City of Savages by Lee Kelly

Release Date: 3 February 2015 | Publisher: Saga Press | Format: Audio

Review:

Sky, Phee, and their mom have been living and surviving on Manhattan ever since the Third World War turned the island into a POW camp. The island is ruled by the iron fist of Rolladin, the island "native" appointed by the conquering Red Allies to maintain control. The world, however, is not quite what the inhabitants of the island have been led to believe. Newcomers threaten to expose long-kept secrets and drive Sky and Phee to look for answers--and what they find along the way is not at all what they expected. City of Savages offer an action-filled, compelling read that I think will be appealing to fans of YA dystopian novels, but it wasn't without its flaws. While the story is told from both sisters' perspectives, I found their voices to be incredibly similar and at times difficult to differentiate (even with the added benefit of two different audio narrators). I found myself wishing for two more distinct personalities to come through. My other criticism of this book is less about the book itself (which, like I said, I really enjoyed) and more about the marketing. For me, this read solidly like a YA novel--full of action and the requisite suspension of disbelief (because of lacking details)--but it was published (and is shelved at my local public library) as an adult novel. I think readers who largely enjoy the more nuanced, detailed adult fiction might be disappointed by this book. That being said, this has a lot of potential to be a hit with teens and adults who read YA, especially since it is a standalone novel (YAY STANDALONE NOVELS!)

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YA Book Review: Epic Fail by Claire LaZebnik

Release Date: 2 August 2011

Publisher: HarperTeen
Format: Paperback
Source: Purchased

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Goodreads description:

Will Elise’s love life be an epic win or an epic fail?

At Coral Tree Prep in Los Angeles, who your parents are can make or break you. Case in point:

As the son of Hollywood royalty, Derek Edwards is pretty much prince of the school—not that he deigns to acknowledge many of his loyal subjects.

As the daughter of the new principal, Elise Benton isn’t exactly on everyone’s must-sit-next-to-at-lunch list.

When Elise’s beautiful sister catches the eye of the prince’s best friend, Elise gets to spend a lot of time with Derek, making her the envy of every girl on campus. Except she refuses to fall for any of his rare smiles and instead warms up to his enemy, the surprisingly charming social outcast Webster Grant. But in this hilarious tale of fitting in and flirting, not all snubs are undeserved, not all celebrity brats are bratty, and pride and prejudice can get in the way of true love for only so long.

My Thoughts...

 Epic Fail was a fabulous cute, feel-good novel! Elise Benton is determined to be different from all of the other girls at school when it comes to the very handsome son of two famous movie actors.   While everyone else falls at his feet and lets him do whatever he wants, Claire treats him with just a little disdain and a whole lot of caution.  Despite his rare smiles and nice moments, she goes off with Webster Grant, who turns out to be more than a little disappointing.

This was a fun, very quick read (that I picked up and finished in the course of an evening).  Elise is a strong-willed young woman determined not to fall into the "traps" of the celebrity town that she has just moved to.  Derek is a reserved guy wary of any and all attention because most of it comes solely as a result of his parents' celebrity status.  Despite their differences and some arguments, they tend to get thrown together frequently she Elise's sister, Juliana, is fairly shy and reserved and begs Elise to join her when hanging out with Chase, her boyfriend.

While you may be wary of reading yet another Jane Austen retelling, Epic Fail is actually a fun book to read. This book relies on its characters and their chemistry to move the plot along and Ms. LaZebnik did a fabulous job with doing just that.  While I have to admit that a lot doesn't happen, the author is completely successful and pulling you into the lives of the characters and actually making you care what happens to them.  I would definitely recommend this one if you're looking for something that's quick and fun to read.

(ARC) YA Book Review: Saving June by Hannah Harrington

Release Date: 22 November 2011
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Source: NetGalley

Buy It! Amazon | B&N

Goodreads description:

When her older sister commits suicide and her divorcing parents decide to divide the ashes, Harper Scott takes her sister's urn to the one place June always wanted to go: California. On the road with her best friend, plus an intriguing guy with a mysterious connection to June, Harper discovers truths about her sister, herself and life.

My Thoughts...

