YA Pick: Bad Girls with Perfect Faces

Bad Girls with Perfect Faces
by Lynn Wiengarten
Simon Pulse
2017
304 pages
ISBN: 9781481418607

Available October 31, 2017 

Xavier has just turned seventeen and best friend Sasha is eager to celebrate with him. She weighs each moment deciding when will be THE moment to tell Xavier that she loves him. LOVES him, loves him. As more than a friend. When she spots Ivy, Xavier's no-good, cheating ex-girlfriend, she knows the moment has passed. Later, she spots Xavier in Ivy's arms and knows that he'll never give her up.

Sasha knows that Ivy is a dangerous drug. She knows she can help Xavier break the habit if she can show him just how devious Ivy really is. Sasha posts a fake profile on social media and pretends to be a guy interested in Ivy. When Ivy goes for the bait, Sasha gets drawn in deeper. The thing about pretending to be someone you're not is that you might actually become someone you're not!Twisted acts and personalities keep the pages turning.

 Teen readers may not empathize with Sasha as she tries to "help" her friend. She is, after all, helping Xavier out of personal gain. She hopes he will run into her arms and that Ivy's true colors will emerge. In this tale of teen passion, it seems, everyone loses.


Perfect cover art will sell this book off the shelves

Recommended for readers who like a twisted love tale.

Grade 9 and up. Mature situations. NOT for middle school readers.

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

High School Pick: The Great American Whatever

The Great American Whatever
by Tim Federle
Simon & Schuster
2016
274 pages
ISBN: 9781481404099

Reviews:

"The Great American Whatever knocked me out. Tim Federle writes with a rare voice — original, authentic, engaging." (Rob Thomas, author of Rats Saw God and creator of Veronica Mars)

"A raw nerve of a book—so perfectly tender and funny and true. My heart now belongs to The Great American Whatever. Officially. Completely." (Becky Albertalli, author of Simon Vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda)

*"Federle’s first foray into YA is an accomplished effort, dramatic and distinguished by carefully developed, appealing characters... whimsical, wry, and unfailingly funny." (Booklist, starred review)

*"A Holden Caulfield for a new generation." (Kirkus Reviews, starred review)

"The mix of vulnerability, effervescence, and quick wit in Quinn’s narration will instantly endear him to readers." (Publishers Weekly)

*“Even under the weight of grief, Quinn’s conversational and charming narrative voice effervesces, mixing humor and vulnerability in typical Federle style." (School Library Journal, starred review)

"Recommended for mature teens who want to be inspired." (VOYA)

"Federle’s YA debut takes its place in the lineage of Stephen Chbosky’s The Perks of Being a Wallflower and John Green’s coming-of-age tales." (Horn Book Magazine)

*"What sets this fantastic novel apart is Quinn's brilliantly realized, often hilarious first-person voice, from laugh-out-loud asides to heart-wrenching admissions...Charming and imaginative." (Shelf Awareness, starred review)

“Federle has triumphed. He’s written a moving tale about grief that’s also laugh-out-loud funny.” (The New York Times Book Review)

 

My Review:

 

Laugh out loud, rolling on the floor funny, comic, hysterical, laughter ensues, if I had just drank chocolate milk I would probably shoot it out my nose, side-splitting, slap yo mama funny! Tim Federle is the real deal. He can write comedy if he ever needs a side job, but that's not going to happen anytime soon.

 

The Great American Whatever is the perfect teen angst book of 2016 and Quinn the perfect "every" boy. When Quinn's beloved older sister dies in a horrific (is there any other kind?) car accident, Quinn takes grief and self blame to a whole new level. He stays in his room, not moving, not eating, not bathing, not reading or watching television, not doing anything. For months. His mother tries to rouse him, but with her own failure as both a mother and wife, she is wallowing in self pity herself. The world as they both know it has changed in an instant. Lucky for Quinn, he has a great friend who won't take no for an answer. Geoff literally drags Quinn out the door and to a party.

 

Quinn meets a cute boy and is excited when the boy gives him a note with his phone number on it. Too bad Quinn can't find his cell phone. He has not seen it in months. Since that terrible night when he got his last text from his sister, right before she died. The book is full of grief, but Federle makes grief hysterically funny.

 

Quinn goes on a date with cute boy Amir and gets drunk. The next day, Quinn says, "This is the kind of hangover people write horror movies about, movies that are never funded because they're too graphic....a hangover feels like...a sledgehammer eloped with a swing set and they honeymooned in your head."   

 

Once he is able to tell his story out loud to Amir, Quinn is able to forgive himself and move on. He will always feel a void where his sister/film maker/director used to be, but when he discovers that his dream was not her dream, it is an a-ha moment.  Quinn sees life through the script of a movie. It has been his dream to write and produce films and he now has the chance to go to film school. Another quirk that sets Quinn apart is his love of movies--all types of movies from old black and white, to spaghetti westerns, to horror. He gives teen readers ideas on what movies to be sure and see. Hopefully they will take notice.

