Glow

Glow

by Amy Kathleen Ryan
Sky Chasers, book one

If a violent battle destroyed the only world you’ve ever known, would you be brave enough to save who was left? Would love be strong enough to survive the fight? Either way, there’s no turning back.

The Empyrean is the only home 15-year-old Waverly has ever known. Part of the first generation to be successfully conceived in deep space, she and her boyfriend Kieran will be pioneers of New Earth. Waverly knows she must marry young in order to have children who can carry on the mission, and Kieran, the handsome captain-to-be, has everything Waverly could want in a husband. Everyone is sure he’s the best choice. Still, there’s a part of Waverly that wants more from life than marriage, and she is secretly intrigued by the shy, darkly brilliant Seth.

Suddenly, Waverly’s dreams are interrupted by the inconceivable – a violent betrayal by the Empyrean's sister ship, the New Horizon. The New Horizon’s leaders are desperate to populate the new planet first, and will do anything to get what they need: young girls. In one pivotal moment, Waverly and Kieran are separated, and find themselves at the helm of dangerous missions, where every move has potentially devastating consequences, and decisions of the heart may lead to disaster. (description from Amazon.com)

Whoa. This book got me from page one and I could NOT put it down. It was compelling, it was creepy, it was... it just was.  I sat down and I read and read and read and read. 

The characters were great.  Kids put into the most difficult of situations...the adults they relied upon have been either killed or taken from them, and now they must take on roles that none of them are truly prepared for... Kieran steps up as "Captain," only to be overthrown by his rival, Seth.  Waverly and all the other girls have been kidnapped to be used to populate the other ship that knows it will slowly die out if they cannot procreate...

Each of the teens must decide what their role will be in their new existence.  Though they continuously hope to reunite with the remaining parents, they must learn to survive for themselves until that becomes a possibility.  There's a little bit of a "Lord of the Flies" thing going on here...

While there is most certainly the start of a love triangle here, what I loved about this book was that there was so much development into why each character would have developed into the person that they've become that they are each strong on their own.  No one person is willing to be defined by their relationship to anyone else.  While the romantic feelings are a strong factor for the teens trying to reunite, it is not ultimately in any way the driving force that leads them. 

With scary themes about morality, experimentation, and societal expectations, Glow was one of those books that I thought about for weeks after I read it. Things just kept rolling around in the back of my head and popping back up to the surface.  It was powerful that way.

For that, I bestow an "I can't stop thinking about it" GOLD STAR!!

Full disclosure: ARC originally sent by the publisher for review

Mini Reviews: The Dystopian Edition

Article 5

by Kristen Simmons

New York, Los Angeles, and Washington, D.C., have been abandoned.

 The Bill of Rights has been revoked, and replaced with the Moral Statutes.

 There are no more police—instead, there are soldiers. There are no more fines for bad behavior—instead, there are arrests, trials, and maybe worse. People who get arrested usually don't come back.

Seventeen-year-old Ember Miller is old enough to remember that things weren’t always this way. Living with her rebellious single mother, it’s hard for her to forget that people weren’t always arrested for reading the wrong books or staying out after dark. It’s hard to forget that life in the United States used to be different.

Ember has perfected the art of keeping a low profile. She knows how to get the things she needs, like food stamps and hand-me-down clothes, and how to pass the random home inspections by the military. Her life is as close to peaceful as circumstances allow.

That is, until her mother is arrested for noncompliance with Article 5 of the Moral Statutes. And one of the arresting officers is none other than Chase Jennings…the only boy Ember has ever loved. (description from Amazon.com)

I really liked this one a lot. I thought the whole moral code thing was a fascinating study on human culture and how we like to take things to extremes. I also thought the love story was a lot more believable because they'd known each other for YEARS before the events in the book.  I look forward to a sequel.

Full disclosure: Audio book received to review for AudioFile
*2012 Debut Author Challenge title*

 

Fever
by Lauren DeStefano
The Chemical Garden Trilogy, book two

Rhine and Gabriel have escaped the mansion, but they’re still in danger. Outside, they find a world even more disquieting than the one they left behind.

Determined to get to Manhattan and find Rhine’s twin brother, Rowan, the two press forward, amid threats of being captured again…or worse.

