Scribble by Moonlight

Book Review: Under the Never Sky

2012-02-08T08:00:00.000-08:00

by Veronica Rossi
3/5 Stars

Aria lives in an enclosed dome and spends most of her time in the Realms, a cyberspace dimension she can visit simply through her eyepiece. When a crazed teen takes her into a real space, through a locked door and into agricultural fields, she barely escapes death and ends up in exile. Outside the dome, the aether rules, burning fields at random, killing humans and crops alike. The aether is a type of magnetic energy in the sky.

Outside the dome, there are some humans who are gifted--some with super-strong hearing, others with telekenetic powers. Perry is one of those gifted, and he stumbles upon Aria, saving her life.

I saw the high rating on goodreads--above a four always catches my attention--but in this case, I wouldn't say it's on the "must reads" list. The premise is interesting but a little bland and the execution...a little slow in pacing and it failed to engage me completely.

The strong point in this book is the romance but at the same time, after all the build up, the conclusion was a little bit of a let-down. Too fast and too starry-eyed for me. May or may not read the next book.

Content Warning: Sexual scene not described but they do have sex, heavy making out, recommended for ages 15+ (but parents, please edit out the scene, it completely unnecessary).

Book Review: Delirium

2012-02-05T20:15:00.000-08:00

by Lauren Oliver
2.5/5 Stars

But I know the truth: I know from the nights of coldness. I know the past will drag you backward and down, have you snatching at whispers of wind and the gibberish of trees rubbing together, trying to decipher some code, trying to piece together what was broken. It's hopeless. The past is nothing but a weight. It will build inside of you like a stone.

Take it from me: If you hear the past speaking to you, feel it tugging at your back and running its fingers up your spine, the best thing to do--the only thing--is run.

--p.176

The US has closed it's borders and forced everyone at age 18 to undergo brain surgery called "the cure", which removes the patient's ability to love. The cure has removed divorce, war and strife from society. Cities are walled off though from the areas in between called "the Wilds" inhabited by those who do not want the cure, rebels.

Lena is only months from recieving the cure when she meets Alex, a boy masquerading as cured, born in the Wilds. As you can expect, he awakens in her symptoms of "the disease" of love.

Here is my diagnosis, as I was thinking about this book: prosaic. I could hardly get past the absurd premise of the US of A taking away something so basic from people--we pride ourselves on individual freedoms, for goodness sake. Perhaps if the author had set it in a different society, I might have found it more believable. I kept thinking, really? These people are buying into this propaganda? It was just so unreal, even if dystopian. Books like Hunger Games that have a more gritty, realistic premise work better for me--it's believable. Dystopian usually implies after a world-changing even, right? So after World War III, we decide to wage war on love? Sorry. Not working for me.

I trudged through the book, nearly not finishing. It gets three stars because the author is very talented with phrasing a sentence and emotional imagery.

Content Warning: The MC takes her shirt off so a boy can look at her, heavy making out, some swearing, there are better books out there for your teens (start with "Girl of Fire and Thorns").

2012-01-31T12:23:00.000-08:00

Since today is the birthday of my writing teacher/inspiration and friend, I'm going to post a link to her contest here on the blog.

She posts on Mondays--hilarious tidbits on writing and life. You will love her sense of humor!

Here's a preview of today's post:

Today is my birthday! To celebrate, I'm giving away a gift to YOU!

A $25 gift certificate to Amazon or Barnes and Noble--your choice--delivered straight to your inbox.

As per the usual blog contest stuff, here's the scoop:

One entry if you follow me.
One more if you post this contest on your blog.
One more if you tweet about this contest.
One more if you follow me on twitter. @juliedaines

Up to four entries per person. Just post in the comments how many entries you have scored along with the links to them for verification.
(Link for blog entries. If you follow me on twitter or @ me, Twitter will notify me.)

Sunday, February 5, 2012, 10 PM Mountain Time is the cut-off for entry.

Huzzah!

Go check it out, peeps--it's one of those blogs you visit often!

Book Review: Hallowed

2012-01-25T08:00:00.000-08:00

by Cynthia Hand
4/5 Stars

I have the urge to call out for him. In my mind I can see how it would play out. I'd open the window and say his name into the chilled air. I'd go to him. He'd turn. He'd try to say something but I'd stop him. I'd take his hand and lead him back through the window, back to my room, and then he'd take me in his arms. It's be like my dream. He'd make it better. I could lean on him. It would be as easy, I think, as calling his name.

His back stiffens. Does he hear all these thoughts rattling around in my brain?

I back away from the window.

--p.167

The first book in this series surprised me. I had no expectations reading it and I loved the surprising sweetness of the story.

This book started very slowly for me and the pace did not change much throughout the book. I struggled getting through this second book (like most second books) because I felt the MC did not grow throughout this part of the story. She was a little whiny, didn't seem to care much about her brother and then blew off her boyfriend constantly.

Bottom line: I expected to like this book a lot more than I did. BUT, the story again surprised me with it's sweetness. AND there were actual PARENTS. YES! Good job Ms. Hand for acknowledging that parents do indeed have presence in teen's lives. And that teens care about their parents.

This book begins right where the last one left off--with Clara right after she saves Tucker from the fire and chooses to go against her "purpose" by choosing him instead of Christian. Christian, after all, did not need her.

Tucker pretty much disappears in this story, which really threw me off. Where was he? He used to be everywhere and now he's gone? I get that we're supposed to start liking Christian because Clara seems to be meant to be with him instead but the author's convenient plot device of leaving Tucker out of the story and having Clara blow him off seemed contrived.

Enough rambling. If you liked the first, you might as well read this one because you will enjoy it. Clara's relationship with her mother was the surprising part of the story that I really enjoyed. The romantic elements with Tucker were not great and I felt Clara betrayed him constantly. It felt too soon for her to be thinking about Christian all the time. Again.

Content Warning: Heavy kissing scene where Clara and Tucker almost have sex but her glory nauseates him and they stop. Sex averted by puking--a novel approach I suppose. Recommended for ages 16+ (unless you edit that kissing scene, then I would put it at 14+).

2012-01-20T06:16:00.000-08:00

The Book Giveaway: winners will be able to choose from the big stash of prizes, it's one BIG giveaway! You only need to enter it once via the rafflecopter tool (through any of the participating hosts. It's different from a giveaway hop, where each blog hosts their own giveaway). For this giveaway there will be 5 winners! The first winner gets to choose 7 books and the others 5 books.

Book Stash:

Participants will have to enter the book giveaway in order to enter the Cash Giveaway, this is where all the giftcards will be given away! Under the Small Blogs Big Giveaways post in each blog, there will be a form that you can enter to win one of the giftcards being given away! To each host you visit and fill the form, you'll receive one entry! So is we have 10 hosts, you will be able to have 10 entries for the Cash Giveaway! For this giveaway there will be 7 winners,one for each gifcard!

Cash Giveaway Prizes:US $20.00 to Amazon.com(x2)US$10 to either Amazon, Barnes & Noble or ARe(x4)US$5.00 to Amazon.com

Hosts:
Organized by: Reading Romances
Beck Valley Books Book Flame Sweeping Me Frugal Experiments My Little Pocketbooks Nocturnal Book Reviews Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book Scribble by Moonlight Reading Rendezvous Reviewz Read 2 Review Harlie's books Close Encounters with the Night Kind

Featured Books:

Follow the event on twitter or facebook ! To sign up for the next edition click here!

a Rafflecopter giveaway http://about.me/readingromances

Book Review: Vampire Empire (Book One: The Greyfriar)

2012-01-13T14:32:00.000-08:00

by Clay Griffith & Susan Griffith
4/5 Stars

A male vampire slid into view between trees and reached for Simon. Then the creature's head suddenly parted from his shouders.

A booted foot shoved the decapitated carcass into the dirt.

A man stood over Simon. He was tall and thin, and his face was covered by a head wrap similar to that worn by the high desert Bedouins. Over his eyes he wore smoked, dark glasses. His clothing was dark grey, almost black, a short military-style jacket and cavalry pants with a red stripe, and knee-high, black riding boots. Over it all he wore a long cloak with a hood thrown back. He had a gun belt with two holstered pistols. In his left hand was a basket-hilted longsword; in his right was a well-blooded scimitar.

--p.28

Don't you just love the aesthetics of Steampunk? L.O.V.E. it.

So, the cover and the title put me off a bit. I mean, hasn't vampires been overdone? In every possible way? There are glittering, tortured vampires, sexy vampires ... okay that about covers it.

But, how about a vampire who puts on a mask and cape and becomes a superhero? Have you seen that before?

Adele is princess and heir of Equitoria--one of the few remaining human empires left on earth after the vampire invasion two hundred years ago. Destined to marry the brash hero, Senator Clark, from America, she instead falls victim to a vampire attack and is rescued by the fabled Greyfriar, Vampire killer.

This book is a very cool, refreshing new take on the vampire legend. Throw in airships and crystals and the way these humans fight vampires makes for some great battles. The relationship between Adele and Greyfriar is interesting and sweet. If you love steampunk especially, you have to check this out. But if you like fantasy and romance, don't miss this.

My only gripe is this: the two authors didn't quite have consistent writing styles, which I could tell at times. Also, the emotion naming got to me after a while. But overall, it's a well-crafted story.

Content Warning: Swearing, pretty darn gory violence (though sorry, I loved it), recommended for ages 14+.

Book Review: The Girl of Fire and Thorns

2012-01-02T18:26:00.000-08:00

By Rae Carson
One Million/5 Stars

He fights weakly then, with left-handed strokes. When he hesitates yet again, I know he cannot last. The painted bodies sense the kill. They begin an odd movement, like a dance. Squat, pivot, creep. They are like jungle cats, all wild grace and hunting fury. Then I catch a glimpse of the doomed man's face.

Alejandro.

"No!" I clamber from our shelter...As I pass the collapsed carriage, I pull the knife from my bodice. I don't know what I'm going to do, but I can't let Alejandro die.

--p.33

Ground-breaking. That's the word I'm using to describe this book. It's gritty, real, horrific and lovely at the same time. Most of all, I absolutely adore the anti-heroine, Elisa. As princess of Orovalle and bearer of the Godstone, she is forced to marry a man she's never met--Alejandro, King of Joya d'Arena. Grossly overweight and lacking in any self-confidence, she heads off after her marriage to Joya d'Arena to be crowned Queen. With no small amount of compassion and wit gained from her extensive reading, Elisa gradually learns that she can make a difference. One that will change the entire course of history.

I'm usually disappointed when novels take on too much--ie, the fate of an entire nation--but this one does so in a matter reminiscient of Collin's MOCKING JAY. Elisa faces making decisions that affect the fate of thousands of lives, and she does not always choose correctly. People die, horrifically at times, and many others suffer, in the war that has plagued this land for centuries. Elisa, the overweight, overlooked heroine shows a courage that had me almost tearful at times. I love that she's not perfect. I love the symbolism in this book. I love the realistic portrayal of the consequences of war. It's beautiful and engrossing.

Grab this one and put it at the top of your to-be-read pile. You won't regret it. It's one I'll be thinking about long after I'm finished. It's rare that I say this about a book, but I believe this one was absolutely PERFECT.

Content Warning: Violence, one hint that a girl had been raped, mature themes. Recommended for ages 14+.

Book Review: Lock and Key

2012-01-02T17:21:00.000-08:00

by Sarah Dessen
5/5 Stars

For some reason, I used to shy away from Sarah Dessen's book, thinking the heavy topics not something I cared to read about in my free time. Was that ever a mistake!

After reading so much fantasy and dystopian (I'm not complaining though), it was a nice change to read realistic YA fiction. Dessen's character explore difficult, life changing issues during teen years without coming off preachy. In LOCK AND KEY, Dessen introduces us to Ruby, a child neglected by an abusive mother. Ruby has had to survive through power shut-offs, empty food cupboards, moving every time her mother owed too much on rent and holding a job when her mother got too drunk or too high. When her mother leaves for good, Ruby's landlords discover this and out her to social services, who sends her to live with her older sister, Cora and her rich, eccentric husband.

Dropped into a private school with spending cash for the first time in her life, Ruby does what she's programmed to do--hoard the cash instead of spending it, finds a job in what little spare time she has, and shuns friendships. But when she discovers her neighbor's dad is much like her mom, she steps out of her comfort zone to help him, and herself, heal.

This book is about healing, love and the fact that sometimes the outlook you have on life can be wrong. And that's not a bad thing.

Dessen is a master at characterization, tackling difficult themes without making them depressing, and most of all, hope.

Content Warning: Teen drinking, drug use, sex. Recommended for ages 16+. Parents, Dessen's books are great as conversation platforms for difficult teen topics.

Book Review: Notes to Self

2011-12-31T14:33:00.000-08:00

by Avery Sawyer
3/5 Stars

Why don’t they let you sleep if you’re supposed to sleep? Nurses kept coming in to check on me. All I wanted to do was pass out, because every time I opened my eyes, everything was too bright, too loud, too painful. I didn’t want food. No, I don’t want a drink of water. Yes, my head still hurts. Yes, I still feel like puking my brains out. When will this all stop?

Please, just leave me alone.

I fell.

I fell.

--p.8

Beautiful cover, no?

I have to admit I refuse most self-published requests that come my way. I expect the same quality out of a self-published novel that I do a traditionally published one. That may not be strictly fair, but there are a lot of resources out there for self-published authors--to make their manuscript professional quality (ie editing services, writing conferences, group critiques, etc.)

NOTES TO SELF is a Sarah Dessen-isque novel. It’s a reflective journey of a high school student who falls thirty feet from the top of a mall amusement ride and suffers some brain injury. Her memory is affected, including of the actual fall itself. She can’t remember why she was up there. Her friend who was with her ends up in a coma.

Robin must now figure out how to live her life in a type of slow-motion, not remembering everything, and having to remind herself constantly how to do the most basic of tasks. Her longtime friend, Reno, stays with her throughout her search, offering her a kind of sweet support.

Here’s my take: While the writing is poetic at times, Avery Sawyer could improve her writing by studying Sarah Dessen. Dessen doesn’t sacrifice pacing to show her main character’s journey of discovery. By halfway through this book, I felt the pacing slowed far, far too much.

If you like realistic YA fiction, then you should definitely take a look at this book. Sawyer’s writing is better than 99% of any other YA self-pubs I’ve read.

Content Warning: Profanity, f-words, swearing. Recommended for ages 16+.

Book Review: Shatter Me

2011-12-27T19:04:00.000-08:00

by Tahereh Mafi
5/5 Stars

I wish it hurt me. I wish is maimed me. I wish it repulsed me. I wish I hated the potent force wrapping itself around my skeleton.

But I don't. My skin is pulsing with someone else's life and I don't hate it.

I hate myself for enjoying it.

--p.80

There are a lot of mixed reviews out there about this book--people seemed to either love or hate it. Here's the key: if you like romance, you will eat this book up. It's a well-written, deep romance set in an interesting environment. The setting is post-apocolyptic and the Reestablishment has taken over. The weather is dull and cloudy all the time, the animals are gone, the landscape is barren and covered in trash. Juliette grew up before the Reestablishment but just before they took over, she was locked in an asylum, a danger to all she touches.

The book begins in that asylum. I had to admit I had my doubts about how the author could successfully portray a person that had been locked up with nothing and little food for nearly a year. Would she be sane? How would she truly react if another person was all of the sudden thrown into her cell with her? But the author does a fantastic job of showing how scared Juliette is to even speak, let alone get anywhere near her new cellmate. And while I could see how some authors would have dragged on, Mafi keeps the story extremely well paced.

Is this book for guys? Not unless you're into romance. Is this book predominately about the fantasy elements? No, it's about the romance. But are the fantasy elements credible? Absolutely. The ending of the book leaves the story in a very interesting place. I'm actually very excited to read more more this author. The writing method she uses of scratching out sentences bothered me a bit at first but it also contributed to showing us how Juliette's character grows. I found Mafi's writing very poetic at times.

Well done.

Content Warning: Swearing, heavy kissing, some violence. Recommended for ages 16+ because of the romantic elements.

Book Review: Fateful

2011-12-27T05:00:00.000-08:00

by Claudia Gray
3/5 Stars

"Sir," I protest. "Let me go. I can find my way to the main road on my own."

"You'll be dead before you go ten steps without me." His hand is warm as it clasps my arm--more than warm, hot. As if he burned with fever. I can hear our pursuers coming closer. "Stay by my side and walk faster. And for the love of God, don't look back."

