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Book Trailer Thursday (62)–Struck by Jennifer Bosworth

26 Apr

I’m getting ready to start reading Struck by Jennifer Bosworth, so I was pretty darn excited to see the trailer.  The cover for this book is really cool, and even though it has a girl on the cover, I think my guys in class will read it without hesitation.  The whole premise sounds fun and exciting, and the now the trailer has left me wanting to read it even more.  A lightning addict?  What a concept!  I’m wondering if Mia will be like Storm from X-Men (probably my favorite comic book series).

What do you think of the trailer?  Is Struck part of your TBR list?  If you’ve read it already I’d love to know what you think!

Struck Book CoverSummary (From Goodreads): Mia Price is a lightning addict. She’s survived countless strikes, but her craving to connect to the energy in storms endangers her life and the lives of those around her.

Los Angeles, where lightning rarely strikes, is one of the few places Mia feels safe from her addiction. But when an earthquake devastates the city, her haven is transformed into a minefield of chaos and danger. The beaches become massive tent cities. Downtown is a crumbling wasteland, where a traveling party moves to a different empty building each night, the revelers drawn to the destruction by a force they cannot deny. Two warring cults rise to power, and both see Mia as the key to their opposing doomsday prophecies. They believe she has a connection to the freak electrical storm that caused the quake, and to the far more devastating storm that is yet to come.

Mia wants to trust the enigmatic and alluring Jeremy when he promises to protect her, but she fears he isn’t who he claims to be. In the end, the passion and power that brought them together could be their downfall. When the final disaster strikes, Mia must risk unleashing the full horror of her strength to save the people she loves, or lose everything.

 

Review: Something Like Normal by Trish Doller

6 Apr

Title: Something Like Normal

Author: Trish Doller

Publisher: Bloomsbury Children’s Books

Release Date: June 19th, 2012

Interest: 2012 Debut Author / Guy appeal

Source: E-book ARC received via NetGalley

Summary (From Goodreads): When Travis returns home from a stint in Afghanistan, his parents are splitting up, his brother’s stolen his girlfriend and his car, and he’s haunted by nightmares of his best friend’s death. It’s not until Travis runs into Harper, a girl he’s had a rocky relationship with since middle school, that life actually starts looking up. And as he and Harper see more of each other, he begins to pick his way through the minefield of family problems and post-traumatic stress to the possibility of a life that might resemble normal again. Travis’s dry sense of humor, and incredible sense of honor, make him an irresistible and eminently lovable hero.

I’ve read quite a few rave reviews for Trish Doller’s debut Something Like Normal, so I looked it up on NetGalley to request a copy.  As soon as I received the approval email I downloaded Something Like Normal to my Kindle and started reading.  If I hadn’t started it while visiting my grandpa in the hospital, I would have finished this in one sitting because it’s that good.  If I could get away with writing a review that says “READ IT!” I would just do that because it’s hard to form words for such a wonderful story.

Over the years I’ve learned about myself that if I can’t connect with a character then I won’t enjoy the book.  I’ve also learned that I mostly prefer first-person point of view.  Something Like Normal fits both of those preferences, plus it features a male protagonist which is something I’m always looking for.  Travis is on leave from the Marines and he’s really suffering after witnessing the death of his close friend Charlie.  He’s also dealing with coming home to a family that’s been falling apart since his deployment.  I really like that Trish Doller wrote Travis the way she did because he’s not written as a hero.  He’s written as a suffering young man who’s trying to recover and make amends.  He’s trying to become a better man, a man he can be proud of.  I can see a number of teenage guys relating to Travis, especially if they’re considering joining the Marines or another part of the armed forces.  Many of my seniors that enlist do so because they hope it will shape them into a better person; they hope it will provide some guidance in life.  Travis says he really doesn’t know why he joined, but his character made me think of past seniors I had in class that enlisted because they wanted guidance or a sense of direction in their lives.  I always appreciate a story with a hero, but there’s something about a story with a flawed character that a reader can’t help but love.  Travis’s voice is real and authentic; it’s how I imagine many teenage guys think and feel and act.

I’ve noticed that more Y.A. novels are featuring characters who have graduated from high school.  I hope to see more published like this because it’s an excellent way for upperclassman to relate to what’s in their future.  It’s also a way to keep teens reading Y.A. beyond high school.  Even though Travis is done with school and has been in situations and done and witnessed things most adults never will, he’s still dealing with family drama and common relationship insecurities/dilemmas.  I doubt Travis returned home expecting to fall for a girl, especially when his ex-girlfriend has moved on to his brother.  His life is complicated, but after running into Harper everything starts to turn around.  As I was reading Something Like Normal, I didn’t know what to expect from Harper, but I ended up loving her character.  Really, I love Travis and Harper together as a couple.  They form the kind of relationship where they work off each other.  They mesh in that perfect, awkward, kind of rough around the edges way, but those edges begin to smooth over.  Travis isn’t perfect, far from it actually, but his effort to become better is endearing.  We see these efforts in his relationship with his mother and with Harper.  Both of these women make Travis want to become a better person which is when we see the rough edges smooth over.

