Anxiously Awaiting... Flights and Chimes and Mysterious Times!

Flights and Chimes and Mysterious Times
by Emma Trevayne

Publication Date: May 2014

Description:
Ten-year-old Jack Foster has stepped through a doorway and into quite a different London.

Londinium is a smoky, dark, and dangerous place, home to mischievous metal fairies and fearsome clockwork dragons that breathe scalding steam. The people wear goggles to protect their eyes, brass grill insets in their nostrils to filter air, or mechanical limbs to replace missing ones.

Over it all rules the Lady, and the Lady has demanded a new son—a perfect flesh-and-blood child. She has chosen Jack.

Jack’s wonder at the magic and steam-powered marvels in Londinium lasts until he learns he is the pawn in a very dangerous game. The consequences are deadly, and his only hope of escape, of returning home, lies with a legendary clockwork bird.

The Gearwing grants wishes. Or it did, before it was broken. Before it was killed.

But some things don’t stay dead forever. (Goodreads.com) 

A middle-grade steampunk, alternate London...yes, please! 

Before I Fall

Before I Fall
by Lauren Oliver

What if you only had one day to live? What would you do? Who would you kiss? And how far would you go to save your own life?

Samantha Kingston has it all: the world's most crush-worthy boyfriend, three amazing best friends, and first pick of everything at Thomas Jefferson High - from the best table in the cafeteria to the choicest parking spot. Friday, February 12, should be just another day in her charmed life.

It turns out to be her last.

Then she gets a second chance. Seven chances, in fact. Reliving her last day during one miraculous week, she will untangle the mystery surrounding her death - and discover the true value of everything she is in danger of losing.
(description from Amazon.com)


Okay, I don't usually give an extra rating on my reviews here, but this is a MUST READ book. Now saying that, I know that I'm actually behind and most of you have already read this, but if not...OMG. Go read it now...right now!

This is earning a gold star from me. It is an amazing debut and I cannot wait to read Oliver's next book, Delirium when it comes out.

Oliver has a true way with words. Her descriptions were lush and evocative. I caught myself getting caught up just in the scenery, the "feeling" of each moment, let alone dealing with the action and emotions of the story. As Sam relived her day over and over and over, it was like watching someone go through the stages of grief. Each day had a different feeling to it, anger, frustration, hopelessness, joy, acceptance. It was beautiful and thought-provoking to experience with Sam.

I actually listened to this as an audiobook and it was expertly done. The narrator was fantastic. All the emotions came across clearly and truthfully. I cried at times. I laughed. I cringed. My only complaint...the only one...was that the epilogue had music layered over it that swelled just a little too much and I had some trouble hearing the end of the narration. Other than that I consider both this book and its audio counterpart to be MUST HAVES for libraries.

Full disclosure: Audiobook received to review for School Library Journal

The Journal of Curious Letters

The Journal of Curious Letters
by James Dashner
The 13th Reality, book one

What if every time you made a choice that had a significant consequence, a new, alternate reality was created - the life that would've been had you made the other choice? What if those new realities were in danger? What if it fell to you to save all the realities? Atticus Higginbottom, a.k.a. Tick, is an average thirteen-year-old boy until the day a strange letter arrives in his mailbox. Postmarked from Alaska and cryptically signed with the initials "M.G.," the letter informs Tick that dangerous - perhaps even deadly - events have been set in motion that could result in the destruction of reality itself. M.G. promises to send Tick twelve riddles that will reveal on a certain day, at a certain time, at a certain place, something extraordinary will happen. Will Tick have the courage to follow the twelve clues M.G. sends to him? Will he be able to solve the riddles in time? Will Tick discover the life he was meant to live?
(description from Amazon.com)

Honestly, I almost didn't finish this book. I loved The Maze Runner, Dashner's YA dystopia out last year, and so when I got the chance to meet him at BEA this year in New York, I leapt at the chance. I had hoped that James Dashner would be signing The Scorch Trials, but instead he was signing the third book in The Thirteenth Reality series, The Blade of Shattered Hope.
Since I now own a signed copy, I really wanted to read the whole series.

However, when I started this book, it really dragged for me in the beginning. I had trouble with Tick's name, first off, and the setup for the 13 realities took too long for me. BUT...since I own the third book now, I was determined to keep going and get through it. In the end, I was glad that I kept reading. The second half of the book really picked up and there was lots of action, danger, and mystery.

The baddie is a really mean, weird, crazy baddie. Mistress Jane gave me chills at one point. Her minions (think kind of like the Wizard of Oz flying monkeys) were very inventive. The method of traveling between realities is cool and the different realities sound intriguing and fun.

Now that the world setup is done in the first book, I am way more excited to read the second book. I look forward to The Hunt for Dark Infinity.