The Princess and the Bear

by Mette Ivie Harrison


The Princess and the Bear is a sequel to The Princess and the Hound, which I read a few months ago. I have to say that this book, in addition to having a story line that definitely stands on its own, was a much better read.

I had a hard time getting into this one. I think my brain kept telling me that the whole story would be what it started out as: a bear and a hound in the middle of the forest. However, the story eventually evolved into something quite different. I really enjoyed the love story because it wasn't your run of the mill, juvenile fiction romance with barely any development and way too much focus on outward appearance. The love that grows between the bear and the hound has a lot of substance and you see it grow into something very deep and true. There was also some action in this book that was entertaining. It was a little anti-climatic when the hound/Chala faced the villainous Cat-man. I think Harrison did an excellent job writing this book, her characters became quite dimensional and the plot was more enjoyable than that of its predecessor.

I would read this book again. Great sequel that doesn't depend on the preceding book. Clean, quick and enjoyable.

Aurelia

by Anne Osterlund

Mystery, Danger, Romance. This book had the potential to be really good, but, alas, it was a pretty big waste of my time.

Aurelia was not well written, the charaters were flat and the plot was dull. The romance was not developed and I didn't really relate to or even like the heroine, Aurelia. There was also a lack of that essential ingredient, that pivotal moment and the change that each character must face. Her family, the villains of the story (sorry to spoil it, but you really don't want to read this book anyway) start and end as selfish, spoiled and mean hearted. The discovery that Aurelia's half-sister is trying to kill her incites no more than an eye twitch in her father and Aurelia never even confronts her. There is no punishment for the antagonists and no real reward for the protagonists. It was a very tedius read for the YF section.

I suppose this could be categorized as a wholesome story, but boring and really a waste of valuable reading time.

Marked

by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast

Marked is book one in the House of Night series. The story is actually a very original take on vampires and I am hoping the authors will go deeper into the origin of a world in which vampires are part of the community.

The authors have a great idea, but the execution is poor. It is hard to tell if they are poor writers or just trying a little too hard to get into the psyche of teenagers. They did an excellent job in giving a myriad of characters distinct voices and personalities. The main protagonist, however, seems devoid of any flaws which, especially in a sixteen-year-old, is a little hard to swallow. She has this great destiny all mapped out for her, but she only really had to struggle for a few days until this was manifest to everyone. It seems like she doesn't really have anything left to prove and I am hoping that the following installments give her a few more obstacles. There are definitely romances and other relationships that have potential and I am glad that they didn't rush the development of those.

I enjoyed reading this book and I am hoping the next books add to that enjoyment. There is some language in this book as well as a few graphic allusions to sexuality (definitely unnecessary.)