Gold Star Review: These Broken Stars

These Broken Stars
by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner
Starbound, book one

It's a night like any other on board the Icarus. Then, catastrophe strikes: the massive luxury spaceliner is yanked out of hyperspace and plummets into the nearest planet. Lilac LaRoux and Tarver Merendsen survive. And they seem to be alone.

Lilac is the daughter of the richest man in the universe. Tarver comes from nothing, a young war hero who learned long ago that girls like Lilac are more trouble than they're worth. But with only each other to rely on, Lilac and Tarver must work together, making a tortuous journey across the eerie, deserted terrain to seek help. (Description from Amazon.com)

This book is beautifully written.

I found myself savoring the actual words and phrases used to describe characters' emotions and motivations. I would find myself repeating the final sentence in a chapter, or rolling a story that either character revealed to the other around in my brain, just enjoying the way that the words evoked certain emotions.  Each chapter brought new insight into the characters and their world. 

Lilac and Tarver were both multifaceted, intriguing characters that behaved in remarkable and yet realistically imagined ways. Reading their interactions, the way that each struggled to be independent, and yet, eventually they had no choice but to rely upon one another helped to enhance the sense tension within the story.  I felt like I was on the knife's edge from almost the first page! 

I also truly loved the science fiction aspect of this book.  Though the original premise reads as Titanic in space, each scene reveals new info about the science and technology of this world.  The space exploration reads as a wholly possible near future for our culture and each bit about the tech they used seemed viable and well researched.  I am thoroughly looking forward to seeing where the next book in this series goes.  I'd love to explore some of the other terraformed planets in their universe!

I loved this book enough that I decided to give it a GOLD STAR review.

Full disclosure: eARC received from Netgalley 

Gold Star Review: The Fault in Our Stars

The Fault in Our Stars 

by John Green

Despite the tumor-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal, her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis. But when a gorgeous plot twist named Augustus Waters suddenly appears at Cancer Kid Support Group, Hazel's story is about to be completely rewritten.

Wow.

I have to be honest here and admit that I was afraid to read this book. Though it's gotten rave reviews from just about anyone who has ever read it, I was terrified of how "sad" this book would be... I tend to shy away from books dealing with death, cancer, war, etc.

Am I glad I read this book finally? YES. It was amazing. This book is going to be known as John Green's masterpiece someday. This book deals with teens with cancer in the perfect way. They are not children, they are not adults, they are real teenagers. They play video games, they question life, they fall in love. They egg cars, they meet their favorite author...they die.

While this book deals with the gritty realism of terminal illness, not shying away from the horrific realization that everyone's time comes eventually, it also deals with the subject with the perfect balance of love and hope. Even as I cried through parts of the book, when I turned the last page I was left smiling. 

I am so glad that I finally read this and feel that just about anyone would love this book. It is a novel that really everyone should read. Teens, adults, everyone would get something out of it. I am going to be upfront, though, and say that I probably will not go see the movie.  I have a REALLY hard time with this type of movie... I usually end up crying so hard I make myself sick (I mean, come on people, I cry at Christmas commercials - can you imagine me watching this?!) plus this book is perfect as is and I really don't want to ruin that experience. 

Just in time for Christmas, we're going to top off this review with a pretty little gold star! 

Full disclosure: Audio book borrowed from Library, book purchased for my Kindle app

River Secrets and Forest Born

Okay, so I just realized that I have apparently been on quite the Shannon Hale reading kick lately! She just put out so many great books that I hadn't yet had a chance to read and they were just what I was in the mood for...

River Secrets
by Shannon Hale
Books of Bayern, book three

Razo has never been anything but ordinary. He’s not very fast, or tall, or strong, so when he’s invited to join an elite mission escorting the ambassador into Tira, Bayern’s great enemy, he’s sure it’s only out of pity. But when they arrive in the strange southern country, it is Razo who finds the first dead body. As they try to learn more from the Tirans about the ever increasing murders, Razo is the only Bayern soldier able to befriend both the high and low born, including the beautiful Lady Dasha. And as Razo finds allies among the Tirans, he realizes that it may be up to him to get the Bayern army safely home again. (description from Amazon.com)

Can I just start out saying that I love Razo? I know each book in the series technically has its own main characters and that Razo just plays a minor (though usually somewhat essential) part in the other books, but he's such a strong, unique, and well, FUN, character that he seemed to sort of hijack the whole series.  I was SO glad when I realized that he had his own book!  

I love that Razo's so sort of unaware of how truly awesome he is until the right person comes along to point it out to him.  He needed Dasha to help him gain self confidence and through his faith in himself, he found love, happiness, and helped to save his kingdom...once again! 

I also loved that Isi and Enna's relationship continued to grow and evolve, and expanded when they finally came to accept someone else who had a similar, yet different gift that they needed assistance controlling.  Each of the girls became even more confident in her abilities and place in the world.  These characters make great, realistic (yes, even with Enna's temper!) role models for young readers.

