Tag Archives: Contemporary Fiction

Students Want to Know Sarah Tregay

25 May

Sarah TregayI have **THIS MUCH** love for Sarah Tregay’s debut Love and Leftovers, so I was beyond excited when she volunteered to be interviewed by my students.  And I may be biased since these are my students, but I think they asked some pretty good questions :)

Summary (From Goodreads):

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

(If only it were that easy.)

When her parents split, Marcie is dragged from Idaho to a family summerhouse in New Hampshire. She leaves 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 “vacation” has become permanent. She starts at a new school where 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?

** Sarah Tregay’s Website **
** Like Sarah Tregay on Facebook **
** Love and Leftovers is available in stores! **

Allison:

  • Was writing in verse difficult or do you prefer it?
    Marcie’s character fit well with the verse format, as did her story, so writing LOVE AND LEFTOVERS in verse felt very natural.     Verse has some challenges, but that’s what makes it interesting to write. For instance, when I went from 8.5×11 paper (for the manuscript) to the smaller page size (for the book) I had to edit some lines so they’d fit. On the other hand, verse can be easier than prose in the rewriting/revising stages because you change the order of the poems without much editing. I enjoy writing—and reading—novels in verse.

Delia:

  • Why did you choose to write a long distance love story?
    Before I wrote LOVE AND LEFTOVERS, I had written a handful of manuscripts that didn’t sell. My friends said these stories were “too quiet.” (They were nice enough not to call them boring.) So When I was thinking about LOVE AND LEFTOVERS, I made a list of very bad things that could happen to my main character because I wanted the stakes to be high and the story interesting. Being away from friends was on that list, and Marcie being away from her boyfriend, Linus, added to her loneliness and upped the stakes.

Sarah W:

  • Do you plan on writing more books?  If so, are they going to all be in verse?
    I’m working on another novel or two, but they may not end up in verse. My editor asked for me to try one of them in prose instead. It’s an experiment, so I guess we’ll have to see how it goes.

Morgan:

  • Why are some of the kids called leftovers?  Were you considered a leftover?
    The Leftovers are a group of friends that don’t fit into the usual cliques in their high school, for example, one is an athlete who also gets good grades, another is a girl scout, and three are in a band. My friends at my lunch table in high school didn’t call ourselves “leftovers”, but we were a hodgepodge mix of AP students and students who were scraping by with Cs, field hockey players, photographers, and musicians.

Jordin:

  • How do you manage to say and mean so much with so little written (referring to verse)?
    I think with verse a writer can lean on the reader a little more than in prose. Each reader brings their own feelings and experiences with them when they read a book and an author can tap into these emotions without explaining every minute detail by using word choice, turns of phrase, and even white space. Verse definitely has the “read between the lines” aspect where a reader uses a combination of their own experiences and imagination to fill in the spaces. So in some ways, reading a novel in verse is a collaboration between the author and the reader.

Review: In Honor by Jessi Kirby

22 May

Title: In Honor

Author: Jessi Kirby

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

Release Date: May 8th, 2012

Interest: Author / Sophomore Reading Challenge

Source: ARC received from the publisher

Summary (From Goodreads): A devastating loss leads to an unexpected road trip in this novel from the author of Moonglass, whose voice Sarah Dessen says “is fresh and wise, all at once.”

Hours after her brother’s military funeral, Honor opens the last letter Finn ever sent. In her grief, she interprets his note as a final request and spontaneously decides to go to California to fulfill it.

Honor gets as far as the driveway before running into Rusty, Finn’s best friend since third grade and his polar opposite. She hasn’t seen Rusty in ages, but it’s obvious he is as arrogant and stubborn as ever—not to mention drop-dead gorgeous. Despite Honor’s better judgment, the two set off together on a voyage from Texas to California. Along the way, they find small and sometimes surprising ways to ease their shared loss and honor Finn’s memory—but when shocking truths are revealed at the end of the road, will either of them be able to cope with the consequences?

