Review: A Wounded Name by Dot Hutchinson

Title: A Wounded Name
Author: Dot Hutchinson
Series: n/a
Book #: 1
Pages: 320
Reading Level: YA
Book Rating: 
Goodreads Rating: 3.89
Published: Sept. 01, 2013

Sixteen-year-old Ophelia Castellan will never be just another girl at Elsinore Academy. Seeing ghosts is not a skill prized in future society wives. Even when she takes her pills, the bean sidhe beckon, reminding her of a promise to her dead mother.

Now, in the wake of the Headmaster's sudden death, the whole academy is in turmoil, and Ophelia can no longer ignore the fae. Especially once she starts seeing the Headmaster's ghosts- two of them- on the school grounds.

At the center of her crumbling world is Dane, the Headmaster's grieving son. He, too, understands the power of a promise to a parent- even a dead one. To him, Ophelia is the only person not tainted by deceit and hypocrisy, a mirror of his own broken soul. And to Ophelia, Dane quickly becomes everything. Yet even as she gives more of herself to him, Dane slips away. Consumed by suspicion, rage, and madness, he spirals towards his tragic fate- dragging Ophelia, and the rest of Elsinore, with him.

YOU KNOW HOW THIS STORY ENDS.

Yet even in the face of certain death, Ophelia has a choice to make- and a promise to keep. She is not the girl others want her to be. But in Dot Hutchison's dark and sensuous debut novel, the name "Ophelia" is as deeply, painfully, tragically real as "Hamlet"

Taschima's POV:

A Wounded Name is not for everybody. It is not fast and exhilarating, but it is still quite wonderful. Just prepare yourself and give yourself a little time to sink into the prose, and do not hurry it or expect to be finish with it too soon. Don't rush it, just sink into it. Maybe then Ophelia's madness and frank words, which she only seems to be able to tell herself, will be able to enthrall you. I have never been a big fan of Shakespeare, but after reading A Wounded Name I find myself wondering if I should give the old bard another try.

"There's a girl who could do as he asks, who could take action unfettered by pale thoughts, who could race out into the unknown and trust people to catch her, who could throw herself headfirst into life and forge an unbreakable name, an identity that stands on its own without fathers or brothers or loves who devour and shatter.
I've never been that girl."

This is not a story about redemption. Dot Hutchinson isn't trying to redeem Ophelia's character, make her seem as something more, which she isn't and never has been, to a new contemporary audience. Ophelia isn't strapping on the kick ass boots and leaving behind an antiquated kind of world. Ophelia isn't a kick ass chick, that is not the girl she is and she herself knows it. The point of A Wounded Name is not to transform this character, it is just to tell the story through the characters eyes, and ultimately if not redeem her then show her through a more sympathetic lens. While many will find the story slow moving, I know I did, and a little old fashion (hello! It is Shakespeare!) perhaps they shall also find themselves captured in the soft spoken yet beautiful writing and it's wonderful descriptions.

"What name do we give the pain? The fury? The grief? What name do we give the part that drowns and the part that dies? What do we call the fragments that remain?
Mine."

The story plays out exactly like it does in the original Hamlet, only some minor tweaks are made. It is set in a contemporary world (they use E-MAIL) yet it holds on tightly to antiquated ways of living. Like, for example, the story is set in a school where Hamlet, the headmaster, dies, and so his brother takes his place. In this school the boys are taught everything by the top professors in the world, they grow to be powerful men, but the girls are only taught how to care for their future husbands and be the best trophy wives. There is another school however that wants to take over this school and change the regime in order to teach girls as they should be taught (in a contemporary sense). It is a mix of the old with the new, and it serves the novel's purposes quite well.

The tale is told through Ophelia's eyes in first person POV. So you get to experience the madness that plagues the character. Ophelia is a bit of a push over, she finds it hard to stand up for herself, and who wouldn't with the way she was raised. In the novel she had lost her mother eight years before and she still feels the pain. No matter that her mother tried to drown Ophelia along with herself. This all plays out against a rich background of mystical characters such as morgens, the Hunt, bean sidhes, and ghosts. She is a broken girl who gives into the madness that plagues her. Because she is her mother's girl.