Trish Doller includes flashbacks and nightmares in Something Like Normal which give us an idea of the suffering and experiences Travis goes through.  I appreciate these scenes for two reasons.  My first reason is because it breaks up the family and relationship drama Travis is going through at home.  I know many readers enjoy romance and relationship issues in the books they read, but for the readers that want a little less of that, these flashbacks and nightmares will add a welcome break.  The second reason I like these scenes is because it gives us a more well-rounded idea of who Travis is and what life is like for soldiers in Afghanistan.  I can’t imagine returning home and constantly searching the floor for bombs.  Or preferring to sleep on the floor rather than my bed.  Or feeling vulnerable without my gun in my hands.  These scenes are an invaluable layer to the story.

My only issue with Something Like Normal is that I’m done reading it and I don’t have another book by Trish Doller to read next.  I feel like I haven’t expressed enough how completely fantastic this debut is.  There isn’t anything I disliked or would change.  It’s an engrossing story that I predict will be a huge hit in my classroom.  Actually, I wish it released earlier than June 19th so my current students could read it since I don’t have a physical ARC to share with them.

Review: Freshman Year & Other Unnatural Disasters by Meredith Zeitlin

14 Mar

Freshman Year & Other Unnatural Disasters CoverTitle: Freshman Year & Other Unnatural Disasters, 288 pages

Author: Meredith Zeitlin

Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons

Release Date: March 1st, 2012

Interest: 2012 Debut Author / Humor

Source: ARC received from the publisher

Summary (From Goodreads): Kelsey Finkelstein is fourteen and FRUSTRATED. Every time she tries to live up to her awesome potential, her plans are foiled – by her impossible parents, her annoying little sister, and life in general. But with her first day of high school coming up, Kelsey is positive that things are going to change. Enlisting the help of her three best friends — sweet and quiet Em, theatrical Cass, and wild JoJo — Kelsey gets ready to rebrand herself and make the kind of mark she knows is her destiny.

Things start out great – her arch-nemesis has moved across the country, giving Kelsey the perfect opportunity to stand out on the soccer team and finally catch the eye of her long-time crush. But soon enough, an evil junior’s thirst for revenge, a mysterious photographer, and a series of other catastrophes make it clear that just because KELSEY has a plan for greatness… it doesn’t mean the rest of the world is in on it.

Kelsey’s hilarious commentary throughout her disastrous freshman year will have you laughing out loud—while being thankful that you’re not in her shoes, of course…

I teach mostly freshmen every year, so when Freshman Year & Other Unnatural Disasters was pitched to me I knew it would be a good fit.  I saw the book trailer before I read the book, and after watching it I knew I needed to read Meredith Zeitlin’s debut right away.  Kelsey Finkelstein is melodramatic, and I loved it!  I couldn’t get enough of Freshman Year & Other Unnatural Disasters; I started it and finished it in one day.

Kelsey Finkelstein is now one of my favorite snarky characters.  Like I said, she’s incredibly melodramatic.  Like many of the girls in my freshmen classes, and very much like I was at fourteen, Kelsey makes seemingly insignificant things into a big deal.  One example of this is how upset she gets over the mysterious photographer that keeps including less than flattering pictures of her in the school newspaper.  I enjoyed her reactions to these pictures because most of them aren’t even actually of Kelsey, but she’s usually in the background.  Of course Kelsey’s mortified and her friends won’t let her live the pictures down.  I know I’d feel the exact same way, especially about the picture where she looks like a cafeteria worker.  I really liked everything about Kelsey.  She doesn’t always make the best decisions, but she still faces consequences in one fashion or another.  Even the way she describes things is enjoyable.  Kelsey has a little sister named Travis who she finds incredibly annoying.  Nine pages in we meet Travis and Cassidy, one of Kelsey’s best friends, is cooing over Travis’s pajamas.  “‘You look so adorable! What a Twizzler?’ Oh, lord.  My sister is like a spaniel–once you feed her, she’ll never leave.”  I had already laughed a couple of times before this page, but this Kelsey quote made me snort.  The snorting and laughing continued through the entire book.