--p.6

As I was flipping through my TBR list on goodreads, I was thinking, a rating of 4+ stars, this has to be good. Plus the idea of a book set on the Titanic peaked my interest. And, for the first half of the book, I was fascinated. The story lacked finesse on delivery but overall, I liked Tess and her spunk. One of the best features of the book was the setting--imagining what it must have been like to walk the corridors of the biggest, most luxurious ocean liner in history--the plush carpets, carved railings, the chandeliers.

BUT, and unfortunately there is a huge BUT here. The story regressed into a rather cheesy romance. Don't get me wrong--I LOVE romance (pun intended), but this one lacked any kind of spark for me. I skimmed through the last half of the story.

Characters? Not bad, but not complex either. Fantasy/paranormal elements? Nothing unusual or unique there. Pacing? A little contrived in some parts. Overall? Meh. There are so many better authors out there.

Content Warning: A sex scene implied but not described, teen pregnancy out of wedlock. Recommended for ages 16+ if you want a bland, somewhat entertaining read.

Book Review: Wintergirls

2011-12-26T12:20:00.000-08:00

by Laurie Halse Anderson
5/5 Stars

Why? You want to know why?

Step into a tanning booth and fry yourself for two or three days. After your skin bubbles and peels off, roll in coarse salt, then pull on long underwear woven from spun glass and razor wire. Over that goes your regular clothes, as long as they are tight.

Smoke gunpowder and go to school to jump through hoops, sit up and beg, and roll over on command. Listen to the whispers that curl into your head at night, calling ugly and fat and stupid and batich and whore and worse of all "a disappointment." Puke and starve and cut and drink because you need an anesthetic and it works. For a while. But then the anesthetic turns into poison and by then it's too alte because you are mainlining it now, straight into your soul. It's rotting you and you can't stop.

--p.161

This book was agonizing to read on so many levels. The topic--anorexia--is not one to be tackled lightly if at all. I've read few authors who truly understand the mentality. They think it is about looks. They think it is about fashion. They think it it about image.

They are completely wrong. This book, however, get's it completely right. It's about pain. It's about not being able to deal with that pain and using the only thing some girls know how to use to control the situation--food. It's about feeling like you can suceed at something when you've failed everything else. But that's the catch--you never succeed at an eating disorder.

This book is an absolutely brilliant starting point for parents or teens to discuss eating disorders. It's written in a poetic fashion, revealing how dark are the thoughts of these girls/boys who struggle with this. But, and this is one of the many things I loved about this book, it showed how truly kind they are, these wintergirls. It kills them to be anything but kind and loving to anyone but themselves.

Moms, dads, teens--they all need to read this book. But one word of warning: those girls/boys already deeply into an eating disorder should probably NOT read this. It could serve as a trigger. But their loved ones absolutely should.

Content Warning: Language, including one f-word. Mature themes. Recommended for ages 14+ WITH SUPERVISION. Don't let your kids read this on their own, folks. Not that they are not mature enough to handle it, but that this material needs to be discussed and open among families.

Book Review: The Girl in the Steel Corset

2011-12-23T21:04:00.000-08:00

by Kady Cross
2.5/5 Stars

He was tall and slim, dressed in the height of fashion in solid black, so as to blend with the shadows on the street. His hair was dark, as well, and fell about his pale face in tousled waves. A Cockney gentleman--the strangest oxymoron. He was handsome--in a Lucifer kind of way. He was cool night to Griffin King's warm light of day, though why she would even bother to compare the two was a mystery.
--p.94

I was excited to see a YA Steampunk title, excited enough to ignore the negative reviews on goodreads.

I should have listened to the reviews.

Yikes, people. Okay, for the positive things I have to say: the steampunk elements were super cool. Fabulous. The gadgets and Aether actually made the plot as interesting as it was. Without the steampunk Victorian world, this book would have little appeal. However, having said that, the steampunk elements were also slightly overdone--getting in the way of the author exploring greater depth in the characters.

Finley has a duel personality--a darker side and an innocent side. We might call this schizophrenia nowadays. Like everything else in this book, it was not explored deeply enough. I feel like this book has some really wonderful, unique ideas that the author was unable to deliver for a variety of reasons--mainly trying to take on too much.

Plus the romance was highly, highly unsatifying! Especially the ending.

I won't go on but I'm going to say take a pass on this one.

Content Warning: Sexual innuendo (lots of it).

For Aspiring Writers of YA/Middle Grade Fiction

2011-12-22T20:49:00.000-08:00

I got this request from the Book Wish Foundation and thought I'd pass it along--cool opportunity! Those are GREAT agents. In fact, I might just enter myself.

Win a literary agent or acclaimed author's feedback on your unpublished manuscript for young adult or middle grade readers. This rare opportunity is being offered to the six winners of an essay contest recently announced by the literacy charity Book Wish Foundation. See http://bookwish.org/contest for full details.

You could win a manuscript critique from:

Laura Langlie, literary agent for Meg Cabot
Nancy Gallt, literary agent for Jeanne DuPrau
Brenda Bowen, literary agent and editor of Karen Hesse's Newbery Medal winner Out of the Dust
Ann M. Martin, winner of the Newbery Honor for A Corner of the Universe
Francisco X. Stork, winner of the Amelia Elizabeth Walden Award for The Last Summer of the Death Warriors
Cynthia Voigt, winner of the Newbery Medal for Dicey's Song and the Newbery Honor for A Solitary Blue

All that separates you from this prize is a 500-word essay about a short story in Book Wish Foundation's new anthology, What You Wish For. Essays are due Feb. 1, 2012 and winners will be announced around Mar. 1, 2012. If you win, you will have six months to submit the first 50 pages of your manuscript for critique (which means you can enter the contest even if you haven't finished, or started, your manuscript). You can even enter multiple times, with essays about more than one of the contest stories, for a chance to win up to six critiques.

If you dream of being a published author, this is an opportunity you should not miss. To enter, follow the instructions at http://bookwish.org/contest.

Good luck and best wishes,

Logan Kleinwaks
President, Book Wish Foundation

What You Wish For (ISBN 9780399254543, Putnam Juvenile, Sep. 15, 2011) is a collection of short stories and poems about wishes from 18 all-star writers: Meg Cabot, Jeanne DuPrau, Cornelia Funke, Nikki Giovanni, John Green, Karen Hesse, Ann M. Martin, Alexander McCall Smith, Marilyn Nelson, Naomi Shihab Nye, Joyce Carol Oates, Nate Powell, Sofia Quintero, Gary Soto, R.L. Stine, Francisco X. Stork, Cynthia Voigt, Jane Yolen. With a Foreword by Mia Farrow. Book Wish Foundation is donating 100% of its proceeds from the book to the UN Refugee Agency, UNHCR, to fund the development of libraries in Darfuri refugee camps in eastern Chad.

Book Review: Crossed

2011-12-22T20:10:00.000-08:00

by Ally Condie
3/5 Stars

I imagine these drops of rain hitting the scales of the sandstone fish I carved for Vick. Every drop helps the poisoned stream, I think, holding my hands out open wide. Not catching the drops or trying to hold them. I'm letting them leave their mark and then letting them go.

Let go. Of my parents, and the pain of what happened to them. Of what I failed to do. Of all the people I failed to save or bury. Of my jealousy of Xander. Of my guilt over what happened to Vick. Of worrying aout what I can never be and who I never was in the first place.

Let go of it all.

--p.331

This is just one of the many, many beautiful passages in this book. Unfortunately, the book sacrifices pacing and plot for it's unmatched language and depth of thought.

This book picks up with Cassia and Ky sent away from the Burough--Cassia in a work camp and Ky in the Outer Provinces, bait for the Enemy. Cassia is still determined to find Ky and goes to great lengths to get to the Outer Provinces. Ky in the meantime focuses simply on surviving and getting out of the Provinces to get back to Cassia. We learn much more about Ky's story, which I feel we did not even glimpse in the first book. There were a few convenient plot devices thrown in with his story that helped get Cassia and Ky closer to each other and closer to the Rising--the rebellion against the society. I suppose such simple names (the Society, the Rising, the Farmers, etc.) made it easy for us to remember them, but also make the story a bit bland.

I know many writers who I respect that love this series. I recommend you give the first book a try (Matched) at the very least. If you didn't love the first, as I didn't, I don't think I'd recommend this book, as it is very much just more of the first. Don't know if I'll pick up the third.

Content Warning: None. A little bit of very innocent kissing. Recommended for ages 12+.

Book Review: Clockwork Prince

2011-12-14T19:40:00.000-08:00

by Cassandra Clare
5/5 Stars

He was not at all what she would have thought the leader of a pack of werewolves would look like. He was probably in his early twenties, tall but slender to the point of slightness, with blond hair nearly to his shoulders, dressed in a velvet jacket, knee breeches, and a trailing scarf with a paisley print. A tinted monocle obscured one pale green eye. He looked like drawings she'd seen in Punch of those who called themselves "aesthetes."

--p.228

(I love the steampunk character description here)

"He has never forgotten." There was a force in Jem's words that stopped the nervous movement of Charlotte's fingers.

"I should not have done it," Charlotte said. "I should never have made that promise. It was a contravention of the Law--"

"When Will truly wants something," said Jem quietly, "when he feels something, he can break your heart."

--p.148

Dear Will Herondale,

My 17-year old self is going googly-eyed crazy over you. I wish I would have been sent to the Institute to live with you, with your tragic story, love of books and poetry, quick wit, and intense blue eyes--I would have been living in one really fantastic dream.

Dear Jem Carstairs,

I swoon every time you play the violin, smile at me, and treat me like someone treasured. How can I be expected to have my wits about me with both you and Will around?

I'm in LOVE with this book. Crazy love. For many reasons, which I will try and name briefly. I loved the first book and couldn't wait to read the second. I'm not a big fan of Clare's other series, but this one? Absolutely love it.

16-year old Tessa lives in the Institute, a santuary and training ground for Shadow Hunters. Unsure of exactly WHAT she is, her strange talents have outcast her from both Downworlders and Shadow Hunters alike. The Magister is still after Tessa as he builds his clockwork army, and Charlotte, the head of the Institute is given two weeks to find him or be replaced in her post. Jem is still fighting death while Will continues to push everyone away, including Tess.

First of all, the steampunk, Victorian world is just GORGEOUS. If anything, you should read the book just for the visual feast. Steamy streets, beautiful gowns, men in evening dress, gothic buildings, strange creatures--love, love it! Of course, I'm completely biased since I'm currently writing a steampunk novel myself.

Second, Tessa. One of the strongest heroines I've read. She is just so REAL. From her emotions--confused over the betrayal of her brother but loving him still--to her bravery--willing to use her powers to save any of her Institute family--to her insecurities--when we are inside her head, her doubts about Will and Jem make perfect sense.

Third, the men. Seriously. See letters above.

Fourth, Charlotte and Henry, the married couple that is head of the Institute. Darling, just darling. He is scatterbrained and genius and she is the practical one. Love what happens in the end with them.

Love triangles typically drive me crazy. But Will pushes away Tessa so convincingly that you see why she starts to really care for Jem. I drank up every word between Tessa and Will and Jem.

Cassandra Clare--please write fast! Give us another installment of Tessa, Will and Jem SOON!

Content Warning: Recommended for ages 16+. Two heavy make-out scenes. One mention of a guy kissing another guy in order to deceive someone. I'd prefer adults read this one or parents edit out the aforementioned parts.

Book Review: Variant

2011-12-11T14:49:00.000-08:00

by Robison Wells
3.5/5 Stars

"Havoc is out there," Isaiah said, nodding at the door. "We're protecting you from them."

There was a thunderous crash in the hall, and the door shook. I couldn't believe that all of this was happening just because I had to choose a gang.

"Havoc?"

"That's one of the gangs," he said. He was speaking quickly now. "Just a bunch of punks. When you meet them you'll understand why we had to form the Society."

The door was open a crack now, and the five Society guys couldn't close it...

A kid stormed through, followed by three of his friends. He was tall and skinny, with brown hair that was too long and hung down almost to his eyes. He still wore the uniform pants, but instead of a shirt he had on an oversize black hoodie draped in gold chains. A tattoo of a hawk's talons encircled his left eye.

"I bet Isaiah told you that you need to play nice, follow the rules, didn't he?"

--p.41

This book received such high ratings on goodreads and some good shout-outs from my goodreads friends, that I decided to include it in the few books I read every month.

Am I glad I did? I have mixed feelings about it.

To start, a plot summary: Benson, a kid in the foster system (present day), applies for a scholarship to an elite private school--Maxfield Academy. When he arrives (and I'm not giving anything away here because this happens pretty much in the first chapter), the Academy rep who picked him up at the airport drops him off and clears out. He's left to receive orientation from Becky--a student. He finds out right there that there are no adults at Maxfield. It's entirely run by students who bid on contracts (ie cooking, security, janitorial, administrative, teaching) in exchange for points. Those points allow them to buy items from a catalog sent to their computers. After orientation, Benson is grabbed by The Society, one of the three gangs at Maxfield, and pressured to join on the spot. Havoc breaks down the door and Benson ends up in a fight and ends up choosing the gang Variant (which is easy to figure out by the title of the book). Variant is the smallest gang with the least important contracts but they are not violent like Havoc or strictly obedient like the Society.

Okay, so as one of my goodreads friends pointed out, would we all really put ourselves in such categories? For teens, I find it a bit more likely, given the cliques at my high school.

In spite of the circumstances, I still enjoyed the story. It's a bit Lord-of-the-Fliesish, but in a much less gruesome way (still get the willies over that book). Students were killed in wars before the gangs were formed so this is a tad more civilized. The truce between gangs is ever precarious and Benson, narrow-mindedly focused on escaping, does not care about maintaining it.

The main problem I had with the book was how the main character's POV was written. I liked Benson, don't get me wrong, but I felt it too sparse, too emotionless, not deep enough. Guy's POVs can be written with enough emotion to get us deeply attached to the character and this one failed to do that for me. I liked Becky better than I did Benson.

The end result: the twist in the story (ie the secret of Maxfield) was absolutely brilliant. Loved it. However, and this is my random rant I never get sick of, the book ended mid story. If you want to read a book that has an ending (like I do), then wait for the second one.

Content Warning: Violence and lots of it. But nothing too gruesome. This book is perfect for boys 12+ but girls would enjoy it as well. Adults (I guess I have to include myself here) would find it psychologically interesting.

Shout out

2011-12-11T14:25:00.000-08:00

Anthea's Sharp's debut novel, Feyland, is now on sale for $.99 in ebook format for one week only!

Get it here.

If you like video games, fantasy and suspense, check it out!

Word to my writing sister!

Read more about her at www.antheasharp.com.

Book Review: Daughter of Smoke and Bone

2011-12-05T20:12:00.000-08:00

by Laini Taylor
4.5/5 Stars

"When the angel thought he could get away simply by lifting ten feet off the ground, Karou took a devilish pleasure in surprising him. But if he was surprised, he didn't show it. She rose up into the air in front of him, and he looked at her. Just looked. His gaze was heat across her cheeks, her lips. It was touch. His eyes were hypnotic, his brows black and velvet. He was copper and shadow, honey and menace, the severity of knife-blade cheekbones and a widow's peak like the point of a dagger. All that and the muted snap of invisible fire, and facing him, Karou was jolted into the hum of blood and magic, and something else."

--p.193

I'm still not sure whether to be horrified or awed by this book. The writing is dark and beautiful. The story is morbid and fascinating. The characters are so deep, thoroughly developed and most of all--so unique and impressive, you wonder how you've never met them before, how such heroes have never been written.

Karou, like Bod from Neil Gaiman's The Graveyard Book, was raised by monsters. Half-breed monsters, pieced together from snakes, predators and insects. Her "father", Brimstone, a formidable creature who collects teeth from animals and human alike, trained her to protect herself and to gather teeth from his dealers across the world. Karou doesn't know what the teeth are for nor where the other door in Brimstone's workshop leads to. When one of Karou's regular meetings with a teeth supplier end in a fight for her life with a seraph, Karou returns to the workshop bleeding and near death. She follows Brimstone through the door and into a grim, lovely world she never knew existed.

The good news: The story and writing wrap around you like the heat from a fire on a winter's day--captivating you so you don't want to move away. Each chapter is more thrilling than the last, moving deeper and deeper in dark characters and a dark world. The love story is unique and beautiful.