Have you ever started reading a book and knew right away that you were going to love every single page?  That’s how I felt when I started reading In Honor by Jessi Kirby.  I can’t explain what about a book wins me over when I have this experience, but I’m happy about it nonetheless.  I felt similarly when I read Jessi Kirby’s debut Moonglass as well.  Her writing draws me in and doesn’t let go until I’ve finished her book.

I love that In Honor starts with Honor describing taps being played and the 21-gun salute.  If you’ve been to a funeral when taps has been played and the salute is given, then it’s easy to relive it while reading someone’s experience.  It’s an emotional experience which becomes an emotional reading experience.  I don’t have an immediate family member serving, but I have former students serving, I have cousins serving, I’ve had friends serving.  I may not know what it feels like to lose a brother in the war, but I can certainly empathize with Honor and Rusty as they navigate through their grief.  In Honor is an emotional read, but it’s balanced with love, hope, and humor that many readers will appreciate.

The road trip setting gives In Honor a lighter mood despite the circumstances which I really appreciated because it made the emotional scenes even more powerful.  Road trip books are entertaining because characters are forced to interact with one another, given the close quarters, which provides more character development and insight.  Honor pretty much wears her heart on her sleeve, but Rusty is harder to read.  Honor and Rusty don’t get along very well and the tension is palpable, but there’s something just beneath the surface that lets the reader know that there’s more to Rusty than meets the eye.  Besides the fact that I had a character crush on him, I really enjoyed watching his character grow and discovering his secrets as their journey to California progressed.  He and Honor are learning more about each other, but they’re also learning about themselves through this entire ordeal.

I don’t know if this makes sense, but reading In Honor made me wish I could either live in Texas or at least visit Texas.  I love living in Michigan, so maybe I just wish I could have gone to Texas years ago and met a cute guy like Rusty?  I don’t know, but the whole southern atmosphere described was alluring.  I have been to Sedona (a pit stop Honor and Rusty have to make), so I know how beautiful it is and really want to make a return visit.  More than anything, I think this awkward paragraph just goes to show how well Jessi Kirby created the atmosphere and setting of In Honor.  So many elements of this book won me over and made me feel like I was there with Honor and Rusty.

If you take anything from this review, know this: In Honor is a book that will resonate with readers.  The characters are dynamic and true and ones you’ll wish you could meet in real life.  Jessi Kirby wrote a wonderful debut, but her sophomore novel, In Honor, is even better.  Without a doubt, In Honor will be extremely popular in my classroom and I really hope you read it.

Flash Reviews (13)–Audiobooks Edition

18 May

As always, thank you for the Flash Reviews idea, GreenBeanTeenQueen!

Since January my reading as been in a general slump because I’ve been overwhelmed with work, my Masters, and health stuff.  In April I decided to give audiobooks a try and can’t believe I didn’t start listening to them sooner!  I’ve created an Audible account and now listen to audiobooks while I’m getting ready for work, driving to and from work, sometimes during my lunch at work, while I’m cooking, etc.  It makes me feel SO PRODUCTIVE to be “reading” while I’m doing all of these things because those are all of the things that distract me from reading.  I’ve even wanted to start walking more so I can listen to my audiobook of the moment since I have the Audible app on my phone.  Anyway, since I’ve listened to a few already I decided to try some flash reviews since I’ve never tried writing a full review of an audiobook before.

Title: Drums, Girls, & Dangerous Pie

Author: Jordan Sonnenblick

Narrator: Joel Johnstone

Summary (From Goodreads): Thirteen-year-old Steven has a totally normal life: he plays drums in the All-Star Jazz band, has a crush on the hottest girl in the school, and is constantly annoyed by his five-year-old brother, Jeffrey.  But when Jeffrey is diagnosed with leukemia, Steven’s world is turned upside down. He is forced to deal with his brother’s illness and his parents’ attempts to keep the family in one piece.

Salted with humor and peppered with devastating realities, Drums, Girls & Dangerous Pie is a heartwarming journey through a year in the life of a family in crisis.

