H B I C R E V I E W - by Parajunkee
Wondrous Strange
by Lesley Livingston Paid for by me, and downloaded to my Kindle
Author's Website
PJV's Quickie POV: Parajunkee seems to be stuck in faerie land a lot lately. Faerie themed YA, all the rage, speak to our inner child that still secretly believes in faeries. Luckily the faeries that I believed in as a wee babe weren't the scheming, sociopath faeries that Ms. Livingston brought to life in Wondrous Strange. Ms. Livingston's tale of the faerie Otherworld and the group of changelings that guard the human population from being over run by faerie monsters is fast paced and a little sweet. Her tale brings alive a world that you can almost believe is true. She meshes "real" faerie tales within her fiction, bringing forth characters such as Puck and Herne the Hunter, giving them personalities and back-stories that justify their legendary stories. Wondrous Strange was a fantastical, modern story of love, deception and triumph, I was thoroughly entertained and engrossed. Can't wait to read Darklight.
Review: Kelley Winslow, aspiring actress, has landed her dream job. Luckily for her the actress that was playing the lead of Titania the Fairy Queen in Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream twisted her ankle, and now Kelley has the lead. Unfortunately, she can't seem to remember her lines. Which is how she ends up in Central Park after dark, meets a handsome, yet kind of deranged stranger, and rescues a drowning horse that later follows her home and takes up residence in her bathtub.
Talk about our weirdness. But things don't get better, they just seem to get weirder and weirder. Handsome Stranger, turns into crazy stalker. Her fellow actor Bob, who is playing Puck starts making cryptic statements, her usually militant roommate is actually infatuated with the horse in the tub, even after it eats her very expensive soap. Oh yeah, and she might have glowed a bit at some point.
The stories underlying plot might not be an original one, there is a girl, who might be a bit supernatural. Girl meets boy, who may or may not also be a bit supernatural. Boy instructs girl on her supernatural roots and they just may move to happily ever after, just if they can over-come an evil plot that is directed at the girl. Yes, we've read this story in numerous ways, with numerous kinds of supernaturals, but as normal as the storyline is, Livingston takes the story to new heights with excellent characters, a wonderful back-drop and new spins on the tried and true paranormal YA plots.
Entertaining, well written and engaging, Wondrous Strange had me cringing in some scenes, sniffling in others and basically wanting more when it was over. Can't wait to read Darklight.
Recommendations: Lovers of faeries, the supernatural and young adult novels you'll really enjoy this novel. There is nothing vulgar or sexual in the pages, so parents have no fear. The story can be a bit trite in some instants, but it still has a maturity that adults will enjoy. BWB rating 3/4.
Review: Kelley Winslow, aspiring actress, has landed her dream job. Luckily for her the actress that was playing the lead of Titania the Fairy Queen in Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream twisted her ankle, and now Kelley has the lead. Unfortunately, she can't seem to remember her lines. Which is how she ends up in Central Park after dark, meets a handsome, yet kind of deranged stranger, and rescues a drowning horse that later follows her home and takes up residence in her bathtub.
Talk about our weirdness. But things don't get better, they just seem to get weirder and weirder. Handsome Stranger, turns into crazy stalker. Her fellow actor Bob, who is playing Puck starts making cryptic statements, her usually militant roommate is actually infatuated with the horse in the tub, even after it eats her very expensive soap. Oh yeah, and she might have glowed a bit at some point.
The stories underlying plot might not be an original one, there is a girl, who might be a bit supernatural. Girl meets boy, who may or may not also be a bit supernatural. Boy instructs girl on her supernatural roots and they just may move to happily ever after, just if they can over-come an evil plot that is directed at the girl. Yes, we've read this story in numerous ways, with numerous kinds of supernaturals, but as normal as the storyline is, Livingston takes the story to new heights with excellent characters, a wonderful back-drop and new spins on the tried and true paranormal YA plots.
Entertaining, well written and engaging, Wondrous Strange had me cringing in some scenes, sniffling in others and basically wanting more when it was over. Can't wait to read Darklight.
Recommendations: Lovers of faeries, the supernatural and young adult novels you'll really enjoy this novel. There is nothing vulgar or sexual in the pages, so parents have no fear. The story can be a bit trite in some instants, but it still has a maturity that adults will enjoy. BWB rating 3/4.
BWB Discussion Questions
1.Faeries seem to be very big in YA lit lately, how does Wondrous Strange compare to others in its genre such as Lament, Wicked Lovely, etc.? The thing I enjoy about stories of the fae is that there is such a large world out there to pull from that authors can go in so many directions. Wonderous Strange might not have had the ethereal beauty of Lament or the gritty contemporary feel of Wicked Lovely, but that was a good thing, because it was it's own creature. In comparison though, WS falls short of Lament, only because Steifvater is a force to be reckoned with, but surpasses Wicked Lovely. All three books were wonderful though.
2. How did you view the relationship with Kelley and Sonny, was it a believable romance? I really liked the romance, and thought it was hilarious that Kelley thought Sonny was stalking her. I think it evolved perfectly. I can't wait to read Darklight.
3.Wondrous Strange was written in the typical fashion of paranormal literature, with the protagonist unaware of her supernatural abilities, meets boy who introduces her to the world... do you find these plot lines tiresome in their likeness, or do you believe there are always similarities within fiction and it is all about the deeper story? There is no tune that hasn't already been heard, or a story that hasn't already been told right? I think she replayed same old same old in just the right way. There is only so many ways you can fashion a paranormal romance, just like there are only so many ways you can tell a romance. Boy meets girl...etc. If I start to fine these plot lines tiresome I guess I will have to find a new genre or something, on to westerns??? OMG no.
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