Made for You by Melissa Marr

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Published: September 16, 2014

Publisher: Harper Collins

Pages: 368

Copy: Publisher

Summary: Goodreads

Bestselling author of the Wicked Lovely books Melissa Marr’s first contemporary YA novel is a twisted southern gothic tale of obsession, romance, and murder. A killer is obsessed with Eva Tilling. Can she stop him, or will he claim her?

When Eva Tilling wakes up in the hospital, she’s confused—who in her sleepy little North Carolina town could have hit her with their car? And why? But before she can consider the question, she finds that she’s awoken with a strange new skill: the ability to foresee people’s deaths when they touch her. While she is recovering from the hit-and-run, Nate, an old flame, reappears, and the two must traverse their rocky past as they figure out how to use Eva’s power to keep her friends—and themselves—alive. But while Eva and Nate grow closer, the killer grows increasingly frantic in his attempt to get to Eva.

For the first time, New York Times bestselling author Melissa Marr has applied her extraordinary talent to contemporary realism. Chilling twists, unrequited obsession, and high-stakes romance drive this Gothic, racy thriller—a story of small-town oppression and salvation. Melissa’s fans, and every YA reader, will find its wild ride enthralling

First off, I have to say I just loved the whole Southern Gothic feel of this contemporary thriller/mystery. I've said it often that I'm not a huge fan of contemporary novels, but this one sucked me in very early on and had me so engrossed that I finished it in less than 24 hours. 

Eva's character was real. Her confusion and suspicions were palpable and her reasoning sound.  Following along with the 'clues' as she did, made for several rather nasty surprises, many from out of left field and I was just as confused as to who the killer was as the characters were.   Hindsight is always 20/20 and after the conclusion I was hit with a major duh! moment when I realized that there had been a pretty big clue that I missed completely.  Don't you just love it when that happens?

The blurb calls 'Made for You' a wild ride and I have to agree in every way.  This was a fast paced thrill ride that had me gasping in several places.  I could not put it down.  A very exciting stand-alone novel that I thoroughly enjoyed and will have no trouble at all in recommending. - Curlypow

The Arrivals by Melissa Marr

 

Published: July 2nd, 2013

Publisher: William Morrow

Pages: 274

Copy: Library

Summary: Goodreads

The Arrivals is the second novel for adults by internationally bestselling author Melissa Marr.

Chloe walks into a bar and blows five years of sobriety. When she wakes, she finds herself in an unfamiliar world, The Wasteland. She discovers people from all times and places have also arrived there: Kitty and Jack, a brother and sister from the Wild West; Edgar, a prohibition bootlegger; Francis, a one-time hippie; Melody, a mentally unbalanced 1950s housewife; and Hector, a former carnival artist.

None know why they arrived there--or if there is way out of a world populated by monsters and filled with corruption.

Just as she did in Graveminder, Marr has created a vivid fantasy world that will enthrall. Melissa Marr's The Arrivals is a thoroughly original and wildly imagined tale about making choices in a life where death is unpredictable and often temporary.

The Arrivals was a really welcome change from what I've been reading lately.  Very hard to pigeonhole, it is a bit of a space-operatic romance.  Not urban fantasy, but more like an alternate universe western, with magic and mayhem.  In many ways it reminded me of the TV show Firefly, which I absolutely adored (curse the networks that cancelled it after only 12 episodes.), but with wormholes instead of spaceships.

The Wasteland is a well thought out world populated by beings that, at best, bear only some small resemblance to humans.  I loved the insect like bloedzuiger, Garuda in particular, with their very strong sense of protocol.  With traces of vampire-like tendencies (bloedzuiger means blood sucker), their alien shape and strict moral code was very intriguing.

Jack, Kitty, Chloe and Edgar are nicely developed and in a short while I became very fond of them.  You can't help feeling sorry for Chloe, who is thrust into this totally alien environment, with no real instructions about how to behave, or what to expect.  Ms. Marr has her making decisions from her gut - she really doesn't know what's going on, but it feels right.  I must admit that Ajani - the bad guy in this scenario - had a wonderful sense of mystery to him.  The reader knows more about him than the characters, but there were still a few surprises.  Add in this wonderful fact that the characters can die but don't stay dead, yet are in no way zombies, and you have this amazing twist to the story that adds a completely different feel to things. 