 

If Hollywood can get the right writers (Tim Federle, maybe?) The Great American Whatever would be a fantastic teen movie or even a comic sit-com.

 

Highly, highly recommended grade 9-up. Mature situations, profanity.

 

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

Book Giveaway: The Death and Life of Zebulon Finch

I have FIVE FREE copies of this outstanding new YA novel. This is one book you MUST read! Although seemingly an adult title, Zebulon is the must amazing and amusing YA protagonist since Ryan Dean West (Winger, Stand Off). Author Daniel Kraus has a sure winner on his hands, and there will be many awards and honors for this title.

For your chance to win, simply post a comment to the blog. Be sure to include first name, city, state and email contact. Deadline for posts is November 12 at noon MST. Winners will be chosen randomly by Randomizer. Please check your email on November 12 in the afternoon. Winners will be notified at that time. Winners have 24 hours to respond to my email. Books will ship from New York.

See my review of the book


Good luck and start posting!
Pamela

Book Giveaway and Blog Tour: BZRK Apocalypse (book 3)

BZRK – giveaway is Books #1 and #2 in paperback and Book #3 in hardcover

BZRK series by Michael Grant

Ages 14 and up

 

I have 3 books for one lucky winner up for grabs! Post a comment to the blog and please include first name, city, state and email. The winner will be chosen randomly by Randomizer. Deadline for posts is noon MST on October 15. Please check your email on that date. The winner will have 24 hours to respond to my email. The books will ship from NYC courtesy of Egmont. Good luck and start posting! Pamela

 

BZRK

978-1-60684-418-2

Trade Paperback

2013 YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults

★ “With simmering pots of sexual tension, near-nonstop action, and the threat of howling madness or brain-melting doom around every corpuscular corner, Grant’s new series is off to a breathless, bombastic start.”—Booklist, starred review

 

BZRK Reloaded

978-1-60684-504-2

Trade Paperback

VOYA Best Science Fiction/Fantasy/Horror 2013

★ “The graphic descriptions of what the real and artificial creatures . . . Add in some discussable ideas on the ethics of human experimentation and a smart, simple explanation of the potential in nanotechnology . . . . Round out the experience with realistically unpredictable characters and blockbuster action sequences to complete this thoroughly enjoyable, incredibly disturbing story.”—VOYA, perfect 10 review

 

BZRK Apocalypse            

978-1-60684-408-3          

On Sale: 10/14/2014      

Hardcover

★ “A great choice for readers with a strong stomach, an interest in the future of biomedical technology and the essential ethical debate, or anyone willing to embark on an unnerving, frighteningly plausible thrill ride all around the globe.”—VOYA, perfect 10 review

 

Series Pick: The Trap

The Trap
by Andrew Fukuda
St. Martin's Griffin
2013
309 pages
ISBN: 9781250005120

Tense, terrifying, taut and enormously entertaining, The Trap is the final chapter in the Hunt trilogy and it delivers! Fukuda is at the top of his game; The Trap maintains the rocket pace adrenaline rush of the first two books. This is one thrilling  trilogy that just kept getting better, and the BEST vampire book yet!

Sissy, Gene, Epap, David and other young humans are on a train heading into the Ruler's realm. Rumored to keep humans in cages as cattle and food, the Palace is the epicenter of the vampire's power. The doors open into sheer blackness; the terrified passengers must make a decision: go into the elevator or get back on the train. They know death awaits them no matter what decision they make, but that does not  deter Gene and Sissy from sticking together and trying to save the others.

The truth is worse than the kids imagined. Humans are being  kept underground and told to seek the safety of coffin-like chambers or risk being devoured during an all out bloodbath at least once weekly. The vampires roam the catacombs and choose which tasty morsel they will devour next. Gene and Sissy need to figure out their best chance of escaping this underground hell, but before they can, the sirens go off. Everyone scrambles for safety.

Once again, Gene happens upon a stranger he's met once before. It is the same man who told him not to trust old love Ashley June. Gene is taken to see the Ruler and he is given an ultimatum. In order to save Sissy and the others, Gene must go back to the city and kill Ashley June.

Plot twists and revelations about Gene's childhood are explosive and mind-blowing. What will Gene do with this new information? Can Sissy and Gene be the answer to the enigma? The answers will not be easy and the results might be devastating. The Trap ends the trilogy with hope for the future.

Highly, highly recommended for fans of zombie books and a must read for fans of the trilogy. Suitable grade 7-up with this caution; Sissy does shower and is nude but it's not a sexual scene. Also, human flesh is called "virgin" and "virginal" which means untouched--not in the sexual sense.

