Book Review: Cobbogoth by Hannah L. Clark (+ giveaway)

 
Cobbogoth by Hannah L. Clark

Publisher: KinStone Publishing, LLC

Publish Date: December 3, 2011

Paperback, 308 pages 
Fiction, Young Adult, Fantasy
 ISBN:  978-1463732318

My Review:
My first delving into the fantasy genre was back when I was a teenager and I read The Eyes of the Dragon by Stephen King.  Though I absolutely loved the book, I never really picked up on more of the fantasy genre until reading The Lord of the Rings trilogy in my late 20s (coinciding with the movies coming out).  Now in the last few years since I started blogging I have been reading more and more of the fantasy genre, particularly YA fantasy and falling in love with it.  Cobbogoth and Hannah L. Clark has given me even more to fall in love with.

What to start with?  Norah.  Norah is a great character, that we as the readers get to learn about little by little during the book.  I don't want to give away much about her because I want you to learn about her the way I did.  But suffice it to say she is an interesting character who makes a wonderful main character.  She has growth during the book and she has great inner strength and such a wonderful moral center that's there but not blatant, she's just good at heart and knows right from wrong.  I love her.  The other characters that surround her are remarkable too.  James is intriguing and I enjoyed learning about him as the book went along as well.  The bad guys are suitably scary and bad and fit the story well.

The story, wow, what a story.  I was transfixed from the beginning.  What was happening to Norah and who was with her and who was against her.  It was intriguing, exciting and it kept me turning pages.  Ms. Clark brought alive the world of the Cobbogoths to me and I loved the descriptions she used in the book.  I also appreciated the drawings that went along with the chapters in the book.  Ms. Clark does an excellent job describing the creatures and various places in the book, but having the drawings enhances the reading experience.  I also enjoyed the fact that the Cobbogoths existed in parallel to the human world.  I love that kind of story, it fascinates me.  I think Ms. Clark did an excellent job of setting up that part of the story so it was completely believable.

Cobbogoth ends perfectly but leaves me wanting for the next book.  Ms. Clark has done an amazing job with this book, setting up the world, creating interesting creatures and a society that fascinated me.  I look forward to learning more about this world in the next book and seeing more of Norah.  If you love fantasy or haven't tried it and want to, this is the book for you.  Cobbogoth is beautifully written, thoroughly entertaining and has me wanting for the next in this wonderful series.  Write faster Ms. Clark!

My Rating: 5.0/5.0

Parental guidance: This book is clean, just some minor kissing between James and Norah.  I would suggest this book for anyone 10+ that wants to read this kind of book.

About the Book:
To seventeen-year-old Norah Lukens, the Cobbogothians were just a myth. But after her archeologist uncle's brutal murder, and being asked to translate one of his old research journals for evidence, she begins a journey to discover the truth for herself.

Chasing the myth her uncle was obsessed with, Norah learns that his murder was a cover up for something far more sinister. If she hopes to save others from suffering the same fate he did--including the peculiarly magnetic James Riley--she must head to Iceland in order to find out the truth once and for all.

If she succeeds, she'll gain the one thing she's always longed for.

But if she fails, not even the gods can help her.

Author Links: 
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Giveaway:
I have one signed copy to giveaway courtesy of the author.  Open to US/Canada (I'm mailing).  Nothing is required, the main entry below is a free entry, just click enter on the Rafflecopter.  Ends March 5, 2012. Trust me, you want this book!  I gave one away a few months ago, so this is the second copy, it's read once by me.


a Rafflecopter giveaway

FTC Information: I received this book through Teen Book Scene for an honest review.  I do make money from purchases made at The Book Depository and B&N.com, but all money is used to fund giveaways and shipping for giveaways from the blog.