Mini reviews: Ash by Malinda Lo & It Started With A Dare by Lindsay Faith Rech

Publisher: Hodder Children's Books
Pub.Date: March 4th 2010
Age Range: Young Adult
Pages: 291
Format: paperback
Source Of Copy: from the publisher

In the wake of her father’s death, Ash is left at the mercy of her cruel stepmother. Consumed with grief, her only joy comes by the light of the dying hearth fire, re-reading the fairy tales her mother once told her. In her dreams, someday the fairies will steal her away, as they are said to do. When she meets the dark and dangerous fairy Sidhean, she believes that her wish may be granted.

The day that Ash meets Kaisa, the King’s Huntress, her heart begins to change. Instead of chasing fairies, Ash learns to hunt with Kaisa. Though their friendship is as delicate as a new bloom, it reawakens Ash’s capacity for love—and her desire to live. But Sidhean has already claimed Ash for his own, and she must make a choice between fairy tale dreams and true love.


If you love fairy tales or retold stories of those then this is a must read. Honestly I've read a lot of modern fairy tales, including a version of Cinderella, but nothing has come close. The success of this book lies in the fact that Malinda Lo has naturally created an atmosphere that could only be found in fairy tales, yet it's darker, edgier and more vague with magic and all the likes. I don't know how to put it into words but it's like you're reading the original version of Cinderella at the same time a whole different interesting story. The characters are very well built too. Nobody is naturally evil, they're either mean or have different views on life. Things make perfect sense and I also adore the love between Ash and Kaisa. It's just simply serene and beautiful.

I have to say that this book doesn't leave me in awe but it's so well written there's nothing to complain about.

Rating: 4/5


Publisher: Graphia
Pub.Date: September 13th 2010
Age Range: Young Adult
Pages: 312
Format: ARC
Source Of Copy: from the publisher
Self-proclaimed nobody CG Silverman sees her move to an upscale new school as her chance to be somebody different. Her devil-may-care attitude attracts the in-clique, and before CG realizes it, a routine game of truth or dare launches her to iconic status. While this rebel image helps secure CG’s newfound popularity, it also propels her through a maze of unprecedented chaos, with each new lie and every dare opening doors that, in most cases, were better off left shut. CG is on a collision course with disaster. Will she be able to keep up the façade? Or will the whole world find out she’s a fraud.


A typical story with a twist. It's straightforward, it's daring, it's fun and therefore it makes a nice quick read. Each chapter brings on something new and makes the story more complicated than ever. The characters are rather realistic so you can totally relate - some are stranger, some are awful and some are super cool as well. I enjoy it a lot so if you read the synopsis and think this book is fun, go for it.

Rating: 3.5/5