complacentBrothers Fat Charlie and Spider are reunited by their father's death. Spider's charm, trickery, and tendency to make passes on his brother's fiance begin to peak Fat Charlie's nerves. Fun, magic, and conflict ensue.
The characters in this book are wonderful. I smiled as I read about Anansi-- an amazing, personable character. The antagonist is fabulously villainous and Spider and Fat Charlie's relationship evolves into an unexpectedly touching one.
This was a re-read. I loved it even more the second time.
9.7/10
A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray
Gemma attends a girls' school in London where, along with the help of her friends Felicity, Pippa, and Ann, she slowly uncovers the secrets of Mary Dowd. These secrets threaten to cause trouble for Gemma and her friends. Bray's book is dark, touching, and engrossing.
The first one hundred pages didn't fully engross me. After that point, Gemma noticeably grows up and evolves as a character. She makes heart-warming friendships. The girls face very real, relate-able disappointments and, at times, venture a bit too far to amend them. The action is suspenseful, heart-breaking, and scary at times.*
*Scary barring the fact that I'm kind of a wuss. Eerie might be a better word-- especially for those that aren't easily spooked.
9/10