Meredith Zeitlin did a really nice job including realistic issues that not only teens face, but freshmen face as well.  In the beginning of Freshman Year & Other Unnatural Disasters, the girls are discussing how they’re going to start their freshman year and make it the best year ever.  They’re really focused on having a good high school experience.  I’ve been working with freshmen for five years, so I know many of them have the same thoughts and feelings as Kelsey and her friends.  I see it in their faces on the first day of school.  I hear it in the halls. (My classroom doesn’t have a number next to the door, so I’m always reeling lost and frantic freshmen into my room on the first day of school.  Getting lost is one of the girls’ concerns.)  I’ve touched on some of the insecurities in regards to Kelsey and the random photos.  Kelsey and her friends worry about their appearance, losing their friends, boys, etc.  There are fights and the threat of losing a best friend, feeling disgusting and smelly while wearing protective sports padding, and the worry associated with being a bad kisser.

I’m positive that I’ll be able to hand this to most of the freshmen in my class without complaint because Freshman Year & Other Unnatural Disasters appeals to so many readers.  My sports fans will enjoy reading about Kelsey’s soccer experiences.  My drama fans will love how everything goes down in the school’s version of Fiddler on the Roof, including a beard that looks like a “skinned rodent” and all.  My readers looking for romance will enjoy Kelsey’s highs and lows in the romance department.  And if any of my students want to read something funny, I’ll instantly think of this debut.  I’m actually really considering Freshman Year & Other Unnatural Disasters as a read aloud at some point.

I couldn’t get enough of Meredith Zeitlin’s fabulous debut, and I look forward to reading more of her work.  Freshman Year & Other Unnatural Disasters is a must read.

Similar Reads: The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart (Frankie is another favorite snarky character) / Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins (Sophie and Kelsey have similar personalities, even though Sophie’s a witch)

 

Review: Born Wicked by Jessica Spotswood

5 Mar

Title: Born Wicked, 330 pages

Author: Jessica Spotswood

Publisher: Putnam Juvenile

Released: February 7th, 2012

Interest: 2012 Debut Author

Source: Purchased

Summary (From Goodreads): Everybody knows Cate Cahill and her sisters are eccentric. Too pretty, too reclusive, and far too educated for their own good. But the truth is even worse: they’re witches. And if their secret is discovered by the priests of the Brotherhood, it would mean an asylum, a prison ship–or an early grave.

Before her mother died, Cate promised to protect her sisters. But with six months to choose between marriage and the Sisterhood, she might not be able to keep her word… especially after she finds her mother’s diary, uncovering a secret that could spell her family’s destruction. Desperate to find alternatives to their fate, Cate stars scouring banned books and questioning rebellious new friends, all while juggling tea parties, shocking marriage proposals, and a forbidden romance with the completely unsuitable Finn Belastra.

If what her mother wrote is true, the Cahill girls aren’t safe. Not from the Brotherhood, the Sisterhood — not even from each other.

Prepare for some gushing because I positively loved Born Wicked by Jessica Spotswood!  I read a number of glowing reviews for Jessica Spotwood’s debut, but I wasn’t sure if it would work for me.  It’s weird, but even though I have a minor in history, I don’t always enjoy historical fiction.  The paranormal twist in Born Wicked really grabbed my interest, so I decided to give it a whirl.  I’m happy to say that within the first couple chapters I was hooked!

Jessica Spotswood has written a novel with lush imagery.  The Cahill sisters live outside of town in the country.  Cate loves to be outside working in her garden, so we get wonderful descriptions of the roses, the trees, and the rest of her garden.  Cate and her sisters often practice their magic in the rose garden, so I often felt like the setting was another character in the novel.  Much of the story takes place in the fall, but with the girls’ magic it often transformed into a spring garden.  I’m always impressed when an author takes the time to describe the setting, especially when this is done without being verbose.  I love the late 1800s time period; Cate’s world is one I’d like to spend a day in.

Like I said, I’m not always instantly drawn to historical fiction, but Born Wicked had me captivated.  A  number of my students really enjoy historical fiction, but it isn’t as popular as paranormal fantasy.  The easy blend of these two genres in Born Wicked could easily appeal to both my historical fiction fans and paranormal fantasy fans.  I’m actually really considering using this debut in my Young Adult II class which will focus on the study of different genres.

I’ve never read Sense and Sensibility, but I love the movie with Kate Winslet and Emma Thompson.  I bring this up because I kept thinking of this movie while I was reading Born Wicked.  The Cahill sisters reminded me of the Dashwood sisters because both sets of sisters are in need of finding a good husband.  The restraints are similar in the sense that they need to marry well-off men, appearances are everything, and women don’t hold much power.  Born Wicked is similar in this regard, but the added supernatural twist and the lore of the Brotherhood and Sisterhood really add to the plot.  Because Cate and her sisters are witches, they are even more intimidated by the Brotherhood because they know they’ll be severely punished if their secret is discovered.  It’s not easy being witches, especially since they’ve grown even more into their powers since their mother’s death.  There are so many secrets and suspicions that really drive Jessica Spotswood’s novel.  Cate doesn’t have many marriage prospects because she’s more concerned with protecting her sisters, but if she doesn’t choose soon she’ll either have a husband chosen for her by the Brotherhood, or she can join the Sisterhood.  Because both groups focus so much on religion and are against witchery, neither options are very appealing to Cate.  It doesn’t take long for some very interesting options to become available and some very unsettling secrets to be unveiled.