I really enjoyed The Arrivals.  It was a very satisfying, fairly quick  read that concluded in one volume.  While I really hope that Ms. Marr will revisit this world, I am satisfied that everything was finished up neatly.  Although not a YA book, I can see no reason why older teens wouldn't enjoy it, but there is some sexual content that make it unsuitable for younger teens. If you're looking for a bit of a change of pace, try The Arrivals, it might surprise you.

Carnival of Souls by Melissa Marr

Published: September 2012

Publisher: HarperCollins

Pages: 306

Copy Provided by: Library

Summary: Goodreads

Summary:

In a city of daimons, rigid class lines separate the powerful from the power-hungry. And at the heart of The City is the Carnival of Souls, where both murder and pleasure are offered up for sale. Once in a generation, the carnival hosts a deadly competition that allows every daimon a chance to join the ruling elite. Without the competition, Aya and Kaleb would both face bleak futures--if for different reasons. For each of them, fighting to the death is the only way to try to live.

All Mallory knows of The City is that her father--and every other witch there--fled it for a life in exile in the human world. Instead of a typical teenage life full of friends and maybe even a little romance, Mallory scans quiet streets for threats, hides herself away, and trains to be lethal. She knows it's only a matter of time until a daimon finds her and her father, so she readies herself for the inevitable. While Mallory possesses little knowledge of The City, every inhabitant of The City knows of her. There are plans for Mallory, and soon she, too, will be drawn into the decadence and danger that is the Carnival of Souls.

From Melissa Marr, bestselling author of the Wicked Lovely series and Graveminder, comes a brand-new tale of lush secrets, dark love, and the struggle to forge one's own destiny.

Review:

I LOVED this title.  Once again Melissa Marr strikes out into a new series and makes it fantastic!  The intricacy in her stories always makes you wonder where things are going while reading and then BAM!  It all comes together and you think - wow!  How did she set this up??  Carnival of Souls is a complex story diverse with rich characters.  Each storyteller has something special to share with the reader and it is never what you expect it to be.  

One of the main settings for this story (obviously) is the Carnival of Souls which was reminiscent of the Goblin Market in Sarah Rees Brennan's series - The Demon's Lexicon.  Although they are completely different novels, both supply an area of trade and entertainment for anyone who is not human.  In Marr's environment, there is a heavy emphasis on caste and different levels of society.  The Carnival of Souls offers readers a multi-faceted world where anything can happen.  The interplay between characters is brilliant and their motives are fascinating.  Ms. Marr has laid the groundwork for a series that could last several years.  Well done!

I would recommend this title to lovers of The Demon's Lexicon, Graceling, and Nightshade.  If you enjoy a story that you can really sink your teeth into and commit yourself to reading sequel after sequel, I think you'll enjoy this one.  

Fantastic Fairytales - Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr

 

Published: June 2007

Publisher: Harper Teen

Audio produced by: Harper Audio

Length: 10 hours 11 minutes

Summary: Overdrive

 

 

Rule #3: Don't stare at invisible faeries. Aislinn has always seen faeries. Powerful and dangerous, they walk hidden in mortal world. Aislinn fears their cruelty—especially if they learn of her Sight—and wishes she were as blind to their presence as other teens.
Rule #2: Don't speak to invisible faeries. Now faeries are stalking her. One of them, Keenan, who is equal parts terrifying and alluring, is trying to talk to her, asking questions Aislinn is afraid to answer.
Rule #1: Don't ever attract their attention. But it's too late. Keenan is the Summer King who has sought his queen for nine centuries. Without her, summer itself will perish. He is determined that Aislinn will become the Summer Queen at any cost—regardless of her plans or desires.
Suddenly none of the rules that have kept Aislinn safe are working anymore, and everything is on the line: her freedom; her best friend, Seth; her life; everything.
Faerie intrigue, mortal love, and the clash of ancient rules and modern expectations swirl together in Melissa Marr's stunning 21st century faery tale.