FTC Required Disclaimer: I purchased this book for my library. 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)

Killer Thriller Pick: Project Cain

Project Cain
by Geoffrey Girard
Simon & Schuster
2013
352 pages
ISBN: 9781442476967

Terrifying, taut, terrific, tragic, and tremendous! Project Cain is a tour de force that grabs you up and won't let you go until you turn the last chilling page. Even then, you are destined to think about the premise of cloned serial killers and secret government genetic testing.

Fifteen  year old Jeff Jacobson's life goes from "normal" to nightmare in minutes. His whole life has been a lie. Not only is he NOT Jeff Jacobson, he is a clone of famous serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer. Jeff's "father," a scientist and famed geneticist has raised hundreds of clones of famous serial killers for the government. Now, his father is hell bent on releasing the clones into the public and witnessing their killing spree. His father deserts Jeff and leaves behind a folder explaining Jeff's existence. He warns Jeff to stay away from his company and the government.

Jeff hides out at home and barely escapes government agent types who break in and take his dad's papers and computers. Later, Jeff hides from another killer, but Castillo finds him and takes him away. Castillo isn't the government and he isn't a good guy, but he's not a bad guy either.

Jeff learns just how dangerous the government can be from Castillo. The U.S. government has always done secret testing on various unknowing populations. The government admits to more than 100 illegal genetic tests and biological weapons studies. Military scientists have released toxins in the subways of New York just to see how many people would get sick. Jeff learns the U.S. did secret drug tests with LSD and other psychotic drugs just to see how people would act. Now, the government wants to clone the clones and use them in warfare as the perfect killing machines.

Jeff also learns that Castillo is an ex-soldier who spent time in Afghanistan, and now works as a "contractor" of sorts. Castillo is hunting for the escaped clones and he needs Jeff's help to find them.

As Jeff's grasp on sanity begins to weaken,  he has terrible nightmares...or are they really memories? Surely being the exact replica of a monster named Jeffrey Dahmer comes with some shared likenesses. Jeff starts seeing things that aren't really there, but at least he knows he's seeing things. When will Jeff become a killer? When will he lose his humanity?

Trying to decipher his father's secret code, Jeff realizes a chilling fact: his father expected him to solve the puzzle all along. Is that why he used things that Jeff would remember? Is his father testing him or toying with him? Castillo and Jeff  plan a trap for the killing clones. They travel the Murder Map together coming closer and closer to evil. The two "men" share more than they care to admit. Both are broken and bruised, but both are willing to die righting the wrongs of Jeff's father, whatever it takes.

This is a must read for horror and thriller fans. Project Cain is riveting and terrifying; brilliant storytelling and an adrenaline fueled plot will force teen (and adult) readers to burn the midnight oil to finish this one!

Highly, highly recommended grade 9-up. Mature situations, violence, language. Not for middle school.

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)

Riveting Thriller Pick: Killer Instinct

Killer Instinct
by S.E. Green
Simon Pulse
2014
272 pages
ISBN: 9781481402859

Available May 6, 2014

Disturbing, dark, and deadly, Killer Instinct will leave readers breathless. This is one YA novel that you will never forget.

"Everyone has a dark side," says the cover, and you better believe it! Part "Dexter," part crime study, part thriller, part YA/adult, Killer Instinct crosses the line between  teen and adult fiction.

 I was riveted From the first line, "I study serial killers."  Lane is a typical high school girl, quiet, kind of shy, preferring to keep to herself. She is fascinated by crime and criminals and makes it a habit of visiting the courtroom for trials that interest her--the worse the crime, the better.

When she watches a rapist walk free, Lane decides to put her plan in action. She knows he is guilty; she will make sure he receives justice--from her own hand. Lane studies the Weasel (that's her pet nickname for him), his comings and goings, and she follows him and gets to know him. When she realizes he's ready to strike again, she gets ready to take him down.

With FBI director mother and FBI agent step-dad, Lane is very careful not to get caught. She barely covers her tracks, but she gloats in her success. Lane is thrilled when a serial killer seems to be practicing his craft in her city. She studies everything she can. She sneaks in to her mother's study and  secretly looks at the case files; she installs a nanny cam in her mother's study to listen in on phone calls.

At first, Lane is fascinated, but when the killer contacts her, Lane is afraid--afraid and fascinated.  A long ago secret surfaces from Lane's past, and her mother begins to reveal details about her father that she never knew. Could her past have something to do with the killer?

Lane is forced into action when her friend Zach is in danger. She won't be able to cover her tracks, but she might be able to save Zach. What will happen when Lane comes face to face with the real killer? Will she make him pay? Or will her  fascination take over?