The road they are on is long and perilous—and in a world where young women only live to age twenty and men die at age twenty-five, time is precious. In this sequel to Lauren DeStefano’s harrowing Wither, Rhine must decide if freedom is worth the price—now that she has more to lose than ever. (description from Amazon.com)

I actually enjoyed this sequel better than the original Wither, mostly because it got Rhine out of the mansion and into the real world, where she had a chance to take charge.  DeStefano's world is beautiful and crumbling... a devestating and destructive place. I loved the setting more than the story I think, but I will definitely be reading book three. I have to find out how it ends!

Full disclosure: Audio book received to review for AudioFile

Epitaph Road

by David Patneaude

2097 is a transformed world. Thirty years earlier, a mysterious plague wiped out 97 percent of the male population, devastating every world system from governments to sports teams, and causing both universal and unimaginable grief. In the face of such massive despair, women were forced to take over control of the planet--and in doing so they eliminated all of Earth's most pressing issues. Poverty, crime, warfare, hunger . . . all gone.

But there's a price to pay for this new "utopia," which fourteen-year-old Kellen is all too familiar with. Every day, he deals with life as part of a tiny minority that is purposefully kept subservient and small in numbers. His career choices and relationship options are severely limited and controlled. He also lives under the threat of scattered recurrences of the plague, which seem to pop up wherever small pockets of men begin to regroup and grow in numbers.

And then one day, his mother's boss, an iconic political figure, shows up at his home. Kellen overhears something he shouldn't--another outbreak seems to be headed for Afterlight, the rural community where his father and a small group of men live separately from the female-dominated society. Along with a few other suspicious events, like the mysterious disappearances of Kellen's progressive teacher and his Aunt Paige, Kellen is starting to wonder whether the plague recurrences are even accidental. No matter what the truth is, Kellen cares only about one thing--he has to save his father. (description from Amazon.com)

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I thought this was interesting. There were some obvious questions that weren't really answered, but overall the story was really entertaining and thought-provoking. I can't imagine a world where there are so few men that they could be so rigorously controlled...

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Fury

Fury
by Elizabeth Miles

It’s winter break in Ascension, Maine. The snow is falling and everything looks pristine and peaceful. But all is not as it seems...

Em is thrilled that the guy she’s been into for months is finally noticing her. But if she starts things with him, there’s no turning back. Because his girlfriend is Em’s best friend. And on the other side of town, Chase’s social life is unraveling and the stress of his home life is starting to take its toll. But that’s nothing compared to what’s really haunting him. Chase has done something cruel....And it’s only a matter of time before he’s exposed.

In Ascension, mistakes can be deadly. There are three girls—three beautiful, mysterious girls—to choose who will pay. Em and Chase have been chosen. (description from Amazon.com)

This book was interesting. I liked the contemporary stories dealing with Em's relationship dilemma and Chase's horrific betrayal. I liked the concept of the Furies punishing those who broke life's moral rules.

But, something felt like it was missing... I felt a disconnect - like the two parts of the story did not match up. Maybe part of it was that Miles wrote this knowing it was part of a trilogy, so not everything about the Furies needed to be revealed. I longed through this book for...more. More about where the Furies came from, more about how they choose their victims, more about where they go when their "job" is done.

I'm really hoping that in the next book in the series, much more will be revealed. I would love to see more of the mythology behind the Furies!

2011 Debut Author Challenge title

Girl, Stolen

Girl, Stolen
by April Henry

Sixteen year-old Cheyenne Wilder is sleeping in the back of a car while her mom fills her prescription at the pharmacy. Before Cheyenne realizes what's happening, their car is being stolen--with her inside! Griffin hadn’t meant to kidnap Cheyenne, all he needed to do was steal a car for the others. But once Griffin's dad finds out that Cheyenne’s father is the president of a powerful corporation, everything changes—now there’s a reason to keep her. What Griffin doesn’t know is that Cheyenne is not only sick with pneumonia, she is blind. How will Cheyenne survive this nightmare, and if she does, at what price? (description from Amazon.com)

This was a really well done book. I was impressed by how Henry really gives insight into what it's like to lose your vision and then having to relearn how to do everything without sight. Cheyenne's struggles to have a regular day to day life and completely compounded by her victimization. She is a strong character that you couldn't help but root for through and through.

This book also brought up a lot of really great questions - about morality, about what makes a person good or bad, whether or not you can be forgiven for making a serious mistake. Can Griffin overcome the horrible things he was taught by his father? If Griffin kidnapped Cheyenne, but then tries to help her, is Griffin a good guy or a bad guy? Is anyone really good or bad?

