Shanon Review: Entwined by Heather Dixon

Entwined by Heather Dixon
Greenwillow Books, 472 Pages
US Release Date: March 29, 2011

Azalea is trapped. Just when she should feel that everything is before her . . . beautiful gowns, dashing suitors, balls filled with dancing . . . it's taken away. All of it.

The Keeper understands. He's trapped, too, held for centuries within the walls of the palace. And so he extends an invitation.

Every night, Azalea and her eleven sisters may step through the enchanted passage in their room to dance in his silver forest.

But there is a cost.

The Keeper likes to "keep" things.

Azalea may not realize how tangled she is in his web until it is too late.
-----------------Goodreads summary

Notable Quote

"You always manage it," said Bramble, curling her toes on the slick stone. "Turning things about."

"That's what sisters do," said Azalea. "We watch out for each other. Don't we?"

I'll admit it: if I could get away with reading nothing but fairy tales, I probably would. However, I can't say most modern fairy tales appeal to me: everything is so clear cut! The princess is beautiful, the prince handsome, the villain is horrendous looking and very obvious. Blah! Who needs a book written like a children's puzzle: color coded and numerically ordered?

That's why I was so thrilled to get my hands on a copy of Entwined by Heather Dixon. It's a harkening back to proper Grimm-esque fairy tales. They were originally written as a warning to children. It's easy to say "Stay out of the forest at night, children!" SOOO much better: "Stay out of the forest at night children or the Erlking will snatch you up and eat you." See? Much more effective.

This story happens to follow one of the most underappreciated fairy tales: The Twelve Dancing Princesses. We finally get a motive for their sneaking out: it's not simple adolescent rebellion; their dancing is an insistent way of honoring their mother and refusing to give in to despair. The twelve princesses, named alphabetically after various flora and fauna are a wonder to get to know. Dixon is brilliant with a cast of so many characters all being relevant and present. Azalea takes the lead but her sister Bramble steals the show with vivacity and the tenacious strength of a pitbull. All twelve sisters are distinct, but it is their combined gifts that make it possible to combat the Keeper.

Oh let's talk about the villain. I so appreciate it when the villain is pretty and mysterious. The Keeper is everything a girl could want in a bad guy: luminous skin, pretty hair, a lovely dancer...and a penchant for telling the eeriest side story in the book. Seriously, I can't talk about it. It's not too hard to figure out what his motives really are but watching them play out in sequence was original and oh
so clever.

This book had everything I wanted: strong, vibrant characters, a magical element that was somehow very believable, a dastardly villain and a cover so beautiful you just want to frame it. Since I read it
initially, I've re-read it twice---and maybe that's the best part.

5 Stars / 5

Shanon Review: The First Part Last by Angela Johnson

The First Part Last by Angela Johnson
Simon Pulse, Hardcover: 144 Pages
US Release Date: June 1, 2003

Bobby is your classic urban teenaged boy -- impulsive, eager, restless. On his sixteenth birthday he gets some news from his girlfriend, Nia, that changes his life forever. She's pregnant. Bobby's going to be a father. Suddenly things like school and house parties and hanging with friends no longer seem important as they're replaced by visits to Nia's obstetrician and a social worker who says that the only way for Nia and Bobby to lead a normal life is to put their baby up for adoption.

With powerful language and keen insight, Johnson looks at the male side of teen pregnancy as she delves into one young man's struggle to figure out what "the right thing" is and then to do it. No matter what the cost.
--------------Goodreads summary

Notable Quote

I've been thinking about it. Everything. And when Feather opens her eyes and looks up at me, I already know there's change. But I figure if the world were really right, humans would live life backward and do the first part last. They'd be all knowing in the beginning and innocent in the end.

This book can change your life in the quietest of ways, if you let it. We meet Bobby and within a few paragraphs learn two things: he's very young, and he's a father. He's just barely sixteen when his girlfriend Nia lets him know, via a red balloon, that they are going to be parents. From there, the journey escalates into unusual territory for this subject. As a general trend when dealing with teen pregnancy, we experience it from the mother's point of view. I truly enjoyed the novelty of seeing it from a young man's perspective. As a woman, I appreciated very much that Bobby wasn't addicted to drugs, homeless or abusive. He's presented as a young man who made a decision that came with a very adult consequence.

As a reader, I just found myself involved. Johnson's writing is spare, much like my own journals at that age, which lends such reality to a book that could just be a story of someone else. But it was too easy to imagine myself at that age: hormones raging, a drop of common sense and basically dumb like rocks when it came to love, lust, commitment and change.