Forest Born 
by Shannon Hale
Books of Bayern, book four

Rin has always been a quiet, helpful girl, but a secret has been eating away at her, and the solace Rin once could find among the tall trees surrounding her forest home has vanished. When she leaves home to join her older brother in the city, she finds intriguing answers to her questions, an adventure she doesn't expect, and a sense of self she never thought she would find. (description from Amazon.com)

Happily, I discovered that the final book in the series featured Razo's younger sister, Rin.  Rin was a fabulous character...especially in the way that she grew through the book.  Rin goes on quite the journey, both physically and emotionally.  She sees new aspects of the world that she never knew existed and she begins to truly find her own place within the great wide world.  

While this book didn't have the romance that the previous novels did, I really loved the fact that Hale chose to have Rin stay true to only herself at the book's conclusion. Rin had too much still to learn about herself before she'd be really ready to find and embrace love.  This book felt the most "real" out of all of them, and while I ADORED the folk tale-y feel of the others, this one really hit my heart hard. I wished I could reach right into the book and give Rin a hug...to help her heal and feel less alone... 

What a stellar ending to the series.  These four are books I will definitely reread someday. 
(Books one and two are The Goose Girl and Enna Burning, respectively)

Full disclosure: Audio books borrowed from my Library, Books purchased for my Nook

Sally Slick and the Steel Syndicate

Sally Slick and the Steel Syndicate 
by Carrie Harris
Young Centurians, book one

Publication date: December 23, 2013

Every hero has a story. This one starts with a girl and a racing tractor. Sally Slick knows she's meant to be more than a Midwestern farm girl. What she wants more than anything is to be an inventor when she grows up-and she has the custom-built racing tractor to prove it. But good girls in 1914 don't go off to the city in search of adventure. Everything changes when Sally's big brother comes back from Chicago with a robot in hand and mobsters on his heels. With the help of her friend, wannabe hero Jet Black, Sally will risk everything to protect the people she loves. Those big-city bad guys are about to get a giant wrench thrown right into their plans. (description from Amazon.com)

Let me just say, I kinda want to BE Sally Slick when I grow up. No really, she's that cool.  This is a girl who can do it all.  Maybe she's not the greatest at some of the "girly" stuff, but her loyalty, caring, and good intentions overshadow what could be perceived as faults in 1914, and luckily Sally has a family that appreciates her for herself.  Especially when her special "talents" save the day. 

In the best sort of "pulp" fiction-y way, Sally's oldest brother gets mixed up with a Chicago mob led by a man with a metal face.  The Steel Don, looking to create a robot army to rule the city, ends up trying to recruit Sally to work for his organization because her mechanical skills are just that good. With her trusty sidekick, Jet Black, by her side, though, Sally is unstoppable and a shrapnel-throwing stink bomb, the very first jet-pack, and several other awesome invention-laden prank-style evasionary tacticts later, this teenage phenom saves the day.  

When Sally actually feels bad for doing what she can do, afraid her mother and brothers will frown upon her actions, she finds the exact opposite.  Happily, they embrace her awesomeness, AS THEY SHOULD, and her mother says something that really stuck with me:

"Darling, you have time enough to figure out what kind of woman you're going to be. Whatever that is, I'll be proud. And I'm proud of my girl now, because she's a hero to me." 

Amazeballs. I love it. No smart shaming here. Kudos to Carrie Harris and the other authors who are truly embracing female characters with skills.  Similar to my favorite character of all time, Tamora Pierce's Alanna, Sally Slick is a girl that I think could tackle any problem set in front of her.  I cannot wait to read her next adventure in Sally Slick and the Miniature Menace, coming in 2014.  

Full disclosure: Review copy received from Author

The Savage Fortress

The Savage Fortress
by Sarwat Chadda

After three weeks of vacation, Ash Mistry is ready to leave the heat and dust of India behind him. Then he discovers a gleaming gold arrowhead hidden in the sands---a weapon used to defeat evil King Ravana in legend.

At least, Ash is pretty sure it's only a legend . . .

But when Lord Alexander Savage comes after Ash, the legends are suddenly way too real. Savage commands an army of monstrous shapechangers called rakshasas, who want only to seize the arrowhead and restore Ravana to power. As they hunt Ash through magnificent fortresses and brutal deserts, he must learn to work with a powerful rakshasa girl named Parvati, and find the strength within himself to fight on no matter what. Because this isn't just a battle to stop the end of the world. It's a battle to stop the end of reality as we know it.

No pressure. (Description from Amazon.com)

I thought that the Indian Mythology that was the background for the story was really interesting. I had a hard time, though, because I didn't really like Ash and I couldn't connect with him as the story went on. I felt like he made bad choices a lot and that he was never really convicted about anything.  He had no clear motivations and so he waffled a lot.

I think some readers will really love the action in this book. 

