time has to be devoted to them, or it falls flat.

Final Thoughts

I enjoyed this more than the first book. The story has left behind the first book's premise of getting revenge on highschool bullies. Now, Edie is looking for loopholes to save Kian. The setting goes between the everyday mundane to creepy. If you have the first book in the collection, there's nothing stopping you from including this one.

The First Time She Drowned by Kerry Kletter

Published: 2016

Publisher: Philomel Books/Listening Library
Author's Twitter
Format: Audiobook, Unabridged
Narration by: Jorjeana Marie

Goodreads

Introduction 

Cassie has always been drowning, one way or another. When she was 15, her mother had her locked away in a psychiatric facility for youth. She was a troubled teen, but not mentally deranged. Her ineffectual father, co-dependent brother, and narcissistic mother left her there. When she turns 18, she's ready for freedom. Then her mother offers to pay for her tuition at college like nothing happened. Cassie still has all her emotional baggage, and yet her mother waltzes back in, after barely any communication after two and a half years. 

Genre

This book falls into the categories of mental health, mental illness, and realistic fiction. Cassie is labelled as crazy, sick, etc. and it is an excellent exploration of how absolutely dangerous these labels can be. Here, it becomes a weaponized tool in someone else's game. 

This is also a book that blows your heart to smithereens. I don't know how to define that as a genre, but it's there.    

Essay/Discussion Ideas

Toxic motherhood, toxic families, toxic fatherhood, a son being a white knight, and mental illness. I can't think of any other book quite like it. The internet has an abundance of lists for YA mental illness in general, where the MC has a mental illness to some degree. The only book I can think of that has parents a significant mental health issue is The Ravenous. If anyone can think of any, please leave a comment! I know there must be more out there. 

Final Thoughts 

Some parts were genuinely difficult to listen to. There are the obvious assault portions, but even just listening to everything Cassie has gone through and her reactions were challenging. Yet, it was cathartic to get through it. I wanted to defend her, even when her reactions weren't justified. It was an interesting experience. I highly recommend this to teens and adults looking for heart-rendering stories of mental illness, mother/daughter relationships, and dysfunctional families. It does have some heavier subject matter (sexual assault, emotional abuse, physical abuse, co-dependence). I listened to the audiobook and Jorjeana Marie was fantastic.

Medicine River by Thomas King

Published: 1990
Publisher: Penguin Canada

Introduction

Will has not been back to Medicine River, Alberta, in years, and he only returns for his mother's funeral. He meets Harlen, a man who is nosey and annoying at times, but ultimately well-meaning. The book details the other inhabitants of Medicine River. As a single, 40-year-old man, Harlen attempts to get Will into relationships, sports, and business. Will himself is half Indigenous and Medicine River is bordering on a Blackfoot reserve, so there are some tensions in the community. This book about identity, culture, and self-discovery. 

I decided to do a short review here because in my AP literature class in high school, another student was assigned this book. Plus, I believe it was included in one of my university classes. 

Genre, Pace, & Plot

Goodreads has this listed as Fiction and Cultural > Canada. I'd call it literary fiction. It has literary merit and subtle complexities regarding social issues that deserve insight and further thought. The pace is fairly slow, with the stories revolving around Medicine River and Will. While the stories can be intriguing in a slow-burning and quiet way, they are realistic and quite frankly, boring. A lot of criticism I see online for this is that it is boring, which I do not refute. However, welcome to real life. There are no big explosions, rarely do people get "hero" moments in their lives. Life is usually a string of mundane experiences with occasional knots of mild interest.  

The major problem I have with the plot is with regards to Will's overall arch. He is insecure, passive, and simply floats in life. The thing is, this doesn't change! By the end of the book, he doesn't learn, despite Harlen's attempts to make him DO something. The book ended and I turned the page, expecting there to be more. No, there isn't. It's like King just stopped writing. Did he forget to write the end? Is my copy missing pages?    

Essay/Discussion Topics

Families, identity, location and identity, First Nations/Indigenous/Aboriginal Peoples in literature, Canadian literature, fatherhood. I enjoyed how Will interacted with South Wing, given his own history with his father.

Final Thoughts

For a personal read, it was an okay book. I hate that the reader is left with Will being exactly the same, unchanged, learning nothing. There area few spelling errors in my edition which bothered me (this was published by Penguin!). For an academic read, it does give an interesting dynamic to dissect. It was a quick, easy read. This book is similar to Stone Angel, as it is set in the present day and there are flashbacks to the past (I know this sometimes bothers readers). If you need to read Canadian fiction for a class, this is a good pick.  

Also, question, if this book is set in Canada, why does it use miles rather than kilometres?

Video - Lindsay Ellis - The Evolution of YA: Young Adult Fiction, Explained

Just a quick post about a great video from Lindsay Ellis, made for PBS Digital Studios. Ever wonder how young adult literature came about?

The Evolution of YA: Young Adult Fiction, Explained (Feat. Lindsay Ellis) | It's Lit!

Shout out to those fabulous librarians!