Young Adult Books-What We're Reading Now

Book Giveaway: The Butterfly Clues

2012-02-09T08:32:00.002-07:00

The Butterfly Clues
by Kate Ellison

A clever new debut that will take your breath away and leave you at the edge of your seat frantically turning the pages! I was hooked from the opening pages and could not put this one down.

Author Kate Ellison has written a teen tour de force with a quirky heroine who soon finds herself in way over her head when she sets out to solve a murder using the "butterfly clues." Someone is after Penelope (Lo) and she'll need to control her anxiety and compulsive behavior and keep her wits about her in order to stay alive!

You won't want to miss this must-read! and getting a FREE copy rocks!

Post a comment on this blog and include your email address so that I can notify you if you win. Also, please include your city and state since the publisher, the author and I want to see where our readers live.

Deadline for posting is February 23 at 12:00 noon MST. Winners will be chosen by Randomizer. I will notify winners on Feb. 23. Please check your email. You will have 24 hours to contact me with your mailing address information for the publisher. Books will ship from New York thanks to Katie and Egmont!

Start posting, and good luck!
Pamela

Paranormal/Mythology Pick: A Beautiful Evil

2012-02-08T14:12:00.002-07:00

A Beautiful Evil (sequel to Darkness Becomes Her)
by Kelly Keaton
Simon Pulse
2012
304 pages

Available February 12, 2012

Having escaped Athena's dark prison (in Darkness Becomes Her), Ari returns home to New2 and begins to feel the power of Medusa growing in her and fears what she may some day become. Each day she trains at Presby, a special school for the sons and daughters of the Novem, three branches of paranormals: descendents of vampires, witches, shapeshifters and demi-gods. New2 is owned by the Novem, the richest families bought what was left of New Orleans and are now in control of it.

Ari lives with other unfortunate, young squatters--including hottie Sebastian--in an old Victorian in the GD (Garden District). So far, the Novem have left the GD alone, but it's only a matter of time before they begin inhabiting the old mansions and forcing the kids out.

As Ari learns to control her powers, Athena is playing games. Athena has long been the arch-enemy of the Novem--ever since she tried controlling them to do her bidding in an ancient war among the gods. The Novem came together in an alliance against Athena--now Ari, with her Gorgon powers, is the one Athena fears the most. Athena, who turned Ari's ancestor Medusa into a Gorgon in the first place out of petty jealousy because of her beauty, had stupidly created a god-killer, and Medusa's descendants would be equally as dangerous to Athena's very being.

Sebastian and Ari enter the Novem's library to seek the answers they need to defeat Athena, and Ari ventures into Pandora's Box, which really isn't a box after all, but a giant jar filled with all the Novem's history and secrets. Ari finds a way to enter Athena's den and takes her friends along for the war games. Nothing good can come from breaking and entering the goddess of war's realm--Ari and Sebastian soon find out. Breakneck storytelling and non-stop action at this point will leave teen readers breathless and as they finish this page-turner in one sitting.

Girls will love hot Sebastian and swoon in terror when he's tortured and taken hostage by Athena; they will cheer when the good guys win--wait a minute, vampires and a gorgon are good guys? My favorite line from the book is when Ari says to Sebastian, "Just a myth...says the warlock vampire to the gorgon?"

Highly, highly recommended grades 7-up with a warning. The word for human excrement is used a number of times and there is some vampire torture--but nothing that can't be seen on the CW Channel.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. I did not received monetary compensation for this review.

Food Junkie Pick: Guy Fieri Food: Cookin' It, Livin' It, Lovin' It

2012-02-07T09:25:00.001-07:00

Guy Fieri Food: Cookin' It, Livin' It, Lovin' It
Guy Fieri with Ann Volkwein
William Morrow (Imprint HarperCollins)
2011
407 pages

Every teen foodie and fans of Guy Fieri will love Guy's latest cookbook--part biography, part family story, part photo album, and all things food, this huge book is as big, bold, colorful, and wickedly entertaining as Mr. Big Bite Guy Fieri. Guy has several shows on the Food Network and prime time television. He is known for his bold food, his fusion recipes and restaurants--Tex Wasabi's and Johnny Garlic's--and for bringing a cool rock-n-roll vibe to a network that needed an infusion of youthful fun.

This cookbook is beautifully designed, the artwork meticulously rendered by illustrator Joe Leonard ( a well-known tattoo artist). Each section has breath-taking art and photos of the cast and crew of each of Fieri's shows. It is satisfying to see the pictures of all the "behind the scenes" people who help make a half hour show possible.

Nearly every page with recipes has a photo of the finished product and the results are mouth-watering! Any reader who can thumb through this book without being hungry just doesn't care anything about food. Fieri has thoughtfully included sections for the novice in the kitchen: what to stock in the pantry, what spices to have on hand, how each vegetable is used and when it's freshest, the best way to prepare vegetables; there is even a section devoted solely to the various types of peppers from jalapeno to anaheim to serrano.

Sections include tasty treats like sauces, rubs and marinades, sandwiches, vegetables, appetizers, and Guy's signature cocktails. The Mai Tai Sorbet is sinfully appealing.

Fieri's food is bold and a little dangerous. His guacamole has beer as an ingredient--who else would have thought to try beer in guacamole?-- and Banana Pepper Sauerkraut may just be the next condiment craze--good on sandwiches, salads, hot and cold foods.

Recipes have fun (punny) names like "Good Pho You," a Fieri nod to Vietnamese soup and "Texas Hold 'Em" for a sandwich that has the meats and other ingredients baked right into the loaf jelly-roll style so you can eat your sandwich with one hand and still play your favorite card game.

The book is dedicated to Fieri's beloved sister Morgan who died earlier last year from cancer. It is a fitting tribute to someone who had such an influence on so many people including her famous brother. Namaste.

Guy Fieri Food is serious entertainment and it's a cookbook that will appeal to fans of Fieri's television shows and anyone who loves food. The novice cook would love to have a copy, too. This isn't your mama's cookbook--this is off-the-hook fun (a nod to Guy).

Highly, highly recommended grades 6-up. There are recipes for a few drinks containing alcohol but most students are probably not interested in that. They are going to pick this book up for the Guy Fieri appeal and Food Network appeal. The cover exudes all things Guy Fieri--fun and big energy, and the bold, colorful title jumps off the shelf.

I could go on and on--being a foodie and Guy-fan myself--but I have to get in the kitchen and try some of this stuff!

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. I saw a copy of it at my local warehouse store and knew that I wanted to review a copy. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

Guy Pick: Somebody: Please Tell Me Who I Am

2012-02-06T10:24:00.001-07:00

Somebody:Please Tell Me Who I Am
by Harry Mazer & Peter Lerangis
Simon & Schuster
2012
160 pages

Available February 7, 2012

Realistic, believable, poignant, and uplifting, this new guy read by seasoned writers Harry Mazer and Peter Lerangis will appeal to teen readers who have a father, brother, sister, mother, or friend in the military and to readers who have a family member who is deployed.

Ben Bright (the last name is so fitting!) is a senior in high school and loves acting in school plays, and he's talented--so talented, in fact, that his drama teacher thinks he has a real chance on Broadway, but Ben feels a higher calling. He wants to join the military, to do what's right, to protect America and Americans. His family, best friend Niko and girlfriend Ariela are all against it, so he keeps it secret until right before he has to report.

As he says good-bye to Ariela at Penn Station, he gives her a diamond engagement ring--he's borrowed money from his parents and worked to afford it. Ben ends up in Iraq and is only able to email home once in awhile. His emails are full of spelling mistakes--he's trying to type at warp speed because each soldier only has a couple of minutes to send something to their families. It's a new strange world, but Ben likes it.

Ben is nicknamed Broadway once the other soldiers figure out he can sing. The company has the usual military repartee, joking with each other, teasing each other--sometimes almost cruelly. Ben likes his new assignment and doesn't mind the duty. The soldiers are told to walk beside their vehicle as much as possible--to let the neutrals--civilians--see that they are "likeable" and "human." This is a war to win hearts and minds and the command wants the soldiers to look friendly.

Looking friendly also puts the soldiers out in the open and in danger. When their vehicle runs over a doll in the road, everything changes. The doll was an explosive and Ben is hurt.

His parents get that terrifying phone call--the one that all parents dread. Their son was hit and medivaced out of the war zone. They have to be at Walter Reed (hospital) where he is being taken. Ariela leaves college to rush to Ben's bedside with Niko, Ben's best friend.

Ben has injuries that affected his brain. The doctors don't know if he'll speak again or if his memory will come back. Ariela is noticeably frightened and a bit sickened by her boyfriend's appearance. How will Ariela cope if her boyfriend is never the same? Will Ben recover from his injuries? He can't even say his name--what if he can never communicate?

This book will speak to those families who have endured a loved one at war or who have battled through a combat injury.

Recommended grades 9-up. Mature situations, graphic details about the explosion. Grade 8 students may be able to handle this novel, but for most middle school collections, it may be questionable.

Available February 7, 2012

Guy Pick: Cracked

2012-02-03T08:59:00.002-07:00

Cracked
by K.M. Walton
Simon Pulse
2012
312 pages

A bully and his target are on a collision course with destiny. Victor and Bull (William) go to the same school and Bull has harrassed Victor since grade school. He goes out of his way to call him names, bump into him, smashes his face in his cafeteria food, pantsed him in front of the entire p.e. class, including the girls, and beats on him nearly daily. Victor hates Bull--he wishes he would die--that some parent in a big SUV would run him down on the way to school.

What Victor doesn't know is that Bull is bullied, too--by his drunken mother and his mean, abusive grandpa who uses his fists to do his talking. Not that it would matter; Victor is bullied at home, too--only verbally. His parents say demeaning things to him, they never compliment him, only berate him for his stupidity, telling him that they never planned for him, wishing he wasn't ever born. His beautiful "perfect" family goes to church every Sunday and appears the picture of "happy" family, yet Victor knows that no one has ever loved him except his toy poodle Jazzy.

Everyone has a breaking point and both boys are nearing theirs. When Bull has finally had enough and won't take his Pop's beatings anymore and when Victor finds his beloved poodle Jazzy dead of old age, the two boys break.

As luck would have it, they both end up in a psych ward of the local hospital...wait for it...as roommates!

For Bull, being around other kids with problems is helpful. He gains some insight into others' lives and wonders why he can't talk about his feelings like some of the other kids. He is even jealous of Victor who tells a girl about Jazzy dying. He keeps getting lunch bags with snacks in them and one time a nice note and a poem about hope from Frank, the grounds-keeper at the cemetary where he used to go when he ditched school, sitting under a tree and reading books. He didn't know that Frank ever even saw him, but now Frank is leaving him uplifting notes. He wonders why a poem can mean so much.

Readers will empathize with Victor and Bull--both boys have rotten lives and awful parents. Even though Victor grows up in the "lap of luxury," he is unloved. He feels like "nothing." He feels invisible. Bull remembers the last time he had a piece of fruit--3rd grade! Bull's mother is a pitiful alcoholic who spends their food money on booze; there's never anything--and I mean nothing--to eat in their home.

The hospital staff and nurses help and the group sessions make both boys see the others have pain, too. Victor finally finds his voice and really tells Bull off in a venomous, but cathartic, rant. Bull realizes his actions have impacted another human being.

I found myself crying a few times while reading this novel. Both boys endure horrible childhoods, but there is hope for both when they leave the hospital. Have the tissues ready; you're going to cry! Even though I titled this "Guy Pick," sensitive girls will enjoy this novel as well.

Highly, highly recommended grades 9-up. Language, petting, alcoholism, child abuse, mature situations.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. I did not received monetary compensation for this review.

High School Pick: This One Time With Julia

2012-02-02T08:17:00.002-07:00

This One Time With Julia
by David Lampson
Razorbill
2012
256 pages

Available February 2, 2012

Poignant, puzzling, and sometimes disturbingly painful, This One Time With Julia tells the sad tale of Joe, twin brother of Alvin and younger brother of Marcus. Joe is the slow brother and Alvin has always preferred him that way. The boys were orphaned young and older brother Marcus found a long lost uncle who would sign the proper papers and become their guardian. The boys basically parented themselves with Alvin acting as Joe's "parent." He loves the fact that Joe will believe anything that you tell him and that he accepts everything at face value. If Alvin tells him only to eat hamburgers, he does. In fact, Joe only eats hamburgers and guacamole his whole life.

Alvin shows up out of the blue--he had run off to Tennessee with a hot new girlfriend but now he's back in L.A. He asks Joe to meet him at a restaurant. He shows Joe a bag of money he has and tells him that he wants to disappear and sail around the world. He asks Joe to check the motel parking lot and to tell him if anyone is around. Joe spots a man sitting in a car, but forgets to tell Alvin. The next day, Joe is disappointed that Alvin has vanished and left to sail around the world without him. The hotel manager tells Joe to get rid of the girl who is hanging out waiting for Alvin. Enter Julia, the girlfriend from Tennessee.

Joe makes Julia laugh and he begins falling in love with her; of course, Joe is gullible, has no background in relationships, and is naive; Julia seems to actually like Joe's company and she takes him back home to meet her brother Houston who offers him a job. Joe stays in Tennessee working for Houston and living with Julia; he meets their strange mother who tells him all sorts of deep, dark, demented family secrets: that Julia's father is a criminal, that Houston is their adopted son, that Houston is in love with his sister Julia.

Joe begins to realize that his brother Alvin didn't run away to sail around the world; he remembers seeing the man in the car at the motel, and realizes that he should have told Alvin about him. As the mystery unravels, Joe comes to the conclusion that Julia is not in love with him and that Houston is using him to keep tabs on him. Where is Alvin anyway?

A shocking and explosive ending leaves the reader wondering what will happen to Joe--he is abandoned, alone, and penniless. This is not a "feel good" ending.

Recommended grades 9-up. The publisher says ages 12 and up, grades 7-up, but Julia and Joe are sleeping together, there are at least two murders, and terrible family secrets; I say high school only.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

Book Giveaway: Love? Maybe. Just in time for Valentine's Day!

2012-02-01T09:00:00.002-07:00

I have 2 signed copies of this fantastic new young adult romance to give away. Heather herself will sign the 2 copies for each winner. Read my review of Love, Maybe. here

Grand Prize:

A signed copy of Love? Maybe. Sweet treats to share with friends, including candy heart-shaped balloons, Conversation Hearts candies, Ring Pops and much more…

Runner up: A signed copy of Love? Maybe..

From the cover of The Cupcake Queen:

A confection of a novel, combining big city sophistication with small town charm.

When her mother moves them from the city to a small town to open up a cupcake bakery, Penny's life isn't what she expected. Her father has stayed behind, and Mom isn't talking about what the future holds for their family. And then there's Charity, the girl who plays mean pranks almost daily. There are also bright spots in Hog's Hollow—like Tally, an expert in Rock Paper Scissors, and Marcus, the boy who is always running on the beach. But just when it looks as though Penny is settling in, her parents ask her to make a choice that will turn everything upside down again. A sweet novel about love, creativity, and accepting life's unexpected turns.

From the cover of Love? Maybe:

Just because Piper's birthday is on Valentine's Day does not mean she's a romantic. In fact, after watching her father and then her stepfather leave, she's pretty sure she doesn't believe in love at all. Then her friends concoct a plan to find them all Valentine's dates, and somehow Piper finds herself with the most popular guy in school. But true love never follows a plan, and a string of heartfelt gifts from a secret admirer has Piper wondering if she might be with the wrong guy.

In this heartwarming romance, true love is more than a maybe - and it might be closer than you think.

Simply post a comment on my blog and include your email address so that I can be sure and get in touch with you when you win! Please include city and state, too, since the publisher, Heather and I love to see where our readers live. Winners will be chosen by Randomizer. Deadline is Feb. 8 at noon MST. Winners will be notified by email and have 24 hours to respond to my congratulatory email. If winners do not respond within the time limit, the signed copy will go to the next winner chosen by Randomizer. Books will ship out courtesy of the author, Heather Hepler. Happy Valentine's Day, everyone. Now get busy posting!

Paranormal Pick: Havoc

2012-01-31T08:51:00.000-07:00

Havoc (Book 2, The Deviants)
by Jeff Sampson
Balzer + Bray
2012
352 pages

The sequel to Vesper, Havoc, just released January 24 is a sure teen paranormal thriller that will leave readers wanting more--never fear, the third installment due out later in 2012.

Picking up where Vesper (Book 1) left off, Emily Webb is just learning to master her super-powers; she is Emily by day, dangerous and daring werewolf Emily by night. She and her friend football jock Dalton run wild each night breaking into BioZenith, the company responsible for "turning" them. They want to find answers: why are we different? What makes us werewolves? Why did the company make us this way?

Human friend Megan is still angry with Emily about dissing her and spending too much time with Dalton and Spencer (another wolf friend). Emily discovers she's the Alpha dog, the leader, and is secretly thrilled. Normally, Daytime Emily is a timid geek girl who hangs back, hiding behind everyone else--but not anymore. Nighttime wolf Emily is fierce and exciting.

Spencer finds the other girl werewolf; their class president Tracie who is worried that she is just sick and has no idea that she's a wolf yet. Dalton's dad is hiding BioZenith secrets and the kids break into his study and discover a hidden "Mission Impossible" high-tech computer that is ridiculously easy for Spencer to hack into. Another trip to BioZenith reveals Tracie's new powers and some gory science experiments gone wrong. BioZenith is developing new technology but using human children as lab rats and horribly disfiguring and killing them in the process!

When Dalton disappears into thin air, Emily delves deeper into BioZenith's files and discovers a horrifying secret from her own past: what if her mother isn't really dead? What if she's still inside BioZenith somewhere? Is she being held captive? Is Dalton somewhere in there, too?

Book 3 will have Emily and her pack joined by some new friends with their own super-powers. BioZenith, look out!

Taut action and the fast-paced plot driven by a feisty female protagonist will have teen paranormal fans cheering for more. They won't have to wait long; book 3 is out later this year.

Recommended grades 9-up. The publisher says grade 8 and up, but mean girl name calling and scientific gore in the lab and the mention of "mates" and "mating" (even if they are wolves) make me recommend this book for high school.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

Paranormal Pick: Vesper

2012-01-27T13:46:00.002-07:00

Vesper (Book One, The Deviants series)
by Jeff Sampson
Balzer + Bray
2011
320 pages

Blogger's Note: Book two, Havoc, is now available (Jan. 24, 2012)

From its eerily gorgeous cover to its action-packed plot, Vesper is a debut novel with punch. Feisty and funky geek girl Emily Webb is a mousy, timid teen who loves books and watching cheesy movie marathons. She would rather spend Friday nights in her bedroom alone with her books than partying or clubbing. When another girl named Emily is shot and killed, Emily Webb begins feeling a little--no, a lot--strange.

Something is happening to her that is unexplainable. She becomes Nighttime Emily after 8:00 p.m. each night, dressing up in her stepsister Dawn's clubbing clothes, jumping from her second story bedroom window and landing unhurt, running at a non-human pace, talking smack to strangers, flirting with older men, drinking alcohol, visiting nightspots, sneaking into downtown clubs, you name it--this is not the behavior of meek Daytime Emily. She "changes" and becomes a wolf, developing a hyper-sensitive sense of smell and running at super-human speeds with lupine agility.

Then a second student is shot--popular football player Dalton McKinney. Emily begins to wonder if the two students were somehow related. She researches Emily's and Dalton's names and finds out both kids' parents worked for a company called BioZenith--what is this company and how is it related to what's happening with Emily?

A man is stalking her; he is the same man who killed the other Emily and tried to kill Dalton. Someone is hunting the pack. She enlists the help of her smartmouth friend Megan Reed (Reedy) and asks her to come over and watch over her so she doesn't "change." When Nighttime Emily starts to take over, she secretly drugs BFF Megan, steals her car, drives to Seattle, and goes "hunting" for others in her pack. Emily can now smell the other wolves, and it's about to get her in big trouble--it will likely get her killed!

When she finds out friend Spencer is just like her, they decide to visit the BioZenith Company. Later, Emily is captured, held captive and interrogated until she is rescued.

Vesper is a great start to a new series: Deviants, and if you can suspend disbelief, it is entertaining. What I questioned was the lack of parental intervention; Emily is breaking rules, staying out all night, drinking, clubbing, and is finally kidnapped, yet her father seems totally out of it. He puts her on a very weak restriction, yet allows Emily's friend Megan to spend the night.

Highly recommended grades 9-up. The publisher says grade 8 and up, but due to alcohol, two girls making out, Spenser and Emily kill the slayer who comes after them ripping out his throat, clubbing, sneaking around, and murder, I would say use your best judgment.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

Bitter Melon

2012-01-25T07:30:00.003-07:00

Bitter Melon
by Cara Chow
Egmont
2011
309 pages

Achingly painful, heartbreakingly sad, yet full of youthful promise and resilience, Cara Chow's Bitter Melon tells the anguished story of Frances and her Chinese born mother who berates and belittles her not only in private but in front of family members, teachers, and strangers. Her mother has perfected the "guilt trip" into high drama and reminds Frances daily that everything she's done: coming from Hong Kong, learning English, working four jobs, working overtime, suffering poor health, and overseeing every move her teen daughter makes is for her own good.

Frances is, of course, a teen-ager. She wants some privacy and some space. When calculus is left off her school schedule, Frances attends the speech class on her schedule. Pretty soon, she finds out that she enjoys the class and likes the hippie-like teacher Ms. Taylor. Ms. Taylor encourages Frances to stay in speech because colleges Berkeley and Stanford are looking for students who have extra-curricular activities like speech tournaments on their applications. Frances attends her first meet and wins third place, but she's been lying to her mother to attend practices. Her cousin Theresa has been covering for her, too, saying that they are studying for calculus.

Frances likes Derek, a boy from another school who competes in the tournaments. He exchanges phone numbers with her and even gives her a ride home in his new BMW--Frances is careful to get dropped off two blocks away so that her mother won't see her with a boy.

When Frances's third place trophy is discovered by Nellie (Theresa's mother), her mother is outraged and goes ballistic. She threatens her, yells at her, curses at her and beats her with the trophy. Readers will empathize with Frances who cowers and begs her mother, apologizing profusely as her mother continues to beat her.

