YA Pick: Not If I Save You First

Not If I Save You First
by Ally Carter
Scholastic Press
304 pages
2018
ISBN: 9781338134145

Available March 27, 2018

Maddie and Logan play together every day and what a playhouse they have: all the corridors and hidden rooms and back staircases in the White House are at their disposal! Logan's dad is President and Maddie's dad is a Secret Service agent who keeps him safe. When a band of Russians try to shoot the President and steal the First Lady, Maddie's dad takes a bullet and saves the day. Seeking solace and safety for them both, he moves Maddie to the wilderness in Alaska.

Maddie misses Logan and writes him every day hoping that someday he'll write back. Six years pass but  Logan never writes. Maddie is sad then angry and she questions their friendship, but living in the wilds of Alaska keeps her busy: she learns to chop wood, fish, hunt, you know, all those girl things! Maddie becomes an expert at using what she has. She can even catch fish with pantyhose.

Logan is sent to Alaska with his own Secret Service detail. An arctic storm is on the way and Maddie's dad has to fly medicine to another town. Maddie is still mad at Logan for not answering her letters even though she is finding it hard not to notice how cute he is. Preparing for the storm, Maddie and Logan are ambushed. Maddie is knocked over a cliff and Logan is taken away. As Maddie comes to, she realizes that she has to go after Logan. The weather is turning and animals (like bear) will be hunting before the storm. Maddie is an expert in the terrain and tracking. Logan is trying to make it easier to find him by breaking branches and overturning rocks when he can.

Logan hears his kidnapper talking on a satellite phone and because he studied Russian he knows that the kidnappers plan to meet and take him out of Alaska. There is a doctor standing by. The kidnapper talks freely not realizing Logan knows Russian. Maddie finds Logan and they are able to get away, but things are not as they seem. They have more than one predator after them in the wilderness.

Fans of Ally Carter will love this new title. Maddie is a fierce, kick-butt heroine who doesn't cower to baddies or allow Logan to waltz in and steal her heart (at least not right away). The love/hate banter between Logan and Maddie is too good to miss! Carter is spot on with capturing teen voice.

Highly recommended grade 7 and up. A must have for your Ally Carter collection.


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

Creepy Pick: The Special Ones

The Special Ones
by Em Bailey
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
2017
297 pages
ISBN: 9780544912298


Creepy, chilling,cult-like and disturbing, The Special Ones will make readers shudder. Esther lives in a farm house and is not allowed to go past the porch because it will anger him. He makes the rules they live by. He chooses the guiding word for the day, and Esther must live the day through that word. Although they have never seen him, they know he is in charge. They know he can punish them.

An old photo of the Special Ones shows four people who look like them. There is a young man with a young  woman, an older girl and a little girl standing  in front of the farm, their farm. When a new girl is collected, she must cut or dye her hair to match the girl she is in the photograph. Older girl Lucille has not been with them for some time. Fans (online followers) of the Special Ones are beginning to question her absence in the nightly chat. Henry will have to bring a new Lucille home soon. Tension mounts when a new girl arrives and causes trouble in their small house. The Special Ones cannot include this Lucille in their chats. Not yet.

Usually girls become docile more quickly. This Lucille is a real fighter. After being locked up in a stone prison for days on end, Lucille comes around and admits she is Lucille, a Special One.

Several years have passed since Esther arrived. She has lived on the farm with Henry the entire time. She barely remembers her life outside it was so long ago. Her world is turned upside down when he reveals that Henry is next to be  renewed.  Esther dreads living on the farm without Henry. A storm ruins the crops and what little they have. If they don't leave soon, they may starve. Every meal, every word, every prayer is broadcast to their followers.

Henry and Esther share a brief moment under the camera's scrutiny and Esther slips Henry a twenty dollar bill that the camera is unable to record. Esther knows though. She is sure Henry will save her.

No one knows what happens when a Special One is renewed. Someone else comes in to take the place of the old Special One. A new Henry will appear but what will happen to the Henry she knows?Esther worries about all of the girls who have left the farm.

Even a well organized plan has its cracks. The mastermind puppeteer  seems to have thought of everything, but what if his plans are ruined by one girl who won't give up? One girl strong enough to find the answers?

Readers will be caught up in the story. I could not turn the pages fast enough. This is one un-put-down-able book!

Highly, highly recommended grade 7 and up. For fans of creepy reads.