Flash Review: I listened to this during my spring break in April because my whole reading plan went down the drain when my grandpa decided to go off the vent he’d been on for a month.  I posted about this during that week after he died, but the reason I decided to listen to an audiobook during this time was that I still wanted to accomplish something even though I was spending four hours in the car driving back and fourth across the state to see him and be with family and go to the funeral.  It’s not exactly the happiest memory attached to this book, but regardless of all that Drums, Girls & Dangerous Pie is a fantastic book to listen to in audio.  Again, it probably wasn’t the best choice to start with because it’s sad considering Steven’s little brother Jeffrey gets cancer, so I spent a lot of those four hours driving and crying and being all weepy (not so great to do while driving), but I also laughed and was able to take my mind off what was going on.  Joel Johnstone is a really talented narrator.  He does a great job switching voices, adding emotion to what he’s reading, etc.  He’s just about everything you could look for in an audiobook narrator.

The story itself is wonderful.  Steven is going through a tough time trying to understand the severity of his brother’s condition, and it’s not helping that his mom is almost always gone with Jeffrey and his dad isn’t talking to him about much of anything.  Steven’s grades start to suffer, and he begins to feel angry and depressed and confused.  I was able to relate to Steven because I often felt the same way when my dad was in the hospital with Leukemia, but I was in college at the time and understood how serious it was (thankfully my dad’s now cancer free!).  Jordan Sonnenblick has a firm grip on how teens think and act which shows in his writing.  I not only recommend listening to the audio, but adding the book to your library or class library as well if that applies to you.

5/5 stars for this audiobook!

Title: Beautiful Chaos

Author: Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl

Narrator: Kevin T. Collins

Summary (From Goodreads): Ethan Wate thought he was getting used to the strange, impossible events happening in Gatlin, his small Southern town. But now that Ethan and Lena have returned home, strange and impossible have taken on new meanings. Swarms of locusts, record-breaking heat, and devastating storms ravage Gatlin as Ethan and Lena struggle to understand the impact of Lena’s Claiming. Even Lena’s family of powerful Supernaturals is affected – and their abilities begin to dangerously misfire. As time passes, one question becomes clear: What – or who – will need to be sacrificed to save Gatlin?

For Ethan, the chaos is a frightening but welcome distraction. He’s being haunted in his dreams again, but this time it isn’t by Lena – and whatever is haunting him is following him out of his dreams and into his everyday life. Even worse, Ethan is gradually losing pieces of himself – forgetting names, phone numbers, even memories. He doesn’t know why, and most days he’s too afraid to ask.

Sometimes there isn’t just one answer or one choice. Sometimes there’s no going back. And this time there won’t be a happy ending.

Flash Review: This series never lets me down and Beautiful Chaos is no different.  In the fall I bought my copy as soon as it released, but while I was reading it I got distracted and set it down.  The problem though is that I never picked it back up.  Once I started listening to audiobooks I remembered that I wanted to finish reading Beautiful Chaos and sampled the audio.  I liked it right away, but I had no idea what I was in for just by listening to the sample!  Basically, after listening to this in audio I will only listen to the audio when book four releases.  It is awesome!  First of all, Kevin T. Collins is the perfect narrator for Ethan.  He uses his southern drawl and switches between all of the characters flawlessly.  The only voice that didn’t work for me was when he was reading Liv’s parts.  His British girl voice just didn’t cut it, but it did make me giggle.  Other than that he’s really impressive.  Plus, the audio plays background music during Ethan and Lena’s flashbacks, and we get to hear the Sixteen Moons (which has since changed for this book to Eighteen Moons) song.  I can’t sing the praises enough for Beautiful Chaos in audio.

The Beautiful Creatures series continues to be fantastic.  I love Link now as Linkubus and getting to know other characters more like Ridley and Amma.  So many secrets are uncovered about Lena’s family that my head was spinning.  Plus the ending completely blew my mind.  I had to rewind the audio and listen again because I couldn’t believe what happened.

4/5 stars for this audiobook

Title: Marcelo in the Real World

Author: Francisco X. Stork

Narrator: Lincoln Hoppe

Summary (From Goodreads): Marcelo Sandoval hears music that nobody else can hear–part of an autism-like condition that no doctor has been able to identify. But his father has never fully believed in the music or Marcelo’s differences, and he challenges Marcelo to work in the mailroom of his law firm for the summer. . . to join “the real world.”

