Cloaked by Alex Flinn

I've come across quite a few works by Alex Flinn now, and they're all adorable. Flinn doesn't seem to appreciate Disney very much (which from my blog you can probably tell I'm a fan of), but she does love the classic fairy tales and her modern twists are always fun to read. Unlike the other books by Flinn I have written about, Cloaked features not one, but several fairy tales, including lesser ones that even I haven't heard of (mind you, there were only two in her list that I didn't recognize).
Cloaked is the story of Johnny, a seventeen year old boy who repairs shoes in his family's store to try and make ends meet. His life is difficult and rather... boring. When a princess from a European kingdom visits the hotel he works at, Johnny figures he should at least get to see her. Little does he know that he would catch the eye of Princess Victoriana and be sent on a quest to save her brother, the heir to the kingdom and currently, a frog prince. On a mission to rescue a prince and his country, Johnny enters a world of magic, witches, and used-to-be-human animals.
This novel was fun and light although the romance felt randomly thrown in, with way too obvious hints. Of course, the target audience is around pre-teen, middle school age, which is fitting. I really liked the adventure aspect in Flinn's writing. Villains and heroes were clearly divided so although not the most complex read, it was quite entertaining. I enjoyed the simplicity, although from other reviews it appears others do not share the same appreciation. My only real complaint would be that because several of the characters were from Europe, Flinn wrote their dialogue with accents. By this, I mean that the princess would speak like "I vill vait for zat," or something similar. It just felt tacky to me.
I'd recommend this book to those who are looking for a fun, cute book, not something complicated to vex your mind- especially for younger audiences. I rate the book 6.5/10
~Mushu

Don't Look Back by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Samantha was an iconic it girl. Everyone loved her, everyone feared her, everyone wanted to be her. But she loses it all when she and her best friend Cassie go missing for several days and Samantha returns without a single memory. Now, Sam flounders through her once elite life style, struggling to find a place to belong amidst the rivalries and fake smiles. With a second chance to change her life, Sam must define who are her true friends, and who's just aiming for a shot in the limelight. As if dealing with the drama wasn't enough, horrific flashbacks to the nights she was missing forces Sam to remember, Cassie is still missing, and her buried memories could be the only thing keeping Sam safe.
I really enjoyed this book, the themes of friendship and romance were enjoyable additions without dominating the plot. The novel wasn't all goreish with murder like I suspected, so it was a considerably fun read. Don't Look Back was more of a mystery than a dark, horror book, and it's the kind where the killer has reasons and such, not just being an enraged psychopath. I didn't even suspect who the killer was, although I wouldn't deem the ending to be a shocking twist. The novel wasn't like a roller coaster of emotions, it neatly followed the typical arc of a mystery novel without being boring. Armentrout also wraps up her book very nicely and straightforward. Many authors attempt to quickly wrap up the falling action part of the plotline but it ends up rather rushed and messy. Armentrout manages to finish cleanly without leaving readers feeling cut off, which I greatly appreciated.
I'd strongly recommend this to people who enjoyed mysteries at a young age and which to continue reading similar books even as a young adult. I rate the book 8.5/10
~Mushu

Chronicle of a Death Foretold by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

Chronicle of a Death Foretold is the tale of a narrator as he goes around his old town, uncovering more details about the murder of Santiago Nasar, a victim who was killed of a crime he might not have committed, and faced a brutal attack the whole town was capable of preventing.
For those of you who have not yet read this very popular short book, it is especially recognized because of the completely different approach Marquez takes to storytelling. From the beginning, readers already know who the victim is, and who stabbed him. Yet the question remains of who is truly guilty for the events which occurred. As the plot goes on, we learn the motives of each of the characters, and what role they played in the crime. Everyone in the town knew the murder would take place before it did, yet nothing was done to stop it. This provides fascinating insight (and kind of a commentary) on the bystander effect. I am almost certain this is why schools make students read this.
The unique and fascinating approach Marquez uses makes this book worth reading, and the plot itself isn't bad either. The delivery at times is confusing, so I especially emphasize the importance to carefully read the whole book. It is very short, but still a good read.
I rate this book a 7.5/10 for the great writing.
~Mushu

Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

Mare lives in a world divided between commoners of red blood and the supernatural elite with silver blood. The Reds live under severe oppression, forced to do intense labor, or be sent to fight a war of Silvers. Mare, having no particular skills, is bound for the latter. When a chance encounter lands her a job in the palace however, Mare uncovers her own power. A power that shouldn't exist, after all, she's a normal Red. To not cause an uproar, the queen disguises Mare as a lost Silver princess, mixed in with the Reds under special circumstances. Mare must then perform every action carefully, as revealing her true identity would mean death, but also the regal Silvers are bloodthirsty animals, always eager to take out the others. Even with this already treacherous lifestyle, Mare isn't ready to sit back lavishly and marry a prince. She's determined  to overturn the crown from the inside and give equality for the Reds, no matter who she has to use. After all, anyone can betray anyone.
I think Red Queen did wonderfully on showing a new take on equality issues, and it intrigued me how well the conflict between red bloods and silver bloods reflected problems society faces today. Aveyard's writing was excellent, capable of foreshadowing upcoming events without ever making things blatantly obvious. The author didn't hold back at all in bloodshed or betrayal, which was much better than daintily making a character fall off a cliff then come back to life. Red Queen's plot was fascinating from the beginning, but Aveyard's writing takes it to a whole other level. The novel was everything I had hoped it to be and more. I especially loved that despite some romance, Mare makes it very clear she doesn't need it to get things done. Each of the characters, not even just the main character, show a lot of depth. I adored this book.
I would rate this book a 10/10 and highly recommend it.
~Mushu