Feral Fridays: Short Stories & Novellas

I haven't participated in Feral Fridays before, but I love reading what the girls over at Book Nerd Reviews have to say on Fridays, so I thought I'd put in my own opinion. This is a fun meme where we discuss different topics and get the chance to rant away.

This week we're talking about what we think of short stories, novellas, and novel extras.

Novellas have easily become one of my favourite part of new series. A lot of authors have been joining in on this trend. It's the perfect opportunity for them to explore their characters and settings with more depth than the novels allow. Usually these novellas are told through the perspective of a secondary character, or act as deleted scenes from the novels. It gives the readers a chance to see some behind the scenes action, learn more about their favourite characters, and get even more excited for the next book in the series. They are a nice little tidbit that doesn't cost much, or is sometimes free, that make the wait for the next novel a little more bearable.

My first experience with novellas was the Soul Screamers series by Rachel Vincent. In between the last three books, Vincent took the opportunity to get us pumped by releasing short stories, without any spoilers, written from the point of view of characters we hadn't had a chance to hear much from. Some of these were characters I loved, like Tod (Reaper), and others were less likeable characters, like Sophie (Never to Sleep), who became more likeable after experiencing the story through their eyes. Many more authors followed this trend. Julie Kagawa released a couple of stories from The Iron Fey world, allowing us readers into the minds of both Puck and Ash (before Ash got his own novel). Sophie Jordan gave us a look at Az's life in Breathless, set in the world, and Veronica Rossi made me fall in love with Roar and Liv even more in the Under the Never Sky novella, Roar and Liv. Lauren Oliver gave her supporting characters the spotlight in her Delirium Stories, giving Annabel, Hana, and Raven their chance to add to the story. Tahereh Mafi showed us that Warner wasn't as bad as we all thought he was in Destroy Me. Then of course there is Veronica Roth, who is coming out with a collection of short stories told by Four, giving us a first hand look at his history and life.
Firelight

The great part about these novellas is that they tend to add something to the overall story. You don't miss anything by not reading them, but when the author references them subtly in the novel, you pick up on it. It's a fun little extra that gives you a chance to learn more about characters that don't control the story. When you are used to seeing everything from one character's perspective, it's nice to get to know those who are helping that character get to their goal, and find out what their own end goals are.

I love forward to novellas almost as much as I look forward to the next novel in the series. They can make you care about someone you thought you disliked, or just let you swoon over a nice little romance scene that didn't make it into the novels. Either way, I think they are a great extra to series and I'd love to see more of them.

Are you a fan of novellas? Do you read them? Let me know!

Review: Perfect Ruin

Perfect Ruin
Author: Lauren DeStefano
Published: October 1, 2013
Hardcover, 356 pages
5 Gold Stars

(summary from Goodreads)

On Internment, the floating island in the clouds where 16-year-old Morgan Stockhour lives, getting too close to the edge can lead to madness. Even though Morgan's older brother, Lex, was a Jumper, Morgan vows never to end up like him. She tries her best not to mind that her life is orderly and boring, and if she ever wonders about the ground, and why it is forbidden, she takes solace in best friend Pen and her betrothed, Basil.

Then a murder, the first in a generation, rocks the city. With whispers swirling and fear on the wind, Morgan can no longer stop herself from investigating, especially when she meets Judas. He is the boy being blamed for the murder — betrothed to the victim — but Morgan is convinced of his innocence. Secrets lay at the heart of Internment, but nothing can prepare Morgan for what she will find — or who she will lose.

There are stories that you read where the setting is a character all on its own. Stories that whisk you off to a faraway land. Some of these lands are wonderful places where dreams come true, but others may look beautiful and magical from the outside, but inside they are no different than ours. Internment, a city in the sky, is a perfectly run community. A train keeps everyone inside and people know not to go to the edge. Those who go to the edge never come back the same, if they come back at all. Morgan is content not knowing about what's over the edge. She is excited to start her adult life with her betrothed, Basil, But when a girl ends up murdered, suddenly life on Internment is not as magical as it once was. There are lockdowns, rumours, and more murders. Suddenly the edge doesn't seem so bad after all.

DeStefano has proven her ability to create dystopian societies. Her Chemical Garden trilogy drew a picture of a world where everyone dies young and a girl fighting to change that. Her characters are strong and curious, eager to know why things are the way they are. Morgan is no different. She is a dreamer fighting the urge to do what her older brother did, find the edge and try to leave Internment. Through her eyes, we see how she first feels about Internment: safe, happy, free. After the murders and attempts on her family's lives, the only thing she wants to do is leave. The character development is solid. The first half of the book reads like a life, day to day activities that seem mundane but all have hidden meanings. Internments is magical, a city in the sky claimed by the Gods to create a new, better society. When people start to doubt the Gods, the city turns to shambles and the only way Morgan can be save is to leave the island. 