Finally, as a dog lover and someone who has two dogs that are both part bully breeds (pit bull, basically), I loved the dog component in this book. Not only do you hear a lot about Cheyenne's seeing eye dog, but she ends up rescuing a junk yard pit-bull. She proves that dogs are not inherently mean, but are taught to be by bad people... I loved it!

Afterlife

Afterlife
by Claudia Gray
Evernight, book four

Destiny awaits Bianca and Lucas . . .

Bianca and Lucas have always believed they could endure anything to be together. When a twist of fate not only transforms Bianca into a wraith but also turns Lucas into a vampire—the very creature he spent his life hunting—they are left reeling.

Haunted by his powerful need to kill, Lucas can turn to only one place for help . . . Evernight Academy. Bianca is determined to remain with him. But with the vampire leader of Evernight waging a war against wraiths, her former home has become the most dangerous place she could be, despite the new powers her ghostly transformation has given her.

A battle between wraiths and vampires looms, and Bianca and Lucas face a terrifying new reality. They've overcome every obstacle life has thrown at them, but is their love strong enough to survive the challenges after life? (description from Amazon.com)

I'm so glad I finally read the conclusion to this series! It's been awhile since I read the third book and I'd forgotten how smooth I find Claudia Gray's writing style. This book drew me right in and before I knew it, I was turning the final pages. Absolutely riveting.

I really like both Bianca and Lucas. The secondary characters are well done in this series, as well, with almost every character being tested in some way to show the multifacetedness of their character. No character is entirely good...or evil. My favorite will always be Balthazar, though, so you could not imagine my sheer glee when I found out that there is at least one companion book (Balthazar, March 2012) featuring my favorite vamp as the main character!

This series is full of twists, unexpected loyalties and betrayals. Every time I think I know what is going on, Gray throws another surprise into the mix. These books will definitely keep you entertained and on your toes. I look forward to finding out what will happen...now that everything in both this life and the next, has changed!

Full disclosure: egalley received from Netgalley

Sidekicks

Sidekicks
by Jack Ferraiolo

Batman has Robin, Wonder Woman has Wonder Girl, and Phantom Justice has Bright Boy, a.k.a. Scott Hutchinson, an ordinary schoolkid by day and a superfast, superstrong sidekick by night, fighting loyally next to his hero.

But after an embarrassing incident involving his too-tight spandex costume, plus some signs that Phantom Justice may not be the good guy he pretends to be, Scott begins to question his role. With the help of a fellow sidekick, once his nemesis, Scott must decide if growing up means being loyal or stepping boldly to the center of things. (description from Amazon.com)

Ok, Jack Ferraiolo absolutely cracks me up. I really enjoyed his first book, The Big Splash, a sort-of middle school mob story (see my review here). As in his first novel, Ferraiolo absolutely nails a blend of humor, gritty realism, and startlingly frank questions about people's intentions.

In this novel, that specific feature is even ramped up a notch. When Scott learns Monkeywrench's secret identity, it starts a domino effect, with Scott finding out not only several other secret identities, but learning much more about the people behind each mask. Is every Hero a good guy? Is every Villan truly evil? Scott begins to question the life he thought was so crystal clear.

What makes this book really special, though, is that not only are excellent questions brought up, but Ferraiolo's characters are also inherently funny. I snarfed my way through even the most serious parts and never once felt like I was having to think about right and wrong... I was too busy giggling and rooting for Scott.

I love Jack Ferraiolo's writing style and will absolutely be checking out any books he publishes in the future.

The End of Time

The End of Time
by P. W. Catanese
Books of Umber, book three

The adventures of Happenstance and Umber reach their epic, surprising, and emotional conclusion. As Happenstance struggles to master his unusual abilities, he realizes that time is running out -- because Umber's rivals threaten to undo all the good he has achieved, while an unexpected new enemy with terrible destructive power approaches the kingdom. (description from Amazon.com)

I loved this conclusion to the Books of Umber series. Happenstance is still one of my favorite middle grade characters. Catanese is so good at imagining interesting and intriguing characters, both good and bad.

Umber is an amazingly interesting and quirky character. His merry band of adventurers are also lovable. Each has their own multidimensional uniqueness. I love how no character is perfect...just a single flaw can make someone so much more fascinating.

I especially love Catanese's imagination for "bad guys." They are creepy, intense, and believable. He manages to take the fantastic and bring it to everyday life. In that way, the Books of Umber is able to believably mix our world and the fantasy of Umber's new world.

With amazing sights and adventures, quirky characters, and fantastic friendships, the Books of Umber series officially lives on my bookshelves as one of my favorites.

