Posts Tagged: houghton mifflin

Book Review- Illuminate

11 Jun, 2012 by in Uncategorized Leave a comment

Illuminate
by Aimee Agresti
Hardback, 511 pages
Published:  March 6th 2012
by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
ISBN   054762614
Book Source: Publisher
2 Stars
Book Summary From Goodreads: Haven Terra is a brainy, shy high school outcast. But everything begins to change when she turns sixteen. Along with her best friend Dante and their quiet and brilliant classmate Lance, she is awarded a prestigious internship in the big city— Chicago—and is sent to live and work at a swanky and stylish hotel under the watchful eyes of a group of gorgeous and shockingly young-looking strangers: powerful and alluring hotel owner Aurelia Brown; her second-in-command, the dashing Lucian Grove; and their stunning but aloof staff of glamazons called The Outfit.
     As Haven begins falling for Lucian, she discovers that these beautiful people are not quite what they seem. With the help of a mysterious book, she uncovers a network of secret passageways from the hotel’s jazz-age past that leads her to the heart of the evil agenda of Aurelia and company: they’re in the business of buying souls. Will they succeed in wooing Haven to join them in their recruitment efforts, or will she be able to thwart this devilish set’s plans to take the souls of her classmates on prom night at the hotel?
     Illuminate is an exciting saga of a teen’s first taste of independence, her experience in the lap of luxury, and her discovery she may possess strength greater than she ever knew.
Review by ephrielle:
This book not only is huge but it felt so long. It took most of a week for me to get through two thirds of it. It seemed to improve around three hundred pages. The story and the characters all started to flow and pique my interest. This quickly faded back to less than exciting and then into a confused mess of chaos.

Early on the vibe I got from this book was something very similar to Another Faust by 















Content: Mild to moderate violence

About the author: Aimee Agresti is an entertainment journalist with ten years of experience writing, editing, and chatting up celebrities. A former staff writer for Us Weekly magazine, she has interviewed everyone from Angelina Jolie and George Clooney to the stars of The Hills, and even penne

d the magazine’s coffee table book Inside Hollywood.

In addition to Us, her work has appeared in People, Premiere, DC Magazine, The Washington Post, Boston magazine, Women’s Health, Mademoiselle, and the New York Observer. She lives in Washington, DC.


Find more about author Aimee Agresti on TwitterWebsite/ Blog

Book Review-The Vespertine

10 Jan, 2011 by in saundra mitchell, the vespertine, YA historical fiction, ya paranormal 18 comments

The Vespertine
by Saundra Mitchell
304 pages
Expected publication: March 7, 2011
by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Children’s
ISBN0547482477
5 stars

It’s the summer of 1889, and Amelia van den Broek is new to Baltimore and eager to take in all the pleasures the city has to offer. But her gaiety is interrupted by disturbing, dreamlike visions she has only at sunset—visions that offer glimpses of the future. Soon, friends and strangers alike call on Amelia to hear her prophecies. However, a forbidden romance with Nathaniel, an artist, threatens the new life Amelia is building in Baltimore. This enigmatic young man is keeping secrets of his own—still, Amelia finds herself irrepressibly drawn to him.

When one of her darkest visions comes to pass, Amelia’s world is thrown into chaos. And those around her begin to wonder if she’s not the seer of dark portents, but the cause.

The Vespertine was a full sensory experience for me. I wanted to savor every page and soak in every detail. The first pull came from the fact that the majority of the novel is set in Baltimore, Maryland close to my childhood home. Main character Amelia van Broek describes places I know by heart and the sunsets she describes are ones I’ve seen. What most struck me about this book is that I truly felt the plot as if through Amelia’s eyes, I saw things as if I were there. I sympathized with her chosen fate and her motivation.

Written in first person poetic prose The Vespertine has an ethereal feel peppered with historical and paranormal elements. The back history is well researched and author Saundra Mitchell adds finishing touches that make it authentic to the Victorian age.. The tone is pulled between dark and tragic overlapped with frivolity during Amelia’s first summer season with her cousin Zora. The girls enjoy lighthearted outings with friends, picnics and archery. Their friendship as cousins is endearing and deep. All seems well enough, until Amelia begins to see glimmers of the future, premonitions that come at sunset. Soon the home is flooded with calling cards and visits from others seeking their fortune. When future telling turns to prophecies fulfilled all begin to question if Amelia possesses the power to make her foretold events come true.

1889 in Baltimore is also a summer of looking for the perfect husband, a coming of age. Formal dances with dresses made of lace and organza as well as courting and interested callers. Zora, Amelia’s cousin has her heart set on Thomas Rae, son of the local doctor. He is genuine and of impeccable manners, my favorite character in The Vespertine. Amelia, on the other hand, is dangerously and mysteriously drawn to Nathaniel Witherspoon, a fourteenth by profession– one hired to round out the odd 13 number at dinner parties. He’s an artist who smells of turpentine and oil paints, one below Amelia’s society. I personally found him a little creepy, but captivating none the less. Nathaniel holds a secret and Amelia wants to know more.

Words can’t describe how much I enjoyed this book. Everything from the beautiful poetic writing to the minor details of dress making and courtship. The Vespertine is more than just a book, it an emotional journey that will whisper to you long after you’ve shut the pages. Everything about it is haunting and lush. Saundra Mitchell masterfully writes in the actual voice of a young girl in the Victorian age; it’s is authentic, moving, and magical. I can not wait for the companion novel Spring Sweet to be released in 2012.

Thanks so much to Houghton Mifflin and Netgalley for allowing me to step into the world that is The Vespertine. Learn more by visiting http://www.thevespertine.com/

Saundra Mitchell has generously offered a tiny taste of The Vespertine for you, the readers of Fire and Ice. Delight in dance cards, sandalwood fans and more by filling out this form. Three winners will be drawn February 11, 2012.