The Orphan of Torundi Book Review

The Orphan of Torundi 

J.L McCreedy

Rating (out of 5): 5
Genre: Young Adult Romance/Adventure
Release Date: November 28, 2014
Series:n/a
Series Number:n/a
Profanity: mild
Violence: mild
Sexual Content: none
Age Recommendation: 14+
Author Website: www.TongaTime.com





Summary:

To find the truth, she must first uncover the lie ….

Orphaned as an infant, Sam is raised by a pharmaceutical research mission in the rain forests of Torundi. She wields a mean machete, makes soap from candlenuts and is a fairly astute amateur entomologist. You know, the normal stuff. But a month before her seventeenth birthday, she is exiled to an American boarding school in Malaysia.

Armed with little more than her unusual upbringing and church-lady clothes, Sam must contend with her new existence as the world's most socially unprepared high school senior. Well that’s just fine. Because she is determined to solve the mystery behind her banishment and return home tout de suite.

But when she discovers the unthinkable – that her banishment is tied to an enigmatic corporation with illicit designs on Torundi – she realizes the real mystery she must uncover is ... why? Soon, Sam is caught in a whirlwind of intrigue, danger and greed. As she chases this thread of truth to its end, she unravels a plot that threatens her beloved Torundi, her trust in the boy she has grown to love and her own existence.

Blending espionage elements akin to The Bourne Identity with those high-school-awkward-moments (hey, it could happen), THE ORPHAN OF TORUNDI is a quirky, cross-cultural tale of adventure, suspense and romance.

Review:

The Orphan of Torundi is the second book I've read by J.L. McCreedy and I loved it just as much as I loved her first book, Liberty Frey and the Witches of Hessen. As with Liberty I wasn't sure how to feel about this book when I first started reading it. I shouldn't have worried because it turned out to be so much more than I expected. It is not only an adventure but it's also a journey into growing up and learning just what it takes to find one's place in the world.

Samuel (Sam) Clemens thought she had it all,  orphaned and raised on the island of Torundi and had spent most of her life helping at the Mission where she was raised. She is shocked when suddenly she is sent away from the island to a boarding school. Angry, hurt, and confused Sam struggles to make sense of everything. Her search for the truth leads her into more than she ever imagined including: exotic locales, espionage, romance, and adventure all combining to make this story unforgettable.

There is so much I want to say about this book. I loved the characters, especially Sam with her quirky humor and tenacity to find out the truth. I loved the locations and the beautiful imagery that pulled me into them creating a wonderful cross cultural experience. I loved the adventure and the mystery. The story was one that kept me turning the pages weather Sam was running down a clue or paddling downriver with her classmates.

J.L. McCreedy did a great job balancing espionage and everyday life. It's not something that I'd normally look for in a book and I'm excited to have found it here. I also enjoyed reading Sam's reflections on how life can just move on around you. Her comments on how jarring it is to be thrust from one place to another really hit home and I found myself nodding in agreement with much that she said.

I had no problem getting into this book and once I started I had a hard time putting it down. Anyone who enjoys mystery, romance, espionage, cross cultural experiences, and adventure would love this book. The Orphan of Torundi will make you laugh and cry and leave you breathless at the end wishing for more.

Note: I received an electronic copy of this book from the author in exchange for my fair and honest review which I have stated above.

~Dawn

You can find my review for J.L. McCreedy's other book Liberty Frey and the Witches of Hessen here.