 

Wicked Lovely was first published  back in 2007, so I figured it might actually be an unknown title for some of you.

After I had finished Wicked Lovely and had my review planned out, I realised that Christinabean had already reviewed this book way  back in October 2010.  Anyway, I thought it was worth mentioning again in our Fantastic Fairytales meme, because it really is fantastic.

It is a very dark fairy story, where the fae are mischievious and downright nasty.  As Christinabean said in her review, if you're expecting sweet and sparkly, you won't find it in this book.   Ever heard the tale that  if you eat or drink anything in Faerie then you cannot leave - well that kept running through my mind while reading this book.  I was mentally willing the characters to remember it. 

The story is enthralling and the characters believable, and there is a wonderful message running through the story that things/people are not always what they seem.  It gave me shivers in some places.  Now I'm off to get Ink Exchange, closely followed  by Fragile Eternity, Radiant Shadows and Darkest Mercy.  They are all sitting on my shelf, so I've no excuse not to read them.  I can't wait to see what happens to Aislinn and Seth.  A definite must read for fairy tale fans.

Graveminder by Melissa Marr

Published: May 2011

Publisher: HarperCollins

Pages: 324

Copy Provided by: Library

Summary: Goodreads

Summary:

Rebekkah Barrow never forgot the tender attention her grandmother, Maylene, bestowed upon the dead of Claysville. While growing up, Rebekkah watched as Maylene performed the same unusual ritual at every funeral: three sips from a small silver flask followed by the words, "Sleep well, and stay where I put you."

Now Maylene is gone and Bek must return to the hometown—and the man—she abandoned a decade ago, only to discover that Maylene's death was not natural . . . and there was good reason for her odd traditions. In Claysville, the worlds of the living and the dead are dangerously connected—and beneath the town lies a shadowy, lawless land ruled by the enigmatic Charles, aka Mr. D. From this dark place the deceased will return if their graves are not properly minded. And only the Graveminder, a Barrow woman, and the current Undertaker, Byron, can set things to right once the dead begin to walk.

Review:

I love it when authors can write such varied themes.  Melissa Marr does that for me.  I was a fan of the Wicked Lovely series.  Previously, all fairies were floaty and fluffy and well, sweet and nice. What a way to squash that image!  Graveminder took on a different approach.  It started out eerily creepy but it turns out the dead are not quite as scary as I thought.  Like Carrie Ryan's - The Forest of Hands and Teeth, Marr does not refer to the undead as zombies.  Where Ryan called them the unconsecrated, Marr refers to them as the Hungry Dead.  

The idea of a Graveminder who tends to the dead and ensures they move forward is a great idea. Often we think of things being final once someone dies but wouldn't you want someone to look after your loved ones until they found their way?  Rebekkah struggles between finding her own way in settling down and helping both the dead and the Hungry Dead find their way to the next world.  Byron, remains ever her rock and as the story unfolds, you see how their fates were written before they were even born.

The themes in this title are slightly more mature than most of the YA titles we normally read.  Look for some violent scenes.  There is language and a bit of nudity but if you enjoyed reading The Body Finder series by Kimberly Derting, you will surely enjoy this.  I know I did!

Ink Exchange by Melissa Marr

Publisher: HarperTeen

Published: May 2008

Pages: 325

Copy Provided by: Purchased

Summary: Goodreads

Summary:
To 17-year-old Leslie, the tattoo is a thing of indescribable beauty, a captivating mark that she must make her own. But this subtle web of eyes and wings brings with it a transformation that no sweet young girl would ever imagine or welcome. Like its predecessor, this stand-alone sequel to Wicked Lovely plunges its youthful heroine into a faery world of almost constant peril. A tantalizing urban fantasy that won't let go.