Later, her mother attends her speech tournament after Ms. Taylor invites her and tells her that colleges like to see speech as an elective. Frances is plotting her escape; she sends an application to Scripps, never telling her mother that her heart is not in becoming a doctor. When Berkeley turns her down, Frances gets accepted to Scripps.

Lies build upon more lies. Frances sneaks out to the prom with Derek, realizing she can't go home because she told her mother that she was spending the night with Theresa. Of course, Frances's mother finds a way to catch her in more lies.

Later, Frances takes a job and banks her checks, determined to escape her mother's iron will. Frances buys a plane ticket intending to leave without saying good-bye, but once again is thwarted by her over-zealous mother. Her mother closes her bank account and steals her plane ticket.

Frances and her mother have one final terrible argument and Frances leaves; her mother is crushed. Teens may cheer the fact that Frances fights with her mother and stands up to her; but, others may feel sorry for her mother--all her dreams are dashed and she has lost her daughter, possibly forever.

Frances finds her voice and embraces freedom in Ontario working at the university. Although estranged, the story ends on a high note and the reader hopes that Frances and her mother will make peace.

Recommended grades 7-up. The mother calls Frances a slut after she is out all night with Derek; nothing happened. They drove around all night and had breakfast. No sex. Child abuse-her mother could be called abusive but in her mind, she is punishing her child and does what is necessary to have an obedient daughter worthy of her praise.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

Cover Confusion

2012-01-24T13:30:00.005-07:00

Here's the cover of Struck

And here's the cover of Mad Love (U.S. paperback edition)

Books by two separate ya authors and two different publishing companies. The covers will confuse readers, librarians, and book stores. Readers may ask for the book with the red umbrella and raining hearts. As a librarian, many times I've been asked, "Do you have the book about a girl...I think it has a red umbrella on the cover and hearts?" or something like that by a student.

Cover confusion!

Chick Pick: Struck

2012-01-24T07:00:00.005-07:00

Struck
by Rhonda Stapleton
Simon Pulse
2011
741 pages

see the author's video here

Contains three novels: Stupid Cupid, Flirting with Disaster, and Pucker Up

Charming, cute, and quirky, the three short novels that make up this large volume, will have girls dreaming of romance and Valentine's Day. Although a reader could choose to read only Stupid Cupid and quit after the first story, you must read Stupid Cupid to understand the other two stories. The characters and setting are the same.

The heroine is Felicity Walker, just an average teen who goes job hunting. She applies to a company called Cupid's Hollow to become a "teen cupid" never expecting that she would become a real matchmaker with a hot-pink PDA that can work magic. By sending an email to each person she wishes to match, they will fall in love for two weeks. The magic lasts two weeks, and after that, if the couple is still together, it is a good match.

Then Felicity gets the idea of fixing up her BFF Maya, but she can't think of the perfect boy. She decides on three dates, but can't choose, so she selects all three for Maya. There's lots of laughs and some awkward teen moments when all three boys vie for Maya's attention.

Felicity decides to invoke some magic in her parent's relationship as well and is horrified when her parents begin acting like horny teen-agers around her. She even catches them "doing it" in the middle of the day and is mortified and swears she's ruined for life. She'll probably have to see a psychiatrist for years after that!

Her first match falls apart and her BFF Maya's life is turned upside down, but Derek, the hot boy from art class, does begins to notice her. In the second story, Derek reveals that he's a cupid, too. Felicity and Derek have a competition to see who can make the most matches.

Recommended for teen girls who love romance and dreamy, steamy stories.

Grades 9-up. The parents caught in the act, some language, some laugh-out-loud embarrassing moments.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

Crossover Appeal: Stephen King's 11/22/63

2012-01-23T09:10:00.002-07:00

11/22/63
by Stephen King
Scribner
2011
849 pages

This is an open letter to Stephen King:

Dear Stephen (I use your first name since you have been in my head for at least 25 years. I hope you don't mind):

I now forgive you for The Tommyknockers. I devoted three days of my time back in 1988 devouring The Tommyknockers--during my ten year devotion to all things Stephen King--only to be so disappointed by the ending, I threw the book against the wall! I swore I would NEVER read Stephen King again, and I was true to my word until I picked up The Mist and Cell years later. I have to admit I was becoming a King fan again. I was intrigued by the idea of 11/22/63; that through time travel one man could change a watershed moment in history and prevent the death of a beloved president. I couldn't put this novel down and kept thinking about many questions it answered and many more questions it brought up.

From the moment I began I was enthralled. Stephen, you have outdone even yourself! 11/22/63 is a watershed novel. It has everything a reader could want: mystery, suspense, intrigue, romance, seduction, murder, suicide, evil, magic, and time travel. This is a real page-turner that will make readers think long after finishing the novel.

Jake Epping is a normal high school English teacher who picks up extra money teaching an adult GED class in the evening. He is a divorced guy with a typical bachelor life. He just gets by day after day. He happens to read an essay by the high school custodian that shatters him. The custodian's mother and siblings were murdered right in front of him and he was left semi-crippled by a madman: his own father. Jake takes Harry to grab a burger at a little dive nearby. Later, Al the diner's owner, takes Jake to a back room and tells him a little secret; the rear of the pantry is actually a portal (a rabbithole) that leads back to the past, in fact the same day every time in 1958. A few days later, Jake visits Al and he's shocked by his appearance. Al has lost tons of weight and seemingly aged 20-30 years overnight.

Al explains that he has been gone five years (only two minutes in real time) and that he has cancer and won't last but a few more days. He enlists Jake's help and he begins relating his strange story. Al has been using the rabbithole for a long time. He'll go back and buy groceries for the diner at 1958 prices; sometimes he'll stay a few minutes or a few days, but when he comes back, it's always only two minutes later in real time. Al gives Jake a notebook; it is his notes on Lee Harvey Oswald. Al has the idea that if you could travel back to 1958 and live there a few years, you could find Lee Harvey Oswald and stop him from killing President John F. Kennedy in 1963. This is a watershed moment in history that can be prevented. Al and Jake wonder if Kennedy lives, will the future be better or worse? Will Robert Kennedy live or die, will the race riots occur, will Martin Luther King, Jr., be assassinated, will Vietnam be stopped and millions of young American lives saved?

To prove their theory, Jake travels back in time and tries to stop Harry's father from murdering the whole family. When he comes back to the present, Harry doesn't have a limp and he's not a custodian. Jake is able to save the family and Harry's future. What you put right in the past will affect everything around it--the Butterfly Effect. Will Jake ruin things in the future if he changes the past? Al brings up the principle of Occam's Razor--a philosophy that states if you have two ideas about how something happened, the simplest idea is probably the true one. Al provides Jake 1958 money, a driver's license, his notebook on Oswald and advice to "blend in." Al warns Jake about the Yellow Card man who sits by the opening of the rabbithole and yells at Al each time he travels to the past. After a couple of trips, Jake realizes that the Yellow Card man knows about the time travel and is trying to warn him.

Jake loves 1958 America at first. Although it's stinkier--everyone smokes cigarettes and factories belch out black smoke--food tastes better. A root beer tastes "rootier"--it's before preservatives and artificial coloring. Ladies wear dresses with hats and gloves every day! Children jump rope in front of their homes, women stay home and cook and clean. Husbands work and commute. The seedier side of 1958 is that some men beat their wives and kids and neighbors look the other way. Violence is a part of everyday life in the past. Jake lives in Derry, Maine, for awhile and then moves to Texas so he'll be in place to spy on Lee Harvey Oswald.

He buys a degree from a college and takes a job as a high school teacher making friends and romancing the school's librarian. Sadie and Jake fall in love but they can't marry because Sadie is still legally married to her first husband who beat her. Jake is happy and he thinks of staying in 1958 and marrying Sadie, but he knows he must save the President and complete his promise to Al.

Jake gambles on prize fights and ball games--losing a few times to make it look like he's a bad gambler, but winning when the payoff is huge. After all, he knows who will win and bets accordingly. This doesn't sit well with bookies and soon Jake is beaten by some goons who work for the local bookie. He loses his memory but finally comes clean with Sadie telling her his strange story that he's from the future and has a job to do. Sadie's husband shows up with his own vendetta.

Will Jake and Sadie save the President? If they do, what repercussions will there be? Will Jake stay in the past? What happens if he does? If he returns to present day, will Sadie ever forgive him? How many things can be changed in the past without changing reality itself? The ending was just as weepy as "The Notebook," so have tissues ready.

Stephen, you said you tried to write this book back in 1972 but "the wound was too fresh"--only 9 years after Kennedy's assassination-- and that you were glad you waited until now to write it. I am glad, too. In 1972, I would have been too young to read this book, let alone appreciate it. I want to thank you for entertaining all of us--not just entertaining--but giving us a fresh look at history and making us want to know more. This is your masterpiece, and I'm thrilled to have read it and reviewed it.

Highly, highly recommended grades 9-up. This is an adult novel with teen crossover appeal. Anyone who loves King's earlier writing will love 11/22/63. History buffs and Kennedy fans will also want to read King's thrilling opus! Mature content, some sex, rough language.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

Paranormal Pick: Sweetly

2012-01-20T14:29:00.002-07:00

Sweetly
by Jackson Pearce
Little Brown
2011
310 pages

Read an excerpt here

Part fairy tale, part fantasy, part romance and part paranormal, girls will like this tale of a brother and two sisters who get lost in a forest. Gretchen remembers a witch chasing them and her witchy yellow eyes burning through the forest. Somehow, they lose their sister, Gretchen's twin.

Ansel and Gretchen's mother mourns the loss of her child and is never the same. Her father remarries an evil stepmother who kicks the kids out when their father dies. On the road and nearly out of money, their Jeep breaks down outside a small town named Live Oak near the beach in South Carolina. The town is creepy and nearly deserted; the brother and sister are not welcomed by Southern hospitality. In fact, people in Live Oak stick to their own business and try not to speak to outsiders at all.

Lucky for the kids, a man they meet in the diner offers to drive them back to their Jeep to pick up their suitcases and offers to drop them off at a chocolate shop outside of town where the owner Sophia needs a handyman to complete a few jobs around her house and shop. On their way out of the diner, a teen boy stops Gretchen and warns her about Sophia--to stay far away from her and not to trust her.

The candy shop is beautiful and magical; the scent of vanilla is cloying and draws customers as if by magic into the shop. The confections Sophia creates affect her customer's moods.

Soon, Gretchen is helping Sophia in the shop and Ansel is mending the roof and the fences. Life is idyllic until Gretchen goes for a walk in the woods at night (having seen a witch take her sister, you would think she would never enter a wooded place--but she ate lemon candies which caused her to be brave). Gretchen runs for her life, and Samuel--the boy from the diner--shoots the "witch." He calls them Fenris, or werewolves.

Soon, it will be time for the annual chocolate festival that Sophia puts together for all the girls of Live Oak. There's only one problem: girls go missing each year right after the festival. Townfolk believe they're being snatched and murdered and blame Sophia and her festival. This year, Sophia is having trouble getting her r.s.v.p invitations back. Girls are afraid to attend.

The festival is just around the corner and Gretchen and Samuel practice shooting rifles. Something is out in the woods and something is stealing the town's young girls. Sophia is keeping a few dangerous secrets and Ansel is falling in love with her.

Readers who liked Shiver, Twilight, and other vamp/wolf books will be drawn to this one. The cover is wickedly appealing--at first glance, it appears to be a house in the woods, but on closer inspection, it's an evil witch's face. Great cover appeal and the quote from Becca Fitzpatrick (Hush, Hush trilogy), "If you love your romance hot, your bad guys downright dirty, and your heroines real enough to bleed, this is your book!" will attract legions of teen book store browsers to want a copy of their own.

Recommended grades 7-up. A couple of curse words that network television allows. No sex. A couple of kisses.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I purchased this book for my library at the Austin Teen Book Festival in October 2011 after meeting Jackson Pearce, who is, by the way, just as charming as she is entertaining. I received no monetary compensation for this review.

Fantasy Pick: The Scorpio Races

2012-01-17T09:30:00.004-07:00

The Scorpio Races
by Maggie Steifvater
Scholastic Press
2011
416 pages

Magical, lyrical, beautiful, and romantic, The Scorpio Races is unlike any other young adult novel. The prose sings itself off the page--Stiefvater is at her poetic best in this novel, her voice has never been stronger nor her writing more fierce and taut. The island setting is not only beautiful but dangerously alluring. The setting, in fact, is a character in this novel and controls both the tight plot and the threateningly ominous tone.

The Scorpio Races happen every year in November in Thisby, a small coastal town known for its brutal winter weather, battering storms from the sea, and for breeding the best horses money can buy. Some of the horses are real prizes--you see, every autumn, horses climb out of the surf, leave the sea, and run on the beach. If you're "lucky" enough to catch a capall (water horse), you will have to be very lucky to train him and keep him. They--the capaill uise--water horses--are wild and predatory, sly and cunning, huge and beastlike, but they run faster than the wind, and that is why men in Thisby long to race them and why they lay their hard earned money down to bet on which rider and horse will survive and win the race. People come from the mainland and all the way from America to see the races and to buy race horses from Benjamin Malvern, the richest breeder and landowner on the island.

Sean is a part of the island itself. He lives for the sea and the capaill--he was born to train horses like his father before him. His father was lost to the sea because of the races and now Sean works for Malvern in the stables. He knows the danger but never lets his guard down when it comes to one of the wild horses. He will ride a red capall named Corr in the races.

Puck (Kate Connelly is her given name) is a bit of a tomboy who is being raised along with her quirky brother Finn by her older serious brother Gabe. Puck rides her farm mare Dove and decides that she could win the Scorpio Races on Dove's back. She enters her name on the list to save her family's home--Mr. Malvern will foreclose on their property unless Puck wins the race. The whole town decides that she must be crazy--ride a little "pony" in a race with vicious capaill? A girl thinks she can beat men? A girl with no training on the back of a farm horse?

Puck won't back down even though men try to twist the rules to say that only men can race--it doesn't say that in the rules--it says "riders." Sean comes to her defense. He sees Puck training Dove and offers to ride with her and give her pointers. Puck decides she likes/dislikes Sean as much as he does her, but she's pig-headed and stubborn; she wants to prove she is a great rider, so she agrees. When both riders go to the beach where some wild water horses are training, Puck is afraid but won't admit it. They see a man killed by a water horse, and Puck regrets signing up.

A terrible storm reaches the island and water horses come ashore and off the beach up the hills towards homes. Puck and Finn escape with Dove and must leave their house. Sean saves Corr from a certain death and vows to beat Mutt Malvern (his boss's evil son) in the race. An American horse owner named George Holly becomes friendly with Sean and offers him a job in America training horses, but Sean is in love with the island and knows he could never leave Corr.

The race begins and it's terrifying, exciting, and brutal. Pages will turn at a heart-thumping pace in a race where one second can change everything in life, one movement, one twitch, one blink of an eye.

Magically entertaining, exciting and fast-paced, wretchedly horrifying at times, The Scorpio Races will haunt readers for days and weeks after finishing it. If Steven Spielberg gets his hands on this novel, the movie will be Hollywood magic! The capaill uise deserve to be brought to the silver screen by someone who can do them justice and Spielberg is my pick. Are you listening, Steven?

Blogger's Note: I almost missed this book. I had noticed it on the Scholastic Book Fair but passed on it due to the cover--I know, just like the kids--I judged the book by its cover! The cover did not appeal to me nor the premise of horses or racing, but when it showed up again and again on librarians' lists of best books for 2011, I found a copy and gave it a try. I was hooked! I enjoyed the Shiver trilogy and love Stiefvater's earlier work, but a book about horses just did not grab me.

Highly, highly recommended grades 7-up. This novel is not be missed! Some language--it is a horse racing town, after all. Language much worse can all be heard on prime time television. Violence and death in the race.

FTC Required Disclamer: I received this book from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

Book Giveaway: Every Other Day: YA Paranormal

2012-01-13T07:00:00.008-07:00

I have 5 copies of this thrilling new paranormal monster hunter novel by Jennifer Lynn Barnes!

Read an excerpt here

Kali D'Angelo is a normal teenager every other day. Every other day, she's a feisty demon hunter and monster killer. As luck would have it, the day she really needs her super-hero powers is the day she discovers a monster will attack a popular girl at her school. What is a normal teenager to do? I reviewed the book on my blog in December and LOVED it!

Your teen readers will love a copy. Win a copy for them. Simply post a comment on this blog and include your email address so I can contact you if you win. Also, please include city and state since publishers, authors, and I love to know where our readers are located. Winners will be chosen at random by Randomizer and contacted by email on January 26. Winners have 48 hours to reply to my email. If someone does not reply in the designated time, the book will go to the next number in the randomizer sequence. Books will ship from New York City. Thanks to Katie and Egmont!

Deadline for posting is Jan. 26 at noon mst. Good luck and start posting!

Readers following by rss feed, click on the blog's active link (view website) and post a comment on "Young Adult Books--What We're Reading Now"

High School Pick: Slide--An Uber-Cool Mystery Thriller!

2012-01-12T11:23:00.002-07:00

Slide
by Jill Hathaway
Balzer + Bray
2012
256 pages

Available March 27, 2012

Clever, captivating, and complex, Slide is a solid page-turner and an uber-cool teen mystery. Vee has a weird problem--sometimes she passes out and "slides" into the body of someone else. She starts to feel queasy and sick and can't control when it will happen or who she will slide into, but when she slides and sees Sophie's lifeless body and a knife in her/the killer's hand, she knows that Sophie didn't commit suicide. Someone killed Sophie, but everyone else thinks she took her own life. If only Vee had seen the killer's face!

Sophie was friends with Mattie, Vee's younger sister, and Amber. The three girls were popular cheerleaders but Mattie and Amber were plotting something right before Sophie died. It's up to Vee to figure out who is responsible for Sophie's death. She suspects both Mattie and Amber have something to do with it, and she would put solid money on it that Scotch, Sophie's tool of a boyfriend is guilty, too.

That isn't her only problem--since her mother's death years ago, Vee's father has become a workaholic--spending every waking hour at the hospital--he is now an absent parent. When his daughter Mattie needs a parent the most, he is absent and Vee has to step in. Vee's best male friend Rollins is acting strange, too. He's pushing her away and hiding some secret from her, and now Vee worries he may be involved in Sophie's death. Then Amber is shot to death on the school football field. Two cheerleaders are dead and parents and students are fearful. Who will die next?

Police have a few suspects including Mr. Golden, a teacher who has questionable relationships with a number of students. Vee has her own suspicions.

Zane is a new student who develops an instant interest in Vee. The more time she spends with Zane, the bigger the rift becomes between Vee and Rollins. Then Vee discovers a secret; her father's past is about to surface and threatens their safety.

With more plot twists and turns that a Rocky Mountain road, this novel will appeal to mystery fans. I know I've mentioned a lot of characters, but it's easy to keep them straight when reading this novel. Girls who watch "Pretty Little Liars" will relish this quick and scintillating read.

Bad girl behavior and high school pranks, sexting, sexual talk, drinking, language, sexual harrassment, extra-marital affairs, murder, suicide, and just plain bad high school behavior and bad adult behavior make this novel suitable for upper grades.

Highly, highly recommended and readable for high school readers grades 9-up.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

Dystopian Pick: Partials--Coming Soon!

2012-01-10T08:53:00.003-07:00

Partials
by Dan Wells
Balzer + Bray
2012
480 pages (page count from publisher's website)

Available 2/28/12

Watch the book trailer here

Chilling, creepy, and caustic, Partials is a provocative dystopian thrill-ride. After an apocalyptic war with the Partials, super-soldiers designed by Paragen, a genetics corporation, to kill the human race, some human survivors band together in New York and try to find a way to defeat RM, a dangerous and stubborn virus released by the Partials that attacks all new human births. Babies born after the war with the Partials die within a few days. Unless scientists can figure out a way to cure them, the human race is doomed.

Kira works in the hospital monitoring new births and recording all vital statistics. She is furious that the babies are dying. All she sees is babies being born, doctors and nurses recording their data, and babies dying. No one is thinking up a new way to study RM. Kira realizes the only ones who aren't dying of RM are the Partials. They are immune.

Kira approaches her boyfriend Marcus, her best friend Madison and her husband Haru, and a few other soldiers and recruits them to accompany her on a dangerous and eventful mission: enter enemy territory and kidnap a Partial. She plans to bring the Partial back to the hospital to study his blood and tissue samples to try to find a cure for RM and a way to save humanity.

The Hope Act passed by the Senate has just dropped the age for mandatory pregnancy. Girls age sixteen are now expected to have at least one pregnancy per year, hoping that the more babies being born will insure that someday one will live. Kira knows more babies born each year just guarantees that more babies will die, and now the law affects her, too; Kira turns sixteen.

The mission is a success with casualties. The Partial is sedated and taken to the lab. Kira is in trouble with the Senate, but they listen and give her five days to test the subject. As she spends more time with the Partial, she begins to empathize with him--he looks human, he acts almost human, he must have feelings, he must be lonely and scared. She learns his name is Samm--and this makes him a "person." Marcus is worried that Kira is treating the enemy like a human and that she may actually be falling in love with him.

When the Senate tries to manipulate the situation and kill Samm, Kira counts on her friends and Samm to help her escape and cure RM. What Kira finds on her journey is shocking; it changes her whole world.

The ending left this reader wondering what will happen next? A sequel, perhaps? Yep, on checking the author's website, book two is Failsafe. Kira can't just walk away--not with the new information about her past and her life. Will humanity make a comeback? Will the Partials and the humans make peace?

The cover and the print on the front cover, "The only hope for humanity isn't human" will attract teen readers. The strong female protagonist is not only determined but downright pig-headedly stubborn and she will resonate with girls and boys. I appreciated the fact that the author left romance out of the equation almost entirely--humans are fighting for survival and bombs are blowing up everywhere--who has time for romance? Trying to save the world is a full-time job!

Highly, highly recommended grades 9-up. Violence and death. The fact that teen girls are incubators and love is nearly non-existant is best for upper grades.

Don't forget to watch the trailer here

FTC required disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. I did not receive any monetary compensation for this review.

Romantic Pick: The Catastrophic History of You & Me

2012-01-06T09:04:00.000-07:00

The Catastrophic History of You & Me
by Jess Rothenberg
Dial
2012
400 pages (page count from Amazon)

Available February 21, 2012

Heart-breakingly tragic, yet heroic, beautifully romantic, but weepy, The Catastrophic History of You & Me will make readers think about the after-life with fresh insight and respect the fragile nature of human life.

