Let me start all of this just by saying how much I adore this cover. You guys know I am a cover junkie and this is one of my favorites. I am 'curiouser and curiouser' to see how they will handle book two's cover since this one is so brilliant!
Author: Heather Lyon's
Publication Date: October 23, 2014
Publisher: Cerulean Books
Genre: Fantasy, New Adult
Age Recommendation: 17 and up
Rating: 5 stars
Book Description:
From the
author of the Fate series and The Deep End of the Sea comes a fantastical
romantic adventure that has Alice tumbling down the strangest rabbit hole yet.
After years
in Wonderland, Alice has returned to England as an adult, desperate to reclaim
sanity and control over her life. An enigmatic gentleman with an intriguing job
offer too tempting to resist changes her plans for a calm existence, though.
Soon, she’s whisked to New York and initiated into the Collectors’ Society, a
secret organization whose members confirm that famous stories are anything but
straightforward and that what she knows about the world is only a fraction of
the truth.
It’s there
she discovers villains are afoot—ones who want to shelve the lives of countless
beings. Assigned to work with the mysterious and alluring Finn, Alice and the
rest of the Collectors’ Society race against a doomsday clock in order to
prevent further destruction . . . but will they make it before all their
endings are erased?
My Review:
This is one of those books where you have to sit back and question an author's sanity because how the hell did they ever come up with this amazingly insane and totally unique idea if not for a bit of insanity on their parts. All I can say is thank goodness for Heather Lyon's and her crazy thoughts, Collector's Society is......I can't even explain it, just know that it IS, this quote from the book IS everything.
“Let us, in this moment, focus on those who find books to be an escape
or an extension of their imagination. These readers see, within their
mind’s eye, the characters and settings in the pages below their
fingers. They feel the emotions woven between worlds. They live through
every heartache, every embrace, every terror. Books, to these people,
become tangible, living things. The characters they read become genuine
souls. – People like this are often accused of living within their
fantasies. They’re said to have their noses stuck in books.” - Van Brunt
Tell me that didn't take your breath for a minute. I know after I read that passage all I could do was sit there staring at the words wondering at how easily Heather Lyon's summed me as a reader up and yet how utterly complex it all is. That is this book, it is utterly complex in its simplicity, it is captivating, it is thought provoking, it is beautiful and harsh. It will suck you right down the 'rabbit hole' and not let you go until the end.
This is not the Alice of your childhood, this Alice's story has been full of heart ache, battle, love, and loss. This Alice is a (hardened) fierce warrior, she is a woman who takes in every detail, a woman who will not back down, this is a strong heroine who will fight her battles proudly and protect those she cares for and those who can not protect themselves.
"Don't treat me gently, Finn. My looks are deceiving. I will not break, no matter how many times I am thrown to the ground." - Alice
I am honestly amazed and in awe of her fierceness, this is the Alice you never even realized you wanted when you read Alice in Wonderland. This is the Alice she had to be and she is amazing.
The Collector's Society is told form Alice's point of view (single person POV) and while I normally like to hear the thoughts of all the main characters I found that Alice is all you need here. She is a strong voice (as our fierce warrior should be) and I never felt as though my understanding of events was lacking even though it was all one sided. I will say I would definitely not mind a certain some ones POV at a later time. *Grins like the Cheshire Cat*
I know that you have heard me say this other times, but there is only so much I can tell you about this book with out giving things away and I do so hate spoilers. What I can tell you is this book will pull you in, the concept, the worlds, the characters they live in those pages, you can feel their beating hearts with every turn of the page. Heather Lyon's does more than write about them she brings them to life in a way that you would never expect. In a way that tugs at your own heart and begs you to join them; if only we could fall through a 'rabbit hole'.
"In Paginis Mundus invenimus. In verbis vitam invenimus. In pages, we find worlds. In words, we find life." - Van Brunt
While I consider this to be a fantasy book in genre I recommend this book to everyone. There is something in here that every reader will love. Romance, mystery, fantasy, SciFi... There is a poetry to Heather's words that will captivate you a realness to her characters that will make you wonder if we aren't all just a character in our own Timelines. I can honestly not say enough good things about this book, it is absolutely one of my favorite reads of the year and I am so anxious for more. It may take you a minute to figure out what is going on, but once you do you will be amazed and hooked! Do not miss this book!!!!
* P.S. don't worry about writing down all the books and trying desperately to figure out who came from where...Heather seemingly knew that we readers would have minor palpitations trying to keep them all straight, figure them all out and gave us a lovely little bibliography in the back. Breathe deep readers and just let yourself go into this amazing world! *
Heather Lyons has always had a thing for words—she’s been writing stories
since she was a kid. In addition to writing, she’s also been an archaeologist
and a teacher. Heather is a rabid music fan, as evidenced by her (mostly)
music-centric blog, and she’s married to an even larger music snob. They’re
happily raising three kids who are mini music fiends who love to read and be
read to.
Selene Castrovilla is an award-winning teen and children’s author who
believes that through all trends, humanity remains at the core of
literature. She is the author of Saved By the Music and The Girl Next Door,
teen novels originally published by WestSide Books and now available
digitally through ASD Publishing. Her third children’s book with Calkins
Creek Books, Revolutionary Friends, was released in April 2013. She is also a contributing author to UncommonYA.
Selene holds an MFA in creative writing from New School University and a
BA in English from New York University. She lives on Long Island with
her two sons. Visit her website www.SeleneCastrovilla.com for book excerpts and more information!
