TEEN BOOK BLOG

BOOK REVIEW: A Declaration of the Rights of Magicians by H.G. Parry

Reviewed by Brianna

CATEGORY: Adult books for Teens

A Declaration of the Rights of Magicians is a complex and immersive historical fiction novel - and a fantasy complete with telekinesis, weather-bending, and vampires - by H.G. Parry. It’s set in the times of the French and Haitian revolutions, with three sets of settings and characters: William Pitt and William Wilberforce in Britain, Maximilien Robespierre and Camille Desmoulins in France, and Fina and Toussaint Louverture in Saint-Domingue.

Some people are mesmers, who can influence the minds of others. Some control fire, some create living shadows. But in Britain, France, and Haiti, our three settings, not everyone is permitted to use these powers. French commoner magic-users are forced to wear bands which shriek whenever they use their powers. One of William Pitt’s first cases as a lawyer is arguing for commoners’ right to use these abilities in defense of their loved ones. Slaves are bound with mesmer magic to complete, terrifying obedience. The movement to change these facts of life is the main thrust of the plot, intertwined with the scheming of a mysterious figure in the background manipulating events.

I went into this book knowing a lot about Robespierre, and practically nothing about what was going on outside of France. Parry’s understanding of Robespierre’s character is far more accurate and engaging than practically any other work of fiction about the French Revolution written in English. The foreshadowing in his sections made me squeal. In the British and Haitian segments, the thorough worldbuilding ensured I never felt left behind. The parallels created between Pitt and Robespierre (and their relationships to Wilberforce and Camille, respectively) were shocking, yet fitting - and in retrospect, inevitable.

The setting and magic system will suck you in, the characters will make you laugh, and the ending will tear out your heart and stomp on it until you break down in tears. (In a good way.) Perfect five out of five stars, I’ve already gotten the next book in the series.

ABOUT THE REVIEWER:
Brianna is a teen attending high school in Cy-Fair ISD. Her favorite genres are dystopian, fantasy, and historical fiction.

Reviewed by Bella

Summary:

    Renegades is an action-packed novel about superheroes and villains. The story takes place in a world where many people have supernatural abilities, and these people are better known as prodigies. A few of these prodigies form a group called the Renegades, the superhero group that ultimately saves the world from evil and brings peace to an already crumbling society….. Or not, depending  on who you ask. Nova Artino is a villain with a past working with the Anarchists,  and she wants nothing more than to take down the Renegades. Meanwhile, Adrian Everhart is legacy Renegade and wants to be a person that people look up to, maybe not just as a prodigy superhero. Everything changes when Nova gets the opportunity to infiltrate the Renegades and learn their secrets. Along the way, she meets Adrian and they both learn that everything that they were taught might not be as black and white as they thought.

My Thoughts (SPOILER FREE):
    Can I just say….. I really, really loved this book! I thought it had so much going for it and there were definitely some plot twists I was not expecting. What I found really interesting about this book in particular, was the concept. I have read countless fantasies about people with extraordinary powers that have to save the world, but this was the first time I have ever read a story where the plot has to do with actual superheroes, villains, and a modern society. It felt like I was reading about a Marvel or DC superhero world. Additionally, I appreciated the fact that this wasn’t a typical superhero story. One of the main protagonists, Nova Artino, is a villain and it was interesting to see her motives and point of view vs. Adrian’s. Because of the opposite pov’s, the story definitely goes into politics and there are plenty of debates about how society has been doing since the Renegades took over, which I found captivating to read. Lastly, I will say that the end definitely surprised me and I can’t wait to see where the story goes from here on out.

Personally, I’ve also thought that characters are the most important part of a good story. The main characters Adrian and Nova, are complex and well written. I especially loved Adrian’s lively character and how it contrasted to more Nova’s sly character. I do hope we get to see more of Nova’s personality in the future because through this book her thoughts and actions were primarily  focused on the matters at hand. I will say it was heartbreaking to learn about her past and I understand how it became her motive for being a villain. In turn, I admired  Adrian’s motives for trying to be a hero in his own way and just how he is going about it (pretty ingenious if you ask me). Surprisingly, I liked the little bit of romance in here and how things turned out in the end considering all that they have to deal with, but I also can’t wait to see where it will be heading in the second and third book.  Along with the main characters,  I enjoyed reading about the side characters as well such as Ruby, Max, and Oscar. Their powers are all so unique and unlike any I had ever read about. All of the characters brought so much life to the story and I can’t help but love them all.

Of course, the main point of this kind of story is the plot. I felt as if the first half of the book was a little bit slow but I understand that it was dedicated to creating the exposition and introducing the Renegade world itself. This is the type of book where the state of society is what causes all of the conflict, so making sure to build up the world itself is extremely important. I thought that Marissa Meyer did a pretty good job of explaining the history as well as the current Renegade society. The second half of the book, on the other hand, was faster paced and the action definitely picked up. I couldn’t stop reading until I had finished. The ending is a big cliffhanger and it brings up so many questions as to where the plot is going to go from here. I’m not sure how the rest of the series will turn out now, but I know it’s going to be amazing.

Rating and Final Conclusion:

Overall, I would give this book a 4.5/5. Everything was up my alley and I really enjoyed reading this book. As I already mentioned, I loved the characters, the plot, and the concept as someone who is a big fan of superheroes. For those planning to read it, the beginning might seem to start off slow but I promise it picks up later. I would absolutely recommend this to someone who enjoys reading about superheroes/villains, saving a crumbling society, and fun, loveable characters. 