Brie is only sixteen when her heart breaks--literally in two. Her heart specialist father can't believe that a usually healthy 16-year old could die of a heart problem and there is no medical way her heart could break in two, yet those are the medical facts. Brie arrives in a pizza shop--of all places--where a few teens are hanging out and a cross crossword puzzle lady seems to be in charge. Is this the afterlife? A pizza shop?

Patick is another lost soul at the pizza shop who helps Brie deal with D & G--dead and gone. She must go through the five stages of grief to face forever after, but Brie just wants to go home.

Who knows how one death will affect the others left behind. It is the people Brie knew, the people she touched who are still grieving. Jacob, the boy who broke her heart, blames himself. He was trying to explain something of great importance to her about himself, but he chose the wrong words, telling her, "I don't love you..." and then she died. He didn't have time to explain how he came to that conclusion or why it wasn't her fault, or that he loves her still as a true friend and confidante. He literally carries her death on his shoulders.

Brie's father blames himself and drives himself crazy with guilt and drives a wedge between himself and his family. Brie's friends are heartbroken, too.

What if, for a few short hours, you could return to life and right all the wrongs before you had to report to back to "ever after?" Could you help the living people deal with loss? Could you right the wrongs and offer hope? Could you help save someone's life?

This novel will stick with readers long after reading it. Keep plenty of tissues on hand--this novel is a true weeper! Poetic writing, brilliant flashes of humor, beautifully executed dialog, and sigh-ing-ly gorgeous Patrick will have teen hearts racing (hopefully not breaking in two).

Highly, highly recommended grades 9-up. Teen suicide, homosexuality issues, mature theme.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this book.

Fantasy Pick: Icefall (Guest Reviewer Leslie Rush)

2012-01-05T13:20:00.000-07:00

Icefall
by Matthew J. Kirby
Scholastic
2011
336 pages

This is a guest review from ya novels lover and avid reader and my BFF Leslie Rush. Leslie is a high school teacher and my muse/reader of my own attempts at ya fiction.

Icefall takes place in Scandinavia during the Dark Ages. It is a time of brutal warfare and deprivation, but also a time of rich culture and mythology-- both of which drive this coming-of-age tale of survival, betrayal, and the true meaning of loyalty.

Solveig is the middle child of a warrior king. She has neither the ethereal beauty of her older sister Asa, nor the importance of her younger brother and heir to the throne, Harald and has spent her life being invisible to her father. The children have been sent to a remote fortress on the edge of a fiord, nestled below an enormous glacier, while their father battles another warrior king whose marriage proposal to Asa has been refused. The royal children are surrounded by a loyal staff, and early in the story a company of berserkers arrives, sent by the king to defend the fortress if necessary.

Solveig and the staff—-Bera the cook, her son and Soveig’s friend Raudi, Per the young soldier, Ole the thrall (slave) and Alric the storyteller-- are all wary and anxious about the berserkers, whose terrifying violence is legendary. They are led by Hake, the biggest and most terrifying of them all. An early act of violence and loss committed by Hake makes him unbearable to Solveig.

As winter deepens, several acts of sabotage and murder make it apparent that there is a traitor in their midst. Solveig has no idea who to trust and everyone is suspect. She has a repeating nightmare that foretells of disaster and death when spring comes, adding to her uneasiness.

While the anxiety and suspicions build in the fortress, Solveig is discovering her own hidden talent as a storyteller--a skald--and she begins training with Alric in the art of telling the great tales of Norse mythology and the hero’s saga. Her confidence builds as her skills improve, and all of her companions, even Hake, see her gift. Then, her father’s enemies arrive and they all must not only survive, but fight against impossible odds.

Solveig’s growing relationship with Hake, her genuine power as a skald, and the bravery she finds deep within herself all determine the surprising and heart-stopping acts of loyalty that conclude this novel.

The cover art shows one scene from the story, but is woefully inadequate and not representative of the story. The back cover is all reviews of Kirby’s previous book, and says nothing about Icefall. Because of that, this wonderful tale will probably be skipped over by many who would love this story.

The publisher’s classifications include fantasy and sci-fi, and although lovers of those genres will like this book, it has neither fantasy nor sci-fi in it. It is solid historic fiction. Kirby writes with powerful imagery. He describes the beautiful and brutal the Norse winter so well, by the end of the first chapter I was both fascinated and freezing.

Recommended grades 4-up. The publisher says grades 3-8. Violence, but not too graphic. Light romance. No language or sex, although there is a vague sense of menace regarding Asa and her spurned bridegroom.

Paranormal Pick: Born Wicked

2012-01-04T14:08:00.003-07:00

Born Wicked (The Cahill Witch Chronicles, Book 1)
by Jessica Spotswood
Putnam
2012
336 pages

Available February 7, 2012

Wickedly entertaining, witch-y-ly different, enticingly seductive and dangerously scintillating, Born Wicked is a book that will take your breath away.

Cate Cahill is the oldest sister of three and responsible for keeping her two younger sisters under control. That includes keeping their secret--all three girls are witches. This alone could get them killed, but an ancient prophesy details that three magic sisters will come along and the dark times will end. Only two sisters will welcome the twentieth century and magic will be welcomed and the Brotherhood toppled.

Cate and her sisters hide their magic, and Cate must choose a marriage soon, or the Brotherhood will choose for her--probably an elderly man who is part of the Brotherhood. Her only other way out is to join the Sisterhood, a group of nuns, and move away.

She is excited to see Paul come home and is eager for his charms until she spends too much time with Finn, the bookseller's son and part-time gardener for her own family. Secret, passionate kisses with Finn make Cate believe that she could never be happy with Paul. Her heart doesn't race when she kisses him and she doesn't dream of his embraces.

Younger sister Maura is as headstrong and tempermental as Cate is smart and calculating. Maura decides to join the Sisterhood once she realizes that they are a secret cult of witches and she longs to be more than friends with Elena, their governess sent by the Sisterhood to recruit all of them. Cate is able to save her sisters and herself only by turning her back on Finn, her secret love. Cate puts off her own happiness to save her sisters and their secret. The Sisterhood is happy to welcome a witch of such power and will use her power to make themselves more powerful.

Book 1 ends with the reader hoping that Cate will somehow get back to Finn and wondering if Cate will be able to leave the Sisterhood. Now that they have her, will they be willing to let her go?

Teen readers will await book 2 with enthusiasm. I was sorry the story ended and can't wait to get my hands on book 2. Paranormal fans and magic fans will love the story and girls will swoon over "magical" Finn--he's uber-sexy. I think Finn will play an important part in Book 2.

Highly, highly recommended grades 7-up. A couple of passionate kisses. Maura kisses Elena on the lips but it is not welcomed nor shared by Elena and then it's over. No language, some magic.

FTC required disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

Dystopian Pick: Legend

2012-01-04T08:00:00.002-07:00

Legend
by Marie Lu
Putnam
2011
305 pages

Watch the book trailer here

Brilliant, creative, completely captivating, and smoking hot, Legend is a thrilling dystopian novel that will grab both male and female dystopian fans and shake them up.

Day is a fifteen year old homeless thief and government terrorist. He is his country's most wanted criminal and super-thief. The government is searching for Day, but lucky for him, they don't have his fingerprints in their databases and they have no idea who he is or what he looks like. He is brilliant and cunning with disguises and planning and never leaves behind any clues.

The Republic controls all the laws, the citizens, the assets, the food, the electricity, and there is no such thing as freedom. Citizens born poor will remain poor unless one is lucky enough to score very high on the Republic's tests.

Those that don't make the grade--well, no one talks about what happens to them. But...Day knows...because he failed and was lucky enough and smart enough to escape death. Now he does everything he can to thwart the machine that is the evil government of the Republic. He keeps Tess safe, too. She joined him a few years back--a little orphan waif who helps him rummage for food and clothes. Day worries that his mother and two brothers may get the plague, and he checks on them secretly, not wishing to reveal himself and put them in danger.

June is born to a wealthy family and is highly trained due to her high scores on the Republic's test. In fact, June is selected by her superiors to hunt Day. She is the only soldier with the skill set likely to match his. After Day kills her brother, June is determined to bring Day to justice and impress the Republic.

Told by Day and June in alternating chapters, this taut thriller will keep teens on the edge of their seats and turning pages well past midnight. I couldn't put this novel down and read it in one sitting.

Highly, highly recommended grades 7-up. Some violence, some torture, public executions are mentioned, but nothing that is not on prime time television. If you have The Forest of Hands and Teeth and The Hunger Games in your collection, this novel is a good fit.

Chick Pick: Love? Maybe.

2012-01-03T09:48:00.000-07:00

Love? Maybe.
by Heather Hepler
Dial
2012
272 pages

Available January 5, 2012

Highly entertaining, well-written, and enjoyable, Love? Maybe. is Heather Hepler's latest young adult novel. Like The Cupcake Queen (her last novel) Love? Maybe. is set in a backdrop of a foodie paradise--a sweet shop owned by Jan, an evil genius chocolatier with an eye for beauty and a gourmand's palate for the gastronomically strange--take Kalamata Caramels, for example, olives and caramel--yet it works and customers eat them up! (pun, intended) Jan is a genius in baking sweet concoctions but not a tough businessman or an organized bookkeeper. For that, he employs Piper Paisley, a teen girl who is an organizing queen who just happens to come up with major fantastic sweet ideas for his shop. Piper is all business but disillusioned about male/female relationships.

Piper's birthday is Valentine's Day--which she dreads every year. Because of her mother's failed marriage and last relationship, Piper is jaded when it comes to romance and love. She knows there is no knight in shining armor, no hearts and flowers, no I Love You, and no happily ever after. She's seen it first-hand, after all. Piper is cynical and downright curmudgeonly when it comes to love. While her friends--spunky, amusing Jillian and heart-broken Claire look forward to Valentine's Day--Piper dreads it. Her mother owns a busy flower shop and Valentine's week is her busiest time of year, so she counts on Piper to help with younger siblings Dom and Lucy. Piper spends her time at school, at the sweet shop, picking up her siblings, doing homework, doing mother duties until bedtime, and falling into a stupor of slumber.

Jan fears that Piper is losing her youth and her appreciation of things to come. He has a fatherly, Star Wars Yoda-like talk with her and tells her that, "hearts are delicate things" but that love is worthwhile. He makes her swear to open her heart to possibility.

Jillian and Claire rope Piper into their Valentine's Day plan--they must have a boyfriend by Valentine's Day! Their plan includes makeovers and magic. Jillian finds a magic book with a love potion and the girls make love potion truffles for the sweet shop. Jan uses Piper's idea of candy hearts she calls Consternation Hearts. Instead of sayings like "Be Mine" and "UR Cute" they say "Ewww" and "Um...No" Jan adds hearts that say "Hope" because he can't stand the idea of teen cynicism.

Piper has her heart set on Ben Donovan and doesn't even realize her best friend Charlie from next door is truly the boy for her. As Valentine's Day draws closer, Piper finds gifts in her locker from a secret admirer. Jillian falls for Jeremy, a nerdy guy who has always been around and she finally realizes she likes nerds.

Relationships work out for all the characters and teen readers will love the heart-warming ending. Just in time for Valentine's Day, this novel is a gem worth relishing!

I loved Piper's name: Piper Paisley. It shows that her mom still has a creative and fun side. It's a fun name. Girls will love Jillian and want her for a BFF. The teen dialog is spot-on and delightful. Readers will love Jan, the thoughtful and big-hearted sweet shop owner who still finds beauty and romance in the world.

Highly, highly recommmeded grades 7-up. This is a "sweet" treat for girls! Girls who loved Hepler's The Cupcake Queen and Mandelski's The Sweetest Thing will be sure to love this new novel.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

Paranormal Pick: Bad Taste in Boys--Don't Miss ( I Nearly Did!)

2012-01-03T08:00:00.007-07:00

Bad Taste in Boys
by Carrie Harris
Delacourte Press
2011
201 pages

Watch the book trailer here

I can't believe I nearly missed reading this hilarious, twisted, sick, funny, punny, amusing, laugh-out-loud zombie farce, satirical romp, sarcastic zombie parady, teenage mutant human young adult novel! The cover says, "It's scary. It's twisted. It's sick. It's high school" and I couldn't agree more! Bad Taste in Boys is a hilarious zombie send-up that will resonate with both girl and boy zombie lovers. Author Carrie Harris is just as funny as seasoned writer Libba Bray!

Kate Grable is a super-smart, super-geeky science nerd who can't wait to get into medical school. She even volunteers to work long hours in the science lab at school just for fun. After school, she is the football team's trainer with access to the coach's office and medical supplies. When she accidentally spots strange vials of unmarked drugs in the coach's office, she suspects he is doping his players with steroids.

When her ex-hook-up Mike vomits putrid black vile and begins acting really strange, Kate suspects "zombie attack!" Is the coach really infecting his own players with some kind of secret zombie goop? Kate has to protect her players and find out what's going on. She is also crushing on quarterback Aaron who helps her find answers to why some of his teammates are getting sick. They find themselves in close quarters, hiding from Coach and other players, and romance blossoms. Can a super-geeky science nerd and a uber-hot quarterback make sweet music together?

Kate gets bitten but strangely enough displays no zombie behavior. Why isn't Kate turning? She takes meds for her epilepsy and realizes that her medicine may be the antidote for the zombie toxin. Kate uses her skills in science and the school's science lab to discover a cure.

Carrie Harris has a sure winner! Zombies have never been this much fun, and Kate is clever, sarcastic, and winsome--sure to appeal to feisty female readers. Science geeks are the new popular "in" crowd. Fans of zombie and paranormal books with a sense of humor will love Bad Taste in Boys.

Highly, highly recommended grades 7-up. Some kissing, some zombie gore but it's mild.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I purchased this book for my library after reading some comments from a librarians' listserv. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

Book Giveaway: Unraveling Isobel (A Ghostly, Gothic Pick)

2012-01-02T08:23:00.003-07:00

I have 5 copies of this great new paranormal, gothic ghost story! I just loved this novel from the first pages! Don't miss this one--you'll love it and so will teen readers!

Read Chapter One here

Read my review of Unraveling Isobel here

Simply post a comment here on the blog (Young Adult Books--What We're Reading Now) and be sure and give your email address so that I can contact you if you win. Please also include your city and state because I love to keep track of who is out there reading and entering (and the publishers and authors like to know, too). Contest opens January 2-12. Deadline for posts is January 12th at noon MST. Winners will be notified January 12th and have 48 hours to respond to my email. If, for some reason, winners do not respond to my email, the next person chosen randomly will win the copy of the book. Winners are chosen randomly using Randomizer. Books will ship from New York City--thanks Simon & Schuster and Venessa!

Good luck and start posting now!

Paranormal Pick: Every Other Day

2011-12-27T10:32:00.003-07:00

read an excerpt here

Every Other Day
by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Egmont
2011
329 pages

Available December 27, 2011

Satisfying, taut, and gripping this non-stop action paranormal thriller features a feisty teen heroine who is a monster-hunter every other day. On the days she's not slaying demons, Kali D'Angelo is a "normal" teenage girl. Too bad the day she sees a strange tattoo on popular cheerleader Bethany's back, she's in teenage--not monster slayer-- mode. How can Kali defeat the monster who wants to claim Bethany when she is just a weak teenage girl?

Skylar is an elfish goth sidekick who just happens to be a little "psychic"--and a lot feisty and precocious. She and Kali team up with Bethany to defeat the monster and become a teen trio to be reckoned with.

Kali seeks answers to why she is able to defeat monsters--what makes her so special? When her mother becomes part of the enigma, the story goes into teen angst overload and serious midnight page-turning mode.

To find the answers she needs and to save Zev, a voice in her head who is actually "like" her, Kali will risk everything to overthrow the evil corporation that is studying weird science and strange beings like herself. All the clues point to her father's corporation, and Kali needs to find a way in.

Teens will love the gritty and determined Kali who is equally headstrong and funny. Skylar will tug at heartstrings and girls will cheer for her. Readers will love that mean girl Bethany turns over an almost new leaf.

Highly, highly recommmended grades 8-up. Some mature situations, mother is an evil person, vampire and monster violence, lots of gore. The mother's best friend (who is also female) made me think there may be some romance between the two ladies--not overt--but read between the lines.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

Book Giveaway-Unraveling Isobel--A Ghostly Romance

2011-12-20T08:00:00.004-07:00

I have 5 copies of this fantastic new ya novel.

Girl Pick: Forever Four

2011-12-14T11:14:00.000-07:00

Forever Four
by Elizabeth Cody Kimmel
Grosset & Dunlap
2012
208 pages with illustrations
cover not yet available

Available January 19, 2012

Paulina has a great idea! She will enter her middle school's Curriculum Education Program competition with her project. The best project wins funding for the entire year, and her fabulous idea is to create and publish a magazine about girls for girls. The problem is that three other girls want to do a magazine, too. Principal Finley calls all four girls to her office and puts them on a team. She wants the four girls to work together to bring her one cohesive magazine.

The girls are each horrified! Miko is part of the P-Quits --Prom Queens in Training--and she's a fashionista and a brainiac, her hair, clothes and nails are always runway perfect and her grades superior to everyone else. Tally is the drama queen--both figuratively and literally--she stars in all the school's drama productions and over-exaggerates everything. Ivy is the new girl, fresh from New York City with a hot-shot magazine editor mother and uber-trendy East Village vintage clothes, and Paulina who juggles school, a younger brother obsessed with space aliens, cooking dinner, babysitting Kevin, and now her magazine.

How can four individuals--especially girls who never even speak to each other--Miko and Paulina, for example--come together and create a magazine that will excite middle school teens?

There are other teams in the competition out there trying to beat the girls. The girls' softball team is giving them stiff competition, and when they accuse the magazine girls of cheating, the 4girls come up with a unique way of defending themselves and showing the athletes what they're made of.

The girls highlight Pitch In's project and write a story about how girls' sports are often underfunded. Because of their unselfish acts, 4Girls wins the competition and shows the true meaning of sportsmanship.

Recommended grades 5-up. This is a great read for girls and shows that even if they are different, they can work together to produce something great.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

My Defense for Top Ten Picks 2011

2011-12-14T08:04:00.001-07:00

I posted my Best of the Best--Young Adult Titles 2011 here

Many people wondered how I chose the books I did. Here are the reasons why:

Main reason: When I'm reading the book, I know exactly what teen I'm going to recommend it to. For those boys who love to read and have a sense of humor, I knew Notes From the Blender would be a hit. For the zombie fans, Ashes and Dark Inside are solid reads. For girls who like high school angst, Choker and Spoiled come to mind. For girls who like a sweet story, Moonglass fills the bill. For dystopian fans, Wither, Eve, and All These Things I've Done come to mind. For the careful and serious reader, Shine "shines."

Here are 10 more reasons for my picks:

1. If a book is soooooo unique, so different, unlike anything I've read--and it's good storytelling with solid characters, it's in! Notes From the Blender, Choker,Spoiled, and Beauty Queens were all so different and unlike anything else I read all year.

2. If a book is paranormal, it must be a new "take" on the genre or have such amazing characters and be a solid page-turner, it's in! If it makes me forget all about Edward and Jacob, it's in! The Pledge and Wolf Mark make it in!

3. If a book can make me fall in love with something new or something I didn't like before I read the book--like zombies--and I fall in love with the book, it's in! Ashes and Dark Inside made it! Plus, both books had solid storytelling and great female protagonists.

4. If I dream about the book, not once but numerous times, it's clearly got me thinking about it well after reading it! Shine, Ashes, Dark Inside, and Wolf Mark had me dreaming some serious dreams.

5. If I think...hmmmm....what will happen next...if I worry about the characters...if I dream about what happens in the sequel, it's in! Wither, Dark Inside, Ashes, and Eve all had me wanting to get my hands on the sequel.

6. If I am LOST in that dystopian world and forget about 2011 and what is around me, it's in...Wither and Eve were great dystopias.

7. If a book bothers me, tortures me, grosses me out, worries me, takes me out of my comfort zone, makes me want to take action---it's in--Shine fits this category.

8. If a chick lit book is soooooooo sweet with a feisty girl protagonist with a unique teen voice, it's in! Moonglass and My Life Undecided fit here. Spoiled wasn't sweet but the snarky teen voices grabbed me.

9. If the writing is poetic and sings off the page...it's in! Shine "shines" here. Beauty Queens is the most well-written novel I've read in a long time, and Libba Bray is wicked funny and is teens' answer to David Sedaris.

10. If a book has a number of these characteristics, it's in!

High School Pick: Chopsticks

2011-12-13T09:08:00.000-07:00

Watch the video here

Chopsticks
by Jessica Anthony and Rodrigo Corral
Razorbill
2012
304 pages with illustrations and photos

Available 2/2/12

from the back cover: "A fully interactive electronic version of Chopsticks with music and video will be published simultaneously and sold separately."

Truly unique, this is a novel approach to storytelling, and Chopsticks is a different kind of ya experience--part novel, part photo album, part art portfolio, and part love song, this teen-age love story will tug at the heart-strings.

As the novel opens, we learn that Gloria Fleming is missing. She has walked away from the "hospital" her father placed her in. Television newscasts are having a field day.

Flashback 18 months before: Glory is a musical prodigy--by age fourteen she is playing sold-out shows in New York. Reviewers compare her to piano greats and her father is planning a world tour. Glory misses her mother but puts all her energy and grief into her music until she meets Frank, a new student from Argentina. Suddenly, music and touring are not that important anymore.

Frank is creative and passionate about his art and Glory falls hard for him. When she leaves to tour Europe, Glory has trouble focusing. Suddenly, she can't play the piano anymore. At a concert, she begins playing "Chopsticks"--her and Frank's song--the audience holds its breath. Her father is at first embarrassed, then angry. She is falling apart.

Glory is admitted into a "facility"--Golden Hands Rest Facility is an institution for musical prodigies in New York. Her grasp on reality is frail and Frank continues to try to reach her. When he returns home to Argentina, Glory makes her move.

The reader has to glean clues from the photos, news clippings, Frank's drawings, piano programs, instant messages, and illustrations. The novel ends with Glory missing, and the reader assumes she is on her way to Argentina to see Frank. Did she have a "breakdown" or has the hospital made her crazy? Will she be able to function in the outside world?

