Title: My Super Sweet Sixteenth CenturyGenre: Young Adult, Historical Fiction
Publication: September 11 2012, Entangled Teen
Pages: 304 pages, Ebook
Source: Thank you to Shane over at Itching for Books and the lovely author, Rachel Harris, for hosting this blog tour. :)
On the precipice of her sixteenth birthday, the last thing lone wolf Cat Crawford wants is an extravagant gala thrown by her bubbly stepmother and well-meaning father. So even though Cat knows the family’s trip to Florence, Italy, is a peace offering, she embraces the magical city and all it offers. But when her curiosity leads her to an unusual gypsy tent, she exits . . . right into Renaissance Firenze.As a lover of historical fiction, I was extremely excited to sign up for the MSSSC blog tour. I've always loved the thought of travelling back in time and Rachel Harris did a fabulous job of magically transferring us back into the past with her spell-binding story. My Super Sweet Sixteenth Century is one of my favourite books this year. The author created a flawless story that was magically told. I couldn't put it down, and I guarantee if you read it, you won't be able to either.
Thrust into the sixteenth century armed with only a backpack full of contraband future items, Cat joins up with her ancestors, the sweet Alessandra and protective Cipriano, and soon falls for the gorgeous aspiring artist Lorenzo. But when the much-older Niccolo starts sniffing around, Cat realizes that an unwanted birthday party is nothing compared to an unwanted suitor full of creeptastic amore.
Can she find her way back to modern times before her Italian adventure turns into an Italian forever?
From the first page you can tell Cat is going to be an instantly loveable heroine. She was a realistic teen who had issues to deal with, yet she didn't consistently whine about how unfair life is, she endured it and made the best of the situation (Bella Swan, take note). I absolutely loved her sense of humour and was doubled-up with laughter thanks to her whimsical sayings. I also loved how the author managed to create such a three-dimensional character. Cat was funny, bubbly and witty and had enough sarcasm that easily wasn't over bearable, yet added a light, playful tone to the story, however, at the same time she had flaws. She was determined not to let anyone into her heart, as she had learnt from her mother that if you follow your heart, it just lets you down and leaves you shattered. I loved gradually learning exactly why she kept a hard layer around her heart and I adored it as slowly her new friends cautiously peeled that tough layer from around it and I smiled as I watched her affection and love radiating toward her Sixteenth-Century family and receiving it back from them.
The other characters were all described in perfect detail, whereas most authors tend to portray their main focus on the main character, Rachel Harris did an impeccable job of letting the readers befriend the characters in the story. Every character I was introduced to, I eventually learnt their longings, their characteristics, their past and their destiny. I absolutely loved learning about every character and hearing their voice shine through the story. I fell in love with Lorenzo (who hasn't?), I adored Uncle Marco and Aunt Francesca, I wanted to hug little Less and admire Cip.
*Sigh* Lorenzo, oh how swoon-worthy he was. Tousled curly blonde locks, chocolate-brown eyes, an artist...and Italian, who could ask for a better book boyfriend? I loved watching him and Cat interact and how they loved each other. I also enjoyed the way they author didn't use insta-love in her novel but that they fell in love in such a short period of time because Cat couldn't be there forever. I also loved the part in the beginning where Cat was determined not to let Lorenzo in her heart but gradually she fell in love with him, it was stunning to watch.
One of my favourite characters was also Alessandro, or Less, as Cat liked to call her. She made all the scenes bright and cheerful and I loved her mannerisms and characteristics. She was a stunning character that made an already fabulous book a little bit more fantastic. Sweet, cute and enthusiastic she was perfect in every way. I also loved reading about her ambitious feelings towards acting, I loved the scenes where Cat revealed to her a little bit about movie productions in the 21st Century.
The setting that the author depicted was stunning. It literally felt like I was being swept back in time, especially as we walked with Cat down the cobblestone streets, smelt the delicious smells wafting in from the food stalls, hearing the rustle of the dresses and running barefoot through the poppy fields. The setting was beautifully described and I could picture exactly where Cat was at that particular scene in the story and exactly what she was doing at the precise moment.
After reading MSSSC, I dream of walking the streets of Italy.
The plot, pacing and writing was phenomenal. It moved smoothly and freely, like an azure river trickling through the Italian countryside. It kept me gripped and I was frequently flicking the pages, not able to absorb enough of the stunning writing and the little twists in the tale. The pacing was perfect, Rachel introduced us to Cat's modern life and then when Cat took a trip back in time she did an excellent job of introducing us to Cat's new lifestyle.
My Super Sweet Sixteenth Century is a flawless novel that I would recommend to anyone and everyone. Rachel Harris is a stunningly talented new author with an individual voice and a spectacular writing style. Vivid imagery paints wondrous pictures in our head of how times were in the magical Renaissance period, with spellbinding writing and fresh characters that are charming and witty, My Super Sweet Sixteenth Century will stay with you long after you've read the last word. This was a flawless novel that will stay with me forever.
I give it: 5/5 CUPCAKES!
Author Bio (Spotlight)
As a teen, Rachel threw raging parties that shook her parents’ walls and created embarrassing fodder for future YA novels.As an adult, she read and wrote obsessively, rehash said embarrassing fodder, and dreamt up characters who become her imaginary friends. When she's not typing furiously or flipping pages in an enthralling romance, you can find Rachel homeschooling her two beautiful princesses, hanging out with her amazing husband, or taking a hot bubble bath…next to a pile of chocolate. MY SUPER SWEET SIXTEENTH CENTURY is her first novel. She did have her own fantabulous Sweet Sixteen in high school. Sadly, it wasn’t televised.
Official links: www.rachelharriswrites.com |twitter.com/RachelHarrisYA