Audio Book Review: Radiance by Alyson Noel

Radiance is a middle grade story that deals with a topic that is hard to broach with this age group: death. It can be difficult to talk about death with children, particularly in cases where the person who dies is very close to a child or where the person who dies is very young.

The main character of this story, Riley (only twelve years old), has just died along with her parents and dog. She references her life on the "Earth Plane" briefly, but does not appear to dwell on his previous life too much. Instead, her days are filled with Here and Now. She has the ability to manifest whatever she desires--clothes, money, food, excitement and entertainment. But, the novelty of this ability does not last long. Quickly, she looks for something to do. And it's not long before the The Council comes looking for her to give her a job.

She's paired with Bodhie, a teen whom she describes as "dorky," but who seems to have been cool at one time. Bodhie takes everything a little too seriously for Riley's taste, and she spares no time in telling him just how lame he is. Their conflict feels more like a sibling rivalry than a thinly disguised flirtation, which is nice in a middle grade story.

On their first mission together as "Soul Catchers,"where they try to convince souls who have remained on the Earth Plane to cross over to the other side. Riley's first assignment is one no other Soul Catcher has been able to crack, despite hundreds of attempts. Lucky for her, it involves spirits of the annoying ten year-old boy variety, a demographic she's dealt with extensively on the Earth Plane. I won't tell you what happens, but it is one of my favorite scenes!

I don't always love to read middle grade novels, but this audio book appealed to me because of the subject matter and its relevance to my life right now. My mother-in-law just passed away on Wednesday after a long battle with a variety of cancers. I listened to this book thinking that it might be of some comfort to the pre-teen nieces in my family. I think that, once they've had time to deal with their grandmother's passing, they will find solace in a vision of heaven where the elderly get to pursue all of their interests and dreams.

The reader for this novel is Kathleen McInerney and she does a wonderful job. It must be hard to find a reader who can capture the spirit and energy of a twelve year-old, but McInerney does it well. Also, this book is a quick listen at less than four hours. I can see this book being a staple of middle school libraries. I bet middle grade readers will identify with Riley and maybe even relate to some of what she goes through in the book.

Details:

Narrator: Kathleen McInerney
Length: 3 hours and 55 mins

**This audio book counts toward my participation in the 2011 Audio Book Challenge from Teresa's Reading Corner and Whisper Stories in My Ear Audio Book Challenge**

Book Review: Rival by Sara Bennett Wealer

In alternating narratives, Sara Bennett Wealer tells the story of two talented teens--Kathryn and Brooke. Both girls are exceptional singers and, though they used to be very close, they have a rivalry that has spiraled out of control.

Brooke seems to have it all. She is the most popular girl in her class, she has talent, money, and people generally look to her to decide who's cool and who's not. Of course, life is not as perfect as it seems. Brooke is lonely and desperately wants her absent father's love and attention. She is surrounded by people who want to be near her so that they can be popular. None of her friends care about her passion for singing; they only care about parties and dances. Brooke finds a true friend in Kathryn during her junior year, but by their senior year their bitter enmity has completely clouded over any friendship they might have had.

Kathryn is more content in the shadows than in the limelight when it comes to being popular. That is, until she gets a taste for the spotlight when Brooke invites her to a sleepover their junior year. After that fateful night, Kathryn is kept busy with parties and activities and shows with all of her new friends. In particular, Brooke seems to want to hang out with Kathryn and talk about music. But, when Kathryn unwittingly betrays Brooke, their friendship crumbles and so does Kathryn's new popularity.

In the end, the only thing these two unlikely friends have in common is their desire to win at the Blackmore--a prestigious singing competition. And, it seems that both girls are willing to crush the other in order to win.

*   *   *

Rival is an excellent debut for Sara Bennett Wealer.  It is always a risky venture to write a book where the main characters are complex and not always sympathetic. There were points in this book where I didn't like either of the main characters, but this dislike was because the girls are presented as real people who make real mistakes and use poor judgment. It would've been much easier for Ms. Bennett Wealer to present one of the girls as "right" and the other as "wrong." It's much more difficult to make each girl complex in their own way. 

In addition to the characters, I loved the format of this book. It alternated between main characters and from their junior to senior years. In all of this, I was not confused in the least by which character was speaking and when the scene was taking place. It was interesting to flip between the girls' senior year, when they hated each other, and their junior year, when they were inseparable. Through the shifting time periods, the relationship and the motives behind the girls' actions becomes much more complex and interesting. 

I loved that this rivalry was based, for the most part, on singing. There were some jealous moments based on boys and beauty, but that was not the crux of the girls' conflict. That story has been played out, in my opinion. In this book, the girls are vying for something real and based on hard work and merit. This focus on singing took away from some of the catty, stereotypical competition over looks that is often portrayed in YA lit. This story was far more serious and interesting than a typical girl-hates-girl story. 

This is an awesome debut novel and I cannot wait to read more from this author. I can imagine that there are several students in my classes, particularly those girls involved in chorus and one of our school's music programs that will understand the richness of this book.

**Thanks to The Teen Book Scene for providing this review copy**

Book Review: Where I Belong by Gwendolyn Heasley

Corrinne lives a charmed life. Her parents own a posh apartment in NYC and a house on Nantucket. She has credit cards galore and goes out for sushi and (illegal) drinks with her best buds almost nightly. She plans to attend an exclusive boarding school in the fall and life is generally wonderful for cynical, whiny Corrinne.