The bad news: The first few chapters are awful. It's hard to believe they are from the same author. The author mentions sex and has a sensual scene with nudes. I almost put the book down right there.

I'd almost recommend skipping the first few chapters--nothing of real importance happens--and getting to chapter 5, where Karou introduces us to Brimstone. The bottom line: I love, loved this book!

Content Warning: Reference to sex among teens, mention of male body parts--all of this in the first four chapters. The themes and descriptions are dark, so I would keep this to ages 16+ and have them skip the first four chapters.

Book Review: Tiger's Voyage (Tiger's Quest #3)

2011-12-02T20:07:00.000-08:00

by Colleen Houck
3/5 Stars

"I felt a crack, a splinter, a pull. My heart jerked wildly, and a fire burned suddenly within me. It consumed me, and I blazed inside with a heat I hadn't felt in a long time...My heart opened. My connection was back. My frame shook from the intensity of it. I was whole again. Time seemed to stop.

Something huge hit the deck behind me, and several candles extinguished in a sudden warm wind. I heard wood slpinter and crack. My body vibrated from the impact, and the shock of it made me topple...I blinked unbelieving as a deck chair flew past with a whoosh and landed in teh ocean with a splash, taking the china, goblets, cake and candlelit shells on the table with it. Kishan looked at me in confusion and then froze as we heard an enraged, intractable voice in the dark somewhere above us threaten, 'Let. Her. Go.'"

--p.272

I've been a fan of Houck's from the beginning. Though Tiger's Quest was almost painful the first 100 pages, it got so much better. The writing is a bit sparse, the descriptions sometimes mundane, but because of the depth and how much I cared for the characters, it did not matter to me. Houck continues to write in more of an epic style--slower pace for the most part, with the focus on the relationship between characters.

In Tiger's Voyage, Kelsey, Ren and Kishan embark on a journey across the sea to recover Durga's necklace, the next item that will help the tigers break their curse. The number of times Kelsey gets nearly killed is adding up but...I didn't mind it for some reason. The story begins with Ren still struggling with his lost memory and Kelsey devastated that he can't remember her. Kishan waits patiently for her until she gives up on Ren (due mostly to him pushing her away) and agrees to date him. Kishan's character was my biggest problem with the book--he is completely different from the other two books. I liked how arrogant he was and found it charming. In this book, his character is so bland and mild, it's ridiculous. The end of the story is yet another cliff hanger, true to Houck's style.

Overall, I still like the relationship drama, even though by this book it started to feel a bit contrived. It's a great read for a snowy afternoon if you're looking for an easy, dramatic love story with a bit of action thrown in.

Content Warning: The two princes sleep with her in her room and in her bed, though no sex or even sensual scenes. Some fairly scary situations. Recommended for ages 14+.

Book Review: Borrowing Abby Grace: Episode 1

2011-11-28T17:39:00.000-08:00

by Kelly Green
3/5 Stars

Abby wakes up in the back of a van with no memory of who she is or how she got there. After concluding that she has been kidnapped, Abby rolls out of the moving van, landing in a park. The police are called and Abby finds out that she is part of a family, a mom, dad and a little brother (who was also kidnapped). She also meets Will, a handsome ghost who explains that Abby has been placed in this body to help recover the little brother. But she only has a day.

Will is an intriguing character who we don't see nearly enough of. I liked that story line and hope it will be developed in future books. Abby's character is interesting but again, not fully developed. The story is very short so there is not much time to get into depth into anything. I liked that she had such enthusiasm for everything and truly wanted to help the lives of people she didn't even know. But, I found the pacing a little slow and found it hard to care about Abby. We don't find out enough about her to do so. This book reminded me of the first episode of a TV series, except we needed a bit more background on Abby to keep us going.

Overall, the writing is much cleaner than self-published books but not quite on par with larger publishers. Still, it's a fun premise and not a bad way to spend an hour or two.

Content Warning: Nothing really. Recommended for ages 12+.

Book Review: Feyland: The Dark Realm

2011-11-28T17:17:00.000-08:00

by Andrea Sharp
3/5 Stars

I was kindly offered an ARC for this book and after reading the summary, decided to give it a shot. I'm not a gamer myself but I thought the premise could be interesting. The book begins by introducing us to Jennet--the daughter of an electronic company executive who has access to the latest gaming technology. The world is dystopian, which yes, I know is being overdone, but I still love it. Jennet has reached the highest level of Feyland, a game that completely immerses the player, body and mind. But what Jennet doesn't realize is that Feyland is not just a game, but the actual land of fairy and when she faces the dark queen, the stakes are real. When she loses everything, she must find a gamer, a hero talented enough to brave Feyland and regain what she lost. Tam Linn, a recluse at her new school, is qualified for the job but has issues of his own to deal with since he lives in the slums with his unreliable mother and challenging younger brother.

Okay, so bottom line. The first chapter was not good. I could tell the author had worked and re-worked it many times. It needed an editor to point out the excessive similies/metaphors and emotion telling. I almost didn't read on...but then I did. And the author redeemed herself after that. The pacing was great--though I did find myself skimming parts in between when Jennet and Tam re-entered Feyland. There were far too many emotion tags, but that is something very common, even among traditionally published authors. I would have liked the first chapter to have been deleted and the information in that chapter integrated into the rest of the story. I liked Feyland, liked the dark queen, liked the idea that being in the gaming world had consequences. Liked Tam and Jennet. Liked Tam's friend. Liked the dystopian world.

And the cover? Not feeling it. But don't let that keep you from trying out this book.

Overall, fun read.

Content Warning: Some violence. Recommended for ages 12+.

Book Review: Silver and Stone

2011-11-13T21:42:00.000-08:00

by J. D. Thompson
3.5/5 Stars

The truth is I just want to be near him. The hour spent together brought me back to a time when things were simple and I'm not ready for it to end just yet. With Lucas I laughed, out loud, without feeling guilty immediately after. For an hour, I was genuinely happy. The sensation is weightless, like the heavy burden I've been carrying has floated away like a feather in the wind. I'm afraid once he's gone my world will be dark again and now that I've seen the light I don't know if I can bear it. His influence is like a drug to which I've selfishly become an addict.
--p.22

Alexis Bardolph killed her mother. After her mother lost her mind and tried to kill Alexis. Instead of supporting her in her time of need, most of the snobs at Weatherford Prep have chosen to believe the worst--that Alexis is a murderer. With her dad working and sleeping at the office and her little sister refusing to speak to her, Alexis has little left in her life. Until, you guessed it, the hot new guy moves to town and takes an interest in her. The plot becomes a bit cliched after that, but Alexis' flashbacks keep the pacing up and keep you guessing.

Good point about this story:

1. For a self-published book, I've got to give the writer props. Pacing and characterization were well done. Once I got past the first chapter (not a strong point), the story moved quickly.
2. This is the first self-published ARC I've recieved for my YA book reviews blog that I've been able to finish AND liked well enough to review.

What the author could have done differently:

1. We have major emotion telling in the story rather than showing.
2. Needs a thorough copy edit. There were some spelling/grammatical mistakes.
3. We never believed Lucas' character shift so why was it done? Didn't make sense. I also never believed the little sister's dramatic shift to hating Alexis. Again, not believable.
4. WAY TOO MUCH withholding of information. I needed to know a lot more, a lot sooner in the story. Reveals came too late.

Content Warning: Lots of swearing, mention of sex quite a few times, I'd definitely keep the readers to ages 16+. Don't let your pre-teen read it--too much sensuality.

The Son of Neptune

2011-11-11T10:47:00.000-08:00

by Rick Riordan
One million/5 Stars

Absolutely. Brilliant.

Here are some of my favorite chapter starters:

"It wasn't as hard as they thought. The screaming and the weed wacker helped."
--Chapter 26

"Hazel was an expert on wierd. She'd seen her mother possessed by an earth goddess. She'd created a giant out of god. She'd destroyed an island, died, and come back from the Underworld.

But getting kidnapped by a field a grass? That was new."
--Chapter 19

"Percy slept like a Medusa victim--which is to say, like a rock."
--Chapter 13

"Frank swept his spear back and forth. 'Stay back!' His voice sounded squeaky. 'I've got...um...amazing powers--and stuff.'"
--Chapter 24

The story of the prophesy of the nine continues and this book follows the first with three more voices and alternating points of view. This time, we hear from Hazel, Frank and Percy. Yes, Percy Jackson. I still love his voice but I have to admit that the first couple chapters, which were in his POV, went very slowly for me. But it picked up after he reached the camp of Jupiter and we met Hazel and Frank.

I'm not sure if I liked these voices better than the ones in the first book--in fact, I'm positive I liked them more. BUT that did not keep me from thoroughly enjoying this book. The two new characters we meet were very well done--especially Frank. Awkward, baby-faced and son of the god of War--Frank is insecure and clumsy. Following his progress and his sardonic humor was one of the best parts of this book.

I have no idea how Riordan keeps writing such brilliant stuff so quickly but do not hesitate to buy this book. I'd recommend it for any age, even adults. I like this series better than The Lightening Thief.

Content Warning: None! Completely clean and utterly brilliant. Recommended for any age.

Iron Knight (Iron Fey #4)

2011-11-11T10:29:00.000-08:00

by Julie Kagawa
2.5/5 Stars

Looking down at her, I realized it would be easy. She was so fragile, her heart like a thin glass ball in my first, filled with emotion and hopes and dreams. A few words, that was all it would take, to turn this bright, eager creature into a broken, hollow shell. What Rowan said came back to me, taunting my ignorance. Did you think this would have a happily ever after? Between a mortal and a few? How did you think this was going to end?

I met her eyes, smiled coldly and shattered the illusion. "Go home, human."

--p.268

I'm a big fan of this series (see any of my other reviews). I would qualify it among my favorite YA series ever.

HOWEVER.

This book kind of ruined the series for me. If you've read the other three, just stop there. They are brilliant, the story getting richer and deeper with each book.

Ash, the son of Mab, queen of the Winter Court, has vowed to find a way to be with the half-human Iron Queen that he loves--Megan Chase. So, along with Puck, Grimalkin and two other unusual characters, Ash journeys through the end of the wyldwood to the End of the World. At the Testing Grounds, he hopes to gain his soul--the key to making him mortal and allowing him to be with Megan.

How many times have I seen this done all wrong? Where the author takes away that ONE PART of the love interest that makes them intriguing? Prince Ash is a little cold, a little unpredictable, in spite of his love for Megan, which always wins over in the end. So why did Kagawa decide that this book would be about taking out that X-factor? I guess I had a bad attitude the entire book about that--I didn't want Ash to become mortal. I didn't want him to be less than Megan's equal, since she is a fey, a queen, and the most powerful one of them all.

So, without giving any spoilers (though it hardly matters), I found this book a bit of a bore. It was one purposeless test after another until the Testing Grounds, where the tests finally made sense. Still, I found the outcome predictable. I would say take a pass on this one.

Content Warning: Reference to characters sleeping together though not described. I didn't even care if they did at all, I was so bored. Some violence and dark characters.

Bella Cullen's Bridal/Baby Shower

2011-11-05T22:09:00.000-07:00

My fellow writer friend, author of the darling Ink Splasher blog, is hosting a bridal/baby shower for Bella Cullen!

Way back when Twilight was barely known, before they even made the movie, I was a big fan. In fact, reading that book got me into YA fiction, which I didn't even know existed. When Stephanie Meyer released The Host, I stood in line to get my book signed. She was very nice!

Now, having said that, Breaking Dawn was not my favorite book. However, in support of the original Twilight, before all the media hype, I'm going to sponsor this fun bridal/baby shower event. AND, Ink Splasher throws the funnest parties. Really. So whether or not you liked BD, visit the blog regularly this week. The author will post pictures, field trips and just generally make you laugh. A lot.

So...since the music is one of my favorite parts of the movies, I'm giving away a copy of The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1 Soundtrack CD, to one lucky winner!

How do you get entered to win my CD? It's easy!

1. FOLLOW ME: Become a follower of my blog & leave a comment on this post telling me you're a follower. If you're already a follower, just say so in the comments.

2. Answer my Trivia Question: Email the answer to the question below to bellasshower@gmail.com. Put my name, Tiffany Dominguez, in the Subject line of the email & include your mailing address, in case you win. Deadline: midnight, November 19, 2011.

That's it. Pretty easy, huh? And not only will you be entered to win my prize, but you'll also get THREE ENTRIES for the Grand Prize!

So are you ready for my question? Here it is...

What treat did Bella give Edward at the end of the book?

Remember, don't post the answer in the comments. Send it vial email to bellasshower@gmail.com. All emails with the correct answer will be automatically entered to win my CD and the Grand Prize.

The answer to the question and the name of the winner will be posted on the Inksplasher blog on November 21st. Winner must have a shipping address within the U.S. Prize will be shipped at the end of the contest.

Good luck!

P.S. Want to earn extra entries for the Grand Prize? Invite your friends to the party!

Book Review: The Persian Pickle Club

2011-10-24T20:04:00.000-07:00

By Sandra Dallas

5/5 Stars

Ignore the cover.

Pick up this delightful, heart-warming book!

	Love, love this book! I have rarely seen characters so flawed, true and dang funny. Especially Queenie, the MC, who I found myself identifying with in a heartfelt way. Her insecurities felt like my insecurities--the way she longed for and loved her friends, the way she baked and visited to solve problems, and even her marriage. Queenie is a member of the Persian Pickle club--a quilting club of ladies in rural Kansas I think around the 1930s. The group is composed of opinionated, diverse personalities who have one thing in common: they would do anything for each other. When a new member joins, Rita--modern woman who hates farming and quilting, Queenie befriends her, thinking to replace a friend who had just moved away. But Rita is determined to solve a local murder, which ends up alienating people and eventually putting her and Queenie in danger. I can't tell you how much I loved this book. Characterization was perfect, pacing was consistent, voice was inspiring and the story old- fashioned and compelling. Not a book I would normally have picked up but so glad I did! Don't miss out on this book. I'm only disappointed it was so short. I can't wait to read more by Sandra Dallas. Content Warning: One f-word and attempted molestation. Recommended for ages 14+!

Love, love this book! I have rarely seen characters so flawed, true and dang funny. Especially Queenie, the MC, who I found myself identifying with in a heartfelt way. Her insecurities felt like my insecurities--the way she longed for and loved her friends, the way she baked and visited to solve problems, and even her marriage.

Queenie is a member of the Persian Pickle club--a quilting club of ladies in rural Kansas I think around the 1930s. The group is composed of opinionated, diverse personalities who have one thing in common: they would do anything for each other. When a new member joins, Rita--modern woman who hates farming and quilting, Queenie befriends her, thinking to replace a friend who had just moved away. But Rita is determined to solve a local murder, which ends up alienating people and eventually putting her and Queenie in danger.

I can't tell you how much I loved this book. Characterization was perfect, pacing was consistent, voice was inspiring and the story old- fashioned and compelling. Not a book I would normally have picked up but so glad I did! Don't miss out on this book. I'm only disappointed it was so short. I can't wait to read more by Sandra Dallas.

Content Warning: One f-word and attempted molestation. Recommended for ages 14+!

31 Days of Fairy

2011-09-30T14:12:00.000-07:00

Since I'm such a world-famous author...

Okay, stop laughing. Seriously, stop it.l

Okay, since I wrote a book with Elementals in it...

Yes, I know, that IS more truthful.

Anyway, let me finish. This cute blogger nearly as obsessed with fantasy books as I am, requested my participation in her 31 Days of Fairy.

JoAnne, blogger extraordinaire, has organized giveaways, author interviews and guests posts.

Soooo, if you're into fairy-tale type literature (or you just spend a lot of time in the fae world in your mind), then stop by. I'll be featured on October 14th.

Book Review: Demonglass (Hex Hall #2)

2011-08-21T12:11:00.000-07:00

by Rachel Hawkins
4/5 Stars

"Skill Nine, I thought as I drove my elbow back, while at the same time attempting to drive my boot heel as hard as I could into his instep.

He blocked both easily, pulling his torso back from my elbow even as he tightened his grip on my waist, lifting me slightly off the ground so my heel came down harmlessly on thin air.

