Book Review: Dark Mirror (Dark Mirror, #1) by Mary Jo Putney

Exciting start to YA historical, time-travel adventure series

Dark Mirror (Dark Mirror, #1) by Mary Jo Putney
Reading Level: Young Adult
Release Date: March 1, 2011
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Pages: 320
Source: Amazon Vine
Reviewed By: Kate McMurry

Lady Victoria Mansfield is the youngest daughter of an earl. Hers should have been a life with every social privilege and free of care, but she has a shameful secret--she can fly! In her world, the aristocracy considers magical ability to be a taint in the blood that is a very low-class attribute, on a par with engaging in "trade" or even madness.

Unfortunately, a life-and-death situation arises that leaves Tory no choice but to reveal her despised magical ability in order to save a life. Her implacable father believes even that is not an acceptable excuse for humiliating the family. He immediately ships her away to Lackland Abbey, a reform school for magically gifted young aristocrats. Only if Tory cooperates and learns how to suppress her magical ability will she ever be allowed to return home.

I was delighted to learn that Mary Jo Putney has ventured into YA fiction. I have been a huge fan of her adult romance novels for over 20 years, in particular her paranormal historical romance. No one could be better suited to writing a novel like this for teens.

MJP also excels in her adult novels in creating families of affiliation, groups of friends who will do anything for each other and are closer emotionally than most blood relations. She brings this skill amply to bear in this novel, providing for the heroine, Tory, a fascinating group of friends, and a delightful romantic interest.

Tory herself is an admirable heroine, full of courage, determination and immense compassion. It is her virtues which lead to all her trouble, which is my favorite way for conflict to be created in a novel as I'm not personally particularly fond of anti-hero stories. On the other hand, Tory is not a boringly perfect person. She has the same fears and concerns that all humans are prey to. In addition, her characterization is very accurate for a teenager of her historical era of the Regency Period in England, in the early 1800's during the Napoleonic Wars.

This book is G-Rated, but not immature in its approach. It is suitable for all ages. Adult fans of Ms. Putney who read both YA and adult romance novels will be particularly pleased with this book.

There are currently two other books in print within this series, Book 2 is Dark Passage, and Book 3 is Dark Destiny. Both are equally wonderful.

Heroine: 5

Subcharacters: 5

Fantasy World-Building: 5

Writing: 5

Action-Adventure Plot: 5

Romantic Subplot: 5


Overall: 5

Book Review: Awaken (Awaken, #1) by Katie Kacvinsky

Young adult, futuristic, dystopian romance

Awaken (Awaken, #1) by Katie Kacvinsky
Reading Level: Young Adult
Release Date: May 23, 2011
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children
Pages: 320
Source: Amazon Vine
Reviewed By: Kate McMurry

Maddie lives in a dystopian future world of an imagined 2060 in which people don't relate to each other in person. Everything is done via computer. Maddie has never known anything other than this until she meets Justin, a rebellious young man who tells her people are meant to interact face-to-face.

The world-building in this book is very believable. I can easily imagine technology in our world moving toward holograms substituting for actual physical experience. I can also envision the possibility of all children being educated from home. It saves the government a huge amount of money for school buildings and teachers, money our society seems less and less willing to invest as time goes by.

Maddie's thoughts and impressions made sense to me as she reacts to her society. The part that made somewhat less sense to me is the claim that everyone in this society has never had any face-to-face contact. Any child living with parents has never been completely without human in-person contact. Likewise for anyone living in any family situation, which still seems to exist in this society. Also, the fact that her mother and father have opposite perspectives on society doesn't seem to point to the approach of other dystopian romances I've read of arranged marriages and routine political brainwashing. That would indicate that her parents were free to connect in a courtship, after which they got married and lived together, most if not all of that done face-to-face.

This is the first of a series, so this book is not neatly tied up, which is very common with YA series these days.

This book would probably be more enjoyable for older teens and adults. The content is somewhat mature for younger teens.

Heroine: 4

Subcharacters: 4

Fantasy World-Building: 3

Writing: 4

Dystopian Plot: 4

Romance Plot: 4


Overall: 4