But sweet Bobby...he means to do so well by his little girl, Feather. (side note: Love or Hate the name?) His mother has made it clear that his world has changed, that parenthood is an irreversible threshold into the universe no longer revolving around him. He's raising a little girl on his own while still attempting to go to school, have his friends and learn to be a man.

The story is framed in mini chapters flashing between Now and Then. I wasn't sure I'd appreciate that in the beginning; plots can develop manholes the size of Montana when the times flicker back and forth. That's where Angela Johnson's pure genius shines through because the major lesson Bobby, Nia, their parents and friends learn is that life has just been split into two categories: before and after.

The First Part Last, though not lengthy at only 83 pages, is definitely a book to share. It's a bit of a cautionary tale without heaping judgment on the characters. Johnson shows what it means to have your world changed and I think it's something we should all experience at least once.

4 Stars / 5

Meet the Contributor: Shanon! + GIVEAWAY!!

It has been KILLING me keeping this in for the past month it has been in the works - I'm SO so pleased to have a contributor come on board at Ashley Loves Books. Even before I started working full time again and got lost in that time suck, I was thinking that I wanted a guest reviewer to join me - it's invigorating to have another opinion and entire other presence on a blog. And trust me, who I've got? She's incredible.

Say hi to Shanon!

Shanon's been one of my best friends for years...it seems like forever because I'm fairly convinced we're soul sisters on so many levels, but still. Officially, we met in high school...sophomore year, I think? Maybe? All I know is, she made high school a better place. She's whip-smart, well-read, has creativity oozing out her ears, and is hilariously sarcastic in all the best ways. Unfortunately we haven't seen each other since 2005 when we graduated high school (aw crap I just dated us...) - she currently lives in Texas and I'm still in California - but not a day goes by I don't miss her presence or think about her.

And now I get to call her an official contributor to my blog! She'll be adding her awesome reviews, maybe taking on a meme or two...it'll be a ton of fun, I promise :) For now, how about a little interview to get to know her better? Make sure you leave a comment to welcome her, and help me marvel in what fabulous bookish taste she has!

Let’s start with the usual: briefly introduce yourself!
I’m an eternal student. I love to learn about new things and usually at random. That makes for great reading and an advisory plan that will never get me out of college. Books are my sanctuary and I’m probably a born librarian in the wrong field…should probably correct that. ..

Tell us something surprising about yourself.
Mokrah! (If you get it, you know…if you don’t…google it. ;) [Ashley's note: I had to google it...]

What’s your earliest bookish memory?
Reading Dr. Seuss during an asthma breathing treatment in my parent’s old recliner. Couldn’t have been more than three.

What’s your favourite bookish memory?
Reading in the grocery store while my mom would shop. I’m terrible at grocery shopping; actually, I’m not leisurely strolling while I shop. My mom used to page me at the checkout with the cutest cashier she could find. That only started being funny now…10 to 12 years later. She knew where I was!

What type of books do you mainly read? (YA, sci fi, classics, Middle Grade, anything!)
I read a lot of sci-fi, fantasy and a fair amount of YA. Not so much into MG but I am an unashamed historical romance junkie…bring on the wooing!

Why do you read YA books?
Because they are honest and memory is fickle. Everything you felt at that age was magnified and on an extreme. Sarah kissed someone?! World-changing. Tommy was a jerk? You’ll hate that guy until you’re thirty. Those are the most real experiences I think we have and I think they can be undervalued in the rush to grow up. (Growing up includes things such as: car payments, student loan bills and jury duty…what were we in a hurry for again?)

Describe to (or show!) us your usual reading spot!
My office! Two desktop monitors, a HUGE tea cup that says “Keep Calm and Drink More Tea”, an unfinished baby blanket, a usually ringing phone…and three tall cabinets…mostly filled with books.

Have you ever met any authors? Do you have a favourite encounter?
I haven’t! It’s shameful to me now that I lived in San Diego and NEVER WENT to CC. *shame!* However…while working for A Certain Coffee Company, I did get to make coffee for Sheryl Crow and meet Alan Tudyk (again, if you don’t know…ASK SOMEBODY)!

What are your feelings on e-readers vs. print books? 
I used to be a print book snob. Hands down e-readers were for philistines. You missed out on sweet, glorious book smell…and who would trade in for that? Apparently I would, partially. My boyfriend bought me a Nook Color for my birthday a couple of years back…and my heart, life and paycheck were substantially altered. Holy Wombats Batman! Instant gratification with books! So now, I’m usually wandering about armed with a Nook and a few purse books. And my doctor said my shoulders should be recovering from book bend quite nicely.

How do you feel about insta-love in books? Hate it? Love it? Neutral?
I believe in insta-like. Insta-love is too immediate to be so real. That deep, abiding “I will not be like that heifer Rose and I will move over on the door the size of Montana so you can LIVE” love? That takes time to develop.