There is also very sensual moments scattered throughout. Moments between Ophelia and Dane, the headmaster's son. He is a puzzle of a character, just as the original character was. He is also a little mad, both as in crazy and sorely pissed. Sometimes, most of the time, I wanted to slap these characters upside the head, but then I remembered that this is their purpose. They are not meant to branch into other directions, forge new destinies. There is no happy ending in these pages, but there is a little bit of happiness sprinkled among them. The romance between Ophelia and Dane, while deranged at times, fit their characters and goes with the original play. It is a bit of light among their dark world.

As a contemporary girl who LOVES it when a kick ass girl takes control of her fate, doesn't give up, and defeats her demons (sometimes quite literately) the ending left a sour taste in my mouth. But with the right mind set it is the right ending Ophelia drowns just as she drowns in Hamlet. The only bad thing is that I felt like I needed to see how the story ended, because even know I KNOW how it ends, because it follows the same plot as the original Hamlet, I still felt like Dot Hutchinson managed to make the characters all her own and I wanted to witness their endings as well. Maybe this will hopefully turned out in a novella at some point.

As I previously stated A Wounded Name is not for everybody. It is slow, it has a lot of description, and sometimes it can be quite a handle (Ophelia can describe the same thing in a numerous of different ways). But at the end I feel like I am better off that I read it. I came to really sink into the novel, drowned in its words. And that is no small feat.

Review: The Program by Suzanne Young (A MUST read!)

Title: The Program
Author: Suzanne Young
Series: Program
Book #: 1
Pages: 405
Reading Level: YA
Book Rating: 
Goodreads Rating: 4.00
Published: April 30th, 2013

In Sloane’s world, true feelings are forbidden, teen suicide is an epidemic, and the only solution is The Program.

Sloane knows better than to cry in front of anyone. With suicide now an international epidemic, one outburst could land her in The Program, the only proven course of treatment. Sloane’s parents have already lost one child; Sloane knows they’ll do anything to keep her alive. She also knows that everyone who’s been through The Program returns as a blank slate. Because their depression is gone—but so are their memories.

Under constant surveillance at home and at school, Sloane puts on a brave face and keeps her feelings buried as deep as she can. The only person Sloane can be herself with is James. He’s promised to keep them both safe and out of treatment, and Sloane knows their love is strong enough to withstand anything. But despite the promises they made to each other, it’s getting harder to hide the truth. They are both growing weaker. Depression is setting in. And The Program is coming for them.

Taschima's POV:

"I stand there, clutching my arm and feeling helpless. I'm so violated, so angry, that I think I might completely lose it right now."

 

The Program left me in a puddle of my own feels. I read the book for hours without being able to put it down. At first it's a little slow, true, but it starts to pick up real quick once the bodies start dropping. The Program is so heartbreaking, so honest, that every word just cuts into your soul. I was not expecting what I got, but I am glad I took the leap. The cover may not be the best attention getter, and the premise may sound like a downer (Depression! Oppression! The horror!), but it all comes together once you start reading.

Sloane lives in a world where she needs to be constantly vigilant. If she shows the slightest bit of what can be considered negative emotion she would be in danger of being sent to The Program. The Program is the government's answer to the high number of teen suicide, no one knows who is causing it but they are trying to lower the number. Their answer? Get all the teens corralled, and erase everything that make them depressed enough to kill themselves. Erased everything that makes them, them.

Sloane can't trust anybody, not her classmates, not her teachers, and more importantly not her parents. Ever since her brother killed himself, her parents have been more on edge than ever. The slightest hint of depression and she will be shipped out to The Program. The only people she can trust are her closest friends (Miller), and the love of her live, James. Before long however, they are infected too, and Sloane's world will spiral out of control. Nowhere, and no one, is safe from the epidemic, not even Sloane.

In a strange way The Program with its cure for suicide reminded me of Delirium with its cure for love, because in its center both "diseases" have to do with strong emotions that make you fall over the edge. It was fascinating to see the world Suzanne Young creates for us, a world where in order to survive with your memories intact you must act like you are okay 24/7. It is specially fascinating when it comes to teenagers, with the hormonal imbalance and all, because in this raw age you feel so strongly, as if you are experiencing everything for the first and the last time.

