Mundie Moms

Wednesday, May 10, 2017

THE PEARL THIEF by Elizabeth Wein / Blog Tour: Book Review & Giveaway


Welcome to the next stop in THE PEARL THIEF blog tour! Today's stop features my review of Elizabeth Wein's newest release, as well as a giveaway! Be sure to enter to win at the end of the blog post. First, about the book.

ABOUT THE BOOK


By: Elizabeth Wein
Published by: Disney Hyperion
Released on: May 2nd, 2017
Purchase from: AmazonBarnes & NobleiBooks
Add it to Goodreads
Source: book from publisher to review, in exchange for my honest review

Before Verity . . . there was Julie.


When fifteen-year-old Julia Beaufort-Stuart wakes up in the hospital, she knows the lazy summer break she’d imagined won’t be exactly like she anticipated. And once she returns to her grandfather’s estate, a bit banged up but alive, she begins to realize that her injury might not have been an accident. One of her family’s employees is missing, and he disappeared on the very same day she landed in the hospital.

Desperate to figure out what happened, she befriends Euan McEwen, the Scots Traveller boy who found her when she was injured, and his standoffish sister Ellen. As Julie grows closer to this family, she experiences some of the prejudices they’ve grown used to firsthand, a stark contrast to her own upbringing, and finds herself exploring thrilling new experiences that have nothing to do with a missing-person investigation.

Her memory of that day returns to her in pieces, and when a body is discovered, her new friends are caught in the crosshairs of long-held biases about Travellers. Julie must get to the bottom of the mystery in order to keep them from being framed for the crime.

In the prequel to Printz Honor Book Code Name Verity, this exhilarating coming-of-age story returns to a beloved character just before she learned to fly.

Elizabeth Wein takes readers back into the world of Code Name Verity, with the release of her newest story. Beautifully written, this prequel is a coming of age story that centers on a young Julia Beaufort-Stuart. Rich world building and historical context, mixed with an intriguing, interwoven complex mystery, make for a story that is perfect for fans of the series, or are first time readers of Wein's books.

Wein is no stranger to creating rich, fascinating characters that easily spring to life within the pages of their story. Julia was a character I really enjoyed getting to know more about. Though this is a much younger, and very different version of Julia than in Code Name Verity, readers will see the events that begin to shape and change Julia into the person she becomes. She's surrounded by some equally interesting characters, both good or ones that are easy to despise. I won't name names. 


While the story centers on Julia herself, I enjoyed the role each of the secondary characters plays in this story. There is one, whom I won't name, that literally was unlikeable. Without giving anything away, once Julia starts putting pieces of the mystery of what happened to her, and what's been going on together, it all makes sense of why I never liked this character. I wish I could say, 'I knew it!', but Wein made it incredibly hard to solve the mystery, which I loved.


Wein combines what I love about a historical YA fiction and blends in a classic, good ole' mystery. I was trying to solve the mystery along side Julia. What I enjoyed about this book, is that Wein has a created a multi-layered mystery that is not so easy to solve. As Julia pieces little bits together, the answer slowly begins to be revealed. It's not until towards the end of the story does everything beings to makes sense, and I was left wondering why I didn't piece it all together before then. I love that it was complex. It added depth to the story.


One of my favorite parts of this book is the historical context of this story, and the Scottish setting. I love that included at the end of this book, are Wein's notes on her research into this story. Her research was evident through out Julia's story. I'm always fascinated at what inspires authors to create the stories they do, and how they blend real life, and fictional elements to create a story that makes you want to know more. After you read Julia's story, be sure to continue reading, to read Elizabeth Wein's notes as well.


THE PEARL THIEF is a great read for fans of Code Name Verity, as well as to new comers of the series. Personally, I think you can read this book in any order (either after you've read the series or before), and you'll still be able to enjoy it.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR



I was born in New York City in 1964, and moved to England when I was 3. I started school there. We lived practically in the shadow of Alderley Edge, the setting for several of Alan Garner's books and for my own first book The Winter Prince; that landscape, and Garner's books, have been a lifelong influence on me.

My father, who worked for the New York City Board of Education for most of his life, was sent to England to do teacher training at what is now Manchester Metropolitan University. He helped organize the Headstart program there. When I was six he was sent to the University of the West Indies in Jamaica for three years to do the same thing in Kingston. I loved Jamaica and became fluent in Jamaican patois (I can't really speak it any more, but I can still understand it); but in 1973 my parents separated, and we ended up back in the USA living with my mother in Harrisburg, PA, where her parents were. When she died in a car accident in 1978, her wonderful parents took us in and raised us.


I went to Yale University, spent a work-study year back in England, and then spent seven years getting a PhD in Folklore at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. While I was there I learned to ring church bells in the English style known as "change ringing", and in 1991 I met my future husband there at a bell ringers' dinner-dance. He is English, and in 1995 I moved to England with him, and then to Scotland in 2000.


We share another unusual interest--flying in small planes. My husband got his private pilot's license in 1993 and I got mine ten years later. Together we have flown in the States from Kalamazoo to New Hampshire; in Kenya we've flown from Nairobi to Malindi, on the coast, and also all over southern England. Alone, most of my flying has been in eastern Scotland. We have two children.


Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Instagram

ENTER TO WIN

Thank you to Disney Hyperion, 3 winners will receive a finished copy of THE PEARL THIEF, US Only.


FOLLOW THE TOUR

5/1/2017- YA and WineBlogger Post
5/2/2017- Beauty and the BookshelfReview
5/3/2017- The Blonde BookwormReview
5/4/2017- The Autumn BookshelfBlogger Post
5/8/2017- BookloveReview
5/9/2017- Tales of the Ravenous ReaderBlogger Post
5/10/2017- Mundie MomsReview
5/11/2017- YA Books CentralSpotlight

. @CassieClare's Recent, THE LAST HOURS Snippet #Shadowhunters #TheLastHours



Have you read the newest The Last Hours snippet Cassie recently shared? I don't know how I missed posting this last week. Cassie shared the TLH snippet last week here, on Tumblr. The snippet features Cordelia and James, which I've shared below;

Cordelia was alone in the hallway. Squaring her shoulders, she pushed open the door to James’ room.
She had never been in a boy’s bedroom before, and it was quite a scandalous action to enter now, but the significance of it seemed small, swallowed up by her worry. James was half under the covers of the bed, moving restlessly from side to side, his face flushed with fever. His nightclothes clung to him, wet with sweat. It was a bright day outside and sunlight speared through the room, illuminating the bowls of burning herbs that Enoch had left behind. 
James rolled toward her. His eyes, the color of sunlight, blinked open slowly. “Matthew?” he said. “Matthew, is that you?”

We're looking forward to getting to know more about these characters, and finding out what transpires after this scene. This is another book we can't wait to get our hands on! 

Labels