The Job Book Review

The Job

Janet Evanovich

Lee Goldberg 

Rating (out of 5):5

Genre: General Fiction/Heist Fiction

Release Date: November 18, 2014

Series: Fox and O'Hare

Series Number: 3

Profanity: mild

Violence: mild

Sexual Content: mild  

Age Recommendation: 17+

Author Website: http://www.evanovich.com/ and http://www.leegoldberg.com/




Summary:

He’s a charming con man and she’s a dedicated FBI agent, and they’re about to drive each other crazy . . . again! 
 The FBI had one demand when they secretly teamed up Special Agent Kate O’Hare with charming con man Nicolas Fox—bring down the world’s most-wanted and untouchable felons. This time it’s the brutal leader of a global drug-smuggling empire.  The FBI doesn’t know what their target looks like, where he is, or how to find him, but Nick Fox has a few tricks up his sleeve to roust this particular Knipschildt chocolate–loving drug lord. From the streets of Nashville to the back alleys of Lisbon, from the rooftops of Istanbul to the middle of the Thames, Nick and Kate chase their mark. When they find themselves pitted against a psychopathic bodyguard and a Portuguese enforcer who gets advice from a pickled head, they decide it’s time to enlist some special talent—talent like a machete-wielding Somali pirate, a self-absorbed actor, an Oscar-winning special effects artist, and Kate’s father Jake, a retired Special Forces operative. Together they could help make this Fox and O’Hare’s biggest win yet . . . if they survive.


Review:

The Job shows readers once again that Janet Evanovich and Lee Goldberg still have it. Readers are swept up in not only an adventure across the globe but also in the increasingly interesting relationship between Nick and Kate. The stakes are big, the danger is high, and as always the laughs abound in this latest installment of the Fox and O'Hare series. 

This time the story starts out in the middle of a bust interrupted by a call from Nick to Kate, "I didn't do it." With that the pair sets off on an adventure across the globe after a brutal drug lord. As always Nick and Kate are great together, working well with each others strengths and weaknesses. In this book Kate has really began to gain some confidence in working with Nick and pulling off heists. I felt like this story was more about her than anyone with Nick taking a little bit of a backseat through the story. 

That's not to say Nick wasn't terrific, he was. He showed a slightly different side of himself in this story after running into an old friend and then again when he and Kate were split up in an unavoidable situation. I really would have liked to have seen a little more of this side of Nick in this book, but I'm sure as the series progresses we'll get to see more of it.

The story and heist were delightful and I was never short of laughs while reading. I found it a little grittier than the previous books in this series which threw me a few times but didn't ruin my overall enjoyment of the book. Instead of the somewhat rocky pace of the last book we are treated to wonderful pacing in the Job, with excitement and mystery from start to finish. The heist was pulled off brilliantly and I enjoyed getting to see further into the point of view of the mark in this book. 

I was pleased to see some old favorite characters return in The Job. Growing steadily as one of my favorite characters is Kate's father, Jake. I really enjoyed seeing him interact with Nick. Their relationship should a rocky one, but the two get along remarkably well, and even take time to pick on Kate a little bit. Boyd and Willy return along with Tom Underhill. As with the other books we're introduced to a few new colorful characters and they all get their chance to really shine in this book. 

The Job is a wonderful read from start to finish, returning to the excitement and laughs that hooked so many readers in the first book. I am convinced that this series will  only get better and better in the capable hands of Evanovich and Goldberg. The Job is a book not to miss.

Note: I received an electronic copy of this book from Negalley for my fair and honest review which I have stated above. 

~Dawn

You can find my reviews for the other books in this series here:

The Shell Game
The Heist
The Chase

Dreaming of Mr. Darcy Book Review

Dreaming of Mr. Darcy
Victoria Connelly

Rating (out of 5): 3.5

Genre: Romance

Release Date: January 1, 2012

Series: Austen Addicts

Series Number:2

Profanity: mild

Violence: none

Sexual Content: Very Mild  

Age Recommendation: 16+

Author Website: http://victoriaconnelly.com/





Summary:

Fledging illustrator and Darcy fanatic Kay Ashton settles in the seaside town of Lyme to finish her book, The Illustrated Darcy, when a film company arrives to make a new adaptation of Jane Austen's Persuasion. Kay is soon falling for the handsome bad boy actor playing Captain Wentworth, but it's the quiet screenwriter Adam Craig who has more in common with her beloved Mr. Darcy. Though still healing from a broken heart, Adam finds himself unexpectedly in love with Kay. But it will take more than good intentions to convince her that her real happy ending is with him.