I couldn’t put Born Wicked by Jessica Spotswood down, and then when it ended I couldn’t believe it.  There’s a jaw-dropping ending that has left me feeling desperate for the second book in the series.  The world of YA is saturated with paranormal fantasy, but Born Wicked is not one to pass up or ignore.  I highly recommend reading it as soon as possible!

Review: Embrace by Jessica Shirvington

7 Feb

Title: Embrace, 367 pages

Author: Jessica Shirvington

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire

Release Date: March 6, 2012

Interest: 2012 Debut Author

Source: ARC received at NCTE

Summary (From Goodreads): It starts with a whisper: “It’s time for you to know who you are…”

Violet Eden dreads her seventeenth birthday. After all, it’s hard to get too excited about the day that marks the anniversary of your mother’s death. As if that wasn’t enough, disturbing dreams haunt her sleep and leave her with very real injuries. There’s a dark tattoo weaving its way up her arms that wasn’t there before.

Violet is determined to get some answers, but nothing could have prepared her for the truth. The guy she thought she could fall in love with has been keeping his identity a secret: he’s only half-human—oh, and same goes for her.

A centuries-old battle between fallen angels and the protectors of humanity has chosen its new warrior. It’s a fight Violet doesn’t want, but she lives her life by two rules: don’t run and don’t quit. When angels seek vengeance and humans are the warriors, you could do a lot worse than betting on Violet Eden…

I’ve read quite a few paranormal angel novels, and while I’ve enjoyed many of them, too many of them follow the same plot.  When I was speaking with the women working at the Sourcebooks booth at NCTE, I was told how awesome Embrace by Jessica Shirvington is and that I should give myself time to start it and finish it in one sitting.  Based on my past reading experiences, I’ll admit that I was hesitant to start reading Embrace, but I’m happy to report that I worried for no reason at all!  Embrace puts a fresh spin on the paranormal angel plot with a different take on the lore and a strong female protagonist.  And the women at Sourcebooks were right: I needed uninterrupted reading time because I didn’t want to put Jessica Shirvington’s debut down.

Violet is different from many of the other female protagonists in paranormal Y.A. because she’s independent and strong.  Does she feel conflicted about her purpose and her love interests?  Yes.  But she’s still smart enough to make her own decisions and own her choices, even when she makes choices that she might end up regretting.  Too many of the female protagonists in this genre fit the damsel in distress archetype.  Violet breaking that mold is probably the most refreshing part of Embrace.  She spends a large chunk of time in the novel conflicted over her feelings for Lincoln, but I never felt like she was being overly dramatic.  Violet often weighs her feelings before taking action.  She’s still a teenager, so some drama is expected, but overall I was really impressed with how she’s written.  The one flaw I found is the number of times Violet swears.  Normally that doesn’t bother me, but it didn’t feel necessary.  I’m fine with a well-placed swear word, but there were times when it felt forced or out of character for Violet.

The mystery and action are perfectly paced.  Not too much is revealed too soon or too slowly.  Readers will appreciate this because from the very beginning I was drawn in and the mystery only kept me reading and turning the pages.  There are plenty of life or death situations, mixed in with romance, intrigue, and self-realization.  There wasn’t a moment in Embrace that I was bored or feeling the need for something more.

Overall, I definitely recommend reading Jessica Shirvington’s debut.  It’s already been released in Australia, so the first three books are already finished.  This means that the books will be released within six months of each other!

Review: Everneath by Brodi Ashton

30 Jan

Title: Everneath, 370 pages

Author: Brodi Ashton

Publisher: Balzer + Bray (HarperCollins)

Released: January 24th, 2011

Source: ARC received at NCTE

Interest: 2012 Debut Author

Summary (From Goodreads): Last spring, Nikki Beckett vanished, sucked into an underworld known as the Everneath, where immortals Feed on the emotions of despairing humans. Now she’s returned- to her old life, her family, her friends- before being banished back to the underworld… this time forever.

She has six months before the Everneath comes to claim her, six months for good-byes she can’t find the words for, six months to find redemption, if it exists.

Nikki longs to spend these months reconnecting with her boyfriend, Jack, the one person she loves more than anything. But there’s a problem: Cole, the smoldering immortal who first enticed her to the Everneath, has followed Nikki to the mortal world. And he’ll do whatever it takes to bring her back- this time as his queen.

