Atlantia

Atlantia 
by Ally Condie

For as long as she can remember, Rio has dreamt of the sand and sky Above—of life beyond her underwater city of Atlantia. But in a single moment, all her plans for the future are thwarted when her twin sister, Bay, makes an unexpected decision, stranding Rio Below. Alone, ripped away from the last person who knew Rio’s true self—and the powerful siren voice she has long hidden—she has nothing left to lose.

Guided by a dangerous and unlikely mentor, Rio formulates a plan that leads to increasingly treacherous questions about her mother’s death, her own destiny, and the complex system constructed to govern the divide between land and sea. Her life and her city depend on Rio to listen to the voices of the past and to speak long-hidden truths. (Description from Goodreads.com)

It's been a long time since I've read a YA fantasy stand-alone. I think the last one was Maggie Stiefvater's The Scorpio Races and like that book, I was pleasantly delighted when I finished the book to feel glad that it was complete in and of itself.  Not to say in either case that I would not read a companion book or something set in the same world, on the contrary, I'd love to revisit both settings very much! I just mean that with so many trilogies and series out there today, sometimes it's exhausting to keep up. I loved that Atlantia wrapped up in a satisfying way.  

I also very much enjoyed the worldbuilding of this novel.  Atlantis has always fascinated me, but this was a new and exciting spin on it.  Condie did a great job of letting me see Atlantia in my head and I was drawn easily deeper and deeper into Rio's world, wanting to know exactly how things had developed into what they now were.  I loved the description of their city under the ocean and the few ways in and out of it.  I loved that it truly felt like a city that could exist, slums, blackmarkets, and all. 

I enjoyed the characters, too. Though they all occupied very specific roles in Condie's story, they were nuanced, as well.  Each character had a persona that was then balanced by the secret parts of their characters that only came to light as Rio became embroiled in the struggle to free herself and then save her city.  

As I said, though I'm glad there is not a direct sequel to this book, I most definitely would read another by Condie set in this same world!  

Full Disclosure: Chapter sampler received at 2014 BEA/Book borrowed from my Library

My Life in Pink and Green

My Life in Pink and Green
by Lisa Greenwald

Twelve-year-old Lucy Desberg is a natural problem-solver. At her family’s struggling pharmacy, she has a line of makeover customers for every school dance and bat mitzvah. But all the makeup tips in the world won’t help save the business. If only she could find a way to make it the center of town again—a place where people want to spend time, like in the old days. Lucy dreams up a solution that could resuscitate the family business and help the environment, too. But will Lucy’s family stop fighting long enough to listen to a seventh-grader? (description from Amazon.com)

This was a very cute tween read. Perfect for a girl that wants to learn to become more confident in her own abilities. Great for a tween who's just starting to think about boys.

Lucy is a very sweet and smart girl. She makes a goal for herself and she sticks with it. She treats everyone as well as she can, even if she doesn't like them. She wants the best for her friends and family.

This is one of those books that you will breeze through and just end up smiling when you are done reading it. It probably won't stick with you forever, but if you're looking for a "beach" type read, this would be a great choice.

Traitor's Son

Traitor's Son
by Hilari Bell
The Raven Duet, book two

Publication Date: March 20, 2012

When Jason catches the small bag that a girl throws to him at the Canadian/Alaskan border during a gun fight, all he can think is that the bag must contain drugs. But if the small, brown powder is some sort of illegal substance, it's certainly nothing he's ever seen before.

Jase is half right. He's never seen this stuff before, but it's not drugs. The bag contains magical dust, a substance so powerful, it can heal the earth.

So powerful, certain creatures think nothing of killing him to get it. (description from back jacket)

I have to admit that I have not read the first book in The Raven Duet, Trickster's Girl, but now having read its counterpart, eventually I want to go back and eventually get to it. I haven't actually read anything by Hilari Bell before, but I liked her writing style.

First of all, this book was surprisingly short. In the new days of most YA books coming in easily at 300 pages, this one is only just over 200. And yet, it packed a lot of punch. The characters were interesting, the world was intriguing, and the danger was scintillating.

This book is set in Alaska in the 2080's. The world has become very technologically advanced and dependent, yet because of the native Alaskan tribes, Jase's world is a mixture of the old beliefs and magics, and the new. His family is in turmoil, precisely due to this dichotomy.

The world is also suffering. Humans have literally poisoned the planet (the environmental message is strongly present in this duet) and it's up to the mysterious Raven to get humans to help heal the earth. The spirit worlds lie alongside ours and certain people, like Jase, can actual travel them.

This book will not appeal to everyone, but if you are intrigued by the idea of spirit travels, magic, and environmental issues (almost like Fern Gully!), you might want to check this book, and its predecessor, out!

Full disclosure: ARC received to review for SLJ

The Water Wars

The Water Wars
by Cameron Stracher

Would you risk everything for someone you just met?