Really, she is a little hard to like at first. But, when her life's station falls dramatically after the collapse of the economy and once her parents find that they've fallen victim to a Ponzi scheme, Corrinne joins the real world and becomes a much more human. But, it doesn't happen quickly. First, her whole life as she knows it has to disintegrate and crumble before her very eyes. This includes: the sale of the apartment, her father moving to Dubai, and Corrinne and her brother moving to Texas in order to live with her very Texan grandparents. Even worse, no more private school, no more sushi, no more credit, no more friends.

What she does find in Texas is lots of hot weather, twangy accents, public schools filled with (gasp!) public school students, and food with lots and lots of carbs. Basically, she's on an alien planet.

With the help of some of the locals, though, Corrinne adjusts. It takes time, but she is nothing if not a survivor. And, the fact that the town is home to a couple of extremely hot guys (see book cover) does not hurt matters.

Corrinne is truly a round character. I love her for this. Even as she's complaining and melting down, she has an endearing quality to her story. We can al identify, I'm sure, with having to change our habits after the recession hit. I know I have. I haven't had to move to Texas, but I have had to give up some of the extras. And I know how hard but ultimately rewarding this has been for me. By the end of the book, I was super proud of Corrinne and respected her as a person.

This is not a heavy book or one that's full of mystery and intrigue. You basically know what's going to happen throughout. But, it doesn't really matter. Because debut author Gwendolyn Heasley isn't really trying to develop an entirely new character, but improving on the existing character archetype. I think it's pretty successful in it's attempt at romance and realistic characters. I can't wait to pass it on to some of my romance-loving, cowboy-wanting teen students!

Book Review: Forget You by Jennifer Echols

Zoey Commander's life is a mess. Her father is running off with is twenty-something girlfriend to marry in Hawaii, her normally "together" mother just attempted suicide, and Zoey just slept with her best friend, Brandon. But, the biggest of frustrations is that she had a horrible car accident that could have killed her and a couple of her friends. But, she doesn't remember it or any of the events leading up to it.

Now, Zoey is kinda dating Brandon, her best friend. Brandon has had many conquests, and loves to tell Zoey all about them. And, it appears that he's not really all that concerned about Zoey's accident. Or anything really. Zoey wants for him to want to be her boyfriend, but just never there. 

Worst of all for controlling and (slightly) obsessive Zoey is that the only person who seems to know all of the answers to what happened the night of her car crash is badboy Doug. He went away to juvie when they were younger and his reputation has been forever changed. Sure he's handsome and smart, but he's been to juvie. So he must be crazy. 

Honestly, this book was a fun read. I love Jennifer Echols for romantic-ish, light-ish books. I know when I read her work that it's going to be a bit of the top and filled with heat-of-the-moment scenes. I just know this.  If she were to write a serious "issue" book for teens, I wouldn't know what to do with it. (It would probably be good, because she's an awesome writer. It would just be like drinking soda when you're expecting water. Weird at first, but then good.)

So, when I read criticism of her work that her that knocks her down a little for writing steamy scenes and not being all that serious, I don't take them seriously. I know what Echols is all about. And, my teen girls LOVE her books. In fact, this book was loaned to me by one of my juniors girls who told me that I HAD to read it. How could I resist?

Again, if you're looking for seriousness and a hefty plot that will change your life, this probably isn't it. But, it's a quick, fun read and Echols is a talented writer. I cannot wait to read her next book, Love Story, which is due out in July.

Book Review: Paranormalcy by Kiersten White

Evie isn't your average every day girl. She's not even an average paranormal girl. Everything about her--from her birth to her teen years--is mysterious and interesting. Only, Evie doesn't quite see her life this way. She think it's pretty boring, not going to high school and having a locker like all other "normal" teens. Her life is anything but normal. And that's never really been enough for her.

She works and lives at the International Paranormal Containment Agency (IPCA for short). She came to the IPCA when she was just eight years old, after she was discovered. You see, Evie can see through the glamours that most paranormals (vampires, werewolves, zombies, mermaids, faeries, etc) use when trying convince humans that they are regular people. So they can kill them. Evie sees what no one else can--the truth behind the lie.

But Evie's truth is that she'd rather have the every day problems of the teens she sees on TV than the ones she has. She has a sort of ex-boyfriend faerie man who is stalking her a little bit, a best friend who's a mermaid in a glass case, and no family that she's ever met. As far as she knows, she's entirely alone in the world. That is, until she catches a mysterious paranormal sneaking around the IPCA center after hours. Of course, she tazers him, but after that she realizes that he's cute and that they have a lot in common. By the time that she's figuring out who he is, she and all of the other humans and paranormals at the IPCA are in trouble. Because there's a serial killer going after paranormals. And it's just arrived at the IPCA.

I'm not even doing the plot justice by summarizing it here, so I'll just switch to gushing about how awesome it is. I really, really wish that I had read this book when it first came out, but I never really saw how great it was. I read the summaries and reviews and wanted to read it, but never got around to buying it.  Until Ms. Kai from Fiction State of Mind sent me this awesome book. I've been wanting to read it for some time and am so glad I did. Thanks, Kai!

What did I love about it? Well, it's funny and light and interesting and there is some suspense, but most of all, it's original. I felt like I was reading something totally new and fresh, which is awesome because I've read an awful lot of paranormal in the past year and I think it takes a great plot and cast of characters to seem "new" and "fresh" in this saturated genre.

I loved that it was funny, too. So often paranormal lacks a bit of the humor because it can take itself a little too seriously. Sure, the world and all of humanity is going to perish in a paranormal-induced whirlwind of fire and craziness, but there is room for a few laughs here and there, no? Best of all, the humor wasn't forced, but felt natural coming from Evie and a couple of the other characters. Not everyone was funny. Evie was because it is part of her personality. Love her!