At first, I wasn't sure I would have empathy for Lane. She seemed cold and distant--either a sociopath or a killer-- but once  I got to know about her past, I empathized with her. She is broken and damaged, but can be whole again...some day.

Highly, highly recommended for readers who like a thrilling read and riveting plot. 

Grade 9-up. NOT for middle school. Violence. Mature subject matter.

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)

Horror Pick: Doctor Sleep (The Shining, book 2)

Doctor Sleep
by Stephen King
Scribner
2013
528 pages

Spooky, scary and creepily grotesque doesn't begin to describe the terror of Doctor Sleep. Somewhere out there on America's highways and byways, you might see a convoy of Winnebagos driven by baby boomers and elderly retirees. You may not think anything of it, unless you've entered the terrifying world of Doctor Sleep.

Dan Torrence (the child in The Shining) is now all grown up. Having survived the nightmare that was the Overlook, Dan has spent years lying to himself and relying on the bottle for solace. He finally turns to AA for help, and the shining is quiet for a little while. He is still in touch with the Overlook's cook Dick Hallorann who has helped him understand the shining and his powers since childhood. When Dan is summoned by a young girl named Abra, he turns to Dick again for help.

Abra has the shining, too, and it's strong. That's what attracts Rose and her group of life-sucking vampires who feed off the shining from children. The True Knot travels from campground to campground feeding off the shining of tragedies. When 9/11 happened, they fed well off the steam of the dying. Since then, their canisters of saved "steam" is dwindling, and Rose is getting nervous. What will happen to her band of paranormal gypsies if there is no more steam? She will lose her power and die. Rose can't let that happen. She feels a strong presence somewhere on the east coast and sends her scouts out to search for this young beacon of hope.

Dan and Abra are connected, and she reaches out to Dan though messages on a chalkboard and later, she is able to connect telepathically. Sometimes Abra feels someone else besides Dan is in her head and she is afraid. Dan teachers her how to set traps and scare to intruder off, but Rose is powerful. Abra has a vision of a young boy she calls "baseball boy," and she knows he is somehow the key to destroying the True Knot.

As the True Knot moves closer to Abra, Dan and Dick hatch a plan to save her and unravel the True Knot (yes, pun intended) and destroy them. It will take all three of them...and then some...to face the demons and win. Like The Stand, Doctor Sleep is the ultimate good versus evil battle.

Doctor Sleep is King at his masterful best; no one can build suspenseful excitement and fearful anticipation like King. He even takes a playful jab at fellow horror genre writer Dean Koontz--just for grins.

Highly, highly recommended for anyone who loves a great story and every Stephen King fan grade 9 and up. Language, mature situations, violence, alcoholism, sobriety issues.

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)

Gothic Redux: Thorn Abbey

Thorn Abbey
by Nancy Ohlin
Simon Pulse
2013
304 pages

Available May 2013

Read an excerpt here


A recent trend in YA lit is to base a novel set in the present but inspired by a classic novel. Ten is inspired by Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None, Frankenstein's Daughters is based on Mary Shelly's Frankenstein, and The Madman's Daughter is based on The Island of Dr. Moreau. Thorn Abbey is the newest novel to follow this trend.

Tragic, twisted, and downright terrific, Thorn Abbey has elements of its inspiration,  Daphne du Maurier's Rebecca. There is the tragic death of a beautiful young girl--named Becca, Tess, a new arrival to the school, a Gothic setting--a creepy, old but revered ivy-covered private school, Max--a brooding young man, a mystery, a ghost or maybe two ghosts, Devon, Tess's roommate who has serious issues, and minor characters who thwart Tess's romance with Max, and  finally there's a lonely cliff overlooking the surf.

Tess and Max seem to be falling in love even though Devon, Tess's roommate, does everything she can to sabatage them. When Tess shows up at a formal dance wearing the same dress that Becca wore  last year, Max comes unglued. Devon gave Tess the dress and told her to wear it. Poor, unknowing Tess. She loved the dress and didn't know that the conniving Devon gave her the dead girl's dress (the heroine of Rebecca showed up at a formal party in dead Rebecca's dress).

Tess doesn't know what's going on but Devon is acting strangely. Devon talks to herself and disappears overnight. Tess is worried--is her roommate psychotic? Strange warnings begin to appear in the dorm. Tess starts snooping around. She finds tons of prescription drugs. Maybe Devon is overmedicated. Is she being treated by a psychiatrist? Tess opens a memory box that Devon keeps. In it, she finds Becca's diary. The secrets in the diary shed a whole new light on Becca's squeaky clean image.

I have only one problem with this book. Why is it that so many YA authors still stereotype and vilify librarians? Devon refers to the head librarian as "Hale the Whale" --"for obvious reasons." Why does the head librarian of Thorn Abbey have to be overweight and out of shape?  Nancy Ohlin, I call "foul!"