Review:

 Dreaming of Mr. Darcy is a sweet story set in the beautiful backdrop of Jane Austin's Lyme. It focuses on Kay and Adam  but also delves into the lives of the other characters, mainly Gemma and her love interest. I enjoyed reading this book and liked it's sweetness.

I loved the idea of a film being shot in Lyme, it made way for lots of good story to happen. And the fact that the writer, Adam was from the area helped as well because readers were introduced to his wonderful Gran. The setting, and how it affected the characters was one of my favorite parts about the book. I also loved Kay's bed and breakfast. I've always liked the idea of them and it was a great part of the story. The romance however felt a little strained. It felt like Victoria Connelly was trying to do too much with each character romantically and the only place she really hit the mark for me was with Oli's romantic line. It felt like the other two romantic focuses, Kay and Gemma took too long to develop and ended up being love at first sight leaving me shocked out of the story. 

I liked the entire cast of characters and really found myself drawn to Gemma and Adam. Their shy personalities resonate with the way I often feel and I liked seeing them change through the book. Oli was another character that caught my interest with his carefree attitude that hid more than he was willing to say. I really liked Kay in the stories opening, she made for an interesting character but after she moved and fell head over heels for Oli she began to loose her charm. It almost felt like the author wrote two different characters with the same name, the Kay from before Oli shows up and the Kay after he does. All her spunk and spontaneity fell away to be replaced by a pile of romantic mush. 

 Overall I give Dreaming of Mr. Darcy a 3.5 rating, it was sweet but that's about all it was. I recommend it as a good beach read or something to take with you on a long flight. Anyone who wants a snugly romance should take a look at this book. 

~Dawn  

The Book of Ivy Announcment and Giveaway!

The Book of Ivy by Amy Engel 

Releasing November 11, 2014

This post is to make you all aware of a really interesting book that will be coming out in November of this year (yep just a few weeks away guys). It's called The Book of Ivy by Amy Engel and I can't tell you how excited I am for this book to come out.

I've had my eye on it a while and am planning on putting up a review as soon as I get my hands on a copy, but until then I wanted to make sure as many people knew about it as possible before it comes out. So without further ado here is all the information you need to know about The Book of Ivy, and if you haven't already scroll back up and watch the awesome book trailer.



Book synopsis:


After a brutal nuclear war, the United States was left decimated. A small group of survivors eventually banded together, but only after more conflict over which family would govern the new nation. The Westfalls lost. Fifty years later, peace and control are maintained by marrying the daughters of the losing side to the sons of the winning group in a yearly ritual.


This year, it is my turn.


My name is Ivy Westfall, and my mission is simple: to kill the president’s son—my soon-to-be husband—and return the Westfall family to power.


But Bishop Lattimer is either a very skilled actor or he’s not the cruel, heartless boy my family warned me to expect. He might even be the one person in this world who truly understands me. But there is no escape from my fate. I am the only one who can restore the Westfall legacy.


Because Bishop must die. And I must be the one to kill him…


You can purchase a copy of the book here:

• Amazon: http://amzn.to/1mj5PXZ
• B&N: http://bit.ly/BoIBN
•  iTunes: http://bit.ly/BoIiTunes
• Kobo: http://bit.ly/BoIKobo 

And read some great reviews here:

Goodreads link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20640755-the-book-of-ivy?ac=1


About Amy Engel:


Amy Engel was born in Kansas and after a childhood spent bouncing between countries (Iran, Taiwan) and states (Kansas, California, Missouri, Washington, D.C.), she settled in Kansas City, Missouri where she lives with her husband and two kids. Before devoting herself full time to motherhood and writing, she was a criminal defense attorney, which is not quite as exciting as it looks on TV. When she has a free moment, she can usually be found reading, running, or shoe shopping.


Find Amy online:

• Website: http://amyengel.net 
• Twitter: http://twitter.com/aengelwrites

And that's all! I hope by now you guys are as excited for this book as I am! It comes out on November 11, but if you want a free copy before then follow this link to enter to win a free copy of the book:

   

    Goodreads Book Giveaway  

           

     

          The Book of Ivy      

          by Amy Engel      

         
            Giveaway ends November 04, 2014.          
         