There Marcelo meets Jasmine, his beautiful and surprising coworker, and Wendell, the son of another partner in the firm. He learns about competition and jealousy, anger and desire. But it’s a picture he finds in a file–a picture of a girl with half a face–that truly connects him with the real world: its suffering, its injustice, and what he can do to fight.

Reminiscent of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time in the intensity and purity of its voice, this extraordinary audiobook is a love story, a legal drama, and a celebration of the music each of us hears inside.

Flash Review: I’m a little torn over this audiobook.  The story itself is beautiful, but the narrator isn’t all that impressive.  His voice is kind of monotonous and he doesn’t do a very good job changing his voice for different characters.  I also had a difficult time distinguishing when Marcelo is thinking something and saying something because there isn’t enough inflection in Lincoln Hoppe’s voice in some of those parts.  Despite those flaws, I was still able to continue listening to the audio because the story is so strong.

I listened to Marcelo in the Real World because we’re using it this year with our To Kill a Mockingbird YA connection unit.  I’m extremely happy we decided on this book because it will tie in nicely.  Just like many characters in To Kill a Mockingbird are misunderstood and judged, Marcelo and other characters are judged and misunderstood also.  Marcelo is very endearing and seeing him lose his innocence about the world was heartbreaking at times.  The characterization is strong in Marcelo in the Real World as well as the writing; it’s an excellent example of literary contemporary fiction.

4/5 stars for this audiobook

Book Trailer Thursday (65)–Au Revoir, Crazy European Chick by Joe Schreiber

17 May

Has anyone read Au Revoir, Crazy European Chick by Joe Schreiber?  I haven’t read any reviews for it, but I found the trailer while searching for today’s post feature and I think it sounds fun.  I like that it’s written from a guy’s point of view as well.  I’d love to know your thoughts if you’ve read it or heard anything about it!

Summary (From Goodreads): Perry Stormaire is a normal high school senior– he is busy applying to college and rehearsing with his band –until he agrees to go to the prom with the Lithuanian exchange student who is staying with his family. It turns out that Gobi Zaksauskas is not the mousy teenager that she seems but rather an attractive, confident trained assassin. Instead of going to the prom, Perry finds himself on a wild ride through the streets of New York City as Gobi commandeers the Jaguar his father lent him for the prom in order to take out her targets. Perry learns a lot about himself – and ends up with some amazing material for his college application essays.

 

Top Ten Tuesday: Student Recommendations I Loved

15 May

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and The Bookish.

I view making book recommendations to my students as part of my job as a teacher.  I love reading Y.A. and keeping up with what’s new and what I think will appeal to my students, so it’s extra special when a student recommends a book to me.  I may not pick up the book right away, but I always make sure to listen to them and make an effort to at least try the book, even if it’s outside my comfort zone.

Because it’s a freebie day for Top Ten Tuesday, I thought about it and decided to highlight ten books I may not have read without my students prompting me to read them for one reason or another.  Are there any books students or people you’re close to have recommend you read that you’re thankful for?  I’d love to know which ones! :)

Graceling by Kristin Cashore (Goodreads):  To be completely honest, I can’t remember which student told me to read this but I’m so thankful it was brought to my attention!  I didn’t think I enjoyed fantasy until I read Graceling.

The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness (Goodreads): While teaching my second session of Y.A. Lit I saw a couple students reading this.  One of the girls told me it’s the best book she’s ever read, and one of my reluctant boys read the first two books in a matter of a week.  That was enough for me and I made sure to read it that summer.  I still need to read the rest of the trilogy which I plan to do this summer.

Catching Jordan by Miranda Kenneally (Goodreads): I wanted to read Miranda Kenneally’s debut when I bought it for my classroom, but I read it sooner than I probably would have because it was being passed from student to student like rapid fire.  Any book that popular needs to be read!

Rival by Sara Bennett Wealer (Goodreads): I really didn’t think I would like this book because I’m not into Glee (which I kept seeing it compared to) or drama or choir, but I bought a couple copies so my students could read it before interviewing Sara for my Students Want to Know feature.  After I heard their enthusiastic reviews I decided to give it a try and positively loved it.  I can’t wait to read another book written by Sara!