As Nikki’s time grows short and her relationships begin slipping from her grasp, she’s forced to make the hardest decision of her life: find a way to cheat fate and remain on the Surface with Jack or return to the Everneath and become Cole’s…

I have been a big fan of Greek mythology since it was introduced to me in my 8th grade reading class.  There’s been an influx in Greek mythology in YA, which I love.  Admittedly, Everneath was on my “maybe I’ll read it” list, but after reading a few reviews and listening to people at NCTE talk about it, I decided to give it a shot.  I was hooked right away, but about half-way through the novel, the story fell apart.

Everneath has a great hook in the prologue.  Nikki is in the Everneath with Cole, and it’s obvious that she and Cole have a strong connection for reasons unknown until later.  She’s with Cole and doesn’t seem to remember much about her life, but there’s an image of a guy that’s keeping her connected to her life before the Everneath.  She’s remembering a guy named Jack.  I loved this because I wanted to know more about how Nikki arrived at the Everneath, who Cole is and why they’re connected, what the Feed is, and who Jack is and why he’s important to her.  Brodi Ashton did a great job with the prologue and kept up that mystery by alternating between present day and Nikki’s memories of when she met Cole and ended up with him at the Everneath.

Unfortunately, my intrigue and wanting to continue reading only lasted for about half the novel.  Eventually Everneath lost momentum and my attention.  Nikki has returned from the Everneath and doesn’t remember much about her life on the Surface because even though everyone from home thinks she’s been gone for six months, that’s the equivalent of 100 years in the Everneath.  Much of the novel is about Nikki trying to get her life back and making amends for the next six months before she has to leave the Surface again.  During this time, she’s trying to gain back Jack’s trust because of her bond with him and the love she feels for him.  Cole follows Nikki back, because he wants her as his queen, but Jack is standing in his way.  This makes for the typical love triangle we find in paranormal YA, but I needed more.  I didn’t feel connected to any of the characters, so this love triangle had no effect on me as a reader.  Much of the focus of Everneath turns to Nikki’s feelings for Jack and her connection to Cole, instead of the story behind the Everneath and why Cole needs her to return.  Because I didn’t feel a connection to the characters, I needed more background about the mythology and how it connects to Nikki, Jack, and Cole.  I can’t explain why I didn’t feel for the characters, which still bothers me.  I can usually pinpoint the reason, but I’m at a loss.  The format of the story might be part of the reason because there’s no real build up; we’re thrown into Nikki’s memories about her whirl-wind connection with Cole and her friendship-turned-relationship with Jack.  It just didn’t work for me.

Like I said, I needed more Greek mythology.  I enjoy the story of Persephone, which is one of the reasons I read Everneath (**Note–After a comment I received, I should add that I know part of the myth connected to this story is about Orpheus and Eurydice**) .  The concept for this debut is intriguing, but it needed more connection with the myth.  Maybe it will be explained more in the second book, but I don’t think I’ll read the second novel because this one fell apart.  We gain more knowledge as the story continues, but at close to 400 pages, the myth needed to be explained sooner.  Also, if a novel is aiming for mystery, as a reader I don’t want to come to realizations before the characters.  At almost every twist in the story, I knew it pages before Nikki did.  Quite a few reviews have mentioned the great ending, but I saw it coming  chapters before it happened.  It’s a real let-down when I know the ending that far before it actually happens.

I’m disappointed that I didn’t fall in love with Everneath, because I really wanted to.  I’m including links to some more positive reviews so you’ll have the option for more balance if you’ve been considering this debut.

Reading Vacation

365 Days of Reading

The Brain Lair

Review: Love & Leftovers by Sarah Tregay

18 Jan

Sarah Tregay Love & Leftovers

448 pp.  Katherine Tegen Books (HarperCollins)

Release Date: December 27, 2011

Interest: Debut Author / Verse Novel

Source: ARC received from the publisher

Summary (From Goodreads):

My wish is to fall cranium over Converse in dizzy daydream-worthy love.

(If only it were that easy.)

Marcie has been dragged away from home for the summer—from Idaho to a family summerhouse in New Hampshire. She’s left behind her friends, a group of freaks and geeks called the Leftovers, including her emo-rocker boyfriend, and her father.

By the time Labor Day rolls around, Marcie suspects this “summer vacation” has become permanent. She has to start at a new school, and there she leaves behind her Leftover status when a cute boy brings her breakfast and a new romance heats up. But understanding love, especially when you’ve watched your parents’ affections end, is elusive. What does it feel like, really? Can you even know it until you’ve lost it?

Love & Leftovers is a beautifully written story of one girl’s journey navigating family, friends, and love, and a compelling and sexy read that teens will gobble up whole.

I always enjoy a well-written verse novel.  Some authors have a better knack for it than others; Sarah Tregay is one of those authors.  Love & Leftovers is an excellent and enjoyable debut verse novel that my students will love.

