Curses and Smoke Blog Tour: Review and Giveaway

Publication Date: May 27, 2014
Arthur A. Levine Books
Formats: Hardcover, eBook

 

Genre: YA Historical

 

Synopsis From Goodreads:

 

When your world blows apart, what will you hold onto?

 

TAG is a medical slave, doomed to spend his life healing his master’s injured gladiators. But his warrior’s heart yearns to fight in the gladiator ring himself and earn enough money to win his freedom.

 

LUCIA is the daughter of Tag’s owner, doomed by her father’s greed to marry a much older Roman man. But she loves studying the natural world around her home in Pompeii, and lately she’s been noticing some odd occurrences in the landscape: small lakes disappearing; a sulfurous smell in the air…

 

When the two childhood friends reconnect, each with their own longings, they fall passionately in love. But as they plot their escape from the city, a patrician fighter reveals his own plans for them — to Lucia’s father, who imprisons Tag as punishment. Then an earthquake shakes Pompeii, in the first sign of the chaos to come. Will they be able to find each other again before the volcano destroys their whole world?

 

So What Did I Think About The Story?:

 

The destruction of Pompeii and the unique remains left behind have long fascinated me. Just looking at the well preserved plaster casts of those caught in the eruption is heartbreaking and provocative. But while archaeologists and scientists might be able to extrapolate facts surrounding the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 CE by what remains there seems to be very little remaining that can speak first hand to what these people felt leading up to, during and directly after the catastrophe. What would it have felt like to stumble through the streets in daytime darkness and booming explosions while rocks and ash rained down on  you without knowing what was happening or what was coming? What would you be thinking as your world literally came crashing down around you? Vicky Alvear Shecter's Curses and Smoke showcases this emotional, humanistic side of living during this time and through this devastating event from the viewpoint of two young lovers desperately searching for freedom in a world not ready to give it to them.

 

Both Tag and Lucia are very sympathetic, well developed characters and while the extensive and very informative author notes at the back of the book indicates that most of the characters, including Tag and Lucia, are fictional the descriptions of their struggles and the heart and soul they display make them feel all too real. Being that this is a YA novel described as targeting readers aged twelve and up, their fight for the right to make their own choices and decide their future will feel all too familiar to those going through that transition from child to adult.  Reading about how little freedom these two had and how powerless slaves and women were during this time should also highlight how different life is now and how much more freedom is inherent in our modern society. This in no way limits the enjoyment for older readers as anyone can relate to what it feels like to lose control and struggle to grasp what you can. Regardless of age, gender or circumstances, it isn't hard to feel compassion for these two and cheer them on as they try for the seemingly impossible. My favorite character of  all, however, was young, orphaned Castor, who follows Tag around like an energetic and loving puppy, pulling on heartstrings and just begging to be loved. These three characters are the stars of the novel and I can honestly say by the end of the book I was completely invested in what happened to them.

The only character that left me scratching my head was Quintus, the self-centered patrician who tried to come between Tag and Lucia. He seemed to be attracted to Tag but then would treat Tag like a lowly servant and do things to demean him. He would often tell Tag he wasn't as bad as Tag thought but then would be just as self-centered and nasty as you could imagine. While other characters, such as Lucia's horrible and cruel father, aren't likeable they still play an integral part in the overall story and by the end Quintus just didn't seem to have done that. That being said he didn't necessarily detract from the story either and so just felt unneeded to me.   

 

One of my favorite aspects of the novel, besides the wonderful characters, was discovering the differences in religion, superstition, and cultural practices that were new to me. I was not aware of the Roman conquest of Pompeii and what that meant for the Etruscan people who lost their way of life and, for some, their freedom when they became slaves to the Romans. For that matter I wasn't aware of just how prevalent and accepted slavery was during this time. Another horrific discovery was the practice of exposing unwanted babies to the elements by being left to die outside the city. Just the thought of those poor babies being left to die and the complete inability of the mothers to do anything about it if their husbands refused to accept them just turns my stomach. These very different practices, regardless of how unsavory or foreign to our modern minds, are all integral parts of the story and give the drive needed for the characters to react and strike out at the world as they do.  It really is fascinating to learn what people from history had to deal with and what they did to fight against the injustices that we often take for granted.         

 

In regards to this being a YA novel I also enjoyed that the romance aspect felt very age appropriate. It was sweet, tender and confusing at times, just as first love should be. I think anything more heavy-handed would have felt inappropriate given the younger end of the spectrum of readers and makes it easier to recommend this to a wider audience. It should be noted that not all elements of the novel are easy to read and the ending, while breathtaking, might catch readers by surprise and not necessarily in a good way. It, like the life the characters are living, isn't always perfect or happy and really drives homes that fighting for something like freedom often comes with devastating consequences. With all this considered, Curses and Smoke is a remarkable novel that I don't doubt will spur on its readers to look further into this time and place in history.  I know it has done that for me.

 

So What Did I Think About The Cover?

 

Absolutely beautiful! I love the wispy, innocent looking young woman in the front staring at the angry, red volcano in the distance. The explosion is such a turning point in the novel that the cover makes me think of that split second in time before all hell breaks loose! It fits the feel of the novel perfectly for me.

 

My Rating: 4.0/5.0

 

Giveaway

 

To enter to win a copy of Curses and Smoke of your very own tell me below if you have read any remarkable novels that take place in Ancient Italy and be sure to leave your email address (no email address, no entry). For extra entries share online and leave a link to where you shared. I will randomly pick a winner on June 17th and the winner will have 48 hours to respond to my email before I have to pick another winner. Good luck!

 

You can also find the links to purchase the book and follow along with the book tour below.

 

About The Author

 

Vicky Alvear Shecter is the author of the young adult novel, CLEOPATRA’S MOON (Arthur A. Levine Books/Scholastic, 2011), based on the life of Cleopatra’s only daughter. She is also the author of two award-winning biographies for kids on Alexander the Great and Cleopatra. She is a docent at the Michael C. Carlos Museum of Antiquities at Emory University in Atlanta.

 

 

 

Author Links

Website
Blog
Facebook
Twitter
Goodreads

 

Buy the Book

Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Book Depository
Books-a-Million
Fishpond
Powell’s
Waterstones

 

Virtual Book Tour Schedule

Monday, May 26
Review at Flashlight Commentary
Review & Giveaway at The Mad Reviewer

Tuesday, May 27
Guest Post & Giveaway at Flashlight Commentary

Wednesday, May 28
Review & Giveaway at Fiction Folio

Thursday, May 29
Review at Good Books and Good Wine

Friday, May 30
Guest Post at Good Books and Good Wine

Monday, June 2 Review at Oh, For the Hook of a Book

Tuesday, June 3 Review at Geek Girl’s Book Blog
Interview & Giveaway at Oh, For the Hook of a Book

Wednesday, June 4 Review at Book Drunkard

Thursday, June 5 Review at Book Lovers Paradise

Friday, June 6 Review at The Book Belles
Review at Manga Maniac Café

Monday, June 9 Review at Bibliophilia, Please
Review & Giveaway at A Bookish Affair

Tuesday, June 10 Review & Giveaway at Historical Tapestry

Wednesday, June 11 Interview & Giveaway at Passages to the Past

Thursday, June 12 Review at Let Them Read Books
Review at Svetlana’s Reads and Views

Friday, June 13 Review at Broken Teepee
Guest Post & Giveaway at Let Them Read Books