Category Archives: The Figment Review

The Fine Art of Truth and Dare by Melissa Jensen

Posted on February 20, 2012 by Bethany

Ella Marino knows three things to be true. One: Edward Willing, a skillful painter, is meant to be her everlasting soul mate. Two: Edward Willing has been dead for almost a century—and not in the sexy vampire way. Nope, he’s dead dead. Three: Ella Marino has more chance of getting a date with the late Edward Willing than she has of being noticed by the living, popular, and possibly nice, Alex Bainbridge.

Unless Ella happens to be taking French . . . and failing it, which she is. Apparently, being an Italian-American does not give Ella mad French skills as her French teacher wishes to believe. And unless Alex just happens to tutor French, which he does (must be all those summers abroad). Then maybe they have a chance.

The Fine Art of Truth or Dare has so much worthwhile humor. Ella’s thought process, family stories, and seemingly useless knowledge make the book. After reading The Fine Art of Truth or Dare, I am convinced that everyone deserves a crazy Uncle Ricky to continually audition for Top Chef. Uncle Ricky doesn’t play a big role, but his mentions in The Fine Art of Truth or Dare make the reader feel at home in the incredible Marino family. Ohh that Ricky . . . life just wouldn’t be the same without him.

But the humor is also one of the reasons why I give this book four stars instead of five. As the official opposite of a pop culture junkie, The Sopranos, “Freddie Krueger,” and other pop culture references make no sense to me. (But, seriously, who is this . . . “Freddie Krueger?”) Pop culture junkies, rejoice: your vast understanding of vague television and movie references will finally be put to good use. The references aren’t enough to make the book unreadable to non-pop culture fans, but by the sixth random television reference I was starting to feel a little annoyed.

Ella Marino is not a normal character, but she’s odd in a good way. How many YA main characters are there with a love for fine art and an aptitude for truth or dare? NONE. I love reading about a main character who is still pretty normal, but has his or her own unique hobbies and loves. I was happily surprised by Ella’s amazing family—no overused absentee parents here. All members are present and loving. Also over-the-top funny. Ella’s superstitious grandma’s speeches are probably my favorite parts in the book. I love her family’s differentness from other families I read about.

I grant The Fine Art of Truth or Dare four figstars.

 

There is only one thing Bethany can say about herself with the utmost certainty: her name is Bethany. The rest of her is better off described from the viewpoint of her friends/close enemies, who would probably say she’s weird, a proud bookaholic, a kick-butt black belt, and a photographer. Well, hopefully they would say that. Probably they would mostly emphasize the weirdness (of which there is plenty). She owns a regular book review blog at http://owlreviewabook.blogspot.com/.

 

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The Butterfly Clues by Kate Ellison

Posted on February 17, 2012 by Kinsey

It’s hard to find a book that’s surprising with a plot that hasn’t been done before these days. It’s hard to find really well developed characters and plot twists that leave you breathless. But guess what? The Butterfly Clues by Kate Ellison has all of the above.

Penelope “Lo” Marin is a kleptomaniacal, severely OCD young woman with some pretty messed up family dynamics. Her brother died recently, after running away from home, and her parents are virtually useless shells of their former selves. When Lo hears of the death of Sapphire, a local teen, she suddenly becomes obsessed with the need to find the murderer. With the help of Flynt, a homeless teen from the so-called “Neverland” section of their run-down city–a place full of runaway kids–she embarks on a whirlwind mystery worthy of the greatest detectives in the world. But someone doesn’t want her to find the answer.

Full of twists, turns, and surprises, The Butterfly Clues will keep you guessing until the very end.

The characters are well-developed and the reader is guaranteed to feel strongly about them. The plot is rich and anything but straightforward, and the romance doesn’t feel forced.

A thrilling debut, Ms. Ellison. I can’t wait to read what you have in store next!

 

Kinsey (Kinsey Alexis on Figment) lives in North Carolina, and loves writing reviews for Figment. She’s been writing and reading for as long as she can remember, and loves being able to create new worlds completely from scratch. Her favorite part about writing is creating the characters. And her favorite part about reading? Being sucked into the universe of the book, unable to escape the grip of a well-crafted novel.

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The Vanishing Game by Kate Kae Meyers

Posted on February 16, 2012 by Marna

The third freak: that’s what Jocelyn always called herself growing up. Together with her twin brother, Jack, and their only friend, Noah, she made her way through Seale House, a foster home that was more like a prison. The only good part of the three freaks’ collective childhood, it seemed, were the Jason December treasure hunts Jack made up to entertain them. And then one day, their already tumultuous lives were turned upside down by Jocelyn’s rash decision, and a death threat sent the twins running.

In present day, Jocelyn is a senior at programming school, haunted by the news of her brother’s death. But when a Jason December letter shows up at her door, she knows she has to follow it—the only person who would send that is Jack himself, so he must be alive somewhere. Jocelyn knows that Jack faked his death for a reason, and she’s determined to figure out what danger led him to do it.

Jocelyn tracks down Noah and brings him along, but nothing is as it seems. She can’t explain why she’s drawn back to the ghost of Seale House, and Jack’s treasure hunt is proving deadly. Forced to confront shadowy figures from their collective past, Noah and Jocelyn must battle outside (and inside) influences to rescue Jack.

Kate Kae Myer’s The Vanishing Game is definitely an interesting novel, though certain parts may be difficult to understand. The beginning is slow, despite being packed with action. But once the novel picks up (and it does, trust me), you’ll want to keep reading until you figure out what exactly happened at Seale House all those years ago. Myer creates realistic characters, but certain ones, like Jocelyn, are a little too complex. The ending seems a bit forced in its effort to wrap things up neatly, but what it reveals will make you want to read the novel again from the beginning. In all, The Vanishing Game is a mixed read, but those of you who enjoy challenging plots should give it a go. It is definitely a fresh idea, and for that, I award The Vanishing Game three out of five jars of Nutella.

 

Marna is a current high school student on the East Coast. Reading, writing, and music are her LIFE, as well as her friends and family. She is in the process of writing about four different novels (because her attention span is insanely short) and she hopes to become published very soon!

 


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Graffiti Moon by Cath Crowley

Posted on February 14, 2012 by Victoria Testa

Lucy Dervish is chasing shadows.

Or, to be more specific, she is chasing the Shadow. His graffiti covers the city, transforming dingy walls into beautiful landscapes. He is the real deal: an artist who creates the world with his spray can. He is a poet who writes in images. He is beautiful and perfect. He is the boy of Lucy’s dreams.

There is one tiny problem though: Lucy has never met Shadow. She plans to change that tonight.

Graffiti Moon by Cath Crowly takes the reader through an unforgettable night of adventure, poetry, humor, and romance. Told through alternating narration, Crowly lets the reader discover two incredibly unique, endearing, and witty characters. Their dialogue ranges from hysterical to downright poetic, and the reader hangs on their every word. It is also particularly refreshing to see two characters who are not only intelligent, but have a shared passion in art.

In many ways, art is the main character of Graffiti Moon. From the descriptions of Shadow’s work to personal experiences (like being burned by a blowtorch while glassblowing), art is everywhere within the story. Thus, the novel asserts that art is everywhere in life. A piece does not need to be in a museum to be beautiful. It can be anywhere, at any moment—as long as you take the time to look.

In many ways, the pure artistry of Graffiti Moon is not in the words on the page. It is in the way those words create an entirely new, courageous, and beautiful landscape. These creations pull you in and make you feel something words could never describe. Just like art.

 

Victoria Testa lives in New York City but is a beach bum at heart. When not writing or reading, she can be found surfing, swimming, and singing!

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