It just wasn't the book for me.

Full disclosure: Borrowed from my Library

Picture Book Review: Candy and the Cankersaur

Candy and the Cankersaur *ebook*
by Jason Sandberg

This is the sweet and funny tale of a young girl named Candy and a Cankersaurus Rex! Candy receives a dinosaur as a gift and is determined to train him to be a good pet.

When Candy has a rough time dealing with a neighbor who teases her and a busy father who can't always play with her, Candy gets a crazy pet as a gift from her father.  A thought to be extinct dinosaur! Candy trains him to be a great pet and things are going well until her neighbor gets jealous and sells him to the circus. When he sees how upset Candy gets, the little boy confesses and Candy, her father, and he set off to rescue "Cank."  Everything works out happily in the end and Candy even becomes friends with the neighbor boy.

This was a quick and sweet little read that looked great on my brand-new tablet. The colors are bright and cheerful, and of course, there's a cool dinosaur pet! While the story is a little too lengthy for a regular story time book at a library program, this would be a cute book to read one on one with a child, at home or babysitting, etc. Since it features a very cute dinosaur, I think both boys and girls would happily settle in to read this book.  Done in a style similar to Syd Hoff's Danny and the Dinosaur, the illustrations are a little old fashioned, but are charming nonetheless.

Right now, this book is only available as an ebook, but as I said, it looks great on any kind of ereader or tablet that does color pictures.

Full disclosure: Electronic review copy received from author for review

School Spirits

 






School Spirits
by Rachel Hawkins
Hex Hall series, book four

Fifteen-year-old Izzy Brannick was trained to fight monsters. For centuries, her family has hunted magical creatures. But when Izzy's older sister vanishes without a trace while on a job, Izzy's mom decides they need to take a break.

Izzy and her mom move to a new town, but they soon discover it's not as normal as it appears. A series of hauntings has been plaguing the local high school, and Izzy is determined to prove her worth and investigate. But assuming the guise of an average teenager is easier said than done. For a tough girl who's always been on her own, it's strange to suddenly make friends and maybe even have a crush.

Can Izzy trust her new friends to help find the secret behind the hauntings before more people get hurt? (description from Amazon.com)

I full-on love the Hex Hall series.  These books are quick, funny reads.  The first three books, which featured Sophie, wrapped up their own storyline and this book starts a whole new adventure with a great new female lead.  Izzy was brought up to kick some tail.  Like Sam and Dean Winchester, her life and family are both wrapped up in fighting the bad guys. Similarly, Izzy's also lost a family member to the strange, and her grief and guilt over losing Finlay makes doing her job just that little bit harder...

Hawkins manages to take a girl in turmoil throw her into the "fire," toss in some boy confusion, and still leave me smiling as she maneuvers her way out of the mess.  The awkward teen conversations, the sneaky (hawt) glances, the quick, but loving family moments...these are what will keep me reading for as long as Hawkins is writing this series. 

And just a little tidbit to get you interested...my favorite quote from the book:    

“Oh, gross. He was one of those body-glitter-wearing jerks.”

Make the mental note now that Hawkins does not approve of glittery vampires. LOL!

Full disclosure: eARC received from Netgalley

Gold Star Review: For Darkness Shows the Stars

For Darkness Shows the Stars
by Diana Peterfreund

It's been several generations since a genetic experiment gone wrong caused the Reduction, decimating humanity and giving rise to a Luddite nobility who outlawed most technology.

Elliot North has always known her place in this world. Four years ago Elliot refused to run away with her childhood sweetheart, the servant Kai, choosing duty to her family's estate over love. Since then the world has changed: a new class of Post-Reductionists is jumpstarting the wheel of progress, and Elliot's estate is foundering, forcing her to rent land to the mysterious Cloud Fleet, a group of shipbuilders that includes renowned explorer Captain Malakai Wentforth—an almost unrecognizable Kai. And while Elliot wonders if this could be their second chance, Kai seems determined to show Elliot exactly what she gave up when she let him go.

But Elliot soon discovers her old friend carries a secret—one that could change their society . . . or bring it to its knees. And again, she's faced with a choice: cling to what she's been raised to believe, or cast her lot with the only boy she's ever loved, even if she's lost him forever.

Inspired by Jane Austen's Persuasion, For Darkness Shows the Stars is a breathtaking romance about opening your mind to the future and your heart to the one person you know can break it. (Description from Amazon.com)

Wow. I loved this book. It had all the romantic and sweeping, yet understated elements that you find in classic Austen, but they were wrapped in the most intriguingly imagined post-apocalyptic world. Persuasion is one of Austen's books that I really love (my favorite is Emma, in case you were interested) and I was a little afraid that Peterfreund might have taken on a little too big a task in modernizing it.... I should have had faith! She's one of my favorite authors for a reason.  Peterfreund nailed it!! 