My seventeen year old daughter read this novel first and loved it. I read it next and we talked it over. What I thought happened was a very different view of what my daughter thought happened. That's the fun of this novel--teen readers will have very different opinions of Glory--is she crazy? or is the world crazy?

Highly recommended grades 9-up. Mature situations and Frank draws an artistic picture of a nude Gloria--it's more artsy than graphic.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received this novel from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

Pamela's Picks: Best YA Titles 2011

2011-12-12T10:48:00.002-07:00

Here it is--The Best of the Best Young Adult Novels. I consider each of these a fantastic read and would recommend them for any young adult collection.

Read my review of The Pledge here

Why I picked The Pledge:
So entertaining and I loved the two main characters and the strong female protagonist. Also, it was kind of a fairy tale, romance, and dystopian novel all rolled into one. Great storytelling and the cover will speak to teens.

Read my review of Eve here

Why I picked Eve: Wonderful plot and easy to read. A real page-turner, and as an added bonus, it will be a trilogy. I see it becoming a movie, too! Nice cover art.

read my review of Dark Inside here

Why I picked Dark Inside: Who knew I was a zombie fan? I wasn't before this chilling book. Loved it!

Read my review of Ashes here

Again, who knew I was such a fan of zombies? Just as good as Dark Inside. Loved both books. Ashes will also be a trilogy. Creepy cover will attract lots of readers.

see my review of Wolfmark here

Why I picked Wolfmark: I loved the way Native American myth and legend was interwoven with werewolf lore from Europe. Loved the main character, too!

See my review of Beauty Queens here

Why I picked Beauty Queens: Libba Bray has a wicked sense of humor and there's nothing funnier than a bunch of beauty queen divas stuck on a deserted island! Eye-catching cover will sell teens.

See my review of Wither here

Why I picked Wither: The idea of people only living into their twenties and girls being used as "breeders" is interesting. Great dystopia. Another trilogy. Beautiful cover also.

See my review of Shine here

Why I picked Shine: Such a departure novel from the girly TTFN and other girly books by Myracle. Shine is a book that matters!

See my review of Notes From the Blender here

Why I picked Notes From the Blender: Hysterical, need I say more?

See my review of Choker here

Why I picked Choker here: Great plot and unexpected twists. Cool. Great storytelling.

See my review of Spoiled here

Why I picked Spoiled: Sister drama and fashionista, spoiled brat Hollywood celebutante fun! The authors make fun of reality stars, too! Cover is sure to appeal to the fashionista in all of us!

Too good to miss---These are books I loved, but I could only pick the Top Ten--these are close contenders:

See my review of My Life Undecided here

Why I picked My Life Undecided: I liked the idea of the main character using her blog to make her life decisions. Great fun!

See my review of All These Things I've Done here

Why I picked All These Things I've Done: I loved the idea of the mafia and organized crime dealing chocolate as a commodity. Loved the dystopian New York City.

see my review of Moonglass here

Why I picked Moonglass: Loved the feel of this book. Story was great and poignant. Beautifully told. The cover art is the most beautiful cover of the year.
said.

High School Pick: Fix Me

2011-12-12T10:25:00.000-07:00

Fix Me
by Rune Michaels
Antheneum
2011
160 pages (page count from publisher's website; my copy had 149 pages)

Complex, chilling, cutting, and caustic, Fix Me is Rune Michaels' latest ya novel. This time, the characters are disturbing as well as disturbed. Leia's mother and step-father die in a car accident and she and her abusive brother live in their home with their aunt as the guardian. There is no love lost in their twisted and tormented relationship. Aunt Phoebe is cruel and mouthy, Brian is controlling and sadistic, and both Brian and Leia turn to cutting for pain relief.

When her world starts crashing in, Leia turns to the only place she can feel safe, the zoo. It is a sanctuary for abused animals after all, and it is among the animals she feels safest. She stays at the zoo all day, hiding out at lock-up time and finding an old, empty tiger cage to sleep in. Never mind the fact that Brian and Aunt Phoebe are probably looking for her; Leia knows they aren't really too worried.

The zoo owner's son Kyle offers Leia a place to shower and sleep and gets her fruit and food to eat. He tells her she can stay there at night if she'll help him out feeding the animals and cleaning their cages. Leia loves the elephants and doesn't mind the hard work. Then Tina arrives. She is a traumatized chimp who suffered from human abusers. She can't be put with other chimps and she can't be left in the wild. Leia decides that Tina will be her project--they have much in common.

Leia stops cutting for awhile but then is triggered by a stranger's presence. In a disturbing flashback, the reader learns the true depth of cruelty and shocking abuse Leia has had to live with. In the end, Leia faces her demons and ruinous past and begins the painful process of healing. The reader is left with a feeling of timorous hope.

This is not a "feel good" read; however, it is compelling and well-written and a solid page turner. Teens who like "problem" novels with grit will like Fix Me.

Recommended for high school collections grades 9-up. Mature situations, child abuse, sexual abuse, violence, cutting. Not for middle school.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

High School Pick: Burnout

2011-12-08T08:45:00.001-07:00

Burnout
by Adreinne Maria Vrettos
McElderry Books
2011
193 pages

click here to read an excerpt

Caustic, cutting, creepy, and dangerous, yet achingly poignant, Burnout is the 21st century's Go Ask Alice.

It's the day after Halloween, and Nan wakes up in a subway car--disheveled and dirty, hungover and ill, with no memory of how she got there, where she's been, or why she's wearing a plastic dress a couple of sizes smaller than she is. A subway worker helps her up and loans her his jacket and offers to call for help, but before the police can arrive, Nan is on the run. Whatever happened, she can't talk to the police. They will think she's a runaway or an addict and take her into custody. She's been clean for months, but now Nan feels like she's been drugged.

The only way she can find out what happened to her is to retrace her steps from the night before. Her memory begins coming back in bits and pieces and she realizes that she's the lucky one. She is still alive, but where is her friend Seemy?

The book is written in jumps and starts, skipping over information and then throwing in bits and pieces to emulate the way Nan is processing information and remembering things. This is at first a bit jarring, then the reader is able to appreciate the author's craft. A quick read for reluctant readers and a sure page turner, this novel is easily read in one sitting.

Recommended for grades 9-up. Drugs, mature situations, alcohol, drug rehab.

FTC Required Disclosure: I received this book from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

Ghostly Pick: Unraveling Isobel--A Must-Read

2011-12-07T09:41:00.004-07:00

Unraveling Isobel
by Eileen Cook
Simon Pulse
2012
304 pages (according to publisher's website)

Available January 3, 2012 (date from publisher's website)

Read Chapter One here

Clever, creepy, creative, and seductive, Unraveling Isobel is my new favorite ya title. Full of Gothic appeal and details--a creepy, moss-covered mansion fallen into disrepair bulging with dusty antiques hand-crafted by dead ancestors, portraits of said dead ancestors peering down from its ancient walls, a step-father who reeks of disdain and old money, a mother who is so in love with wacktastic step-father that she can't even see what a horse's patooty he is, and a hot and sexy step-brother--all part of Isobel's new life.

Her mother met Richard, the new step-father, on the Internet and married him after only three months of dating. She moves Isobel to a small island off the coast of Washington state--it's Isobel's senior year and she can't believe how ignorant and self-serving her mother is acting. She doesn't care that Isobel has to leave her home, her school, and all her friends. She wants only her own happiness with not a care for her daughter.

Weird things happen the first night at the mansion. A ghost of a child appears to Isobel and she finds a puddle of sea water on the window seat of her room with a bit of slimy seaweed. Isobel knows that Richard's first wife and young daughter drowned last year. She suspects that Evie is trying to reach out to her, but can't figure out what the child-ghost is trying to tell her. Isobel enlists the help of Nathaniel, her hot step-brother. Soon, there's passionate and scintillating sparks whenever they're together.

At school, mean, but popular girl, Nicole befriends Isobel--but she has an ulterior motive. By being friends with Isobel, she gets to see Nathaniel--who she has had her eyes on for some time.

Evie appears to Isobel and Isobel really isn't afraid of her--she's more afraid that she may be going a little crazy; her dad suffers from schizophrenia, after all. She knows that it is an genetic disorder and can sometimes be passed on to the next generation. Is Evie for real, or is Isobel "losing" it?

Isobel visits the library to get some answers about the girl's drowning and befriends one of the librarians, Mandy. She helps Isobel find articles about the mansion and tells her about two girls who vanished there some years ago. They were never found, but Isobel discovers their secrets.

Unraveling Isobel is delightful gothic romance. Isobel has a great teenage voice dripping with sarcasm, hyperbole, and funny metaphors. It is a clever ghost story--as enthralling as it is entertaining. I was spellbound and speechless when Mandy's true identity becomes known! This is a must read for fans of gothic romance, ghost stories, and anyone who enjoys a vulnerable, yet strong, heroine.

There are two things I have some trouble with: One is the depiction of the older librarian--so typical of the old-school librarian--nearly Nazi-like behavior and demeanor--an old lady who likes things tidy and silent. We all know today's librarians are much more fun (if I do say so myself). Secondly, the cover does not have much teen appeal. Girls may not pick up this book unless they hear about if from a friend or a blog.

Highly, highly recommended grades 9-up. Some language, some kissing. Isobel call's her new step-dad "Dick" since his name is Richard and he truly lives up to his nickname. Isobel knows her mother and new step-father are having a passionate romance, but she can't stomach imagining her own mother ever having sex. Pretty funny stuff-sheer teen-age angst.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

Nobel Genes: Now out in paperback!

2011-12-05T10:45:00.001-07:00

Nobel Genes
by Rune Michaels
Atheneum (Simon & Schuster)
2011
181 pages

Now out in paperback, this novel is sure to please readers who love a quick-paced plot and taut suspense. See earlier review of the novel (hard back) here

Book Giveaway--The Pledge--A Must-Read!

2011-12-01T13:20:00.000-07:00

I have 5 copies of this fantastic new novel! You don't want to miss this one! It is a MUST READ! I just LOVED LOVED LOVED it! Highly, highly recommended! See my review here

Simply post a comment here and be sure and include your email contact information. Please put your city and state, too, as I love to see where followers/entrants are from. I would love any input you have about the blog, the giveaways, and the reviews.

Deadline is December 15th at noon MST. Winners will be chosen by Randomizer and notified the afternoon of the 15th. Winners will have 48 hours to respond to my email with their mailing addresses. If they do not respond within that time, the next number chosen by Randomizer will win. Books will ship from Simon & Schuster, NYC. Thanks, Venessa!

Good luck, and start posting now!

Mystery/Thriller Pick: The Pineville Heist

2011-12-01T08:28:00.002-07:00

The Pineville Heist
by Lee Chambers
MISFP Publishing
2011
193 pages

watch the trailer here

Well-written and thrilling, this little page-turner will keep readers guessing who the bad guys are and who can you really trust. When the Pineville Bank is robbed, Aaron Stevens is accidently in the wrong place at the wrong time. He witnesses the thieves hiding the money and one thief turning on another and a murder!

He runs to the only safe place he can think of: his high school. Too bad the bad guys know where he is. He confides in his drama teacher, Amanda Becker, and together they try to outsmart and outrun the bad guys.

With plot twists and turns, evil thieves, back-stabbing characters, a surprise ending, and a breakneck pace, this book will score with reluctant readers and mystery lovers alike. Readers will empathize with Aaron and cheer when he triumphs. When his millionaire father finally shows some fatherly interest in him, Aaron basks in the moment.

Author Lee Chambers is a well-known writer and producer, and this is his debut novel in ya lit. I'd say he's found a new niche.

Recommended grades 7-up. No sex.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received this book from the author. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

Top 15 Groundbreaking YA Books That Have Movies

2011-12-01T07:53:00.000-07:00

The Huffington Post has a nice slide show with videos from Youtube of each title: Featured is Hugo--from The Invention of Hugo Cabret (movie out just in time for Christmas!)

See the top 15 YA books that have feature films here

See the trailer for Hugo here

Edublog Awards

2011-12-01T07:24:00.001-07:00

Edublog is awarding Best Blog Awards. It is open until tomorrow, Dec. 2
Nominate an educational blog and recognize your collegues. It has a library category!

Click here to nominate

Fantasy Pick: The Wizard of Dark Street

2011-11-30T09:56:00.000-07:00

The Wizard of Dark Street
by Shawn Thomas Odyssey
Egmont
2011
346 pages

See videos here

Magical, mysterious, and delighful, The Wizard of Dark Street is a captivating read. For those readers who enjoyed Harry Potter and other wizarding books, Oona Crate is an appealing new wizard--but one who doesn't want to use magic. Oona, you see, would give it all up to be a detective and use her brains, her powers of deduction (nod to Sherlock Holmes), and clues to solve mysteries. Her uncle, the current Wizard of Dark Street, finally prints an ad in The New York Times for a new apprentice, since it appears his neice will never be able to take over his role.

Dark Street is a magical world the reader will fall in love with. A world just inside New York City yet invisible to most non-magical folk. The gates to the street only open for one minute each night at the stroke of midnight. Most children are fast asleep in their beds at that hour, and most adults would miss that minute. Even if they thought they saw something out of the corner of their eye, upon a second glance perhaps the gate would already close, and they'd think their eyes had played tricks on them.

Dark Street has always existed, "In one form or another it had always been there, a bridge between the fantastic and the ordinary, between magic and reason, between the Land of the Fay and the city that never sleeps."

Oona makes it her business to discover who stole all the designer dresses from Madame Iree's dress shop. The hopelessly bungling police detective Inspector White is laughable, and he sure doesn't want a little girl upstaging him, even if she is the neice of the reigning Wizard.

When her own uncle goes missing, Oona uses her wits and the help of her magical pet raven Deacon, an enchanted know-it-all who holds encyclopedic information about the history of the enchanted world and all its inhabitants, to solve the mystery.

Mystery fans and fans of magic will love the fantastic world of Dark Street. Strange characters abound along with skullduggery. The beautiful cover art will draw readers in, and the author's website is fantastic! check it out here

Recommended grades 5-up. Good readers grade 4 may want to give it a try.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

Book Giveaway: Peter Nimble and His Fantastic Eyes

2011-11-30T09:04:00.002-07:00

I have 5 copies of this fantastic new MUST READ up for grabs! Recommended grades 6-up; good readers grade 4 and 5 may want to tackle this fantastic read! Well-written and imaginative. See my review here

Simply post a comment here. Be sure and include your email contact so I can email you should you win. Also, I would like to know your city and state just to see who's out there! Contest opens NOW, November 30 and closes Dec. 15 at noon MST. Winners will be chosen at random by randomizer. I will email winners on December 15. You will have 48 hours to respond to my email. If I do not hear from you within 48 hours, I must give the copy to the next person chosen by randomizer.

Start posting now, and good luck!

Chick Pick: Paradise

2011-11-29T08:31:00.001-07:00

Paradise
by Jill S. Alexander
Feiwel and Friends (MacMillan)
2011
248 pages

This is the second novel for Jill S. Alexander. Her first, The Sweetheart of Prosper County, was a 2010 Texas Lone Star title. Her refreshing characters, witty dialog, strange and quirky surroundings, small town angst, Texas-isms, and memorable details make Paradise a great southern gothic read.

Paisley is the youngest daughter of Texas-born-and-bred-and-damn-proud-of-it mother Diane Tillery, a wannabe Martha Stewart with an attitude as big as the state of Texas itself. Diane has big plans for daughters Paisley and older sister Lacey--no small town marriages for them, no sir. These girls are going somewhere! They won't be stuck in the middle of nowhere married to some redneck cowboy loser.

The girls, of course, have no intention of following Mother's careful planning. Lacey wants to go to beauty school and get a business degree to help her manage her own salon. Paisley, in true, spunky cowgirl Texas fashion, is the drummer for a country rock band. She is weeks away from hitting the big time at the Texapalooza festival in Austin where all the bands play and some even get "discovered" by talent agents from Nashville, L.A., and New York.

Enter Gabe. He's new to town from Paradise, Texas, and answers the band's ad for a singer. Not only does he sing, he plays a mean accordian--yep, the old-timey accordian but with a hep-cat attitude and mean cowboy rocker finesse. Paisley is instantly smitten. Too bad she never knows that Cal, the guitarist, is infatuated with her. Cal writes song lyrics--included in the book--about being in love with Paisley and the heartache he feels when she latches onto Gabe--now known as Paradise to all the band members.

Uncle L.V. flies a couple of small planes, and the band uses his hangar for band practice. I truly expected him to be a drug runner--he seemed silent, brooding, and plotting, but he never turned out to be the drug kingpin I thought he would be.

Lacey and Paisley sneak around and their father helps cover for them. At Texapalooza, the band blows the doors off the competition and stars are born. The surprise ending was unexpected and poignant.

Girls will love Paisley and her cowgirl swagger and likely be enthralled by Paradise with his dark good looks and rock star demeanor.

The cover left a lot to be desired. The cover art is ho-hum at best, and the back cover has two quotes about the earlier book--The Sweetheart of Prosper County--but no information about Paradise. The publishing company dropped the ball on packaging this gem of a story. Girls will not likely choose this book themselves--due to the cover and back cover quotes. They will miss out if they pass this one up.

Recommended grades 9-up. Sexual innuendo, mature situations, lying, sneaking around, alcohol, partying, some good old boy situations--ya'll know what I'm talking about, wink.

Chick Pick: The Pledge--A Must-Read

2011-11-28T10:28:00.002-07:00

The Pledge
by Kimberly Dertin
Margaret K. McElderry Books (Simon & Schuster)
2011
323 pages

Part fairy tale, part romance, part paranormal, The Pledge is well-written, satisfying, and sensational! Words simply cannot do this remarkable novel justice! I was hooked from the first words of the prologue.

In a world where the class lines are clearly enforced--the lower classes speak one language, the upper class another, the royalty--a language only they can understand, but Charlaina can understand and speak them all. She must keep it a secret; however, for the safety of her family and herself. She must avert her eyes and show no sign she understands the bullying of the richer Counsel students--her own merchant class is subservient and poor. They are allowed to attend a different school only because they must read and write in order to do business.

The Queen has control--but her grip is slipping. There is talk every day of rebel forces fighting and a revolutionary band of forces forming to topple the Queen's stifling regime. They want people to be free--free to speak whatever language they wish, free to attend school, free to learn and grow and to achieve higher class status. The Queen is ancient and her magic is growing weaker. She needs a younger pureblood to inhabit. She would be able to live on in a younger body, but there is no one. Or is there?

Charlie meets Max, a dangerous and dark bad boy, who causes her to have strange feelings. The tension between them is palpable; girls will love the seductive tension. When Charlie is taken "prisoner" by the rebels, she grows closer to Alex, their leader. She is confused how Max and Alex know each other. Then, her parents are taken to the castle by the Queen's forces and Charlie learns that Aron, her childhood friend, has been tortured at the castle and hangs on for dear life.

Alex, Max, and Charlie join forces to meet the Queen and save her parents and Aron. The Queen has other ideas entirely. Will Charlie's "gift" be enough to save her? Can the Queen use her magic one last time?

Highly, highly recommended grades 7-up. Max is a great new sexy addition to ya romantic lit--Edward and Jacob, you are so over! Teens will love the enticing cover and the quote on the back cover from Carrie Ryan (author of The Forest of Hands and Teeth) is reason enough to give this book a try.

There is a mention near the end that Charlie and Max are now sleeping together but no mention of sex. No language. If you have The Forest of Hands and Teeth, The Hunger Games, and Twilight, this novel is a good addition to your collection.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I got this book from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

Book Giveaway: Coming Soon! Peter Nimble and His Fantastic Eyes

2011-11-18T14:55:00.000-07:00

Coming Soon! Book Giveaway Opens November 30-December 15. I have 5 copies of this magical novel up for grabs! Keep posted here. I will post the giveaway November 30. After that, you can enter for a chance at a copy of this fabulous books. Read my review here

Girl Pick: The Survival Kit

2011-11-17T10:18:00.001-07:00

The Survival Kit
by Donna Freitas
Frances Foster Books (Farrar Straus Giroux)
2011
351 pages

Poignant, deeply moving, and amazing, The Survival Kit will tug at your heartstrings. Fans of Sarah Dessen books will relish this captivating novel about grief, loss, and love.

It is the day of Rose's mother's funeral, and it is all Rose can do to keep it together. She finally retreats to her mother's closet just to feel close to her again, to smell her perfume on her clothes, to see familiar dresses and hold her soft sweaters. It's then that Rose sees the brown paper bag and the dress made of night, her mother's favorite dress sprinkled with sparkling stars that she would wear to sit in the garden on beautiful summer nights. Rose lifts the bag down and sees it's one of her mother's survival kits but this one is "Rose's Survival Kit". Her mother, in her final days, has given Rose one last gift.

The bag contains: an IPod, a picture of peonies, a crystal heart, a paper star, a box of crayons, and a handmade kite. Rose doesn't open the bag right away; she just can't. She is grieving and quits the cheerleading team. She distances herself from her boyfriend of two years, popular football star Chris. They used to be THE couple, but she can't stand it when he touches her now. She doesn't want closeness. Rose can't listen to music anymore. Each song reminds her of her mother. She won't hang around with her old friends and she won't attend parties.

Rose is not the only one grieving. Rose's father is having a hard time, too. When he's not weeping, he's drinking. Rose's brother Jim is away at college and comes home only for the holidays. As Rose gets more and more distant, she finally opens the survival kit. The first thing she sees is the small kite--the kite is a symbol for letting go but just keeping close enough, too. Rose's mother used to hand out Kindergarten Survival Kits--not to the kids--to the kids' parents. So many of the parents were terrified of letting go of the children--the kite helped them see that their kids could fly high but always come home.

Rose's best friend Krupa gets her to finally agree to attend a hockey game--well, not the whole hockey game, just until after Krupa performs the national anthem, and then Krupa and Rose agree to leave. Rose accompanies her and sees some of the cheerleaders in the stands. She talks to them and is soon enjoying the game. She is having a good time for the first time in months. Will is the star of the team; he is a boy who cuts their lawn and carefully tends to her mother's manicured garden. She has never really spoken to Will--he's never noticed her either as far as she knows. Will's father died of cancer two years ago. Now they have something in common--the loss of a parent to cancer.