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

YA Pick: Here Lies Daniel Tate

Here Lies Daniel Tate
by Cristin Terrill
Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
2017
400 pages
ISBN: 978148148076

On sale date: June 6, 2017

Here Lies Daniel Tate is an amazing whodunit for the YA crowd. A nameless narrator bad boy from Canada takes over the identity of a missing boy who disappeared from his upscale neighborhood years ago.

When Daniel Tate went missing, his wealthy family is distraught and searches for him. Sadly, he is not found. Years pass. A boy in Canada is taken in by authorities. He is Daniel Tate. What has happened to Daniel all those years he was missing? The Tate family is thrilled and rush the teen home. With their wealth, he clears international borders easily.

Daniel is quiet and a bit strange to everyone. The family gives hims space. He has been through an ordeal. It's understandable that he is shy and reserved. Maybe his captors tortured him. Or worse.

But someone knows the truth. That is because someone killed the real  Daniel Tate. This new boy, whoever he is, is in danger. This family has secrets. Secrets that if exposed will change everyone's lives. Someone is the killer, but everyone seems to want the new boy to really  BE Daniel. Daniel needs to find out who he can trust and fast!

This is a solid book ripe for movie adaptation. Clever cover art and the word "lies" in another print color emphasize that "lies" can be used in two ways. The marketing team gets kudos! 

Highly recommended grade 9-up. Mature content. Profanity.

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

Fun Pick: Trouble Makes a Comeback (book 2)

Trouble Makes a Comeback
by Stephanie Tromly
Kathy Dawson  Books
2016
298 pages
ISBN: 9780525428411


From the front cover: "Digby's back. Trouble never looked so good."

Zoe Webster is finally getting her life on the "normal" high school track. She is starting to date the quarterback, she is making excellent grades, she has a "life," and for those kids on the outside looking in, it's a pretty sweet one at that. She might even  be said to be a popular girl. Just when Zoe's life is normal and she thinks she is happy, Digby returns! And oh, readers, you will be so glad....

In book one, Digby exits leaving Zoe dumbfounded and confused. They kissed! What did that kiss mean? Did it mean anything to Digby? Because Zoe remembers it quite well. Poor Zoe--with the handsome, popular but clueless quarterback by her side, she simply can't quit replaying that kiss with Digby.

Digby's back and in a big way. He's found more clues in the case and he feels that with Zoe's help, they can solve the mystery. Zoe is an unwilling participant who doesn't drag her feet for even an instant. Pretty soon, Digby is a guest in her home and her parents could not be happier because they think Digby is a fine young man. Cute boyfriend Austin couldn't disagree more. He is mad that Digby is now his girlfriend's roommate and BFF. This triangle thing is not even a triangle.
Readers know that the dynamic between Digby and Zoe is too strong for a third side--even if that side is a cute, popular quarterback. Austin can't match Digby in the brains, wit, personality, or banter departments.

The novel rollicks along at a breakneck speed with plenty of teen appeal, snarky dialog, Digby-isms, and the near slapstick smoldering romance in every scene is a thing of cinematic glory! Digby and Zoe may be the greatest pairing since "The Thin Man"  duo of Nick and Nora Charles (William Powell and Myrna Loy). --Hey, kiddies, if you  want to see Hollywood magic, check out "The Thin Man" series of movies! And no, I wasn't born then, either! I just appreciate true film making!

For readers who love a mystery and so much, much more,  this series is comic romance gold. If this does not get made into a movie, there is something wrong with the world. Readers are sure to laugh out loud at Digby's mannerisms, quirks and antics, and shake their head with wonder at the smart, spot-on  dialog. Tromly has mastered her characters and she could write for any comedy show anytime. I can't get enough of the rom-com chemistry of Zoe and Digby.

This is as much fun as you could ever have reading a book! Seriously.....

Highly, highly recommended grade 7-up. Some mature conversations.

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

YA Pick: The Hundred Lies of Lizzie Lovett

The Hundred Lies of Lizzie Lovett
Sourcebooks Fire
Chelsea Sedoti
2017
400 pages
ISBN: 9781492636083

Available January 2017

Twisted and taut, The Hundred Lies of Lizzie Lovett will pull at your heartstrings, make you angry, and leave you breathless. Set in a small town that nobody cares about and where nothing interesting ever happens, the story opens with the disappearance of a popular cheerleader. Lizzie is the golden girl that every boy dreams about and every girl tries to be or at least align herself with in the glorified atmosphere that surrounds Lizzie.

Introvert, passive Hawthorn throws  herself into the search for clues in Lizzie's disappearance. Although she hates Lizzie and is secretly jealous of her, Hawthorn will do anything--literally--to find the truth.  Driven by curiosity and a strange passion for wild storytelling, Hawthorn paints a picture of what might have happened to Lizzie.

