Ultraviolet Review

Author: R.J. Anderson
Release Date: June 2, 2011
Pages: 330 (egalley)
Publisher: Orchard
Most Appropriate For Ages: 12+
Where I Got It: For review through Netgalley

Once upon a time there was a girl who was special.

This is not her story.

Unless you count the part where I killed her.

Sixteen-year-old Alison has been sectioned in a mental institute for teens, having murdered the most perfect and popular girl at school. But the case is a mystery: no body has been found, and Alison's condition is proving difficult to diagnose. Alison herself can't explain what happened: one minute she was fighting with Tori -- the next she disintegrated. Into nothing. But that's impossible. Right?

If I was asked to only review the first two hundred pages of Ultraviolet, then this would be a much more positive review.

But THOSE LAST HUNDRED PAGES. UGH.

Sorry. Anyways:

Ultraviolet grabbed from the first page. The whole "am I crazy orrrr..." plot-line kept me on the edge of my seat. Even when I failed to connect to any of the characters, I kept reading because I still had to know what happened next and because I found Alison's "illness" fascinating.

Another thing that I loved about it was that it was so original. Reading about the way Alison sees things is an experience in itself, one that I was really enjoying.

And throughout the book, we have a mystery that obviously has something to do with something supernatural. The mystery builds throughout the book, and when the answers we were looking for are finally revealed, I was left feeling so...

Upset. I mean, seriously? WTF just happened?

I don't want to give you any spoilers, but basically, I thought the big conclusion was--I know this sounds mean but it's how I feel--stupid. And unoriginal. I can't even properly review it because I was just sort of skimming through the last hundred pages, only reading the dialogue.

But it's not like I completely hated this book. It started strong, and just ended poorly. Alison's abilities were new and fascinating, and I was interested by the whole mental-hospital-thing. If you're looking for something different and don't mind weird endings, maybe try it?

Plot: Different. Until the end...

Characters: Eh...
Writing: Good.

Ending: NO.

Kind Friendly? There was swearing, sexual harassment, and mentally disturbed teens.
Should I read it? Check out more reviews of it on Goodreads and see for yourself if you think you'd like it. I seem to be one of the few that had major issues with it.

Overall:

Wayfarer Review

Author: R.J. Anderson

Release Date: June 22, 2010

Pages: 294 (ARC)

Publisher: HarperCollins

Most Appropriate For Ages: 12+
Where I Got It: From Around The World Tours

The faeries of the Oak are dying, and it’s up to a lone faery named Linden to find a way to restore their magic. Linden travels bravely into dangerous new territory, where she enlists the help of an unlikely friend—a human named Timothy. Soon they discover something much worse than the Oakenfolk’s loss of magic: a potent evil that threatens the fate of all faeries. In a fevered, desperate chase across the country, Timothy and Linden risk their lives to seek an ancient power before it’s too late to save everyone they love.

R. J. Anderson has artfully crafted a world of stunning magic, thrilling adventure, and delicate beauty, where a girl far from home must defeat the pervasive evil befalling her beloved faery realm.
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I really enjoyed Fairy Rebels: Spell Hunter, but I think I enjoyed Wayfarer a little more.

The plot sounds exactly the same as Fairy Rebels: Spell Hunter, but it's really different. It has more action, less romance, and more secrets are unveiled. The plot definitely kept me on the edge of my seat.

I don't think I connected to Wayfarer's characters quite as much as I did in Fairy Rebels: Spell Hunter, but I did like them a lot. I could have done with Linden being a little tougher, but I guess Knife's really the toughest fairy around, so any fairy after her was just going to seem a little weaker in comparison . Speaking of Knife, I loved how R.J. Anderson included Knife and Paul. We never get to see what happens after the happily ever after, so I thought that was really neat that we finally did. I really liked Timothy. He was probably my favorite new character.

R.J. Anderson's writing is, once again, beautiful. I think I'll read whatever she puts out.

Overall, I wasn't disappointed. I definitely recommend it.

Faery Rebels: Spell Hunter Review

Author: R.J. Anderson

Release Date: April 28, 2009

Pages: 328

Publisher: HarperCollins

Most Appropriate For Ages: 10+
Where I Got It: Won from Fantastic Book Review

Forget everything you think you know about faeries. . . . Creatures full of magic and whimsy? Not in the Oakenwyld. Not anymore. Deep inside the great Oak lies a dying faery realm, bursting with secrets instead of magic. Long ago the faeries mysteriously lost their magic. Robbed of their powers, they have become selfish and dull-witted. Now their numbers are dwindling and their very survival is at stake. Only one young faery—Knife—is determined to find out where her people's magic has gone and try to get it back. Unlike her sisters, Knife is fierce and independent. She's not afraid of anything—not the vicious crows, the strict Faery Queen, or the fascinating humans living nearby. But when Knife disobeys the Faery Queen and befriends a human named Paul, her quest becomes more dangerous than she realizes. Can Knife trust Paul to help, or has she brought the faeries even closer to the brink of destruction? Talented newcomer R. J. Anderson creates an extraordinary new fantasy world and weaves a gripping tale of lost magic, high adventure, and surprising friendship in which the fate of an entire realm rests on the shoulders of one brave faery rebel.
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Faery Rebels was a delightful tale that kept me up late flipping pages furiously because I couldn't put it down.

The plot is simple, yet original. It was low on action, but I never saw the twists coming, and it kept me guessing until the very end. It was amazing to watch Knife build friendships, get herself into very unappealing situations, and rebel against the rules of her Oak. I didn't really get hooked until the ending, though.

Knife was a great character. She was logical, smart, overly curious, and a fighter til the very end. Paul might have been my favorite character though. Knife finds him recently handicapped and depressed, but he grows so much in such a short time. And then there's the rest of Knife's faery friends-Thorn, Valerian, Wink, and Campion. Each one has their own quirks and no two are alike.

R.J. Anderson's writing was beautiful. It just flowed so perfectly, and she describes the faery Oak with such ease it's almost like she's been there herself.

The ending was just...wow. I hadn't realized that I had connected with the characters as much as I had, and it was almost like someone had punched me in the gut. Things wrapped up so well, though. Overall, this was a pretty book that I'd recommend to faery fans that don't need an action-driven plot and can just enjoy a good story.


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