Can the loss of a beloved parent ever be overcome? Can sharing a loss lead to friendship--or maybe love?

Rose opens the survival kit and sees the picture of peonies. She asks Will to help her plant some peonies in her mother's garden. Come spring, there will be a bed of peonies to greet them.

As Rose begins healing and surviving, her father has a car accident and ends up in the hospital. She has to face going back to the place with all those bad memories. She asks Will for a ride to the hospital, but he appears to be in shock. He can't move. Why won't he offer her a ride?

I loved the idea of a survival kit. There would be many kinds--a survival kit for the first day of high school, the first day of college, moving into a new home, the first baby, the first job, moving away from home, going on a big trip, any big life experience could be cushioned by a survival kit.

If there is one thing I didn't like about the book--the cover art is not appealing--I would have liked a little about the book on the back cover as well. The book is so well-written with the beautiful, yet tortured, characters of Rose and Will that the cover just doesn't do it any justice at all. Do not judge this book by its cover--the story is amazing--ignore the cover.

Highly recommended grades 9-up and readers who love Sarah Dessen. Mature situations, alcoholism, grief, death, sex.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. I did not receive any monetary compensation for this review.

Paranormal Pick: Bloodlines

2011-11-16T09:21:00.000-07:00

Bloodlines
by Richelle Mead
RazorBill (Penguin)
2011
432 pages

Read the first four chapters and see the book trailer here

First in the Bloodlines series, this spin-off of The Vampire Academy is sure to be a hit with teens. If you haven't read the Vampire Academy books, get started right away. Although you can still read Bloodlines without reading the previous series, you may not understand the back story of Rose and Sydney.

Sydney is a human teenager who has been raised to be an alchemist, a group of humans who practice magic and alchemy to protect the human world and vampires who live in the human world. Humans must never learn that vampires live freely among them, and the alchemists protect their secrets.

When Sydney is rudely awakened and dragged from her bed, she knows something terrible has happened. She learns that she has been chosen to travel to California and pretend to be Jill Dragomir's sister, keeping Jill, younger sister of the vampire Queen, safe from both Moroi and Strigoi, those who would kill her. Sydney and Jill enter Amberwood Prep, a private boarding school in California.

Sydney bears the mark of the alchemists--a golden tattoo that gives her healing and magic powers. When students at Amberwood Prep start turning up with strange tattoos of their own, Sydney and Adrian investigate. It seems that they have more to fear than their own kind, there's a band of vampire hunters infiltrating the town and they seem to have Amberwood Prep on their minds. Noone is safe anymore.

It's easy for the reader to lose herself in the world of vampires and alchemists. Sydney is uptight and tight-lipped, controlling and scientific, cautious and quiet, but there's also a dangerous side to her that is appealing. Adrian is a great vampire party boy who scores high in the bad boy category and will keep girls reading.

Recommended for paranormal readers and those who loved The Vampire Academy books. The publisher says ages 12 and up, but I would caution younger readers.

Grades 9-up and mature younger readers. Violence, some sexual innuendo.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

Funny Pick: Cabin Fever (Diary of a Wimpy Kid, book 6)

2011-11-15T00:01:00.005-07:00

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Cabin Fever
by Jeff Kinney
Amulet
2011
217 pages
Available everywhere November 15, 2011

Creative, amusing, silly, and just plain fun, Jeff Kinney's latest book in the series is a must-have. Just in time for Christmas, Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Cabin Fever will delight any reader no matter what age. Charles Schultz did it with Charlie Brown and Peanuts, now Jeff Kinney's Wimpy Kid, aka Greg Heffley, and his shenanigans have taken over the reading market. This series is not just for children or boys, it is a gem with enjoyable characters, humorous situations, comical illustrations, and a lot of heart. The wimpy kid appeals to the wimpy kid in all of us.

Every kid has tried to figure out what gifts he/she is getting for Christmas, even unwrapping and rewrapping his own gifts, but probably none have gone to the trouble that Greg does. He knows one of his gifts is the video game he's been wanting to play, so he carefully extracts the disc replacing it with a hard rock cd from his brother Rodrick. He forgets to put it back and come Christmas morning, the cd rolls out of the case. Greg's mom is upset because the store sold her a Headless Asylum cd instead of a game fit for children. Greg's mom takes the cd back and complains of the "inappropriate content" being sold to minors. Of course, Greg does not admit that he switched the discs.

Kinney has his eyes and ears on the school pulse, too. Bullying and anti-bullying programs are getting a lot of attention in schools. When Greg's school holds a contest for the best anti-bullying slogan, two groups of girls come to physical blows over which group has the best anti-bullying slogan. If that's not hilariously ironic, nothing is!

Greg isn't the only one in the family who does sneaky things. His mother gives him an autographed copy of a ya novel. When Greg takes it to the comics books dealer, the dealer tells him the signature is forged. It seems Mom didn't want to stand in line for three hours, so she just signed the author's name herself and passed it off as autographed by the author.

The wimpy kid is not going anywhere. He lives on in all of us, and Kinney has found a way of making us laugh at ourselves and remember all the nutty things we did as kids. Some of us will never outgrow wimpy kid, and that's a good thing.

Highly, highly recommended for everyone of all ages--especially those with a sense of humor.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this reveiw.

Book Giveaway: Dystopian Romance: Eve

2011-11-14T12:53:00.000-07:00

I have ONE, yes only one, SIGNED copy to give away of this exciting new paranormal romance.
See my review of Eve here

Post a comment here. Include your email contact and your city and state. The winner will be chosen at random by randomizer. The winner will be notified by email and have 48 hours to respond. Anna Carey will sign and ship the winner her/his copy. Deadline is Friday, November 18 at noon MST!
Hurry and post! Good luck! Pamela

Book Giveaway: Dark Inside

2011-11-14T11:08:00.000-07:00

I have 5 copies of this exciting new thriller to give away! See my review of Dark Inside here.

Exciting zombie thriller!
Post a comment. Include your email address and city and state. Winners will be notified by email. If you are a winner, you will have 48 hours to respond to my email with your full name and mailing address. Books will ship from New York City courtesy of Simon & Schuster. Winners picked by randomizer.

Deadline for posts is November 30, 2011.

You Heard It Here First: Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Cabin Fever

2011-11-10T13:49:00.002-07:00

Watch the book trailer here

My review will post on November 15 at 12:01 a.m. Watch for my review! It's gonna be great!

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Cabin Fever (book six)
Available everywhere 11/15/11

Magical Pick: Peter Nimble and His Fantastic Eyes--A Must-Read

2011-11-10T10:19:00.001-07:00

Peter Nimble and His Fantastic Eyes
by Jonathan Auxier
Amulet
2011
400 pages

Visit The Scop, the author's website

Beguiling, mesmerizing, totally transporting, and inventive, Peter Nimble and His Fantastic Eyes is a quick-paced, intelligent novel in the capable hands of a master storyteller. Auxier deftly blends fantasy and obscure and strange words from bygone days with a substantial plot.

Peter Nimble is a ten-year old blind orphan raised to be a master thief and pick-pocket. He happens upon a traveling haberdasher (hat salesman) and steals a box which he later discovers holds three pairs of magical eyes. When he puts on the first pair, he is transported to another world entirely where he learns his quest: to rescue a long vanished kingdom from a horrible, evil king who just so happens to be an imposter to the throne. With his "enchanted cat-horse-man creature" sidekick, Peter ventures off on his journey.

From the fantastic cover to the imaginative chapter titles, this novel shows a writing finesse not seen since the Harry Potter series. From utter absurdities to the well-imagined characters, this novel gives a wink and a nod to Charles Dickens. Auxier is a true scop (the title of his website)--a scop is a storyteller or minstrel.

Readers who loved Harry Potter are in for a real treat. Peter Nimble is a feast for the eyes and imagination sure to have readers chuckling to themselves.

Highly, highly recommended ages 10-up. Publisher recommends ages 10-up, but the younger readers may have some trouble unless they are accomplished readers.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

Thrilling Pick: Trash

2011-11-09T09:19:00.000-07:00

Trash
by Andy Mulligan
David Fickling Books
2010
240 pages

Soon to be a thrilling movie!

Set in the future a few years from now, two dumpsite boys find a treasure in the mountains of garbage they sift through on a daily basis. Raphael and and Gardo live in severe poverty, part of the dump itself. They rarely have enough to eat, they live in large families with four or five children to a bed, they go to school only once in a while, and disease and sickness surround them. The government is corrupt and the police are brutal and on the take.

When what seems like the entire police force shows up at the dump, Raphael knows he did the right thing by hiding his treasure. They offer a huge reward, and he realizes that there is more to what he found than just a note, a key, a map, and some money. The two boys seek out Rat, another dumpsite boy who lives under a pile deep in the garbage, and he helps them with the mystery.

The boys realize that the man whose wallet they found is dead--no doubt murdered by the police. Why do the police want his wallet so badly? Who was this man? It is said he stole millions of dollars from the Senator. Is that why the police will stop at nothing to find out who found the wallet? What does the key open? What about the cryptic letter and mysterious map?

Raphael is taken in, questioned, beaten, and finally released when the police can't "break" him. Three uneducated boys will take on the entire corrupt system. They enlist the help of a British social worker and the priest who runs their school. Gardo visits a prisoner who tells them about a secret Bible code. The boys--remember uneducated boys---break the code and beat the system.

The fast-paced plot is told in chapters by each boy, the social worker, the priest, and a gravestone maker. This thrilling page turner will likely dominate the box office.

Recommended grade 7-up. No sex, some violence, police brutality, murder.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

Book Club & Foodie Pick: 52 Loaves

2011-11-09T08:41:00.001-07:00

52 Loaves
by William Alexander
Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill
2010
339 pages with recipes and bibliography

Laugh out loud funny, seriously entertaining, almost overly informative--I did not know anything about threshing wheat until William Alexander explained it pain-stakingly for me--this food-for-thought journey of one introspective, insanely driven, nearly crazy man to bake the "perfect" loaf of bread sustains the reader. I was sorry when his journey ended and I turned the last page.

When Alexander tastes the perfect bread in a restaurant, he sets out to find how to bake the perfect loaf from scratch--I do mean scratch--he wants to plant his own seeds, harvest his own wheat, make his own flour, build his own bread oven--he wants to "return to the earth"--this is a serious labor.

He decides to tweak the "perfect" recipe and does a mountain of research, buying the best books about bread and seeking out bakers who live on the east coast. He even enters a bread contest in New York. Still not satisfied, he travels to Paris and enrolls in the hoity-toity French school Ecole Ritz Escoffier. He ventures to Morroco where he almost dies and ends up in a monastery in Normandy where he instructs monks to use their centuries old oven to begin baking the monastery's bread.

Each chapter tells that week's successes and mostly--failures. To sum up, Alexander tells the reader what he's learned in his year-long experiment:

"--Bread in a healthy diet doesn't make you fat.
--Too much bread, washed down with wine, does.
...Do not untake any project that promises it can be completed in a week-end.
--Do not drink the water in Morroco. Or the tea, or the coffee. In fact, you might think about skipping Morroco altogether. I hear Barbados is nice this time of year.
--Trust strangers. Well, some. Only those you can trust.
--Choose one thing you care about and resolve to do it well.
--Whether you succeed or not, you will be the better for the effort.
--Bread is life." (from the novel)

I could almost smell the aroma of baking bread as Alexander described each week's offering. Well-written prose almost sings off the pages. Alexander has the knack of mixing his memoirs with hysterical, often biting, humor that targets mostly himself. This is a great Christmas gift for book lovers who also happen to love food or for that "closet" wanna-be baker.

Highly, highly recommended grades 9-up and serious food junkies. This is a great book club pick for all kinds of book clubs.

Only one mature situation--Alexander gives up sex with his wife because he's worried about timing the yeast rising in his latest batch of dough.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

Paranormal Pick: The Mephisto Covenant & Book Giveaway!

2011-11-08T08:56:00.002-07:00

The Mephisto Covenant (win a free copy here)
by Trinity Faegen
Egmont
2011
438 pages

Sexy, smoldering, scintillating, and smoking hot, The Mephisto Covenant is the new, beguiling, solid page turner for teens who eat up paranormal romance. The cover art is as dynamic as it is beautifully mesmerizing, and the quote from P.C. Cast says it all, "A timeless love story with unique mythology that captivates the imagination. I loved it."

From the first hundred pages, readers will be captivated by the complex plot rife with mythology, theology based fiction, and a story that unfolds quickly. Sasha grieves for her murdered father and so badly wants answers about his death she is willing to do anything, well, almost anything. When she agrees to meet in an abandoned warehouse with a creepy group of school kids, she hears of a leader named Eryx who can find answers for her if she'll agree to be one of his followers and call herself a Raven. Sasha realizes the crazy cult behavior too late and finds herself in real danger. The kids turn on her and pelt her with stones; she falls down and is nearly killed if it weren't for a tall, dark and handsome stranger. He stops time--somehow--and heals her wounds. Then Mr. Tall, Dark, and Handsome erases her memory and Sasha wakes up to find herself alone in the warehouse with no injuries and no memories of the fateful events.

When she arrives home, her mother is packing. Sasha learns that her father and mother aren't who she thinks they are. Sasha's father was a CIA agent in Europe when he was murdered. Her mother is a kind of double agent working with America, but now she is being deported since her husband died. Sasha must go and live with her uncle and her evil, mean-spirited aunt in Telluride, Colorado--which just so happens to be home of Jax (Ajax--Mr. Tall, Dark and Handsome himself) and his band of brothers from Hell. The funniest line Jax himself says, "We don't live in Hell. We live in Colorado."

Sasha meets him again, of course, and realizes she remembers him. Her memory is coming back and she knows he was there that night in the warehouse and that he saved her life. As she learns more about him, she realizes that she is Anabo, a daughter of Eve through Aurora, destined to save humanity. Jax, on the other hand, is Mephisto, a son of Hell. If Jax can find Anabo, they can unite and have children that will save the earth from the malevolent Eryx--the evil son of Satan. It is all very complicated and sometimes hard to follow--yet darkly fascinating.

Sasha is fierce and daring though sometimes naive. Jax is captivating, protective, sweet and I found myself liking the son of Hell more than I thought I could; he is hard to hate. This is an imaginative and enticing tale of sinful romance that girls will find hard to put down. Even at over 400 pages, the book is a quick read with an action-packed plot.

Lustful sex, seductive scenes, lots of trashy talk, not for younger girls.
Recommended grades 10-up mature readers. This isn't for tweens and Twi-hards.

Don't forget to enter the contest to win your free copy here

FTC required disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. The publisher will mail out copies of the book to the winners. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

Fun Pick: Just Your Average Princess

2011-11-07T08:25:00.000-07:00

Just Your Average Princess
by Kristina Springer
Farrar Straus Giroux
2011
197 pages

Just Your Average Princess is a delighful romp in America's heartland where small towns hold quirky festivals in which the whole town populace gathers to watch a parade complete with a coronation float and a princess who holds the title of Pumpkin Princess or Potato Princess or Sweet Pea Sweetheart.

amie Edwards dreams of the crown of Pumpkin Princess; after all, she has worked the past eight years alongside her parents at the Pumpkin Patch, her family's business. Not only do they sell pumpkins, there are hayrides and a petting zoo for the kids, a candy apple stand, a pumpkin chucker where you can see how far you can launch a pumpkin with a contraption Jamie's father created, a gift shop, and a pumpkin tower.

Jamie has been crushing over Danny for two years. He works at the Patch but barely notices her. He is nice enough but Jamie wants him to ask her out. It is not until her rich Hollywood Kardashian-wanna-be celebutante cousin arrives in town that the real fireworks start.

Milan is the pampered, bratty diva daughter of Hollywood royalty; both her mother and father a mega-stars in Hollywood, and their only daughter spends her time shopping on Rodeo Drive and complaining about everything and everyone else. Jamie thinks it's suspect that Milan arrives during the school year--doesn't she have to attend school in Beverly Hills? When her parents put Milan to work at the Patch, she parades around in barely there size one outfits and high heels. She does as little work as humanly possible and starts grabbing lunch with Danny.

Milan acts like a haughty queen around Jamie constantly belittling her and making her look bad. Jamie can't believe it--she has been nothing but nice and accomodating with Milan. Why is Milan so mean-spirited and snarky?

First her mom, then her co-workers, then her hot crush Danny, and finally her usually conservative and quiet dad falls under Milan's magical spell. Dad allows Milan to buy a fancy latte machine and serve pumpkin lattes to the tourists. Then he stocks a fancy pumpkin facial that Milan gushes about in the gift shop, but the last straw is when Milan enters the Pumpkin Princess contest. Jamie can't stand it--that crown is hers!

What can she do to grab the crown? How can she make Danny notice her long enough to ask her out? Why can't her parents treat her as nicely as they treat Milan? Is the whole town crazy? Jamie knows she has to work to win that coveted crown--and fast.

Fun, cute, quirky, and highly entertaining, Just Your Average Princess is a light read that teen girls will love. Girls who read and liked The Teashop Girls, The Cupcake Queen, The Sweetest Thing, and It's Raining Cupcakes will like this novel.

Highly recommended grades 7-up. No sex. Mean girls behavior--Milan. Mention of Milan making a sex tape but no details. Girls hear worse gossip on Entertainment Tonight than in this novel.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

Girl Pick: Past Perfect

2011-11-03T08:25:00.000-06:00

Past Perfect
by Leila Sales
Simon Pulse
2011
303 pages

Fun, quirky, and captivating Past Perfect is the latest from Leila Sales author of Mostly Mean Girls.

Chelsea has dreams of escaping her parents constant attentions and working with them in Essex Revolutionary War re-enactment village again this summer. She wants to work in the air-conditioned mall like a "normal" teen not dress in heavy, 10 pound dresses complete with petticoats and a mobcap (a weird droopy bonnet women used to wear) in the stifling summer humidity of Essex, Virginia. When her BFF Fiona convinces her to work in the village just one more summer, Chelsea gives in. She soon realizes that the only thing worse than wearing 10 pound dresses, enduring the summer heat, and working with her parents is working with her ex-boyfriend Ezra, the ONE who broke her heart.

Just across the street from the Revolutionary War village is yet another historical tourist attraction: the Civil War village. There is a heated battle between the summer hires each year for supremacy. The kids call it "war" and it involves mostly harmless and funny pranks, but when Chelsea's general is "wounded" and several of the Civil War's team is hospitalized, the war is really on! Chelsea is kidnapped by a boy on the other team, and she soon finds herself falling for him. This is treason! This is not acceptable!

The clever banter between Chelsea and her friend Fiona and Chelsea and hottie "enemy" Dan is charming. When Fiona wants to work in the village, Chelsea says, "Since she seemed to envision it as a constant Gone With the Wind experience, minus the death and destruction."

Chelsea switches "tribes" and soon finds herself without a "country." Later, Chelsea thinks over her dating relationship with ex-BF Ezra and realizes that he was the one who treated her poorly and she was guilty of allowing him to treat her so badly and she is finally ready to move on.

Brilliant teen dialog, a darling, spunky heroine, a quirky setting, and a hot guy will keep teen girls reading. Some kissing and light petting. No sex. Some talk about "doing it" and a couple of "bad" words.

Recommended grade 9-up because of light petting, language. It would probably be okay for grade 7-8 if you have other edgy titles.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

Chick Pick: The Poison Diaries: Nightshade

2011-11-01T08:46:00.002-06:00

The Poison Diaries: Nightshade
by Maryrose Wood
Balzer + Brey (HarperCollins)
2011
288 pages

available October 25, 2011
enter the world of Nightshade

Stunning, magical, and other-worldly, Nightshade envelops readers in its deadly atmosphere. I was immediately swept away and captivated by the character of Jessamine and the premise of the novel. Master storyteller Maryrose Wood weaves a believable tale of a boy who can communicate with all flora--plants, trees, and even weeds--his name is Weed, in fact. He studies with a noted plant expert in Northumberland during the reign of George II. The teacher has a few dark secrets: his passion is poisons and dark plants; in fact, he has even tested poisons on his own lovely wife and unborn child some years ago. He keeps a secret, evil, poison garden behind a locked gate.

His daughter Jessamine follows in his footsteps, learning all about plants that cure and plants that kill. She falls in love with Weed (book one, The Poison Diaries), who has run away from her in this installment. She longs for him and begs her father to tell her where he has gone.

Jessamine learns to hate her father, and once she realizes he is the one responsible for her mother's death, she wants revenge. She says:

"I am Jessamine Luxton. Poison ran in my veins before I was born. I know how to cure. And I know how to kill. I have tried for so long to be good, buth there is no need to fight my destiny anymore. I am my father's daughter, after all."

Once her evil deed is done, Jessamine must flee Northumberland. She takes passage on a stagecoach, trying to put as many miles between her and her crime. When some fellow passengers call her a witch, she must flee again. She learns to use her knowledge of poisons to make a living. Some people will pay handsomely for a poison to kill a spouse or business partner. As Jessamine slips into a life of crime, her mind is addled by opium. She still dreams of Weed and yearns for his touch. Another man is haunting her thoughts and overtaking her dreams; Oleander is the master puppeteer and encourages Jessmine to choose the dark side.

Weed in the meantime is searching for her. He hurries back to Northumberland and finds Thomas Luxton dead. He realizes that someone has poisoned him and suspects it was Jessamine. He follows her footsteps through Europe, but stops in Italy to learn more about poisons and their antidotes. Weed learns that King George himself is traveling to Italy and that some noblemen want him dead. Weed plans to attend the banquet for King George and prevent his death.

Will Weed find Jessamine in time? Can he steal her away from Oleander's evil clutches? Will Jessamine even know him through her drug haze?

Beautifully written, inspired storytelling, captivating characters, poetic prose, and magical settings make Nightshade a teen tour de force. Readers won't be able to wait to get their hands on book 3. I did not read book one and still enjoyed this book--book 2. There is enough back story for the reader to understand book 2 without reading book one.

The publishers say grade 7 and up. I must warn you that Jessamine is a fallen woman who sleeps around and does drugs--drugs that are legal at the time in Europe, but are now illegal in the U.S. She becomes a harlot and murderer. There is no sex but the savvy reader knows that Jessamine is not a "nice" girl. Even though Jessamine slips into a life of crime, readers will feel empathy for her and the love she has lost.