Saving June was a heart-wrenching, beautiful read.  Once I started reading, I was so drawn into the story that I couldn't put the book down.  Trust me--I was SO wishing that I hadn't volunteered to work on Black Friday because I could have been reading this instead!

If she's waited less than two weeks, she would be June who died in June, but I guess she never took that into account.

-p7, eARC

When the story opens, June is dead and her younger sister, Harper, is dealing with the aftermath--the funeral and wake, the pitying glances, the endless casseroles, and the unwanted affectionate embraces of old women wearing too much perfume.  Harper was always very different from her sister, but now she is forced to see the world around her differently.  Did she really know her sister?

But I wasn't interested in being like June, and I definitely didn't want to live in June's shadow. Even if mine was less impressive, at least it was my own.

 -p34, eARC

I connected with Harper early on in this book.  She's a unique person who's never been afraid to stand up for herself and do her own thing, but at her deepest points, she has more in common with each and every one of us than she ever imagined.  She is so heartbroken over her sister's death that my heart broke right alongside hers.  I thought that her grieving process was handled immensely well, including her "wild" idea to drive June's ashes across the country to scatter them in California.  It seemed like such a fitting tribute that coincided with what we knew of June and what we're learning about Harper.

"Without music, life would be a mistake."

-Jake, p175, eARC

Jake is a character who pops into Harper's life out of nowhere, and I felt from the first moment that I "met" him that he was going to be significant.  Throughout the story I loved getting to see Harper and Jake interact and get to know each other and themselves in the process. Jake is so not the person I expected him to be from initial interactions and I seriously grew to like him a lot.  The only thing that irked me just a little were his mood swings. I mean, this boy SERIOUSLY suffers from male PMS.  His bickering with Harper would kind of pop up out of nowhere and make me want to smack the boy! But don't worry, he more than makes up for it later (despite a minor major f-up toward the end).

My very minor gripe aside, this book was phenomenal.  Ms. Harrington has taken a story of teenage grief and turned it into a beautiful story.  I think fans of contemporary YA fiction will fall deeply, madly in love with this story.

YA Book Reivew: Without Tess by Marcella Pixley

Release Date: 11 October 2011
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)
Source: NetGalley

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Goodreads description:

Tess and Lizzie are sisters, sisters as close as can be, who share a secret world filled with selkies, flying horses, and a girl who can transform into a wolf in the middle of the night. But when Lizzie is ready to grow up, Tess clings to their fantasies. As Tess sinks deeper and deeper into her delusions, she decides that she can’t live in the real world any longer and leaves Lizzie and her family forever. Now, years later, Lizzie is in high school and struggling to understand what happened to her sister. With the help of a school psychologist and Tess’s battered journal, Lizzie searches for a way to finally let Tess go.

My Thoughts...

Without Tess was a blend of many things: a daring description of mental illness, a beautiful portrayal of the bonds of sisterhood, a book that made me smile and cry.  It was one of those novels that I simply couldn't put down and reading page after page after page I found myself drowning in the emotions of the main character--possibly because I understand the sisters' relationship, possibly simply because this book is written in compelling prose.

Lizzie, our main character, has been trying to cope with her sister's untimely death for five years when the story opens.  Told in mix of flashbacks, poetry, and counseling sessions, the story of Tess and Lizzie's intense relationship comes to life before your eyes.  Despite the fact that Tess is already dead when the book starts, we get to know her through Lizzie's recollections.  It's clear from the beginning that Tess' playful imaginings are more than just make believe to her.  Lizzie goes along with everything her sister says from the beginning because she loves her sister more than anything in the world.  But when Tess' world of make believe becomes all too real for Lizzie, she has to make the choice to separate herself from her sister's world and that decision haunts her for a long time--well after her sister's death.

Lizzie is a character that really broke my heart.  It was tough to watch her hide herself away from the world because as the outside observer you could tell that she really just needed to talk about what happened--and not to a shrink or her parents.  There is such an intense difference between the girl of the flashbacks and present-day Lizzie.

Tess, despite being dead from the beginning, is a character that you both grow to love and hate through Lizzie's flashbacks.  She's rather intense, to say the least, and you watch her wrap Lizzie into her delusions throughout the novel.  Tess was a character who made me feel both empathy and anger for her all at the same time.  You are literally watching her waste away because of her delusional beliefs, which is heart-breaking, but at the same time, you watch her inflict intense emotional and sometimes physical pain on those around her, especially Lizzie.