Leverage by Joshua C. Cohen (Goodreads): This one kept getting recommended and I kept telling myself I was going to read it.  Then Jake took my Y.A. Lit class this year and wanted sports books so I handed him Leverage.  He updated me and the class almost every day as he was reading, and because of these conversations I started reading it as soon as Jake was finished so we could further our discussion.  It’s excellent and gritty and emotional.

Marcelo in the Real World by Francisco X. Stork (Goodreads): A student didn’t actually recommend this book, but I’m reading it because of my students.  We’re using it with our Y.A. unit that connects with and follows our To Kill a Mockingbird unit.  I’m just about done listening to it on audio, and while I’m not a huge fan of the actor’s production, I’m a big fan of the story.  It’s a beautiful example of literary contemporary Y.A. and fits with To Kill a Mockingbird wonderfully.

Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles (Goodreads): A couple girls from my Y.A. Lit classes in 2010, including Katelyn from Kate’s Tales of Books and Bands, kept telling me about this trilogy and author, but I put it off for whatever reason.  Let me tell you, once I started reading this book I was kicking myself for not reading it sooner. It’s not the best writing in the world, but the story is addicting as well as the trilogy.  Plus, my girls in class can’t get enough of Simone Elkeles so I now have all of her books in my classroom.

Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl (Goodreads): I wrote up a Donors Choose fundraiser when I started teaching my Y.A. Lit class so I could expand my class library, and I added Garcia & Stohl’s debut after it received a William C. Morris honor.  One of my 2010 senior boys, Zach, read it right away and raved about it.  He said it was better than Twilight and he loved that it was told from a guy’s point of view.  His comparison and enthusiasm piqued my interest because at the time Twilight was still pretty popular, plus Zach was pretty influential at school.  It’s been downhill since then because I can’t get enough of this series!

Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen (Goodreads): When this book first released one of my college friends told me to read it, but I wasn’t interested.  Years later the movie releases and my students are going on and on about both the book and the movie.  One of my avid readers and super book club members, Tristan, handed me her copy before spring break last year and told me to read it.  I did and whoa is it awesome!  It’s also been extremely popular in my classroom.

The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson (Goodreads): I have Tristan to thank for this one as well.  She read it and told me how wonderful it is and how (I think) she cried.  Let me know if I’m wrong about that, Tristan!  I was hesitant about Jandy Nelson’s debut at first, but I ended up loving her lyrical writing and reading Lennie’s poems.  It’s also incredibly popular among my girls in class.

Nothing Special Blog Tour: Geoff Herbach Guest Post & Giveaway

11 May

I’m very excited to feature a wonderful guest post written by Geoff Herbach about why writing for guys is so important:

Stupid Fast has been out for almost a year.  It’s been really great.  I’ve traveled a bit, met lots of writers and librarians and bloggers.  Best of all, though, I’ve met “elusive” teen boy readers – both through my blog, email and in person.  Good stuff.

 I do have some concerns, though.

 A really smart 16-year-old from Brooklyn wrote to tell me how much he loved Stupid Fast.  He also said, “I hate books, always have.”  What?  A freshman at a high school I visited the other day told me: “I only like two books.  Stupid Fast and this other one I can’t remember.”  Okay…  I have had similar exchanges again and again in the last year.  It reinforces the reason I wanted to write Stupid Fast in the first place: there is a good-sized subset of kids who don’t have enough books to read.  I was that kind of kid.

 When I was fourteen-years-old, I played sports and played in the orchestra, tried out for plays and did okay in school. On paper I looked like a normal kid, maybe even a pretty high achieving kid.

 Here’s the truth, though: I was all crazy on the inside. I was all like: “I should shower again because… is there a weird smell? What are you looking at? I think Kerri and Audrey are laughing at me. I hate them!  My shirt doesn’t fit. What’s that smell?   I love Jenny. I love her. She hates me! What’s wrong with my shirt? There’s definitely something wrong with my ear. What are you looking at? What’s that weird smell?” ETC.

 Crazy. But… here’s the truth: not abnormal.

