Book Blurb:
WEST (East #2) by Edith Pattou
Pub. Date: October 23, 2018
Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers
Formats: Hardcover, eBook, audiobook
Pages: 528
In the sequel to the beloved high fantasy East, Rose sets off on a perilous journey to find her true love when he goes missing in a thrilling tale of danger, magic, adventure, and revenge.
When Rose first met Charles, he was trapped in the form of a white bear. To rescue him, Rose traveled to the land that lay east of the sun and west of the moon to defeat the evil Troll Queen. Now Rose has found her happily-ever-after with Charles—until a sudden storm destroys his ship and he is presumed dead. But Rose doesn’t believe the shipwreck was an act of nature, nor does she believe Charles is truly dead. Something much more sinister is at work. With mysterious and unstoppable forces threatening the lives of the people she loves, Rose must once again set off on a perilous journey. And this time, the fate of the entire world is at stake.
Goodreads | Amazon | Audible | B&N | iBooks | TBD
My Review:
5 Out Of 5 Stars
Genre: Heart, Heart-Wrenching, Retelling, Romance, Royal-Court, Supernatural, Survival, Suspense--
I read East because I am so in love with the fairy-tale East of the Sun and West of the Moon.
I read West because I had become invested in Rose during her journey in East, I needed to see what became of her story next.
For as long as I can remember, I have been obsessed with the tale of East of the Sun, West of the moon and I have read all versions I can get my grabby hands on. It is kinda like the original Beauty and the Beast (which also just happens to be my all time favorite story), with a bear whisking a girl away and they fall in love without her really knowing him as a man, only as a beast...until she does something stupid and ruins it all and then has to go on an epic journey to defeat a troll queen... But anyway, the concept is romantic, slightly creepy and so interesting! But that was book 1, East, I had no idea what Rose would face in West- except that it would be epic and most certainly heart-wrenching. (PS if you have not read East yet- or want a reread- you should pick up the audiobook because it is read by a full cast and is 100% fantastic!).
To me, this series is the most amazing of love stories. No, there is no sex or sweet words (sorry to disappoint, but that is not this kind of love or book), but instead there are the never ending actions that expressed real love, be it Rose and her never ending quests or Netti and his belief in his sister. All of these actions scream real, deep love to me and it is the kind of love that actually means something and everyone at heart desires. Ask yourself, how far would you go for the one you love- will it be to the amazing lengths of Rose?
Rose is really the most remarkable of people. Her perseverance and determination have no bounds and she is the kind of person you want on your side when something terrible happens- like being kidnapped by an evil Troll Queen. White Bear and Wynn are lucky to have her, and she is lucky to have Netti. Can I just mention the heartache that was in this book? Both Rose and I had assumed that a happily ever after was over due for her after East, but instead it was ripped away and all that was left was hurt- and faith.
Edith, the author, sent out a comment about West when it was released a few weeks ago and I found it insightful, and it really reinforced for me what I was feeling while I was reading but I could not name. She wrote:
I was a child when I first read the tale “East of the Sun and West of the Moon” and was immediately enchanted by the unnamed heroine who rides on the back of a large white bear as well as on the backs of all the different winds (north, south, east, west), who outwits a troll queen, and who rescues a prince from a spell. To me, she was a super-hero back when there were barely any female super-heroes. She was brave and she was smart. And most of all, she was persistent. I have discovered over the course of writing both EAST and WEST that while persistence may not be glamorous, it is possibly the most formidable super-power of all.
Edith did a fantastic job of making Rose into the type of superhero that I appreciate the most, so real and human, with no magical gifts or powers yet through her determination and belief, she got S*** done. Now this, this is someone to look up to and want to aspire to be like.
I am voluntarily reviewing an advance, complimentary copy of this book.
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Catch up on the series now!
Book Blurb:
EAST (East #1)
Pub. Date: May 1, 2005
Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers
Formats: Hardcover, Paperback, eBook, audiobook
Pages: 507
Rose has always been different.
Since the day she was born, it was clear she had a special fate. Her superstitious mother keeps the unusual circumstances of Rose's birth a secret, hoping to prevent her adventurous daughter from leaving home... but she can't suppress Rose's true nature forever.
So when an enormous white bear shows up one cold autumn evening and asks teenage Rose to come away with it--in exchange for health and prosperity for her ailing family--she readily agrees.
Rose travels on the bear's broad back to a distant and empty castle, where she is nightly joined by a mysterious stranger. In discovering his identity, she loses her heart-- and finds her purpose--and realizes her journey has only just begun.
Goodreads | Amazon | Audible | B&N | iBooks | TBD
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Author Bio:
Edith Pattou is the author of Ghosting, a contemporary novel for young adults, told in free verse. She also wrote three award-winning fantasy novels for young adults – East, a retelling of the Norwegian folk tale "East of the Sun and West of the Moon," and the two Songs of Eirren, Hero’s Song and Fire Arrow. She is also the author of the New York Times bestselling picture book, Mrs. Spitzer’s Garden.
She was born in Evanston, Illinois, grew up in Winnetka, and was a teenager in the city of Chicago where she attended Francis W. Parker School. She completed her B.A. at Scripps College in Claremont, California where she won the Crombie Allen Award for creative writing. She later completed a Masters degree in English Literature at Claremont Graduate School, followed by a Masters of Library and Information Science at UCLA.
She has worked for a medical association, a clothing boutique, a recording studio, the Playboy Foundation, a public television station, a school library, two public libraries, two advertising agencies, and two bookstores.
She has lived in Chicago, Los Angeles, Denver, Durham, NC, Cambridge, England, Stockholm, Sweden, and currently resides with her husband, Charles, in Columbus, Ohio.
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10/16/2018- A Backwards Story- Interview
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