            See the giveaway details             at Goodreads.          
     

Enter to win

~Dawn

Suspicion Book Review

Suspicion

Alexandra Monir

Rating (out of 5): 4.5

Genre: Young Adult Romance/Mystery

Release Date: December 9, 2014

Series: n/a

Profanity: Mild

Violence: None

Sexual Content: None 

Age Recommendation: 14 +

Author Website: http://www.alexandramonir.com/




Summary:

“There’s something hidden in the maze.”

Seventeen-year-old Imogen Rockford has never forgotten the last words her father said to her, before the blazing fire that consumed him, her mother, and the gardens of her family’s English country manor.

For seven years, images of her parents’ death have haunted Imogen’s dreams. In an effort to escape the past, she leaves Rockford Manor and moves to New York City with her new guardians. But some attachments prove impossible to shake—including her love for her handsome neighbor Sebastian Stanhope.

Then a life-altering letter arrives that forces Imogen to return to the manor in England, where she quickly learns that dark secrets lurk behind Rockford’s aristocratic exterior. At their center is Imogen herself—and Sebastian, the boy she never stopped loving.

Combining spine-tingling mystery, romance, and unforgettable characters, Suspicion is an action-packed thrill ride.

Review:

Just the title, Suspicion makes you begin to wonder about this book. It manages to mix mystery, romance, and magic into a delightful, fascinating, and sometimes chilling young adult novel. I found myself drawn into the mystery of this book from the first page, and subsequent pages only served in increase my interest until I found myself at the end of the book delighted with what I had just read.

Imogen Rockford is the heir to something almost every young girl dreams of at some point, a dukedom, or in Imogen's case the title of Duchess. But with that appointment everything changes for Imogen, she's suddenly the only one left of her family facing not only the responsibility of being a duchess, but she's also thrown headlong into a mystery who's truth can only be reviled as she delves deeper into her families history.

As I read this book I found myself distrusting almost every character. I, like Imogen, wasn't sure who could be trusted and who was hiding something deeper. Alexandra Monir does a great job of building suspense through the story, filling the pages with ghostly apparitions and more questions than answers. I really felt like I was taking this journey with Imogen as she struggled to find her way to the bottom of things.

The mystery was probably my favorite part about this book, who was Imogen's late relative Lady Beatrice? What really happened to Lucia? What was with Sebastian and what did all of this have to do with Imogen's strange powers? I found myself questioning everything, eagerly reading through the book in order to find out the truth behind it all.

As things began to play out in the book I was shocked and surprised often to my delight. Characters that I had pegged as obviously untrustworthy were suddenly thrust into new light and secrets that I hadn't even begun to think of were reveled. The story reached a feverish pace when we returned to where the story had stopped at the beginning (due to a flashback) and I couldn't stop myself from reading to the end.

While I was pleased with how things turned out I was also a little disappointed, by the end of the book my questions had been answered, I was just left feeling a little flat. I had really been hoping that the truth behind Imogen's ancestor along with Imogen's powers herself would have been given more focus than it received. I was very intrigued by it all, and it seemed to be an important part of the overall story that I had been expecting there to be a bigger picture with it.

The only other thing that really bothered me about this book was the overwhelming amounts of description that were done. It felt like everything that could be described was described. I can understand the desire to paint elaborate pictures of beautiful English manors and gardens but there comes a point when the reader doesn't want to read anymore description and just wants to move on to the story. I came to this point numerous times while reading this book. This is not to say that I didn't like some of the descriptions, they just felt overwhelming. Nothing throws me out of a book like too much description, it makes me stop and have to re-adjust my mind's eye to fit the exact image that I have been given instead of allowing me to fill in the blanks where the author has generously left them.

