Title: West (East #2)
Author: Edith Pattou
Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult, Romance
Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers
Formats: Hardback, eBook, Audiobook
No. of pages: 528
Publication Date: October 23, 2018
Date Read: October 23, 2018
Rating: 4/5
Goodreads | Amazon | Audible | B&N | iBooks | TBD
Synopsis:
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 under a powerful enchantment that trapped him 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 where she defeated the evil Troll Queen, who held him n her power. Now Rose thinks she has found her happily ever after with Charles — until an unexpected 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 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 risk.
Giveaway:
3 Winners will receive a finished copy of West, US Only.
Enter here: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/e2389ba2818/?
Review:
Thanks to Rockstar Book Tours and HMH Teen for including me on this book tour and sending me a review copy.
After reading East, I was hooked in this world that Pattou had recreated in her retelling of the Norwegian tale of East of the Sun and West of the Moon. Picking up West was like once again saying hi to an old friend. West is full of amazing storytelling, characters that you can get behind, and an adventure that is one that is reminiscent of all the tales that you’ve heard growing up.
West picks up three years after East ends. Rose and Charles have married and have begun a family. On his way back home from playing with an orchestra in Stockholm, Charles ship gets hit by an unruly storm and Rose is led to believe he is dead. Rose, not believing it, travels with Neddy and Sib, a rescued softskin from East, to see for themselves what has happened to Charles. Once they land where Charles ship has wrecked, nothing is as it seems and Rose is once again in search for her White Bear. Unfortunately, the Troll Queen is back in an enormous fashion and this time her eye isn’t set on the man she stole as a child. She’s stolen his memories of Rose and has raised the stakes: “It is the bairn that matters now.”
This story is what comes after the fairy tale. I’m so glad that Pattou has written more of Rose and Charles’ story. She brought back all my favorite characters and as the story continues, brings new characters into the mix as well as change some characters from the last book — some for good and others stay just as vile. I loved how this book seamlessly brought me into life three years later. I also loved the mythology and lore still woven throughout the story that even though this story goes beyond the retelling, it still brings such life to an already great story.
One of the things that I loved about this book was the expansion of Estelle as a character and the addition of Sib. Though we only get to see Sib through the eyes of others, she is portrayed as fiercely loyal and a great addition to the story. She plays such a big part in this story. Not only does she have such a great influence on Rose, but she also has a great influence on Neddy as the story continues. With Estelle, I loved having the chance to get her perspective and view on things. I loved seeing how much she saw Rose as a role model. In different situations, she constantly thought of what Rose would do or how she could be strong like Rose.
Side note: the female characters in this story were so strong and independent. They’re such great role models and I can’t wait to be able to share this story with my own daughter one day [far in the future].
I absolutely loved getting to see Rose’s story continue. This book is definitely one that I would recommend to anyone. West released yesterday, Oct. 23rd. This is one sequel that you don’t want to miss.
Author:
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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Tour Schedule:
Week One:
10.15.18 – Rhythmicbooktrovert – Review
10.16.18 – A Backwards Story – Interview
10.17.18 – Forever Lost in Literature – Review
10.18.18 – Mythical Books – Excerpt
10.19.18 – Patriotic Bookaholic – Excerpt
Week Two:
10.22.18 – Read. Eat. Love. – Review
10.23.18 – Dani Reviews Things – Excerpt
10.24.18 – Adventure and Reading – Review
10.25.18 – BookHounds YA – Interview
10.26.18 – Jena Brown Writes – Review
Week Three:
10.29.18 – Ace Reads – Excerpt
10.30.18 – Novel Novice – Excerpt
10.31.18 – All the Ups and Downs – Review
11.1.18 – Rockin’ Book Reviews – Review
11.2.18 – Paws and Paperbacks – Review
Week Four:
11.5.18 – Smada’s Book Smack – Review
11.6.18 – if the book will be too difficult – Review
11.7.18 – Vesper Dreams – Excerpt
11.8.18 – Oh Hey! Books. – Review
11.9.18 – Two Chicks on Books – Excerpt
Adventures and Reading 