Publisher: Atheneum
Publish Date: June 14th, 2011
Source: Purchased
Goodreads
Rating: 4/5 – Loving the YA/ Historical Combo.
Synopsis: As World War I ignites across Europe, political unrest sweeps Russia. First dissent, then disorder, mutiny, and revolution. For Olga, Tatiana, Maria and Anastasia, the end of their girlhood together is colliding with the end of more than they ever imagined.
At the same time hopeful and hopeless, naive and wise, the voices of these sisters become a chorus singing the final song of Imperial Russia. Impeccably researched and utterly fascinating, this novel by acclaimed author Sarah Miller recounts the final days of Imperial Russia with lyricism, criticism and true compassion. -Goodreads
Thoughts: YA Historical Fiction!! This book has made an addict out of me. I want more! Going into this book I didn’t know a lot about the Romonov’s and their history. Almost everything I did know came from the animated movie ‘Anastasia’, so so good. So for the most part, I was just getting to know these historical figures along with the book. It’s written from alternating perspectives of all four Grand Duchesses, each one putting a slightly different spin on the events that were happening around them.
At times I would have liked a little more difference in the characters voices, although I honestly don’t know how it could have been done. All four obviously had identical backgrounds and were all extremely naive. For eighty percent of the book it didn’t necessarily matter who’s perspective we were getting so it really was just a nice touch that all four girls played their part. Maria was definitely my favorite though.
Going into this book knowing how it was all going to end (not well, for anyone not up on the history) made the whole story incredibly heart breaking. I started crying randomly with still about four months of story line to go just because I really liked the Grand Duchesses and I knew what was waiting for them. It really is just such a sad and unnecessary story.
Essentially, a lot of the story has the characters going through the same day over again while under house arrest, but it never becomes monotonous. The entire story flowed beautifully, and always had me hoping for some sort of happy ending even though I knew it couldn’t happen. Overall, a great book that has gotten me searching for some other YA historical fantasy books. I will definitely be checking out Sarah Miller’s first book, Miss Spitfire, about Helen Keller and Anne Sullivan.
Second Opinions:
@ Nice Girls Read Books
@ One Book at a Time
@So Many Books, So Little Time
Synopsis: Jael Thompson has never really fit in. She’s changed schools too many times to count. The only family she’s ever known is her father, a bitter ex-priest who never lets her date and insists she attend the strictest Catholic school in Seattle. And her mother—well, she was a five thousand year old demon. That doesn’t exactly help. 
Bought this one separate from the sale because it was only $5. I started reading a friends copy of this back when I lived in Ireland and never got to finish it. Now I have a copy all my own. *squee*
Synopsis: This is a series of 14 books for middle grades, but I love, love, love these books. I’ll review them all together here since each book on its own is tiny. The series starts of in a 2001 view of 2011. The technology isn’t all that on par with what we have now, but the train of thought was about right.
would have thought the middle grade genre usually covers. Deception and self serving acts are everywhere, there is even an evil baby with empty eye sockets, MAJORLY creepy.
Synopsis: Characters based on James Patterson’s international bestsellers When the Wind Blows and The Lake House are re-invented in Maximum Ride and are launched on the ultimate action-packed adventure full of humor and suspense. Fourteen-year-old Maximum Ride, better known as Max, knows what it’s like to soar above the world. She and all the members of the “Flock”–Fang, Iggy, Nudge, Gasman and Angel–are just like ordinary kids–only they have wings and can fly. It may seem like a dream come true to some, but their lives can morph into a living nightmare at any time–like when Angel, the youngest member of the “Flock,” is kidnapped and taken back to the “School” where she and the others were genetically engineered by sinister scientists. Her friends brave a journey to Death Valley, CA, to save Angel, but soon enough, they find themselves in yet another nightmare–this one involving fighting off the half-human, half-wolf “Erasers” in New York City. Whether in the treetops of Central Park or in the bowels of the Manhattan subway system, Max and her adopted family take the ride of their lives. Along the way Max discovers from her old friend and father-figure Jeb–now her betrayed and greatest enemy–that her purpose is save the world–but can she? -Goodreads
Synopsis: Mia has no memory of the accident that changed her life. This inexperienced 17-year-old only recalls riding on that slippery Oregon road with her family, then, in an instant, seeing herself lifted from the twisted wreck. This affecting story of one young woman’s struggle through tragedy and grieving will appeal to readers of books like Thirteen Reasons Why.