And the relationships were interesting. I love thinking of this girl who has these powers and can use them to better the world, but who still sees her life as boring. Is any teenager every satisfied with their life? Doesn't every teenager claim to be bored most of the time? Even if they are chasing vampires and werewolves, I think that it's just the nature of the teen years to feel like they're missing out.

I cannot wait to read more of this series. I've read that it's going to be a three-part series, which is delightful. I haven't heard any info about the title/ cover for book two, but I will be on the lookout!

Audio Book Review: Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce

Little Red Riding Hood wishes she had the Marsh sisters on her side. Scarlett and Rosie, deadly wolf-hunting teens, are more than capable of taking on the evil, sneering Fenris (werewolves) that prowl the streets looking for easy female prey. When these two hunters pair up, there are no Fenris left alive.

Unfortunately for Scarlett and Rosie, there is no shortage of Fenris. Every day it seems, there are more and more. And, more and more girls have gone missing or are found dead. Worse, it appears that the Fenris are gathering to create a new recruit. With the help of their hunting partner, Silas, the handsome woodsman, the sisters leave their quaint small town in search of Fenris in the city.

Though both sisters are committed to hunting the Fenris, only Scarlett lives and breathes the hunt. When she was eleven, she was horribly scarred and lost an eye in a Fenris attack that also took her grandmother. Just a girl, Scarlett would not have been disfigured if she had not shielded her younger sister Rosie from the Fenris. Now, Scarlett hunts with an unquenchable vengeance and Rosie is used as bait to lure in unsuspecting Fenris. But, Rosie has other things on her mind. Namely, a romance with Silas.

From the start, the readers of this story lured me in. I am sure that I would've enjoyed this book if I'd read it, but listening to it is a special experience, I think. The three readers of this story did an incredible job, so well that my husband even listened in now and again. (He's not easily lured into fairy tales retold.) All of the voices are perfect and distinct to their characters. With this reading, the narrative comes alive and the action is made real.

Fast and entertaining, I think that those who love fairy tales and paranormal stories will fall in love with this creative, well-written story. I did!

Details

Readers: Erin Moon, Michael Friedman, Suzanne Toren

Length: 9 hrs, 41 minutes

**This audio book counts toward my participation in the 2011 Audio Book Challenge from Teresa's Reading Corner and Whisper Stories in My Ear Audio Book Challenge**

Book Review: Across the Universe by Beth Revis

Okay, so pretty much everyone in the book blogosphere has either posted a review of this book or read a dozen or so reviews. I know that I am coming to the game a little late. But, that is not going to stop me from adding my thoughts to the mix!

I will spare you a lengthy summary, because I'm sure that most of you have already heard of this book and pretty much know what it's about. Here's a little bit, in case you've been stuck on a spaceship for the past three months:

This book opens with a teen girl, Amy, standing in line for a cryogenic freezing. If all goes well, she won't wake up for three hundred years. 300. Years.

The one hundred people who have agreed to be frozen are meant to be settlers of a new planet. The spaceship Godspeed will take them to this planet, but it'll take a long, long time to get there. And once they land, there's no telling what they'll find.

Apparently, being frozen is not like being dead. (Not that I know what that's like...just guessin'.) It's more like a combination of being asleep with lots of dreams and thoughts and like being awake in bed with lots of energy, but not being able to open your eyes. But, when Amy does open her eyes, she realizes that the Godspeed has not landed and her parents are still frozen. Even worse, the person who "thawed" her might have been trying to kill her.

And that's where I'll stop my summary. There is so much more that I could go into, but I have a sneaking suspicion that you can find more info elsewhere if you're dying for a more complete summary. Plus, I kinda want to gush about how much I loved this book.

I've been looking forward to reading this book for a long, long time. I love the cover(s) (reversible) and the descriptions of the plot. I actually waited to read this book because I did not want to be disappointed with it. I wanted to temper my anticipation with some reviews by fellow bloggers. But, as the hype grew and grew, I had to give in and read it. And I'm completely ecstatic with the way that they book turned out.

For me, this book is taking the place of The Hunger Games series in the "next great dystopian series" category. I have long held up the characters and world of The Hunger Games as the best ever, but this new series has come out of the gate strong and is nosing up on that series. I am not a fair weather fan of Suzanne Collins's genius, but I do have to move on at some point and stop hoping for a fourth book. Now, I have another great series to get all fangirl-y about. And it feels good.

I loved the world of this book, the characters, the layers of the ship and the implications of the ideas that are presented in this book for the world that we currently live in. I love dystopias for this very reason; they make me think. I am sure that I will be thinking about our society and difference and change and leadership and power and all of it for some time to come.

**Read and reviewed as part of Presenting Lenore's Dystopian February Celebration**

Book Review: Identical by Ellen Hopkins

With Identical, I've now read all of Ellen Hopkins's books that are in print. I am officially caught up with her and understand the full body of her work.

This book, like all of the others in Hopkins's repertoire, is filled with edginess. This one, unlike some of the others that I've read, is so disturbing that I had a tough time reading it. Maybe I'm just emotional or something, but I had an almost physical aversion to a couple of the characters in this book. I think that this is a mark of good writing, because it takes a lot to make me feel physically ill just from reading.

In Identical, we meet two main characters. Sisters. Identical twin sisters. Kaeleigh and Raeanne. There are lots of ways that I could spoil this book by going into deep detail about these two characters, but I will not. I had to figure it all out on my own, and I don't want to ruin this for all of you who decide to read this book. 