Did she just disappear? Or did someone wish her harm? Hawthorn does not buy the idea that Lizzie's boyfriend Enzo did it. Maybe Lizzie somehow magically shed her human form and became a wolf. She was--after all--fascinated by wolves. Hawthorn begins to research werewolf lore obsessed with the idea that something magical must have happened to Lizzie.

In order to carry out her ruse, Hawthorn takes a job (Lizzie's old job) at a nearby diner. There she meets tortured musician and Lizzie's ex-boyfriend Enzo. Now Hawthorn is in the position she's always wanted. She is living Lizzie's charmed life. She has the boyfriend and the job.

The closer Hawthorn gets to  Enzo, the more she finds herself falling in love with him. This is all wrong. Enzo is an adult--several years older than Hawthorn. That, and the possibility that he's a murderer should be enough to give Hawthorn a pause, but it doesn't. If anything, it seems to drive her into his arms. Hawthorn's thoughts are  almost too painful to read at this point.


Hawthorn has a difficult time processing what really happened to Lizzie. With her imaginative storytelling behind her, Hawthorn is forced to face facts. How many times does a person lie to herself and to others? What if your entire persona is a lie? What if reality and persona are completely at odds? Wise Yoda-like hippie Sundog tells Hawthorn, "You only know the part of the story people want you to see."

The book comes to an end with Hawthorn learning about real life, not the magical dream world she seems to have built. The Hundred Lies of Lizzie Lovett is difficult to digest. It will haunt readers long after they have finished the book.

Recommended grade 9-up. Teen behavior, mean girls, bullying, mature content, teen sex.

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

I Nearly MIssed This One! YA Pick: Trouble Is a Friend of Mine

Trouble Is a Friend of Mine
by Stephanie Tromly
Kathy Dawson Books
2015
334 pages
ISBN: 9780525428404

Watch a teen review

Praise

Praise for Trouble Is a Friend of Mine:
“In what reads like a combination of Veronica Mars and The Breakfast Club, debut author Tromly creates a screwball mystery with powerful crossover appeal.”—Publishers Weekly, starred review

“This is one of those rare books that promises something unique and actually delivers beyond expectation. At least one copy belongs in every young adult collection—maybe even two or three. Once the word gets out, this book will fly off the shelves.”—VOYA, starred review

“Fast-talking, suit-wearing Digby is an exasperating teenage Sherlock—sharply observant, impatient with social niceties, and unafraid of authority figures….Fans of Veronica Mars and Elementary will find much to like here…Zoe’s sarcastic first-person narration is fresh and funny…an offbeat and entertaining caper.”—Kirkus

“With snappy prose and wry humor alongside the gritty crime, this nod to noir moves as fast as Digby talks… An engrossing and satisfying read…[that] encourages readers to dig between the lines and see truths that even Zoe and Digby, in all their sardonic observations, can’t quite spell out.”—BCCB, starred review

“A fast-paced story….Readers will find a sharply drawn character in the irrepressible Zoe, who’s as dubious about Digby’s methods as she is curious about whether or not she can live up to his daredevilry.”—SLJ

“With acerbic banter and a healthy dose of high-school high jinks, screenwriter Tromly weaves together traditional elements of teen stories to create a Breakfast Club for a new century.”—Booklist

My Review:


Trouble Is a Friend of Mine was marketed as a cross between Veronica Mars, Sherlock and "Ferris Bueller's Day Off," so I was intrigued right away and had high hopes for a great read. I wasn't disappointed and readers won't be either!


Philip Digby is that weirdly cool nerdy kid who everyone knows but isn't exactly close friends with probably because they couldn't keep up with his intellect. They admire his aplomb, his ability to finesse a situation, his benign smile, his ability to tell tall tales and get away with them, and his audacity to fight authority and win before authority  even knows they were in a fight.Whip smart, ever so random in his observances and utterances, Sherlock Holmes smart, utterly devilish,  charming, and dazzling in his brilliance, Digby befriends Zoe. Actually befriends is not the right word. He wiles his way into her life and Zoe, a little bored and a lot friendless, is confused as to why she's suddenly Digby's sidekick and a willing if confused  Dr. Watson to his witty and biting Sherlock Holmes. A cute football playing jock named Henry joins the two and soon the  trio are searching for a missing girl.  Eight years  earlier, Digby's younger sister vanished, and he's hoping if he finds what happened in the recent disappearance, he can find his sister.