Marcie’s life has been turned upside down.  Her mother is moving her from Idaho to New Hampshire for the summer, but that becomes more permanent.  She’s away from her father and her boyfriend and her friends.  How does a teenager cope with such a sudden, life changing move?  It’s not easy for adults to endure, let alone teens.  Marcie’s mother is depressed, which has left Marcie pretty much on her own and being the adult all while trying to cope with these changes.  She feels alone and misses her life back in Idaho.

Marcie’s adorable boyfriend Linus misses her greatly and wants to make this long-distant relationship work.  I don’t know if many teens will relate to the long-distance relationship, but I know many will relate to Marcie’s uncertainty about love and what it is.  I remember thinking about this often when I was a teenager, even more when I was in college.  While Marcie is trying to regain some semblance of normal in New Hampshire, she meets the attractive and athletic J.D.  If she wasn’t doubting what love is like before, she certainly does when she meets and starts falling for J.D.  Questions about loyalty and betrayal become big issues in this first part of Love & Leftovers.  How far is too far with J.D.?  Is she betraying Linus?  Should she break it off with Linus?  Marcie’s exploration of love and lust and sexuality left me so impressed with Sarah Tregay.  It’s normal for girls to have feelings like Marcie does, and Love & Leftovers opens this up for girls to understand and relate to.

Not only was I impressed with Sarah Tregay’s writing, I was completely engrossed in her debut.  I started it later one evening and didn’t put it down or get up until I was finished.  Marcie is a wonderful, relatible character and I couldn’t get enough of her story.  I needed to know how her relationship with Linus was going to pan out because she didn’t know how to talk to him about J.D.  The first part of the novel is about her life in New Hampshire, while the second half is about her life back in Idaho.  I love when authors set novels up this way because you know right away that the story is going somewhere you’ll want to explore and know more about.  The majority of the story is about Marcie navigating love and friendship, but it’s also about her building better relationships with her father and mother.  The layers of her story are told fluidly in beautiful verse.

There are so many pieces of this novel that teens will relate to and love.  If you haven’t explored verse novels, Love & Leftovers would be a great way to introduce yourself to this style of writing.  I can’t wait to read more of Sarah Tregay’s novels.  If only it didn’t take so long to write and publish novels! :)

**This review has also been posted today on the Nerdy Book Club blog.**

Review: The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith

6 Jan

Jennifer E. Smith The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight

236 pp.  Poppy (Little, Brown and Company)

Release Date: January 2, 2012

Interest: 2012 Debut Author

Source: ARC received from Jillian @ Heise Reads & Recommends

Summary (From Goodreads): Who would have guessed that four minutes could change everything?

Today should be one of the worst days of seventeen-year-old Hadley Sullivan’s life. She’s stuck at JFK, late to her father’s second wedding, which is taking place in London and involves a soon to be step-mother that Hadley’s never even met. Then she meets the perfect boy in the airport’s cramped waiting area. His name is Oliver, he’s British, and he’s in seat 18C. Hadley’s in 18A.

Twists of fate and quirks of timing play out in this thoughtful novel about family connections, second chances and first loves. Set over a 24-hour-period, Hadley and Oliver’s story will make you believe that true love finds you when you’re least expecting it.

My good friend Jillian and I hung out at the Little, Brown booth at NCTE waiting for them to break down so we could get a couple of the ARCs we had our eyes on.  The Statistical Probably of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith is the one that she was hoping for, and luckily she received the only copy.  Jillian read the entire book that night in one sitting because she loved it so much.  The next day at ALAN, she gave me the ARC so I could read it as well (thanks, Jillian!).  I started it on the train and read most of it during the ride.  I had fun reading Jennifer E. Smith’s debut, but I didn’t love it like Jillian did.  This is one of those books that I need to break it down into what worked for me and what didn’t work.

WHAT WORKED:

  • Oliver–Yep, I definitely enjoyed Oliver’s character. The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight would probably be good on audio because I’d get to hear Oliver’s British accent.  He’s just so ideal in general.  I love his wit and romantic side.
  • The scenes with Hadley and Oliver–I was instantly drawn into the story because Hadley meets Oliver early on in the book.  They have an instant chemistry that grows as they spend more time together.  I couldn’t get enough of their conversations and the tension between them.  If you enjoy a romance with characters that have an instant attraction, then I’m sure you’ll like Hadley and Oliver.