 Having taught writing to college kids for the last six years, I know something for a fact: Almost everyone (male or female) felt like a dork as a teen. They write essays about it. But, boy culture puts a premium on hiding the truth. The girls in my classes are better at expressing it.  Many have read books for years that help them make sense of things.  Boys, who need the help most, have very few books that address their concerns.  A few years ago, my son decided fantasy no longer spoke to him, then he read a few books that did then stopped reading, because he could find nothing that spoke to him.

 I had a similar experience.  When I was fourteen, I read. A lot. If I hadn’t read Catcher in the Rye my life would’ve been much worse. Holden Caufield’s thoughts were so familiar to me. Even if they were a little terrifying, and he was on the edge, I knew that I wasn’t alone. I began to devour anything with a male protagonist. The more gritty, the more down to earth, the better (this was a big change, because up until that point, I pretty much read fantasy). Vision Quest, The Chocolate War, I am the Cheese, A Separate Peace… But soon, I ran out of material.  I read some adult titles, but slowed down and almost stopped.

 The publishing industry believes that boys don’t read, so they don’t publish books for them.  My anecdotal evidence contradicts this belief to some extent.  The boys I’m meeting enjoyed reading books that were meant for them, that directly address their way of thinking – which isn’t always pretty, but isn’t dumb or simple, either.   

 I’m on a mission, I guess. I want to write good stories aimed squarely at teen boys. In a decade, I want to have dudes come up to me and list ten books they love.  The girls I’m meeting are able to do this!  Girls are so lucky to have dozens of great books coming every month that speak to their experience. 

 If you’re a writer, maybe think about writing for boys?  If you’re a reader, ask a librarian what’s new that speaks to boys.  They’ll know (because there aren’t many titles).  Maybe we’ll build a bigger market for these young men who need material so much!

 Yeah, that’s my dream.

Thank you, Geoff, for sharing this post with us and stopping by the blog today! :D

Not only is today awesome because Geoff Herbach wrote a post for my blog, but also because the fab people at Sourcebooks Fire are offering a copy of Nothing Special to one lucky winner!

Entry Guidelines:
To enter, please leave a comment about a book you recommend with guy appeal or a comment about the post :)
You must be a resident of the U.S. or Canada.
You must be at least 13 years old to enter.
No extra entries required, but spreading the word is appreciated!
The winner will be announced through a blog post here & emailed.
The winner will have 48 hours to respond.
Giveaway closes 5/19/12 @ 12:01 EST

Student Book Review: I Hunt Killers by Barry Lyga

9 May

Since reading I Hunt Killers and telling my students about it and showing them the trailer, it’s become quite popular among my students.  Today’s student reviewer, Bobby, bought his own copy to read and is now focusing his Y.A. Lit project on Barry Lyga and his books.  I’ve already reviewed I Hunt Killers, but I love getting the opportunity to feature what my students think about books I’ve read as well since so many of my reviews focus on what I think my students will want to read.  I hope you enjoy Bobby’s 5 star review!

Title: I Hunt Killers

Author: Barry Lyga

Student Reviewer: Bobby

Summary (From Goodreads):

What if the world’s worst serial killer…was your dad?

Jasper (Jazz) Dent is a likable teenager. A charmer, one might say.

But he’s also the son of the world’s most infamous serial killer, and for Dear Old Dad, Take Your Son to Work Day was year-round. Jazz has witnessed crime scenes the way cops wish they could–from the criminal’s point of view.

And now bodies are piling up in Lobo’s Nod.

In an effort to clear his name, Jazz joins the police in a hunt for a new serial killer. But Jazz has a secret–could he be more like his father than anyone knows?

Student Review:

Jasper Dent is son of one of the most infamous serial killers of all time and was taught as a kid how to be a killer. So when a serial killer comes to his small town he tries to help the cops find out who it is by looking through the killers’ perspective.

I Hunt Killers is a great book. It is very interesting to read and I could not put it down until I had finished it, and unlike most other books I could not figure out who the killer was until I had finished. It is fast paced and doesn’t have a boring part in it. It is full of suspense and mystery; also it had a little bit of a romance in it.

