Book Trailer Thursday (110)–Boy Nobody by Allen Zadoff

It’s getting late (I’m writing this on Wednesday evening), and I REALLY want to get in bed and read, so I’m going to make this a quick and to the point post :)   Boy Nobody by Allen Zadoff (releases June 11th) sounds really cool so I’m excited to see a book trailer for it.  I’m kind of ashamed to admit that I haven’t read any of his books yet!  Hopefully Boy Nobody is a good one to start with.

Boy NobodySummary (From Goodreads):

They needed the perfect assassin.

Boy Nobody is the perennial new kid in school, the one few notice and nobody thinks much about. He shows up in a new high school in a new town under a new name, makes a few friends, and doesn’t stay long. Just long enough for someone in his new friend’s family to die-of “natural causes.” Mission accomplished, Boy Nobody disappears, moving on to the next target.

But when he’s assigned to the mayor of New York City, things change. The daughter is unlike anyone he has encountered before; the mayor reminds him of his father. And when memories and questions surface, his handlers at The Program are watching. Because somewhere deep inside, Boy Nobody is somebody: the kid he once was; the teen who wants normal things, like a real home and parents; a young man who wants out. And who just might want those things badly enough to sabotage The Program’s mission.

In this action-packed series debut, author Allen Zadoff pens a page-turning thriller that is as thought-provoking as it is gripping, introducing an utterly original and unforgettable antihero.

Review: Dead Silence by Kimberly Derting

Dead SilenceTitle: Dead Silence

Author: Kimberly Derting

Publisher: HarperCollins

Release Date: April 16th, 2013

Interest: Series

Source: ARC received from the publisher

Summary (From Goodreads): Violet thought she’d made peace with her unique ability to sense the echoes of the dead and the imprints that cling to their killers…that is until she acquired an imprint of her own. Forced to carry a reminder of the horrible events of her kidnapping, Violet is more determined than ever to lead a normal life. However, the people who run the special investigative team Violet works for have no intention of letting her go.

When someone close to Violet becomes a suspect in a horrific murder, she finds herself pulled into a deadly hunt for a madman with an army of devoted followers. Violet has survived dangerous situations before, but she quickly discovers that protecting those closest to her is far more difficult than protecting herself.

I think I’ve said this in all of my reviews of The Body Finder series, but I really love it.  They’re fun, suspenseful, and romantic.

I’m not sure if Dead Silence is concluding Kimberly Derting’s series because there isn’t a fifth book listed on Goodreads.  I liked the ending, but it didn’t feel like a series closer.  Maybe there will be a spin-off?  Regardless, I’ve really enjoyed reading about Violet and “watching” her grow as a character.  She really comes into her own in this book.  I feel like she really has a sense of who she is, what her ability/gift can do, and who her true friends are.

One of the reasons I like The Body Finder series so much is because Violet is so independent.  Sure, she leans on her boyfriend Jay quite a bit, but I never get the sense that she needs him.  Violet makes her own decisions and does what she thinks is right.  Many YA heroines look to their male counterpart/love interest for guidance and help, and that simply isn’t the case with Violet.

Kimberly Derting finally gives us more background information about Violet’s ability and the group she’s working with.  I’m not going to say much about this because I don’t want to spoil anything, but the new layer to the story is really interesting and answers so many questions.

Like the other books, we get to read from a killer’s point of view.  And like the other books, it adds an exciting sense of creepiness and suspense.  I didn’t have as many questions about who was behind everything in Dead Silence as I did in previous books, but I still enjoyed it.

If you haven’t picked up this series, I highly recommend that you do.  It’s very popular in my classroom and really enjoyable.

Book Trailer Thursday (103)–Pretty Girl-13 by Liz Coley

I love psychological thrillers, so I’m really looking forward to reading Pretty Girl-13 by Liz Coley.  I’ve read some great reviews which has me confident that I’ll like it.  One of my YA Lit students is doing her project on kidnappings, so I have a feeling I’ll be buying a copy of this new release soon.

Pretty Girl-13Summary (From Goodreads): Reminiscent of the Elizabeth Smart case, Pretty Girl-13 is a disturbing and powerful psychological mystery about a girl who must piece together the story of her kidnapping and captivity.

