Mind. Blown.

Mary E. Pearson is probably one of the best writers of all time. The Kiss of Deception intrigued me from first page. That momentum never slowed throughout the rest of this book. The main character is a girl named Lia who is about to be married off to a prince she has never met. Sounds pretty cliché at first right? Wrong. From there it builds itself into something so complex you are pulled into the story and can't find your way out. Not that I wanted to. I could've stayed in that world forever.

(Please, I always read casually in our garden)

This was a book shrouded in secrecy. I loved that some things weren't completely explained, which, instead of annoying me, it made me even more interested. Pearson chose the right things to leave unexplained and did a beautiful job of immersing you in this political fantasy without feeling like you were being info dumped. I found myself really enjoying the political aspect of this world.

The thing that made this book was the plot twist. It. Was. Fantastic. I didn't even realize what was happening at first. I literally put the book down and looked it up on YouTube, thinking I had made a mistake. Then I re-read parts of the book to assure myself it was real. But it was the best thing ever. I realized Pearson had woven the story so deceitfully. She relied on how she thought readers would respond to certain cues and used that against them. Genius. Just Genius.

I liked Lia as a main character. I know some people said she annoyed them as first but I didn't experience this. I related to her personality and think I would've made the same decisions in a lot of the situations. Maybe that means that I'm annoying to some people…

I could go on and on about this book. I loved everything about it. But as it’s now almost 12:30 a.m. I think I should wrap things up for my sake and the family’s. My final thoughts are this: Get the sequel on my shelf already and read this book immediately.

 Stay alive, frens.

P.S.  If you got that reference I love you so much rn

P.P.S. I love you anyway 

Language: Mild

Alcohol/drugs: Visitors drink ale and hard cider in a tavern

Violence: 3

Sexual Content: A supporting character has a child out of wedlock, there is some mild yet romantic kissing, and talk of ways to flirt with men in the tavern.

Spiritual Content: The Fantasy world they live in believes in gods and the have temple-like places to worship. They pray and sing holy songs called Remembrances throughout the book although this is mostly done by supporting characters.

Currently Reading: The Elfstones of Shannara by Terry Brooks

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Half-bloods

Percy Jackson and the Olympians Book #1: The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

           I will be posting on Tuesday for a little while and after next weeks review I will be taking a break from blogging until SATs are over. Also, I decided to flip this weeks and next week’s books because I finished this one first. Is that cool? Okay, good.  Percy has just found out he is a demi-god. Half Greek god, half human. He accepts a quest: retrieve Zeus’s stolen lightning bolt in order to restore peace in Olympia. Along the way he comes across many monsters and gods who try to stop him from completing his quest.

“At its core it is a wild adventure story about friendship, courage, and rising above labels.”

Language:

              

  None

Alcohol/drugs:

             

        Percy’s step-father has poker parties where beer is abundant. Throughout the book Percy shows his disgust for him and his treatment of his mother. Basically, the guy is the typical "jerk" character that provides conflict for the main character.

Violence:

              

        As this is a fantasy novel battles and monsters being slayed are frequent throughout the book. It is mentioned that the stepfather has hit Percy’s mother. I would rate the violence a 4.5.

Sexual Content:

              

        The whole idea of demi-gods stems from the fact that gods came to earth and had affairs. It’s not explained upon or talked about in a sexual way but as a fact of their existence.

Spiritual Content:

             

         By now, you have definitely picked up on the fact that this book is about Greek gods. They are pictured as immortal beings who each have their own personalities and faults. They are not depicted as things to be worshiped and certainly not as a religion. To put it plainly, it’s more like they are just giant people with super powers who live up in the sky. It follows Greek mythology and all its stories as if they really happened (which includes the underworld).

            

         Percy inquires once as to whether or not there is an all-powerful God and it is quickly made clear that that is not something to be discussed at the moment. My impression of the exchange was that God existed but, his exact role in this fantasy world was not going to be explained.

Currently Reading: A Study in Charlotte by Brittany Cavallaro

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