One of my favorite things about it is how Jasper somewhat explains what the killer is thinking and explains why the killer does what he does. And that he explains what his dad did and how he did it, along with what happened to him as a child growing up with his dad.

In this book the characters were very developed, each with their own very distinct personality. It really felt like I knew them. It wasn’t just the major characters that were developed either, unlike many other books, even many of the minor characters were developed well.  This really allowed me to connect with them and have feelings for each one.

Flash Reviews (12)

7 May

Thank you for the Flash Reviews idea, GreenBeanTeenQueen!

Title: Timeless

Author: Alexandra Monir

Source: Finished copy received from the publicist

Summary (From Goodreads): When tragedy strikes Michele Windsor’s world, she is forced to uproot her life and move across the country to New York City, to live with the wealthy, aristocratic grandparents she’s never met. In their old Fifth Avenue mansion filled with a century’s worth of family secrets, Michele discovers a diary that hurtles her back in time to the year 1910. There, in the midst of the glamorous Gilded Age, Michele meets the young man with striking blue eyes who has haunted her dreams all her life – a man she always wished was real, but never imagined could actually exist. And she finds herself falling for him, into an otherworldly, time-crossed romance.
 
Michele is soon leading a double life, struggling to balance her contemporary high school world with her escapes into the past. But when she stumbles upon a terrible discovery, she is propelled on a race through history to save the boy she loves – a quest that will determine the fate of both of their lives.

Flash Review: My interest went back and forth when I was reading Timeless.  I was intrigued for the first half because it was mysterious with all of the time travel and romance, but after a while the book really slowed down for me.  Michele meets and falls for the man from her dreams, but it’s tough to make it work considering he’s from another time period.  I enjoyed their scenes together, but eventually it felt like the story stalled and wasn’t moving forward.  I needed more from their relationship and from the mystery behind the time travel.  I set the book down for a bit and eventually came back to it after debating whether I was going to finish it.  Once I picked Timeless up again, I started to change my mind about quitting because the story changed pace and the romance and mystery became more intriguing.  I started getting more answers as more questions developed.  In the end, I’m really happy I finished reading Timeless because the story fleshed out.  If you enjoy reading historical fiction, time travel stories, romance, etc. then I think you should give Alexandra Monir’s novel a try.

Title: Revived

Author: Cat Patrick

Source: ARC received from the publisher

Summary (From Goodreads):

As a little girl, Daisy Appleby was killed in a school bus crash. Moments after the accident, she was brought back to life.

A secret government agency has developed a drug called Revive that can bring people back from the dead, and Daisy Appleby, a test subject, has been Revived five times in fifteen years. Daisy takes extraordinary risks, knowing that she can beat death, but each new death also means a new name, a new city, and a new life. When she meets Matt McKean, Daisy begins to question the moral implications of Revive, and as she discovers the agency’s true goals, she realizes she’s at the center of something much larger—and more sinister—than she ever imagined.

Flash Review: Revived is a fast-paced sci-fi thriller that I couldn’t put down.  I’m normally not into science fiction, but the medical technology developed to bring people back from the dead is really engrossing and kept me reading until the very last page.  I love a book that keeps me guessing and making predictions which Revived did over and over again.  I felt like I was on the same page as Daisy because just as she was questioning something or coming to a realization, I was as well.  I can easily see Cat Patrick’s newest novel becoming a big hit in my classroom and with teens in general for the plot alone.  I can’t imagine being brought back to life and then needing to move, create a new identity, and trying to keep all of that a secret.  It forces Daisy to keep close relationships at bay which is difficult for any teenager.  Readers might also be drawn to Revived because some are labeling it dystopian, but I think it’s more futuristic science fiction.  Either way it’s labeled it can ladder between dystopian and sci-fi titles easily.

Title: Bittersweet

Author: Sarah Ockler

Source: Purchased

Summary (From Goodreads): Once upon a time, Hudson knew exactly what her future looked like. Then a betrayal changed her life, and knocked her dreams to the ground. Now she’s a girl who doesn’t believe in second chances… a girl who stays under the radar by baking cupcakes at her mom’s diner and obsessing over what might have been.