Niccolo was an interesting minor character.  I liked how he pursued Lizzie because he didn't push TOO hard, but he made sure that she knew he was there for her.  I wanted her to lean on him and finally let SOMEONE in. However, Lizzie and Niccolo's relationship could have made a lot more sense.  I understood their little make-out session, but I could have used a little more build-up.  Like, maybe that first time could have just been one kiss spurred on my the crying/laughing?

The end wraps up possibly a little too quickly, but in a way that makes sense.  Lizzie isn't really "letting go" of Tess, but you finally feel like she has some semblance of inner peace and there's hope for her parents as well. Overall, I thought this was a well-done story of one sister's mental illness and the other's path to forgiveness and letting go. I would recommend it to YA readers who enjoy issue-centered YA reads.

YA Book Review: Sass & Serendipity by Jennifer Ziegler

Release Date: 12 July 2011

Publisher: Delacorte BFYR
Source: Banned Book Tours

Buy It! B&N | Amazon

Goodreads description:

For Daphne, the glass is always half full, a situation is better managed with a dab of lip gloss, and the boy of her dreams—the one she's read about in all of her novels—is waiting for her just around the corner.

For Gabby, nothing ever works out positively; wearing any form of makeup is a waste of study time, and boys will only leave you heartbroken. Her best friend, Mule, is the only one who has been there for her every step of the way.

But when the richest boy in school befriends Gabby, and Daphne starts to hang out more and more with her best friend, Mule, Gabby is forced to confront the emotional barriers she has put up to stop the hurting. And for once, her sassiness may fall prey to her definition of stupidity

My Thoughts...

Having grown up with a sister who is just 18 months younger than me, I tend to love and strongly relate to stories that explore that sister relationship--especially because my sister and I have run the gamut in terms of our relationship, from friends to enemies and back again. I really expected to fall head over heels in love with Sass & Serendipity, but I'm sad to say that I was slightly disappointed.

The premise of this novel is intriguing and relatable--one practical sister and one dreamer sister struggle with their personal relationships with friends, boys, and each other.  From the start, you know exactly who you are dealing with. Gabby is the ever-practical older sister--the one with the part-time job to help the family, the one who worries about everything, and the one who refuses to fall in love.  Daphne is the dreamer--the one who constantly forgets responsibilities, falls in love at first sight, and dreams of the day her prince will swoop in to save her.  While I understood the sharp contrast between the girls needed to be front and center, each girl struck me as a bit over-the-top in their actions.  Gabby won't relax for a second, not even with her best friend, and Daphne can't take two seconds to think about the reality of their family situation. There were moments in the book when I wanted to reach in a slap each sister silly!

My favorite part of this book was probably watching the minor characters of Mule and Prentiss develop and move slowly into the forefront of the story.  I liked watching how they creeped slowly into the lives of each sister and how they changed the girls for the better.  There is definitely a lot of growing-up to be done in this novel and Ziegler has really shown the reader the complexities of such a task.  I loved the realism that she uses to create the school environment and the real fears and heartache that teenagers can and do experience.

There was a lot of potential in this story, but for me, it simply missed the mark by a little.  If the story had focused more on the "growing up" that happens in the second half, I think that I would have enjoyed it more.  I would have loved to see the relationships that creep in toward the end fleshed out and explored.  Ziegler's writing is realistic and compelling, such that even when you find the characters annoying you keep turning the pages.

(As a side note, I thought I'd mention that this book struck me as a great read for the younger teens.  There's no violence or strong language.  There's a little kissing but nothing more.  I probably wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to the 13-15 age group.)

YA Book Review: Imaginary Girls by Nova Ren Suma

Imaginary Girls by Nova Ren Suma
© June 2011 by Dutton Juvenille

Goodreads description:

Chloe's older sister, Ruby, is the girl everyone looks to and longs for, who can't be captured or caged. When a night with Ruby's friends goes horribly wrong and Chloe discovers the dead body of her classmate London Hayes left floating in the reservoir, Chloe is sent away from town and away from Ruby.