I found myself wrapped in a world where I could see the connections to Austen's original work, but had no trouble at all losing myself in the new story, forgetting that it was anything but what it was. This world is similar to our own, but Elliot's family and friends are so far removed from our society that it feels very foreign. I liked the religious aspect that helped develop their philosophies and how it felt organic without becoming an overwhelming aspect of the book.  

The romance. Ah, the romance. I loved it.  It felt very real. Both characters had reasons to feel hurt and both had reasons they were unable to let go.  Elliot and Kai were two very strong personalities that were stuck in a tough situation that could easily have torn them apart forever. I loved that Peterfreund made Elliot strong enough to not only be herself, and only herself, to succeed in the things she tried to do, but also strong enough to fight for the man that she loved with all her heart. 

*(This following paragraph is quoted from the comparison I did between For Darkness Shows the Stars and Persuasion on Yalsa's The Hub) Thankfully, Diana Peterfreund’s Elliot North stays true to the spirit of Anne Elliot. Though Elliot may be younger, in the post-apocalyptic world that Peterfreund created, her emotions and convictions ring true in the same way, regardless of time and place. Peterfreund’s retelling effortlessly blends a new world and a new, struggling society with the heart and soul of Austen’s tale. The science fiction themes are easy to understand and seem to integrate themselves seamlessly into the story so that even readers shy about delving into the genre will have no trouble navigating this foreign world. Peterfreund’s readers will find themselves considering the same important themes from Persuasion, and hearts will beat faster because of the same romantic gestures. Some may even be inspired, as I was, to delve back into Jane Austen’s classic with freshly plucked heartstrings.

I recommend this book to all readers, regardless of whether or not you've read the original Austen tale that inspired it.  I give this book a GOLD STAR and can't wait to see what Peterfreund does with The Scarlet Pimpernel in the upcoming Across a Star-Swept Sea.

Full disclosure: Received signed book at BEA 2012

Pinned

Pinned
by Sharon Flake

Autumn and Adonis have nothing in common and everything in common. Autumn is outgoing and has lots of friends. Adonis is shy and not so eager to connect with people. But even with their differences, the two have one thing in common--they're each dealing with a handicap. For Autumn, who has a learning disability, reading is a painful struggle that makes it hard to focus in class. But as her school’s most aggressive team wrestler, Autumn can take down any problem. Adonis is confined to a wheelchair. He has no legs. He can't walk or dance. But he’s a strong reader who loves books. Even so, Adonis has a secret he knows someone like Autumn can heal.

In time, Autumn and Adonis are forced to see that our greatest weaknesses can turn into the assets that forever change us and those we love. (description from Amazon.com)

I actually was not that fond of this book. 

 While I liked the fact that Autumn liked Adonis and didn't care at all that he's in a wheelchair, Adonis was pretty much a jerk through the whole book. Even when he comes to appreciate her for who she is, he still wants to keep it a secret that he likes her. No girl should have to settle for that. 

 I also had a hard time reading this book in Autumn's voice, because I kept correcting her speech in my head (example - she would say "I don't read good and teacher keep pushin'" and in my head I would read the sentence then replay it in my head as "I can't read that well and my teacher keeps pushing me to try harder."). It just became exhausting. Ugh.

Not on my recommended list.

Full disclosure: Borrowed through interlibrary loan

Wonder Show

Wonder Show 
by Hannah Barnaby

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, step inside Mosco’s Traveling Wonder Show, a menagerie of human curiosities and misfits guaranteed to astound and amaze! But perhaps the strangest act of Mosco’s display is Portia Remini, a normal among the freaks, on the run from McGreavy’s Home for Wayward Girls, where Mister watches and waits. He said he would always find Portia, that she could never leave. Free at last, Portia begins a new life on the bally, seeking answers about her father’s disappearance. Will she find him before Mister finds her? It’s a story for the ages, and like everyone who enters the Wonder Show, Portia will never be the same. (description from Amazon.com) 

Okay, okay...the girl who vowed never to read circus-themed books again must change her tune... I really enjoyed this one! I liked the historical setting and the gentle way that the "freaks" are part of the story.  They each have their own issues, both physical and emotional, but they are not as blatantly "freaky," I guess you would say, as they would be in an adult book.  I loved seeing how while Portia was at first overwhelmed and intimidated by their presence, she came to appreciate them all and be folded into part of their family. In fact, I loved Portia's determination to create her own fate and to find a family, even if eventually it's not her birth family.   

I thought this book had a great tone.  Historical, yet completely relatable in theme, with a strong main character.  I can't wait to see what Barnaby writes next... 

Full disclosure: Borrowed from my Library

Monday's Movie and TV Talk! (9)

Welcome to Monday's Movie and TV Talk! I don't know if I'll do this every Monday, or just sporadically on Mondays, but I LOVE TV and movies, so I figured why not add some of that to the blog for fun?? It'll be especially awesome when I can tie things into the YA book world... 