That said, I can talk about a majority of the plot of this book without giving too much away. The twins' father is a judge. Which is fairly ironic, because he is a demon at home. He's addicted to alcohol and prescription pills, and stated sexually abusing Kaeleigh when she was a young, young girl. And their mother is not much better. She escapes her duties as a wife and mother by campaigning around the country. Even when she's home, she's not really there. Everything is about image all of the time.

And Kaeleigh lives up to that perfect ideal. She does well in school, and is chaste. She has a bit of a timid personality, probably due to the abuse she's suffer at the hands of her father and the indifference of her mother. She's learned to cope with trauma by being quiet and calm. She's accepted her role in the family.

Raeanne is Kaeleigh's opposite. She is a rebel to the core and could not care less about her father and her mother. She does not take school (or anything else for that matter) very seriously. She has sex with lots of partners, uses drugs regularly, and is the very definition of reckless.

This book goes back and forth its narrative between these two sisters. Each section shows you which sister is speaking, but you almost don't need to know after a while because they are so distinctly different. I loved Hopkins's verse in this book and have a few new ideas for my classroom.

Many of my students, girls in particular, are rabid Hopkins fans. I know that this book will be a huge hit with these girls, and they will probably be just as disturbed as I was by the horrific abuse in this book. But, like me, these girls will want to read more and more of Hopkins's work. Because, like the drugs that she often writes about, these books are completely addictive.

Book Review: Like Mandarin by Kirsten Hubbard

In every way, Grace is a wallflower. She is a former child pageant star, who had one shining moment of retaliation where she lifted her dress in front of her entire town. That ended both her days on the pageant circuit and her rebellion.

Since this one memorable outburst, Grace has faded into the background. Not that she's not worthy of notice. She is an awkward beauty, an honors student who has skipped a grade and may skip over another, and is brilliant about science. But, none of this compares to the mystery and larger-than-life, rumor-laden legend that is Mandarin Ramey.

Though the stories that surround Mandarin's life are not exactly savory, Grace is entranced by her. Everything about her confidence and beauty seems exotic, unaffected, and mature to Grace. Wherever Mandarin walks, Grace (and many others in the town) follows with her eyes.

When a teacher places Grace and Mandarin together for a school project, Grace cannot believe her luck. She is obviously uncomfortable around such an experienced, legendary figure, but her curiosity gets the best of her. This is Grace's chance to get to know the girl behind the legend, and to be noticed. Trouble is, Mandarin's life is not as exotic as it seemed and Grace may not like the type of attention she gets. But, either way, her life will be forever changed.

*   *   *

This was a great book. It wasn't as full of YA drama as other books I've read, and it felt like a true-to-life teen story. I think that Grace's life (and possibly Mandarin's) are more common than not. What smart girl living in small town America doesn't dream of a different life? What uncommon girl living in small town America doesn't have a trail of rumors following her? 

This read was perfectly paced, not too fast and not too slow. I thought that the relationship between Grace and Mandarin was touchingly real and sad all at the same time. I can think of a few Mandarins who live in my town and know more than a few Graces. They felt like real girls to me. 

Also, I couldn't help but be reminded of John Green's Looking for Alaska as I read this book. Grace and Miles have the same starstruck, naive love for their larger than life idols. And, in both books, the idols retain much of their mystery and seem to be truly untouchable. Distant. Unreal. 

I am happy to have read another engaging and well-written Contemps Challenge book. I have another one waiting on my TBR and cannot believe how awesome they all have been. Seriously. Love Ms. Hubbard's writing and characters and I can't wait to read more of her work. Cause there will be more. I just know it!

**Read as part of an ARC Tour from I Read Banned Books**

Book Review: Tell Us We're Home by Marina Budhos

What does it feel like to be different? This a question explored by many YA authors. In Marina Budhos's book Tell Us We're Home, this question is made central to the book by its three main characters: Maria, Jaya, and Lola.

Each of these girls are not only "different" because they're going through typical adolescent changes, but because they're the children of immigrants. Their mothers, like so many in our country, work as maids or nannies in the homes of their wealthy suburb neighbors. With these three main characters, Budhos ultimately describes three very different approaches and reactions to feeling "different," even when the characters are facing very similar circumstances. Simply put, there is no "one" immigrant experience or "one" reaction to being told that you're not welcome in a school or a town or a country.

Each girl has their own story and Budhos gives each story the time and attention necessary to develop. I definitely gravitated toward one girl more than the others. But by the end of the story, I understood each of the girls any why they had to react the way they did to the circumstances of their individual lives.

The more that I think about this book, and I have definitely done a lot of thinking since reading it, the more that I see the plight of the "new" American represented in this book. I do not live in an area of the country where there is a lot of immigration, but there is a large population of Somalian refugees in a nearby city (about an hour away). Every year since this group of refugees has come to live in our state, I hear my students (again, not really living anywhere near these people) making more and more ignorant comments about these people. Why? Because they're different. All of the observations and complaints break down to that one category: Difference is scary.

How are we ever going to learn to live together in peace in our country if we don't begin to realize that there are possibilities in difference and that it's not necessarily a horrible thing to be exposed to difference? And, in books like Buddhos's, it becomes obvious that the differences that we sometimes perceive as threatening are pretty surface. Underneath, teens just want to fit in. They want to find commonalities, not differences and they want to feel that they're home in their own country.

This conversation is larger than this one book. But, this book is a great catalyst for starting that conversation or the thought process that may lead to seeing this issue through a different lens. I know that I've been thinking about it regularly ever since I read this book. Surely, that's a mark of a great read!

Book Review: Lost Voices by Sarah Porter

Lost Voices is a story of a group of lost girls who have reclaimed some power over lives that have been ruined through abuse, torture, and neglect. Each of the girls in this group has a story and each one is shocking and painful in its own right.