But Ruby will do anything to get her sister back, and when Chloe returns to town two years later, deadly surprises await. As Chloe flirts with the truth that Ruby has hidden deeply away, the fragile line between life and death is redrawn by the complex bonds of sisterhood.

My Thoughts...

Okay, we'll start with a confession here: the first time I saw the cover for this book I immediately knew I had to read it.  When I saw it in person, I was in love. Like, seriously, this cover is captivating. Now that's out of the way, I'll give you a some brief thoughts on the story.  And, when I say brief, I really do mean it this time because I'm still not really sure what I thought/felt about this story.

First, not everyone is going to enjoy this book.  It looks and sounds like a contemporary--I thought it was going to be a contemporary.  It's not really.  There's a paranormal element that comes in, mostly toward the end but you get weird hints throughout, that you don't really see coming...actually you never really find out what it is. (Which I'll admit, was a little annoying). 

The prose is beautiful.  For me, Nova's writing really flowed from page to page and despite confusion about what was going on (which, I think I was *supposed* to be at least a little confused?), I found myself turning page after page to read more about these sisters and the strange events that were happening.  Throughout the story, I had really vivid images of what was going on, but the entire time I also felt a little like I had entered this alternate dream universe.  It had that feeling that I think dreams sometimes give you--the uncertainty, the "haze" surrounding events, the haunting feeling later when you feel like you can't quite remember everything that happened.

In conclusion, the writing is beautiful, and the story is unique/interesting, I felt a little dissatisfied at the end because I still didn't really know what was up with Ruby. I do know, however, that I definitely hope to read more from Nova in the future!

Some other reviews (b/c like I said...not everyone will like this):

• The Bookish Brunette
• Chick Loves Lit
• Pure Imagination
• I Read Banned Books

I chose this post for Review Appreciation Day (7/7/11) @ The Cait Files!

YA Book Review: Die for Me by Amy Plum

Die for Me by Amy Plum
© May 2011 by HarperTeen

Goodreads description:

When Kate Mercier's parents die in a tragic car accident, she leaves her life--and memories--behind to live with her grandparents in Paris. For Kate, the only way to survive her pain is escaping into the world of books and Parisian art. Until she meets Vincent.

Mysterious, charming, and devastatingly handsome, Vincent threatens to melt the ice around Kate's guarded heart with just his smile. As she begins to fall in love with Vincent, Kate discovers that he's a revenant--an undead being whose fate forces him to sacrifice himself over and over again to save the lives of others. Vincent and those like him are bound in a centuries-old war against a group of evil revenants who exist only to murder and betray. Kate soon realizes that if she follows her heart, she may never be safe again.

My Thoughts...

I read this one while I was on vacation in the UK and I think that it was the perfect vacation read.  The kind of book that you read purely as part of the escapism of a vacation.  One of the first things that I noticed when I started this book was just how easy it was to read.  Amy Plum's prose is beautiful and the writing simply flows beautiful.  The woman sure does know how to write a good story!

Our main character here (as I'm sure you gathered from the synopsis) is Kate Mercer, a  young woman who has been devastated by the loss of her parents.  The way that Plum writes Kate at the beginning makes her an incredibly sympathetic character; her pain in losing her parents jumps off the page and becomes very real.  I think I connected with her at this point because she dealt with the loss in a way that felt similar to how I would react.  While Kate makes some of the same mistakes throughout that generally make me sigh and shake my head at the character, I overall really liked her character. 

The romance in this book is really beautiful...that simple beautiful "first love" kind of romance (although it's not Vincent's first time in love...).  Now, I must admit that Vincent had a little bit of the "stalker" air about him when he first starts talking to Kate, but I got over it.  I know that some readers will have problems with this, but I overlooked it.  Maybe I'm just too in love with my hot male leads and my "kissing books."

What I thought made this book unique was the idea of revenants--it was like this completely different take on zombies?  So interesting!  I thought that it really worked, even making one form of them "good" and another "bad" and the way that each "type" was created.  I don't want to tell you what they really are so you can discover them for yourself.  Let's suffice it to say that I loved Amy Plum's debut novel and look forward to reading more from her in the future!