Angie Chapman was thirteen years old when she ventured into the woods alone on a Girl Scouts camping trip. Now she’s returned home…only to find that it’s three years later and she’s sixteen-or at least that’s what everyone tells her.

What happened to the past three years of her life?

Angie doesn’t know.

But there are people who do — people who could tell Angie every detail of her forgotten time, if only they weren’t locked inside her mind. With a tremendous amount of courage, Angie embarks on a journey to discover the fragments of her personality, otherwise known as her “alters.” As she unearths more and more about her past, she discovers a terrifying secret and must decide: When you remember things you wish you could forget, do you destroy the parts of yourself that are responsible?

Liz Coley’s alarming and fascinating psychological mystery is a disturbing – and ultimately empowering page-turner about accepting our whole selves, and the healing power of courage, hope, and love.

Book Trailer Thursday (99)–Middle Grade Titles

Sometimes I get the feeling that a lot of middle school teachers/librarians follow my blog.  One of these days I should set up a poll to see how many of my readers teach or work with elementary, middle, and high school students.

I decided to feature some middle grade title book trailers.  They’re for “older” titles, but I hope you enjoy them anyway :)

Juniper BerrySummary for Juniper Berry (From Goodreads): Juniper’s parents have not been themselves lately. In fact, they have been cold, disinterested and cruel. And lonely Juniper Berry, and her equally beset friend, Giles, are determined to figure out why.

On a cold and rainy night Juniper follows her parents as they sneak out of the house and enter the woods. What she discovers is an underworld filled with contradictions: one that is terrifying and enticing, lorded over by a creature both sinister and seductive, who can sell you all the world’s secrets in a simple red balloon. For the first time, Juniper and Giles have a choice to make. And it will be up to them to confront their own fears in order to save the ones who couldn’t.

M.P. Kozlowsky’s debut novel is a modern-day fairy tale of terror, temptation, and ways in which it is our choices that make us who we are.

The Strange Case of Origami YodaSummary for The Strange Case of Origami Yoda (From Goodreads): IT TAKES THE WISDOM OF YODA TO SURVIVED THE SIXTH GRADE

Meet Dwight, a sixth-grade oddball. Dwight does a lot of weird things, like wearing the same T-shirt for a month or telling people to call him “Captain Dwight.” This is embarrassing, particularly for Tommy, who sits with him at lunch every day.

But Dwight does one cool thing. He makes origami. One day he makes an origami finger puppet of Yoda. And that’s when things get mysterious. Origami Yoda can predict the future and suggest the best way to deal with a tricky situation. His advice actually works, and soon most of the sixth grade is lining up with questions.

Tommy wants to know how Origami Yoda can be so smart when Dwight himself is so clueless. Is Yoda tapping into the Force? It’s crucial that Tommy figure out the mystery before he takes Yoda’s advice about something VERY IMPORTANT that has to do with a girl.

This is Tommy’s case file of his investigation into “The Strange Case of Origami Yoda.”

The False PrinceSummary for The False Prince (From Goodreads): THE FALSE PRINCE is the thrilling first book in a brand-new trilogy filled with danger and deceit and hidden identities that will have readers rushing breathlessly to the end.

In a discontent kingdom, civil war is brewing. To unify the divided people, Conner, a nobleman of the court, devises a cunning plan to find an impersonator of the king’s long-lost son and install him as a puppet prince. Four orphans are recruited to compete for the role, including a defiant boy named Sage. Sage knows that Conner’s motives are more than questionable, yet his life balances on a sword’s point — he must be chosen to play the prince or he will certainly be killed. But Sage’s rivals have their own agendas as well.

As Sage moves from a rundown orphanage to Conner’s sumptuous palace, layer upon layer of treachery and deceit unfold, until finally, a truth is revealed that, in the end, may very well prove more dangerous than all of the lies taken together.

An extraordinary adventure filled with danger and action, lies and deadly truths that will have readers clinging to the edge of their seats.

Flash Reviews (19)

Meant to BeTitle: Meant to Be

Author: Lauren Morrill

Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers

Source: Purchased

Summary (From Goodreads): Meant to be or not meant to be . . . that is the question. 