WHAT DIDN’T WORK:

  • Hadley’s conflict with her father–I was looking forward to reading The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight because I was in the mood to read a great romance.  I did get my wish when the scenes were focused on Hadley and Oliver, but so much of the book was spent with Hadley at her father’s wedding.  This element of the story made the book’s title and summary feel misleading.  If I had gone into the book wanting to read a novel about a father/daughter relationship, then I’m sure I would have enjoyed this book that much more.  In my opinion, too much time was spent with Hadley trying to deal with her father moving on to another woman and getting married.  The story would have been so much better if the focus was more on Hadley and Oliver’s blooming relationship.
  • The third-person point of view–To be honest, I prefer first-person point of view, but I still read and enjoy plenty of novels written in third-person.   The third-person is really choppy and jarring in Smith’s debut.  I found myself re-reading passages because I wasn’t sure what was going on and if we were in a flashback to when Hadley’s parents were together or not.  I’ve noticed that when other authors write in a similar manner, they’ll include a page break between these passages so the reader has a clearer signal that something is changing.  Having page breaks would have made a world of difference for me while reading.

Overall my likes and dislikes are pretty evenly balanced which is why I gave it 3 out of 5 stars and not something lower or higher.  I’m looking forward to passing The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight on to my students to find out what they think of it.  I imagine plenty of my students will love it.

Review: Tempest by Julie Cross

4 Jan

Julie Cross Tempest

352 pp.  St. Martin’s Griffin

Release Date: January 17, 2012

Interest: 2012 Debut Author

Source: ARC received from the publisher

Summary (From Goodreads): The year is 2009.  Nineteen-year-old Jackson Meyer is a normal guy… he’s in college, has a girlfriend… and he can travel back through time. But it’s not like the movies – nothing changes in the present after his jumps, there’s no space-time continuum issues or broken flux capacitors – it’s just harmless fun.

That is… until the day strangers burst in on Jackson and his girlfriend, Holly, and during a struggle with Jackson, Holly is fatally shot. In his panic, Jackson jumps back two years to 2007, but this is not like his previous time jumps. Now he’s stuck in 2007 and can’t get back to the future.

Desperate to somehow return to 2009 to save Holly but unable to return to his rightful year, Jackson settles into 2007 and learns what he can about his abilities.

But it’s not long before the people who shot Holly in 2009 come looking for Jackson in the past, and these “Enemies of Time” will stop at nothing to recruit this powerful young time-traveler.  Recruit… or kill him.

Piecing together the clues about his father, the Enemies of Time, and himself, Jackson must decide how far he’s willing to go to save Holly… and possibly the entire world.

The theories behind time travel are often discussed and debated; they’re also the basis for novels and movies.  I was excited to receive a copy of Tempest, especially when I realized that it’s told from a guy’s point of view.  My attention was grabbed from the very beginning and found it to be an enjoyable book.  Even though I liked Julie Cross’s debut novel, I think I’ll be able to express my thoughts best if I break this review down into what worked and what didn’t work for me.

WHAT WORKED:

  • I love that the time travel and action started right at the beginning of the book.  Some novels need to take their time with introducing action and setting, but Tempest was an instant hit with it’s beginning.  Reluctant readers will be hooked right away, which is often what they need to stick with a book.
  • Jackson’s character–he’s well-developed and has a true-to-life guy’s voice.  Some female authors are better at writing from a guy’s point of view, and Julie Cross is one of them.  Jackson thinks and says things that I can easily imagine a teenage guy thinking and saying.
  • Jackson’s age–It’s not that common for Y.A. novels to have protagonists in college.  Granted, not that much time is spent in Jackson’s current time period with him experiencing college, but the reader knows and understands him as a nineteen-year-old guy.  I’d like to see more Y.A. novels breaking away from the 12-18 age group, especially as Y.A. becomes more popular across age groups.
  • Jackson’s character growth–This goes along with Jackson’s voice being believable.  Thinking back to college, Jackson’s actions and feelings about Holly early on in the novel don’t surprise me.  He’s really into learning more about time travel and figuring this out with his friend Adam.  Jackson’s problem is that he really cares about Holly, but his actions say differently.  He often breaks plans with her and really doesn’t seem that invested in the relationship.  Part of Jackson’s growth as a character is how he begins to understand the problems with how he treated Holly.  Part of this focus will be what didn’t work for me, but as a whole I appreciated this area of Jackson’s growth.

