Review: Silhouette of a Sparrow

Silhouette of a Sparrow by Molly Beth Griffin

Publisher: Milkweed Editions
Publication Date: September 18th 2012
Pages: 224
Source: eBook for Review
Genre: Historical Fiction, LGBT
Goodreads

In the summer of 1926, sixteen-year-old Garnet Richardson is sent to a lake resort to escape the polio epidemic in the city. She dreams of indulging her passion for ornithology and visiting the famous new amusement park--a summer of fun before she returns for her final year of high school, after which she’s expected to marry a nice boy and settle into middle-class homemaking. But in the country, Garnet finds herself under the supervision of equally oppressive guardians--her father’s wealthy cousin and the matron’s stuck-up daughter. Only a liberating job in a hat shop, an intense, secret relationship with a daring and beautiful flapper, and a deep faith in her own fierce heart can save her from the suffocating boredom of traditional femininity.
Silhouette of a Sparrow is a coming-of-age story about a search for wildness in a confining time, and a simultaneous quest for security in an era full of unrest. It is the tale of a young woman’s discovery of the science of risk and the art of rebellion, and of course, the power of unexpected love.

Silhouette of a Sparrow is a cute historical story about a girl named Garnet who is sent away for the summer to live with family in Excelsior Minnesota to escape the troubles and craziness of Minneapolis. Throughout the story Garnet finds friendship and romance in the most unlikely places for someone of her place in society as she discovers who she really is and steps away from the person that her family wants her to be to be herself.

Garnet is a very adventurous girl who really just wants to have fun despite the ideas of her family. Upon coming to Excelsior, Garnet automatically finds all of the fun things around and begins to make plans to try them even though her aunt disapproves. I really admire Garnet's strong will to find adventure and I really like that about her. Garnet has a very interesting hobby of cutting the outlines of birds out of pieces of paper that she carries with her, I think that hobby sounds really, really cool and I love Griffin's originality with that hobby. Another character that comes up in the books is Isabella, a dancer who meets Garnet and the two become fast friends. Isabella is a very different character than Garnet, while Garnet is more on the lady like side (despite her love for fun and adventure) Isabella is much more of a flapper and wears shorter, less subtle clothing. Another very unique point in this book is the romance that Garnet and Isabella share. I have read only a few LGBT books in the past and I really wasn't expecting the romance that appeared in this book. I never really thought about LGBT relationships in earlier time periods and I like how this shed a light on the idea.

Overall this book was very interesting with very cute, fun characters and a very interesting, unexpected romance.

Review: Grave Mercy

Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Publication Date: April 3rd 2012
Pages: 549
Source: Library
Genre: Historical, Mythical Elements, Romance
Goodreads

Seventeen-year-old Ismae escapes from the brutality of an arranged marriage into the sanctuary of the convent of St. Mortain, where the sisters still serve the gods of old. Here she learns that the god of Death Himself has blessed her with dangerous gifts—and a violent destiny. If she chooses to stay at the convent, she will be trained as an assassin and serve as a handmaiden to Death. To claim her new life, she must destroy the lives of others.

Ismae’s most important assignment takes her straight into the high court of Brittany—where she finds herself woefully under prepared—not only for the deadly games of intrigue and treason, but for the impossible choices she must make. For how can she deliver Death’s vengeance upon a target who, against her will, has stolen her heart?

Grave Mercy is a  very, very unique book about a girl who escapes a bad arranged marriage to live in a convent of the god of death where she learns to do his work and help the court of Brittany. This is a great historical book filled with action and romance that were very well written.

The main character, Ismae has grown up with a very difficult past with terrible parents and a horrible arranged marriage. Ismae is a very strong character despite all that has happened in her life and I really admired that in her. She was very good with other people and there really wasn't anything I didn't like about her. Duval is a character that Ismae has to travel with the the court of Brittany so she can help out in the court. I really didn't like Duval in the begging of the story, he acctually seemed like a bit of a jerk, but as the story continued on and on  secrets about Ismae and Duval are revealed to one another and the seem to warm up to each other. I really liked Duval by the end of the story. The writing in the story is written as people would have though and spoke in the time the book is taking place, but not in an overwhelming sense. The beginning was a little slower than I would have liked, but it picked up very quickly. The book is set up to be written as three companion novels, one for each of three girls who are part of the Convent of St. Mortain. I think that is a really cool way of putting together a world, and I can't wait to hear the stories of some of the other characters that were barely touched on in the story.

Grave Mercy is an amazing, interesting, action packed adventure book filled with amazing characters and a few I can't wait to learn more about.