For a second I felt real panic. Anyone who could block Prodigium Defense moves was a lot more dangerous than some random pervert. I was about to try Skill Fifteen, which involved both breaking his nose and potentially ending his chances of ever having kids, when my captor bent down and whispered in my ear, 'Don't even think about it, Mercer.' "

--p.86

This book WOULD have gotten five stars from me but it was not a complete book. And excuse what will be my next random rant on half-finished books. We did not buy a half of a story, we bought a BOOK. That means a story complete of itself that could play into a series that is part of a larger story.

Okay onto the book. Sophie is spending the summer with her dad in England at a mansion along with her best friends and vampire and a super hot older boy, Cal, who she finds out probably really likes her. But what about Archer, you ask? The guy from the first book in this series who loves her sense of humor and has a secret of his own? Archer is now back with the Eye and fighting Prodigium. I was glad to see he got some face time in this book, much more than I expected. AND he is an awesome fighter, which I always appreciate in male leads.

I have to admit I was conflicted over Cal because love healers and just one touch from him could calm Sophia. I ended up loving his character even though I thought he might be too bland for her. Yes, sigh, another love triangle. This was one of the few times I wanted both of them to win.

Sophia's voice is so well-done I'm going to have to go back and re-read these books. She has a snarky comment for everything in true teenage fashion and you love her, you root for her.

Content Warning: Swearing, profanity, mention of a lesbian relationship, recommended for ages 14+.

Book Review: Hex Hall

2011-08-19T19:47:00.000-07:00

by Rachel Hawkins
5/5 Stars

"For a second the werewolf, er, Justin, paused, his head cocked to the side, making him look less like a throat-ripping-out beastie and more like a cocker spaniel.

The thought made me giggle.

And suddenly those yellow eyes were on me.

It gave another howl, and before I even had time to think, it charged.

I heard the man and woman cry out a warning as I frantically racked my brain for some sort of throat-repairing spell, which I was clearly about to need. Of course the only words I actually managed to yell at the werewolf as he ran at me were, 'BAD DOG!'"

--p.18

LOVE the voice in this book. Original. Funny. Snarky. Real. I laughed every other page.

Sophia is a witch sentenced to Hex Hall for casting a love spell that brought a Range Rover crashing through the gym doors along with a crazed, love-sick boy who back-handed a 250 pound teacher. The first chapter caught my interest and I couldn't stop reading. Finished it in a half-day. My only complaint was that the book was disappointingly short! 196 pages!

The characterization is great, the emotion is real and the story has a surprising twist at the end. Not a lyrical book but extremely entertaining and well-written. The adults are, as in all YA these days, extremely clueless to the dangers surrounding the school but I was willing to overlook that cliched element for this story. It was funny enough that I would probably read it again (and I'm not a big re-reader).

Content Warning: Swearing, Sophia has a lesbian roommate (nothing is ever described), heavy make-out scene, recommended for ages 14+.

Random Rants

2011-08-11T19:44:00.000-07:00

I decided to introduce Random Rants to my blog because there are many subjects that are rant-worthy in this world.

AND I'm not one to say silent.

As Laurie Halse Anderson encourages us: Speak!

First random rant:
Why do all romantic interests in YA fiction have to be perfect?

They are perfectly shaped, muscular, with beautiful skin tone, flawless shampoo-commercial hair, and most even have the added otherworldly attractiveness. If that weren't enough, they are also perfect boyfriends/girlfriends! They have endless patience, get jealous at appropriate times and are incredibly romantic.

Where, oh where did men like Mr. Rochester (Jane Eyre), Mr. Darcy (Pride & Prejudice), Gilbert Blythe (Anne of Green Gables), or Drover (from the movie Australia) or go? With their temper, their insensitivity, their ego, their utter lack of any redeemable quality?

When we see them grow and make sacrifices then we fall in love with them (or at least, I do). I don't want love at first sight--that's crap. Utter crap. Excuse my language. Crap. Sorry. Again.

Maybe that's why I feel like I'm reading the same story over and over again in YA fiction. It's just a variation on Twilight. Perfect man (or two, usually there is a second because we HAVE to have a triangle). I guess we all want to read the same love triangle over and over in a different setting?

NO! We do not. So let's shake it up people. Throw in an anti-hero. Throw in a guy who has bad clothing sense, a horrible temper, supreme pride, anything to make him interesting!

Book Review: Speak

2011-08-11T08:43:00.000-07:00

by Laurie Halse Anderson
5/5 Stars

I had lots of favorite passages in this book but here are a few:

"Sometimes I think high school is one long hazing activity: if you are tough enough to survive this, they'll let you become an adult. I hope it's worth it."

"Just in case we forget that "weareheretogetagoodfoundationsowecangotocollegeliveuptoourpotentialgetagoodjoblivehappilyeverafterandgotoDisneyWorld," we have a Job Day. Like all thinks Hi!School, it starts with a test."

"I watch myself in the mirror across the room. Ugh. My hair is completely hidden under the comforter. I look for shapes in my face. Could I put a face in my tree, like a dryad from Greek mythology? Two muddy-circle eyes under black-dash eyebrows, piggy-nose nostrils, and a chewed-up horror of a mouth. Defnitely not a dryad face. I can't stop biting my lips. It looks like my mouth belongs to someone else, someone I don't even know.

I get out of bed and take down the mirror. I put it in the back of the closet, facing the wall."

Melinda starts high school with no friends, a social outcast for calling the cops on a party during the summer. She makes a single friend--a girl who just moved from Ohio--who dumps Melinda when she gets a chance to be in a ultra-cool clique. Melinda cuts class, gets failing grades and tries to be invisible as possible. Her parents both work full-time, are barely home, and interpret her silence as teenage rebellion.

This book has a witty undertone and does a beautiful job with expressing very real teenage emotion. It's the first book I've read in a long time that actually transported me back to some of the times and feelings I'd long ago forgotten in high school:

The loneliness/feelings of not belonging.
The awkwardness in finding someplace to sit during assemblies and in the lunchroom.
The desire to be noticed for almost any reason.
The constant bafflement of life and where you stand.
The terrifying thought of the future beyond high school and if there if a place for you.

I absolutely loved this book. Every teen should read it. I know it's already on the reading list for a number of high schools. I agree with Anderson when she says that contemporary fiction should help teens understand their emotions and how to deal with them. She is brilliant. Parents should read the book too and then discuss it with their teens.

Mostly, I loved how the ending showed HOW to deal with these emotions. It showed that there is HOPE!

Content Warning: Recommended for ages 14+ under parental guidance/discussion, mention of rape, swearing, strong emotions.

Book Review: Nightshade

2011-08-06T15:06:00.000-07:00

by Andrea Cremer
3/5 Stars

I usually post a quote from the book but I couldn't find one I liked without giving too much of the story away--sorry.

Nightshade was published by Harlequin Teen, who also published the Iron Fey series by Julie Kagawa (which I LOVE). So I was hoping for something like that--a solid, YA series with a great romance. Well...the romantic element was definitely there but yikes, the sensuality was a bit overwhelming. I lost track of how many times, Calla, the MC, was described as "shaking" in some form or another. She shook for Shea, the human she saved from a bear attack, and Ren, the other Alpha and her destined mate.

The mythology in the story is actually kind of interesting--lots of paranormal elements but with a new twist that I didn't mind. The Keepers are wizards/warlocks who take care of the Guardians (wolves/shapeshifters) by providing for all their needs--schooling, housing, food, etc. Of course, the Keepers also control every aspect of the Guardian's lives--who they marry, where they live, their friends. The Keepers in this book were super creepy but also a little clueless when it came to Calla's activities. I would have expected them to catch on to her rebellious nature a BIT faster.

Shea's character was a welcome shift from the usual, weak human when compared with the wolves--he was smart and brave. Calla I liked to an extent but I got frustrated by her indecisiveness.

Bottom Line: The romance in it is a bit racy for teens, in my opinion. There are lots of very sensual descriptions without really any substantial relationship to back them up. Plus, our MC quivers all the time around men and struggles to control herself. She basically seems to want sex all the time but manages to keep it from happening at the last minute.

Content Warning: Swearing, sexual abuse mentioned but not described, very racy make-out scenes, recommended sparingly for 16+ (adults read it first!)

Book Review: Unearthly

2011-08-04T15:12:00.000-07:00

by Cynthia Hand
4/5 Stars

He glances up and his eyes meet mine. The hallway melts away. It's only him and me now, in the forest. The vision comes from behind him, the fire on the hillside roaring toward us, faster than it could ever possibly happen.

I have to save him, I think.

That's when I faint.
--p.34

Clara is a quarter-blood angel. I'm so freakin' tired of paranormal YA BUT having said that, this mythology was much more tolerable than most. Clara is also NOT a whiny character about her "differences" which is nice. After she fell in love with someone I will not name (but who I loved too), I found her character much more relateable.

After having discovered her "purpose", Clara's mother moves her and her brother from California to Jackson Hole, Wyoming. I really enjoyed the setting, especially Clara's experience with snow skiing (since that is one of my favorite sports ever). I found the dictomy between her two best friends to be a little formulaic but at the same time, I loved both of them.

Okay, bottom line: If you're into paranomal YA, you will absolutely LOVE this book. If you're not, you'll still LOVE the romance. Yes, the love interest is an alpha male but not too perfect like you see too often in YA.

Also, hooray! A parental figure in YA fiction! A mother who is actually her best friend--I love it!
I'll be looking forward to the second book.

Random rant: I think the rising importance of plot and waiting, waiting, waiting in TV series is affecting fiction as well. Some of us (me included) wait years and years for plot resolution in our favorite shows. Now, instead of having a story contained within one book, it has to be stretched out into a series, just like our favorite TV shows. Yes, I'm getting tired of series. Sooo tired. But it's kind of like buying movie popcorn on an empty stomach--you'll still do it again no matter how much you vow you won't.

Content Warning: Mention of rape, an attempted rape but nothing is really graphic or dark. Mention of teen drinking but you don't see the characters doing it. Unsupervised teens and heavy making-out.

Book Review: A Northern Light

2011-08-01T13:59:00.000-07:00

by Jennifer Donnelly
3/5 Stars

They were whoppers, my uncle's stories, every one. We knew it and we didn't care. We just loved the telling. My uncle has a beautiful North Woods voice. You can hear the dry bite of a January morning in it and the rasp of wood smoke. His laughter is the sound of a creek under ice, low and rushing. His full name is Fancois Pierre, but Pa told us his initals really stand for Fifty Percent because you can only believe half of anything he says.
p.149

Beautifully written book, very literary. The descriptions of characters and places are unique and gorgeous. Mattie herself is a fascinating person--torn between the life she knows as a hick farmer and the life she longs for, in college writing stories.

However, the pacing was way, way too slow for me. Even for literary fiction. It took me a long time to finish it because I was bored. I can see how many would love this book and why it's a Printz Honor book but sometimes the books that win those awards are not ones teens would finish and I think that's the case here. The murder side-story is interesting but doesn't get enough screen time.

Also, I did not find it realistic that a black boy would be treated so fairly by the community nor that the justice of the peace at that time would take any persecution so seriously. Also, working alongside white girls and talking like a college boy? Come on, folks. This is 1906. Our country was not integrated in any sense of the word back then. Also, as another reviewer pointed out, the picture of marriage and motherhood is awful. All work, toil and degredation. Nothing in between.

So, five stars for writing style and one star for pacing and for some time period inconsistencies, averaging out at three.

Content Warning: Heavy kissing including petting, sex (not heavily described but there nonetheless), swearing, a male exposing himself repeatedly, recommended for ages 16+: Heavy kissing including petting, sex (not heavily described but there nonetheless), swearing, a male exposing himself repeatedly, recommended for ages 16+

Book Review: Supernaturally

2011-08-01T12:10:00.000-07:00

by Kiersten White
3/5 Stars

What was wrong with these girls? A psychotic boy appears in the middle of the locker room and they're ready to flirt? Hadn't they watched any high school comedies? We should have been whipping him with wet towels at this point, ferocious in our fury to protect the sanctity of the girls' locker room. Instead, they were concentrating on strategic posture shifts for maximum cleavagization.

Honestly, he wasn't that cute. The curly mop of blond hair and too-big blue eyes got on my nerves. Oh, look at me, I'm so adorable and innocent, I can show up wherever I want and screw with Evie's life!
--p.78

Let me state first off that I love Kiersten's blog. I laugh every time I read it. I respect her as an author and as an example to young readers. Some of her posts have addressed tough issues for teens and she's done it in a great way.

Having said that, as I picked up this book, I felt like I was still reading her blog. The voice of Evie and hers are the same. That's not a bad thing, per se, but I wasn't sure how I felt about it. Evie is at a regular high school now when things start happening, like an air elemental attacks her and she gets contacted by the IPCA to work for them again and because she feels bored and lost in high school, she agrees. Lend is part of the story but he is the perfect boyfriend and I feel I've seen this character before. Insecure girlfriend + perfect guy = recipe for contrived things to ruin their relationship. I want to like the guy but I wanted a normal one--one that has flaws like every other guy. Like our antihero in Heart's Blood by Juliet Marillier.

Jack enters this book as a substitute for fairies in transporting Evie between realms. He's more fun than Lend, to be honest (see above quote). But of course totally juevenile and not the one for Evie.

It's a decent second book . After reading her blog, I know she was under deadline to finish. This is the curse of authors--you spent years perfecting your first book then have to spin off your second within a few months. It's tough. Still, it's a fun, clean read. Worth a Sunday afternoon, definitely.

Content Warning: Recommended for all ages. Completely clean. Use of "bleep" instead of swearing--it's darling.

Harry Potter Contest Winner

2011-07-18T12:46:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Christy Dorrity! You are now the lucky owner of the secret recipes for chocolate frogs, treacle tart and more!

The rest of us are still winners because we all get to see the Harry Potter movie! But don't post any spoilers because I'm haven't seen it yet! I'm going tonight!

Book Review: Thirteen Reasons Why

2011-07-13T12:22:00.000-07:00

by Jay Asher
No rating because it's not recommended!

The premise of this book drew me in from the first page. The writing is paced very well and the voices are unique. The situations are, indeed, very real for teens. I attended a high school where such things did occur and where students took their lives.

However, and this is a BIG however, the last two sides of the tapes portrayed situations in far too much detail for me. I'm not going to give anything away about what happened but it was too much. Too edgy. I'm surprised publishers would allow this content in YA. Not because it's not a reality but because of the darkness of the portrayal.

When I am a mother of teens (which is only five years away), I would hope that I could talk about these issues with my girls without having them read something so depressing, so dark. Sure, it would scare them. But while I want them to have a healthy fear of such things, I don't want them to have such a dark view of the world.

In case you didn't know, this book is the thirteen Reasons why a girl kills herself (or, more accurately, thirteen people who influenced her).

I don't recommend this book to teens. And I'm sorry to say, not to adults either. I may be a little prudish, but I hope that the day will come when I can forget what I read. This book is the reason I started a cleanreads type blog for parents and teens on the content in YA literature.

There is no hope, no resolution in this book. No mention of faith nor the suicidal girls parents' involvement. There is nothing to suggest how such an attitide might be changed, how to overcome situations like Hannah faced. It is like watching a neverending predators episodes where villain after villain is caught while families suffer.

I realize this could be my most controversial review yet. Leave a comment if you agree/disagree.

Content Warning: Date rape, sex, teen drinking, groping, lies, betrayal, suicide, mature situations. Not recommended.

Harry Potter Blog Party

2011-07-11T07:38:00.000-07:00

What could be more fun on a Monday morning that shunning all your chores/work and participating in a blog party! Go to Inksplasher (or click on the button on the sidebar) and get started!

I love Harry Potter. J.K. Rowling is brilliant. BRILLIANT. I know I'm going to love the movie. And I'm going to cry. *sniff* I already cry every time I watch the trailer.

Inksplasher has the rules, so go here and start. If you complete all the steps (there are only three easy ones!) then I'm giving away an unofficial Harry Potter Cookbook. It has a great goodreads rating and sounds ridiculously fun.

My question for all of you (according to Part 2) is what is your favorite Harry Potter treat? Answer in the comments below!

Divergent

2011-07-09T08:59:00.000-07:00

by Veronica Roth
5/5 Stars

" 'Climb over the railing', says Eric again, pronouncing each word slowly. 'If you can hang over the chasm for five minutes, I will forget your cowardice. If you can't, I will not allow you to continue initiation.'