This past week, I went to see The Host with my friend, Danielle. I was both STOKED and sort of nervous.  You have to understand that The Host by Stephenie Meyer is one of my *top five favorite books of all time*... That's a lot for a movie to live up to...and we all know how movie adaptations seem to go, LOL. 

Movie Description: 

A parasitic alien soul is injected into the body of Melanie Stryder. Instead of carrying out her race’s mission of taking over the Earth, ‘Wanda’ (as she comes to be called) forms a bond with her host and sets out to aid other free humans.

So, here's what I thought.  

Overall I pretty much loved the movie.  I thought they did a great job adapting it to the screen...but I know that part of my reaction came from having read the book first.  I read some reviews that thought the movie didn't have enough action and was too focused on the emotional relationships between characters (with too much kissing...LOL), but those people have obviously never read the book.  The book itself delves pretty deeply into the relationships between the characters precisely because the author was trying to define what makes us human, and what love truly looks like.  

Visually, the movie was stunning.  The alien creatures were fascinatingly both beautiful and well, alien.  Their appearance once they took over the human hosts was well defined through calm demeanor, slower movements, and sort of a 1950's vibe in clothing and interpersonal interactions...I loved, too, how the Seekers were only ever in white and drove around in pure silver vehicles. It induced an almost clinically cold feeling when you were watching their scenes. 

I thought Saorise Ronin did a fantastic job as Melanie/Wanderer.She was almost like two different people when she was acting the memories of Melanie's life and then when she was actively inhabited by Wanda. They did a great job with her voiceovers (everytime Melanie spoke inside Wanda's head). There was no awkwardness like the actress couldn't quite match up the timing. It really was as if she had two personalities interacting throughout the movie.  

While at first I had been unsure of the casting for Ian (Jake Abel - who I tend to think of as an actor who plays not-so-good guys...) I found myself completely sucked in by his character...again. Ian is the first ever adult book crush that I had. *Spoiler Alert* In fact, one of the biggest problems I had with the movie was that they altered the scene that absolutely melted my heart where Ian holds Wanda in her true form and still finds her beautiful... I missed that moment! 

*Spoiler Alert!*

The only other problem I really had was the transition from Wanda being in Melanie's body to the new girl at the end. While I was reading the book because I was so emotionally invested it did not feel quite as jarring or perfectly poised to solve all of the characters' problems... but when you see it in the movie, it almost feels like a cop-out.  Oh, you are choosing to sacrifice yourself and leave so Melanie and her family can be happy? Oh, Look! We found a new body for you... you have to take it or she'll die... and look, now you and Ian can live happily ever after...  It just was too...pat...an ending.  (And Emily Browning, while I love you in everything else you've done, I wasn't quite feeling you in this role...sorry!) 

However, aside from those small issues, I found myself totally sucked into a fabulous story again and I will absolutely be buying this on DVD when it comes out. :)

Has anyone else seen it? What did you think?

Sever

Sever 
by Lauren DeStefano
The Chemical Garden Trilogy, book three

With the clock ticking until the virus takes its toll, Rhine is desperate for answers. After enduring Vaughn’s worst, Rhine finds an unlikely ally in his brother, an eccentric inventor named Reed. She takes refuge in his dilapidated house, though the people she left behind refuse to stay in the past. While Gabriel haunts Rhine’s memories, Cecily is determined to be at Rhine’s side, even if Linden’s feelings are still caught between them.

Meanwhile, Rowan’s growing involvement in an underground resistance compels Rhine to reach him before he does something that cannot be undone. But what she discovers along the way has alarming implications for her future—and about the past her parents never had the chance to explain. (description from Amazon.com)

Okay, it's going to be a little tough to review this book without spoilers since it is the final book in the trilogy (check out my reviews for book one, Wither, and book two, Fever).

This whole series has left me somewhat of an emotional wreck. DeStefano's books are INTENSE.  The way that book two left off gave me shivers and I knew as soon as we got Sever into work I HAD to finish the series, reading responsibilities be damned! I even ended up cheating a little bit by flipping to the last page (WHICH I NEVER DO!) to verify that Rhine doesn't end up dying. I just couldn't take the emotional uncertainty anymore...I had to know that she made it! 

I don't want to give anything else away, but I will say there were huge highs and lows in this book and that overall this has been one of the few dystopian series lately that I have gotten heavily emotionally invested in. The whole premise felt really realistically possible and I think that I will remember these books for a long time. 

Full disclosure: Borrowed from my Library

Revival

Revival

by Jena Leigh

The Variant series, book one

 



Possessing the uncanny ability to fry a television set from twenty paces can really wreck a girl's social life.

If you're looking for proof, just ask sixteen-year-old Alexandra Parker. After catching her boyfriend in the arms of the prettiest girl in school, she made the journey from social elite to social pariah in a haze of electricity and exploding electronics. But finding herself at the bottom of Bay View High's social hierarchy was nothing compared to the shock of discovering who--and what--she really is.

