The Scandalous Sisterhood of Prickwillow Place by Julie Berry is a tale set close to the turn of the century in a small English town. A group of young women attending St. Etheldreda’s School for Young Ladies find themselves at a very interesting crossroads when their headmistress and her ne’er do well brother keel over at Sunday dinner after eating poisoned veal. Do they stick together, friends forever, embracing their newfound freedom, or return home to the oppressive rules young women were forced to live by?

Would I recommend it? Absolutely! It wasn’t a book that kept me up past my bedtime (that’s 9:30pm on a good night), but it was one of those fantastic books that surprised me and entertained me every time I picked it up. It’s a tale of empowerment, one that speaks to girls embracing their talents and succeeding because they do.

What I Liked About It

• It’s hard to do justice to the way Julie Berry puts words together. She’s got a gift for phrasing things in a way that makes you appreciate the words. It’s not flowery, it’s just right. The whole discussion on compost in the garden and why digging up potatoes will be an issue is fantastic!
• The turn of the century voice works and it works because the story moves along. The mystery isn’t too deep or drawn out too long so it keeps things interesting.
• The girls each has her own talent and the other girls acknowledge, appreciate and respect these talents – “with powers like these, Mary will die a duchess” and how Stout Alice refers to her size but more to her character and acting ability.
• The extraneous characters are fleshed out well. No flat ones here!
• The older girls, as different as they are, each has a suitor.

What Distracted Me

• The turn of the century voice was what kept me putting it down simply because I’m not a huge fan, but this was minor. The story, the wording, so good I told myself to get over myself.

What I Would Consider Before Giving It to My Kid

• If you’re giving this to your daughter, I would consider reading it yourself either before her or with her. This is one of those stories that will lead to great conversations about growing up, embracing your talents, and why burying people in your backyard isn’t a good idea. Seriously. Ages 6^th grade on up.

Conclusion

Join this sisterhood. You’ll be glad you did!

The Young Elites by Marie Lu is the fantasy tale of Adelina Amouteru. Scarred, one-eyed, and silver-haired as a result of a plague like fever that swept the land, Adelina is labeled a malfetto (a marked survivor) and shunned by society. Her abusive father tries to sell her as a mistress to pay his debts. In her escape attempt, Adelina kills her father when her supernatural abilities surface. Rescued from her execution by a group of similarly gifted young adults called the Elites, Adelina is trained to use her abilities to support their cause.

Would I recommend it? Yeah, if fantasy adventure is your thing. It took a bit to hook me, and there was a moment, I almost said forget it, but I’m glad I didn’t. It’s a good start, and I have the feeling it will become a fantastic start if the sequels live up to my expectations.

What I liked about it:

• The storyline is ultimately your basic “new found power/learn how to control power/use it to overthrow the bad guys” kind of storyline so I was looking for the part that made it different. What kept me reading until I hit that point was the language. The word choice was fantastic. I could see the dungeon. I could feel the creepiness of the illusions Adelina created. I could sense her fear.
• Normally I admit I pass right over the blurbs authors put at the top of the first page of chapters, but don’t here. They are insightful and even prophetic in some cases.
• Adelina’s training involves discovering what fuels her abilities, and what fuels them is what fills this story with so much dark, delicious, could go either way Darth Vader kind of potential. It’s good. Really good.
• Violetta, the perfect little sister, whom I thought I would find annoying, turned out to have a really interesting role in her sister’s past and might have a really interesting future.
• The epilogue. It’s the perfect glimpse and hooked me. I’ll be reading the next one.

 What I didn’t like about it:

• The Young Elites’ headquaters is in a brothel or, as Adelina calls it, a “pleasure palace.” Adelina meets Raffaele, the second in command of the Elites and a consort, in his suite where a client is in his bed. It is Raffaele’s ability to manipulate influential patrons that keep the Elites in business, so okay, he might belong there, but in order to fit in, Adelina has to dress like an underage consort. At the risk of being called momish, I have to say, “Really?”
• The blackmail storyline felt a little predictable.

Things I’d consider before handing this to my kid:

• The headquarters are in a brothel, second in command is a consort, and consorts court clients. Adelina and Eroz make out but she stops him, saying she can’t give herself to anyone before she’s 17. Adelina’s father is physically and emotionally abusive dead or alive.  I’d say 7^th grade on up.