Two Mid-Point Book Reviews

I blogged over at the Oasis today about how I feel like I've got too many irons in the fire right now.  Part of the problem is that I feel pressure to read two books that I had the good fortune to receive (for FREE) from the publishers via Netgalley.com.

My goal was to read Draw the Dark by Halloween.  And then I wanted to read Tyger, Tyger by its release day last week.  Both self-imposed due dates have come and gone & I truly feel awful about it.  So, to free myself of the pressure of reading these books just so I can post a review -- I'm posting a mid-point review.

First - Draw the Dark by Ilsa J. Bick

     Seventeen-year-old Christian is a loner at school--which is what tends to happen when you live in a small town with a hidden history, your parents have disappeared, you hear voices in your head from "the sideways place," and you can draw people to death. Sometimes Christian's drawings are taken over by the thoughts of those around him, and when he draws their deepest fears, they die. But now something new is happening: Christian is falling into the life of an eight-year-old boy who lived during the 1940s when Winter, Wis., was home to German WWII prisoners who performed labor in town. The boy witnessed an atrocious crime, and Christian gets caught up in the mystery he uncovers. Though the story is at times hard to follow, as Christian moves in and out of his life and tries to understand his connection to the mysterious "sideways place" that plays a pivotal role in the story's climax, Bick builds the gripping supernatural/historical mystery to a satisfying conclusion that demonstrates the evils of the present can be just as terrifying as those of the past. Ages 12-18. (Oct.) --Publishers Weekly, October 4, 2010

Let me just say that I am loving Christian's voice.  He feel like an authentic teenage boy narrator.  The story is fast-paced, interesting and believable despite the impossibility of the situation.  It's got this overall creepy feel where you know Christian hasn't really done anything wrong, but he's going to keep getting blamed until some really horrible truth comes to light.  If it weren't for the fact that I can only get this book on my desktop computer, I surely would've finished it by now.  Despite not getting to the ending, I'm going to go ahead and recommend this book!

Next - Tyger, Tyger by Kersten Hamilton

     Teagan Wylltson's best friend, Abby, dreams that horrifying creatures--goblins, shape-shifters, and beings of unearthly beauty but terrible cruelty--are hunting Teagan. Abby is always coming up with crazy stuff, though, so Teagan isn't worried. Her life isn't in danger. In fact, it's perfect. She's on track for a college scholarship. She has a great job. She's focused on school, work, and her future. No boys, no heartaches, no problems.     Until Finn Mac Cumhaill arrives. Finn's a bit on the unearthly beautiful side himself. He has a killer accent and a knee-weakening smile. And either he's crazy or he's been haunting Abby's dreams, because he's talking about goblins, too . . . and about being The Mac Cumhaill, born to fight all goblin-kind. Finn knows a thing or two about fighting. Which is a very good thing, because this time, Abby's right. The goblins are coming.

The story is very well-written and the pacing is good. I've got this one on my Kindle, which works in its favor.  But the story has sort of lost me for two reasons that have nothing to do with the author and everything to do with my own personal tastes.  First, the story starts off with Tea working with (and loving) chimps.  Call me crazy, but I don't like monkeys.  At all.  So I was put off immediately despite great writing.  Second, Irish folklore isn't necessarily my cup of tea.  Not that I couldn't handle it in small doses, but this book is heavy on the legends.  Irish-lovers will surely delight in this book, which is a classic paranormal romance, complete with a cocky hot guy and lots of things that go bump in the night.