I can't say enough about Digby;  he is an enchanting fellow. He is masterful at controlling the situation and keeping things on a strictly need to know basis. He has a plan to bust a drug ring and find out where the missing girl or girls are. Digby is he master of the understatement and a genius at linguistics. He takes jibs at Zoe, aka Princeton, teasing her for her clothing choices, her lack of friends, her boring life, and her wanting to attend an expensive private school. Readers later learn that Digby's home life is...well...strange!

As Zoe crushes on cute Henry, who has a mean girl cheerleader girlfriend, she realizes her feelings for Digby are more than friendship. Zoe has her share of funny lines. When she sees Henry's toned stomach, she says, "Who knew a sixteen-year-old boy who wasn't a werewolf fighting sparkly vampires could have a six-pack of abs?"

Trouble Is a Friend of Mine has a great trio of characters and lead "actors"  Digby and Zoe are sheer comic gold. After finding the bad guys, not alerting the cops, getting taken hostage, being thrown into a cellar, being held at gunpoint, finding tons of explosives and Zoe coming face to face with her biggest fear: her mother's new sleepover boyfriend, Zoe and Digby make a plan to free themselves from a car trunk. When bad guy Ezekiel opens the trunk, Zoe will stab him with an epi-pen and Digby will take the gun. While that plan sounds like it will work, what really happens is: the trunk opens, Zoe stabs the bad guy, the bad guy screams, Zoe screams, Digby screams and the trunk is slammed shut again. Zoe tells Digby that he was supposed to get the gun, but Digby says that Zoe grossed him out and he froze. Zoe hit Ezekiel directly in the eyeball with the epi-pen. Laugh out loud funny!

More surprises at the end will leave readers speechless but wanting more of Digby and Zoe.  It's great news that this book is only book one of a trilogy. Readers will have to wait until November for book 2, Trouble Makes a Comeback. What are you waiting for? Grab a copy of Trouble Is a Friend of Mine.

Highly, highly recommended grade 7-up. Some adult situations: Zoe's dad cheated on her mother and leaves her for a much younger woman, no profanity, no sex, a "hint" of romance.

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

Humorous Pick: Kill the Boy Band

Kill the Boy Band
by Goldy Moldavsky
Point
2016
320 pages
ISBN: 9780545867474

Available February 23, 2016

I have a huge fan girl crush, and it's for  the new YA book Kill the Boy Band which is everything hilarious about fandom, fan fic, and fan girls! Straight off the pages of a teen rag or a fan girl's Twitter feed, this book amazes. Spot on dialog with popping snark and "me first" just because I deserve it attitude, Kill the Boy Band is so funny it nearly aches.

Four fan girl BFFs (two go to the same school, the other two are online "friends" who know each other only from Twitter, text and DM's--don't hate--I met some of my BFF librarian friends online first and then in person, lol) agree to meet in NYC and rent a room at the hotel where their beloved boy band, the Ruperts (all the boys in the band have the real first name of Rupert--go figure),  will stay while in New York. Fooling all their  parents is easy since the adults  seem clueless; with the help of Apple's family maid, who checks the girls into the hotel, their plan of meeting their idols is finalized. Now to find out which room the "boys" are in. Isobel wants to post inside scoop for her blog, and readers will soon find out that Erin has much darker ideas for the boys.

After an unexpected coup at the ice machine, Apple returns with an unconscious Rupert P. The girls tie him up so he won't run off. It goes from bad to worse when Apple wants to keep him as her very own pet and Isobel snaps photos to post. At first the girls question their options, but finally talk themselves into full blown kidnapping. Rupert P. is having none of it; he argues and tries to escape. The girls have to gag him. Then they have the problem of Rupert K.'s fake girlfriend who keeps trying to find him. She's becoming a real pest.

The kidnapping and felony charges/prison time does not sit well with our narrator (who never tells us  her own name). She escapes to the hotel bar where an older bartender--she calls him Civil War Bartender--berates all  fan girls in general for  their foolish and foppish attempts to see/touch/hear/kiss/scream at/possess  their idols. He tells her that someday in the future  she'll be at a college party and someone will mention the Ruperts and say what a loser band they were. She does not believe Civil War Bartender at the time.

An unexpected but blissful encounter on the roof with her real crush, Rupert K., has our narrator in the throes of romantic tizzy, but it all comes crashing down (literally). When bestie Erin informs the others of her real plans for the boy band, the narrator nearly loses it.