Overall this book was a wonderful read and I'd love to see a sequel, the book wrapped up cleanly enough but I'd still like to see more. Imogen was an interesting character and I can see a lot more being done with her and her friends and family. I'd recommend this book to anyone who likes a good mystery, romance, or even a story with a little magic to it.

Note: I received an electronic copy of this book from Netgalley for my fair and honest review which I have stated above.

~Dawn 

Princess of the Silver Woods Book Review

Princess of the Silver Woods

Jessica Day George 

Rating (out of 5): 5

Genre: Fantasy 

Release Date: December 11, 2012

Series: Twelve Dancing Princesses 

Series Volume: 3

Profanity: Very Mild (if any)

Violence: Mild

Sexual Content: None 

Age Recommendation: 12 +

Author Website: http://www.jessicadaygeorge.com/

Summary (found on Author's website):

Princess Petunia has been kidnapped! Except...it was really more like an accident. Oliver, the leader of a band of thieves known as the Wolves of the Westfalin Woods, didn't mean to do it. And now he must make things right. He will confess to the king and deliver the princess to the grand duchess's estate.

But Petunia's safety is far from secured. As children, she and her eleven sisters had been cursed to dance endlessly at the midnight ball of the fearsome King Under Stone. Troubling dreams of the ball are once again haunting Petunia, and she can't be sure they are mere nightmares. When she and her sisters fall into a carefully laid trap, who but a handsome woodsman can save the day?

Jessica Day George's romantic and adventurous new tale is part Little Red Riding Hood, part Twelve Dancing Princesses, and wholly enchanting.

Review:

Princess of the Silver Woods is the third installment of Jessica Day George’s fantastic Princess of the Midnight Ball series. This book focuses on the youngest of the 12 sisters, Petunia. When she first appeared in Princesses of the Midnight Ball she was very young so I was excited to see how she’d progressed. We also get to see more of her other sisters and get a glimpse into their lives and what’s been going on since the events of the previous two books. 

Petunia has grown up to be quite loveable. She is dead set on making it on her own and can be deadly with her pistol when needed, but she’s not quite as tough as Poppy. When the story starts she is on her way to meet old friends.  Her plans run awry when her carriage is attacked by a pack of wolves, or rather a pack of thieves calling themselves the Westfalin wolves. Things are further thrown into disarray when she finds out the reason they are robbing carriages and meets their handsome leader, Oliver. Her spunk seems to fade a little bit as the book progresses, but she never loses her charm. 

Oliver as a character is your pretty basic ‘prince’ and while others may see him as bland I thought he was perfect for Petunia. This story was more about action and unraveling the mystery behind the Palace Under Stone and I thought Oliver fell into place very well with how late he’d been pulled into the girl’s predicament.

As with the other two books in this series Jessica Day George paints a beautiful story filled with romance, adventure, mystery, and suspense.

Princess of the Silver Woods is a perfect finish to this series. In this book we finally get to find out more about the origins of the King Under Stone and his sons as well as unravel more of the mystery behind the curse the sisters have been fighting against since the first book. I was very excited to see the big reveal and it wasn’t anywhere near a disappointment.  

Princess of the Silver Woods was a great wrap up for this whole series. I really enjoyed seeing all of the princesses back, and loved getting to know Petunia more. I’d recommend this series to any fan of Fairy tale retellings or just good princess stories.

 

~Dawn

Storm Siren Review

Storm Siren

Mary Weber

Rating (out of 5): 5

Genre:Young Adult

Release Date: August 19, 2014

Series: Storm Siren

Series Volume: 1

Profanity: none

Violence: None

Sexual Content: None

Age Recommendation: 12+

Author Website: http://mchristineweber.com/


 
Summary:

"I raise my chin as the buyers stare. Yes. Look. You don't want me. Because, eventually, accidentally, I will destroy you."

In a world at war, a slave girl's lethal curse could become one kingdom's weapon of salvation. If the curse - and the girl - can be controlled.

As a slave in the war-weary kingdom of Faelen, seventeen-year-old Nym isn't merely devoid of rights, her Elemental kind are only born male and always killed at birth - meaning, she shouldn't even exist.

