{Blog Tour+Giveaway+Review} The Last Changeling: Chelsea Pitcher

Rating: 70%
Series: Faerie Revolutions #1
Genre: Young Adult, Fiction, Urban Fantasy, Paranormal, Romance, Faries,
Publisher: Flux
Publication Date: November 8th 2014
Page Count: 360
Format: eARC
Source: Netgalley

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Goodreads Synopsis: A Kingdom at War . . .

Elora, the young princess of the Dark Faeries, plans to overthrow her tyrannical mother, the Dark Queen, and bring equality to faeriekind. All she has to do is convince her mother’s loathed enemy, the Bright Queen, to join her cause. But the Bright Queen demands an offering first: a human boy who is a “young leader of men.”

A Dark Princess In Disguise . . .

To steal a mortal, Elora must become a mortal—at least, by all appearances. And infiltrating a high school is surprisingly easy. When Elora meets Taylor, the seventeen-year-old who’s plotting to overthrow a ruthless bully, she thinks she’s found her offering . . . until she starts to fall in love.

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About the Author: WEBSITE | @Chelsea_Pitcher | FACEBOOK

Chelsea Pitcher is a native of Portland, OR where she received her BA in English Literature. Fascinated by all things literary, she began gobbling up stories as soon as she could read, and especially enjoys delving into the darker places to see if she can draw out some light. 

Disclaimer: I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. 

Background & Backstory

Everything, at least in the bookish world, has a reason. Despite knowing how much immense pressure is put on myself when it comes to reading and reviewing a blog tour book, I sign up for them anyway. Go figure! The reason behind THIS tour stop is that I needed that pressure. To be honest, my Netgalley approval ratio is shot, I have no chance of ever amending that sucker unless I spent half a year reading purely eBooks. There you have it, I signed up for this tour to get my approval to feedback ratio 1% higher.

Con | Insta-Love:  While I am not a blogger/reader that immediately shuts down whenever they face a fearful instal-love situation *Divergent Reference* I don't enjoy it unless I myself am routing for the couple extremely hard. With The Last Changeling, it was one of those model instal-love situations that I, personally, disliked. The moment the two of them met, they were already thinking about each other in a physical way, which EXTREMELY annoyed me.

Neutral | Dual-POVs: If you know what type of reader I am, having dual-POVs as a neutral point of the book is surprising. I enjoyed the dual-POVs, never got them confused, and they added insight to the story. Yet it almost felt as if this story couldn't stand on its own without them. First person from either side and even third person would have confused me as a reader, so it seems like the default and obvious choice was to write the novel in duo-POVs. 

Neutral | Faeries: I don't like faeries in books. Never have. Never will. The beautiful creatures found in kid's fairy tales usually are bad, or mean, or unappealing. I had hoped this book might change my opinion, but since it was so set in stone, I think only a 5-star book would have done that. So while I don't count this as a strike against The Last Changeling, I didn't like the faeries either.

Neutral | LGBTQ+ Advocation: Neither Taylor or Elora falls under the LGBTQ+ spectrum, but there was a ton of advocation for LGBTQ+ people and their rights. As always, I commend authors for including the aspect in their stories. I just thought it was kind of distracting from the main, overall plot arc with SO much focus. 

Pro | Predictable Urban Fantasy Plot With a Twist: The Last Changeling was one of those classic urban fantasies where a magical being (female or male or anything in between) is found. Then they are helped and concealed with the help of the opposite gender as they attempt to blend in with everything around them. The first 50 pages, I thought I wouldn't like the plot because of how many cliche trope markers there were. Yet, I held on and was pleasantly surprised with how much originality followed the predictable plot set up.

How Likely Is It That I Will Read The Sequel To This Book?

25%

This is absolutely nothing personal against Chelsea Pitcher (who is an extremely nice author) or her book, but I don't think I will be reading the sequel. I make it a point to only read sequels to books I rated 4 or more stars and reading the next book in the Faerie Revolutions just would not fit into my enormous TBR. On the other hand, if you had asked me how likely it is for me to pick up another book by her, the percentage would be a lot higher because I am interested to see what she does with her writing in a contemporary novel (such as The S-Word) which is the first book of hers I had ever learned about.