All this mayhem is just the beginning; the story gets trippier and messier but, oh, so fun! Goldy Moldavsky has a great time satirizing boy bands, fandom, and pop culture. The media frenzy and pop culture hype created by social media makes this a believable read. #fangirllove, #KTBBrocks, #foreverRuperts! Shout out and heads up: Texas librarians, Goldy is coming to TLA in Houston this year! Score!


Highly, highly recommended and addictive grade 9-up. Profanity, sexual innuendo, mature themes, bad fan girl behavior, bad boy band behavior, sex, sexting.

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

Spy Pick: Sealed With a Lie

Sealed With a Lie
by Kat Carlton
Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
2014
244 pages
ISBN: 9781481400534


This second installment in Kat Carlton's "spy" books is equally as fun and flirty as the first book (Two Lies and a Spy). Steamy and dreamy Evan Kincaid makes another appearance as smooth talking flirtatious Brit boy, and Kari tries to convince herself that he doesn't make her heart race and her palms sweat. Both kids are in a school that trains the next generation of spies. They learn languages, coding, martial arts and other inspirational arts like how to pick a lock and how to "case" a building. Kari and her brother Charlie stay with the agency's top brass Rebecca.

When Charlie  is kidnapped and held for ransom, Kari decides she'll do anything to save him. Evan will not let Kari go it alone and swears he's in with her to save Charlie. The kids can't tell the authorities or Rebecca for fear that the kidnappers will harm Charlie.  The bad guys hold all the cards and they order Kari to drive to Germany and await further instructions. Computer nerd Matthis rounds out the trio as they go in search of Charlie and put together a plan to thwart the kidnappers.

Evan proves to be a worthy sidekick to Kari's superhero. In fact, he keeps saving her. While she should feel thankful, she tries to convince herself that she doesn't need him. The trio of kid spies play cat and mouse with the police and the bad guys. The fun just doesn't stop; the kids use elaborate disguises, high speed chases and sleight of hand.


Kari's parents make another appearance but readers will still be mystified as to whether they are indeed Russian spies or true American patriots "pretending" to be Russian spies. There's bound to be another book where more about the parents is to be revealed, and I can't wait.

Kari Andrews is a worthy YA female protagonist; she's tough, stubborn, smart and sexy. She's the girl every girl wants to be and Evan is certainly the guy every girl dreams about. This is a smart, romantic quick read. For any fan of romantic adventure. If you enjoyed Two Lies and a Spy, you will love Sealed With a Lie.

Recommended grade 7-up. No profanity. No sex.

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

This review has been posted in compliance with the FTC requirements set forth in the Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising (available at ftc.gov/os/2009/10/091005revisedendorsementguides.pdf)

Book Giveaway and Blog Tour: Rose and the Lost Princess

Rose and the Lost Princess
by Holly Webb
Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
2014

I have ONE copy of this fab new read by Holly Webb. For your chance to win, post a comment on this blog. Please include first name, city, state and email contact. The winner will be chosen randomly by Randomizer. Deadline for posts is Tuesday, April 15 at noon MST. The winner will be notified on that date; please check your email shortly after noon MST on April 15. The winner has 24 hours to contact me. The publisher will ship to Canada and U.S. addresses. Good luck and start posting! Book giveaway now OPEN.

Join the blog tour:

Tu April 1 Bonnie Wagner A Backwards Story http://abackwardsstory.blogspot.com/
Wed April 2 Heidi Grange Geo Librarian http://geolibrarian.blogspot.com/
Th April 3 Suzanne Costner The Fairview Review http://fveslibrary.blogspot.com
Fri April 4 Pamela Thompson YA Books - What We're Reading Now booksbypamelathompson.blogspot.com
Sat April 5 Kristen Harvey The Book Monsters www.thebookmonsters.com
Sun April 6 Jessica Nottingham Hopeless Bibliophile www.hopelessbibliophile.com

Mon April 7 Stephanie Turner Cover 2 Cover Blog www.cover2coverblog.blogspot.com
Tues April 8 Sharon Schmidt Tyler Sharon the Librarian http://sstwriting.blogspot.com/
Wed April 9 Dena Batch of Books www.batchofbooks.com
Th April 10 Aeicha Word Spelunking http://wordspelunking.blogspot.com/
Fri April 11 Kelly Hager Kelly Vision http://kellyvision.wordpress.com/
Sat April 12 Karen Nelson Central MN Mom http://centralmnmom.com/
Sun April 13 Sarit Coffe & Books & Art http://sarityahalomi.blogspot.com/

