ARC Review ~ Griffin Rising by Darby Karchut

Title: Griffin Rising
Author: Darby Karchut
Release Date: June 28, 2011

Synopsis:

For Griffin, it's time to angel up.

For centuries, rumors have abounded of a lowly caste of supernatural beings known as the Terrae Angeli. Armed with the power to control Earth, Fire, Wind and Water, these warriors secretly serve as guardians for mortals in danger.

But for one young angel-in-training, Griffin, life is hell as a cruel master makes his apprenticeship a nightmare. On the verge of failing, a new mentor, Basil, enters his life and changes it forever. It is their father-and-son relationship, sometimes turbulent, often hilarious, always affectionate, that sings through the story like a pure note.

Masquerading as the average teen next door, Griffin struggles to learn his trade, navigate the ups and downs of modern life among humans (including falling in love with the girl next door), and prepare for the ancient trial-by-combat every apprentice must pass at sixteen or be forced to become mortal.

Review:

I was approached a few months back by the author to read and review Griffin Rising on my blog.  Up until that point I had not even heard of this book.  I'm really glad that the author approached me, if she hadn't I might have missed out on a PHENOMENAL debut YA novel.  Griffin Rising is what my co-workers and I refer to as Awesome Sauce.  Let's put it this way, the "Awesome Sauce" list is REALLY short....The Hunger Games trilogy, No Mercy, Mercy Kill and Griffin Rising are it.

What I really liked about Griffin Rising is that the book is actually a coming of age story disguised as an angel adventure. Once I started reading I was instantly attracted to characters, even the evil Nicopolis.  I also felt that I was better able to connect with the characters via their journal entries.  I really enjoyed at the contrast that Darby brought to the character of Griffin.  I enjoyed following Fin through his struggles as not only an angel apprentice, training for his ultimate test, but also a teenager.  At times Griffin showed that he was wise beyond his years and at other times he was kind of a smart ass and your "typical" teenager.

One of my favorite parts of the whole book was the actual relationship between Griffin and his Mentor Basil.  Basil comes into Griffin's life after Griffin is removed from his former Mentor Nicopolis who happened to be extremely abusive and rooting for Griffin to fail (Nicopolis sounds like a real winner!).  When Basil enters Griffin's life everything starts to change for the better.  But it still takes Griffin a long time to start opening up to his new Mentor.

Then not long before Griffin is scheduled to take his test a mortal teenage girl, Katie, moves in across the street.  A sweet teen love develops which adds a whole new dimension to the story.  That is when things get real interesting between Basil, Griffin and their new neighbors.

Shortly before Griffin's test, Basil receives word that Griffin's past is going to come back to haunt him.  Does Griffin pass his ultimate test?  To find out your going to have to pick up a copy of Griffin Rising.

Rating:

5+/5

Where I Belong by Gwendolyn Heasley

Title:  Where I Belong
Author: Gwendolyn Heasley


Synopsis:


Meet Corrinne. She's living every girl's dream in New York City—shopping sprees at Barneys, open access to the best clubs and parties, and her own horse at the country club. Her perfect life is perfectly on track. At least it was. . . .

When Corrinne's father is laid off, her world suddenly falls apart. Instead of heading to boarding school, she's stripped of her credit cards and shipped off to the boonies of Texas to live with her grandparents. On her own in a big public school and forced to take a job shoveling manure, Corrinne is determined to get back to the life she's supposed to be living. She doesn't care who she stomps on in the process. But when Corrinne makes an unlikely friend and discovers a total hottie at work, she begins to wonder if her life B.R.—before the recession—was as perfect as it seemed.

Review:

I got this one out of my local library.  When I started reading it I had a hard time putting it down once I got started.  I thought it was that good.  Though I did find a couple things that I didn't care for...Not many though.

In the beginning of the book I thought that Corrinne was pretty much a wanna be "Paris Hilton" (you have no idea how much Paris Hilton annoys me.).  I didn't really care for her very much at all. Then her dad gets laid off from his job.  And life gets really REAL for Corrinne.

I thought after she and her little brother arrived in Texas, that as much conflict as there was when they first arrived between Corrinne and her grandmother, that she became pretty "normal".  She wasn't doing the things that she was able to do in her old life.  If she wanted to survive she had to eat her grandma's fatty food, which meant she had to stop counting calories and watching her carbs.  She actually had to work, GASP SHOCK!  She actually had to go to PUBLIC SCHOOL, GASP SHOCK!  It turns out her first friend at public school is a cheerleader!

The farther I got into the book the more like able Corrinne became.  She started putting others before herself.  She did have a slight "relapse" when she met a rocker and thought they should be together, though it didn't take her long to see through him.  Then there was the "normal" guy who saw right through her from the start and by the end of the book there is potential there for a relationship.

Besides the Corrinne from the beginning of the book, I didn't really like the scene where Corrinne's friend from her B.R. life comes to visit.  Here Corrinne is turning her life around and making due and here comes her friend purposely trying to make things difficult for her.

I hope that there is another book.  The end of this one was to me anyway, a cliff hanger.

RATING:

4/5