Watch the book trailer here

I received this book from the publisher. I did not receive any monetary compensation for this review.

Teen Thriller: Dark Eden

2011-10-31T11:13:00.001-06:00

Dark Eden
by Patrick Carman
Katherine Tegan Books
2011
336 pages
Available November 1, 2011

watch the trailer here

Dark Eden is one of those rare books where you think you know what's going to happen, but you would be wrong--very wrong! This is a sleek psychological thriller for teens; it is the Shutter Island for the teen crowd.

Will Besting finally goes along with his parents' wishes to go into a special program where his psychiatrist assures them that he will come out a "new man," unafraid of his fears. The van takes him and six others to Ft. Eden, a deserted looking bunker out in the middle of nowhere and drops them off. There is no way to walk back to civilization.

Will knows the six other kids, but they don't know he knows them. Will began snooping in his psychiatrist's office when she leaves him alone. He has stolen the tapes of all six of his van-mates. He knows their deepest, darkest secrets and their crippling fears and nightmares. Will has a suspicious mind and when everyone goes into the fort, Will runs for the woods. His plan is to stay hidden and figure out just what Ft. Eden really is.

He finds a way in--he sneaks past the groundskeeper and hides in the cellar of her bungalow. There he finds a secret entrance into Ft. Eden. Will also discovers a video room with ancient equipment where he can eavesdrop on the six teens. He has video but not an audio feed so it's guesswork what people are saying. Will watches in horror as each teen is led to a dark room and fed images that will "cure" them.

When Marisa tells Will that everyone is cured, Will doubts it. What is Marisa's secret fear? And what happened to Avery?

The teens have to face their worst fears to get out. Creepy and twisted, Dark Eden will resonate with teen readers who like adventure and who crave dank cellars and things that go bump in the night.

Recommended grade 7-up. No language, no sex.

FTC Required disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

November YA Paranormal Book Giveaway: The Mephisto Covenant

2011-10-31T06:00:00.005-06:00

The Mephisto Covenant
I have 5 FREE copies to give away of this fantastic new ya paranormal read!
To be eligible, post a comment here. You must have a gmail account to post a comment. Include your email contact address so that I may contact you in case you win. Please include your city and state just because I'm nosy! JK--but not really.

Deadline for posts is November 11 at noon MST. Winners will be chosen randomly by randomizer. Each post is given a number, first post is number 1; second post number 2, and so on. Any post that does not contain an email contact is not counted. Once I contact you by email, you have 48 hours to reply with your mailing address. If you don't get back to me, I have to give your copy to the next poster in the comments.

See what Egmont says about this book (from the Egmont USA website):

About this Book

"A timeless love story with unique mythology that captivates the imagination. I loved it."—P.C. Cast, #1 New York Times best-selling author of the House of Night series

"Trinity Faegen bursts onto the young adult scene with an exciting debut novel told in a fresh voice, and with a unique spin on a timeless tale."—#1 New York Times best-selling author Sherrilyn Kenyon

"This is a fantastic book with everything a paranormal fan craves, from action to suspense to an absolutely sizzling romance. Fans of P.C. Cast and Lauren Kate will not regret buying this book. Faegen is an author to look out for!"—Romantic Times

Sasha is desperate to find out who murdered her father. When getting the answer means pledging her soul to Eryx, she unlocks a secret that puts her in grave danger—she is an Anabo, a daughter of Eve, and Eryx’s biggest threat.

A son of Hell, immortal, and bound to Earth forever, Jax looks for redemption in the Mephisto Covenant—God’s promise he will find peace in the love of an Anabo. After a thousand years, he’s finally found the girl he’s been searching for: Sasha.

With the threat of Eryx always looming, Jax knows he has to keep Sasha safe and win her over. But can he? Will Sasha love him and give up her mortal life?

from the Egmont webpage

Paranormal Pick: Carrier of the Mark

2011-10-27T09:53:00.001-06:00

Carrier of the Mark
by Leigh Fallon
HarperTeen
2011
342 pages

Romantic, captivating, powerful, and all-consuming, Carrier of the Mark is a different kind of paranormal romance.

When Megan moves to Ireland with her father, she has a mini-culture shock. School is Ireland is a little different than back home in the U.S. For one thing, all the schools wear school uniforms, and math classes are referred to as "maths." Irish names are confusing and the people speak so quickly, Meg has a hard time keeping up with their almost musical accents. Her first day is going smoothly until she sees Adam, that is. Adam DeRis is movie star handsome and darkly mysterious; other students steer clear of him--he's a little "odd." There are stories about witchcraft and strange goings-on at the DeRis mansion. Megan is intrigued and wants to know more.

Megan gets closer to Adam and his family and soon finds out that they are all bound by fate. In the days of the druids, carriers of the mark were selected to be the four elements: earth, wind, water, and fire and control the balance and equilibrium of nature. Meg doesn't know it but she controls wind, and she needs to learn to harness her power before she causes damage and death. The three DeRis siblings Adam, Aine, and Rian instruct Meg in her history and Rian helps train her. There is a battle coming, and traitors called the Knox will stop at nothing short of destroying their order.

Adam and Meg are drawn to each other but can never be together as a couple. The druid texts say the marked ones can never love another because elements feed off of each other and the balance would be imperfect. Floods, earthquakes, fires, droughts, and destruction would ruin the Earth. The Order forbids them from being together. Megan isn't fully "marked;" she has to go through a ceremony on the Summer Solstice in order to gain all her power, but knowing that she will give up Adam, she decides not to go through with it. She would give up ultimate power to be with Adam, but her fate was sealed before her birth. She can sacrifice her love to save mankind.

Readers of paranormal romance will be fans of this novel. What sets it appart from other novels of this genre is the setting of Ireland--the weather, the school, the names, Trinity College, the catacombs, the druids, Irish history.

Recommended grades 9-up. The cover art is striking and sure to draw readers to it. Lots of kissing, petting, and intimate situations. Meg and Adam sleep together--use your imagination.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

Reluctant Reader: Guys Pick: 12 Things To Do Before You Crash and Burn

2011-10-26T08:11:00.002-06:00

12 Things To Do Before You Crash and Burn
by James Proimos
Roaring Brook Press
2011
121 pages

Available November 8, 2011

Snarky, funny, quirky, and punny (funny, too), 12 Things To Do Before You Crash and Burn is a short but hilarious read that will attract reluctant boy readers--and maybe some girls, too. Laugh-out-loud antics and "boy" humor, bathroom jokes, and "bad" language make this suitable for high school readers.

Hercules Martino has just buried his father--oh, don't be sad, you see, Herc couldn't stand his father and calls him a number of expletives throughout the book. They have a dysfunctional relationship. Herc's father is a beloved, almost-Godlike, t.v. self-help coach and best-selling author who helps other families with their problems, but at home, he bullies and belittles his only son. Herc's mother is mortified when Herc gives a less than politically correct eulogy, so she ships him off to visit his Uncle Anthony, his father's brother.

Herc doesn't see what the big deal is--he was only telling the truth about his father. He decides two weeks with Uncle Anthony won't be so bad--even though his uncle lives in the most boring town in all of America. On the train there, Herc sees a gorgeous "older" woman--at least college age--and tries to flirt with her. He accidentally falls asleep and when he wakes, she's gone BUT she left her book on the train. Herc decides to find her somehow and return her lost book.

Uncle Anthony and Herc have a funny relationship--they get along famously, more like frat brothers than uncle and nephew. Anthony decides to give Herc a list of things to do so he won't get bored while Anthony is at work every day.

Day One is easy: choose a mission. Herc has already decided he must find the beautiful but unattainable girl from the train. Day two happens by accident: find the best pizza place in town. The tasks begin to get harder; when it comes to day seven, Herc has to go on seven job interviews. He decides to have some fun with this one. When interviewing with Starbucks, he fills in the application as name: "Juan Valdez" and states he wants compensated with, "only the finest hand-picked Colombian coffee beans." When he fills in the application at Super Tan, he writes "Mel Anoma" as his name and his favorite hobby is "baking." This is punny stuff!

On Day Eight, Herc is supposed to think Great Thoughts and write them down. One of Herc's entries is: "Baseball games are too long. Outlawing spitting and scratching one's crotch would cut off a few minutes from each game." Not exactly rocket science.

Herc is a believable, almost tragic, hero. His quest to find the girl becomes of monumental importance. When all his dreams finally come true, he finds himself walking on air. Sometimes things aren't as sweet as they seem and the higher the high just means you have farther to fall.

Reluctant readers with a sense of humor will love Herc and feel empathy when Herc is stood up. With only 121 pages, this is a quick read and the cover art will appeal to teens.

Recommended grades 9-up. Language, sex, mature content.
FTC Required Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

Bonus: Early Peek at Hunted by Cheryl Rainfield

2011-10-25T15:03:00.001-06:00

Hunted
by Cheryl Rainfield

Available December 2, 2011

Cheryl posted a free ebook on smashwords; an early peek at her novel and some bonus material. Here is what Cheryl says:

Hi all, (smiling at you all)

I just released a free ebook--PinPoint: A HUNTED Bonus Short Story, to help
celebrate my upcoming novel HUNTED (Dec 02) and help get the word out about
it. I hope you'll download the ebook and enjoy it, or let other people know
about it! It's available for Kindle, Nook, iPad, Sony, your computer, and
many other formats.

Read it here

I LOVE ebooks (and paper books), so it was fun getting this together. I hope
you don't mind me letting you know.

Cheryl Rainfield (posted to Kidlitosphere)

Dystopian Romance Pick: Eve

2011-10-24T13:33:00.002-06:00

Eve
by Anna Carey
Harper
2011
336 pages

Stunning, skillful, shocking, and smoldering, this first novel in a planned trilogy will have teens talking and leave teen girls a little light headed. This is the best dystopian novel I've read all year!

From the first pages, I was mesmerized by the world Eve lives in--a girls' boarding school in the middle of nowhere that has armed guards patrolling the grounds. Are they keeping the bad guys out or the girls in? The girls all came to the school as orphans--all except for Arden, that is. She arrives at age eight and never really fits in. Arden likes to break rules and Eve has never really been friends with her.

It is the day before graduation and Eve can't wait to give her valedictorian speech. She runs into Arden near the gate and realizes that Arden plans to run away. Arden tells Eve the "truth." Eve can't believe it. She knows for sure after graduation the girls go to the building across the lake where they all learn their trades. Then the lucky ones will go to the city and live fabulous lives. That's what the teachers have always told them. They wouldn't lie, would they?

Years before a plague has killed most of the population. Cities and civilization have fallen and one man unites the people: the King. In order to make sure his subjects don't die off, the King has factories where girls like Eve are kept tied to their beds--with one job only--grow the population. At least one baby per year. They are used like farm animals and treated far worse. When Eve learns that her future will not be filled with dinner at glamorous restaurants with white napkins and high fashion gowns, she escapes that night with the help of a concerned teacher.

She heads out not knowing where she's going really, but knowing to stay out of sight because MEN are bad--MEN will hurt you, MEN are not to be trusted. She heads west and looks for signs that read 80 hoping to find Califia (California).

Eve's journey is terrifying and provocative. The King's men have a special reason to catch this runaway. The King himself fancies Eve as his own wife and wishes her to bear his offspring. Now that she's missing, the King has put a price on her head. As she's running, she is saved by a boy on horseback. She doesn't trust him because she's always been taught that MEN are bad. Caleb saves both Eve and Arden, taking them to a safe place in the forest where his band of boys hide out from the King's men.

Eve soon fits right in and meets the youngest boys, Benny and Silas, and begins to teach them to read. In a poignant scene Benny asks Eve, "Are you my mother?" The young boys are evocative of The Lost Boys in Peter Pan. The leader of the pack is mad at Eve for embarrassing him in front of the others and fighting off his advances. He wants revenge. Leif tells a hunter where Eve is and he comes and picks up Arden and Eve.

An elderly lady comes to their rescue and they are able to escape to an Underground Railroad of sorts. Eve tries to send a message to Caleb but puts everyone, including herself, in danger.

Thrilling and well-written with compelling characters, this novel really rocks! My seventeen year old daughter read it first and told me, "Mom, you better read this!!" Also, she told her non-reading friend about it, and the non-reader called her the next day to tell her, "I stayed up after two in the morning reading Eve! I love it!"

Readers who liked The Hunger Games and The Forest of Hands and Teeth will love this new trilogy. I predict it will shoot up the Best Seller list and become the new Twilight. Are you listening, Hollywood? This would make a great movie!

Highly, highly recommended grades 7-up. Mention of girls being used to populate the country, no sex, no language, except when Caleb sings a silly song about "balls."

view the book trailer here

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

Chick Pick: Still Waters

2011-10-21T09:01:00.000-06:00

Still Waters
by Emma Carlson Berne
Simon Pulse
2011
240 pages (page count from Simon & Schuster's author's page)

Available in trade paperback on or about December 20, 2011

Ominous, dark, and creepy, Still Waters is sure to intrique with its compelling cover photo and the words, "He'll never let her go..." teen readers will want to dive right in (pun intended).

Hannah just can't seem to commit--it's only three little words...three little words she just can't bring herself to say. "I love you" means forever, and Hannah is unsure about forever with her boyfriend Colin. It's almost time for Colin to go to college--far away from Hannah. She doesn't want to lose him, but she doesn't know how to keep him either.

Colin and Hannah have a shared interest in photography, and Colin takes Hannah up to the attic where the light from a warped window shows them some eerie shots of the city. When Hannah comes across a folder with some old photos and a map, she is intrigued. The house by the lake in the old photograph seems to beckon to her. When she asks Colin about the house, he says it's his family's old lakehouse but that he hasn't been there in years. That should have been Hannah's first clue...

Thinking that a romantic trip for two to a deserted lakehouse is just the ticket, Hannah makes plans. She lies to her mother saying she has an overnight job that will pay triple her regular salary. She dupes Colin into driving and doesn't tell him where they are headed until they have almost arrived. When Colin finds out the romantic weekend will be spent at his family's old lakehouse, he is furious! That should have been Hannah's second clue...

The creepy and all-but-deserted town and the unhospitable shop keeper should have been her third clue...no cell phone reception should have been her fourth clue...no cars on the road and the overgrown path to the house--should have been...you guessed it, her fifth clue.

When Colin begins to act a little crazy, Hannah keeps hoping for the best. She is vulnerable and naive but finally realizes the danger she is in. The lakehouse brings out the malevolent and dark passions in Colin, and Hannah fears for her life.

Unforgettable and sweet but brooding and twisted, Colin is sure to engage female readers. Enough plot twists and running through the dark woods keep the story moving along. Hannah even mentions that the woods remind her of "The Blair Witch Project"--that should have been her final clue!!!

Recommended grades 9-up. Probably okay for grade 8 readers. Hannah mentions that she and Colin have talked about sex and that they will sleep together at the lakehouse--which they do--sleep, I mean. No mention of the actual event taking place, but the savvy reader will assume Hannah is no longer a virgin. No language.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

Dystopian Pick: Dark Inside

2011-10-20T09:24:00.003-06:00

Dark Inside
by Jeyn Roberts
Simon & Schuster
2011
336 pages
Available November 1, 2011

View a book trailer here

Compelling, creepy, and calamitous, Dark Inside is an incredible post-apocalypic solid page-turner sure to resonate with teen readers. There was an earthquake--the mother of all earthquakes--that took not only thousands of lives but knocked out all communications. No television, no radio, no Internet, no cell phones, no police scanners, no 911. There is nowhere and noone to turn to for help.

Before the quake, Mason is called out of class to be by his dying mother's side. She was in a horrific car accident and a teacher drives Mason to the hospital. While he's in the waiting room, a newscast comes on the t.v. that there has been a shocking and brutal attack at his high school. Several bombs went off killing everyone.

Aries is on a bus when a wild-eyed, crazy man grabs her and warns her that, "Too much hate. They found the crack" and begins a countdown. At the precise moment he says, "ONE," an earthquake rocks her world.

Clementine was in a town meeting with her parents in the church when her mother warns her to sneak out. She sees the armed men--men who are their neighbors--but now the men are gun-toting monsters. She sneaks out the door but is grabbed by a neighbor. He lets her go, saying, "Once it takes over, I can't stop." Sam hears voices--telling him to do things, things like killing.

Michael witnesses an accident and sees the police responders kill a fleeing man. The police turn on him and will kill him if he doesn't leave. Has the world gone crazy?

Each chapter is told from one of the main character's point of view. Evil is unleashed and some people are "infected." Yet, others appear normal but have a darkness inside. They conceal their basest instincts but plot and plan their killings. Who can you trust?

Fighting to stay alive in a gruesome and dangerous world requires quick thinking, quick feet, and sometimes a killer's mentality--you may have to kill or be killed. The four teens are thrown together for better or worse and they must find a place to call home--a haven far from the madness.

Dark Inside is an exciting novel--so exciting that Hollywood will be fighting for movie rights to this one! Readers who loved Ashes by Ilsa J. Bick will love Dark Inside.

Highly, highly recommended grades 7-up. Violence, no sex, no language.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

Twitter Abuzz with Support for Lauren Myracle and Shine

2011-10-18T14:59:00.001-06:00

Lauren Myracle's fans and friends are all over Twitter and blogs about her being asked to step down from her nomination from the National Book Awards.
After the NBA asks Lauren Myracle to step out of the NBA for her novel Shine, the twitter universe is abuzz. To Tweet, Use the hashtage #ISupportShine

see the article about the debacle from Huffington Post here.

Support ya novels and Lauren by ordering a copy today. This book was the BEST book I've read this year. Touching and note-worthy. Sure to be a classic read.

Great New Romance/Thriller/Paranormal Giveaway

2011-10-17T11:22:00.000-06:00

I have 5 copies of this fantastic new book up for grabs! Read the review here

You and your readers are going to love this new ya novel.
Post a comment and be sure to include email address and city, state (I just like to see who is out there...) Winners will be chosen by randomizer. Deadline for posting comments is October 31 at noon MST. Winners will be notified by email on October 31 and will have 48 hours to contact me with their mailing address. Copies of the novel will be sent out by the publisher from New York City.

Good luck and start posting! Pamela

High School Pick: This Gorgeous Game (Guest Blogger Review)

2011-10-17T09:26:00.001-06:00

This guest review is by Leslie Rush, my BFF and avid ya reader and reviewer.

This Gorgeous Game
by Donna Freitas
Square Fish
2011
240 pages

Seventeen-year-old Olivia Peters has just won a writing contest, sponsored by a famous novelist, Boston celebrity priest, Father Mark Brendan. The prize: a $10,000 scholarship, publication of her story, and best of all a coveted seat in the handsome, charismatic priest’s elite summer writing seminar. Olivia is thrilled and completely overwhelmed by this honor---as is everyone around her; the nuns at school, her friends, and her mother, a novelist in her own right, and enthusiastic Father Mark fan.

Olivia’s feeling of being “positively shined upon by fate” blooms, as Father Mark takes her under his wing, helping her edit her story and ready it for publishing. His exacting assignments challenge her, and she is determined to earn his praise and ever-increasing proprietary affection.
When Olivia begins dating Jamie, an attractive college boy who also has gotten into Father Mark’s seminar, the affectionate, protective mentoring with Father Mark changes. He begins calling, emailing and texting Olivia, escalating from once or twice a day, to dozens of times. His mentoring becomes creepy and obsessive; he will not leave her alone.

As his grip becomes relentless and claustrophobic, everyone around her tells Olivia how lucky she is, how blessed to be smiled upon by the famous Father Mark—and Olivia must summon the courage to face the truth; first, with herself, and then with the world.

Freitas’s fast-paced story captures the abuse of power and its frightening effects on the victim, as dizzying gratitude spins into uncertainty, fear and self-doubt. This is an alarming, intimate read that will resonate with all women, not just teens.

Highly recommended for ages 13 and up. Adult situations, no language or violence, light romance with the adorable Jamie.

Blog review by Leslie Rush, guest reviewer.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I/We received this book from the publisher. We did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

Chick Pick: Epic Fail

2011-10-11T09:52:00.001-06:00

Epic Fail
by Claire LaZebnik
Harper Teen
2011
304 pages

This delightful romp will remind teen readers of "90210" and "Gossip Girl" with maybe a little "Clueless" thrown in for good measure.

Sisters Elise and Juliana Benton move to Los Angeles with their old-fashioned, conservative parents (no cell phones or text messages in their rooms, no t.v. until homework is done) and two younger sisters. When they enroll in Coral Tree Prep they find themselves in the midst of beautiful celebutantes and uber-rich kids.

Derek Edwards is the son of Hollywood mega-movie stars--think the Jolie-Pitt kids--and you'll have how famous and rich his parents are. Gorgeous, rich and pampared, yet Derek has trust issues. He knows tons of people want to be his friends, just to rub elbows with the Hollywood elite. Oh, poor Derek! Elise thinks he's stuck up or just plain mean and doesn't give him the time of day. She prefers weird, but funny, Webster Grant. Derek has real anger management problems around Webster but he doesn't want to tell Elise about their past.

Girls who revel in gossip and celebrity teen magazines will love this read. Elise finds that appearances can be deceiving and sometimes your first instincts are terribly wrong. Maybe the boy with trust issues has a right to be stand-offish. And maybe the charming boy has a bad-boy mentality.

Recommended grades 9 and up. Some underage drinking; some language, some inappropriate topless pictures leaked to the Internet.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

Guest Review: High School Pick: When She Woke

2011-10-08T13:09:00.001-06:00

Blogger's Note: This review was submitted by my BFF and fellow avid ya reader and reviewer Leslie Rush. Leslie has taught high school for 21 years and loves ya novels.

When She Woke
By Hillary Jordan
Algonquin Books
Oct 2011
352 pages

read an excerpt here

I had only finished the first chapter of When She Woke when I began emailing friends, family and co-workers to buy this book and read it the minute it comes out.

Hillary Jordan has created a compelling heroine navigating a ravaged world in which the line between church and state has been eliminated—a heroine convicted of murdering her unborn child.