The railing is narrow and made of metal. The spray from the river coats it, making it slippery and cold. Even if Christina is brave enough to hang from the railing for five minutes, she may not be able to hold on. Either she decides to be factionless, or she risks death."
--p.101

Absolutely. Brilliant. Completely horrifying. I loved it.

Divergent is dystopian YA. When Tris turns 16, she gets to choose the faction she will associate with for life. There are five factions, each representing elements of human nature, such as Amity (friendship), Candor (truth telling), Dauntless (brave) and Abnegation (selfless), Erudite (knowledge seekers). Tris's parents are Abnegation and expect Tris to follow suit. But when she chooses unexpectedly, she finds that not all 16-year olds are accepted into factions and in order to avoid being factionless (and hungry and without shelter), she must make it through initation.

Each day of initiation had me reeling. Fighting. Simulations in your mind where you face your greatest fears. Initiates murdered or killed during the rites.

Tris's character itself is fascinating. She was raised to be selfless, and when she is asked to change her very nature, she finds it conflicting. Yet I think she will end up being one of my favorite heroines of literature because she is TOUGH.

Also, I have to say the romance is incredible. Loved it.

Absolutely one of the best reads this year, if not the best. Just look at the goodreads ratings if you don't believe me!

Content Warning: Violence, kissing, teen drinking, mature themes, recommended for 16+. Do NOT let your 12-year old read this!

Two final things. I want to get up on my soapbox for a moment. And this doesn't have that much to do with the book, which I love.

One: Just curious why dystopian always has to follow the same essential plotline. Big brother society opressing humankind. Someone rebels. End of story. Can't we find some originality here?

Two: For those of you teens who think all heroes are like Four in Divergent, Edward from Twilight, Ren from Tiger's Quest, etc. They're not! If you let a guy sleep over, he will probably take advantage of the situation. So don't! YA books like this are fictional and may appeal to young reader's emotions, but do not resemble real relationships.

Book Review: Once a Witch

2011-07-05T20:33:00.000-07:00

by Carolyn MacCullough
3/5 Stars

"I know the looks I must be getting behind my back--the lifted eyebrows, the overly expressive shrugs, the whispers of sympathy. Poor Camilla--her daughter, such a waste, so unbelievable. Hasn't happened in the family since who can remember. And she was supposed to be, supposed to be, supposed to be...
'Move,' I say, booting a small boy out of the way as I begin to climb the massive oak staircase."
--p.22

I kind of the liked the dark side of her personality in this snippet :)

Tamsin is born into a family of witches who always have children who turn out to have a Talent. When Tamsin doesn't manifest hers by age eight (the max age for manifesting), she is considered Talentless. Frustrated and outcast, when a professor walks into the family bookshop and assumes she can help him Find an object, she agrees, hoping to show her family that she's good for something. Of course, everything goes haywire from there including kidnappings, blood bonding and murder.

The phrasing and technical aspects are clean and well done. But the story left me feeling ... blah. Meh. The opposite of entranced. I'm sure there will be a next book in the series but not sure if I'll feel like picking it up. This book is incredibly short at 180 pages. And the ebook formatting is terrible, with glaring red titles, extra spaces between paragraphs and random dashes in names.

Content Warning: Swearing, teen smoking, some innuendo. Recommended for ages 14+.

Book Review: Die for Me (Revenants #1)

2011-07-03T22:15:00.000-07:00

by Amy Plum
3/5 Stars

"A vintage red Vespa was parked where he stood, and as I crossed the street toward him he held up a matching helmet. After the four-day wait, I felt like throwing my warms around him in relief. But when I got a step away, I hesitated, remembering what he had looked like the last time I had seen him.

He had been near death. Lying there almost lifeless on his bed like a scene from an old black-and-white horror film. And now here he was, four days later, every pore of his body oozing health. What was wrong with me? I should be running away from him as fast as I could, not into his arms. Monster, not human, I reminded myself."
--p.90

I'd hoped to find something a bit more original with plot and characters, but this is YA fantasy and one can only stretch so far it seems...anyway, I feel like I've read this story many times. Young, isolated girl. One hundred year old lonely, undead guy. Of course, he IS a zombie, so that's new.

Kate lost her parents in a car accident. When she doesn't snap out of it, her sister moves them to Paris to live with their grandparents (side note: it's nice to have responsible parental figures in YA!). Kate meets Vincent in a cafe. There is an instant connection (of course). Vincent's "family" and his backstory are very interesting. I did enjoy learning it. However, I felt like half of the book was "we need to talk" followed by an explanation, rather than inserting the backstory intermixed with the action.

Writing was very clean.

I'll probably read the second one. I think Plum has a lot of potential and hope that she is one of those authors whose second book blows me away.

Content Warning: A little heavy kissing, a little innuendo, some swearing. Recommended for ages 14+.

Tiger's Quest (Tiger's Saga #2)

2011-07-03T21:27:00.000-07:00

by Colleen Houck
4/5 Stars

"He caught me and shook me gently. 'I'm not going to kiss you, Kelsey. I don't want you to be confused about who you want. Of course if you chose to kiss me, I wouldn't put up much of a fight.'

Pushing away from him, I groused, 'Ha! Well, you'll be waiting a long time for that, Mister.' I put my fists on my hips and smirked. 'That news must be shocking for a man who always gets what he wants.'

He snuck his hands around my waist and pulled me up against his chest then ducked his lips to within inches of mine. 'Not ... what I want .. the most.' "
--p.91

Here's the thing, Houck is a good storyteller. Her writing is bare, sometimes trite, and is very basic. BUT the emotion in the story and between the characters is amazing. Since her books are so long (about 400 pages each), you really get deep insight in the backgrounds and motivations of each of her characters. The plotline about the four quests to save the princes in interesting but not the main attraction. Kelsey and her own inner confidence struggles and how she fits into the relationship between the two Indian princes (I know, you're thinking--another love triangle?) is the driving heart of the story. In this book, we learn more about Kishan. I expected to find him more charming than he was, though I did root for him, in spite of the fact that I love his brother, Ren. I hate to make the comparison, but Kelsey's feelings in this triangle seem much more deep and real to me than the Twilight werewolf/vampire triangle. Plus, you can really see why they each love her--she is brave, selfless, modest, and cares deeply for others. Of course she is also a little too easily persuaded into anything, along with a couple other real faults.

Houck leaves the end of the book at a very frustrating part but the next one releases in November and you get a brief one-page teaser that leaves you screaming "ahh!" and dying for the next book. This is one series that I will keep devouring in spite of the fact that I know the writing is not perfect.

Content Warning: A few incidences where tigers sleep in the same rooms as teenage girls, haha. Very clean. Recommended for ages 14+.

Scribbles gets a humble award

2011-06-17T14:57:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe but this humble blog does have readership.

No way, I forgot I even "follow" you.

Well your "followship" is finally rewarded.

Thanks to Carla!

Read the award post

Book Review: Wither

2011-06-12T20:14:00.000-07:00

5/5 Stars
by Lauren DeStefano

Three clerks in Barnes & Noble told me to buy this. Three. And I loved the cover. I'm a sucker for beautiful covers.

I marked multiple passages in this novel--the writing is absolutely phenomenal. I could find a beautiful sentence in almost every paragraph, on almost every page. Gorgeous. Even more so than Matched, in my opinion. I can't say enough about it.

Rhine and her twin live in New York City in the basement of their home, sleeping in shifts and with a shotgun aimed at the door. You never know when gatherers will come try to snatch young girls for brides or raid the house for food. After years of survival, Rhine is snatched and taken to the Governor's mansion to be a bride of Lindon, a sheltered boy of twenty whose wife recently died. In this world, where cancer and even allergies have been genetically bred out of humans, they are inexplicably dying. Men die at age twenty-five, women at twenty.

Rhine and her two sister wives, one only thirteen and the other eighteen, are wed in an elaborate ceremony to Lindon. Held captive in the mansion, they are pampered in every way and given whatever they please, except their freedom. Gabriel, an orphan sold to the Housemaster of the mansion, is an innocent himself in many ways, having served there since he was only a boy of six.

This book is DARK, quite shocking and a little depressing. But absolutely, without a doubt, one of the prettiest books I've ever read. The pace is slow but the writing is so good, you barely notice. I don't ever say this, but this author is one to watch.

Content warning: teen pregnancy, mention of sex (no description of the act), adultery (in a way, I mean, was the marriage ceremony even valid?), deep issues, recommended for ages 16+(.

The Truth About Forever

2011-06-02T17:19:00.000-07:00

by Sarah Dessen
3/5 Stars

"Then, life was very short, literally. But now that I'm better, it seems so long I have to squint to see even the edges of it. It's all in the view, Macy. That's what I mean about forever, too. For any one of us our forever could end in an hour, or a hundred years from now. You can never know for sure, so you'd better make every second count."
--p.136

Macy watched her father die. Eighteen months later, she is still known as that girl who watched her father die. In order to prove to everyone that she wasn't flawed, she became perfect. She is dating the perfect guy, she has the perfect hair and makeup and clothes and gets perfect grades.

Until the perfect guy asks her to take a break because she's too clingy. And she meets a guy who takes the trouble to find out who she really is. It doesn't hurt that he's sa-woon worthy (of course). Macy takes a catering job and meets Khristy and the crew who soon turn her view of the world upside down and show her what it means to really live.

I loved Dessen's characters. There is one who smokes constantly and says only a few phrases, including "Donneven," and "Uh-huh." Brilliant. I don't feel like the conflict was forced, as I have in so many YA books lately. It felt very real.

The pacing, however, was awful at some points. I skipped entire pages of inner, telling dialogue. I think this book could be nearly perfect with a really good editor.

I can see why Dessen's books are so popular. She captures the teen voice without seeming like she's trying to at all. Very well done.

Content Warning: Profanity (two f-bombs I think), mention of teen drinking and smoking and lying to parents. Nothing really suggestive at all. Recommended for 14+.

The Body Finder

2011-05-21T20:18:00.000-07:00

by Kimberly Derting
4/5 Stars

"When she realized what was really happening, she almost couldn't believe her own eyes.

Jay was there, and he was standing over Grady, who was now lying in a crumpled heap at his feet. The look on Jay's face was as murderous as Violet had ever seen on anyone before, and he was clenching and unclenching his fist as he glared violently at Grady."

Violet hears the echoes of murdered people and the imprints of those who murdered them. Growing up, she finds dead animals and buries them in their backyard to give them peaceful rest. Her best friend, Jay understand her gift and is always there to support her.

But this year, Violet's feelings for Jay have changed and it's killing her to watch the flocks of girls vying for his attention. At the same time, girls in her town start to disappear each week. When one of the girls is someone she knows, Violet starts a search of her own for the killer.

So, yeah! Finally a YA book with responsible parents! I love how involved they are in their daughters life, other than letting her make-out in her bedroom with no supervision. Violet's character is a little bland, but Jay's character is too-die-for. Delicious tension between him and Violet. The murder mystery was a little formulaic but there was one twist that I didn't predict.

I could have done without the POV switch to the murder. In fact, I skipped over most of that because I don't want to be in the head of a creepy serial killer.

I'll probably read the next one. Just because I love Jay.

Content Warning: Mention of teen drinking, two swear words, elements of horror, and heavy making out. Recommended for 16+

Mara, Daughter of the Nile

2011-05-20T11:59:00.000-07:00

by Eloise Jarvis McGraw
4/5 Stars

I made an error on character names, so I'm republishing this post!

"Lord Sheftu. A great nobleman, he was--as far from the likes of her as the very sun up yonder. He must have been amusing himself in truth, these seven days!--seeking her company, flaunting his charming manners, even holding her in his arms a moment. But it was clear what he thought of her. Guttersnipe!

Mara turned away angrily, not wanting to look at him, not wanting to think of the fact that the price of her freedom was his destruction."
--p.60
"The river divided the city like a silver blade, and was dotted with every size and shape of vessel. Behind the slow-moving sails rose the high east bank and Thebes proper--a maze of white buildings flooded with sun, from those flagstaffs and massive temple pylons red and white banners waved like beckoning fingers. Every surface sparkled with color and the glint of gold; roofs stretched eastward under the brilliant blue sky as far as the eye could reach."
--p.76
This is not the kind of book I usually pick up. Published back in 1953, the presentation of the novel (small print) screams out-of-date. But since one of my goodreads friends gave it such a rave review, I thought I would try it. I also wanted a break from some of the more formulaic stuff I've been reading recently.
Mara has been a slave in Egypt all her life. At age seventeen, she is noticed by an agent of the Queen for her wiliness and language abilities and chosen to spy for her. On her way to meet Hapsetsut, she encounters Senmut--a wealthy, trusted advisor of the Queen. But when Senmut unexpectedly blackmails her into spying for the Queen's younger brother who aspires to take over the throne, Mara has to agree. Now she is an agent for both sides.

Ok, the premise sounds interesting but not "I'm going to drop everything to read this," right? Well you shouldn't read this book for the plot or even the interesting insight into the well-researched Egypt that the author creates.
It is Mara's character I found fascinating and unlike any other I've read. She is willfull, impulsive, smart, confident and crafty. Not exactly someone I would relate to BUT she grows so much within the story that the ending is absolutely fantastic. Loved it. And the romance with Sheftu was so very sweet! I only gave the book four stars because I thought there were one or two plot holes and the description got rather wearing after a time.
Content Warning: None. Perfectly clean. Recommended for ages 12+. Girls, pick this one up!

Book Review: Abandon

2011-05-17T19:14:00.000-07:00

by Meg Cabot
3/5 Stars

"John's were hands that had seen work--real, arduous work. The hands of a fighter.

But not just a fighter, I realized, as they gripped me.

His were hands that had killed.

A part of me must have known this all along. But it hadn't really sunk in until tonight.

And by then, of course, it was far, far too late."

--p.94

Other than Princess Diaries, I'm okay admitting I'm a Meg Cabot fan. She has completely unique ideas for YA fiction. Avalon High is my absolute favorite that she's written.

Brief Summary: Pierce trips and drowns in her father's pool but escapes from the underworld back to her life. Her mother divorces her father and moves to Isla Huesos (or something) near the Florida Keys. I can't tell you much more about the story without ruining the entire plot.

Here's the tough part: Almost the entire book is written as a flashback. There is almost no action, but nearly all internal thought. This goes against every rule of writing I know. Every time I look at a chapter I've written, I have to cut out description and get to the action.

So I felt like this entire book was a prologue. I loved the romantic interest--six and a half feet tall (wow). Very alpha male. But then, I married one.

I digress.

Characterization was great, but overdone. I ended up feeling like I knew more than I wanted about Pierce's thought process. Still, the writing is beautiful.

I'm also beginning to feel like all of Cabot's books are half-stories and wished for more on this. She has already announced the sequel, so for those of you who have other things to read in the meantime, I would wait until it comes out or you will probably be dissappointed by the "ending".

Content Warning: Light swearing, mention of attempted rape and teen suicide. Recommended for 16+.

Help Storm Relief

2011-05-09T13:12:00.000-07:00

"More than half of the country has been affected by this continuous band of damaging weather, disrupting people’s lives from North Dakota to the East Coast.... More than 1,600 people sought refuge in 65 Red Cross shelters Wednesday night as the storms forced them from their homes. Red Cross shelters are open in Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, Missouri, Indiana, Kentucky, Arkansas, North Carolina and Texas."

- Thursday, April 28, 2011 press release from the American Red Cross

Go to Help Write Now to bid on amazing YA book packages, writing critiques, and more.

"Elemental" Book Spotlight on My Love Affair with Books Blog

2011-04-27T08:44:00.000-07:00

Sorry to interrupt our regularly scheduled programming of book reviews...

But holy cow! Holy cow! My very first book spotlight for Elemental! And on one of the most DARLING book blogs on the web. Misha has created a brilliant product with her blog and I'm in love.

I'll be posting my own spotlight on Elemental soon, but for now, go to My Love Affair with Books blog and check it out.

Book Review: Anna and the French Kiss

2011-04-22T11:48:00.000-07:00

by Stephanie Perkins
4/5 Stars

"I miss Paris, but it's not home. It's more like ... I miss this. This warmth over the telephone. Is it possible for home to be a person and not a place.

Bridgette used to be home to me. Maybe St. Clair is my new home.

I mull this over as our voices grow tired and we stop talking. We just keep each other company. My breath. His breath. My breath. His breath.