Review:

Ink Exchange is the second book in the Wicked Lovely Series. I was lucky enough to meet Ms Marr back in September during the Smart Chicks Kick it Tour. She is such a lovely lady! I wish I had been able to read more of her books prior to our meeting. The more I read Ms. Marr’s books, the more intrigued and impressed I am with this world she has woven. It is incredibly complicated as are the relationships between the courts. How does one come up with something like this??

I had a tough time trying to remember some of the characters from the last book since it has been awhile since I’ve read Wicked Lovely. It would be advantageous not to let too much time pass between reading her books. The highlighted main character changes from book to book but the players remain the same and what is fascinating is how you get to see different points of view. I love how each character takes a turn at playing a major role. You get to know each character intimately, depending on which book you are reading. Also, how a character evolves is so fascinating. At first, I started hating Irial but he made some decent choices in how he treated Leslie. At first I felt that he was cruel and relentless when he was using her but then he did things to show he cared and the paths were not always the easy ones but the right ones.

My favourite quote page 325 –

'Sometimes love means letting go when you want to hold on tighter.'

There was something interesting that I came across last week. Did you know that you could download a novella that bridges between Ink Exchange and Fragile Eternity? Stopping Time can be purchased from the HarperTeen website or downloaded (I think in 2 parts) from Amazon.

Wicked Lovely - Melissa Marr

Published: HarperTeen

Publisher: June 2007

Pages: 328

Copy Provided by: Christinabean

Summary: Goodreads

Summary:

Rule #3: Don't stare at invisible faeries.

Aislinn has always seen faeries. Powerful and dangerous, they walk hidden in the mortal world. Aislinn fears their cruelty-especially if they learn of her Sight-and wishes she were as blind to their presence as other teens.

Rule #2: Don't speak to invisible faeries.

Now faeries are stalking her. One of them, Keenan, who is equal parts terrifying and alluring, is trying to talk to her, asking questions Aislinn is afraid to answer.

Rule #1: Don't ever attract their attention.

But it's too late. Keenan is the Summer King, who has sought his queen for nine centuries. Without her, summer itself will perish. He is determined that Aislinn will become the Summer Queen at any cost - regardless of her plans or desires.

Suddenly none of the rules that have kept Aislinn safe are working andymore, and everything is on the line: her freedom; her best friend, Seth; everything.

Faery intrigue, mortal love, and the clash of ancient rules and modern expectations swirl together in Melissa Marr's stunnning twenty-first century faery tale.

Review

Since I'm new to the whole faery/fairy scene, I must tell you up front that this book is not for a younger teen audience. Where I pictured faeries to be fine and dainty in Aprilynne Pike's Wings and Spells, in Wicked Lovely, they were completely opposite. Marr painted faeries to be deceptive, dark, devious and well, wicked. Some of them were very scary faeries!

One aspect of the book that I enjoyed was how Marr drew real issues into her story without making it overtly obvious. There were lessons, hints and small whisperings of right and wrong, particularly as Keenan struggled to convince Aislinn of her destiny. Wicked Lovely also had nuances of rape and sexual abuse. One scene in particular made me squirm uncomfortably as a young fairy was pinned and molested by dark fey.

Can't imagine what the darker side of faery life is like? Well, you're in luck! Wicked Lovely has been optioned for a movie and it will be directed by Kimberly Peirce (Corpse Bride). Can't wait for this to come out!!

So....I was about 20 pages from finishing Wicked Lovely when we went to the Smart Chicks Kick it signing. I ended up reading the rest while standing in line, waiting for autographs. Just prior to weaving our way in and out of the bookshelves, we were lucky enough to have a one-on-one interview with all 7 Smart Chicks. Upon hearing that we were librarians, Melissa Marr donated a stack of booksmarks to our teen program. It was so sweet and our teen book club attendees are going to love it. What a unexpectedly generous thing to do! Thank you Melissa!!

So what's she like in person? She's wickedly lovely.

BTW Melissa, Keenan reminds me of an old boyfriend I used to date. Marry, Shag or Toss? I think he'd be on my toss list. No offense.