It is the late 2020s. Disease and civil unrest have decimated the population. The Great Scourge has left many of the surviving women infertile, resulting in the passage of Sanctity Of Life laws, outlawing abortion for any reason across the most of the United States and Canada. The years of disintegrating law and order have resulted in significant changes in crime and punishment, and only the most violent offenders are imprisoned for long sentences. Most criminals are “chromed”; injected with a virus that changes their skin color to bright red, green, blue or yellow to indicate their class of crime, for the time period determined at sentencing. “Chromes” must try to survive on the streets as best they can, social pariahs that suffer discrimination, assault and even death at the hands of vigilante groups. If they miss their scheduled chroming“booster shots” they face complete mental disintegration and permanent insanity.

Hannah Paine’s journey begins “when she woke,” chromed red. The sheltered daughter of a strict religious family, she has committed the crime of murder –aborting her unborn child, the product of a passionate, illicit love affair with the charismatic pastor Aidan Dale, who is now America’s Secretary of Faith. Hannah must finish her 30 days in the Chrome Ward, under the relentless eye of a broadcast video camera, then remain a Red for the next sixteen years. She has refused to name the father of her child, dooming herself to the maximum sentence.

As Hannah’s story unfolds, her relationships within her family are changed utterly; her cold mother disowns her completely, her anguished father does everything he can think of to help her, and her once-close sister is kept from Hannah by a violent, bigoted husband. Hannah is still relentlessly, achingly in love with Aidan, and her agonizing recall of their doomed love is interwoven with her poignant optimism that somehow they will be reunited.

With her only friend(and fellow Red) Kayla, she escapes a harrowing stint at a halfway house staffed by sadistic religious fanatics, and begins a dangerous trip north to Canada, via a network of militant feminist revolutionaries . Threatened on all sides by law enforcement, vigilantes, human traffickers, and loomimg mental disintegration --her odyssey is not just one of distance and danger, but of self. As Hannah navigates her way though a world she never knew existed , she battles self-loathing and doubt, and the deepest crisis of faith possible: who she really is and what she truly believes.

Hillary Jordan’s second novel pulls no punches. No matter what your political or religious beliefs, Jordan’s cautionary tale about fanaticism and the power of the individual will make readers examine their own beliefs through this raw, disturbing, deeply satisfying story.

Recommended for adult readers and mature teens 17 and up. Sexual content, violence, mature themes

Austin Teen Book Festival Rocks!

2011-10-05T08:25:00.002-06:00

I attended the Austin Teen Book Festival in Austin, Texas, with my seventeen-year old daughter Shelby. We met almost all the authors and interviewed Christina Mandelski, Gabrielle Zevin, Scott Westerfeld, Tera Lynn Childs, Sophie Jordan, and Heather Brewer.

Scott Westerfeld delivered the keynote address to a jam-packed house of tweens, teens, and ya book lovers. Every session we attended was packed, and the teen readers were enraptured. It was fantastic to see so many teens who are inspired by these authors and reading.

I saw a group of teen boys carrying stacks of books they just purchased from the event center. Several of them were trying to read the books as they walked. They weren't watching the sidewalk or where they were going, they were so "into" the printed word.

I hope you like these photos of our experience.

Scott Westerfeld addresses the teen/tween/reading audience:

Scott Westerfeld talks about his book Leviathan

The ya authors listen to Westerfeld's keynote speech:

A dance troupe from Austin performs as zombies to Michael Jackson's "Thriller"

Gabrielle Zevin with me. Her book All These Things I've Done in hand!

Shelby with Christina Mandelski (The Sweetest Thing) and guess what? Christina really is "the sweetest thing!

Scott Westerfeld poses for Shelby

Heather Brewer (Vladimir Tod books) talks to author friends

David Levithan (Will Grayson Will Grayson) and others listen to Westerfeld

Two teen readers outside the events center during lunch. No cell phone? No I-phone? No Ipad? No Kindle? No tablet? Can you dig it?

Non-fiction Book Giveaway: Wicked Bugs: The Louse That Conquered Napoleon's Army & Other Diabolical Insects

2011-10-01T01:00:00.005-06:00

Wicked Bugs: The Louse That Conquered Napoleon's Army & Other Diabolical Insects by Amy Stewart read my review here

This is the first time I am sponsoring a non-fiction book for a book giveaway. Due to the huge number of hits on the review, I contacted the publisher who agreed to give me 5 FREE copies to give away!

Post a comment here and be sure to include email contact and city and state. I will contact winners by email.

Deadline for posts is October 15 at noon MST. Winners will be selected by Randomizer. Please no duplicate posts.

Middle School Pick: Free Thaddeus

2011-09-29T10:55:00.000-06:00

Free Thaddeus
by John Gosselink
Amulet (Abrams)
2011
231 pages

Now out in paperback with a new cover and title, more readers may be drawn to this cute ya read. I read the original last year in hard cover with the title of In Defense of Thaddeus A. Ledbetter. Here is the original cover

I loved it when I read it, but thought the cover had little kid appeal. With its new cover and title, I think this book rocks! Read my original review here

FTC Required Disclaimer: I got this book from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this or the earlier review.

Paranormal Pick: Sweet Venom

2011-09-28T10:40:00.000-06:00

Sweet Venom
Tera Lynn Childs
Katherine Tegan Books
(Harper Collins Publishers)
2011
345 pages

Fantastic, hypnotic, captivating and uber-cool, Sweet Venom is a rollicking thrill ride. Tera Lynn Childs has done it again. She delivers a solid page-turner that is well-written with wide appeal sure to entertain teen readers who like mythology and paranormal novels. I loved this book and found it much more entertaining than Forgive My Fins.

Three sisters who have been adopted separately have no idea they are sisters, let alone triplets! Imagine their surprise when they run into each other and realize they are related. Not only that, Gretchen the wild goth sister who favors combat boots to stilettos, informs them that they are meant to fight monsters from Greek mythology.

Grace just moves to San Francisco and begins to see weird creatures. She sees a minotaur walk into a restaurant and thinks she might be going a little crazy. That's when she meets Gretchen. The two girls do a little detective work and find out they are not twins but triplets descended from the Gorgons, the three sisters of Greek myth. The two girls train together and defeat a few monsters but something strange is beginning to happen.

First, Ursula vanishes. She became Gretchen's guardian taking her in and teaching her about the monsters. Gretchen learned that only one monster can escape the seam at a time, but now the sisters are seeing monsters everywhere. How can all these monsters be running around free in San Francisco? The rules seem to have changed but the sisters have no rule book and no one to guide them.

Grace and Gretchen are able to find Greer, the third triplet. Greer has led a posh life, attending high teas and the opera, shopping in the most expensive boutiques, and being the most popular girl in the junior class. She is not happy to find out she has sisters and less delighted to hear that she is meant to fight Greek monsters. What if she breaks a nail or ruins an outfit?

Teen readers are in for a treat--Sweet Venom is only book one! Childs has more books up her sleeve, so stay tuned.

Highly, highly recommended grades 7-up. No sex; no language.
I loved the idea of the Gorgon sisters and their descendants being "good" not evil.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

Dystopian Fairy Tale Pick: A Long Long Sleep

2011-09-26T09:57:00.001-06:00

A Long Long Sleep
by Anna Sheehan
Candlwick Press
2011
342 pages

Part fairy tale, part romance, part science fiction, part thriller, part dystopian fiction, A Long Long Sleep will seduce readers with its eerie concept. Rose Fitzroy has slept for the past 62 years in a chemical induced sleep in her stasis chamber, long forgotten in a sub-basement under a huge corporation until she is awakened by a stranger's kiss.

Rose slept through the Dark Times when the planet was besieged by plague and death that claimed her parents and her boyfriend's lives. Now she is awake in a new world and destined to take the reins of power of her parents' inter-planetary corporation. Some people see her as a threat to their own power; others see her as a freak or a liar. Rose just wants to find her way, and find a way of living without anyone. She barely gets through the days until she finds a friendship with Brendon (Bren) the boy who kissed her awake.

Someone has sent a Plastine, an engineered super-soldier, to kill her, and it will stop at nothing short of success. Rose realizes her father's reign of terror is far-reaching, even after his death.

Compelling and shocking, Rose's parents' actions are beyond abusive. They are power-hungry and selfish, bent on showing the world a "picture perfect" family while they steal their daughter's childhood one week, one year, two years, 62 years at a time. Rose remembers her early years and realizes that her parents sent her into stasis when it was convenient for them--when they needed to get away, to travel Europe, to take a second honeymoon, to throw a grown-ups only party. Her stasis tube became her womb-like babysitter--sometimes for years at a time. While the world changed and her friends grew older, Rose remained in stasis.

The shocking, yet satisfying ending came all-too-fast. The Long Long Sleep is a serious page-turner that mixes sci-fi with dystopian romance. Readers will practically weep for Rose with her child-like naivete and will later cheer her inner strength of character.

Highly, highly recommended grades 8 and up. No sex, no language. Some creepiness factor when Rose realizes Bren is the grandson of Xavier, her boyfriend of 62 years ago, and creepier still because Grandfather is still alive and Rose recognizes her childhood love. Remember she is sixteen and he is now in his eighties.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

Dystopian Pick: All These Things I've Done

2011-09-21T08:53:00.002-06:00

All These Things I've Done
by Gabrielle Zevin
Farrar Straus Giroux
2011
354 pages

Blogger's Note: Author Gabrielle Zevin will be at the Austin Teen Book Festival along with 29 other ya authors on October 1 in Austin, Texas. The festival is FREE and held at Palmer Events Center. Ya'll come join us there! More information is available at Teen Book Festival.
follow the Twitter feed @AustinTBF@APLFF
Teens will report using cellphones and Flip video cameras. event hashtag: #ATBF11

watch the book trailer here

Fascinating, riveting, and brutally taut, this dynamic new ya dystopian thriller by Gabrielle Zevin is sure to be a teen hit!

The year is 2083 and governments have toppled. Crime is rampant, laws are in place but there are more criminals than law-abiding citizens, curfews are set up to protect the populace, chocolate is contraband, coffee and sodas are illegal, food and candles are rationed, parks and sidewalks are overgrown and filthy, and museums and libraries are forgotten artifacts.

Anya Balanchine is the middle daughter of a murdered crime boss. Her mother was killed years earlier in a hit gone wrong that was supposed to be on her father. Her older brother Leo took a bullet to the head in the same incident. Although he seems "normal," Leo now suffers seizures and has the abilities of a nine-year old. Anya's younger sister Natty is only nine. Nana, the matriarch, is bed-ridden and sometimes forgetful. This leaves Anya in charge of the entire family. That is a lot of pressure on a high school student--not to mention the fact that everyone knows her family's sordid crime past.

Anya's family makes and distributes chocolate. When chocolate was legal, it was a productive business. Now that it's contraband, the family fortune grows but it's an increasingly dangerous business. Gable, Anya's ex-boyfriend, ends up in the hospital, and police suspect that Anya poisoned the chocolate bars she gave to Gable. Anya is thown into Liberty--an island off the coast of New York City--punishment for young girls. Anya notices the feet of a giant statue that stand over her prison. She remembers Nana telling her that the statue was once of a lady and tourists could climb all the way up the statue using staircases inside. Now all that's left is rubble and the statue's feet. I found it ironic that the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island--icons for peace and freedom to Americans today--are now a prison in this novel that stifles all freedom and liberty of the citizens.

Anya spends time in solitary--treated worse that any animal and survives only due to her inner strength. She is freed by Charles Delacroix, the city's prosecuter and father of her "friend" Win. Delacroix is a sly politician and asks that Anya back off from her friendship with his son. He doesn't want his career tarnished by a relationship with a crime family. He makes himself crystal clear that he will cause trouble for Anya and her family if Anya doesn't break it off with his son.

The Balanchine chocolate empire is about to fall if Anya doesn't take some action. Her uncle offers Leo a job at the "Pool," the base of the family's operations. Anya worries that Leo will be asked to do something illegal and knowing that he is so trusting and naive, she fears he will face prison, or worse. Anya can't cause any trouble in the family because maybe her uncle will retaliate, sending the authorities to take her and Natty into Child Protective Services since Nana is too old to care for them and Leo is not mentally fit to be their guardian.

Anya is a stunning character--passionate, fierce, full of strength, analyzing all her options before acting, methodical, practical, quick-witted, and sharp of tongue, this girl's got real moxie! Sparks fly in the relationship between Anya and Win; readers will feel the heat.

This page-turner will leave readers wanting more of Anya and her crime family drama. This ya novel is a novel take on dystopian fiction--I appreciated this book as a crime noir, murder mystery--who killed Anya's father? Who is responsible for Nana's death? Who poisoned the chocolate?--dystopian fiction, and romance--just enough to keep girls interested and not enough to bore boys. There is bound to be a lot of teen interest in this book.

Highly, highly recommended grades 9-up. No language, almost "sex."

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

New Book Giveaway: High School Pick: And Then Things Fall Apart

2011-09-19T08:34:00.000-06:00

I have five copies of And Then Things Fall Apart by Arlaina Tibensky up for grabs. This is a must-have for high school collections! Girls who love Sylvia Plath's The Bell Jar will like this read. See the review I gave the book here

Post a comment here and be sure to include your email contact and city and state. Many people who have posted on earlier giveaways couldn't be considered since they did not leave an email contact.

Deadline for posting is Friday, September 30 at noon MST. Winners will be notified by email. Winners will have 48 hours to respond to my email. Copies will be mailed to winners by the publisher in New York City. Good luck and start posting! Pamela

Cool Booklists for Teens

2011-09-16T11:04:00.002-06:00

I have lists of Top Ten Young Adult Reads
100 Books for the College Bound Teen
Books for Girls
Books for Boys
Books for Teens
click here for lists of suggested books

Tween/Teen Pick: The Summer Before Boys

2011-09-15T14:25:00.000-06:00

The Summer Before Boys
by Nora Raleigh Baskin
Simon & Schuster
2011
208 pages

Moving, poignant, and simple, yet satisfying and sublime, The Summer Before Boys is a novel about relationships--childhood friendship, mother/daughter relationships, strained relationships, and adolescent relationships.

Two girls are ready to leave childhood behind but worry that boys will ruin their long childhood friendhip--a true friendship where they promised to be "friends forever." Eliza and Julia spend long summers on the mountain, swimming and hiking, playing with dolls, slipping into the Mohawk Hotel, and gossiping with Pam, the gift shop lady who secretly slips them ice cream, telling them it's her treat "just this once." The summers seen to last forever, and the girls are inseparable.

Julia's mother signed up for the National Guard thinking that the extra money would be great and that a few week-ends away was just like going to summer camp. This all changes when she's called up for a tour in Afghanistan, and Julia is terrified her mother may never come home. When people tell her what a hero her mother is and how brave and patriotic she is and how proud she should be of her mom, she doesn't feel any of that. She just wants her mother home...safe and alive. Julia's father works long hours and never seems to be around for her.

The summer she is twelve, Julia has her first crush; she spends hours daydreaming and writing Micheal's name in her diary, and Eliza feels left behind. The two "friends forever" have a major falling out that may be unfixable.

Sometimes wars take more than human lives. Simply because the soldier comes home "unharmed" doesn't mean she is the same person. On the last day of being twelve, Julia and her mother play make believe in the attic with her mother's old Cabbage Patch dolls, and life seems good.

Recommended for tweens and teens grades 5-9. This novel will resonate with those readers who have a parent who is deployed.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

Coming soon: Hunted by Cheryl Rainfield

2011-09-14T09:59:00.002-06:00

My review of Hunted by Cheryl Rainfield coming soon...see the book trailer here
Looking forward to reading this one!

Non-Fiction Pick: Wicked Bugs: the Louse That Conquered Napoleon's Army & Other Diabolical Insects

2011-09-13T08:40:00.000-06:00

Wicked Bugs: The Louse That Conquered Napoleon's Army & Other Diabolical Insects
by Amy Stewart
Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill
2011
272 pages with index and bibliography

Sinisterly intriguing, wildly interesting, dangerously entertaining, Wicked Bugs will bother you after you turn off the lights at night. You may wonder, is that just a harmless itch? or do we have bed bugs? Or, you may not want to travel to other countries after reading about their strange and dangerous bugs.

Wickedly entertaining, this plethora of entomological information will delight fans of non-fiction who love a quick read rife with interesting facts and historical anecdotes.

Stewart warns us that she is neither a scientist nor an entomologist; that this little book is not a field guide or a reference book for the medical field. She informs the reader that she is "a writer who is fascinated with the natural world." In my opinion, she's much more than that; she is an entertainer, a creative writer, and a great storyteller.

The book is divided into categories: horrible bugs, painful bugs, deadly bugs, dangerous bugs, and destructive bugs. Stewart writes, "It is estimated that there are ten quintillion insects alive on the planet right now, which means that for each one of us, there are two hundred million of them." That fact alone should make readers want to read more about these fantastic creatures that are taking over our world.

Did you know that the black widow only bites when it feels trapped? In the golden, olden days of outdoor plumbling (outhouses) many a person found out about their painful bite in a rather sensitive place. As a person would sit down to "do his business," he would inadvertently block the seat off and any spider hiding under it would feel trapped. The spider would bite the human where it hurts the most!

For those non-fiction readers, those reluctant readers, those teen readers who hate novels, Amy Stewart continues to deliver fantastic compendiums that appeal to their tastes. Her earlier book, Wicked Plants is reviewed here.

Highly, highly recommended for readers grades 6 and up. Recommended for all non-fiction collections. Grade 4 and 5 advanced readers should have no trouble reading and comprehending the content.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

Paranormal Pick: Vanish

2011-09-12T08:44:00.001-06:00

Vanish (book two, Firelight)
by Sophie Jordan
Harper
2011
294 pages

see the book trailer here

Captivating, mesmerizing, romantic, and steamy, girls who loved the Twilight and Shiver series have something new to devour.

Paranormal fans who have craved a satisfying and scorching new romantic read need not search further. This is not just another vampire book, nor is it about a pack of hungry wolves. Instead, the draki live in a misty world hidden from humans. There they are able to live in peace and hide their secrets from prying eyes. The draki are special--half dragon and half human, they live mostly in their human form but can "manifest" and fly. Several draki have special powers. Jacinda is the only one in many generations who can actually breathe fire.

Jacinda and her mother and sister flee the comfort and safety of their home to live in the human world. While living as humans, Jacinda does the unthinkable--she falls in love with a human, Will. Will is not just a normal human; his family are hunters--they hunt and kill Jacinda's kind. Nothing good can come of this steamy relationship, and Jacinda reveals her true self to Will's family in order to save his life. They are now on the run. They flee back to the safety of the draki, leaving poor Jacinda heartbroken and pining for the human boy she loves.

Tamra, Jacinda's sister, finally grows into her power. She is a shader, a draki who can make people forget what they saw, erase their memories. Cassian, the male draki who loves Jacinda, welcomes her home with open arms. He knows she loves another, but he is willing to wait for her to come around.

When Will shows up in their midst, Jacinda knows she has to tell him to go away, for his own good and the safety of her people. But she just can't. They agree to meet in two weeks and run away together. Cassian saves Jacinda from a horrible fate, the clipping of her wings, and she owes him. They are "bonded" in a dragon ceremony. Still, starry-eyed Jacinda carries the torch for Will.

The star-crossed lovers angle never gets old, and Sophie Jordan presents three very likeable characters as the main players. Head-strong Jacinda, romantic Will, and noble Cassian will have female readers turning pages late into the night. I couldn't put this book down until I turned the last page, and now I can't wait for book three! Firelight (book one) has been optioned for a movie, and will begin production soon.

Highly, highly recommended grades 7-up. no sex, no language. Some steamy kissing and Cassian and Jacinda are "married" but sleep separately.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

High School Pick: Famous

2011-09-09T09:18:00.000-06:00

Famous
by Todd Strasser
Simon & Schuster
2011
259 pages

Timely, poignant, brutally honest and rife with in-your-face social commentary about America's need for celebrity gossip, Famous will resonate with teen readers.

Jamie Gordon always wanted to take pictures; she is really good with her camera and her boyfriend Nasim thinks she is truly talented. In a chance encounter, Jamie just happens to be at the right place at the right time with her camera ready. She gets candid shots of a famous super-model slapping her son in a coffee shop and sells them to a tabloid for more money than most teens will ever see--"just for taking some pictures."

When the chance of a lifetime occurs, Jamie finds herself in L.A. shadowing America's hottest Hollywood sweetheart Willow Twine--who has been in a bit of trouble lately. Willow is dating a rock star of questionable background and morals, she's been in trouble with the law, and now movie studios are seeing her as more of a financial risk than box office gold (sound familiar?) When Jamie discovers some shots in her camera that she didn't take--photos that will ruin Willow's career but make Jamie famous--she is torn. Does she ruin a teen dream or take the money and run?

Avy is Jamie's friend in New York. He has dreams of becoming a super-hot mega star model/actor in Hollywood. He sells everything he owns and gets a cheap apartment in L.A. Avy soon finds out that shedding a few pounds is not the answer to fame in a town known for devouring thousands of young hopefuls each year. Avy makes crucial mistakes and falls in with the wrong crowd scene. Readers will like Avy--his naivete, his vulnerability, and his ulitmate defeat will have readers' empathy.

Strasser has captured the illusory celebrity lifestyle and pampered existence of young Hollywood. The novel's ominous tone is apparent from the opening pages and savvy readers will guess what will happen to Jamie, Willow, and Avy, but they may just be surprised!

Highly, highly recommended grades 9-up. Typical Hollywood behavior that you might read about in tabloids: drug use, partying, underage drinking, sex.

FTC Required disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

Paranormal Pick: Michael Vey: The Prisoner of Cell 25

2011-09-08T09:46:00.000-06:00

Michael Vey: The Prisoner of Cell 25
by Richard Paul Evans
Simon Pulse
2011
336 pages

Visit the official website

Amazing, amusing, and fun, Michael Vey will appeal to teens--male and female.

Thrilling and electric (yes, pun intended, you'll see) Michael Vey is a great read! And what a character! Michael is an ordinary high school boy with extraordinary powers--he's electric! Somehow, he is able to direct electricity and shock others with enough power to knock them unconscious or even kill them!

His best friend Ostin (pronounced Austin, like the town in Texas but Ostin's mother didn't choose to spell it right) and Taylor, a pretty and popular cheerleader are the only ones who know about Michael's special abilities. Taylor is rather special, too. She can "reboot" people, making them forget whatever it was they were just doing or thinking. She can also read minds. Ostin is a total nerd; a scientific and research genius but has no special physical powers.