After being zapped out of a burning bookstore by the mysterious Declan--a hero nearly as handsome as he is infuriating--Alex finds herself under the protection of the powerful Grayson family. It's through them that she learns the truth: that the world she's always known is nothing like it appears to be... and that she has far more in common with them than she might want to believe.

Now, on the run from a fire-wielding hit man and a secretive government organization, Alex must navigate a strange and treacherous new world filled with superhuman mutants known as Variants. As she begins to unravel the many secrets of her family's past, she uncovers the real reason for her parents' death twelve years earlier--and finds out that the threat to her family, and to everyone she cares about, is still dangerously real. (description from Amazon.com)

 

Ever thought that your break-up was electric? Well, Alex's pretty much is! LOL. Alex has developed the uncanny knack of frying any electronics within about 20 feet any time her emotions spike. Fun, huh? Well, after a very hot, and strangely intriguing guy follows Alex around for a day, saves her from being burned alive and TELEPORTS her to a remote cabin in the woods...somewhere...Alex finds out that she's not the only one out there with special abilities. 

 

I loved meeting the members of the adoptive Grayson family.  Kenzie is that girl you'd love to have as a best friend, and Alex does love her, though she still loves her normal best friend, Cassie, too...and can read people's minds.  Nate is a telekenetic and little Brian sees the future. Not your average household...but they are interesting!

 

I really liked the dynamics of their family. It was not only interesting to see how they interacted like siblings in general, but also how they dealt with each others' abilities...and to then see them band together when threatened by outsiders... In fact, I loved seeing all of the "Variants" deal with regular people and the Agency that governs them. 

 

Hmmm...have I accidentally given away too much already? Maybe....oh well. I vow not to tell you the biggest secret, but I WILL tell you that even when Alex thinks she knows who she really is, nothing is ever really certain... I cannot wait to find out what happens in book two...

 

Don't forget to check back here tomorrow. I have an interview with the author, Jena Leigh!!

 

Full disclosure: Ebook sent to me by author to review

Beautiful Creatures

Beautiful Creatures

by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

The Caster Chronicles, book one

 

There were no surprises in Gatlin County.
We were pretty much the epicenter of the middle of nowhere.
At least, that's what I thought.
Turns out, I couldn't have been more wrong.
There was a curse.
There was a girl.
And in the end, there was a grave.

Lena Duchannes is unlike anyone the small Southern town of Gatlin has ever seen, and she's struggling to conceal her power, and a curse that has haunted her family for generations. But even within the overgrown gardens, murky swamps and crumbling graveyards of the forgotten South, a secret cannot stay hidden forever.

Ethan Wate, who has been counting the months until he can escape from Gatlin, is haunted by dreams of a beautiful girl he has never met. When Lena moves into the town's oldest and most infamous plantation, Ethan is inexplicably drawn to her and determined to uncover the connection between them. (description from Amazon.com)

 

Okay, I have to admit it. This was one of those books that sat on my book shelf for years, literally years waiting to be read. I got this in ARC form from BEA the very first time I went.  In a ginormous pile of books that there was no real way that I could read in a timely manner... before I learned to not take everything in sight... and it wasn't at the top of my "OMG, I need to read this right now list" so it kept getting put aside.

 

Since then, I have had plenty of teens tell me how great the series is and we get requests for them at the library all the time, but it wasn't until I started seeing info for the movie that I thought to myself, "Gee, I should really finally read that." I even have copies of the ARCs for books two and three that I picked up at subsequent BEAs!

 

So, in an effort to fulfill two of my reading resolutions this year - to clear books off of my endless TBR shelves and to read JUST FOR FUN - I picked this one up right at the beginning of the year.  I also desperately want to see the movie and felt like I would be guilty seeing it without reading the book first... LOL.

 

I actually enjoyed this one.  It's not my favorite series opener, but that's partly due to the fact that I'm not a real witch book reader.  I love magic in stories, things like Harry Potter, but for some reason when the people are openly called witches, it just hits a switch in my brain that says, eh. Weird. Anyway, I loved the atmosphere of this book. It's Southern Gothic and yet it also manages to be modern.  The flashbacks to the earlier generations and the way that Southerners hold so strongly to their heritage definitely give this effect.

 

I liked Lena and her awakening powers. I liked Ethan. I liked the supporting characters. I thought they were all quirky and kept my interest going throughout the whole story. I was amazed how quickly I got through this 600 page book. As I delved further into the story and had my suspicions about who was really good or bad or well... the pages just kept turning.  Other than having to lug the gigantic book around, I almost forgot how long it was.

 

As I said, although this is not my favorite new series, I am very excited to see the movie now.  There is something about this storyline that just translates to the screen, I think. I can totally see the larger than life magic and the epic good versus evil struggle making for an epic movie! I'll let you all know what I think once I've actually seen it. 