Standing on the auction block beneath smoke-drenched mountains, Nym faces her fifteenth sell. But when her hood is removed and her storm-summoning killing curse revealed, Nym is snatched up by a court advisor and given a choice: be trained as the weapon Faelen needs to win the war, or be killed.

Choosing the former, Nym is unleashed into a world of politics, bizarre parties, and rumors of an evil more sinister than she's being prepared to fight . . . not to mention the handsome trainer whose dark secrets lie behind a mysterious ability to calm every lightning strike she summons.

But what if she doesn't want to be the weapon they've all been waiting for?

Set in a beautifully eclectic world of suspicion, super abilities, and monsters, Storm Siren is a story of power. And whoever controls that power will win.

Review:

Storm Siren is a beautifully written tale of redemption and love set in a kingdom in the midst of intrigue and war. This story gripped me from the beginning and propelled me with increasing force through the book. Nym's story was one of layers, and each new facet drove me to the next page and I couldn't wait to see how it all worked out.

The writing in this book is simply beautiful. Mary Weber does an excellent job of pulling readers into her world and keeping them there. The imagery is stunning and paints a picture that is clear enough for me to almost see what she's talking about. The pacing was excellent, even when the story should have felt slow it didn't and the action scenes flowed with precision. 

The plot was very well done as well. There were moment's where it could have fallen into a cliche but it always had a flair of originality and creativity to it. The secrets and big reveals were all done in a great way as well, I was shocked more than once through the book and I was very pleased when things turned out differently than I'd expected them to. I was also happy that when it came down to the fighting the skills Nym learned during training actually had value and were used. The romance aspect of this book was very well done as well. It was a gradual falling in love instead of a love at first sight scenario. Too often romance is rushed in books and I am grateful that Mary Weber took her time in this book.

The cast of characters in this book was amazing. There were no cookie cutter shortcuts taken with them. Each of the main characters were fully developed and even the villains shone when their time came. Nym was far from a mary sue with her strong personality and various faults. The rest of the cast is amazing as well. Colin with his joviality and Breck's no-nonsense attitude make them a great pair. Adora, as a court adviser and aristocrat has a very interesting personality. Eogen was by far my favorite character, his personality and history as well as the way he deals with Nym all drew me to him as a character.

What I loved most about this book was the themes woven throughout it. It could have easily been one of a hundred books with a slave society and simply talked about freedom and deliverance. But Storm Siren covered so much more than that. Mary Weber took us into the tormented mind of Nym and really dealt with issues like self-harm, self-perception, redemption, and yes freedom and deliverance. What really shone out to me however was the fact that she did it in such a natural way, the issues and solutions never felt forced or preachy. It was wonderful. 

Needless to say I loved every second of Storm Siren. This book was a delight from start to finish and I cannot wait until the next one comes out. I'd recommend this book to teens 12 and older. The story is wonderful and engaging, and the fact that it deals with serious issues that many girls (and even guys) face makes me want to recommend it to any and all teens. I think young girls especially would really be able to take something out of this book, while at the same time enjoying a fantastic fantasy. 

Mary Weber has a great talent and I can't wait to see more from her in the future.

 Note: I received an electronic copy of this book from Netgalley for my fair and honest opinion as I have stated above.

~Dawn 

Playing With Matches Review

Playing With Matches

Suri Rosen

Rating (out of 5):5

Genre: Young Adult Romance

Release Date: September 9, 2014

Series: None

Series Volume:N/A

Profanity: None

Violence: None

Sexual Content: None

Age Recommendation:14+

Author Website: N/A






Summary:


When 16-year-old Raina Resnick is expelled from her Manhattan private school, she’s sent to live with her strict aunt — but Raina feels like she’s persona non grata no matter where she goes. Her sister, Leah, blames her for her broken engagement, and she’s a social pariah at her new school. In the tight-knit Jewish community, Raina finds she is good at one thing: matchmaking! As the anonymous “MatchMaven,” Raina sets up hopeless singles desperate to find the One. A cross between Jane Austen’s Emma, Dear Abby, and Yenta the matchmaker, Raina’s double life soon has her barely staying awake in class. Can she find the perfect match for her sister and get back on her good side, or will her tanking grades mean a second expulsion? In her debut novel, Suri Rosen creates a comic and heartwarming story of one girl trying to find happiness for others, and redemption for herself.