Recommended grade 9-up. Thorn Abbey is a little bit Gossip Girls, a little bit Mean Girls and a lot Rebecca. Devon is tawdry and downright trampy. Profanity, underage drinking and drug use. Goodness, how do those private school kids have time to study?!

FTC Required Disclaimer: I received the ARC 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)

Guy Pick: Openly Straight

Openly Straight
by Bill Konigsberg
Arthur A. Levine Books
2013
336 pages

Available June 1, 2013

Clever, funny, and poignant, Openly Straight will touch readers and make them think.

Rafe is an openly gay high school student, the only child of "insane" parents. His parents are quirky; his mother does naked yoga and Rafe says he's pretty careful to pull down the blinds, "...unless I want to see a show that no son should ever see"--his father loves to sing and dance and put on a good show. Rafe barely tolerates it, but he realizes that other people think his dad is funny and a great sport.

Rafe plays soccer and gets along with all his classmates, but he wants to be just Rafe, not Rafe, the gay guy. His answer to his problem---transfer to an all boys' school in New England and reinvent himself. He decides not to tell anyone he's gay and see if the guys will accept "just Rafe."

Rafe leaves behind his best friend Claire Olivia--a girl he's bonded with over their parents' NMI--"Naming While Intoxicated." Both Rafe and Claire Olivia swear that their parents must have been drunk when choosing their names. Claire Olivia feels deserted and tells Rafe that he's changed.

Boys at the private school accept Rafe as straight and straight Rafe is soon befriending jocks and playing football on the lawn. When Rafe attends his new creative writing class, Mr. Scarborough wants the class to be introspective and write about themselves, but how can Rafe write about himself when he's covering so much up?

Openly Straight will make readers laugh out loud and experience empathy for Rafe who is just trying to fit in.

Highly recommended grade 9-up. Language, gender identity.

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)

Series Pick: Clockwork Princess

Clockwork Princess
(The Infernal Devices, book 3)
by Cassandra Clare
Margaret K. McElderry Books
2013
568 pages

Hauntingly beautiful,  fiercely passionate, steampunk inspired, Clockwork Princess delivers a knockout punch of non-stop action, troubled romance and intriguing mystery. Questions are finally answered: What are Mortmain's evil plans for Tessa? Can the Shadowhunters save Jem's life? Why does Magnus agree to help Will, a Shadowhunter? Who will Tessa choose--smoldering hot Will or good natured Jem? What will happen to Charlotte and the Institute if the Consul poisons the Clave against her? What secrets will be uncovered in Tessa's past? Can the automaton army be defeated by a handful of Shadowhunters?

New alliances and interesting romances develop and old friendships are tested. Gabriel  Lightwood arrives at the Institute in a state of panic asking for the Shadowhunters' help. His father has turned into a demon worm and is attacking servants and family. A battle ensues at Lightwood House and his father is defeated. Both Gabriel and Gideon are welcomed to the Shadowhunters' Institute. Jem's disease progresses and the drug that keeps him alive is nowhere to be found. Will enlists Magnus's help to find more of the healing (and addictive)  powder.

Charlotte continues to fight the Consul who insists that she is "just a woman" and as such, too frail to handle such a powerful position as head of the Shadowhunters. Henry is working on a new invention--a portal that the Shadowhunters can use to magically transport themselves anywhere in the world. Charlotte pores over Lightwood's papers and journals hoping to discover some clue as to Mortmain's whereabouts.

When Tessa is kidnapped, the plot races along  at a feverish pace...Will leaves Jem's deathbed in order to save Tessa. Charlotte begs the Consul to allow the Shadowhunters to go after Tessa and Will. The Consul refuses to let the Shadowhunters travel to Wales, but Charlotte ignores his orders and using the portal, the Shadowhunters, along with Magnus and the Silent Brothers,  prepare for a battle with Mortmain's automatons--the Infernal Devices.

Will finds Tessa and they both  mourn Jem's passing. Their true feelings are finally spoken aloud and their passion ignites. Clare is a master storyteller--she lets the reader see just a few kisses, then "fade to black." Magnus discovers the couple the next morning in a compromising situation  and warns them that the other Shadowhunters are on the way.

The Shadowhunters battle Mortmain's automaton army and Tessa finds her inner power and the secret to her strength.

The ending is poignant and promising.--true love can never be broken and endures no matter what happens.
I was sorry when the story ended but thrilled to have the experience of living in Cassandra Clare's world. The Infernal Devices is as satisfying a series as any reader could hope for. The relationship between Charlotte and her husband Henry develops into real love, and Charlotte realizes how much she loves him when he is injured.  Clockwork Princess is an exciting and brilliantly conceived ending to a remarkable YA series! Will is the steamiest, sexiest male protagonist in YA lit to date--Edward who? (wink, Twilight, remember)?

