The 10th Kingdom by Kathryn Wesley

After having just re-read this and watched the miniseries I feel that a review is in order!

The 10th Kingdom is a fantasy drama that incorporates the known and beloved Grimm's Fairy Tales along with modern New York. The story begins with two separate plot lines of Virginia and Tony in New York and Prince Wendell in the 4th Kingdom in a different (maybe parallel) universe which inevitably intertwine to tell the story of the 10th Kingdom.

The story opens with Virginia Lewis and her father, Tony who like on the edge of Central Park. Tony is a janitor in a nice apartment building and Virginia is a waitress who is jaded with life. She is convinced nothing exciting will ever happen to her. Meanwhile in another world where fairy tales aren't just stories, they're history, Prince Wendell the grandson of Snow White and heir to the 4th Kingdom is on his way to visit his evil stepmother in a maximum security prison because of reasons. The Queen, his stepmother, murdered his parents in her quest for power. At the prison Relish, the Troll King is busting his three children out of the jail when they encounter the Queen and her pet dog who they also release. The Queen has a plan to get back at Wendell for putting her in jail and to rule the 4th Kingdom.

She switched Wendell with her pet dog, so now the Prince is trapped in a dog's body and the poor dog is running around confused as Prince Wendell. The real Prince Wendell as a dog runs off and the Queen orders the three Troll children of Relish to capture him. Which causes the Queen to realize that they are a rather comical bunch and their bumbling antics will probably result in failure she looks for someone else to aid her in the prison. That's when she meets Wolf. A half-wolf, half-human inmate (only in for a bit of sheep worrying). She sends Wolf to capture the Prince who has lead the three trolls to the basement of the prison where when he knocks over this mirror it activates and reveals to be a magic portal to Manhattan.

The Prince goes through the mirror and Virginia accidentally crashes into him with her bike. Thinking he's just a stray dog she takes him with her to work and calls him "Prince". The trolls and Wolf also go through the mirror and try to track down Prince Wendell separately. Through a bunch of rather strange events Virginia and Tony end up going back through the mirror with Prince Wendell and embark on a journey to find the mirror and go back home and maybe save the 9 Kingdoms and return Prince Wendell to his throne and thwart the plan of the Queen.

I really love this miniseries and the book as well. It's kind of the same spirit as Once Upon a Time the TV series where fairy tales come to life. I would actually recommend watching it first and then reading it because it makes it a little easier to understand some things but the book follows the miniseries almost completely so you can read the book first and then watch the miniseries. Heads up though, depending on what version of the miniseries you get be prepared for 6-8 hours of watching time.

The Selection by Kiera Cass

Okay this was more of a guilty pleasure read than serious literature which is fine! This book mixed dystopian and the Bachelor in a fun way.

America Singer has been in love with Aspen for two years and they are secretly dating even though it's kind of taboo because they're from different castes. America is a 5 and Aspen is a 6. When it's announced that Prince Maxon has come of age to choose a bride. Girls everywhere are frantically signing up for the Selection for their chance to be chosen to marry the prince. All girls except America. She doesn't even want to bother with the Selection because she has Aspen and she wouldn't be picked anyways. But when Aspen and her mother convinced her to try she signs up. Soon after Aspen breaks up with her realizing he can never be good enough for her and that she deserves better. Hurt and heartbroken America is surprised when she is chosen for the Selection and sees it as a way to earn money for her family (the families of the girls chosen receive compensation)and as an escape from her life to mend her broken heart.

America goes to the palace and quickly makes it clear to the prince she has no interest in actually winning the competition but she will help him choose a good wife and be his friend with the condition he will keep her there as long as possible so her family won't have to struggle and can save up money.

It's obvious that even though America has made it explicitly clear to Maxon she's not an option that he has developed a crush on her and tried to win her over to see if she would even consider marrying him. But when America does start to fall for Maxon the complication of thirty-five other girls vying for his attention and the sudden appearance of Aspen in the Palace Guard complicate their budding relationship. Not to mention the rebel attacks on the palace that occur regularly and the strain of the entire nation watching with baited breath to see who will be their princess. Throw in the restrictive caste system that constantly chafes America and you have a recipie for disaster (and probably revolution).

Overall I enjoyed this book it was a quick read and I got to escape the monotony of everyday life. Like I said earlier this was a guilty pleasure read so don't expect anything groundbreaking or an intellectual commentary of society. It's a fun read where a girl gets a chance at being a princess and honestly after an entire childhood of Disney movies who didn't at least once dream of being a princess. Personally I wanted to be Belle because she got a prince and a stellar library! (Mostly though I wanted to be Kayley from Quest For Camelot). I will probably read the entire series.

Predictions for the series: America will struggle with her feelings for both Aspen and Maxon (can we stop with the love triangles for a while please?!). America will either be kidnapped by the rebels and learn that they want to rebuild the United States as they were and reinstate democracy and they want her to help by probably being the poster child. Her name is America so I really don't think that's too much of a stretch. Marlee is either a.) exponentially amazing at manipulation and intrigue and is playing nice to win over the prince, b.) a spy for the rebels, c.) option a AND b, or d.) dating a guard. I hope it's option c! Please? I have been really good this year!

Wither by Lauren DeStefano

This was one of the books on my Goodreads suggestions list. All it had to tell me was that it was dystopian, had polygamy, and dealt with kidnapping and stockholm syndrome and I was sold!

Rhine is a sixteen year old girl in Manhattan who lives in a world where science has screwed up and has made it so girls only live till they're twenty and boys until they are twenty-five. Rhine's parents were working on a cure when they were murdered in a terrorist attack and she was left alone with her twin brother Rowan. They take turns sleeping each night to protect their home and each other from thieves and the "Gatherers" who round up young girls to be sold into prostitution and sexual slavery as brides to rich men.

Rhine ends up getting "gathered" with a bunch of other girls and forced to marry Linden. a wealthy governor in Florida, along with two other girls. Far from everything she knows and love she decides that she must escape and return home to her brother. But escape seems futile because the brides are watched and restricted to certain areas of the mansion that is impossible to escape. Her only way out is to make Linden fall in love with her so he will make her the First Wife. First Wives are the favorites of their husbands and get more privileges and freedom than her sister wives. Rhine achieves this goal and attends parties and events with Linden all the while determined to escape with the servant Gabriel whom she has fallen in love with.

This book was good for the first book in the series. I enjoyed the feel of this decaying society clinging to the hope of a cure and the disenchanted older generation that due to science are near immortal and all major illnesses have been done away with. Rhine doesn't feel like a sixteen year old to me but that is easily explained by the world she lives in and the death of her parents. Her sister wives can get a little annoying (especially Cecily but she's like fourteen). That also bothered me a lot. Linden's underaged wife. She's fourteen! Hardly at an age where she can give consent and know the consequences of her actions. She feels like a kid playing house the entirety of the book.

All in all it was an enjoyable book I look forward to the rest of the series because this book has so much potential.

Predictions for the rest of the series: Because Rhine and Rowen have heterochromia (two different eye colors) and because their parents were some big wig scientists I think we're going to find out that Rhine and Rowan are the key to the cure (or are test tube babies/clones and will age and live normally). Rhine will end up with Gabriel (though I would not entirely mind if she ended up with Linden) and Linden's father will be killed by one of his horrible experiments.