We start this story with Luce, the main character. She's living with her uncle after her mother has died and her father disappears at sea. He uncle is cruel and abusive, but Luce has found ways to skirt his anger and to hide from his violent outbursts. That is, until the night that he hurts her in a different way--a near rape.

In a scene full of magic and surprising calm, Luce transforms from a broken, bloody girl to a gorgeous mermaid. She finds herself in the ocean, surrounded by a group of mermaids who are all former victims of some sort of abuse. The leader of this tribe, Catarina, tells Luce about their mermaid code, the "timakh." It's a pretty simple code, consisting of two rules: you cannot knowingly hurt another mermaid and you cannot have any sort of contact with humans.

Quickly, Luce begins to see that the timakh is not going to be the greatest of her undersea worries. To seek retribution for the crimes committed against them, the mermaids sink ships and kill every human on board. No survivors. As angry as Luce is about her human past, she has a difficult time reconciling her new job as a hunter of men (and women and girls and boys). And, she is blessed with an unfortunately alluring siren's song. When she sings underwater, sailors happily commit suicide. How will Luce begin to heal from her childhood pain if she is forced to kill for centuries to come?

*   *   *

This is my first book involving mermaids. Initially, I was drawn to this book because of gorgeous cover and the interesting description of its plot. I have read many YA books that deal with the subject of abused and neglected teens, but this one seemed to come from such an original place. I had to read it. 

And, I read it in one sitting. It had some slow areas, and it was definitely difficult at times to set aside my disbelief about some aspects of this book, but overall I thought that it was entertaining and interesting. I was drawn in by Luce, and intrigued by some of the other mermaids, Catarina in particular. She is the leader of this tribe of mermaids and is definitely hiding some secrets from the girls, even while demanding that they be open and honest with her. 

More than the paranormal aspect of this book, I am left thinking about the true lost girls and lost voices in this world. There are so many lives that are lost to us from child abuse and there is so much that needs to be done to fight against it. At the beginning of the book, before Luce became a mermaid, her character was so realistic that I felt extremely connected to her. I couldn't help but be reminded of girls that I've worked with in the past who displayed a lot of the same characteristics as Luce. 

I don't know that I love reading about mermaids more than my usual paranormal creatures--werewolves and the like. But, this is an interesting new(ish) segment of the YA paranormal world that I'm interested in reading more about. And, lucky for me, there are two more planned books in this series. This book will be released by Harcourt in July of 2011 and it is the author's debut novel.

**ARC sent to me by Book It Forward ARC Tours**

 

Book Review Losing Faith by Denise Jaden

Even though Brie and her sister are not at all close, Brie cannot help but feel completely lost and distraught after Faith's violent and mysterious death. The sisters may have been close in age, but their personalities were eons apart. As the younger sister, Brie does not even try to live up to the shining example set by her older sister. She is close to having sex with her boyfriend and lies to sneak out of her parents house for parties. Brie is a bit of a wild child in contrast to Faith, who spends every free moment reading the Bible and attending her local youth group.

The night that Faith dies, Brie bribes her into giving Brie a ride to their family's church. Of course, Brie has plans to go to a party with friends and her boyfriend, but she's not going to tell her "perfect" sister this. Faith seems to not want to go, which is weird since she never passes up a chance to spend time at church. Finally, Faith agrees to bring Brie to town. And that's the last time that Brie sees Faith alive.

According to police, Faith wandered away from her youth group friends that night while they were on an outing at a mountain. Later, a scream was heard and Faith's dead body was discovered at the mountain's base.

After the "accident," nothing is right in Brie's world. Her parents are unresponsive. Her boyfriend and friends can still only think about sex and parties. Even teachers are concerned with their own stuff--No one is paying attention to Brie and how she's coping with her sister's death.

Perhaps this lack of attention is what causes Brie's gaze to drift and for her to raise questions of her own. Why was her sister acting so weird about going out on the night of her death? Who is the strange boy that hung back from the crowd at Faith's funeral? And why is Faith's best friend avoiding Brie?

As it turns out, Brie and her sister had more in common than Brie originally thought. Faith was just as mysterious and skillful at keeping secrets as Brie.

*   *   *

I enjoyed this book a whole lot. I loved that there was a mystery at the center of this story and that it was filled with suspense. As far as religion goes, I am more with Brie than with Faith. Even though I don't identify with Faith's views, I loved getting to know her through her sister's quest to find out what really happened the night of her death.

Beyond Brie and Faith, I also liked getting to know some of the minor characters in this book.  The school's resident "freak," Tessa, was probably my favorite. I would love to read a book written from her perspective. 

And, even though this book followed a familiar pattern to lots of other YA books (close family member dies, parent(s) become absent, main character is alone), it somehow felt fresh. I think that this is because of Brie's character. She does not seem like someone who is going to wallow in misery, but is more about action. Without this dynamic main character, this book would've fallen flat. 

I read this book as part of the Contemps Challenge. I have to say that I've read a bunch of these books now, and every one has been a winner. I hope that this streak continues, particularly because I have quite a few more to read!

Book Review: Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr

In New England, we say the word "wicked" all of the time, though we don't mean it in the usual sense. To most others, this word mean "evil" or "immoral." We New Englanders use it to mean "very." Like, "This apple pie is wicked good!"

Given my (near) thirty years living with this word (and using it profusely), I have a special affinity toward it. So, when I spotted this book with its gorgeous cover and great reviews, I had to have it. It looked awesome. And, as I shall prove in this review, it was. Wicked.

