Enchanting Review: Enchanted Ivy

ENCHANTED IVY
SARAH BETH DURST
YA fantasy
McElderry Books
ISBN# 978-1416986454
310 pages
$16.99
Hardback Available Now

4 Enchantments

Lily Carter’s dream college is Princeton University. When she finally gets to visit the campus, her grandfather tells her that she’s been selected to take a secret Legacy Test. If she passes, she’ll get an automatic acceptance to Princeton.

But Lily finds out the Legacy Test has some secrets which includes her family. Along the way she meets Tye, a cute college boy with orange and black hair who claims he’s a guard. Also talking gargoyles who tell her there is a gate between our world and a magical one. Lily needs to gather all her strength and courage to unite both worlds and unlock her own family secrets.

I loved Sarah Beth Durst’s first fantasy INTO THE WILD. In that story she has creatures from children’s fairy tales exist right along our world. Durst is an expert on weaving such a world. ENCHANTED IVY is no exception. I loved Lily’s persistence and determination to get into the college of her dreams. Even when she finds out both her grandfather and mother hid some secrets from her, Lily refuses to give up. One of my favorite scenes has to be when she climbs up to one of the gargoyles, unfazed by how strange it all is, and listens to him. Or when she continues to watch out for Tye, even if he isn’t all he seems to be.

Durst casts a spell on the reader with her fantasy world filled with talking gargoyles, cute shape shifter boys, and heroic knights. Let’s just say I’ll never think of Princeton in the same way again! I especially like Tye, the mysterious tiger boy with an impish sense of humor. His loyalty to Lily makes him very likeable too. This fun, colorful world is sure to become a favorite of fantasy lovers.

Sarah Beth Durst is the author of INTO THE WILD and its sequel OUT OF THE WILD. She is a graduate of Princeton University. Sarah lives in Stony Brook, New York, with her husband and children. Visit her at sarahbethdurst.com




Kim Baccellia
ENCHANTING REVIEWS
September 2010

Enchanting Review: Shine Coconut Moon

SHINE COCONUT MOON
NEESHA MEMINGER
YA Contemporary
McElderry Books
ISBN # 978-1-4169-5495-8
253 pages
$16.99
Hardcover—Available Now

Rating: 4 Enchantments

Seventeen-year-old Samar--Sammy doesn’t know much about her Indian heritage. Her mother refuses to have anything to do with her parents or anything that deals with her past, which includes Sammy’s father. But that all changes after 9/11. Some man with a turban shows up on Sammy’s porch, claiming to be her uncle. He wants the family to get back together and to teach Sammy about her Sikh heritage. Sammy doesn’t know what to do. Her mother is against this. Then a girl at school calls Sammy a coconut, brown on the outside and white inside. Sammy wants to know the truth of who she is and more about her Sikh background. Then some guys from school do something to her uncle’s car, while shouting for him to go home. Sammy realizes that things have changed and how scary it can be. It’s up to her to try to reconcile both of her worlds.

This tale really hit a cord for me. My own brother-in-law is Muslim and came over to our country right before 9/11. The stories of being singled out because he shared the same faith of the terrorists are very similar to the experiences that Sammy witnesses happening with her uncle. In this case, her uncle is ridiculed for wearing a turban. Though he’s not Muslim, those in Sammy’s town assume he is based on his appearance. At first hateful words are thrown at her uncle that slowly turns into personal attacks. Meminger does an excellent job of showing the inner turmoil and conflict that goes through Sammy, especially when the same hateful things are directed at her.

The scenes where Sammy confronts her mother about the denial of their culture are very powerful. Through this all Sammy starts asking some serious questions. Who exactly is American? When do you need to stand up to injustices? These are some tough questions and ones that I know will resonate with other teens, especially those who find themselves in Sammy’s situation. Meminger does a great job of showing that ignorance is dangerous. This is an important tale for teens that are struggling with their identity amidst prejudice in troubling times. It’s also a tale about the importance of family and being true to yourself.

This is Neesha Meminger’s first novel. Find out more at her website: neeshameminger.com

Kim
ENCHANTING REVIEWS
May 2009

Enchanting Review: City of Ashes

CITY OF ASHES
CASSANDRA CLARE
YA urban fantasy
McElderry Books
ISBN# 978-1-4169-1429-7
496 pages
$9.99
Paperback - Available now

Rating: 4 Enchantments

Sixteen-year-old Clary Fray’s world has turned underside down with the knowledge that she’s a demon-slaying Shadowhunter. She can’t make sense of her relationship with her best friend Simon, who seems to want to be more than friends. The handsome Shadowhunter who infuriates her is her long lost brother Jace. And the only way to help her comatose mother is to find Valentine, who is insane and probably her father.

Now someone is killing New York City Downworlder children. The second of the Mortal instruments is stolen. And even worse is the scary Inquisitor zooms in on her brother Jace, thinking he might be hiding something. Clary finds herself more involved in world of the Shadowhunters while even more frightening things appear; revelations about her parents, Jace, and her boyfriend Simon.

I enjoyed this second tale in The Mortal Instruments trilogy. Once again the author takes the reader on one fast-paced action tale where demon-slayers live with us mundanes. The world of the Shadowhunters is filled with vivid creatures right out of a fantasy - faeries, werewolves, and even vampires. The conflict Clary struggled with over her attraction to Jace felt real and I couldn’t help but hope that he wasn’t her long lost brother. Clary is a strong character who just happens to be a demon butt kicking heroine. Don't miss reading this series.

Ms. Clare is the author of CITY OF BONES, the first book in the Mortal Instruments trilogy and a New York Times bestseller. She lives in Brooklyn with her boyfriend and their cats. Find out more at www.mortalinstruments.com.

Kim
ENCHANTING REVIEWS
April 2009