This is home. The two of us."
--p.173

The title of the book was ridiculous enough to keep me from reading it for several months. It sounded like one of the "Love on the Lifts" type books--silly, shallow romances.

BUT that was absolutely NOT the case with this story. Perkins introduces us to Anna, a 17-year old high school senior sent to school in Paris by her image-conscious father. Anna meets Etienne St. Clair on her first day--a gorgeous fellow senior with a British accent that all the girls in the school are currently swooning over. Anna falls too, but of course, there's a catch--he has a girlfriend at college. So instead the two become friends. I've rarely read such a close, touching friendship. When St. Clair learns his mom has cancer, Anna googles everything she can find on the subject so that she can be there for him, to support and advise him. When Anna's friend betrayes her, St. Clair tells her hes packing his throwing stars to come defend her. Their growing romance is thus believable--based on a deep friendship. When the "l-word" comes up, it's therefore entirely believable. Sigh. What a romance.

This book kept me reading far past my bedtime. I was completely horrified that high school is like this these days, but the story, characters and dialogue were very real. The language and descriptions were lovely. The atmosphere in Paris had my mouth watering for pastries and chocolate!

There was one plotline left completely unresolved--the night Anna gets drunk. I couldn't believe Perkins didn't tie that one up.

Overall, I loved it. Recommended for 16+

Content Warning: F-bombs (probably about five), teen drinking, teen sex (not described just mentioned), horrible, catty girls, adult infidelity mentioned. Don't let a 12-year old pick this up!

Book Review: Prom and Prejudice

2011-04-13T19:24:00.000-07:00

by Elizabeth Eulberg
3/5 Stars

"It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single girl of high standing at Longbourn Academy must be in want of a prom date."
-First sentence of Prom and Prejudice

Lizzie is a scholarship student at Longbourn Academy for her talent on the piano. But the other very rich, very entitled students have a long history with the scholarship kids. As a result, Lizzie is constantly hazed, tortured and ostrasized. Her roommate, Jane, is her only friend. Jane's sister, Lydia is a constant embarrassment. Of course, Charles Bingley is in this story--a student at the neighboring Pemberly Academy. Along with Will Darcy.

Rather than focus on the similarities between Austen's Pride & Prejudice, I'll tell you the few differences. Will Darcy is not a snob, but Lizzie is so prejudice against any of the Pemberly and Longbourn students that she can't see that. Wickham is a creepy character, equal in vileness to Austen's character of the same name. Lizzie's parents are not wierd or strange, but normal and warm. Other than that, the story is nearly identical.

There were a few twists but overall it is VERY similar to the original. I found it to be a fun, light read but nothing remarkable. And extremely short! I downloaded it on my Nook app on my iPad and found it not to be worth the $9.99 charged. How are ebooks so expensive? Even short ones? Can't price be proportional to length?

Anyway, a good beach read. Writing is good, just predictable. Especially if Austen's Pride & Prejudice is one of your favorite novels!

Content Warning: Reference to teen drinking and sexual situations.

Amazing YA Book Giveaway

2011-04-13T11:23:00.000-07:00

Cleverly Inked, a book blog I came across as I was searching for bloggers to review my latest book, Elemental, is having a very cool contest for the next few weeks. Liz is giving away dozens of signed, popular YA books. Check it out and enter!

While you're there, you should check out her darling, darling blog. Ingenious!

Book Review: Beyonders: A World Without Heroes

2011-04-08T12:23:00.000-07:00

by Brandon Mull
5/5 Stars

"By reading these words you have nominated yourself to recover the key word. Move swiftly. The knowledge you now possess marks you for prompt execution. The first syllable is 'A'."

I met Brandon Mull at the WIFYR conference here in Utah last year. I thoroughly enjoyed his class. He was witty and fun with just enough geek in him to make him a believable fantasy/sci-fi author. I've read a few of the Fablehaven series and though I'd classify them as more middle-grade, I did enjoy them.

Jason, the youngest sibling in his family by ten years, often feels invisible. He gets good grades and is a star pitcher on the baseball team. One day while working at the zoo, he falls into the mouth of a hippo and ends up in another world. While it is a slightly bizarre premise, I'm okay with it. See the Gregor Overlander series by Suzanne Collins for another example of a strange portal into another world.

The first thing Jason sees in the world of Lyrian is a group of nine musicians strapped to a raft about to tumble over a waterfall. When no one tries to save them, Jason gets his first hint that this may indeed be a world without heroes. The first place he stops in a repository of learning where he reads the above passage in a book. The rest of the story follows him as he tries to gain the remaining syllables of the word that can destroy Maldor, the evil sorcerer ruling Lyrian.

I enjoyed the many symbols in the book. My favorite was a palace hosting an eternal feast, where Maldor's most dangerous enemies are invited to remain. It made me think if I had everything I ever wanted, would I still have the courage to risk certain death by opposing a not-so-evil tyrant? Yes! :) Maybe.

Maldor is an incredible villain. I loved how much it turned out that I underestimated him. I liked that Jason had enough adult help along the way to make some of his successes believable. I loved Galloran, the Blind King and LOVED the prologue.

My only gripe with this book is how Jason's character is written. His actions and some of his thoughts prove him to be an amazing boy but I felt cheated out of the emotional journey. Yes, he's a guy, but when people are slaughtered right in front of him, I expected a little more reaction. Or when Galloran talks about his tortures and Jason just doesn't do or think anything. I wanted more depth, since I really do love Jason. Another gripe is there were some plot devices that seemed contrived, but it's hard to complain about that when almost every author does that, including me.

Content Warning: A little bloodshed. Suspense. Mild torture. Recommended for ages 12+.

Book Review: The Stolen One

2011-03-21T19:20:00.000-07:00

by Suzanne Crowley
3/5 Stars

Kat was raised by a woman not her mother (Grace), who claimed no one wanted Kat. Grace taught Kat how to embroider until her skills grew proficient enough to earn a good living for their family. Grace's own daughter, Anna, is deaf but can read lips and is as close to Kat as a real sister. Christian, a handsome shepherd boy living next door, asks Kat to marry him, but Kat feels she cannot answer him until she finds out the truth of her parents and her birth. When Grace dies, Kat moves to the capital to seek out those answers, and finds an unlikely ally in the queen herself.

I thought the premise of this book sounded interesting--beautiful gowns, Queen Elizabeth, a spunky female character. I liked the kindly woman who took Kat and Anna in when they reached the city. I liked Kat's maid and I loved the descriptions of the gowns. I enjoyed the fact that you didn't quite know whether or not the queen is good until the very end of the book. I liked that Crowley was not afraid to kill off characters.

However, I felt that while a promising idea, the execution was not quite good enough to deserve four stars. The writing was near flawless but not very inspiring. I got annoyed with Kat halfway through the book for loving Christian and still fooling around with the stupid pages and such as court. I didn't feel like the atmosphere of the court was complete, since we got to know so few characters there. There were mention of advisors to the queen--who were they? I think that would have helped the ending to be a little more believable. Also, wolves show up a lot in the beginning then we don't see them again? What happened there? And random ghosts? I didn't understand.

Content Warning: Mention of teenage sex as early as 14 years old, extra-marital affairs, and sensuality. Recommended for 16+

Book Review: Falling Under

2011-03-05T13:32:00.000-08:00

by Gwen Hayes
3/5 Stars

Theia has spent 17 years under her father's protective, watchful eye. She wears boring colors, plays the violin, never goes out with her friends and has never been kissed. But it's never really bothered her. Until one night, she watches a man fall from the sky, burning to death. He enters her dreams that same night, in a place called Under. The next day, he enrolls at her school. His name is Haden and he warns her to stay away from him.

Where to begin ... okay, positive things. As I was reading, sentences would leap out at me that were so beautiful, I'd stop and re-read.

"In the morning, a lonely stillness cupped the quiet house in its hands"

Theia's friends, especially Donny, were a lot of fun, even if slightly exagerrated. Hayes gets the teen speak right with them.

The first 75 pages seemed to repeat themselves in a bit of a cycle. She dreams of Haden, he warns her away from him but then seems to stalk her at school. He can't stay away and runs hot and cold. As I'm reading, I'm thinking, "This sounds a lot like Twilight," and then Hayes throws in a Twilight question, "Are you going to tell me you sparkle in the sunlight?" or something along those lines.

As a writer, the emotion naming frustrated me and kind of ruined the book for me. I can't turn off my internal editor.

"Doubt settled in my stomach."

The sweet romance in the book is dynamite. But I'd be worried the content is appropriate for younger readers.

Content Warning: Two uses of the f-word, many sensual references and a near-sex scene that's pretty heavy. Recommended for 18+

Book Review: Strange Angels

2011-02-15T13:32:00.000-08:00

by Lilith St. Crow
3/5 Stars

"Tap Tap. Like little rubber-covered sticks drumming hard against a windowpane. My mouth had gone dry and my fingers were numb. Then I got the taste of oranges and salt in my mouth, and I knew something bad was about to happen...The strangest thing of all was how calm I was."

--p. 38

This excerpt takes place just before Dru's dad, a freshly turned zombie, breaks in and tries to kill her. Dru is nearly 16 years old and has spent her life moving from place to place with her dad while he hunts things of the "Real World" like suckers and werewulven. After her dad is killed, I felt like we spent the rest of the book reliving her post traumatic stress. The book advertises her as tough and a Buffy-type character. I will admit I loved Buffy, but Dru is nowhere close. She's messed up in so many ways I had a hard time liking her. She's mean to the only people trying to help her telling them to f*** off constantly. She's touted as tough on the book jacket, but constantly screamed and ran away from everything. I would have liked to see her actually put her dad's training to good use and toughen up!

But on to the things I liked. I liked the other characters in the book, especially Graves, the homeless teenager who helps her. Though it's hard to understand why he does. I like the villain (who doesn't love a good villain?), a centuries-old vampire who can control the weather!

Content Warning: I'm not sure I would recommend this book to young adults. There are at least a dozen f-words along with continual swearing and the use of the Lord's name in vain. She also has innuendos a plenty.

Book Review: Iron Queen (Iron Fey Series #3)

2011-02-02T20:18:00.000-08:00

by Julie Kagawa
5/5 Stars

"My name is Meghan Chase.

I thought it was over. That my time with the fey, the impossible choices I had to make, the sacrifices of those I loved, was behind me. But a storm is approaching, an army of Iron fey that will drag me back, kicking and screaming. Drag me away from the banished prince who's sworn to stand by my side. Drag me into the core of conflict so powerful, I'm not sure anyone can survive it.

This time, there will be no turning back."

--Iron Queen

I picked up this book wondering how Kagawa was going to top her last book in this series, which I absolutely loved. I'm not quite sure how she does it, but she's managed to write books in a series without compromising pacing, without getting too cumbered in detailed and while still creating tension between the main characters. She's absolutely brilliant. I've never seen another author match that ability, except perhaps Suzanne Collins. And beautiful cover too, no?

Meghan and Ash, after being exiled from the world of fairy by her father, King Oberon, for their disobedience in refusing to end their relationship, search out Meghan's mortal step-father. He is the only father who meant anything to Meghan. Along the way, they are offered a deal by the rulers of the Seelie and Unseelie--the exile will be lifted if they destroy the Pretender, the new Iron King, who is fast destroying the Fairie world with his poison.

Great pacing, imaginative description and good tension make this book a wonderful read. Of course, there is a fourth book and I will definitely read it. She leaves some things unresolved at the end of this one, but enough is tied up that you are satisfied with the ending.

Content Warning: A reference to sex though it isn't described in detail. For this reason, I would recommended for 16+.

Book Review: No Apology, The Case for American Greatness

2011-02-02T19:46:00.000-08:00

by Mitt Romney
5/5 Stars

Here is a quote from his introduction, where Mitt speaks of our government:

Perhaps that is why they [our government] have been so quick to apologize for America. I had to nod my head when I read what Sylvester Stallone had said: “I think America apologizes too much.” He’s right, of course. No nation has done more to promote world peace and liberty than America. No nation has done more to combat disease and to salve humanity when it is suffering than America. No nation has done more to promulgate economic principles that have lifted billions of people from poverty than America. Of course we have made mistakes and of course we can do even more for others, but this nation has from the beginning done what it believed was right and good, and the ultimate sacrifice made for liberty by so many hundreds of thousands of our sons and daughters is unrivaled in human history. Do not apologize for America.

-No Apology, Introduction

I know it's a bit unusual for me to post a review on a political book, but I think our teens should be aware of our country's politics. I loved it when my social studies teacher assigned us reading in The Washington Post. It fascintated me. I haven't quite brought that same thirst into adulthood (not as much free time), but I thank God every day that I live in a free country.

While perhaps a little lengthy and verbose at times, Mitt pinpoints our exact problems with a directness and honesty that can't help but hit home. I'd recommend this read to 16+.

Content Warning: None, but the issues are real and heavy and can sound a bit daunting. Though Mitt proposes solutions both brilliant and logical.

Leviathan

2011-01-23T13:20:00.000-08:00

by Scott Westerfield
5/5 Stars

     Deryn swept her gaze across the snow faster now, until a glint of metal flashed across her vision. She blinked, backtracking until ...
     "Blisters!"
     The machine bounded across the snow, shimmering with heat in the cold, like a monstrous, angry teakettle on two legs. The ugly snout of a cannon thrust from its belly, and two maching guns sprouted like ears from its head.
     It was running straight for the Leviathan."
--p.292

I gave this book five stars because the research and world-building are phenomenal. I can't imagine the hours/days/months put into creating both the Darwinists society and the Clanker society. This book follows two fifteen-year olds. Alex is the son of the Grand Duke of Austria and heir to the throne. Deryn is a girl pretending to be a boy in the British royal service as a midshipman.

In this alternate or revisionist reality (a growing, popular genre called Steampunk) of the 1940s, the Darwinists have discovered DNA. They've used this DNA to create fascinating creatures, such as the Leviathan--a massive airship with strands of whale DNA. My favorite were the flechlette bats that basically pooped bits of metal to destroy other aircraft. There are also hybrid hounds/spiders with six legs that can sniff out hydrogen leaks on the airship and message lizards that can mimic anyone's voice.

On the other side of the battle lie the Clankers, inventors of, you guessed it, the machines. Alex escapes from the castle in one such machine--a Storm Walker with two legs than can hold at least five men. The defining attribute seems to be the legs (versus treads, such as tanks) and the use of steam as a power source.

This book is an excellent read for boys 12+, especially reluctant readers. They will find the way Deryn speaks quite funny, with her liberal use of "barking spiders!" and other English slang. The characters are strong and believable. In fact, I personally thought this book better written for its target market than the "Uglies" series.

Content Warning: None.

Book Review: Belle

2011-01-18T11:40:00.000-08:00

by Cameron Dokey
3.5/5 Stars

"'I suppose,' I heard a deep voive say. 'That you are quite real.'

I gasped, for I felt his voice pass through my skin, through muscle and flash, until it came to rest in the marrow of my bones. Papa had said the Beast had the voice of a man, but this was not quite accurate, I thought.

For no human being I had ever met spoke in a voice like that, sounding heart and mind together, at once, as one. A Beast may have the ability to camouflage its skin. Men are better at hiding their hearts."--p.144

Belle's father is a rich, successful merchant. Her two older sisters have unsurpassed beauty, named after the morning sun and the heavens. Belle sees herself as quite ordinary next to them. Her name, she thinks, creates an expectation she cannot ever hope to live up to. In fact, we spend almost 2/3 of the book with her exploration of the meaning of beauty.

But, it is worth the wait when inevitably, she turns herself over to the Beast to save her father. The Beast is a wonderful, fascinating character. My biggest complaint is we see too little of him. Perhaps two chapters? It's not enough. The author would have done better to prolong Belle's stay and spend a little less time on Belle's own self doubts.

However, the book provides wonderful insight into the true meaning of beauty and the writing is, as with all of Dokey's books, wonderful.

Content Warning: None. Recommended for all ages.

The Tiger's Curse (The Tiger Saga, Book 1)

2011-01-16T14:34:00.000-08:00

by Colleen Houck
4/5 Stars

"Even barefoot with nondescript clothing, he looked like someone powerful. And even if he weren't good looking--and he was extremely good looking--I still would have been drawn to him. Maybe that was the tiger part of him. Tigers always seem regal to me. They capture my attention. He was as beautiful a man as he was a tiger."
-p.86

This book really deserves 4.5 stars. I almost gave it 5 stars but I noticed a lot of small, technical mistakes that an editor should have caught. Other than that, I LOVED this book. I read the first 100 pages online because I got an email promotion through Writer's Digest. It started rather slowly and felt rather like a list of events rather than a story. But at the very end of the free sample, I reached a point in the story where I absolutely had to finish it.