Highly, highly recommended grade 7-up but with caution. In the scene where Will and Tessa "hook up," Will's shirt comes off, kissing, fade to black, and the next morning Tessa wakes with her head on Will's shoulder. Magnus warns them to get dressed quickly.  Teens probably see steamier scenes on network television. If you have the third and fourth  book in the Twilight trilogy,  this novel is right for you.

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)

Sci-Fi Thriller Pick: Nobody

Nobody
by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Egmont
2013
400 pages

Available January 22, 2013

Read the prologue

Read Chapter One


Clever and creepy, Nobody is a sci-fi action thriller that is sure to satisfy fans of the genre.

Trained assassin Nix has never known his family or his past. He has been raised and trained (brainwashed) by the Society, a shadowy organization of an elite few who have power over even the President. The Society keeps the Normals safe from the Nulls. Normals are "normal" people who can feel pain and happiness, love and loss. Nulls are void of any feelings at all, and surprisingly (or not) many of them hold government office. The Society takes care of Nix and molds him into a killing machine who has no emotion; Nix is Nobody.

Nobodies are rare; in fact, Nix believes he is the only one. He is on his twelfth kill when he realizes his target can see him. This isn't supposed to happen; Normals and Nulls can't see Nix once he goes into the fade. The Society studies energy and Nix has a special gift that can make him invisible and stealthy. When he tries to take the kill-shot, the girl looks directly at him. He's shocked and wants to know why.

Claire sees the boy with the gun and realizes he was going to kill her, yet she wants to see him again (okay, this part is kind of cheesy, but bear with me). Nix captures Claire yet keeps her alive. They have a heated discussion and realize that Claire is not a Null after all; she's not a normal either. Claire is an untrained Nobody and the Society wants her dead.

The two agree to break into the Society's headquarters and Nix steals the folders of all his targets. Together they hope to find out a pattern in the killings. Why these targets? What do they have in common?

Nix and Claire realize that the Society is playing politics at the highest level. Not only that, there is a secret serum they have developed to make Normals act like Nulls, and the Society can shape their power by using it. They have been experimenting on children, developing new Nobodies. Claire and Nix have to save the children, destroy the serum, and wipe out the Society and still get away with it. Will they be able to destroy malevolent Ione and escape?

I was drawn to Claire's personality at the beginning of the novel but after she met Nix she seems to lose some of what I liked about her. She seems to be his carbon copy. After they meet, I feel more compassion for Nix than for Claire. I wish Claire had been a tougher girl; even though she grew up feeling invisible, she had a strong personality at the beginning.

Recommended grade 9-up. Lots of sleeping together and melding as one...but no details. No language. Violence. Assassinations.

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

Hilarious Romp: Ditched: A Love Story

Ditched: A Love Story
by Robin Mellom
Hyperion
2012
288 pages

Hysterically funny and chortling great fun, this lively prom night romp delivers a great story, a plunky, snarky heroine, twisted teen antics, a band of dog nappers, a car crash, a couple of love triangles, a tattoo of Tinker Bell, a dog bite, and two gossipy world-wise women who help Justina sort it all out.

Justina knew it would be a GREAT night--she has a beautiful dress and she's going to prom with her best friend Ian. Tonight is
THE night--she will kiss Ian and take their friendship to the next level. The universe is just not in her favor, however, and events take a horrible turn.

Justina wakes up the next morning in a ditch by the road, and she vaguely remembers a car's lights disappearing down the road. What happened between Ian picking her up and waking up? It's up to Justina and the ladies to sort out.

First, that tattoo. Justina says, "Wait, I have a tattoo? Who let me get a tattoo? It's a Tinker Bell. Which could be cute if it weren't for the fact that she's a punk Tinker Bell. She's wearing combat boots, her wings are ripped, and her eyes are bloodshot. Great...Tinker Bell on a meth binge."

Then there's the time Justina gives the two Mikes and their dates a ride to get a burger. Mike and Mike are throwbacks to Bill and Ted (remember, Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure?) Mike and Mike have a long conversation,

" 'Dude, It's In-N-Out..'

'Bro'

'Dude.'

Mike sighed, "Fine."

It was amazing what those two could quickly resolve with their bro/dude conversations. How much time this world wastes with excessive syllables."

Somehow, Justina gets ditched at the prom before THE KISS. Ditched! By her best friend! On the night of her life! She spends the rest of the night trying to find out what happened and why Ian ditched her.

She ends up trying to correct the ring of dog nappings. When she drives Brian and Boner back to the scenes of the crimes, laughter ensues.