Together the three teens from a club called the Electroclan and are investigating how Michael and Taylor got these special "gifts." Ostin is onto something when he figures out how Taylor and Michael were born in the same hospital in California and a strange outbreak of newborn deaths occurred around the same time. Only seventeen newborns survived--Michael and Taylor are two.

What if the other fifteen kids all had special powers, too? And what if someone was looking for them? And what if that someone has bad--really, really bad-- intentions?

When Michael's mother is kidnapped, he knows he has to go save her. He will use his powers and call upon his friends and a couple of frenemies for help.

Action-packed adventure, well-paced, and thoroughly enjoyable, this novel is going to be huge! Books two and three are likely to enjoy a large following--maybe even an upcoming movie, perhaps?

Highly recommended for lovers of paranormal and action. Grade 7-up. No language, no sex.

FTC REquired Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

Dystopian Pick: The Eleventh Plague

2011-09-06T08:54:00.004-06:00

The Eleventh Plague
by Jeff Hirsch
Scholastic
2011
304 pages (Amazon website has page count at 304; the arc from Scholastic has 288 pages)

Watch the book trailer here

Grim, ghostly, and gritty, this solid page turner will resonate with dystopian fans. Stephen and his father live in a world gone horribly wrong. After a strike against China, the Chinese send a deadly plague, P11, which races across the countryside killing nearly everyone--only the unlucky survive.

It doesn't take long for governments to crumble and the infrastructure to cease--there is no electricity, no clean water, no cities, only roaming bands of pillagers, scavengers, and slavers. Stephen and his father scavenge for whatever they can find to trade for food and matches. They roam the shadows, afraid of running into others--those who would steal from them, kill them, or worse--make them slaves.

Stephen soon finds himself alone when his father is injured. A group of men take Stephen to a settlement where they offer food and safety. In a world where there are no rules, how will Stephen know who to trust?

After a harrowing run-in with another group of survivors, Stephen decides to stay in Settler's Landing and begin his life again--in this new world. Maybe there is a future...

Recommended grades 7-up.
Listen to the audiobook here

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

Interview with author Joseph Bruchac, author of ya paranormal thriller Wolf Mark

2011-09-02T08:17:00.003-06:00

Wolf Mark is a new ya paranormal thriller that is sure to be a huge hit with both male and female teens. It was a book that I couldn't put down!Don't forget to post a comment either at the end of the interview or the next post down for the book giveaway. I have 5 copies of Joe's book Wolf Mark up for grabs! Win a copy now!

I interviewed Joseph Bruchac via email and he was kind enough to give thoughtful answers. I think teens and adults will learn from Joseph's answers.

Q: What do you find special about the area where you live, the Adirondack foothills?

Joseph: One reason this area is special to me is that my family has been here for so many generations. So it's in my blood and my bones. I live in a house I was
raised in, a house built by my grandfather on the foundation of the house
where my great-grandparents lived before that house was deliberately burned
by a local bootlegger trying to kill them. (Looong story about all that.) There are burial places where many generations of Abenaki and Iroquois people were laid to rest long before my life, places I've fought to protect from developers.
Close to here, only two miles away from my home, are springs that were
sacred to my ancestors, that gave Saratoga Springs its name--Salatogi, place
of healing waters.

I also love this area for its biodiversity, it's a place of old hills and deep valleys and cold streams where native brook trout swim. On our own little 90 acre nature preserve we have more than 60 tree species, deer, fox, coyote, wild turkeys, raccoons, the occasional bear. There are trails within a few miles of me where I can walk or run for hours without ever crossing anything more than a snowmobile trail. I feel right in these hills, love the hollow drum of the earth under my feet, the changing scents of every season, the old stones, the healing plants that offer
themselves, the dragonflies that land on my arm as I sit by a mountain pond, the rain on my face, the sharp chill of the snow and the hawks yawping down at me as they ride the winds above the cabin up in the Kaydeross Range where I go to write.
There's a kind of peace I find here that I find nowhere else.

Though I've been to every state, including Hawaii and Alaska, have traveled through Europe, lived in West Africa, this has always been the place to which I've returned.
Ndakinna. Our Land. Home.

Q: How is the wolf depicted in Native American storytelling and culture? Why do you think it differs so much from the blood-thirsty werewolves of Europe?

Joseph: In general, for us the wolf is not a malevolent beast, but a being that must be respected.
When people live close to wolves, have direct relationships with them--as did our American Indian ancestors--they understand the real animal and not the mythic beast of Europeantales which is a sort of projection--I feel--not of Canis lupus, but of the most rapacious and violent aspects of the human psyche. I've been in contact, direct contact, with real wolves
and in many ways they are big dogs, though belonging to themselves and not to any human.
When you've seen--as I have--the way wolves care for their young ones (as a group, with every adult animal responsible for the pups in their pack), heard them sing together, realized what magnificent, dignified beings they are, you can understand why to be called a "wolf" was, in American Indian cultures, an honor. In many American Indian tribal nations, the men who went out as scouts, to seek the enemy, to help protect the people, were called wolves.

But when people wall themselves off from nature, they lose respect for it and begin to misunderstand or even fear it. That happened in Europe. It's happened to many people in this country. That's why one of the main missions in my life and the lives of my two grown sons, is to bring people back into contact with nature, to help them find that ancient and important link between us and all that pulses with life around us. Not that nature is always safe. There's always danger, from unwise behavior or from chance. But wolves (and nature in general) are not out to get us. The most dangerous creature in the
world is the human.

Q: How are other animals depicted in storytelling?

Animals are usually depicted in ways that reflect their actual nature. Bears, for example, may be shown as nurturing (just as mother bears are of their young), even adopting lost human children, but also possessed of great power, as dangerous beings we must
respect. Creatures such as fox, coyote, and raven are often portrayed as being cunning, crafty, tricksters--which is the actual nature of those creatures. And this comes from direct observation of and long interaction with those beings.

Animals are also depicted as people, as nations in their own right. They are at least the equal of human beings in our stories and in many cases behave better than human people.

Q: If you could tell one story to a group of 5 year old and later had to tell the same story to a group of high school students, what story would it be and why? How would you change it, or would you?

It would depend on the group of five year olds. And high school students. Everygroup, every audience has its own dynamic. I always tell stories in response to the audience--responding to what I feel from them. And I know so many stories that there's not just one that would be tellable to both the very young and those of high school age. Stories grow and change with us as we grow and even a story told in the same words might be heard very differently by the same person at different stage in his or her life.

However, if I were to tell "The Boy Who Lived With the Bears" to a group of five year olds, I would probably tell it with less detail and involve the kids more directly in the story--by having them sing with me a song that the boy in the story sings when he has been abandoned and trapped in a cave. For the high school students, I'd add more of the details that would be better understood by someone of their age. (And in mostcases, I would NOT ask them to sing along.). However, as I said, because I respondintuitively to my audiences, I probably would tell each group a different story. Also, I never tell the same story twice in the same day.

Q: What made you want to write a ya paranormal book like Wolf Mark?

Several things. One is that I have been reading such stories since I was about ten years old--when I first read Dracula. I have been a reader, and even a teacher, of fantasy literature for decades. I really like the genre.

Secondly, I felt as if I had something to add to the mix in terms of the YA audience. Part of it is the American Indian perspective, which aside from my buddy Sherman Alexie's work, is generally lacking in YA books. (Though, Heaven help us, there are some "Indians" in YA books by non-native authors.)

Further, I really was not completely satisfied with the way a lot of writers--without mentioning any names--have produced books for young adult readers that are overly romantic, predictable, and improbable. The best fantasy, for me, always is done in such a way that the impossible is accepted as real. You become lost in the story as you read it. That was what happened to me when I read The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings as young reader. I have great respect for the intelligence of young adult readers and wanted to write something that would not insult their intelligence.

Further still, I wanted to write something in the genre that was both serious and funny. I believe in the serious use of humor. And I find the melodrama of some YA paranormal fiction really hard to swallow because it is so overly grave. (But not graveyard.) I wanted to create a character who could laugh--even at himself--and get the reader to be wryly amused
along with him. (By the way, I love The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaimon, one of my fave writers.)

There's another thing I need to mention here. I showed an early draft of the novel to another publisher (not Lee&Low) and was told that it wouldn't work as a YA novel.
In fact, I was told that I probably just didn't have the ability to write anything for that age level. Don't feel bad, some people just don't have it in them.

Things like that keep happening to me. When I was in college in my first creative writing course, my teacher told me I didn't have the talent to be a poet. I was the varsity heavyweight wrestler at Cornell University then and I think he took a look at me and figured I had stumbled into the wrong class. But I didn't give up. I just wrote more poems
for him until one day he finally said he was wrong and that I could write poetry. Eight years later, he wrote a blurb for the back cover of my first book of poems in which he said "Joe Bruchac used to be wrestler at Cornell. I haven't followed the wrestling lately, but I have read his recent poems and stories and found them championship material." (By the way, that teacher, a fine poet named David Ray who is a dear friend, claims to this day he was just challenging me because he knew I could do better. Oooo-kay.)

Later on, in graduate school, while I was working on my first novel, I was informed by my fiction teacher that I did not understand storytelling. I lacked the innate ability to be a storyteller. Uh-huh. Right.

My nature is (after the initial urge to commit hari-kari or jump off a cliff) to take such remarks not as discouragement or the final word, but as a challenge.

Rather than giving up, they end up making me more determined.

So I have to thank that editor who didn't publish Wolf Mark for giving me even more incentive to write the book.

Q: Did you know right away you would write about wolves/werewolves?

Yes, from the first word I wrote. I think that is because my character really took over. Luke was telling his story and I was typing as fast as I could to keep up with him while he was telling it. And, to be frank, he kept surprising me.

Q:What is a skin walker?
In some American Indian cultures, reference is made to "skin walkers." These are generally people who, by putting on an animal skin, can transform themselves into that animal. It might be a coyote (often the case in the southwest) or a Bear (among native nations in the Great Lakes region). Unfortunately, in most cases when a human does this, that man or woman does so with evil intentions.
The "second skin" that my main character puts on is a very different thing.

Q: What is the biggest misconception most Americans still have about native populations?

I think the biggest misconception about native people is that they are nothing more than a romantic memory--if not vanished, then irrelevant or quaint and locked in that past. But American Indian people, our cultures, and our traditions have survived, have shown the ability to grow and to adapt to a changing world. As my friend Simon Ortiz, the incredibly talented Pueblo Indian poet puts it, "Indians are everywhere."

Q: Luke is trained by his father at a young age to have specialized talents. What talents do today’s kids need to know?

In very general terms, I believe that today's kids need to learn both true self-reliance and how to work with others, to care for other people and be a useful part of the group while maintaining their own identity. Be comfortable in your own skin.
(First or second, eh?)

I recommend studying one form or another of the martial arts and getting out into nature (not to overcome it, but to feel at ease with it) with people who can be trusted to guide you.

Now for more personal questions:

Q: In five words, describe the meaning of life:

Breathing in, breathing out again.

Q: In five words, describe happiness:
Glad to be your self.

Q: What is your mood at this very moment?
Happy, because of this opportunity to share my thoughts. A little amused at myselfat the same time--don't get too self-satisfied, Bruchac. But life is good.

Q: What characteristic in a friend do you value the most?
Generosity guided by emotional and intellectual intelligence.

Q: What is your worst habit?
Talking when I should be listening.

Q: What is your greatest talent?
Sharing--through writing, storytelling, and teaching.

Q: What is your worst failure?
One of the great blessings in my life is that every failure I've
had has always turned out to be a step toward something
better than that thing I failed at. Honestly. I could give you
example after example. If, for example, I had not been such
a complete and total geeky dork in high school, Striking out in
every attempt to get a girl to go out with me, or even pay
attention to me, I doubt that I would ever have met that
one perfect person for me, my wife-to-be Carol, when I was in
college. What attracted her to me, she told me, was that
I was this big, sweet, innocent guy.

So failing doesn't have to be tragic. In fact, I believe that if we go
too long without failing (and then recovering from that failure),
then when failure does come, we may not be prepared for it. I am
stronger for my many scars.

Q: Any regrets?
That there were times when I could have been kinder,
more patient, more understanding. So I pray that my
memory of those times will help me be a kinder, more
patient, more understanding person to others, to (as
my Buddhist friends put it) all sentient beings from
this moment forward.

Q: What is your greatest advice to a 12 year old boy?
You won't always be twelve. Be patient with yourself.

Q: What is your greatest advice to the same boy, now 18?
You won't always be eighteen. Be patient with others.
That concludes the interview questions.

Olakamigenoka--Make Peace,
Joe

Thank you, Mr. Bruchac! That was fabulous! Read more about Joe and his life and storytelling at www.ndakinnacenter.org

Book Giveaway: Win a copy of Wolf Mark by Joseph Bruchac

2011-08-31T14:19:00.003-06:00

I have 5 copies of this hot new title. Win one before you can buy one!

See what I said about this novel in an earlier review:

From my blog, "Finally...a paranormal book with bite that boys will like! No sappy romantic vampires or longing for unrequited love here, just a rollicking thrill-ride that will have both boys and girls turning pages long into the dark and stormy night.

The novel starts off in a typical paranormal fashion--a teenager who is a little different finds out what he truly is, what his destiny is, and how he can never be a normal teen...but then... just when the reader thinks the book will continue in paranormal fashion, it takes a sharp left turn into an action/adventure/espionage thriller."

These wolves are way cooler than Twilight! This title will fly off the shelves. Simply post a comment here. Be sure to include your email address so that I can contact you if you win. Also include city and state--I'm just nosy like that!

The publisher advises that she can only ship to U.S. addresses. Sorry, guys! You can post if you live elsewhere but you can't win...aw...don't cry. It'll be okay.

The deadline for posting is September 15 at noon MST.

Good luck, and start posting...

High School Pick: This Thing Called the Future

2011-08-31T09:59:00.000-06:00

This Thing Called the Future
by J.L. Powers
Cinco Puntos Press
2011
213 pages with glossary of Zulu words

Disturbing, yet compelling, heartbreaking, yet uplifting, anguishing, yet soaring, This Thing Called the Future paints a grim picture of post-apartheid South Africa, a country so ravished by AIDS and poverty that a whole generation of children is growing up without parents--their parents victims of the disease.

Khosi is a fourteen year old girl living with her grandmother Gogo and little sister Zi. Her mother works in a neighboring town but only makes it home occasionally. Their village is small, achingly poor, and squalid--full of people sick and dying. Many do not have access to medicine and they choose to visit the local sangoma, a traditional healer who uses herbs to treat maladies. Khosi grapples with the ideas of modern medicine and education and her grandmother's world of superstition, magic, and the "ancestors."

When Mama visits, Khosi notices she is frighteningly thin and realizes that Mama is hiding her illness. A neighbor carries a grudge against Mama and her entire family claiming that Khosi's mother stole her insurance money. She swears redemption and threatens ruin for the family. Khosi seeks help for her family and her own bad dreams from the sangoma. She goes through a ceremony to purify herself and their home. The sangoma cuts her skin behind her ears, on her ankles and her feet. She and her grandmother must go through this for five days in order to purify them from the neighbor's curse.

Khosi knows her Mama would never steal from someone else. As Mama gets sicker, she makes Khosi promise to keep a secret. There is money in a bank in the city. It is meant for Khosi to leave South Africa and take her little sister Zi with her to get an education, escaping this cycle of poverty and ignorance.

When Khosi questions why this disease is killing their people, Mama says, "Don't look at the past...It's there and will always be there and there is nothing you can do to change it. Now, now you must look ahead. There is only this thing called the future."

Khosi loves South Africa and can't bring herself to think about leaving her beloved homeland. When Mama dies, Khosi is finally able to let go the past and to look ahead to this thing called the future.

Recommended grades 9-up. Mature situations, violence.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received this book from the editor of the newspaper for a column review. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

Gift Book Idea for Mom: The Smartest Woman I Know

2011-08-31T08:28:00.001-06:00

The Smartest Woman I Know
by Ilene Beckerman
Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill
2011
112 pages
Available September 27, 2011

A sweet little memoir wrought with pithy wittiness and poignant charm, The Smartest Woman I Know poetically sings the praises of Beckerman's Jewish grandmother Ettie Goldberg who settled in New York City and was wise beyond her third grade education. The author captures Etta's voice and mannerisms and the reader is transported to a tiny store on Madison Avenue brimming with colorful characters.

The Goldbergs opened a stationery store that sold office supplies, stationery, magazines, newspapers, and assorted sundries and they knew every customer and every customer's quirks. There was Mr. Arnold who always wore a straw boater hat, carried a cane, and was always in the company of a much younger man he called "darling." Ettie always made the pair feel welcome in her store saying that it wasn't her business to know what people do at home ( this was New York City circa 1930 or so).

A little book that bursts with humor, wise life lessons, quirky vignettes, and Jewish proverbs--as told by Etta. Its eloquent appeal makes me wish I had my own Jewish grandmother.

A great gift idea for anyone who knows a smart woman and anyone who has a Jewish mother or grandmother. For mavens, machers, and meshuggerners everywhere.

Recommended for gift giving and holidays.

Adult humor and wisdom. High school and up.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

Paranormal Thriller: Wolf Mark

2011-08-29T11:09:00.000-06:00

Wolf Mark
by Joseph Bruchac
Lee & Low
2011
392 pages
Available September 2011

Finally...a paranormal book with bite that boys will like! No sappy romantic vampires or longing for unrequited love here just a rollicking thrill ride that will have both boys and girls turning pages long into the dark and stormy night.

The novel starts off in a typical paranormal fashion--a teenager who is a little different finds out what he truly is, what his destiny is, and how he can never be a normal teen...but then... just when the reader thinks the book will continue in paranormal fashion, it takes a sharp left turn into an action/adventure/espionage thriller.

Lucas King is tired of moving around. He and his father have moved countless times in the past couple of years and Lucas has had it. Why can't they just stay in one place? Why can't they put down roots? He is starting to get comfortable at RHS and has a good friend Renzo and an "almost" girlfriend Meena, but something is just not right. There's the sunglass mafia that seem to be following him around, spying on him. They are Russian-born kids in town since their fathers work at one of the multi-national firms. There's something weird about them; Lucas can sense it.

Then Lucas's father disappears. Before he does, he calls Lucas and tells him through code words--not to go home, EVER, and that he has been taken by someone--an enemy, and to go to their secret message site for more insturctions. Lucas knows the code, he knows how to track, how to hide, how to live off the land, hand-to-hand combat, some martial arts and covert techniques. You see, Lucas has been trained to become what he must: a shadow-walker or werewolf.

The sunglass mafia grabs his friend Renzo to convince Luke to work with them. They are after the people who kidnapped Luke's father, too. Their must destroy the factory that is attempting to use "special" people like themselves to develop a super-soldier. Vampires and wolves will have to work together in order to survive.

Lucas is a cool wolf--way cooler than the typical howl-at-the-moon werewolf. Author Joseph Bruchac developed the wolves in Wolf Mark to be more human than wolf. They are capable of speech and can use their paws--which look and function like human hands. They are not full of bloodlust but capable of human thought and planning.

I loved this paranormal turned action-packed adventure novel. This one is sure to please fans of paranormal and adventure novels. Wolf Mark will have wide appeal among both male and female readers. Bruchac drew on his Abenaki culture and Slavic roots to develop his characters. This novel is unique enough that I think Hollywood may soon be knocking on Bruchac's door!

Highly, highly recommended grades 7-up. No sex, no language. Some violence.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

Austin Teen Book Festival October 1, 2011

2011-08-29T09:22:00.000-06:00

The third annual Austin Teen Book Festival is right around the corner! We have 29 authors of YA lit booked to present on panels and sign books! Scott Westerfeld will be the keynote speaker. Many ya authors will speak and sign for teens Saturday, October 1.

Please help spread the word to other middle & high school librarians in your district and to all of your tweens and teens.Please post the event on your web sites, blogs, school list-serves, tweet you peeps, and talk it up to your students. Hope to see you there!

Festival web site: www.austinteenbookfestival.com

High School Pick: And Then Things Fall Apart

2011-08-26T11:04:00.002-06:00

And Then Things Fall Apart
by Arlaina Tibensky
Simon Pulse
2011
272 pages

Gritty, complex, snarky, self-effacing, smart, and poignant And Then Things Fall Apart will grab the reader and likely remain with the reader days and weeks after the novel is finished.

Keek is stuck in her grandmother's hot attic room suffering from chicken pox and troubled by her lecherous father who couldn't keep his hands off a young waitress who worked at his restaurant. The trouble is Keek and Amanda were friends and Keek is furious and hurt that her dad and her FRIEND would have an affair right under everyone's noses. Keek's mother took the money and ran. Just when her daughter needs her the most, she is miles away both figuratively and literally. So Keek finds herself alone, lonely, and sick with no one for company other than a copy of The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath and an old-fashioned typewriter.

After fighting with her boyfriend Matt and getting the pox, Keek had to stay at her grandmother's without any connection to the outside world. There is no Internet and she can't contact Matt. Left to her own devices, Keek ranges from hysterical to maniacal. Of course, Sylvia Plath's The Bell Jar is not the most uplifting of fiction!

And Then Things Fall Apart is about a dysfunctional family, its sins of the past, and a dreary future. Girls who like teen angst and adolescent ennui will revel in the story. Fans of Sylvia Plath will like Keek's love of Esther Greenwood.

Recommended grades 9-up. Mature themes, language, lots of talk of virginity and Keek struggles over the issue, sex.

FTC required disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.

Ashes author Ilsa J. Bick Visits Texas

2011-08-25T08:52:00.001-06:00

Ilsa J. Bick will travel to Texas in September! meet Ilsa at one of her appearances across the Lone Star State (sadly west Texas misses out, sigh...)
If you're nearby, please post her scheduled dates. Let's try to get our ya readers out to meet Ilsa! She is visiting lots of military bases since Ashes has a military back-story. Here is her schedule:

September 14th 7 pm:
Blue Willow Bookshop
14532 Memorial Drive
Houston, TX 77079

September 15th 1-3 pm:
Lackland Air Force Base
2180 Reese St # 1385
Lackland AFB, TX

September 16th:
Randolph AFB 11 am- 1 pm
407 C St Randolph Air Force Base
Universal City, TX 78148

Costco 5-7 pm
1201 N. Loop 1604 East
San Antonio, Texas 78232-1322