Aislinn has grown up with her gram. Both are able to see and hear faeries, but Aislinn has always been taught to ignore them. Why? Because they are of obvious danger to an mortal girl silly enough to fall into one of their trips or to be used in one of their wicked games. This hasn't been too difficult for Aislynn, called Ash by her friends, because she's followed the simple rules set out for her by her gram: Don't stare at the invisible faeries, don't speak to invisible faeries, and don't ever attract their attention.

But this is not so easy anymore. Why? Because they won't leave her alone. All of a sudden, one of the most powerful faeries, the Summer King, has his sights set on Ash. And there seems to be nothing that she can do to stop him from pursuing her.

Luckily for Ash, she has an understanding and compassionate boy/ friend. They have not solidified the fact that they're in a relationship, but it's obvious that Seth is in love with Ash. Obvious to everyone but Ash, that is.

Unlucky for Ash, there's more at stake for the Summer King, his court, and for the evil Winter Queen than just a fun little romp with a mortal. All of their lives, and the lives of mortals, hang in the balance. What can Ash do to save them? Simple. Give up her life and all that she's known to test her fate as the Summer Queen. If she's not the true Queen, she'll be condemned to a fate worse than death. If she is, she'll have to battle to save the lives of the ones she loves most--Seth and her gram.

*  *  *

Though Ash is a strong character for most of the book, I wished that she was more confident when it came to her relationship with Seth. It was painfully obvious that he was in love with her, yet she still thought that he wanted to be "just" friends.  Not so much. Otherwise, I loved the way that Ash felt comfortable standing up to faeries and in taking control of her fate. She is not a dummy, I loved her for that reason.

I also truly loved that the faeries in this book were not all evil. Yes, their intentions were not always selfless, but they were round characters. They had emotions and reasons and thought behind their choices. The book went back and forth between Ash's point of view and two of the most powerful faeries--the Summer King and the Winter Girl. It was interesting to get to know some of the other characters in a more intimate way, and it made me sympathetic for them.

As many of you know, this is the first book in a series. I am far behind in this series, but I am going to try to read much of it before the newest book, Darkest Mercy, hits the shelves in late February. This may not be super realistic, but I am definitely intrigued and interested to see where this storyline will go. Next book in this series: Ink Exchange. Off to purchase a copy!

*Counts toward my participation in the YA Series Challenge for 2011**

Library Book Review: Prisoners of the Palace by Michaela MacColl

As is sometimes the case, actual history can contain more in the way of suspense, romance, unbelievable circumstances than can fiction. For me, this was the case with Prisoners of the Palace. I actually know quite a bit about the history behind this historical fiction novel, but was kept enraptured and flipping pages to find out what happened. It was just so riveting and engrossing that I had to see how it all came together (even though I knew how it would all come together)!

Prisoners of the Palace is the story of how the teenaged Princess Victoria came to be the longest ruling queen of Great Britain. Queen Victoria's story has always intrigued me, but I have not felt so connected to her as I do after reading this book. Perhaps this is a result of the style of this novel and the focus on a wide variety of characters, most of whom are average citizens of this time period (the 1830's). In fact, the main character is not Victoria herself, but her personal maid, Eliza.

Eliza has a sad story that seems all too common for the time period. She was fairly well-to-do until her parents died, leaving her in huge debt. As a woman, she was trained in lots of areas that were not at all practical. By the time that the job at Kensington Palace appears, Eliza is completely destitute. After begging for the position, she soon finds out that life for the royalty is not as blissful and uncomplicated as she had previously thought.

And there is scandal. And suspense. And violence. And romance. Lots of all of it.

But best of all, I love reading and learning about history and realizing that not all that much has changed. The public is still fascinated but critical and judgmental of those with power and prestige, and those with power and prestige are often unaware (or uncaring) of the sufferings of every day people. And sometimes, there are people who are lucky enough to be a part of both worlds, like Eliza. And it's fun when they gossip about the inner workings of royalty!

**This book was checked out to me by the lovely and unassuming ladies 

at the Mt Blue High School Library--Thanks!**

Book Review: Chasing Brooklyn by Lisa Schroeder

In this novel in verse, Brooklyn lost her boyfriend, Lucca, in a tragic auto accident. Lucca's best friend Gabe was driving the car when Lucca died. Almost a year after the fact, Gabe cannot forgive himself for his role in the accident and commits suicide. Once again, Brooklyn is left alone.

But not for long. Because almost as soon as Gabe is gone, he's starts coming to Brooklyn in haunting nightmares. Every night, she slips further and further into pain and terror and farther away from the happy life she once had.

That is until Nico, Lucca's brother, reaches out to help Brooklyn. She doesn't know why he all of a sudden decides to contact her, but she's grateful for his company and his offer to train with her for an upcoming triathlon. The exercise and companionship drives away some of Brooklyn's nightmares and her sadness. What she could not guess is that Lucca's ghost is leaving cryptic messages for Nico, asking him to help Brooklyn.

In back and forth narratives, a complex story of loss and love is told by Brooklyn and Nico. The verse is spare and not at all frilly or in excess. It is clear and simple, even when the subject matter is not. The result of the use of verse in this novel is that the story is laid bare, with all of its painful rawness and the beauty of human connection shining through. I loved that Brooklyn and Nico found each other. I feel like their relationship developed logically and was not hasty in its growth.

The ghosts in the story are very present, which makes it tough for Nico and Brooklyn to cope with their loss. I have never lost a loved one that is as close to me as Lucca was to Brooklyn, but I can't imagine that I would want to let them go if I could sense that they were with me all of the time. Lucca's presence seems comforting and distracting for Brooklyn and Nico. Comforting that they know he's there and not angry or suffering, distracting in that they cannot resume their lives with him there.