What if he had a secret worth killing for?

Welcome to a future where water is more precious than oil or gold...

Hundreds of millions of people have already died, and millions more will soon fall-victims of disease, hunger, and dehydration. It is a time of drought and war. The rivers have dried up, the polar caps have melted, and drinkable water is now in the hands of the powerful few. There are fines for wasting it and prison sentences for exceeding the quotas.

But Kai didn't seem to care about any of this. He stood in the open road drinking water from a plastic cup, then spilled the remaining drops into the dirt. He didn't go to school, and he traveled with armed guards. Kai claimed he knew a secret-something the government is keeping from us...
And then he was gone. Vanished in the middle of the night. Was he kidnapped? Did he flee? Is he alive or dead? There are no clues, only questions. And no one can guess the lengths to which they will go to keep him silent. We have to find him-and the truth-before it is too late for all of us. (description from Amazon.com)

I love dystopian fiction. This is no secret. I've read a lot of books in this genre, but this was really the first that dealt so openly with an environmental issue that had completely changed society as we know it. Granted, books like Carbon Diaries, 2015 deal with how society might begin to change if our destruction of the environment continues, but in The Water Wars life has already been irreperably changed and life is just completely different because of a lack of water.

The only book I could really compare it to in that respect is Life as We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer. When a meteor strikes the moon and its orbit is suddenly altered, the effects on the earth's weather patterns and ecosystem are devestating. Volcanoes erupt, earthquakes strike, flooding is massive, and winter becomes an inescapable reality.

In The Water Wars, humans have devestated the earth. The polar ice caps have melted into the oceans, altering the face of our continent. Unfortunately, with that there is no longer enough drinkable water on the planet to sustain us. Wars break out across the globe as countries begin to fight for limited resources. In North America, the U.S. breaks down. No longer a government with 50 states, there are now six independent republics warring not only each other, but the mighty Canada. Yes folks, you heard me right...Canada. In this future, Canada is THE superpower in the globe. By damming off all of the rivers that flow out of Canada, they now control the largest percentage of drinkable water on Earth...and they aren't sharing.

Poor Vera and her brother Will live in Illinowa, a desert area. They live on strictly rationed water and take dry showers. They are used to being constantly thirsty. Then Vera meets the greatly intriguing Kai. A boy who isn't afraid to waste water. He brings them extra water, wonderful water that hasn't been chemically altered. He even shows Vera a hidden spring...and tells them of a secret river. Fascinated, both teens become obsessed with Kai and his river.

When he disappears, Vera knows he didn't just leave...he was kidnapped. They set out to find Kai and rescue him. Unfortunately, they themselves get kidnapped, and rekidnapped, and then rescued, and...well let's just say there are explosions and dead bodies everywhere! This book could definitely be turned into a movie that any 14 year old boy would be happy to sit through...

The Water Wars is exciting. It's also really thought provoking. I have to admit that though I know we need to conserve water, it wasn't until I read this book that I really thought at all about what life would be like if we didn't have enough...no drinking water, no agriculture, no showering, no washing clothes...it goes on and on and on. This book really made me stop to think about desalinization of water and the chemicals that go into water to make it safe. The best part, though, is that it in no way detracted from the story...I thought about those things when I put the book down. This really is a thrilling read.

On a related note, we were lucky enough at our Library to have Cameron Stracher visit on Thursday night. I was sad to have a really small turnout, but Cam was very gracious and we had a really riveting discussion about the environmental future and how The Water Wars is based somewhat in fact. He also let us know that his next young adult book will be a post-apocalyptic science fiction adventure where the natural laws of the universe are failing. Time becomes fluid, gravity no longer holds, etc. I can't wait to read it already! It was a really good author visit!!

2011 Debut Author Challenge title

Fins are Forever

Fins Are Forever
by Tera Lynn Childs
Forgive My Fins, book two

On Lily Sanderson’s eighteenth birthday she’ll become just a girl—still a mer girl, true, but signing the renunciation paperwork will ink Princess Waterlily of Thalassinia out of existence. That leaves plain old Lily living on land, dating the boy she loves, and trying to master this being human thing once and for all.

Now that Lily and Quince are together, mer-bond or not, she’s almost content to give up her place in the royal succession of Thalassinia. But just when she thinks she has everything figured out, Lily’s father sends a certain whirlpool-stirring cousin to stay with her on land. What did Doe do to get herself exiled from Thalassinia and stuck in terraped form, when everyone knows how much she hates humans? And why why why is she batting her eyelashes at Lily’s former crush, Brody?

The seafoam on the surf comes when a merboy from Lily’s past shows up. Tellin asks Lily for something that clouds her view of the horizon. There’s a future with Quince on land, her loyalty to the kingdom in the sea, and Lily tossing on the waves in the middle. Will she find a way to reconcile her love, her duty, and her dreams? (description taken from Goodreads.com)

I can't tell you how happy I was to dive back into the beautiful world of Thalassinia. This is truly what I've always imagined the world of merpeople to be like...a beautiful castle, a lovely (and yes, at times, dangerous) kingdom full of interesting people with gorgeous fins. Really, didn't you always want to be a mermaid...or, er...merman?