Full disclosure: Review copy received from publisher

Dragon Spear

Dragon Spear
by Jessica Day George
Dragon Adventures, book three

With peace established between the humans and the dragons, young couple Creel and Luka are planning their wedding. But then the dragon queen, Velika, is kidnapped by a band of rogue dragons in need of a ruler. When Creel and Luka rush to help, they discover that Luka's father has plans to take back the Far Islands from the dragons. Creel's happily ever after just might be postponed . . . again. (description from Amazon.com)

I love this series and this was a great end to the trilogy (at least I think it's the last book). Creel is one of my favorite characters...and I love the relationship she has with Luka. They truly care for each other, flaws and all. Even when Creel continually gets herself into scrapes...and back out of them...poor Luka (he gets so worried sometimes!!) just has to trust that Creel will be okay.

Creel is an awesome heroine. She is smart and brave and loyal. Creel has become friends with dragons and is helping slowly to bring the humans and dragons back together. When the Queen Dragon, Velika, is kidnapped though, right before laying her eggs, Creel, Shardas, Luka, and Creel's brother, Hagen, have to set out after her.

Another great adventure ensues, imbued with questions about discrimination and morality. Many of the characters figure out exactly who they are and what they should be doing. Creel proves once again that she will sacrifice anything for her friends, and that her friends also trust her implicitly.

*Spoiler Ahead*
I love that you finally get to see Creel and Luka get married...not once, but twice!! ...and of course, Shardas and Velika's babies hatching...
*Spoilers End*

Well worth the read if you've read the previous two books, Dragon Slippers and Dragon Flight. If you love adventure, romance, friendship, and dragons...this series is for you.

Everfound

Everfound
by Neal Shusterman
Skinjacker Trilogy, book three

While Mary lies in a glass coffin aboard a ghost train heading west, her minions are awaiting her re-awakening by bringing lots of new souls into Everlost to serve her. Meanwhile Jackin’ Jill has met Jix, a fur-jacker—a skin jacker who can take over the bodies of animals, most notably jaguars. Jix serves a Mayan god who collects Everlost coins, and has his own agenda. In the concluding volume of The Skinjacker Trilogy, Neal Shusterman reveals new sides of the characters of Everlost, who are pitted against each other in a battle that may destroy all life on Earth. (description from Amazon.com)

Without getting all spoilery...

What an epic conclusion to this trilogy. If you haven't already picked up the first book, Everlost, GO NOW and get it! These books take place in the purgatory-like in between afterlife that children go to when they aren't quite ready to make it to "where they are heading."

Neal Shusterman's conceptualization of this afterlife and the whole process that children go through to get to their "ultimate destination" is phenominally well done. Through their landing in Everlost, he is able to explore issues of self-identity (it's a place where you become what you remember the most about your self), inner strength (again mind over matter), life and death, morality (skinjacking allows some kids to inhabit living bodies and what they do with those bodies can have major consequences...), love, and tyranny.

Full of adventure, amazing feats, moments that made me cry, others that made me laugh...these three books are beautifully done. This was another series that ended PERFECTLY. There was nothing I would change. Neal Shusterman wrapped things up in just the right way... *sigh*

Definitely worth a GOLD STAR!

I repeat, if you haven't tried this series yet, go now and at least try the first book. You will not be sorry!

Full disclosure: Audio book received to review for SLJ.

The Goddess Test

The Goddess Test
by Aimee Carter

It's always been just Kate and her mom—and her mother is dying. Her last wish? To move back to her childhood home. So Kate's going to start at a new school with no friends, no other family and the fear her mother won't live past the fall.

Then she meets Henry. Dark. Tortured. And mesmerizing. He claims to be Hades, god of the Underworld—and if she accepts his bargain, he'll keep her mother alive while Kate tries to pass seven tests.

Kate is sure he's crazy—until she sees him bring a girl back from the dead. Now saving her mother seems crazily possible. If she succeeds, she'll become Henry's future bride, and a goddess. (description from Amazon.com)

What an interesting new version of the Greek myth about Persephone and Hades! I love the backstory that though they were married, they were not happy and when Persephone made her unhappiness known, Hades honored her feelings. Hades, or Henry here, was really a great character.

Kate was very believable, too. She is brave and kind. She loves her mother...she is devoted to her to the point that she is willing to spend six months with a man she doesn't know to save her. I loved watching her change as she spends time in the mansion.