Mon April 14 Sara Grochowski The Hiding Spot http://thehidingspot.blogspot.com
Tues April 15 Deborah Debz Bookshelf http://debzbookshelf.blogspot.com/
Wed April 16 Tiffany Erickson Miss Tiff Reads www.misstiffreads.blogspot.com
Th April 17 Teri Crosby Snarky Mamma http://snarkymamma.blogspot.com/
Fri April 18 Lory Widmer Emerald City Book Review http://emeraldcitybookreview.blogspot.com/
Sat April 19 Debbie Alvarez The Styling Librarian http://thestylinglibrarian.com/
Sun April 20 Erin Al-Mehairi Hook of a Book http://hookofabook.wordpress.com/

Mon April 21 Orsayor Young-Simmons Book Referees http://bookreferees.blogspot.com/
Tues April 22 Megan T Inspired by Fiction http://inspiredbyfiction.blogspot.com/
Wed April 23 Kyra Morris Blog of a Bookaholic http://blogofabookaholic.blogspot.com/
Th April 24 Jenny Wondrous Reads http://www.wondrousreads.com/
Fri April 25 Tanya Johnson Tanya's Book Nook http://tanyasbooknook.blogspot.com
Sat April 26 Pam Torres Madison and Cooper's Blog http://www.madisonmorgan11.com/madisonmorgan11.com/Home.html
Sun April 27 Allie In Bed With Books http://inbedwithbooks.blogspot.com

Mon April 28 Erin PreFontaine Jump Into Books http://jumpintobooks.blogspot.com/
Tues April 29 Amanda One Momma Saving Money http://www.onemommasavingmoney.com/
Wed April 30 Natalie Literary Rambles http://www.literaryrambles.com/
Th May 1 Hope Clippinger Hope to Read www.hopetoread.com
Fri May 2 Ashley P. Tales of Mommyhood www.talesofmommyhood.com
Saturday May 3 Marcie Turner To Read or Not To Read http://www.toreadornottoread.net
Sunday May 4 Rubina Ramesh The Book Club - Rubina Ramesh http://rubinaramesh.blogspot.com/

Mon May 5 Sheila Ruth Wands and Worlds http://blog1.wandsandworlds.com/

From the Publisher:

Sourcebooks Jabberwocky

ISBN: 9781402285844; April 1,2014; $6.99; U.S.; Juvenile Fiction/Independent Reader; Trade Paper

About Rose and the Lost Princess: Rose’s whole life has changed in a matter of weeks. She’s gone from being a lonely orphan to a magician’s apprentice, though she’s learned that power comes at a price. Even Rose’s friends don’t seem to trust her anymore, especially when rumors of dark magic begin to swirl through the city.

Then the country’s beloved princess vanishes, and the king asks Rose for her help. She must find the missing princess and put a stop to the evil magician behind the kidnapping… before all is lost.

About the Author: Holly was born and grew up in southeast London but spent a lot of time on the Suffolk coast. As a child, she had two dogs, a cat, and at one point, nine gerbils (an accident). At about ten, Holly fell in love with stories from Ancient Greek myths, which led to studying university. She worked for five years as a children’s fiction editor before deciding that writing was more fun and easier to do from a sofa. Now living in Reading with her husband, three sons, and two cats, Holly runs a Guide unit. The Rose books stem from a childhood love of historical novels and the wish that animals really could talk.

Girl Pick: Once Upon a Toad

Once Upon a Toad
by Heather Vogel Frederick
Simon & Schuster
2012
272 pages

Available April 10, 2012 (page count and publication date from publisher's website)

Clever, cute, quirky, and good clean fun, Once Upon a Toad delivers non-stop laughs and outrageous antics!

Twelve year old Catriona Skye Starr (Dad calls her Kit-Cat)is visiting her dad, step-mom, step-sister Olivia and little brother Geoffrey. Her astronaut mother was called at the last minute for a space mission. So while Mom is literally out of this world, Cat's Great Aunt Abyssinia is even more far out. She lives in her r.v. with a weird cat and travels around the country to all the national parks. Not only that, Abyssinia is one eccentric auntie--with a family secret that is about to get Cat in trouble.

Cat is not happy to be sharing a room with Olivia; Olivia is conceited and spoiled, a true "mean girl." Cat tries to be nice but living with Olivia is out of the question. It gets worse after a visit from Aunt Abyssinia. All of a sudden, each time Cat speaks, a toad drops from her throat! To make matters worse and pour salt into the wound, each time Olivia speaks, diamonds and flowers flow from her mouth.