So when things start looking up and she has another shot at her dreams, Hudson is equal parts hopeful and terrified. Of course, this is also the moment a cute, sweet guy walks into her life… and starts serving up some seriously mixed signals. She’s got a lot on her plate, and for a girl who’s been burned before, risking it all is easier said than done.

It’s time for Hudson to ask herself what she really wants, and how much she’s willing to sacrifice to get it. Because in a place where opportunities are fleeting, she knows this chance may very well be her last…

Flash Review: Bittersweet is now my favorite of Sarah Ockler’s three novels.  It’s the perfect blend of romance, coming of age, and all around fantastic contemporary fiction.  Hudson is trying to balance helping her single mom run a diner, taking care of her little brother, becoming a figure skater once again, and deciding between two attractive hockey players.  Make sure to add on keeping a friendship alive, baking cupcakes to support the diner, and training a bunch of hockey players and you have some difficult situations taking place.  Hudson is a likeable character that teens will relate to for a variety of reasons, especially if they want to do it all without having to give anything up.  Even though Hudson makes some errors in judgment, I couldn’t help but root for her and hope she eventually made the right or best choice.  She’s the kind of girl who doesn’t want to let anyone down, especially her loved ones, so you have to admire her for that.  And of course I can’t write about Bittersweet without mentioning the cupcakes.  I wish I had a recipe for every one because I want to make them ALL!

 

Let’s Try Again: My List of Six

6 May

I don’t remember when I tried Michelle from Galleysmith’s idea of creating a list of books to read in a certain amount of time, but I do know it helped a little bit even though I didn’t completely succeed.  I’m a list maker, but I’m horrible at setting books-to-read goals because I’m such a moody reader.  If I’m in the mood for something lovey, but I’m currently reading something suspenseful, there’s a good chance I’ll switch books.  I’m not always that way, but I know myself enough as a reader to recognize that I do this.  I’m trying Michelle’s idea again because it’s the end of the school year, I have books to read for our new curriculum, I’m starting my second to last Masters class, and I’m going to be overwhelmed.  So I figure if I create a list of books to (try t0) stick with, then maybe I’ll be less stressed and more productive.

Here’s my list of six (six because I’m not getting over my head with this):

The Forgetting Curve by Angie Smibert (Goodreads)

Out of the Pocket by Bill Konigsberg (Goodreads)

Bad Girls Don’t Die by Katie Alender (Goodreads)

Vicious Little Darlings by Katherine Easer (Goodreads)

The Exiled Queen by Cinda Williams Chima (I WILL finally finish this!) (Goodreads)

Bitterblue by Kristen Cashore (Yay!!) (Goodreads)

Alternates in case I can’t get into one of my six:

Masque of the Red Death by Bethany Griffin (Goodreads)

A Midsummer’s Nightmare by Kody Keplinger (Goodreads)

Deadly Cool by Gemma Halliday (Goodreads)

Book Trailer Thursday (63)–Stupid Fast by Geoff Herbach

3 May

So I guess I’m all about Geoff Herbach and his greatness this week!  I was on his website and found this new book trailer for Stupid Fast, which I really like because it was made by teens.  I’m looking forward to showing this to my students since I’m offering  an extra credit opportunity which allows them to make book trailers.  I hope you like it!

Summary (From Goodreads):

Praise for Stupid Fast
“A rare mix of raw honesty and hilarity. Stupid Fast is Stupid Good “
-Peter Bognanni,
author of The House of Tomorrow
I AM NOT STUPID FUNNY.
I AM STUPID FAST.
My name is Felton Reinstein, which is not a fast name. But last November, my voice finally dropped and I grew all this hair and then I got stupid fast. Fast like a donkey. Zing.
Now they want me, the guy they used to call Squirrel Nut, to try out for the football team. With the jocks. But will that fix my mom? Make my brother stop dressing like a pirate? Most important, will it get me girls -especially Aleah?
So I train. And I run. And I sneak off to Aleah’s house in the night. But deep down I know I can’t run forever. And I wonder what will happen when I finally have to stop.

 

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