I really felt for the characters in this story. Have a little posse of students (all female, mostly sophomores and juniors) who read nothing but novels in verse. So, I read a ton of them to pass on to these girls. I think that this one will be well-received. They all loved Lisa Schroeder's Far From You, and I am going to have to get a copy of her first book to read and pass on to them. I want to keep these girls satiated in their desire for more novels in verse!

Book Review: Vixen by Jillian Larkin

Chicago in the 1920s. Two teen girls desperately want to be the flappers they see in the silent films and read about in their gossip rags. And, one who wants nothing more than to escape the seedy underworld of speakeasies and underworld excess.

Gloria and Lorraine have always had it good. They attend private school, have their every need and want taken care of by their rich parents. They have maids, chauffeurs, and clothes. But, they don't have want they want most--The glam look sported by the local flappers. They want to bob their hair and wear daring clothes, ones that will get them in the illegal restaurants and bars that play jazz music and serve alcohol.

When Gloria's cousin Clara moves to Chicago from her family farm in Pennsylvania, her wants and desires have nothing to do with dancing, fashion, and booze. Unbeknown to Gloria, Clara wants to recover from her year in Mew York City, where she ran to from the farm and is now trying to escape. Exactly what happened in NYC is not clear until late in the book, but we know it's bad. Bad enough for her to want to hang up her dancing shoes and put away her flask forever.

And there are boys and men. Lots of them. It seems that they are all dashing and handsome and want something from these girls. Of course, their motives can't be trusted. But, in this time where everything's illegal (or at least frowned upon), these three girls quickly find themselves going to places they've never been and won't soon forget. Once they enter this dangerous and magical world, their lives will change forever.

*   *   *

What a fast, fun read that was! This novel is the first in a new series about the 1920s. It seems like the series will follow the three girls I spoke about in my summary. Which is awesome. Because I want answers! This book has it all--Romance, action, time-period lingo, warring generations, illegal everything. I loved it and could not put it down. 

I don't know how necessaryily accurate every little detail of this book was, but I didn't care. It made me long to find a jazz bar and dance the night away. I felt entriely swept away by this story and could not put it down. Even though it was a little over 400 pages, I read it in the space of a few hours. It is light and fun and flirty. I can't wait for the second book, Ingenue, which is set to be released this fall.

**Counts toward the YA Historical Fiction Reading Challenge from YA Bliss**

Book Review: Divergent by Veronica Roth

I feel like I want to scream and yell and whoop and jump off of something. Why? Because I have just finished debut author Veronica Roth's Divergent. And, it's one of the best YA books I've ever read. For real.

The world of Divergent is broken up into factions. Literally. There are five of them: Abnegation, Amity, Candor, Dauntless, and Erudite. Everyone in this dystopian society belongs to one of these five factions. Unless, of course, you're Divergent. Then you could belong to more than one faction and you're considered dangerous. And you could be killed for it.

Beatrice, the main character, is about to turn sixteen, when she will go through the simulations that will recommend her to one of the five factions. She was raised in Abnegation, but can choose whichever faction she wants. If she chooses a faction other than Abnegation, she will not see her family but maybe a few times for the rest of her life.

Which is on her mind. She loves her parents and her brother, Caleb, but cannot stand the idea of staying in the Abnegation faction for the rest of her life. She is sick of denying herself basic pleasures--good food, wearing colorful clothing, looking in the mirror--and of having to always put others first. When her simulation results are inconclusive and she learns that she is Divergent, she has a decision to make. She now knows for sure that she could enter into Abnegation or Dauntless, a daredevil faction filled with tattooed adrenaline junkies.

Once she chooses, she cannot go back. Her life will change forever and as the peace of the five factions erodes into chaos, she will find that her Divergent personality is more of a help than a liability.

I don't want to give away too much of this story, especially since it's not out until May. But, holy man. If you're at all a fan of dystopian reads, of the Hunger Games, if you need a new Katniss Everdeen in your life, if you love great, dynamic characters and strong female leads then this read is for you. The world that is developed in this book is solid and interesting to think about on so many levels. I can see using this book in my classroom (afterall, how long can I continue to teach the Hunger Games when more and more of my students are reading it well before their junior year!).

I read this book as part of an ARC tour (Book It Forward) and cannot wait to purchase my very own copy. I am so very excited by this new series and this new author. It's amazing. When you read it, come back and tell me what you think!

Book Review: Nightshade by Andrea Cremer

Oh. My. Goodness.

Now I see what everyone has been raving about for months! This book was absolutely un-put-down-able. I was hooked almost as soon as I started it and could not help but sneak away from New Year's parties to read pages here and there. My friends must think there's something terribly wrong with me...Oh well. I had to finish this book!

For the (very few) of you who haven't read this book, Nightshade is a fairly complex, but irresistible story about love and lust and loyalty. It starts with the near-death of a human teen named Shay. He's been hiking in an off-limits section of the mountains of Vail, Colorado. In these upper peaks, the world is different. It's divided into rigid groups: The Guardians, shape-shifting wolf/humans, the Keepers who are witch-like masters of the wolves, and there are some humans. Add to this mix the dangerous Searchers, who the Guardians kill in order to protect the Keepers and the secrets of this little mountaintop world.

The main character, Calla, is the alpha of her pack. She is destined to be united with Ren, a handsome and powerful alpha from a rival pack. The Keepers have decided to join the packs, the Banes and the Nightshades, in order to form a new, younger pack. Calla and Ren will lead this new pack and protect the Keepers from any harm. That is, if all goes well.