 

Full disclosure: ARC received at BEA in 2009

The Expeditioners and the Treasure of Drowned Man's Canyon

The Expeditioners and the Treasure of Drowned Man's Canyon

by S. S. Taylor/Illus. by Katherine Roy

 

Computers have failed, electricity is extinct, and the race to discover new lands is underway! Brilliant explorer Alexander West has just died under mysterious circumstances, but not before smuggling half of a strange map to his intrepid children—Kit the brain, M.K. the tinkerer, and Zander the brave. Why are so many government agents trying to steal the half-map? (And where is the other half?) It’s up to Alexander’s children—the Expeditioners—to get to the bottom of these questions, and fast. (description from Amazon.com)

 

This book was a little bit of an unexpected joy for me. While I had read the description and knew that there was a treasure hunt, etc, I don't think it really sank in...what this book would be like...

 

Honestly, it was one of the best, most interesting steampunk adventures I've read yet.  I think, primarily, because it wasn't *just* steampunk.  This is dystopian steampunk.  In this world, we've gone beyond the computer age to a period where all that technology was distrusted and society withdrew back to steam power! Very, very cool conceptually. 

 

This book has a heavy focus on family relationships, gadgets, and mapmaking/reading.  Each of the West children has a different "specialty." M.K. can fix any type of machinery. Zander can almost commune with animals.  Our main character, and also the middle sibling, Kit, can read maps and solve codes, having learned from their Explorer father.  In this world, too, the Explorers, like Mr. West are on the hunt to map out and claim new lands.  They joke about the time when we were convinced that there were only seven continents!

 

This book was exciting and intriguing and once I started reading, I did not want to put it down.  Not only were there great descriptions of new creatures and awesome steampunk technologies, but the illustrator did an amazing job and every chapter there was at least one picture like this one of a typical Explorer's vest, full of cool gadgetry. There were full page illustrations and little ones sprinkled within the text.  The book cover also comes off and on the reverse side is a full character sketch of each of the kids and the friend that eventually goes hunting for the secret cavern with them. 

This book tackled a great adventure, built an awesome and intriguing world, and also threw in a couple of great moral lessons. I cannot WAIT to read the next book in the series!!

 

Full disclosure: Finished copy received from publisher for review

Island of Thieves

Island of Thieves

by Josh Lacey

 

"Only boring people get bored…Interesting people can always find something to be interested in." That’s what Tom Trelawney’s father says, anyway. Tom shouldn’t have been interested in playing with matches but he was...bored. Now the shed is in ashes and strange Uncle Harvey is the only one willing to have him stay while his parents vacation.

 

Tom soon discovers Harvey is going to South America on a treasure hunt and though nephews aren’t invited, he manages to tag along. Before it’s over he’ll drive a car, fire a gun and run for his life. Tom realizes that life may be about following the rules, but survival may be about breaking them. (description from Amazon.com)

 

This was an exciting book that seemed almost like an action movie playing in my head. It felt very much like I was watching National Treasure where there were car chases and guys shooting guns at them and they were attempting to solve clues. I was on the edge of my seat for the whole second half of the book! 

I'm actually kind of hoping that Lacey writes another book featuring Tom and his Uncle Harvey. I thought they worked well together and just managed to scrape through by the skins of their noses often enough that I never really was assured they'd both be okay in the end...

Love action movies? Love treasure hunts? Looking for a fun easy read? Check this book out.

 

Full disclosure: Borrowed from my library 

Gold Star Review: The One and Only Ivan

The One and Only Ivan

by Katherine Applegate

 



Ivan is an easygoing gorilla. Living at the Exit 8 Big Top Mall and Video Arcade, he has grown accustomed to humans watching him through the glass walls of his domain. He rarely misses his life in the jungle. In fact, he hardly ever thinks about it at all.

Instead, Ivan thinks about TV shows he’s seen and about his friends Stella, an elderly elephant, and Bob, a stray dog. But mostly Ivan thinks about art and how to capture the taste of a mango or the sound of leaves with color and a well-placed line.

Then he meets Ruby, a baby elephant taken from her family, and she makes Ivan see their home—and his own art—through new eyes. When Ruby arrives, change comes with her, and it’s up to Ivan to make it a change for the better. (description from Amazon.com)

This is a stellar book. Absolutely stellar. The concept is phenomenal. The characters, though animals, are still anthropomorphized (humanized) enough to make them evoke sympathy from readers.  The storyline is perfect. The writing style fits the character and story beautifically.

Yes, I am gushing. This book deserves to be gushed over.  If you have not read it yet, PICK THIS ONE UP. I guarantee that every reader will find something to love.  Animals, art, love, grief, it's all here. The free form verse makes this book a breeze to read (I think it took me an hour or so) and my heart was bursting when I was done. 

I cannot recommend this one enough. If it does not win at least one award this year, I think I will be shocked and somewhat appalled. Definite GOLD STAR.

