Review: A Wounded Name by Dot Hutchison

Title: A Wounded Name
Author: Dot Hutchison
Source: Amazon Vine
Genre: Classic Retelling, Contemporary, Young Adult
Release Date: September 1, 2013
Reviewed by: Jasmyn

There's a girl who could throw herself head first into life and forge an unbreakable name, an identity that stands on its own without fathers or brothers or lovers who devour and shatter.

I'VE NEVER BEEN THAT GIRL.

Sixteen-year-old Ophelia Castellan will never be just another girl at Elsinore Academy. Seeing ghosts is not a skill prized in future society wives. Even when she takes her pills, the bean sidhe beckon, reminding her of a promise to her dead mother.

Now, in the wake of the Headmaster's sudden death, the whole academy is in turmoil, and Ophelia can no longer ignore the fae. Especially once she starts seeing the Headmaster's ghosts- two of them- on the school grounds.

At the center of her crumbling world is Dane, the Headmaster's grieving son. He, too, understands the power of a promise to a parent- even a dead one. To him, Ophelia is the only person not tainted by deceit and hypocrisy, a mirror of his own broken soul. And to Ophelia, Dane quickly becomes everything. Yet even as she gives more of herself to him, Dane slips away. Consumed by suspicion, rage, and madness, he spirals towards his tragic fate- dragging Ophelia, and the rest of Elsinore, with him.

YOU KNOW HOW THIS STORY ENDS.

Yet even in the face of certain death, Ophelia has a choice to make- and a promise to keep. She is not the girl others want her to be. But in Dot Hutchison's dark and sensuous debut novel, the name "Ophelia" is as deeply, painfully, tragically real as "Hamlet".

We all know the story of Shakespeare's Hamlet, probably from high school english class (I was the nerd that loved it), but this is a very different version.  The story line is still there and correct, all the people that died still die, and in the same way - we just get a different view of their motives and reasons behind their actions - because this time Ophelia tells the story.  Instead of a castle, we have Elsinore Academy - a sprawling old-fashioned highly private school run by the Danemarks - and so the stage is set for one of my favorite tragedies to be told again in a completely new life.

The thing that stood out the most for me was the writing itself - it was beautifully written.  Dot Hutchison kept the flowing and lyrical style of Shakespeare, but didn't get hung up on the fancy language.  The pages flew by and I was captivated by every word.  Her desriptions were amazing - both scenery and characters brought to life.

Since the story is told by Ophelia, we do not get to see the very end of Shakespeare's original, but we are left without a doubt of what will still happen.  Even for people who do not like the original, they will fall in love with this modern telling of one of the most beautiful plays ever written.

*This product was received in exchange for an homest review*

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Review: Olivia Twisted by Vivi Barnes

Title: Olivia Twisted
Author: Vivi Barnes
Source: Entangled Teen
Genre: Young Adult, Class Retelling
Release Date: November 5, 2013
Reviewed by: Jasmyn

Olivia

He tilts my chin up so my eyes meet his, his thumb brushing lightly across my lips. I close my eyes. I know Z is trouble. I know that being with him is going to get me into trouble. I don’t care.

At least at this moment, I don’t care.

Tossed from foster home to foster home, Olivia’s seen a lot in her sixteen years. She’s hardened, sure, though mostly just wants to fly under the radar until graduation. But her natural ability with computers catches the eye of Z, a mysterious guy at her new school. Soon, Z has brought Liv into his team of hacker elite—break into a few bank accounts, and voila, he drives a motorcycle. Follow his lead, and Olivia might even be able to escape from her oppressive foster parents. As Olivia and Z grow closer, though, so does the watchful eye of Bill Sykes, Z’s boss. And he’s got bigger plans for Liv…

Z

I can picture Liv’s face: wide-eyed, trusting. Her smooth lips that taste like strawberry Fanta.

It was just a kiss. That’s all. She’s just like any other girl.

Except that she’s not.

Thanks to Z, Olivia’s about to get twisted.

A little disclosure on my part - I'm not a fan of Charles Dickens writing style, but I have always loved the idea behind Oliver Twist.  

Olivia has had a hard life with few bright spots scattered here and there.  As a foster kid she has learned to take care of herself and keep people at a distance so she doesn't get hurt when it's time to move on again.  Her most recent move and change of schools has brought her into the Z's (yes that is what he's called) world.  Z is instantly attracted to Olivia's skills on the computer - but he's intentions aren't all that great.

