Someone Else’s Fairytale – E.M. Tippetts

Book one in Someone Else’s Fairytale. First published December 6th 2011.

Genre: New Adult Romance / ‘Chick Lit’

Note: This review contains spoilers.

“It’s not my fairytale. It’s not anything I ever wanted. It’s the last thing I’ve ever wanted. I hate crowds. I don’t want to be the envy of every other woman on the planet. I never dreamed of being with a guy with flawless good looks. This is someone else’s fairytale.”

So far I’ve read the first two books in the series, and I’m really looking forward to the third. I think I like this book more after having read Nobody’s Damsel. Someone Else’s Fairytale  lays the groundwork for the following books quite nicely.

The story follows Chloe Winters as she navigates an unexpected friendship with Jason Vanderholdt, one of the hottest actors in Hollywood. It sounds like a generic boy meets girl, but Tippetts adds a touch of crime to the novel – a genre that becomes more central to the second book. It’s also not as straight forward as the description would have it seem. Jason and Chloe have a long journey to discover each other’s happy ever after. The story takes a detour in the form of Chloe’s friend Matthew, and for a while you’re not entirely sure what guy she’ll pick.

One of my favourite things about the book is Jason’s family and the bond Chloe forms with them. The Vanderholdts are scene stealers, and as soon as they were introduced I wanted to see more of them. They’re loud and funny and don’t care about Jason’s celebrity status. They take to Chloe immediately, even helping her when she needs legal help – both of Jason’s parents and his brother are lawyers.

The eye-catching cover is deceptively cutesy, as the story delves into some serious topics. Chloe was a victim of a violent crime at a young age, and against all odds, she survived. I like how this doesn’t define her. Chloe is a well-rounded character. However, it does influence her when it comes to pick a career and she’s studying to become a forensic scientist. She values her independence, and one of her struggles in the novel is to learn to accept help from others. 

I really enjoyed this book, so much so that I immediately bought the second as soon as I finished it. Even though the premise is fairytale-esque, the story is real and relatable. Chloe seems reserved and can be frustrating at times, but she feels like a real person which is what I enjoyed the most about this book.

Score

7.5/10

Recommended to…

Suitable for fans of modern fairytale retellings – but with a twist! There’s enough crime in it (and more in the following book) to appeal to crime-novel enthusiasts. V is for Virgin by Kelly Oram is a good follow-up book, leaning towards the Young Adult spectrum. Also Teen Idol by Meg Cabot if you like the normal girl meets movie-star aspect.

Followed by…

Nobody’s Damsel

Killing Ruby Rose – Jessie Humphries

Book one of Ruby Rose. First published May 1st 2014 by Skyscape.

Genre: Young Adult Thriller/Suspense

Note: To view spoilers, highlight the white text.

In sunny Southern California, seventeen-year-old Ruby Rose is known for her killer looks and her killer SAT scores. But ever since her dad, an LAPD SWAT sergeant, died, she’s also got a few killer secrets.

I have to admit, in this case I did judge the book by its cover and the main reason I bought it was because it was so pretty to look at. I even let my sister read it first without arguing about who had dibs. She devoured it and urged me to read it so that we could discuss it, which piqued my curiosity. My sister – much like me – is very vocal about books she loves and we recommend them to each other so that we can properly discuss and dissect the nuances of the text.

So, of course, I HAD to read it ASAP.

Killing Ruby Rose was so much more than I expected. I was ready for some watered-down Veronica Mars type story but Killing Ruby Rose took a turn in an unexpected direction.

The story was more gritty than I expected it to be. Ruby has real issues and the therapy part of the story felt real. Her issues weren’t brushed over, but addressed and incorporated into the story. The plot itself didn’t pull any punches. Some things,like when Ruby has to ally herself with a rapist, were hard to swallow but the way the dilemma was presented made you understand why Ruby made the choices she did.

One thing that did frustrate me was Ruby’s inability to put some things together. She’s meant to be very smart and she’s been stalking her targets for a while, compiling information to build a case, yet she can’t see what is in front of her. It could be understandable at points – especially for the bigger plot twists – because she is under a lot of stress, but some of the things seemed glaringly obvious and it was a bit disappointing that the reader could put the clues together and the amazing Ruby couldn’t.

The romance with Liam was well-written, and at no point overwhelmed the story: it was a thriller to the end which I liked. He was supportive of Ruby and with her every step of the way. However, some of the other supporting characters needed more development, like Ruby’s mother. We got told that she was cold and unloving and left to rely on Ruby’s assessment of her. We learnt more about her dead father than we did about the people surrounding Ruby, and although he is an integral part to Ruby’s development, it was a bit disappointing to have a well-rounded main character surrounded by two-dimensional ‘extras’.

The conclusion wrapped up enough questions to not leave you feeling cheated out of answers and enough open for a sequel. I’m interested to see how Ruby’s new living situation pans out and how the revelations she faces about her past affect her future.

Score

7/10

Recommended to…

Fans of Veronica Mars or other crime shows. The Gallagher Girls series is also a good choice if you want something more lighthearted but with teenage girls still kicking ass – this time as spies, not vigilantes.

Dark Places – Gillian Flynn

Guest review by the voice behind The Writer’s Cookbook, Kristina Adams.

First published May 5th 2009 by Shaye Areheart Books

Genre: Crime/Drama/Thriller

Gillian Flynn is most famous for writing Gone Girl, but she’s also written two other novels: Dark Places and Sharp Objects.

Dark Places tells the story of Libby Day, a twentysomething whose life changed forever when she was just seven: her mother and two sisters were killed on the same night, and her brother got the blame. She’s spent her whole life living on the money donated by kind-hearted citizens, but twenty years later that money’s run out. She agrees to speak to a club that are fascinated by her family and convinced that her brother is innocent. Libby, on the other hand, has spent twenty years insisting that he’s to blame. Can she be persuaded to the contrary?

Style                                                                           

The story is told from three perspectives: Libby, her mum and her brother. Libby’s perspective is in the present day whilst her mum and brother tell of the events leading up to That Night. I found some of the parts told by Libby’s mum and brother slow, but they were necessary to the story and discovering what happened. A lot of it is information that is vital to the reader that Libby must find out on her own or can never know.

Characters

Libby is a dark, dark person. When something triggers her PTSD or depression she refers to this as her ‘dark place’. For anyone with depression or PTSD she’s a very relatable character, and for anyone without it’s an insight into how the mind of someone with either condition works. That being said, I would be very careful reading this if you yourself are in a ‘Dark Place’ – I find dark books very difficult to read when in a dark place myself.

Opening

I found the book slow to get off the ground, but I decided to give it a chance, reminding myself that it wasn’t Gone Girl (which I’d read first). It doesn’t immediately grab you, but it is worth sticking with because there are some truly crazy characters and there’s a twist at the end.

Plot

The plot is intricately weaved with a twist or two, just like in her other books. I did predict part of the ending, but I don’t know if that’s due to writing style or me reading more crime novels.

Score

7/10

Recommended to…

If you enjoyed Gone Girl or Sharp Objects, I’d recommend this book. Likewise if you’re into crime, mystery, thriller or drama, or a fan of Tess Gerritsen. Gillian Flynn is classed as a crime writer but what she really writes about is the brutality of relationships that many people are scared to think about, let alone write.