It’s one thing to fall head over heels into a puddle of hazelnut coffee, and quite another to fall for the—gasp—wrong guy. Straight-A junior Julia may be accident prone, but she’s queen of following rules and being prepared. That’s why she keeps a pencil sharpener in her purse and a pocket Shakespeare in her, well, pocket. And that’s also why she’s chosen Mark Bixford, her childhood crush, as her MTB (“meant to be”).

But this spring break, Julia’s rules are about to get defenestrated (SAT word: to be thrown from a window) when she’s partnered with her personal nemesis, class-clown Jason, on a school trip to London. After one wild party, Julia starts receiving romantic texts . . . from an unknown number! Jason promises to help discover the identity of her mysterious new suitor if she agrees to break a few rules along the way. And thus begins a wild goose chase through London, leading Julia closer and closer to the biggest surprise of all: true love.

Because sometimes the things you least expect are the most meant to be.

Flash Review:

More than anything else, the cover of Meant to Be drew me to this book.  I’ve been wanting to read it since first seeing it, so I was really excited when one of the girls in the book club I run chose it as our next book.  We discussed Lauren Morrill’s debut before Christmas break and the majority of the girls loved it.  I, on the other hand, didn’t quite love it.

I completely understand why my girls loved it so much.  It’s cute, it takes place in London, and there’s both swoony and funny scenes.  For some reason those pieces didn’t carry me through like they normally might.  I couldn’t connect with Julia or Jason at all.  Julia’s obsession with following all the rules and then so easily breaking them felt forced and unrealistic.  The plot didn’t feel strong enough either.  I needed more from it than just texting a mysterious guy and then worrying about Jason.  The ending puts everything together and saved the book for me, but I wish there had been more in the middle to make me enjoy Meant to Be that much more.

What She Left BehindTitle: What She Left Behind

Author: Tracy Bilen

Publisher: Simon Pulse

Source: Finished copy received from the author

Summary (From Goodreads):

“Don’t even think of leaving… I will find you,” he whispered.

“Guaranteed.”

Sara and her mom have a plan to finally escape Sara’s abusive father. But when her mom doesn’t show up as expected, Sara’s terrified. Her father says that she’s on a business trip, but Sara knows he’s lying. Her mom is missing—and her dad had something to do with it.

With each day that passes, Sara’s more on edge. Her friends know that something’s wrong, but she won’t endanger anyone else with her secret. And with her dad growing increasingly violent, Sara must figure out what happened to her mom before it’s too late…for them both.

Flash Review:

What She Left Behind is a great mystery that I’m sure will hook some of my reluctant readers.  It has fairly short chapters which keep the story paced well and will appeal to many of my students.  So many of them won’t stop reading until they read the end of the chapter, so I’ll sometimes spot them flipping through a book before they read it to see how long the chapters are.

The beginning of Tracy Bilen’s debut is gripping as Sara remembers threats her father made towards her mother; it’s obvious right away that this is a violent home.  I was tense through the beginning and Sara and her mother plan their escape and when Sara suddenly finds herself without her mother.  The fact that Sara’s dad won’t recognize her brother’s death is even worse and adds more tension to the story.

My one issue with this story is that I needed a little more action or build up in the middle of the book.  The beginning caught my attention right away and the ending is even more intense, but the middle dragged a bit.  I’m not sure what would make it better, to be honest.  Maybe the relationship between Sara and Alex could be stronger.  Even though the middle was a bit slow for me, I think my students will really like this.

Since I know many of the people reading my blog are teachers and librarians, you’ll be happy to know that What She Left Behind is in paperback.  I know I always appreciate being able to buy a new release in paperback; my bank account appreciates it, too :)

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

Book Trailer Thursday (90)–The Butterfly Clues by Kate Ellison

The Butterfly Clues has been on my reading radar since its February 2012 release.  I’m not sure why I didn’t buy it right away, but I was very happy to trade for it at the ALAN convention this week.  I can’t remember who traded with me, but THANK YOU!  I love mystery/thrillers, so I’m really looking forward to reading this.