Speaking of the mansion, I loved the lush Southern setting, too. Aimee Carter has a way with description...the outfits, the mansion, the grounds, I just want to go and visit. I would be happy to spend six months there!

My favorite part of the book, though, was definitely trying to figure out which characters were actually gods and goddesses from Greek mythology. I had a ton of fun picking out clues and then was happy to see a "glossary" of the gods/goddesses at the end so I could see if I was right.

I cannot wait to read the second book, Goddess Interrupted!

2011 Debut Author Challenge

Passing Strange

Passing Strange
by Daniel Waters
Generation Dead, book three

Karen DeSonne always passed as a normal teenager - and now that she's dead, she's still passing - this time, as alive.

But when her dead friends are accused of a high profile murder and forced into hiding, it's up to Karen to prove their innocence. Which means doing the unthinkable and becoming the girlfriend of bionist zealot Peter Martinsburg, who she suspects of framing them. But if Peter finds out who Karen really is, the consequences for her will be worse than death...
(description taken from back jacket copy)

Karen DeSonne is one of my favorite characters not only in this series, but in recent YA fiction period. She is interesting, she is vivacious (which takes talent because she'd...well...dead) and she has great character depth. Her personality greatly affects all of those around her and has really helped to lead the two previous books, so I was stoked when I realized she is the main character for Passing Strange.

As I've stated in my previous reviews of Generation Dead and Kiss of Life, Daniel Waters manages to infuse these "zombie" novels with great depth, creating one of my absolute favorite zombie series. Again in this third book, Waters challenges readers to question discrimination, religious zeal, violence, love, life after death, and sexuality.

The plot is once again exciting and interesting. Karen must play a part to get the information that she needs to clear her friends' names. There is the threat of violence and death. There is the possibility of love..., but though the plot always draws me in, it is the social commentary of these books that keeps me coming back (and thinking about what I've read long after).

With this book, especially, and my fascination with Karen's character and the secrets you learn about her life, her death, and her differently biotic life, I have been unable to settle after finishing the book. I think when the author and publishers chose the title of this book, Passing Strange, they did a fantastic job getting right to the heart of things.

The term "Passing" has been used in the past to refer to a black person attempting to look like a white person so that they will be treated better. Not only does the concept fit here, as Karen hides herself amongst the living to be treated better, but also the term...Karen uses it herself...and to have it in the title just draws ultimate attention to the fact that even today we still discriminate and base our treatment of people on appearances. This is a not so subtle reminder in a fancy form to consider how you react to others in life.

Again, this was a powerful and heartfelt addition to the series and to the paranormal YA genre as a whole. I highly recommend this series, beginning with Generation Dead.


Full disclosure: Book received from publisher for review

Anxiously Awaiting...

Bumped
by Megan McCafferty
Publication date: April 26, 2011

“When a virus makes everyone over the age of eighteen infertile, would-be parents are forced to pay teen girls to conceive and give birth to their children, making teens the most prized members of society.

Sixteen-year-old identical twins Melody and Harmony were separated at birth and had never met until the day Harmony shows up on Melody’s doorstep. Until now, the twins have followed completely opposite paths. Melody has scored an enviable conception contract with a couple called the Jaydens. While they are searching for the perfect partner for Melody to bump with, she is fighting her attraction to her best friend Zen, who is way too short for the job.

Harmony has spent her whole life in religious Goodside, preparing to be a wife and mother. She believes her calling is to bring Melody back to Goodside and convince her that “pregging” for profit is a sin. But Harmony has secrets of her own that she is running from.

When Melody is finally matched with the world-famous, genetically flawless Jondoe, both girls’ lives are changed forever. A case of mistaken identity takes them on a journey neither could have ever imagined, one that makes Melody and Harmony realize they have so much more than just DNA in common.”

Ascendant
by Diana Peterfreund

Publication date: September 28, 2010
Received ARC signed by Diana Peterfreund at BEA 2010

Astrid Llewelyn is now a fully trained unicorn hunter, but she's learning that she can't solve all her problems with a bow and arrow. So when she's given the opportunity to leave the Cloisters and go to France to put her skills to use discovering the Remedy, Astrid leaps at the chance. Finally, she can have exactly what she wants - or can she? Soon Astrid begins to question everything she thought she believed: her love for Giovanni, her loyalty to the Cloisters, and - most of all - her duty as a hunter. Should Astrid be saving the world from killer unicorns, or saving the unicorns from the world?