After the boys drop the correct dogs off at the correct yards, they slam a beer. Justina explains, "Apparently, this was the other part of the tradition--slamming beers after each swap. They clearly needed a hobby. And some maturity. And a designated driver."

Ditched: A Love Story will have teens rolling in aisles with laughter. This would make a great teen movie!

I say it's one of the funniest books of this year! Excellent teen dialog, this debut novel knocks it out of the park! I'm a Robin Mellom fan!

Highly. highly recommended grades 9-up. Typical teen partying, teen drinking, no language, some talk of sex but no graphic details. PG movie type dialog. Mature readers grade 7 and up will have no trouble reading this one, but the teen partying makes it more suitable for high school.

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

Mythology Pick: Fury

Fury
Book 1, The Fury Trilogy
By Elizabeth Miles
Simon Pulse
2012
370 pages

Fury captivates from the first pages; teens are likely to be swept up in the teen gossip and behavior, popular cliques and mean girls, hot guys and buff athletes, Christmas parties and double dating. This novel is a guilty pleasure for “Gossip Girl” junkies.

Ascension High School has its “ins” and “outs,” and once you’re out there’s no getting back in. Chase has learned the hard way to put on a false front in order to be popular. No one gets too close to Chase—he doesn’t want them to know his family’s problems and poverty. He pretends to be part of the rich crowd and playing football has made him part of their crew.

Em is happy that Zach is finally noticing her, but she can’t give in to her own selfish passions. Zach is her best friend’s boyfriend after all. Three beautiful and mysterious girls keep showing up on the scene and soon it’s pretty clear they’ll stop at nothing to get revenge.

Once you’re marked, you’re theirs. And they don’t forget. And they don’t forgive. Revenge is sweet.

The cover has beautiful teen eye appeal with the fire-red haired temptress, and this itself will likely help the book jump off book store shelves. The ending sets up nicely for the next in the series. Although the book is supposed to be about revenge and the Furies, they are only a small part. I expected them to make an earlier and more pronounced presence. Maybe book 2 will unleash their full potential.

Recommended grades 9-up. Some talk of sex, teen partying, drinking, bad behavior, suicide. Not for middle school.

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)

Beach Read Pick: When In Doubt, Add Butter

When In Doubt, Add Butter
by Beth Harbison
St. Martin’s Press
2012
338 pages

Wonderfully delicious, seductively decadent, and fantastically scintillating, When In Doubt, Add Butter is Beth Harbison at her comic best. This is the perfect beach read for women who have a passion for romance and food! For all of us who have thought about following our dreams for a career path, Gemma is our unlikely hero. Just when she's given up on romance, love heroically finds her.

Gemma is a private chef for a handful of wealthy New York clients. Her cooking style varies according to each client's weird food issues. From the mother who seems to be "allergic" to everything that tastes good to a scary and private Russian mob don, Gemma seeks to please each palate. One of her favorite clients is Mr. Tuesday, a shadowy figure she's never met but she visits his apartment every Tuesday and cooks a meal for him, which she leaves in the refrigerator with notes on how to prepare everything.

Life is not easy when you're trying to please everyone. When relationships falter and marriages crumble, Gemma's jobs start to disappear. What will she do if she can't pick up more work? At age 37 with no savings account and no other training, Gemma's in a fix.

A strange card reading tells her fortune and Gemma learns the man she's been searching for has been right there all along. Gemma realizes that When In Doubt, Add Butter is in reality her life mantra.

Highly, highly recommended and addictive for anyone who loves a breezy, romantic read. Grades 9-up. Sex, mature themes.

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

Summer Book Giveaway: YA Thriller: Quarantine

I have 5 FREE copies of this cool and gritty new ya read: Quarantine. If you loved  BZRK and ASHES, this new uber-cool ya novel is a great pick. It got a starred review in Booklist and was an Indie Next Pick. Kami Garcia, the author of Beautiful Creatures trilogy, says, “As original as The Hunger Games, set within the walls of a high school exactly like yours.” It’s super gritty and intense!

From the publisher:




"It was just another ordinary day at McKinley High—until a massive explosion devastated the school. When loner David Thorpe tried to help his English teacher to safety, the teacher convulsed and died right in front of him. And that was just the beginning.



A year later, McKinley has descended into chaos. All the students are infected with a virus that makes them deadly to adults. The school is under military quarantine. The teachers are gone. Violent gangs have formed based on high school social cliques. Without a gang, you’re as good as dead. And David has no gang. It’s just him and his little brother, Will, against the whole school.



In this frighteningly dark and captivating novel, Lex Thomas locks readers inside a school where kids don’t fight to be popular, they fight to stay alive."

Post a comment to the blog and include your first name, city, and state. Please include your email. I need your email to notify you in case your win! Winners chosen at random by Randomizer.