The wonderful thing about this book is the way the words flow through the pages. Morgan's voice is almost old fashioned and the subtle look of things on Internment creates a picture so clear in my mind. Simple hints of steampunk turns what could be an ordinary city into an illusion of greatness. Each year, Internment has a Festival of Stars, where each resident puts a wish on a wishing tree as a prayer to the Gods. This simple tradition makes Internment what it is and reminds us that they are on a floating city high above the clouds, far from anything else. I was drawn to Internment, wishing I too could live up in the stars, but as the story went on and Morgan discovered more about the place she was living, I understood why she would want to leave. When there is that hope of something more, something different, we as humans have an instinct to explore it. When the ground suddenly seems like the only choice, it's no wonder Morgan takes the opportunity to find it.

This book was the perfect beginning to a new series. I know the next book will be completely different, but I'm excited to see where DeStefano takes these characters and how they survive after what they've already been through. She has a fantastic ability to take readers into a magical world, make us fall in love with it, and that turn it into something we dread. Either way, I'll still look up into the sky and dream of a city high above the clouds where you can see the stars up close. 

“We accept gods that don't speak to us. We accept gods that would place us in a world filled with injustices and do nothing as we struggle. It's easier than accepting that there's nothing out there at all, and that, in our darkest moments, we are truly alone.” 

Waiting on Wednesday: To All the Boys I've Loved Before

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's pre-publication "can't wait to read" selection is:

To All the Boys I've Loved Before
Author: Jenny Han
Hardcover, 368 pages
Expected Publication Date: April 15, 2014

(summary from Goodreads)

Lara Jean's love life goes from imaginary to out of control in this heartfelt novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Summer I Turned Pretty series.

What if all the crushes you ever had found out how you felt about them--all at once?

Lara Jean Song keeps her love letters in a hatbox her mother gave her. They aren't love letters that anyone else wrote for her; these are ones she's written. One for every boy she's ever loved--five in all. When she writes, she pours out her heart and soul and says all the things she would never say in real life, because her letters are for her eyes only. Until the day her secret letters are mailed, and suddenly, Lara Jean's love life goes from imaginary to out of control.

Han impressed me so much with the Summer series. I fell in love with her characters and her writing. Fire with Fire also blew me away, so I'm very excited to see what else she has in store. The description of this book looks like it will be an emotional roller coaster, not unlike the Summer series. It sounds like there will be some laughter, tears, and hopefully a happy ending. 

What book are you impatiently waiting for?

Top Ten Tuesday: Sequels I'm Dying For

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. Every week they post a new topic that the participants come up with a top ten list for.

This week is about sequels we can't wait to get our hands on, and if there's something I love best, it's sequels. 

1. The Retribution of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin (The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer #3): The final book in the Mara Dyer trilogy is for sure going to be just as mind blowing as the first two. There's no telling how this story will end.


2. Cress by Marissa Meyer (The Lunar Chronicles #3): The Lunar Chronicles have impressed me so much thus far, and this one (which is about Rapunzel!) looks like it will be a nice addition to the tales.


3. Split Second by Kasie West (Pivot Point #2): Pivot Point was so much fun to read. I loved the thought about being able to choose your own path in life.

4. Perfect Lies by Kiersten White (Mind Games #2): Mind Games was as confusing as it was fantastic. There were times where I wasn't sure what was happening, but I loved it too much to stop. I'm sure this one will be equally as crazy. 


5. Ignite Me by Taherah Mafi (Shatter Me #3): Juliette's journey thus far has taken her far from where we first found her, alone in a room. Now we'll find out what the world has planned for her. 


6. The Worlds We Make by Megan Crewe (The Way We Fall #3): A great Canadian series about a virus spreading throughout Canada and killing those it infects. The conclusion is bound to take it all to a new level.

7. Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins (Anna and the French Kiss #3): Each book in this series is wonderful on its own and even better since they all connect together. The prefect contemporary romance, I can't wait for the final, sweet love connection.


8. Into the Still Blue by Veronica Rossi (Under the Never Sky #3): One of the best dystopian series I've read, I can't wait to see how Rossi ends this perfect series and wonderful characters. 


And a few that are out but I haven't had a chance to pick up yet:

9. Champion by Marie Lu (Legend #3): Ok, so this just came out today but I may not be able to get my hands on it for awhile. I've been waiting for the conclusion of this series since I finished Prodigy, with it's heartbreaking cliffhanger. 


10. The House of Hades by Rick Riordan (Heroes of Olympus #5): Another book I just haven't picked up yet, I can't wait to revisit Percy and his friends and find out if or how they escape 

from the doom they've landed in. 


Anyone else excited for these books? What are some sequels you're waiting for?