As Z pulls Olivia deeper and deeper into the world of hackers, Olivia is going to have to make some very tough decisions about the morality of what she is being asked to do.  Throughout this struggle, Vivi Barnes manages to include some wonderful references straight from Oliver Twist that made me grin each time.  

A story full of growth and growing up on every page.  Both Olivia and Z are some of the most dynamic characters I've seen.  This is very important as the story reaches it's incredible climatic high point that had me sitting on the edge of my seat praying for everything to work out well.  Vivi Barnes seems to have captured the spirit of Oliver Twist and brought it to a new life in today's world with today's problems and issues.  This was a slam dunk all the way.

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Review: Definitely, Maybe in Love by Ophelia London

Title: Definitely, Maybe in Love
Author: Ophelia London
Genre: Classic Retelling, Contemporary
Source: Entangled Embrace
Release Date: October 28, 2013
Reviewed by: Jasmyn

Spring Honeycutt wants two things: to ace her sustainable living thesis and to save the environment. Both seem hopelessly unobtainable until her college professor suggests that with a new angle, her paper could be published. Spring swears she’ll do whatever it takes to ensure that happens.

“Whatever it takes,” however, means forming a partnership with the very hot, very privileged, very conceited Henry Knightly.

Henry is Spring's only hope at publication, but he's also the über-rich son of a land developer and cash-strapped Spring’s polar opposite. Too bad she can't help being attracted to the way he pushes her buttons, both politically and physically. As they work on her thesis, Spring finds there's more to Henry than his old money and argyle sweaters…but can she drop the loud-and-proud act long enough to let him in? Suddenly, choosing between what she wants and what she needs puts Spring at odds with everything she believes in.

Definitely, Maybe in Love is a modern take on Pride and Prejudice that proves true love is worth risking a little pride.

Definitely, Maybe in Love takes a lot of influence from one of my all time favorite classics, Pride and Prejudice.  I can see and feel it on every page.  But it's not just a re-telling, it's a re-imagination of all the wonderful themes and characters.  Spring is headstrong and opinionated and is so proud of everything she stands for.  She is convinces that Henry Knightly is a rich pampered man that just doesn't get what is really going on.  So of course they have to fall in love with each other.

Their unusual relationship is very touching, and often humorous.  Ophelia London even managed to pull in several of the side story lines and find ways to use them to make her story even better - and give the reader a greater insight into both Spring and Henry.  There were a couple times where the story seemed to drag on a little bit, but overall the pace of the book was nice and relaxing - just a little excitement sprinkled here and there to make your heart start to race.

I think that anyone who is a fan of Pride and Prejudice will fall in love with this book.  I may even have to go visit my old copy of Pride and Prejudice again to reminisce over all the good memories.

Purchase Links:

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Book Blitz and Giveaway: Wuther by V. J. Chambers

Wuther by V.J. Chambers
Publication date: July, 2013
Genre: New Adult Retelling

This new adult retelling of Wuthering Heights is intended for mature readers due to explicit sexual content and coarse language.

Instead of storms tearing through Yorkshire moors, the sounds of '90s grunge rock whisper through backwoods American cornfields...

And give new life to the Bronte characters you love to hate.

A gypsy orphan, Heath Galloway adores Cathy Earnshaw, his childhood sweetheart. He would do anything to protect her from her drunken, abusive father--even push the man down a flight of stairs to stop him hitting her.

But with her father dead, Cathy's older brother Matt runs the Earnshaw farm and both of their lives. And Matt despises Heath. Forced to drop out of school and work the fields, Heath is separated from Cathy and the two begin to drift apart.

When Cathy meets the rich, blond, and suave Eli Linton, she finds herself torn between Eli's charm and Heath's brute potency.

Fiercely proud and stubborn, Heath doesn't take well to being brushed aside. He'll get what he wants, or he'll get revenge. No matter how long it takes.

Author Bio:

V. J. Chambers likes bad boys, but she likes them to be actual bad boys, not misunderstood weaklings who cover up their emotional scars with a thin veneer of pretend bad-boy-ness.
She likes to tackle difficult philosophical questions. She likes to push fiction to the edge, to go just a little farther.
She writes stories about difficult people living difficult lives in difficult situations. Usually, there’s magic. Or monsters. Or space. Or gun fights. A lot of times, there’s also L-O-V-E. (Or at least uncomfortable conversations about sex.)

She’s the author of the Jason and Azazel series and many other stories for teens and adults. She lives in Shepherdstown, WV with her boyfriend Aaron and their cat.

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18042503-wuther?ac=1

Author links:

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

Amazone: HERE

B&N: HERE

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