Jackson Pearce (Bookshelf Requirements)

I'm not a huge collector of books. Most of my books are on a constant stream, both into my house as well as out of it. But there are definitely authors, books and series that I feel is necessary to have on my shelves. And in this new monthly feature, I hope to share with you my bookshelf requirements...(perhaps you'd like to take part? I'd love to have you!) 

Today I have a special guest post from the lovely Kate Ormand, blogger and soon-to-be published author sharing her own bookshelf requirements!  Please give Kate a warm welcome! 

Jackson Pearce books are a must for my shelves. I became a fan after reading AS YOU WISH in one sitting. Her YA book are mostly inspired by fairy tales, but the stories she choses to retell aren’t ones you come across often, making the books all the more unique and special. I have read and enjoyed all of Jackson Pearce’s books and she is an author I will always anticipate new releases from. Here’s why…

 

AS YOU WISH is Jackson Pearce’s debut novel. As I said when introducing Pearce as a bookshelf requirement, I read this funny and engaging novel in a day. It’s an incredibly sweet story of romance, magic and belonging. Viola’s boyfriend splits up with her. She wishes that someone will love her again, and accidentally summons a genie—Jinn. The jinn age rapidly when out of their world, so Jinn is anxious to grant Viola her three wishes and return home, but Viola doesn’t want to waste her wishes and takes her time choosing carefully what to use them for. Soon they begin to realise they’re falling for each other, and then Viola doesn’t want to use her wishes because she wants to keep him in her life, as once her three wishes are gone Jinn will disappear.

SISTERS RED is loosely based on Little Red Riding Hood. I read this book a couple of weeks after finishing AS YOU WISH. The story is action-packed, suspenseful, and a tad gory. Two sisters fight together against werewolves that prey on teenage girls. Scarlett wears a red cloak and carries a hatchet. She has scars – emotional and physical – and will do anything to keep her sister safe. Rosie owes Scarlett for her life. Written from both sisters’ views, SISTERS RED gives us a fierce, loyal heroine, a strong family bond, and a sweet romance.

SWEETLY is loosely based on Hansel and Gretel, and is a companion novel to SISTERS RED. This one is very creepy and eerie, set in a sleepy town in a lonely cottage in the woods. Ansel and Gretchen are running from their past, since their sister was killed by a witch. Their car breaks down in a small town, and they meet Sophia – a chocolatier who runs her business from a house deep in the forest. I love the way Pearce ties the story in with SISTERS RED, and the same mystery, suspense, gore and action can be expected from this title. A deliciously creepy read!

While I was waiting for the third in the retelling novels, PURITY hit shelves. This is a heartfelt YA contemporary about love, loss and sex. It is very cleverly written – Shelby promised her mum three things before she died: to listen to her dad, to love as much as possible, and to live without restraint. But the three promises often overlap and Shelby lives very strictly by them. When her dad asks her to accompany him to the Princess Ball - a dance that ends with taking a vow of purity – Shelby is torn between promises and must find loopholes to break these vows before she takes them. PURITY is a fresh, heart-warming story with a great balance of humour and seriousness. Beautiful book.

FATHOMLESS is the third companion novel in the fairy tale retellings. This is loosely based on The Little Mermaid. Again, the three books are cleverly tied together retellings with a modern twist, and FATHOMLESS is just as gorgeous as the other two. I loved the underwater setting from Lo’s POV, and the on-land story between Ceila and her two sisters. They each have a gift – Jane can know a person’s present, Anne knows their future, and Ceila can see into their past. FATHOMLESS is action-packed, haunting and powerful.

Finally, COLD SPELL comes out this November and I’m already counting down the months until I can read it! This is the fourth in the retelling series and is based on The Snow Queen. This will be on my shelf the second it’s released!

Thank you so much to Clover for inviting me to take part in this wonderful new feature. I can’t wait to see what others come up with, and I really enjoyed the post on Maggie Stiefvater being her bookshelf requirement, as she is also one of mine!

Kate Ormand is a YA writer represented by Isabel Atherton at Creative Authors Ltd. She lives in the UK with her family, her partner, and a cocker spaniel called Freddie. She recently graduated from university with a first class BA (Hons) degree in Fine Art Painting. Kate loves long walks with Freddie, reading teen novels, and painting her nails.

DARK DAYS, her YA dystopian debut, will be published with Sky Pony Press in Spring/Summer 2014. Kate is also a member of an online group of writers and illustrators called Author Allsorts. You can find out more about Kate by visiting her blog (kateormand.wordpress.com) or on Twitter (@kateormand).