After being blown away last year by Rampant, this was the one and only book that I was desperate, repeat desperate, to get an ARC of at BEA this year. I waited all day in long lines, with tired arms and pained feet, to stand in line with a huge grin on my face to get this book and to meet Diana Peterfreund. It was awesome!

When I sat down to read this, I had a moment's hestitation, afraid that it would not measure up to its predecessor. Rampant not only featured a great new heroine, but a fascinating new world...I mean, come on, killer unicorns? How could you not astound the YA lit world with rampaging killer unicorns??

Thankfully, my hesitation was short-lived. Ascendant not only lived up to Rampant, but I think surpassed its awesomeness. Astrid, now an acknowledged unicorn hunter, has to decide if she will continue to do her duty as a hunter, protecting humans around the globe, or if she'll go into private security to work in a quieter community and get the chance to go to school, work in a lab, and yes, be a little...well, safer.

Astrid faces challenges in both love and life in this book. She finds her moral code challenged, her ideas on family challenged, her heart divided, and well, pretty much everything in her life just falls apart. New, shockingly horrific revelations are made and Astrid must make some really tough decisions.

Astrid is achingly real in this book. She's torn between wanting to be safe and feeling as if she must do her duty as a hunter. She never gives up trying to do the right thing, ever. Astrid is what I consider a true heroine and has officially sealed her position as one of my top favorite characters of all time.

An astounding continuation in the series.

Lord Sunday

Lord Sunday
by Garth Nix
Keys to the Kingdom, book 7

Seven days.
Seven keys.
Seven virtues.
Seven sins.

In this thrilling conclusion to Garth Nix's Keys to the Kingdom series, Arthur Penhaligon must complete his quest to save the Kingdom he is heir to...and Arthur's world. (taken from Amazon.com)

This is the final book of the series and took quite a while to come out. Since it is the final book, I do not want to give anything away...but I will say simply that I was very pleased. There was a great deal of action. Though this is such a fantastically conceptual series, the things that happen to Arthur and his choices are actually very realistic and authentic feeling. Without giving anything away, I can say that what I loved best about the book is that Arthur is able to become the supernatural being that he has to be in order to get things done, yet never loses his inner humanity and moral compass. A well done end to the series.

Dealing with the "Devil"

I am a big fan generally of books that explore morality and decision making in interesting ways. Lately there have been several YA books that have explored these themes in what I think are fantastic settings. I think these books are important because they really make readers, both teen and adult pause to think, "How far would I go? Would I do that? What do I really believe?"

When I read about Another Faust by Daniel and Dina Nayeri, I was very excited by the premise. In a modern telling of the "Faustian bargain" (also known as a deal with the Devil), five teens are taken from their homes across Europe one night. Then five years later, they reemerge in New York's high society to dominate one of the most elite prep schools in the city. As they climb their way to the top, others begin to question their abilities, unaware of the special "talents" that the teens have received from their Governess.



Unfortunately, I did not think that the execution of the book lived up to the really interesting premise. The teens are given gifts by their "Governess," such as the ability to stop time and "hide," extraordinary beauty, or the ability to read minds, whatever it is that they desire most. Hence the title, Another Faust. Once readers delve into the story, though, and the gifts have been revealed, it is easy to discern where the story is going and unfortunately it just takes TOO LONG to get there. The book could easily have been cut about 50 pages short!

So, very cool idea...not really recommended.

On the other hand, another title, Secret Society by Tom Dolby, is very much recommended. This title is not literally based on a deal with the Devil, but it is about the proverbial selling of souls. In Secret Society, four teens are "tapped" to join an infamous secret society amongst Manhattan's elite. The four teens, very different in talents and interests, are brought together as they begin to realize just how deep the influence of the Society goes. Is membership worth their lives?



Also set in modern New York City, this book takes all of the most interesting parts of high society life in Manhattan and brings their decadence and immorality issues to light. Similar to Gossip Girl, this book shows readers the vices that teens begin to explore early in life when given the opportunity, when money and status are not an issue. The Society also allows these teens to take all of those opportunities to the next level.

Yet, while adult readers might stop to think that teens should not be participating in these types of activities (drinking, partying, etc.), teens will relate and again, this particular book approaches these issues with the question, "Should I be doing this?" Each of the four teens has to question how far they will go, what they are willing to do, to get the things they want from life. Though each comes to their own conlusions in different ways, the ending is realistic in that they all realize that they cannot leave the Society, but will have to band together to try to survive on the inside.

A very fun and slightly decadent read.