Kelsey was adopted by loving, foster parents after her parents died. At age eighteen, she isn't sure where she wants to go or what she wants to do with her life. On a whim, she takes a job with a traveling circus for a few weeks during the summer. She quickly develops an affinity for working with animals; in particular, a beautiful, white tiger. When a man from India, Mr. Kadam, purchases the tiger, he asks Kelsey to accompany the tiger to India to help him get settled in his new home. Kelsey agrees, having developed a love for the gentle creature.

The tiger is accidentally set free in the jungle and it is up to Kelsey to follow him. Of course, as you can guess by the title (and the first chapter), the tiger is really a cursed Indian prince. The story that follows is a gentle and beautiful love story. I could not wait to sit down and read it at the end of every day.

The second book is coming out in June of 2011--I'm happy to not have to wait too long!

Content Warning: None. It was nice to read a love story that didn't have crude or overly sexual references on every page.

Before Midnight

2011-01-08T18:28:00.000-08:00

by Cameron Dokey
5/5 Stars

Cendrillion was brought into the world at the cost of her mother's life. Her father, a landed nobleman, felt his heart split in two. He curses the land where his wife is buried and vows never to return. That same night, however, he leaves behind an infant boy to be raised alongside Cendrillion. The two grow together, best friends, equals, until one day, Cendrillion makes a wish for a mother and two sisters to love and her wish is answered.

This take on Cinderella is absolutely fresh, original and lovely. The land is steeped in wishing magic. Cendrillion herself is delightful. When she does finally meet her prince, the outcome is sweet and touching.

Probably my favorite fairy tale retelling I've read, perhaps ever. The writing was beautiful and the story rich. I highly recommend this book.

Content warning: None! Read this book!

Golden

2011-01-08T18:25:00.000-08:00

by Cameron Dokey
4/5 Stars

"This is what love is, I thought. A possibility that becomes a choice. A choice you keep making, over and over. Day after day. Year after year. Time after time."

A vain, pregnant woman begs her husband to steal rapunzel, an herb, from the garden of their neighbor, a sorceress. When the husband is discovered, she makes him promise that if, when his child is born, the mother has no love for it in her heart, he will give the child to the sorceress. So it comes that Melisande raises Rapunzel, a girl completely bald.

Rapunzel is impertinent, honest, self-confident and a wonderfully fun character. She meets a tinker's boy, Harry, who becomes her friend, and eventually much more. When she discovers the secret Melisande is hiding, Rapunzel has to look into her own heart to discover what truly lies there.

Cameron Dokey's book are beautifully written, sweet, and a treasure. She somehow manages to weave a profound moral into each story.

Content Warning: None! I highly recommend these books to girls.

Book Review: Hush, Hush

2010-12-21T21:11:00.000-08:00

by Becca Fitzpatrick
3/5 Stars

Some books stick with you long after you read them. Hunger Games. The Demon King series. These is My Words. Keturah and Lord Death. This book, not as much.

This book reminds me of watching a suspenseful movie. While you're watching, you can't tear yourself away. But in the end, you don't re-watch it. It's not a classic. That's a little how I felt about this book. I read it in a day or two, but came away with a ton of questions.

Nora Grey is one of those characters who leaves you wondering why men drool over her. She's pretty, sure, but how many pretty girls are there out there? She's withdrawn, studious, and never has any fun. Patch, her new biology partner, is gorgeous, dangerous and won't leave her alone.

When Nora finds out that Patch is after her for more complex reasons than simple dating, she alternates between a hate/love relationship with him. I finished the book feeling a little unsatisfied about the conclusion of their relationship. The plotline about angels is interesting, but probably not explored enough.

Teen girls will love this book. Boys will not.

Content Warning: Quite a bit of sensual references and inuendos. Some violence. Not recommended for under 16 years of age. Even then, I would exercise caution. Parents, read it first.

Pick of the Year: Paranormalcy

2010-12-13T20:37:00.000-08:00

by Kiersten White

     "Wait--did you--You just yawned!" The vampire's arms, raised over his head in the classic Dracula pose, dropped to his sides. He pulled his exaggerated white fangs back behind his lips. "What, imminent death isn't exciting enough for you?"
     "Oh, stop pouting. But, really, the widow's peak? The pale skin? The black cape? Where did you even get that thing, a costume store?"
     He raised himself to his full height and glared icily down at me. "I'm going to suck the life from your pretty white neck."
     I sighed. I hate the vamp jobs. They think they're so suave. It's not enough for them to slaughter and eat you like a zombie would. No, they want it to be all sexy, too. And, trust me: vampires? Not. Sexy. I mean, sure, their glamours can be pretty hot, but the dry-as-bone corpse bodies shimmering underneath? Nothing attractive there.
--Paranormalcy

First off, I just have to say this book is brilliant. Absolutely without question. READ THIS BOOK. I'm green with envy over her characterization. Evie's voice is unique, very cool and just wow. I can totally see how this book jumped to the top of the bestseller list. This is like nothing you've ever read that has vampires or werewolves, I can promise you that.

Evie has spent eight of her sixteen years working for the IPCA, or International Paranormal Containment Agency. She has a talent no one int he world has--she can see through glamours. All paranormals have them and use them to conceal their existence. Evie uses her pink taser (tasie) to subdue vampire, hags, and werewolves, and turn them over to the IPCA. Her best friend is a mermaid. One night, she inadvertantly catches Lend, a unique paranormal who can change shape. Bored of her monotonous existence, she befriends him, visiting him in his IPCA cell.

Now someone is killing all the paranormals. When there is literally no one else left, can Evie face the truth about herself and risk everything to save them?
Oh, and read the acknowledgements in the end. They're darling.

Content Warning: NONE! She uses the word "bleep" to swear :).

Book Review: A Kiss in Time

2010-12-13T20:30:00.000-08:00

by Alex Flinn

I loved Flinn's other book, Beastly, so I decided to take a crack at this one. (so excited they're making that into a movie!)

This one is a very modern and fun twist on Sleeping Beauty. Talia is about to turn sixteen and the only thing it seems she's learned in life is "don't touch spindles" in four languages. Inevitably, of course, she DOES, and the kingdom falls asleep for three hundred years.

Jack is on a tour of Europe (forced by his parents) and bored senseless. On a whim, he takes a tour bus to the beach and ends up fighting brambles into a lost kingdom. When he sees the beautiful Talia, of course he has to kiss her. But when she wakes, and wants him to take her home and marry her, kissing is the farthest thing from his mind. Maybe.

A breezy, fun read.

Content Warning: References to teen promiscuity, teen drinking, and an attempted seduction. Not recommended for under 16.

Book Review: The Exiled Queen (Seven Realms #2)

2010-11-19T08:54:00.000-08:00

by Cinda Williams Chima
5/5 Stars

"What I'm saying is, if I wanted you dead, you would already be dead a dozen ways. I let you live because now I got a different plan. You Bayars need to learn that you can't have everything you want. I'm going to teach you. This is just the beginning."

Micah's eyes narrowed. "Is that a threat?"

"Absolutely." Han smiled. "Any time you start a fight, you'd better know who you're coming up against." He stood. "Be seeing you."

-page 523

My favorite book by Chima so far (I've read them all). In the second installment in the Seven Realms series, Han, a former streetlord, travels to Oden's Ford to attend wizard school. As the descendent of one of the most powerful wizards to ever live--the Demon King--Han has claimed the right to use his ancestor's amulet. Of course, even wizard school wouldn't be complete without bullies (the Bayars--twin children of the High Wizard), corrupt teachers or school pranks. But I feel that Chima's take on this was refreshing and new. Han, at one point, threatens the Bayars and I found I had pleasant chills at his very realistic courage (see quote above).

Rebecca, aka the princess of the Fells, arrives at Oden's Ford in disguise to train as a warrior. The commander of her guard, Ammon Bryne, is gorgeous, broody and completely in love with her. The headmaster of the academy calls Rebecca "witch talker" for a good reason. She's brave and sincere. I loved her character.

Of course, will Rebecca meet Han? And what will happen then? A question that kept me flipping pages.

It's long, but a well-paced, delightful read. Don't miss out!

Content Warning: A bit of kissing, a few people killed.

Book Review: A Conspiracy of Kings

2010-11-16T19:46:00.000-08:00

by Megan Whalen Turner
Five/Five Stars

I love Megan Whalen Turner. She has a rare talent for intrigue, suspense and absolutely one-of-a-kind characters. I'd give this entire series five stars.

Sophos is a wimp, a coward and isn't afraid to cry. He knows he's not fit to be a king, and so does the rest of the country. When he's kidnapped by professional thugs working for the barons rebelling against the king, he escapes, landing in a work camp. Branded as a man-killer, he instantly gains cred among his fellow workers.

I enjoyed watching the incredible growth in Sophos's character. I liked him from the beginning, but once he saves his father's life, I fell in love with his character.
Once again, Gen was brilliant. I loved his signs of vulnerability in his interaction with Sophos.
The ending was perhaps the most surprising and wonderful of all the Thief series.
Content Warning: None. A few battles.

Book Review: Iron Daughter (Iron Fey #2)

2010-10-18T17:29:00.000-07:00

by Julie Kagawa
5/5 Stars

"Ash stood in the middle of the room, surrounded by glowing white flowers, eyes closed as tiny lights swirled around him. They shummered and drew together, merging tinto a luminescent faery with long silver hair, her features so lovely and perfect that my throat ached. Ash opened his eyes as she reached for him, her hands stopping just shy of his face. Longing shone from his eyes, and I shivered as the spectral faery moved right through him, dissolving into tiny lights."

--p.126
In this second installment of the Iron Fey series, Meghan searches for the scepter of the seasons, along with the star-crossed Ash and the humorous Puck. Meghan is a very real character--tough yet she does end up passing out a lot :). This book reminds me of a much better version of the Twilight series (don't get me wrong, I love Meyer)--the characters are distinct, strong and the writing is beautiful. I think it's hard for an author to top the first book in a series, but Kagawa has successfully delved deeper into the characters, their past and woven a high-stakes, emotional story.

There is nothing objectionable in this series for young readers with the exception of a little bit of language. The next one comes out in January and I've already pre-ordered.

Content Warning: A few mild swear words.

Book Review: The Iron King

2010-10-03T21:17:00.000-07:00

by Julie Kagawa
4/5 Stars

"Ash still held my hand. Gently I tried pulling back, but he wasn't letting go. I glanced up, and found his face inches from mine. My heart stumbled a bit, then picked up, louder and faster than before. The prince's expression was blank; nothing showed on his face or in his eyes, but his body had gone very still.

I licked my lips and whispered, "Is this where you say you'll kill me?"

One corner of his lip curled. "If you like, he murmured, a flicker of amusement crossing his face. "Though it's gotten far too interesting for that."

Megan Chase hoped for one thing on her sixteenth birthday--one hour with the high school hottie during a computer-tutoring session. But when the computer becomes alive with a strange creature, who insults the jock, it triggered the a day filled with unpleasant surprises--including discovering her best friend is an ancient creature of the fey world and her brother kidnapped and replaced by a changeling.

Megan discovers her own true parentage and meets Ash, the son of the rulie of the Unseelie world, an unbelievably hot fay who tries to kill her and then saves her life. Robbie, her protector since childhood, reveals a hatred and jealously of Ash that makes an interesting love triangle. I found myself routing for both of them.

A very entertaining, fast-paced book. I got a little frustrated by her journey through the Nevernever--it seemed to go on forever. I wanted her to get to the palace and to Ash. I felt like it took a while to get to the meat of the story. Other than that, fun read.

Content Warning: I'd recommend this book for 15+, due to references to rape (from centaurs, just once), and a couple innuendos.

Book Review: The Clockwork Angel

2010-09-27T12:29:00.000-07:00

by Cassandra Clare

5/5 Stars

Tessa arrives in London from New York, expecting her brother to be waiting for her. Instead, a pair of warlocks called the Dark Sisters kidnap her and teach her about her unique gift--one claimed by no other. Set in the Victorian era, this book follows Tessa as she meets Will Herondale, Jem Carstairs and other Shadowhunters (a mix of fallen angel and man) as they battle the Magister, vampires, automatons and most importantly (of course) an interesting love-triangle.

Will is, quite simply, one of the biggest anti-heroes I've ever read. He's such a jerk that I hardly wanted him to end up with Tessa. I can think of maybe two redeemable things he does--otherwise, he's just purposely rude and downright mean. I preferred the tough, battered and sensitive Jem, who is clearly in love with her. In any case, it's infuriatingly unresolved.

This book is one of those I'm not sure I recommend to teenagers, unless you prefer reading about an excessive amount of gore. People are impaled by saws, heads roll about and bodies torn apart.

In spite of the gore, Cassandra Clare is a master writer. I didn't expect to like the book, then ended up fascinated. Her unique turn of phrase and outstanding characterization made the book very hard to put down (and that hasn't happened to me in a long time!). I had to instantly check to see when the next book is coming out (May!! 2011).

Content Warning: Just a lot of gore and overall, the themes are pretty dark. Just a warning that her other series (City of Bones, Ashes, etc.) has quite a bit of content that might be objectionable.

Pick of the Week: Hunger Games Trilogy

2010-09-02T21:14:00.000-07:00

Collins is solidly one of my top favorite authors (only behind Harper Lee). Most of the post-apocalyptic YA series I've read have started with a promising idea, then become too twisted or failed to deliver. This is not the case with this series, which started out with the incomparable Hunger Games, and ended with this beautiful, sad, haunting, and very real Mockingjay book.

So many of us see violence as a matter of course on television or read about it in literature. But very rarely does an author manage to teach us about the consequences of war without seeming to. Katniss Everdeen is broken after her second Hunger Games, taken to District 13 against her will. She makes a bargain with the rebels, which includes sparing Peeta's life, to become the Mockingjay, or symbol of the revolution. But little does she understand about the motives of the Rebel leadership, and this leads to dire consequences.

Though I really don't like Katniss at times, especially how she treats Peeta and Gale, I do admire her strength, her ability to analyze people and situations and her compassion. Those qualities make it nearly impossible for her to have a relationship. I found the resolution of the love triangle, though appropriate, to be disappointing. In any case, the love triangle is not central in this book--the war between the Capitol and the Rebels (or Presidents Snow and Coin) is the focus. I felt, in the writing, how often Katniss' mind strayed into drug-induced dreamland in order to cope with her situations.

Collins is, as always, brilliant. This is my favorite trilogy of all time. If you haven't read the "Gregor Overlander" series, I highly recommend it.

Content Warning: I recommend ages 16+ due to extreme violence and mature themes of war and loss

Pick of the Week: Cotillion by Georgette Heyer

2010-07-19T18:47:00.000-07:00

5/5 Stars

"When having, as he put it, dropped the blunt for two tickets of admission and a catalogue, he confronted these treasures of ancient Greece [Elgin Marbles], he was quite dumbfounded, and only recovered his voice when he was called upon to admire the Three Fates, from the eastern pediment. 'Dash it, they've got no heads!' he protested."

This may be classified as adult historical fiction, but I believe ages 16+ can handle it, possibly younger, depending on reading skill. The characters are delightful. Kitty Charring, the ward of an eccentric, rich old man, must marry one of his great-nephews in order to inherit his fortune. At 17, she hasn't yet experienced the world outside her guardian's cold, dark mansion.

When she happens to meet one of her potential suitors, Freddy, at the inn near the mansion, they brew a scheme to get her to London; a false engagement. Freddy, ever chivalrous, can't stand Kitty's distress and agrees to the plan.

When the rakish Jack, another potential suitor, begins vying for Kitty's hand, the games begin. Oh what a delightful book, led by the courageous and loyal Kitty! Bravo!

Content Warning: Some references to gentleman keeping mistresses. Appropriate for 16+

Pick of the Week: Forbidden Sea by Sheila A. Neilson

2010-07-12T21:02:00.000-07:00

5/5 Stars

"Their beauty was beyond anything I could give a name to, their skins the strangest shades of green, blue, purple, and all other colors of the ocean...One dark-skinned young mergirl swam by, her dazzling purple hair streaming gently behind her. She caught me staring and pulled herself up, her iridescent fin fluttering beneath her like a shimmering butterfly checked in flight."

