First Frost by Liz DeJesus

Synopsis and book cover from www.goodreads.com

For generations, the Frost family has run the Museum of Magical and Rare Artifacts, handing down guardianship from mother to daughter, always keeping their secrets to “family only.”

Gathered within museum’s walls is a collection dedicated to the Grimm fairy tales and to the rare items the family has acquired: Cinderella’s glass slipper, Snow White’s poisoned apple, the evil queen’s magic mirror, Sleeping Beauty’s enchanted spinning wheel…

Seventeen-year-old Bianca Frost wants none of it, dreaming instead of a career in art or photography or…well, anything except working in the family’s museum. She knows the items in the glass display cases are fakes because, of course, magic doesn’t really exist.

She’s about to find out how wrong she is.

My Comments :-

Since I was a child, I was fascinated with story about Snow White, Cinderella, Rapunzel and stories from the Grimm Brothers. At that time, I don't see the violence in between those lines. But as I grow up, the stories were "changed" by the new generation to be less violent. 

Anyway, where was I . Yes, I was looking for a book by another author which bears the same title. Happen to see this and the synopsis captured my interest. 

I find that it is easy to fall in love with this book as it has the characters which i love during my childhood. Bianca who is a normal teenager suddenly found out that she is a witch and not only that; also the descendant of Snow White. When her mom was kidnapped, she had to journey to the Ever After to rescue her. What I like about this book is that the pace is quite fast. There is also this "silly" Prince who reminds me a bit of Don Quixotic. Love Bianca strong character. She was rash and yet brave.    I really like The Big Bad Wolf here What I dislike about this book was the plot can be predictable at times. What Ming did here did not really endear me to her much. Anyway, I look forward to subsequent book and thank the author very much for not leaving this book with a cliffhanger ending.

James Potter and the Hall of Elders' Crossing (James Potter #1) by G. Norman Lippert

Synopsis from www.goodreads.com

What’s it like to be the son of the most famous wizard of all time?

James Potter thinks he knows, but as he begins his own adventure at Hogwarts, he discovers just how much of a challenge it really is to live up to the legend of the great Harry Potter. As if it wasn’t enough dealing with the delegates from the American wizarding school and figuring out the mysteriously polite Slytherins, James and his new friends, Ralph and Zane, begin to uncover a secret plot that could pit the Muggle and the Magical worlds against each other in all-out war.

Now, with the help of Ted Lupin and his band of merry mischief makers (The Gremlins), James must race to stop a war that could change the world forever. His only hope is to learn the difference between being a hero and being the son of a hero.

My Comments

I stumbled upon this book while looking for additional stories from Harry Potter series. Heard J K Rowling going/had release new Harry Potter stories. Instead, I found works from G. Normal Lippert. Decided to give it a try since I can't get enough of harry potter series. What I like about this book? Well I get to revisit Hogwarts  and see it through the eyes of the next generation. For me, this series needs some getting use to. First of all, the names of the children are confusing to me. They are named after Harry Potter's parents and friends who had pass away. I kept imagining "James" as Harry's father instead of his son. At the mention of Ted Lupin, I kept imagining a werewolf. Secondly is the series seems to have been Americanised. Setting still same but the tone of it had changed some how. . For example the cars, GPS and game console. And the kids have to learn way of the Muggles such as playing football. One thing I hate in this book is the politics. Come on! this series is aim for kids, right? Adding politics into it seems very heavy. What was it again? Society that support the Dark Lord? Harry Potter and his gang not really the good guys and rewrites history to make themselves as heros? It sounded to me like those political novels about Mao's era in china. I can't believe that the total helplessness of the situation where the Headmistress and teachers can;t do anything about it. But why am I giving it 3 stars? Well, coz apart from that, the story was pretty well written. i love the last part. it had the old Harry Potter feel to it.