I really enjoyed seeing Lily and Quince's relationship tested in this second book. They work really well together and had just the right amount of passion. I couldn't believe when TLC threw another merman into the mix! Talk about tension. I was really happy to see, though, how Lily managed to find the right balance in her life, politically and romantically. It made for a great ending!!

Speaking of learning to find balance...one of my favorite characters in this book was Lily's cousin, Doe. Her character had great depth here as she learned to accept humans as well as merfolk and finds her own true love. Her situation really helped Lily to cope with her own. What a great addition to the story!

One of my favorite series to recommend as we get closer to summer! Tera Lynn Childs manages to bring the ocean alive in the best possible way and just makes me want to start wading in to find my own merman. *sigh*

Full disclosure: ARC sent by author/publisher for review
2011 Shifter Reading Challenge Title

If You Like: The Environmental Edition

"If You Like…” is a feature highlighting blogger recommendations for books, authors, TV shows, movies, and music based on the things you already know and love.

Since Earth Day was this past Friday, this week's "If You Like" is all reads, etc. dealing with the environment. There are some really great reads, so check it out here.

DNF - Artemis Fowl: The Atlantis Complex

The Atlantis Complex
by Eoin Colfer
Artemis Fowl, book seven

Artemis has committed his entire fortune to a project he believes will save the planet and its inhabitants, both human and fairy. Can it be true? Has goodness taken hold of the world’s greatest teenage criminal mastermind?

Captain Holly Short is unconvinced, and discovers that Artemis is suffering from Atlantis Complex, a psychosis common among guilt-ridden fairies - not humans - and most likely triggered by Artemis’s dabbling with fairy magic. Symptoms include obsessive-compulsive behavior, paranoia, multiple personality disorder and, in extreme cases, embarrassing professions of love to a certain feisty LEPrecon fairy.

Unfortunately, Atlantis Complex has struck at the worst possible time. A deadly foe from Holly’s past is intent on destroying the actual city of Atlantis. Can Artemis escape the confines of his mind – and the grips of a giant squid – in time to save the underwater metropolis and its fairy inhabitants? (description from Amazon.com)

It saddens me to admit that I did not finish (DNF) this book. I have been a big fan of this series and loved the last two volumes, but I don't know if I'm just in the wrong mood or what, but I just could not get into this particular addition to the series.

The premise sounded good. I really wanted to see what would happen next in Artemis and Holly's friendship. I really love the idea of the fairies still holding Atlantis and finding out more about that. Colfer just could not grab me.

In the future, I might try to pick this one up again, especially since I know that the next book is the last in the series and I'd like to know how it really ends, but I just could not make myself push through this one when I have about 10 other books that I'm really excited to read calling to me from my bookcases!

Boys, Bears, and a Serious Pair of Hiking Boots

Boys, Bears, and a Serious Pair of Hiking Boots
by Abby McDonald

Jenna may hail from the ’burbs of New Jersey, but Green Teen activism is her life. So when her mom suggests they spend the summer at Grandma’s Florida condo, Jenna pleads instead to visit her hippie godmother, Susie, up in rural Canada. Jenna is psyched at the chance to commune with this nature she’s heard about — and the cute, plaidwearing boys she’s certain must roam there. But after a few run-ins with local wildlife (from a larger-than-life moose to Susie’s sullen Goth stepdaughter to a hot but hostile boy named Reeve), Jenna gets the idea that her long-held ideals, like vegetarianism and conservation, don’t play so well with this population of real outdoorsmen. A dusty survival guide offers Jenna amusing tips on navigating the wilderness — but can she learn to navigate the turns of her heart?

This book was only so-so for me. I had really high expectations, I suppose, because I loved McDonald's Sophomore Switch so much when I read it earlier this year. This just didn't strike me the same way.

Although I didn't really connect wholeheartedly to Jenna's environmental dilemma, I did love the message about learning to become a well rounded person...to not just focus on a single aspect of one's personality. I also loved the subplot about one of the character's coming out.

This wasn't a bad book by any means, but I don't feel like it's a must read.

Teaser Tuesday - Boys, Bears, and a Serious Pair of Hiking Boots by Abby McDonald

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

* Grab your current read
* Open to a random page
* Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
* BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
* Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!"


Boys, Bears, and a Serious Pair of Hiking Boots
by Abby McDonald

p. 158

Let go? Walk Backward? Just?
I stay frozen in place, fear washing over my body in a cold shiver. I should never have tried this; I should be safely on the ground. Bad things happen to people who think they can cheat gravity; things involving falling, and pain, and bloody, bone-shattering death.