Mini-reviews: A Mad Wicked Folly + Gasp

A Mad, Wicked Folly by Sharon Biggs Waller

pub 1/23/14 by Viking Books
YA - Historical Fiction

I don’t read YA historical fiction often so it was fun to pick up something a little bit out of the norm for me. In A Mad, Wicked Folly, the year is 1909 and Vicky has just returned home to London after being expelled from her French finishing school after she poses nude in an art class. You can just imagine how scandalous this was for her wealthy, upperclass parents. So to clean up Vicky’s reputation, they arrange an engagement to Edmund Carrick-Humphrey. But Vicky wants to go to college to become an artist. She gets (accidentally) involved in the suffragette movement. Plus she meets a handsome working-class boy (swoon!) who inspires her in ways Edmund doesn’t. What it comes down to is whether or not Vicky is willing to take a risk for what she wants. She’s often rebellious, which were of course my favorite parts. I loved that she had ideas and dreams of her own! But it was in conflict with her upbringing and those heavily ingrained, old-fashioned expectations of women. She’s constantly at war with herself (and her family) and there were times when I found that back and forth tiresome. As such, it is a slow-moving book because it takes Vicky a long time to commit to the right path for her. But the moments where she fights for her dreams kept me interested in how it would all end.

Do I recommend?
I do! Especially if you love historical fiction, it’s an enjoyable read I would recommend borrowing from the library.

Gasp (Visions #3) by Lisa McMann

pub 6/3/14 by Simon Pulse
YA - Parnormal

Do you guys remember that series Visions by Lisa McMann? (My fellow paranormal lovers should!) The first two books in the series, Crash and Bang, came out in 2013 and I was a huge fan. I loved the characters and the story but for reasons I can’t remember now, I never got around to reading the final book in the trilogy, Gasp, which came out in 2014. And since then, I’ve been reminding myself to finish the series. So when I saw a copy on BookOutlet a few months ago, I had buy it and finally read it! I was really surprised by how clearly I remembered the story, which is either a testament to my memory or to the author’s writing. Maybe both? Either way, I chose not to re-read the earlier books and instead dove right back into this crazy world. It's such a fun series. I mean there’s some pretty heavy stuff going on but it’s like watching an action film, where you’re just pulled into it. I was quickly reminded of all the reasons why I enjoyed these books in the first place: sassy Jules and her determination to help others, her strong and funny relationship with her siblings and the romance with Sawyer (I heart them!). Together they need to find out who Sawyer passed his visions to and how they can stop the next tragedy from happening. The level of danger has escalated with each passing book and the scope of this “adventure” (aka life-threatening endeavor) was befitting for the end of this series.

Do I recommend?
Yes, read this series! If you like paranormal and want something fast-paced, this is for you. (Bonus points: there’s a Filipino character in Gasp!)