ABOUT THE REVIEWER:
Bella is an avid book reader who loves all genres and enjoys recommending her recent reads (or favorites) to just about anyone and everyone. She also loves to write, bake, and play music. Bella attends high school in Cy-Fair ISD.

Book Review by Brianna

Eve of Man, by Giovanna and Tom Fletcher, sets readers up to think it will be a teenaged version of The Bachelorette: When females suddenly stop being born, Eve is the only baby girl of her generation. She is protected in a high tower, and when she turns sixteen must choose between three Potential husbands, specially picked for their perfect genetic compatibility with her. But as Eve slowly realizes that her life is built on lies, she falls for someone else - Bram, one of three “pilots” tasked with pretending to be Holly, Eve’s virtual confidant and friend.

There are two separate worlds to explore: a real, flooded city, fraught with discontent and danger, and Eve’s Dome; a manufactured fantasy. Eve can only learn about the real world through guesses and implication. She is shown realistically and logically musing that her education could easily be the result of historical revisionism, even before she’s presented with any evidence. She says of the books she’s given, “I know they hold some back from me, because most of the ones I’ve read were written hundreds of years ago - I’ve made a note of their publication dates.” Bram lives outside her Dome but still in the tower, and he starts his journey by passively observing protesters demanding that Eve be freed - called Freevers - and remarking that they “will fail.” Their journeys of repression, disillusion, and hope could make even the most mild-mannered and obedient teenager (by which I mean me, haha) cheer every spark of rebellion.

Eve and Bram represent a natural, loving couple, and are contrasted to the manufactured and impersonal relationships Eve is expected to have with a Potential. The narrative’s aversion to the meddling of science in reproduction almost borders on Luddism, but the end result is that Bram and Eve’s relationships to one another, their parental figures, and their friends feel genuine and progress smoothly.

This story of love and disillusion, which fans of the Matched and Delirium series will adore, is the first in a trilogy I’m excited to see more of.  

ABOUT THE REVIEWER:
Brianna is a teen attending high school in Cy-Fair ISD. Her favorite genres are dystopian, fantasy, and historical fiction.

Book Review by Bella

Summary:
All Eyes On Her is a thrilling story filled with teenage angst, betrayal, love quarrels, and gripping revelations. This story follows the mystery surrounding 17 year old Tabitha (better known as Tabby) who allegedly killed her boyfriend, Mark, by pushing him off a cliff while they were out on a picnic date. The case is told through the eyes of Bridget, Keegan, Lou and Elle, who are all current friends or enemies of Tabitha. Throughout the story, we follow the events leading up to the death of Mark and what might have pushed Tabby to the edge, all with some shocking secrets being discovered along the way.

My Thoughts (SPOILER FREE):
This is definitely a good mystery novel to read. What I loved the most about this book is how the author structured the story. Throughout the novel, there are glimpses of newspaper articles, diary entries, police interviews, and different perspectives on certain events. This makes the reader feel as if they are a detective trying to figure out who is guilty and who is not. Additionally, I was shocked to see that Tabby’s point of view is not explored until the very end. Instead, the story is told from the points of view of different characters including  Bridget (Tabby’s sister), Elle (Tabby’s best friend), Keegan (Mark’s best friend), and Lou (Tabby’s “rival”). I think that the author did a phenomenal job at creating individual voices for all of these characters as it is easy to tell their personalities apart. I also liked getting to see the reasoning behind their actions as well as their opinions on the case. It was definitely interesting to see some of the same occurrences from opposing sides. I believe that is what makes this such a compelling murder mystery.

The plot had its twists and I was definitely shocked at some of the revelations. The beginning instantly catches the attention of the reader and gets them hooked. Towards the middle, there were a few times where I felt the story grow stagnant. However, for the most part, the story was captivating. With the events leading up to the investigation, Flynn portrays Tabby as a complex character who people either love or hate. She also does the same for “Golden boy” Mark. I found the resolution to be satisfactory as it was exactly how I imagined it would end. Still, I think that the way the case was closed was exceptional due to finally seeing everything from Tabby’s point of view. Overall, I think the plot was done very well.

Lastly, there are a few things I did not enjoy in this book. The story depicts high school life as a time filled with nothing but parties and relationships, something that modern media tends to romanticize. That is why I personally find it difficult to relate to or enjoy these types of books. In addition, I quickly grew tired of the constant bad-mouthing and unrealistic accusations. There was always at least one character using another’s past against them. In general, there is just an abundance of drama that the characters had to deal with throughout the book, but that is expected as tensions are high with the ongoing case. Finally, I really wished that we could have gotten more detail on some of the bigger discoveries, as they directly impacted the lives of certain characters. Many secrets were left unexplored, thus causing them to divert attention from the main plot. 

Rating and Conclusion:
Personally, I would give All Eyes On Her a 3.6 out of 5 stars. It is definitely not my favorite mystery but I still found it pretty interesting and chilling at certain parts. The story really gets the reader to think about perspective, societal pressures, as well as how people are on the inside vs. the outside. All in all, I would absolutely recommend this book to those who enjoy reading about drama, dark secrets, and detective work.

ABOUT THE REVIEWER:
Bella is an avid book reader who loves all genres and enjoys recommending her recent reads (or favorites) to just about anyone and everyone. She also loves to write, bake, and play music. Bella attends high school in Cy-Fair ISD.