Which it doesn't. When Calla saves Shay, the human boy, from death-by-grizzly attack, she sets into motion a huge turn in events. Shay is drawn to Calla and Calla cannot help but feel stirred by Shay. She knows that she's promised to Ren, and feels for him too, but she cannot ignore the innate response she has to Shay's presence. And, when she's assigned to protect Shay by her Keeper, she only grows more and more attached to him.

But, not all is well in this seemingly luxurious and idyllic world. The Keepers are hiding some very important information from the Guardians. And Shay and Calla have discovered some ancient and recent historical facts that could change the relationship between the Keepers and the Guardians forever.

This layer, with the Keepers and the Guardians reminded me a whole lot of some of the dystopias I've read in this past year. The way that the Keepers govern over the Guardians, tricking them into towing the party line, was reminiscent of books like the Hunger Games. And, the way that Calla and Ren (and all other pairings) are planned by the Keepers and not the individuals themselves reminded me of Ally Condie's Matched. 

I loved that this book was more than just a love triangle, with an inevitable ending. I also loved that, like Calla, I was torn between Shay and Ren. There was no clear victor or best choice for me, and I think that Calla had the same problem in choosing. The fact that Ren was not made out to be some power-hungry monster, but a viable option for Calla's love and affection made her choice so much more real. She wasn't just choosing between two handsome boys, though, she had the weight of tradition and history on her shoulders, which also made her struggle so much more real.

This another series book that I cannot wait to read more of in 2011. Luckily, Wolfsbane, the next book in this series, comes out in July of 2011. Not so far away, kind of. Just all the more reason to be happy that 2011 has finally arrived!

Book Review: Immortal Beloved by Cate Tiernan

For some reason, possibly because I watched a movie with the same title, I thought that this book was going to involve Beethoven. Perhaps that is why I took so long to read it. I am a fan, but not so much that I was moved to read a book about him. Alas, I was wrong. This book had nothing to do with Beethoven and everything to do with utter awesomeness.

The immortals in this book are not vampires, not some crazy creatures. They are born like anyone, and are just exceptionally hard to kill. This does not mean that they make great decisions and choices after having lied hundreds of years. Lots are old, yes, but few seem truly wise.

Nastasya is one such immortal. In this first book of the planned triology, she's 449 years old.  Old enough to have lost loved ones, to have lived through plagues and dictators, to have pushed back tragic memories from her early years. You see, only two immortals can have an immortal child. So, Nastasya's parents and siblings should still be with her. But they're not. Because they were killed when she was just a little girl. And, try as she might with alcohol and meaningless excess, Nastasya cannot escape the pain and fear of that dark night. The night she lost everyone she truly cared about.

Now, Nastasya has left behind her reckless (and potentially evil) best friend and has checked into a sort of rehab for immortals. Here, she'll be expected to practice being "in the now" by doing lots of farming-related chores. Not this city girl's idea of a fun time. But, she'll also have a chance to learn more about her powers--the magick that affects her more than anyone else. She thinks she's just no good at it, but might surprise herself once she hones her skills.

As Nastasya opens herself to understanding more about her power and her potential, she starts to remember the details of the worst nights of her life. And, just because Nastasya doesn't understand her powers and her value does not mean that others don't. They might come looking for her.

*   *   *

I could not put this book down. It's one of those reads that I wanted to last forever. I kinda felt cheated that it was only a little more than 400 pages--Why couldn't it have gone on and on? I've never read any of Cate Tiernan's work, but am now a huge fan. She has this ease of narration and dialogue that sounds like actual people talking and thinking. Her characters are great, and this plot is absolutely engaging and riveting.

Moreover, I could completely picture everything that was happening in this book. Even the scenes where magick was used were crystal clear to me. This is not always the case for me. I cannot wait to continue this story and find out what happens--There are so very many possibilities! Alas, the next book does not come out until September of 2011. At least the New Year has started and I'm that much closer...Not really comforting, but it'll have to do.

Book Review: Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

J'aime le livre!  From what I remember of my high school French, I think I'm saying that I loved this book! From the very start, Anna and the French Kiss was a fun escape from the doldrums this cold, yucky afternoon. It brought a freshness and a sunshine to my day that would definitely not have otherwise come. I loved it.

A little bit of the plot. Anna is forced to move to Paris by her fame-seeking father. He's the author of several books-turned-to-movies and wants his daughter to go to school with the children of the international set. At first, Anna absolutely hates this plan and rebels against it mightily, but she finally gives in after she starts school in Paris and makes some new friends.

And one of those friends is a handsome American-English-Frenchman named Etienne St. Clair. And he's handsome. And smart. And funny. And he has a girlfriend of more than a year. So, he's off limits to Anna as a boyfriend, but not as a best friend. They quickly find that they have everything in common, including a similar wit.

The problem? As soon as Anna's able to, she goes back to Atlanta for her holiday break. She quickly realizes that life back home went on without her. Her best friend has changed, and her high school crush might not have the attention span for an across-seas romance. Even her family acts differently toward her.

It's as though Anna is facing the separation and the adjustment that happens when teens go to college, but she's still in high school. She's having to redefine her relationships and what it means to be "home."

Again, I loved this book. It was a lighthearted, but funny and smart read. I enjoyed the banter-filled dialogue of the characters and the relationship between Anna and Etienne. It was fun to romp around Paris from the comfort of my living room. I did manage to eat a few macarons whilst reading today, which I am happy to have read about in this book. They are a favorite dessert of mine!

Remember: I am giving away a copy of this book in a giveaway that ends tomorrow night. There's still time to enter if you haven't already!