-Forbidden Sea

As a potential author, I am often put in a difficult position when someone I know asks me to read and/or critique their writing. Sheila is a member of my amazing writers' critique group and we were all happy for her as we waited for her book to be published. I ordered my copy and sat down to read.

After the first nail-biting chapter, I knew this was not going to be one of those books I would have to feign praise for. The writing is beautiful, original and I instantly related to the main character--Adrianne.

When Adrianne's father is killed in a riding accident, her mother spends months listless on her bed, leaving Adrianne to care for the household. At 12 years old, she was forced into early adulthood when the money ran out and she and her mother and sister became destitute. Once pretty, admired and spoiled, 14-year old Adrianne now barely survives on two meals a day while working farm chores that make her constantly smell and sweat. Her mother takes in mending from the town while her 9-year old sister does nothing. Their Auntie Minna (her father's sister) lives with them, constantly harping on Adrianne for the loss of her father and their money.

Adrianne's one true friend, Denn, whom she has loved since childhood, pines away after the spoiled, vacuous Cora Lynn. Adrianne herself is tortured by the local bullies for her short hair (she sold her long, beautiful hair to a wig salesman to bring in money for her family) and dirty appearance.

While saving her sister Cecily from drowning, a mermaid marks Adrianne and attempts to pull her into the sea. When the attempt fails, the mermaid continues to call to Adrianne in dreams, in her mind and through her mark.

At this point, the book reminded me very much of Harry Potter. At some points in the series by JK Rowling, I wondered how it could get any worse for Harry. Adrianne's dismal plight seemed similar.

Beautiful and imaginative, I wished I could have read more about the world of the mermaids. I'm madly jealous Sheila! Amazing job!

Content Warning: None! Recommended for ages 10+

Pick of the Week: The Guernsey Literary and Potato Pie Peel Society

2010-06-28T20:18:00.000-07:00

by Mary Ann Shafer and Annie Barrows
5/5 Stars

Writer Juliet Ashton is feeling discouraged. World War II has just ended and though she lives comfortably, she feels uninspired. She recieves a letter one day from a resident of Guernsey who has come across her name written in a book. Juliet is delighted by the letter and by Guernsey's people. She decides to write a book about their story, about how they endured the Nazi occupation.

I've read many World War II books, many that left me feeling completely depressed and sorrowful about the events of that war. This book is the first I've read that shows a different side of the Nazi soldiers. How can ALL of them have been horrible and soulless? In fact, most of the Nazi soldiers in this book show some measure of compassion for the occupied residents.

But more than the Nazi occupation, this book is about people. About Isola, who believes she can read people's future by feeling their "head bumps". About a woman who refuses to read any books other than a cookbook, even during the war when there was nothing to cook with. About a tender, nearly perfect man, who loves Juliet completely.

Everyone should read this book. I'd recommend it for any age. It will hopefully rank among the classics in the future.

Content Warnings: None!

Book Review: The Thief

2010-06-24T19:57:00.000-07:00

By Megan Whalen Turner
5/5 Stars

"I can steal anything."

This book is the first in a trilogy (soon to have a fourth book) and won a Newberry back in 1996.

Though it was published over 14 years ago, it is still a fun, exciting and clever book. Imagine Oceans 11, set back in the middle ages, with a younger George Clooney playing a teenage thief.

Each kingdom in this realm, in order to protect it's borders and it's ruler, retains a Thief. Gen is recruited by his queen to steal an object of unimaginable power, that can bestow a kingdom on it's bearer. He is released from prison with this sole objective. This book follows his journey to a neighboring kingdom, with a million twists and turns along the way.

Gen is one of the most unique and brilliant characters ever written. Every teen should read this book.

Parental Advisory: None!

Book Review: Ballad by Maggie Stiefvater

2010-06-16T20:50:00.000-07:00

James attends an art/music school designed to help teenagers with "gifts" that present in their music. For example, James is a pyschic. And when the hidden fairies hear his music (the bagpipes), they discover his talent and are attracted to its power. James meets Nuala, a sexy, young fairy who wants to steal his talent and his life. But when he refuses their bargain, they end up forming an odd friendship. His childhood friend and girl he used to secretely love, Diedre, decides she isn't done with James yet. Thus, an interesting love triangle forms.

First of all, I LOVE James. I don't think I've ever read such a unique voice and that's saying something. Bravo to Stiefvater for creating such an original, likeable yet egotistical, smart-alek character. James' view of the world was absolutely fascinating. Stiefvater did a wonderful job showing us that James is a narcissistic musician--sleep, hours, class, and assignments--and that he didn't play by any rules. Yet his teachers and everyone loves him (including, I'm sure, any girls who read this book).

I couldn't put this book down (and I have three kids). I shooed them all away to make their own meals so I could finish.

Parental Advisory: Rampant swearing and some sexual situations (though nothing really objectionable). Recommended for 16+

What's Your Favorite Book?

2010-06-15T20:36:00.001-07:00

I've shared a bunch of my favorite books, so my challenge to you is to share a comment with me containing YOUR favorite book. Or...your not so favorite book. If you like, go ahead and challenge me to read and review it.

If you're a new author, I LOVE to read ARCs.

I've been attending a Writing for Young Readers Conference this week and so far, I've met Brandon Mull (AWESOME guy--very funny), David Farland (Runelords series--amazingly knowledgeable about everything), Rick Walton (author of more than 70 books and a playwright) and Jennifer Hunt (Managing Editor for Little Brown--love her!). I was also very impressed by Sara Zarr! I'll be reading and reviewing her books very soon.

So please, I'm begging you! (not very authorly, I know) leave me a comment with your favorite book!

Book Review: The Chosen One

2010-05-26T21:01:00.000-07:00

By Carol Lynch Williams

I picked up this book because of the rave reviews by everyone and the multiple awards it received. The author is a Utah author, as well as organizing a wonderful, annual conference for young adult writers.

Kyra is the 13-year daughter of a polygamous man, whose three wives and multiple children form a surprisingly loving family, considering the horrific conditions they live in. The Prophet, his Apostles and the God squad rule dozens of families, trapped in the middle of the Nevada desert.

The story begins with Kyra's family preparing for a visit from the Prophet. Children are scrubbed, food is prepared from the little they have and even the sick, pregnant wife gives up the only chair for the Prophet to sit in. He informs the family that he has had a vision and Kyra is to become one of his Apostle's eight wives. This Apostle is over 60 years old and her uncle.

In spite of its brutal content, this book is beautifully written. The style is flawless. However, after a scene where an infant is forced into a cold water bath, complete with ice cubes, in order to teach her discipline, I could barely finish the book. Young adult readers do see awful things in our society, but I don't believe they've been exposed to this type of cruelty.

Kyra is a wonderful, strong character. But I'm sorry to say that I would probably not recommend this book for readers under 18.

Book Review: The Forest of Hands and Teeth

2010-04-15T09:57:00.000-07:00

by Carrie Ryan

I'm not sure how to classify this book: romance? suspense? horror?

Mary lives in a village (yes, much like The Village, the movie) where the sisterhood rule the small population. Outside the fences, the Unconsecrated (zombies) swarm, driven crazy by the smell of the villager's blood. Set in a postapocalyptic time frame, this story is so well-paced, I read it in a day (very unusual for me).

The story begins with Mary's mother, obsessed with her husband's disappearance, searching for him at the fences and getting bitten. The infection spreads, killing her and making her Return. Without the protection of her mother, and not having been spoken for by a young man, Mary is forced to the sisterhood.

A strange and touching romance enfolds (with an injured young man seeking help at the convent). However, Mary is one of the most self-centered characters I've ever read (next to Scarlet O'Hara). This is pointed out to her multiple times, but she refuses to see it.

If you're in the mood for a face-paced, gory (yet beautifully written, strange I know) romance novel, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this one. Keep in mind that most people (including myself) weren't crazy about the ending.

Recommended for: Ages 16+ (I say this because there is quite a bit of gore and adult themes)

Book Review: Wondrous Strange

2010-04-13T21:27:00.000-07:00

by Lesley Livington

Kelley (I love the name) is a 17-year old actress in NYC. She just landed the role of Titania in Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream. One afternoon, while walking in Central Park, a Handsome Stranger (that's how she refers to him until she learns his name) hands her a beautiful rose to cheer her up. Sonney is a member of the Janus, mortal changelings sent by Auberon, winter king of the fairie unseelie court, to guard the gate between the fairie and mortal realms.

The pacing, writing style, and character development in this book were outstanding! The tender love story that develops between Kelley and Sonney is sweet--I loved it! At the same time, I also enjoyed the the fairie story and the twist at the ending. I look forward to reading the second book!

Auction for Fire Petal Books

2010-04-10T09:40:00.001-07:00

A courageous entreprenuer is opening a new children's book store in Centerville, Utah by the name of Fire Petal Books (love it).

She's having an auction, ending today, to raise money for the store. There are many wonderful items, including a full manuscript critique, admissions to a teen writer's conference and a ton of autographed books.

Check it out: http://firepetalbooks.com/blog/?p=74

Book Review: All Unquiet Things

2010-04-08T21:19:00.000-07:00

by Anna Jarzab

A 16-year girl old is murdered, shot to death. This story begins a year after the murder, with the story of her best friend and ex-boyfriend, who still struggle to cope with her death.

The first few pages, told by one of the narrators (Neily) were a little strange. He starts by doing something very self-destructive and I wondered if the rest of the book would be so dramatic. But I quickly became enthralled in the story. The other narrator is the victim's cousin.

The two team up to solve the murder, believing the police had the wrong man in custody.

It was well-paced, well-written, and interesting. I was completely surprised by the identity of the killer, but it made complete sense. A great whodonit!

Warning: There is a lot of swearing in this book. My recommendation is for ages 16+.

My Experience with Kelly Mortimer: Extreme Agent

2010-04-03T14:27:00.000-07:00

After a year of querying (it's embarassing to reveal how many), and many, many hours of editing and sleepless nights, I found an agent willing to take a risk by taking a look at ELEMENTAL.

Don't get me wrong: I've had agents review the full manuscript before, and even show enthusiasm, but only one offered concrete feedback.

Two weeks ago, I received a package in the mail--the first 100 pages of ELEMENTAL. I'd sent it to Kelly Mortimer, per her request. The package also contained a hand-written note, a type-written note and pages covered in red ink. Isn't it silly that for a writer, the more an agent blasts a writer's manuscript, the more they care? Kelly's advice on plot and pacing was awesome, but it was the editing that struck me the most.

I'd sent Elemental to Precision Editing Group for content and line-item editing eight months ago. While I very much appreciated their content suggestions, they blew the line-item editing by a long mile. Kelly's suggestions on passive tense, shortening sentences to include only essential words, and using contractions to quicken pacing were brilliant and so very thorough!

It took me a full week of working every spare minute to finish implementing her suggestions. I can't believe the end result. I sound so brilliant! :) More than any workshop I've attended, Kelly's help made me a better writer.

If you're an aspiring writer, you need to subscribe to her newsletter. And check out her website: www.mortimerliterary.com.

I have to admit I was skeptical at first--Kelly's personality is not what you find among other agents. But she's thorough, knows her stuff, and has a proven track record (not to mention the hours she took to help me as a writer). Thanks Kelly!

Cross your fingers, or whatever it is you cross for luck, I get an offer of representation from her!

Book Review: All Unquiet Things

2010-03-30T12:31:00.000-07:00

I didn't pick up this book with great expectations (the cover is a little gory with a dead teenage girl splayed all over it), but was pleasantly wowed.

I've been searching for a book club selection since it's my turn to host in a few months, and several websites recommended All Unquiet Things. There are two narrators: Neily, the best-friend/ex-boyfriend and Audrey, the best-friend/cousin. It begins with Neily's suicide attempt, a year after Carly's murder. I have to admit I wasn't thrilled with the beginning because Neily is one odd duck. But as I read further, I appreciated his character more and more. He's completely eccentric and totally brilliant. Carly was his first real friend and soul-mate. He was a bit obsessive about her, but she was also a tad crazy.

Audrey's father is arrested for Carly's murder, but Audrey believes he's innocent. She enlists Neily's help in discovering the true killer. I have to admit I was hoping for a little romance here, but instead, their alliance develops into a deep friendship (not too disappointing).

I love books where I can't see the end coming, but of course, it all makes sense once I get there! I never guessed the killer, but loved who it turned out to be (nothing draws me in like a strong hero and a good villain).

Warning: This book does contain a lot of language. My recommended age for this book is 16+. The subject matter is heavy, there is sex (implied), teen drinking, and drugs.

Yes, well...

2010-03-23T11:19:00.001-07:00

Apparently deadlines are kind of soft in the publishing industry. I'm still waiting to hear back from Simon & Schuster Pulse. I'm thrilled they are considering ELEMENTAL!

I also have a few agents interested in the manuscript. One sent a partial to a Young Readers Circle for review! Another thoughtful agent took the time to give me some wonderful feedback on the manuscript.

This process started with a quirky woman (me) who was addicted to YA books, costing me several thousand dollars a year. After quitting a job I'd enjoyed for three years, and still needing to stay at home with my kids, I started typing away. After 10 months, the novel was finished. Now, a year and three months after ELEMENTAL was completed, I'm still revising, querying and hoping to get published!

The Percy Jackson Series: Like Reading a Movie

2009-06-22T21:21:00.000-07:00

The outrageously talented Rick Riordan has created an action-packed, thrilling conclusion to his Percy Jackson series in his recently released novel, The Last Olympian. I first began the series two years ago and was reminded of Eoin Colfer's Artemis Fowl series. The hero is a young, unlikely misfit boy surrounded by humorous and outstanding characters. Riordan manages to create a world without excessive description, using the characters - their emotion, development and reactions - to make us feel like we are really challenging Hades, the god of the Underworld. Or like we are facing the lord of the titans and feeling our own inadequacy. By sparing the detail and excessive character emotional deliberation, the young adult/middle grade reader gets exactly what they are looking for - humor, action, a little bit of romance, a lot of great fight scenes and a terrific plot twist in the end. I'd recommend this series to readers 8+, including adults!

Favorite Young Adult Fiction Authors

2009-04-04T20:25:00.000-07:00

Here are (in my humble opinion) the best and most entertaining YA authors:
(these are in no particular order)

1. Suzanne Collins Hunger Games and the Gregor Overlander series. Her writing is very blunt and to the point without losing any of the details that make the overall story great. Hunger Games is among my favorite books of all time.
2. Meg Cabot: If you are looking for entertainment, Cabot is the way to go. Her plots can sometimes be predictable, but her characters are never one-dimensional. Avalon High has a surprising twist at the end - one of my favorites by her.
3. Ally Carter: She's only written two books - a series about a very unusual high school where highly intelligent young women are trained to be super spies. The catch is that they know nothing about relationships or boys.
4. Stephenie Meyer: Of course I have to mention her! Twilight got me back into YA fiction a few years ago. And The Host is a great work of fiction.
5. Juliet Marillier: Wildwood Dancing and especially Cybele's Secret are two fairy tale classics with a twist. I love the strong female characters. The Sevenwaters series is an eloquent classic. The first, Daughter of the Forest, gives us the story of an unusual young women who undertakes an impossible mission to save her cursed brothers, and finds a powerful love along the way.
6. Anthony Horowitz: The Alex Rider series surprised me with its ingenious and unassuming main character. These are addicting reads!
7. Clare B. Dunkle: The Hollow Kingdom series rivals Twilight for unusual romance. I couldn't believe the plot at first, but ending up loving the characters and the unique setting.
8. Cinda Williams Chima: Warrior Heir and Wizard Heir bring the war of the Roses into modern day with a twist. Loved it!
9. Gail Carsen Levine: Ella Enchanted is nothing like the rather odd movie - its charming, sweet and humorous. One of my favorites.
10. Harper Lee: To Kill A Mockingbird. Best book of the century.

That's all for now! I have many others. I'll start posting book reviews in the next couple weeks.

Healing by Night

2009-01-26T20:31:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the blog of a compulsive writer just waiting to be discovered! I created this blog not just to post some of my own scribbles, but to promote some of the best authors (a couple are personal friends) and books out there.

My focus is Young Adult Fiction. If you are looking for a semi-expert/semi-obsessesed authority on everything YA, you have come to the right place!