{Book Review/Movie Adaptation Comparison} Coraline: Neil Gaiman

Rating: 79%
Series: Standalone
Genre: Middle Grade, Fiction, Urban Fantasy, Horror,
Publisher: HarperCollins
Publication Date: August 4, 2002
Page Count: 162
Format: Hardcover
Source: Library

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Goodreads Synopsis: Coraline's often wondered what's behind the locked door in the drawing room. It reveals only a brick wall when she finally opens it, but when she tries again later, a passageway mysteriously appears. Coraline is surprised to find a flat decorated exactly like her own, but strangely different. And when she finds her "other" parents in this alternate world, they are much more interesting despite their creepy black button eyes. When they make it clear, however, that they want to make her theirs forever, Coraline begins a nightmarish game to rescue her real parents and three children imprisoned in a mirror. With only a bored-through stone and an aloof cat to help, Coraline confronts this harrowing task of escaping these monstrous creatures.

Gaiman has delivered a wonderfully chilling novel, subtle yet intense on many levels. The line between pleasant and horrible is often blurred until what's what becomes suddenly clear, and like Coraline, we resist leaving this strange world until we're hooked. Unnerving drawings also cast a dark shadow over the book's eerie atmosphere, which is only heightened by simple, hair-raising text. Coraline is otherworldly storytelling at its best.

Would I Buy It?

40%
None of the book covers give me the urge to die unless I got the book in gorgeous, hardcover form. While scrolling through the various covers, none stood out particularly to me, so much so that I didn't even insert a book cover (found it off of google images). This story deserves something spine-chilling and striking, something to depict the darkness in this seemingly innocent Middle Grade novel. Basically something that I would be terrified to have on my shelves and would deter every little prospective 10 year-old out there.

Background & Backstory
Grab a seat. This backstory could take a while. My memory is horrible, I don't remember what I ate for lunch yesterday, let alone movies/books from the Summer of 2010. Yet, the cartoon version of Coraline (made by Tim Burton) defied the clutches of forgetfulness, and to this day, I still remember a TON of main plot points, characterization, and absolute terror I felt.

That alone should tell you something. When I was little, I liked terrifying myself, which means that I watched Coraline nearly every chance I got. I expected myself to get less afraid because of the repetition, but that didn't happen. I would climb into my mom's bed because I was so scared after watching this movie.

Fast-Forward more than four years and I STILL like giving myself goosebumps. AT this moment, I am the sole patron of every YA novel in my local libraries that hadn't already been checked out. Of course, a book that took primary real estate on that was Coraline.I had had the opportunity to read this book around two years ago, but the memories of the movie still haunted me, and I hadn't dared.  

What Was My Reaction After I Finished This Book?

I'm glad I read that.

Middle Gradenesss: Over the past six months, I have developed a rather unsavory (what the heck does that mean?) prejudice for Middle Grade. I hate those feelings, especially when I get so defensive about everyone being able to read YA. Coraline was a classic Middle Grade book, but I was okay with that. Aspects of the novel could be considered somewhat juvenile, but when Neil Gaiman is the author.... you can easily look past the fact.

Spookiness: I'm not sure if the book wasn't as creepy because I knew what would happen, but the book DEFINITELY did not creep me out and make me want to sleep with the lights on. This might be because Neil Gaiman didn't want to scare off his target audience? Despite me not feeling creeped out,      I believe the reason I was so scared when I was little was because of how expertly the movie was adapted. This is also not to say the adaptation was unfaithful (there was some word-for-word dialogue), it was just the WAY it was adapted that made the movie so terrifying versus the book.

Premise: Something about a book that will immediately draw me in is the premise and proper of execution of it. And let me tell you, Neil Gaiman follows up with it BE-YOU-TI-FULLY. I never once felt like I was promised something and not delivered (a feeling uncannily common with adaptations as well as movies in general). Just the concept of parallel universes is one I have always been intrigued with (*hint hint* NaNoWriMo novel), and the way Gaiman twists it so artfully, making it that the evil "Other Mother" would suck Coraline's soul *shivers get sent down spine* with those godawful button eyes which were petrifying in the movie.

Concise: Coraline was my VERY first Neil Gaiman book ever. Since then, I have read (and flipped out over how much I loved) The Ocean at the End of the Lane and am currently reading The Graveyard Book. And I might (just might *winks*) have put every Neil Gaiman book on hold at my local library. Something I commend Gaiman for with the highest respect is with how many few words he can develop the richest, most detailed, most abstract stories I have ever read. I never once felt like the novel was incomplete or that I wanted more (of the novel, not his writing). There was a distinct and satisfying beginning, middle, and end. And the book was only 162 pages. Beat that! 