Once their secret is discovered, everyone wants a piece of them--media and press are camped out on their lawn, an FBI guy shows up wanting to take Olivia to Area 51 for "study," kidnappers nab Geoffrey--holding him for ransom until they get their hands on the "Diamond Girl."

Cat can't wait to get away from Olivia but she needs to fix their problem: toads and diamonds are everywhere! And then, Cat remebers that Abyssinia visited right before the weird happenings. She has to find Aunt Abyssinia and figure out what she knows about the girls' problem. The girls will have to work together to out-manoeuver the FBI guy, outsmart the kidnappers, and outrun the police.

Recommended for girls who love a funny story with a little fairy tale magic grades 5-7. Older girls may also like quirky Cat.

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

High School Pick: Dead to You

Dead To You
by Lisa McMann
Simon Pulse
2012
243 pages

Watch the book trailer here

From the author of the Wake trilogy, this novel will captivate teen readers. It is the sad story of Ethan--a boy stolen from his family at age 7 who miraculously returns home at age 16--safe and sound.

The awkward moments when first seeing his parents to long and silent family dinners give Ethan panic attacks; he doesn't know how to act, who to trust, how to interact with a family--he's never had one before, at least not that he can remember. His parents try their best to make Ethan feel welcome but his presence is trying on the entire family. Since his disappearance, his parents have grieved and then finally accepted that their son was lost to them forever and they even planned a "replacement" child, little sister Gracie. Younger brother Blake acts jealous and angry--ignoring Ethan and even lashing out at him physically.

Ethan is trying to fit in, but he doesn't remember anything from his childhood. Why can't he remember his house? Or his neighbors? Why can't he remember the day he got into the car with those two guys? He always thought that Eleanor kidnapped him. Did she pay two men to grab a little boy for her?

As brother Blake uncovers clues to Ethan's past, Ethan finally begins to feel at home. The unexpected and tragic ending will take readers by storm. McMann continues to write a highly readable book with a tortured teen hero--there is no happy ending for Ethan.

Highly recommended grades 9-up. Language, mature situations. Child kidnapping, prostitution.

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

Paranormal Pick: Sweetly

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.

Paranormal Pick: Michael Vey: The Prisoner of Cell 25

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.

High School Thriller: Wish You Were Dead

Wish You Were Dead
by Todd Strasser
Egmont, 2009
236 pages

Dark, thrilling and compelling, this is one young adult novel that will capture teen interest. When an anonymous high school blogger wishes some popular students were dead, suddenly people start disappearing. First Lucy is taken. Best friend Madison is beside herself; she gave Lucy a ride home but didn't make sure Lucy was safely inside the house before pulling away. Now Madison feels responsible.

The blogger continues to write, but seems to censor some wishes. As more students read the blog, things start to get even weirder (blogging can be dangerous, after all, wink). Lucy's boyfriend Adam is the next student who disappears; then another friend Courtney is unaccounted for. Madison is getting creepy letters telling her that she's in danger. She wants to trust newcomer Tyler, but doesn't quite trust his dark and brooding looks. The police question students but seem to have no leads.

What if Tyler has something to do with the case? What is he's the kidnapper? Or worse, what if he's a serial killer?

Readers will not see the twisted, surprise ending. Strasser has done it again!

Highly recommended for high school collections grades 9-up.

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

High School Pick-Held

Held
by Edeet Ravel
Annick Press, 2011
248 pages

When seventeen year old Chloe travels to Greece with her best friend Angie to work for a volunteer program, they are excited to see the sights. One morning, Chloe ventures off to see the Nemesis Temple on her own and stops by the road for lunch outdoors. This is the perfect opportunity for someone to attack her. She is drugged, gagged and taken prisoner. Even though she can't see her attacker, she keeps her wits about her and tries to learn all she can about where she is being taken.

When the drug wears off, Chloe finds herself in an abandoned warehouse. It's dirty and bug-infested but there is a shower and a toilet. She has a cramped bed and a small refrigerator. Her kidnapper brings her nourishing and tasty food. He admits that he himself has prepared this food for her. She finds herself interested in this strange older guy. He doesn't seem like a criminal; in any other circumstances, he would probably be a nice guy.

As the days and weeks pass, Chloe longs for home or even some word of home. She tries everything to get more than just a brief message to her mother. It appears that Chloe is being held as leverage; her kidnapper wants the U.S. to free a political prisoner for Chloe's safe return.

Having contact with only one other human and being in constant fear can make a person feel feelings that are not natural. The Stockholm Syndrome is known to exist in kidnapper/prisoner relationships. As the prisoner relies on the kidnapper for existance, the prisoner begins to develop deep feelings for her kidnapper. Is this love? Or is it the Stockholm Syndrome?