WHAT DIDN’T WORK:

  • I know this has nothing to do with the author, but I need to mention it. I’m not a fan of the cover.  Julie Cross has written a cool novel about time travel using an authentic male voice.  So why is the title in a pink font?!  And although I understand that Jackson wants to save Holly, I really don’t think that the girl on the cover should be center.  This book could/should be marketed as an excellent book with guy appeal.  I’m sure many of my boys will pick this up once I tell them about it, but I’m sure many of them wouldn’t expect it to be a “guy book” based on the cover.  We need to be realistic, many teens pick up books based on the covers.  Even I do it.  It’s a cool cover, but even being more on the gender-neutral side of things, it still has more girl appeal than guy appeal.
  • I wanted more time travel and mystery.  After Jackson jumps to a new time period when Holly is shot, he soon discovers that his dad might know more and be more than he’s letting on.  Jackson starts wondering if his dad works for the CIA.  The scenes when Jackson is trying to uncover some answers were taut with mystery and suspense and kept me turning the pages.  And then they’d stop.  So much of Jackson’s focus is his love for Holly, yet I didn’t believe his love for her was real at the beginning of the book.  Slowly this love Jackson has for her feels more authentic, but too much time was devoted to scenes between the two of them.  He starts to get to know Holly at different time periods which didn’t seem that important to the plot development.  The history and science behind Jackson’s life is much more interesting and should be a stronger focus in Tempest.
  • The ending–The ending of Tempest is full of action which is great, but after pages and pages of Jackson getting to know younger Holly, the ending felt rushed.  There’s a cliffhanger leading us into the second book which I plan on reading, but some of the new elements introduced at the end could have been fleshed out a little more.  I already know that I’ll need to read the ending of Tempest again before reading the second book because so much was introduced in the last couple chapters.

Review: Fracture by Megan Miranda

26 Dec

Megan Miranda Fracture

272 pp.  Walker & Company

Release Date: January 17th, 2012

Interest: 2012 Debut Author Challenge

Source: ARC received at NCTE

Summary (From Goodreads): Eleven minutes passed before Delaney Maxwell was pulled from the icy waters of a Maine lake by her best friend Decker Phillips. By then her heart had stopped beating. Her brain had stopped working. She was dead. And yet she somehow defied medical precedent to come back seemingly fine-despite the scans that showed significant brain damage. Everyone wants Delaney to be all right, but she knows she’s far from normal. Pulled by strange sensations she can’t control or explain, Delaney finds herself drawn to the dying. Is her altered brain now predicting death, or causing it?

Then Delaney meets Troy Varga, who recently emerged from a coma with similar abilities. At first she’s reassured to find someone who understands the strangeness of her new existence, but Delaney soon discovers that Troy’s motives aren’t quite what she thought. Is their gift a miracle, a freak of nature-or something much more frightening?

For fans of best-sellers like Before I Fall and If I Stay, this is a fascinating and heart-rending story about love and friendship and the fine line between life and death.

I was instantly hooked when I started reading Fracture.  The premise is refreshing and the opening is suspenseful.  I couldn’t help but wonder what happened to Delaney as she told us about her experience with death.  Watching Delaney struggle to awake from her coma was engrossing and intriguing.  These pieces really carried me into the story and kept me reading.

As I read farther into the book, I became aware of some holes in the story and areas that needed more attention.  Even some of the plot points didn’t seem necessary.  Delaney’s attraction to those that are dying is certainly interesting, and I was even more interested when she met Troy who shares the same ability.  Unfortunately, this relationship didn’t flesh out the way it needed to.  Troy often appears to be an angel of death of sorts, but it’s never fully explained.  Is he gaining something from these deaths?  Is Delaney helping him or can she help these people?  She tries to turn this around, but that part of the story isn’t explored as much as it could be.  What’s the point of Delaney’s brain working this way?  If these elements were more of a focus, Fracture would be a 4 or 5 star novel instead of a 3 star novel.

There’s an awful lot of focus on Delaney’s parents and friends that didn’t seem important.  Delaney’s mother fears that if she doesn’t keep a close eye on Delaney, she could lose her again.  This fear connects to a bad relationship Delaney’s mother had with her parents.  I suppose this could play an interesting role in the story, but it mostly felt like a distraction from the story.  Decker is Delaney’s friend, and also a boy that she’s felt a connection to for some time.  After Delaney’s accident, it becomes an angsty relationship because Decker is full of regret that he didn’t rescue her sooner.  He’s also upset that Delaney kissed their friend prior to the accident.  Again, this element of the story felt like a distraction.  I understand that it ties in with Delaney’s life and her guilt, but why is it important to the story?  She doesn’t want to tell Decker about her ability, and their relationship grows more strained with Troy’s addition to Delaney’s life, but if this is an important part of the story then it needs more attention.  These are all elements with potential to make a great novel, but they’re all elements that need fleshing out.

A number of my students have requested this title after I showed them the book trailer.  I’ll bring my ARC in after Christmas break, and I look forward to their reviews.  I often feel that after reading so many YA novels, I’ve become much more critical of them.  I don’t think this is a bad thing, but it does sometimes make it difficult to book talk a title.  I’m honest with my students, as I will be about Fracture, because it both intrigues students and prompts great discussion.

I’ve read a number of reviews like my own and many rave reviews as well.  Fracture is an entertaining read, it just left me with multiple questions without any answers.

Some positive reviews of Fracture:
My Overstuffed Bookshelf
The Reader Room

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