Oh, I also met Amy at the Dark Days of Supernatural tour stop.  She's super sweet and I was so excited to get the chance to meet her! Also, I'm totally jealous that she lives in France. She also brought absolutely delicious chocolate--dark chocolate with sea salt?! Yum!




And just because you should know that not everyone is in love with this book and I fully realize you may not like this book...if you're on the fence, read these blogs' reviews as well!

• Parajunkee's View
• The Story Siren
• Bewitched Bookworms
• Book Chick City

YA Book Review: Between Here and Forever

Between Here and Forever
By Elizabeth Scott

Release Date: 24 May 2011
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Source: S&S Galley Grab

Buy It!
B&N | Amazon | Book Depository

Goodreads Description:

Abby accepted that she can’t measure up to her beautiful, magnetic sister Tess a long time ago, and knows exactly what she is: Second best. Invisible. Until the accident.

Now Tess is in a coma, and Abby’s life is on hold. It may have been hard living with Tess, but it's nothing compared to living without her. She's got a plan to bring Tess back though, involving the gorgeous and mysterious Eli, but then Abby learns something about Tess, something that was always there, but that she’d never seen. Abby is about to find out that truth isn't always what you think it is, and that life holds more than she ever thought it could...

Thoughts, Musings, Ramblings...

Before I get into my thoughts on this one, I have to say upfront that I have quite the love affair with angst-ridden teenagers working through some difficult things, falling in love for the first time, and finding some semblance of self-worth.  I (apparently) have a thing about story involved dead/dying girls as well, as I would rank The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold and If I Stay by Gayle Forman among my absolute favorite books.   This was my first Elizabeth Scott book and I was excited to read it as a break from the paranormal reading that I've been doing.  I was looking for a breath of fresh air and hoping for a Gayle Forman style story that would sweep me away--make me laugh, cry, love, and live with the characters.  I wouldn't say that I was disappointed but I don't think that it quite lived up to my expectations.

Abby is a fairly typical self-deprecating younger sister living in the shadow of her "amazing" older sister.  Throughout the story, I honestly wanted to slap her more times than I can count and tell her to open her eyes.  Her insecurity is pounded into your head throughout the entire book, and honestly, it made me almost completely unable to get behind her as an MC.

Tess is, in Abby's mind, the girl who everyone likes and I have to admit that I felt like I got to know her more through the story that I did Abby.  As Abby learned about the Tess she didn't know, I did too and I really liked her.  She was a teenager dealing with a lot of emotional difficulties and tough choices.  I loved how Tess was unveiled slowly throughout the story.

Eli....oh Eli.  Eli was such a real, fabulous love interest and friend.  His character was beyond well-developed and I loved the dynamic that he brought to the story.  Again, I don't want to give too much away, but suffice it to say that Eli is awesome.  You will fall in love with him.

What this book does fantastically is bring in diversity and sexuality in such a seamless way that it doesn't come across as preachy or forced or any of the things that often happen when an author tries too hard to do those things.  I don't want to spoil anything so I'll leave it at that but be prepared for a well-rounded cast of characters.

Overall, I might recommend this to contemporary fans who can hack the self-deprecating MC.  It's a quick read and it definitely has its redeeming qualities.

The Sky Is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson

I picked this book up (or rather put it on hold) after I saw it on an NPR book list by Gayle Foreman titled "Oh, To Be Young: The Year's Best Teen Reads." It is an interesting view into death and the grieving process of those "left behind."  When Lennie's older sister, Bailey, dies unexpectedly, Lennie is tossed into a world unknown--where she is noticed, no longer in the shadow of her vibrant sister.  Lennie always considered herself the "companion pony" to Bailey's racehorse, so her grief is explosive, as you might imagine.  Nelson presents in a stunningly well-written narrative the emotional process that Lennie experiences--denial, guilt, passion, sorrow--all packaged in a coming-of-age type of story that will touch readers.

This story is truly in a league of its own.  In my opinion, it's a must read.  The language is beautiful.  The main character is incredibly compelling and nuanced (even if other characters seem to fall flat--this one makes up for it).  The storyline is realistic.  It's beautiful. Read it. :-)