I’d love to know what you think of Kate Ellison’s book if you’ve read it.  What do you think of the trailer?  I’m looking forward to showing it to my students when we go back to school on Monday.

By the way–Happy Thanksgiving!

Summary (From Goodreads): Penelope (Lo) Marin has always loved to collect beautiful things. Her dad’s consulting job means she’s grown up moving from one rundown city to the next, and she’s learned to cope by collecting (sometimes even stealing) quirky trinkets and souvenirs in each new place–possessions that allow her to feel at least some semblance of home.

But in the year since her brother Oren’s death, Lo’s hoarding has blossomed into a full-blown, potentially dangerous obsession. She discovers a beautiful, antique butterfly pendant during a routine scour at a weekend flea market, and recognizes it as having been stolen from the home of a recently murdered girl known only as “Sapphire”–a girl just a few years older than Lo. As usual when Lo begins to obsess over something, she can’t get the murder out of her mind.

As she attempts to piece together the mysterious “butterfly clues,” with the unlikely help of a street artist named Flynt, Lo quickly finds herself caught up in a seedy, violent underworld much closer to home than she ever imagined–a world, she’ll ultimately discover, that could hold the key to her brother’s tragic death.

Book Trailer Thursday (87)–Blind Spot by Laura Ellen

I realize it’s Friday (yay!) and not Thursday, but I had a blog tour post yesterday instead of my regular book trailer post.  I’m excited that Laura Ellen has a book trailer for her debut Blind Spot because not only does it sound like a great book, but because she’s also been touring in Michigan.  (I love it when authors spend time in Michigan!)

Summary (From Goodreads):

There’s none so blind as they that won’t see.

Seventeen-year-old Tricia Farni’s body floated to the surface of Alaska’s Birch River six months after the night she disappeared. The night Roz Hart had a fight with her. The night Roz can’t remember. Roz, who struggles with macular degeneration, is used to assembling fragments to make sense of the world around her. But this time it’s her memory that needs piecing together—to clear her name . . . to find a murderer.

This unflinchingly emotional novel is written in the powerful first-person voice of a legally blind teen who just wants to be like everyone else.

Review: The Diviners by Libba Bray

Title: The Diviners

Author: Libba Bray

Publisher:Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Release Date: September 18th, 2012

Interest: Historical Fiction / Supernatural / Ghosts

Source: ARC received from the publisher

Summary (From Goodreads): Evie O’Neill has been exiled from her boring old hometown and shipped off to the bustling streets of New York City–and she is pos-i-toot-ly thrilled. New York is the city of speakeasies, shopping, and movie palaces! Soon enough, Evie is running with glamorous Ziegfield girls and rakish pickpockets. The only catch is Evie has to live with her Uncle Will, curator of The Museum of American Folklore, Superstition, and the Occult–also known as “The Museum of the Creepy Crawlies.”
When a rash of occult-based murders comes to light, Evie and her uncle are right in the thick of the investigation. And through it all, Evie has a secret: a mysterious power that could help catch the killer–if he doesn’t catch her first.

I’ve never read any of Libba Bray’s books before, but after watching the trailer for her newest book, The Diviners, I knew I had to read it.  The 1920s is one of my favorite time periods, and I love a good ghostly mystery.  It’s exciting when books like The Diviners release in the fall because the setting and tone fits the fall weather perfectly, especially if you choose to read this on a dark, stormy night ;)

In a nutshell, I enjoyed The Diviners and I’ll read the sequel.  The story is engaging, and the characters are interesting.  Unfortunately, the writing itself kept me from enjoying Libba Bray’s new novel as much as I hoped to.

My first roadblock was Evie’s constant 1920s slang.  It’s important to make the language fit the time period when writing historical fiction, but the heavy use left me with the impression that Bray wanted to show she did research.  When it becomes that distracting, then it’s not done very well.  Evie uses the slang the most, which fits her character wanting to be a Flapper; she’s trendy, vivacious, and energetic.

