With Malice, by Eileen Cook

Jill wakes up in the hospital suffering from a broken leg and severe head trauma that's caused her to completely forget the past six weeks of her life. She doesn't remember her trip to Italy or the accident that caused her injuries and killed her best friend, Simone. She soon learns that the accident has made national headlines and that there is a investigation into what really happened (however, Simone's family and most everyone else thinks Jill is to blame). Some sources say it wasn't even an accident, but murder.

News reports, police interviews, blog posts, and communications between the girls and their families/friends before and after the "accident" attempt to piece together the story, but only Jill knows the whole truth of what really happened. 

And Jill can't remember any of it.

Or can she?

When I first heard about Eileen Cook's novel With Malice, it was billed as being a mystery worthy of We Were Liars (E. Lockhart), a book I couldn't put down and raved about to just about anyone who would listen. Needless to say, I was super excited to read it.

By now, I should know better than to listen to hype and comparisons to favorite books. About the only thing the two books shared was a wealthy main character with amnesia. With Malace held none of the magic and mystery and romance of We Were Liars. Instead, there was just lots and lots of catty mean girl drama with mystery and thriller elements mixed in for flavor (although by the end, I was so fed up with all the Drama I could have cared less what happened to the characters). The way Jill finally regains her memory feels almost too almost convenient, and ending is too neatly wrapped-up.

If you're looking for a good mystery, there are better options. --AJB

Unreliable Narrators

For many, trust (or the ability to trust) is a very important factor when it comes to interacting with both strangers and the people they know. So why should it be any different with characters in books? Particularly when it comes to first-person narrators.

Because the alternative makes for a more interesting story. Thus, the popularity of the Unreliable Narrator.

Sometimes these narrators are being intentionally dishonest and the truth is revealed as the story unfolds. Other times, the narrator themself is in the dark about what's going on around them and must uncover the mystery along with the reader. Either way, such narrators make for real page-turners that often come paired with jaw-droppingly shocking endings!

Because these sort of books are so awesome, we've set up a whole display to spotlight them. This can be found along the top of the "New" book shelf.

Some of MY personal favorite books with Unreliable Narrators are:

Going Bovine, by Libba Bray: Cameron is diagnosed with Mad Cow Disease, a fatal sickness that will eat away at his mind and body until he eventually bites it. While languishing in the hospital, he is approached by a pink-haired angel who assigns him the task of saving the universe. Accompanied by a neurotic dwarf and cursed Norse god, Cameron embarks on this grand quest.

We Were Liars, by E. Lockhart: Two years ago, Cady was in some sort of accident that caused amnesia and terrible migraines.  All she knows is her friends, the Liars, were somehow involved. No one will tell Cady what happened. Not her family, not the Liars, not her own mother. They all say the same thing, that she must remember on her own. When she finally does remember, nothing is the same.

Chime, by Franny Billingsley: Briony is a witch. Her step mother told her as much just before she died. This is why her sister is the way she is, why her father's home was almost swept away in a flood--and then half destroyed by a fire. Briony must hide the truth about herself or else be hanged. It is only when a handsome stranger comes to stay with her family does Briony start to question her step mother's claim. Because witches can't cry. Or love. 

The Adoration of Jenna Fox, by Mary Pierson: Jenna can't remember anything about her life before the accident that claimed the lives of her two best friends. All she has is a box of old home movie videos. As Jenna watches, she learns about her life. But it isn't until she views the last movie, the one that her mother hid from her, that she learns who--or what--she really is.

--AJB

Back to Scarborough Fair

Lucy Scarborough might have broken the curse that plagued the women in her family for 400 years, but Fenella Scarborough (the girl who started the whole mess in the first place) is still stuck in the Faerie Realm, impossibly long-lived and taunted by the very creature who cursed her family. Desperate to become mortal so she can die, Fenella strikes a bargain with the Faerie Queen: If she can commit three acts of destruction to counter the original curse's acts of creation, she will become 100% mortal and be free of all ties to Faerie. Fenella agrees--even after she discovers the destructive acts must be committed against her own family. Thus, Fenella returns to Earth and, after she gains the trust of Lucy and her family, instantly begins to do whatever she can to sabotage their safety, their love, and their hope. And if she refuses or fails? The Scarborough women will once again be victims of the original curse. Eventually Fenella succeeds in the destructive acts, freeing herself and, by association, her family from all ties to Faerie. But how can her family accept her after all the terrible things she's done? The fact Fenella got herself into such a terrible mess is Unthinkable.

This sequel to Impossible (2008) fails to measure up to its predecessor. Unlike Lucy, who the reader can certainly root for, Fenella is a selfish, untrustworthy, unlikable character who never manages to redeem herself in the eyes of the reader. How can one feel anything but scorn for a character who purposefully does terrible things (arson? kidnapping? attempted murder?) to characters the reader already knows and likes? Worse, beloved characters are reduced to cardboard cutouts of their former selves. Even spotty romance feels forced. The one bright spot is Fenella's faerie feline helper, who is snarky, funny, and does a complete 180 by the end of the book.  If you liked Impossible, my advice is to skip Unthinkable. It'll only spoil the original story for you. --AJB