 

Full disclosure: Borrowed from my Library

Wildwood

Wildwood

by Colin Meloy

 

When her baby brother is kidnapped by crows, Prue McKeel begins an adventure that will take her and her friend Curtis way beyond her hometown and deep into the Impassable Wilderness. There they uncover a secret world in the midst of violent upheaval, a world full of warring creatures, peace-loving mystics and powerful figures with the darkest intentions. What begins as a rescue mission becomes something much bigger as the two friends find themselves entwined in a struggle for the very freedom of this wilderness. A wilderness the locals call Wildwood. (description from Amazon.com)

 

I wanted to love this book.  In the beginning, I liked it very much. It has a folksy sort-of feel in the storytelling.  It has a kidnapped brother, and an intrepid sister, out to recover him... it has a dark, mysterious wilderness that captivates Prue and readers alike.

 

As I continued reading, though, the story began to lag for me. I'm not sure exactly why. Partially, I think, because I personally do not particularly like books where main characters are talking animals.  It just doesn't work for me and there were definitely some important characters here who were of the non-human variety. Also, this delved a lot into politics and (unlike in M.W. Turner's books which are full of political intrigue that I couldn't help but be fascinated by...) it just became too much. 

 

I think that there were a lot of factors that just added up to not quite a win here for me.  I think maybe if the book had been a little shorter, not quite so complicated, I might have persevered and possibly even have enjoyed my reading experience, but in the end, I really only enjoyed the first third of this book.

 

Full disclosure: Borrowed from my library

Home is Beyond the Mountains

Home is Beyond the Mountains

by Celia Barker Lottridge

 

Samira is only nine years old when the Turkish army invades northwestern Persia in 1918, driving her family from its tiny village. They flee into the mountains, but the journey is so difficult that only Samira and her older brother survive. Beginning with a refugee camp run by the British Army, the children are shunted from one temporary home to another, finally ending up in an orphanage where it seems that they will live out their childhood. Then the new orphanage director, Susan Shedd, decides that she will take the 300 refugee children back to their home villages — a journey of 300 miles — through the mountains, on foot. Samira embarks on the journey with wonder and fear. Even if they make it, will there be anyone in her old village to take her in? (description from Amazon.com)

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I was surprised how easy this book was to read. It's written in very simple sentences and goes very, very quickly. I think I read the whole book in about 2 1/2 hours. I had not really thought I would enjoy this one that much (thanks in part to a yucky cover :/) but it turned out to be pretty interesting.

I don't honestly know that much about the middle eastern area in history and so this story was pretty much all knew to me. Some themes from history are all the same, though, so this story of children who become orphaned in a foreign land did not feel so foreign that I couldn't relate to it. This was a heartbreaking and yet, still hopeful story. 

While not quite as epic as some of the other historical fictions I've read recently, I did enjoy breezing through this one.

Full disclosure: Borrowed from my library

The Red Umbrella

The Red Umbrella

by Christina Diaz Gonzalez

 

In 1961, two years after the Communist revolution, Lucía Álvarez still leads a carefree life, dreaming of parties and her first crush. But when the soldiers come to her sleepy Cuban town, everything begins to change. Freedoms are stripped away. Neighbors disappear. Her friends feel like strangers. And her family is being watched.

As the revolution's impact becomes more oppressive, Lucía's parents make the heart-wrenching decision to send her and her little brother to the United States—on their own.

Suddenly plunked down in Nebraska with well-meaning strangers, Lucía struggles to adapt to a new country, a new language, a new way of life. But what of her old life? Will she ever see her home or her parents again? And if she does, will she still be the same girl? (description from Amazon.com) 

An excellent historical fiction set in a time period, again, that I knew very little about... I vaguely knew that while Castro was in power a LOT of Cubans came to the US (thank you, Scarface, LOL), but I'd never heard about Operation Pedro Pan, which was a mission to save children from the Revolution. 

Lucy's story was heartbreaking and very realistically frightening.  She is continuously in danger in Cuba and sees things that no one should ever have to see. Then in an effort to keep her and her brother safe, Lucy's parents send them to America.  I could not imagine going to a foreign country without my parents, without knowing where I would end up, without being able to contact my parents to be assured that they were still alive, as a teen! Lucy's effort to keep her brother safe and with her is one of the bravest things I've ever read.  She truly perserveres through an immensely difficult situation to become a strong and brave young woman. 

I greatly admired the picture of family that is preeminent in this tale.  Lucy's parents are strong, involved figures, constantly putting the safety of their children first and refusing to back away from their own moral beliefs. They were excellent role models.  As were the parents in the foster family that Lucy joins.  My greatest joy in finishing this book was that Lucy and her brother essentially ended the book with two wonderful sets of parents to rely on.  It warmed my heart in a fantastic way.

Another book that I should have read much, much sooner.

Full disclosure: Borrowed from my library