The characters in this book are strong as heck. Sloane and James go through so much crap, and come outta the other side a broken mess but strong enough to take it. Sloane is a fighter, but she is of course human. No special abilities to withstand what they do to her. She feels strongly, and sometimes she may feel like she wants to give in, but she never does. It makes you wonder how you would do in her impossible situation.

James as well, though we don't get to see things from his perspective I think we get a very good idea of who he is from Sloane. They are in love, like truly in love. At first it's a downer that they are already together when the book starts, but you get to see how their relationship came to be through flashes. I actually liked it better this way, made more sense when it comes to the story. I loved them together madly, and then they are ripped apart and both of their souls crushed and reshaped...

Let's just say that in various parts of the book I was left feeling like this:

 

At the end I was left with a lot of questions about the Program, and the epidemic on itself. What is causing it? It is mother nature taking it's course? Or is someone, or something, causing the suicide rate to sky rocket? Chemicals perhaps? I don't know, but I am dying to find out. Bring in the next one already! The Program is an enjoyable read, with great characters and an unique (maybe really possible?) premise. Just... be sure to keep some tissues close by when reading. The program is bound to reach into your soul and squeeze tears out in any way it can. Enjoy!

Did You Know? Julie Kagawa does Dragons! New series has been unveiled!

Julie Kagawa may be is one of the best story tellers of our time. It's true, she is amazing. She is able to make vampires relevant again (which I really thank her for seeming as I love vampires, even if they are no longer as relevant as they used to be... They shall return!), and more than that she was able to get me into reading tales about faeries! Before her I didn't like faeries, and even know I am a little iffy about them, but tell me Julie Kagawa is writing it and I will go in blindly.

That is exactly what will happen with this book right here. Talon, the first book in her new YA series, is about Dragons. DRAGONS. I have never been a fan of dragons, ever really, so I was a little hesitant when I first heard this. But just for like a second. If it's Julie Kagawa writing it I am sure she will make it unforgettable, she will surely make us believe in Dragons once more.

Here is the press release from her blog:

INTRODUCING TALON—A NEW DRAGON SERIES FROM

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR JULIE KAGAWA

Dragons and Warriors Face Off in a Modern-Day Battle

New York, NY, October 2, 2013—New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author Julie Kagawa today unveiled TALON, her new highly anticipated series from Harlequin TEEN. The Young Adult series, which has already been picked up by Universal Pictures, features dragons battling an ancient order of dragon slayers in a contemporary setting. TALON, the first book in the similarly named series, will be published on October 28, 2014.
The series revolves around dragons with the ability to disguise themselves as humans and an order of warriors sworn to eradicate them. The dragons of TALON and the Order of St. George have been at war with each other for centuries. The fabled creatures, whose existence is unknown by the general public, are determined to rule the world. Their foes, a legendary society of dragon slayers, are equally bent on driving the fabled beasts into extinction. However, when a young dragon and a hardened slayer unknowingly befriend each other, it has severe repercussions for both organizations.

So far so good! It seems Julie has always wanted to write this series, even before the Iron Fey series, and we are just glad that she gets the chance! Harlequin Teen is one of the best publishers ever.

What's even more incredible? The rights for the movie have ALREADY been picked up. These days every other movie is a remake of a YA book, and it's incredible how early on they pick up the rights. Baffled.

Universal Pictures has picked up the film rights to TALON with Chris Morgan attached to produce. Morgan is the writer of the studio’s Fast & Furious franchise and the upcoming Keanu Reeves samurai movie, 47 Ronin, as well as the producer of the recently announced The Legend of Conan film starring Arnold Schwarzenegger.

My reactions upon reading the news:

I mean, come on, it's Julie Kagawa!! I mean, it's dragons, and I am no fan of Dragons, but if anybody can pull it off it is most definitely her.

As usual this woman is going to write a great story and I'm going to be all like...

And at the end she is going to be bathing in piles of her own money. Because everybody is going to buy this book, EVERYBODY.

Yes I am excited, bring it on!