Deadline for posts is 12:00 noon on July 18. Winners will be notified by email on July 19 and have 24 hours to respond. Books will ship to winners from New York.

Good luck and start posting! Pamela

Series Pick: Num8ers: Infinity (book 3)

Numb8ers: 1f1n1ty(book 3, Num8ers series)
by Rachel Ward
Chicken House (Scholastic)
2012
256 pages
Hardcover May 1, 2012

Num8ers: 1nf1n1ty
paperback edition
Available June 1, 2012


Cryptic, chaotic, cutting, caustic, and uber-clever, 1nf1n1ty completes Rachel Ward's terrific and compelling dystopian trilogy.

It is after the chaos that destroyed the world as they knew it. There are no televisions, no computers, no screens or phones anymore. Ater the earthquake and years of fallout, people are just trying to survive the elements and find enough food and warm shelter. Hospitals and pharmacies have been raided; there is no medicine. If someone gets sick, it's likely a death sentence.

Adam and Sarah have been on the run and are avoiding big cities, dangerous gangs, and the corrupt government. Framed for a murder he didn't commit, Adam swears never to be captured or caged again;it looks like someone is searching for him now.

Adam becomes more and more paranoid, wanting to keep away from any other humans, fearing that they will hurt them, but Sarah convinces him to join another seemingly friendly group. When Sarah is captured by a paramilitary gang, Adam is forced to confront his worst fears.The numbers are everywhere and Adam sees them. He wishes to God he didn't, but he is the "prophet" who saw the end coming, the date of the end of the world as they knew it. For this, he is a savior to some, to some an entity to study.

When Mia's number is able to change, suddenly she becomes the target. Who is this miracle child? What is her secret? And how can science use her to create immortality? What if you could change your number? Would you kill for someone else's number? What would you do in order to live forever?

Told in alternating chapters by Sarah and Adam, the novel erupts into non-stop action that will have teen readers frantically turning pages in a frenzied race to the thrilling end. I was sorry when the trilogy ended; it left me wanting more, and I can certainly see where a second set of three books is possible.

Highly, highly recommended for dystopian fans and anyone who is following the series. This series offers a lot of food for thought--genetic engineering, medical and government ethics, corruption, chaos, and terrorism.

Grades 9-up. Language and mature situations.

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

LGBT Pick: The Letter Q: Queer Writers' Notes To Their Younger Selves

The Letter Q: Queer Writers' Notes To Their Younger Selves
Sarah Moon & James Lecesne, Editors
Arthur A. Levine Books
272 pages

Available May 1, 2012

Touching, poetic, provocative, and poignant, The Letter Q will resonate with hordes of teens; teens who feel left out, teens who are bullied, teens who bully to cover up deeper problems, teens with issues, and all those who feel they are outsiders looking in will find words of comfort in these pages.

This paramount book is bound to cause a cacophonous commotion in publishing and LGBT circles and among troubled/not so troubled teens. It is frank, in-your-face honesty written by the most prolific and talented authors of our time. Each author writes a letter to their younger self--what would you say to yourself if you could? Teens who feel left out and struggling with issues other than homosexuality will also love reading about famous people who were once young, emotional, and searching for answers just like themselves.

Letters from ya authors include David Levithan, Sarah Moon, Jacqueline Woodson, Amy Bloom and many other fine writers. Each author has a unique voice yet all seem to agree on one important fact: it gets better! Whatever angst, distrust, agony, fatigue, anger, hatred, self-loathing or just plain apathy you are feeling in school, the real world will embrace you and love you for who you are and who you will become. Words of wisdom from Michael Cunningham (author of The Hours), "Worry less. Love being exactly who and what you are...Have faith in the fact that your sexual identity, which sometimes seems to you like an impediment, is one of your greatest gifts."

From Jacqueline Woodson's (Locomotion, Beneath a Meth Moon) letter to her younger self, "I want to tell you, it gets better. There is a whole world of women like you out here. They are amazing! They are mothers and doctors and lawyers and actors and electricians and builders and thinkers and doers." I love how "mothers" is listed first!

From Terrance McNally (Tony Award winning writer), "You will grow up. Adolescence will be a distant, but always a vivid, memory."

From Larry Duplechan (Blackbird), "...take heart. Real life is nothing like high school...you'll get through it, I promise. You're stronger than you know; stronger than you'd ever dream. And don't worry: You won't be alone through this."

Their letters offer advice, sincere empathy, intense and raw emotion, and love. Love for their young, naive, fragile selves and for other young, naive and fragile readers.

Every parent who has a teen who is struggling should read this book and pass it on to their teen. It's not about sexuality and gender; it's about accepting one's self and loving one's own unique character.

Highly, highly recommended grades 9-up. Mature theme and situations. Some sexual references. LGBT.

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

Guy Pick: Cracked

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.