Review:

Playing with Matches is the story of Raina Resnick- matchmaker extraordinaire. After Raina is expelled from school in New York she is sent to Toronto to live with her Aunt. Instead of getting a new start nothing seems to go right for Raina, she's having trouble at school, she can't seem to make friends, and worst of all her best friend- and sister- blames her for ruining her engagement. Things finally start to look up when she manages to hook up her friend from the bus rout and the match turns out to be a hit. Raina is then swept into the world of matchmaking, finding out that she's actually pretty good at it.

I loved this book, from the beginning I was hooked by Raina's strong voice and the mystery of what happened to send her all the way from New York to Toronto. The story was light and fluffy mixed with bittersweet love lost and love found. Peppered through the book were hilarious scenes that had me rolling with laughter. Suri Rosen did an excellent job of balancing the tone between serious and fluffy.

Playing with Matches could have easily been a simple love story, but instead it covered a wide range of emotions and issues that young people face. I loved the way Suri Rosen covered issues like popularity in school, moving, sisterhood, and romance.

Raina isn't the only strong voice in this book. Throughout the book a large cast of colorful characters are introduced, some for a short while and others showed up constantly but each left an impression. I really liked the surprises of who many of the singles corresponding with Raina turned out to be. The book's conclusion was great, tying up the last of the questions I had and leaving me very satisfied.

Suri Rosen's Playing with Matches was a wonderful tale that will resonate well with teens and young women alike. I'd recommend it to anyone in need of a light story or a good light romantic read. 

Note: I received an electronic copy of this book from Netgalley for my fair and honest opinion as I have stated above.

~Dawn

Manga Classics: Pride and Prejudice Review

Pride and Prejudice

Jane Austen Adapted by Stacy King

Rating (out of 5): 5

Genre: Manga/Romance

Release Date: August 11, 2014

Series: None

Series Volume:N/A

Profanity: none

Violence: None

Sexual Content:Very Mild

Age Recommendation: 14+

Author Website: http://www.udonentertainment.com/blog/tag/manga-classics/

Summary:


Beloved by millions the world over, Pride & Prejudice is delightfully transformed in this bold new manga adaptation. All of the joy, heartache, and romance of Jane Austen’s original, perfectly illuminated by the sumptuous art of manga-ka Po Tse, and faithfully adapted by Stacy E. King.


Review:

I was so excited to get to read this manga adaptation of one of my favorite books, Pride and Prejudice. This adaptation turned out to be very well done. I loved the art and really enjoyed the way the story was told. As with all adaptations the entire story didn't make it in, but all of the important parts did and there were very few things changed from the original story. 

Stacy King did a great job of keeping true to what Jane Austin wanted to say in Pride and Prejudice. The entire feel of the manga version was much the same as the feel of the book and I really appreciated that. I hate it when a great book is adapted and the main theme is left out to focus on humor or something of the sort. So I was very pleased to find the same themes from Pride and Prejudice woven into this adaptation. 

I was a little disappointed not to see a few of my favorite scenes from the book but overall Stacy King did a good job of hitting on the one's that did make it in. The art was amazing, though there were a few times that character's expressions were a little over the top. I felt like I'd stepped into a comical horror story when two characters (mostly Elizabeth and Darcy) would run into each other and look shocked. Although this could just be my perception from reading it on a smaller screen. Those few moments may flow better on a physical page rather than on a tiny i-phone screen. 

Overall I was very pleased with this adaptation and would recommend it to any Jane Austin fan or anyone interested in seeing what Pride and Prejudice is all about.

Note: I received an electronic copy of this book from Netgalley for my fair and honest opinion as I have stated above. 

~Dawn