When Chloe finally escapes her nightmare, will she be free?

Clever, compelling, and consistant, Held delivers a touching story about a girl in a bad situation and a guy who probably could have been a good guy under the right circumstances.

Highly recommended for grades 9-up. Some sex, adult situations.

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

Mercy

Cover image not yet available

Mercy
by Rebecca Lim
Hyperion (Disney), 2011
288 pages

Book Available May 2011

What if you always woke up in another place, in someone else's skin, in someone else's world but with your own thoughts intact? You know nothing about the person whose body you have hijacked--nothing about their history, their thoughts, dreams, emotions, likes or dislikes. Mercy has no idea of who or what she is; only that she has certain strange powers--super-human strength, the ability to disguise her voice and use others' voices, the ability to blend in, the ability to start fires, and the ability to get even.

When Mercy finds herself on a bus bound for Paradise, yeah, no kidding, the small town of Paradise, she inhabits the body of Carmen, a slight girl with terrible, itchy skin, who is the brunt of bullying from the other more popular girls. The girls are in town for a choir concert with two other schools and are housed in town residences. Mercy is unlucky enough to be the guest of Stewart and Louisa Daley and their son Ryan. Life is tough for the Daley's since their daughter Lauren went missing. Carmen soon finds that Ryan hasn't stopped looking for his sister.

Mercy searches for her own past in her dreams where she meets Luc, a beautiful, yet terrible man who haunts her nights. Only Luc has the answers that Mercy seeks.

Dark, gripping, and convincingly told, Mercy is a paranormal book without vampires--finally. For readers who like paranormal and a little romance, Mercy is the answer.

Book Available May 2011.

Recommended for high school collections. Not recommended for middle school due to mature subject matter.

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

High School Pick

Reality Check
by Peter Abrahams
Harper Teen, 2009.
330 pages

When his girlfriend goes missing, star quarterback Cody drives across the country to find out what happened to her. Clea disappears in the woods and her horse comes back without her. A renowned equestrian, Clea would not just fall off her horse, and Cody knows that Bud would never leave her in the woods alone. The whole town searches for the missing girl for days until weather forces the search called off. Cody accepts a job at the stables where Clea boarded her horse and noses around for clues. He meets an ornery stable manager, Clea's new "boyfriend" Townes Dewitt, and a nosy cop, Sgt. Orton. The more Cody digs, the more secrets are uncovered and an illegal gambling syndicate emerges. Cody doesn't realize how much danger he is in. If he doesn't save Clea, who can?



Part mystery, part YA thriller, part football story, Reality Check is a sure page-turner.

Recommended for high school collections, grades 9-12.
Some sex, some language, some violence.

FTC Required Disclosure: Originally I purchased this book for my middle school library, but after reading it, I sent it over to the high school library due to sex, language, and violence. I believe it better suited for grades 9-12. My review was in no way influenced by this fact.

YA Thriller

Read Chapter One here

Girl Stolen
by April Henry
Henry Holt and Company, 2010.
213 pages





Girl Stolen is a YA thriller that delivers. It's a real page-turner with a twist. Cheyenne Wilder is having a bad day. She has pneumonia and is waiting in the Escalade for her stepmother to fill a prescription for her. Feeling ill, Cheyenne is resting under a blanket in the back seat when her whole world goes crazy!

Someone gets in the SUV and starts driving. Cheyenne knows it's not her stepmother--she can smell cigarette smoke but her stepmother doesn't smoke. Cheyenne can sense the intruder but can't see him. You see, Cheyenne is not only ill, she is legally blind.

Griffin thought he was stealing a "sweet" ride but gets more than he bargained for. How was he to know there was a sixteen-year old blind girl with pneumonia in the back seat? Now he's not just a car thief--he's a kidnapper. If Roy finds out, Griffin is in real trouble.

Two sixteen-year old kids caught up in a crime gone horribly wrong. Readers will root for Cheyenne--she's spunky, tough, resilient, and smart. Readers will yearn for Griffin to do the right thing. Bestselling author April Henry has another winner on her hands.

Highly recommended for YA collections. Grades 7-high school. This novel is available September 28, 2010.

FTC required disclosure: This book was mailed to me by the author as part of a mail chain. I dedided to review it after reading it. In no way is my review influenced by the Advance Readers Copy furnished by the author. I mailed the book copy to the next reviewer on the list.




Highly recommended for YA collections. Grades 7-high school. This novel is available September 28, 2010.