Thoughts on book-to-movie adaptations?
So torn. The books are always better, the movies can be close adaptations and when done with faithful casting and endings (I’m looking at you My Sister’s Keeper…WTF) can be enjoyable. An example: I’m thrilled for Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander series being optioned for TV. I am horrified to think that with some serious miscasting and editing for TV…this could be a gigantic mess and that would be devastating.

We have to know…50 Shades of Grey. Did you go there?
Yeah. I did. In the original…yes, I know. I know! I was thoroughly amused (never shocked, oddly enough) by the story and appalled by the amount of red pen it would take for me to edit it properly. Dear Ms. James- get a damn thesaurus!

What’s one book you thought you’d love, but didn’t in the end? What about one you weren’t too keen on, but ended up loving?
> I thought I would love Stephen King’s Dark Tower series. The premise was interesting and my boyfriend, not much of a reader, recommended it. I figured it had to be awesome for him to be so interested in books that increased a la Harry Potter. HOWEVER. I’ve slogged my way through seven books and got to the last paragraph. I read it…blinked…read it again and heaved it across the room.
> I picked up Code Name: Verity under a bout of coverlust. It was so intriguing that I had to buy it. (Yes, I am one of those people). I wasn’t sure I would like it and initially the format of the story took me a few pages to wrap my head around. That book changed the way I think about friendship and that’s really all I can tell you without spoiling too much.

What’s one book you’re ashamed to say you haven’t read yet?
I haven’t read The Book Thief. STOP THROWING THINGS AT ME! *ducks and weaves* [Ashley's note: don't worry Shanon, I haven't either! Maybe I shouldn't admit that, people will shun the blog...]

What’s your reading pet peeves? 
There is a difference between what they’re doing and what their punishment will be.

Though we know nothing in life is better than reading (haha…not joking.), what are some of your other non-bookish interests?
Writing and playing music. Camping. Singing loudly in my car. Dancing around my house. Movie marathons, road trips and eye makeup.

Flash answer section!
Favourite genre? fantasy
Favourite recent read? Entwined
Favourite childhood book? Anne of Green Gables
Favourite word? Ameliorate
Favourite YA series? Jessica Darling!
Current book boyfriend? Marcus Flutie, always. (Seriously, my girlfriend and I tallied it up and aside from their first…encounter…I’m pretty much dating MF.)
Current read? Croak by Gina DaMico
Next read? Enclave by Ann Aguirre
Book you always recommend? The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss and Outlander by Diana Gabaldon
Go-To Comfort Read? The Wise Man’s Fear by Rothfuss. It’s like sliding into a bath that’s slightly too hot. By the time you’re all the way in…you couldn’t imagine anything better. And that paper…it’s like reading on silk.

Best of 2012:
Favourite book cover? Entwined by Heather Dixon is so gorgeous.
Least favourite book cover? Storm by Brigid Kemmerer…I was entertained by the story…but the cover looks like a bad boy band album…
Favourite secondary character? Bramble from Entwined. How can you not love someone with these words to her credit? “‘Down with tyranny!’ Bramble cried. ‘Aristocracy! Autocracy! Monocracy! Other ocracy things! You are outnumbered, sir! Surrender!’”

And lastly…your favourite quote from a book:
“It’s like being in love, discovering your best friend.” Code Name: Verity p.55

Did I not tell you she's FANTASTIC?! Seamless Titanic reference worked in, Code Name Verity, Jessica Darling, and admitting to 50 Shades? Sorry, fellow bloggers - she's all mine. Shanon's got some great reviews and content coming up, but for now, leave her some love in the comments, and get ready for ALL THE AWESOME. (On a technical note, please excuse any messes that may occur as we try to work out this contributor thing!)

Oh right, I mentioned a giveaway, didn't I? Well, I'm so damn excited to have Shanon here, I thought I'd celebrate by giving away a book she's mentioned!

And it's international!

If The Book Depository ships to you, you are free to enter! (Not sure if it does? Check here!)

The winner can choose ONE (1) of the following books:

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

Sloppy Firsts by Megan McCafferty (or any of the others in the Jessica Darling series)

Code Name: Verity by Elizabeth Wein

Entwined by Heather Dixon

Storm by Brigid Kemmerer

This'll be a quick one, as it ends on October 7!

If the winner is US, the book will ship from Amazon, BN, or TBD, depending on what's cheapest (hey, I'm excited but I'm still broke!); and if it's an International winner, it will come from TBD.

Please read my giveaway policy before entering, and as always

may the odds be ever in your favour.

a Rafflecopter giveaway