How Likely Is It That I Will Re-Read This Book?

90%
Because of its lack of length, I am considering making Coraline an annual re-read accompanied by watching the movie. So (for once) it is very likely I will be re-reading this book.

Conclusion: Spooky, Eery, Conceptual with a terrifying premise. Perfect for Halloween time and sleeping with the lights on.

{Giveaway} The Glow: Helen Whapshott

Rating: 6/10

Genre: Urban Fantasy, Middle Grade, Fiction

Publication Date: March 14, 2014

Publisher: Little Bird Publishing House

Page Count: 199

Format: Digital

Source: The Author

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Goodreads Synopsis: What would you do if you saw a ghost? Would you ignore it hoping it would fade away, or would you go up to it and see if it needed your help? When Thirteen year old Megan Webb discovers she has been gifted with The Glow, so called because it gives off a light, like a candle in a dimly lit room attracting ghosts, spirits, and others who belong to the supernatural and paranormal world, she has to learn to come to terms with seeing the world in a whole new way. And if this wasn’t enough to deal with during the delicate years between childhood and adolescence, her parents makes the shocking decision to move her away from everything and everyone she knows to live in a creepy hotel inherited by a late aunt. But it isn’t just the hotel that is creepy, the whole town seems a little odd until she makes friends with a strange boy, a Witch, and a chain-smoking spirit guide who help her adjust. Life couldn’t get any more complicated … could it?

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*I received this book from the author for review purposes which does not in the slightest affect my honest review of this book*

Plot 6/10: The beginning of the book was amazing. Chapter 1- What is a Ghost was magical. Not in the I'm-seeing-a-ghost-and-therefore-they're-actually-real magical but in the way that only wonderful authors can write. The first two-page chapter is a giant launching pad for this story. 

To read more, check out Helen Whapshott's blog post with the first two chapters of The Glow.

Characters 8/10: I loved Megan's friend, Daisy, because of how strong, empathetic, and relatable she was. Despite what had happened to her parents, and how she was physically changed, she didn't change on the outside. Daisy had been mocked, and teased, and taunted her entire life because of the rumors that surrounded her about being a witch. Yet, a little 12 year old girl (I hope she's 12 and not 13, my memory just isn't what is used to be) was strong enough to face the people that hurt her, and be a better person because of it. 

Romance 8/10: *Romance Only Spoiler Alert* I cannot get over how cute Daisy and Scott are together. I am aware that they're only 12, and in Middle School, but they just seem like perfect matches for each other. It is only implied that they like each other as more than friends, but I (as usual) interpreted the romance as something WAY bigger than it actually was, and they are my new MG OTP.

Daisy and Scott are obviously not a duck and a little boy, but this is the cuteness level of their relationship

Writing Style 7.5/10: What was interesting, and slightly confusing was how The Glow truly utilized 3rd person. Most commonly, third person is used so an author can throw in an occasional 'This Secondary Character thought that in response to what the Main Character just said' kind of statement. Instead, Whapshott made it so that we, as the readers, got entire backstories, and explanations as to why a character is the way they are.   

Besides that, there was just something about Helen Whapshott's writing that made me want to read more. It wasn't even the plot, or a specific character, or event, but the overall feel accompanied with word choice was spectacular. I could just hear the voice-over that would happen at the beginning of the movie, and I could picture every detail of the setting and people.

Cover 8/10: I can't be the only one that thinks the cover is gorgeous. Can I? It is very simple, but powerful because it looks like a girl reaching out to someone/something that could be a spirit. The sheer white dress and hair blowing in the wind add the the affect the cover gives off, that something powerful and almost above our comprehension is happening.

Theme: The themes of The Glow were a lot more complicated and deeper than I originally expected from a Middle Grade novel. It was a very light Middle Grade story, but there were strong messages about hope, perseverance, and caring that I loved. The trio had to work very hard to help a soul that hadn't/couldn't pass over yet find her parents and have closure which was very admirable.

Continuation 80%: I have asked Helen, and it looks like we are getting a sequel to The Glow which I am definitely going to read so I can find out what happens next in Daisy, Scott, and Megan's story.

Conclusion: I can imagine myself reading The Glow to my children because of the strong themes, great concept, and a lovely cast of characters.