The biggest roadblock is the constant jump from character to character.  I love reading novels with multiple points of view; I love reading novels written in third person which switch between characters.  Libba Bray included too many characters and didn’t write them cohesively.  The Diviners would have benefited from a set up like Neal Shusterman’s Unwind where each character jump is marked by a section header with the character’s name.  While reading I had a better understanding and visual of the setting than the characters, so it was hard to figure out right away which character was the new focus.  Considering the amount of details written into the story, I expected to have a better picture of Evie.  I kept picturing her like a little girl, not an older teenager.  Think Shirley Temple.  Maybe it’s how naive she is, or because so many people around her keep treating her like a child, but I had a really hard time visualizing her.  The only character I could picture clearly was Memphis and he has significantly fewer scenes than Evie.  I found Memphis and his brother Isiah to be two of the most interesting characters in The Diviners.

On a more positive note, the suspense and mystery is excellent in The Diviners.  So many scenes had me holding me breath and racing to get to the next page.  I love it when an author builds up the suspense like that because it keeps me reading and engaged.  The degree of creepiness is perfect.  None of the scenes are too graphic (for me) and they’re not too scary either.  Libba Bray has included an excellent blend of creepy, mystery, and humor.

Even though the writing didn’t work out as well for me as I wanted it to, I still think The Diviners is worth reading.  It’s awfully long at over 570 pages, so some of my students may be wary of reading it.  I hope the second book cuts down on the overwritten scenes and is clearer when switching characters.  I especially hope to learn more about what the purpose of the Diviners is going to be.  We met them, and we know their abilities, but it will be great to know how they might all come together.

Book Pairing: The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson

Review: Amelia Anne is Dead and Gone by Kat Rosenfield

Title: Amelia Anne is Dead and Gone

Author: Kat Rosenfield

Publisher: Dutton Juvenile

Release: July 5th, 2012

Interest: 2012 Debut Author / Contemporary

Source: Purchased

Summary (From Goodreads):  An arresting un-coming-of-age story, from a breathtaking talent.

Becca has always longed to break free from her small, backwater hometown. But the discovery of an unidentified dead girl on the side of a dirt road sends the town–and Becca–into a tailspin. Unable to make sense of the violence of the outside world creeping into her backyard, Becca finds herself retreating inward, paralyzed from moving forward for the first time in her life.

Short chapters detailing the last days of Amelia Anne Richardson’s life are intercut with Becca’s own summer as the parallel stories of two young women struggling with self-identity and relationships on the edge twist the reader closer and closer to the truth about Amelia’s death.

I love a good mystery, especially when it’s a richly written contemporary mystery.  Amelia Anne is Dead and Gone has a lot going for it, but it also has a few flaws as well.

Books with more than one point of view almost always win me over and pique my interest.  There’s so much to gain from the story when we can read and learn from more than one character.  Kat Rosenfield provided us mainly with Becca’s point of view, but she also gave us Amelia Anne’s point of view hours before her death.  What made this added perspective even more interesting is how much Amelia Anne’s life paralleled Becca’s.  The pacing for this worked well also since we have it every two or three chapters.  It’s just enough to make us want more from her story and to see how it connects to Becca’s.

Something that begs to be mentioned is the setting of Amelia Anne is Dead and Gone.  Bridgeton is a very small town with a tight-knit community.  The idea of either being an outsider or an insider is abundantly stressed in the story.  Becca feels like an outsider in her own town and has dreams of leaving, but once that opportunity grows nearer it becomes that much scarier.  Amelia Anne is an outsider which makes her murder in their town all the more shocking.  No one knows who she is, where she’s from, or who killed her.  The murder throws all of Bridgeton into a frenzy of gossip and pointing fingers; Becca even starts to feel more attached to her town.  I had a hard time believing how much this murder affected everyone, but I’m also not from a small town.  Regardless, the setting really becomes a major character in the story.  The stress and tension grows to the point that I could feel it while reading.

As most reviewers have said, Kat Rosenfield has written a lush, beautiful debut novel.  The story is engrossing and vivid and kept me reading page after page.  My big qualm with Amelia Anne is Dead and Gone is how jumpy the plot is.  Becca very often flashes back to earlier in the year without any warning.  She also narrates different characters’ stories.  These jumps in time happen without any kind of visual cue.  The reader would benefit from a page break or a different font style when Becca switches time periods and focus.  Overall, I don’t know if I really liked Becca all that much as a character.  She’s incredibly naive, understandably so, and it’s believable but it grew on my nerves.  I wanted her to ask questions.  I found myself relating more to Amelia and enjoying her character so much more.  She’s years ahead of Becca and knows how to go after what she wants.  She’s confident and standing up for herself.  As I was reading I kept hoping that Becca will grow to be like Amelia in those ways.

Amelia Anne is Dead and Gone is a great choice if you enjoy contemporary literary YA.  It’s a fast-paced, gritty debut that I can see becoming quite popular in my classroom.  I’ll feel comfortable recommending this to some of my freshmen, but I don’t think I’d hand this over to middle school students.  The story isn’t overly mature, but it does deal with mature situations and language that might be a little advanced for middle school students.

Flash Reviews (15)

Title: Your Own, Sylvia: A Verse Portrait of Sylvia Plath

Author: Stephanie Hemphill

Source: Purchased

Summary (From Goodreads): On a bleak February day in 1963 a young American poet died by her own hand, and passed into a myth that has since imprinted itself on the hearts and minds of millions. She was and is Sylvia Plath and Your Own, Sylvia is a portrait of her life, told in poems.

With photos and an extensive list of facts and sources to round out the reading experience, Your Own, Sylvia is a great curriculum companion to Plath’s The Bell Jar and Ariel, a welcoming introduction for newcomers, and an unflinching valentine for the devoted.

Flash Review: I didn’t know anything about Your Own, Sylvia until I decided to have my upcoming sophomores reading Printz novels as their summer homework.  I bought quite a few of the winners and honor books so my students could borrow them over the summer, so of course I’ve been reading them as well.  I’m so, so happy I bought Stephanie Hemphill’s novel.

I haven’t read all of The Bell Jar (I read portions in college), but after reading Your Own, Sylvia I’ll be reading it for sure.  I know the story of Sylvia Plath, but Stephanie Hemphill made me feel like I knew Sylvia Plath personally.  At times I felt like I was struggling and suffering and rejoicing right along with her.  The verse is stunning.  Many of the sections of Your Own, Sylvia are written to mimic different poems written by Plath.  Another thing I love about this novel is the footnotes which add more information about Plath and her life.  The author added an additional twist by writing this book from varying perspectives.  Some sections are supposed to be from Sylvia’s mother’s point of view, or a roommates’, or even her husband’s point of view.  The reader is given a full-circle view of who Sylvia Plath was.  It’s a beautiful portrait of her life and I couldn’t get enough of it.  It even brought me to tears.  It receives my highest recommendation.

Title: Deadly Cool

Author: Gemma Halliday

Source: Purchased

Summary (From Goodreads): Hartley Grace Featherstone is having a very bad day. First she finds out that her boyfriend is cheating on her with the president of the Herbert Hoover High School Chastity Club. Then he’s pegged as the #1 suspect in a murder. And if that weren’t enough, now he’s depending on Hartley to clear his name. Seriously? Not cool.

But as much as Hartley wouldn’t mind seeing him squirm, she knows he’s innocent, and she’s the only one who can help him. Along with her best friend, Sam, and the school’s resident Bad Boy, Chase, Hartley starts investigating on her own. But as the dead bodies begin to pile up, the mystery deepens, the suspects multiply, and Hartley begins to fear that she may be the killer’s next victim.

Flash Review: Deadly Cool is written in such a way that it appeals to a wide variety of readers.  If you like murder mysteries, then Hartley’s story is right up your alley.  If you’re unsure about murder mysteries and normally look for books on the lighter side, you’ll probably enjoy Deadly Cool because Gemma Halliday managed to make murder scenes awkward and funny.  I know, that sounds impossible, right?  Hartley is sarcastic, but not overly so, and has a way of looking at situations that will make readers laugh.  Who trips over a dead body? That would be Hartley.  The humor is just right and not overdone.

Deadly Cool isn’t on my favorites list, but it’s good enough to read the next book in the series.  It’s a book I’ll feel comfortable handing to my reluctant readers, as well as my students looking for something mysterious or funny.  I love it when a book covers so many bases.

 

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