Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys

Published March 22, 2011 by Philomel Books
4 Stars

Goodreads Review
Lina is just like any other fifteen-year-old Lithuanian girl in 1941. She paints, she draws, she gets crushes on boys. Until one night when Soviet officers barge into her home, tearing her family from the comfortable life they've known. Separated from her father, forced onto a crowded and dirty train car, Lina, her mother, and her young brother slowly make their way north, crossing the Arctic Circle, to a work camp in the coldest reaches of Siberia. Here they are forced, under Stalin's orders, to dig for beets and fight for their lives under the cruelest of conditions.

Lina finds solace in her art, meticulously--and at great risk--documenting events by drawing, hoping these messages will make their way to her father's prison camp to let him know they are still alive. It is a long and harrowing journey, spanning years and covering 6,500 miles, but it is through incredible strength, love, and hope that Lina ultimately survives. Between Shades of Gray is a novel that will steal your breath and capture your heart.

Review:  Between Shades of Gray is an important book for people to read because it brings awareness to a side of World War II that doesn't get a lot of attention.  The atrocities that were committed in concentrations camps, as terrible as they were, were not the only crimes committed during the war and those victims weren't the only victims. 

I honestly had no idea what was happening in Lithuania and other eastern European countries until I read Between Shades of Gray.  The work camps in Russia were just as horrible as the concentration camps but their history is nowhere near as well know.  I think Between Shades of Gray tells the stories of the victims of tyrannical government gracefully and with care.  It doesn't exploit their pain but it doesn't sugar coat it either. 

I really loved all of the characters, but in particular I greatly admired Lina's mother.  She is so strong and sacrifices literally everything she has to try and make things a little bit easier for her children.  She is amazingly strong and I admired her bravery.

Between Shades of Gray is a book that needs to be taught in schools.  It's the kind of book that will open your eyes to the horrors that don't make it into history courses.  These are the kinds of stories that need to be heard so we can remember the victims and so we can prevent things like this from happening in the future. 

Paranormalcy by Kiersten White

#1 in the Paranormalcy series
Published August 31, 2010 by HarperTeen
3 Stars

Goodreads Review
Evie’s always thought of herself as a normal teenager, even though she works for the International Paranormal Containment Agency, her ex-boyfriend is a faerie, she’s falling for a shape-shifter, and she’s the only person who can see through paranormals’ glamours.

But Evie’s about to realize that she may very well be at the center of a dark faerie prophecy promising destruction to all paranormal creatures.

So much for normal.

Review:  Paranormalcy is very cutesy and a little cheesy but overall enjoyable.  I'd really give it a 3.4, but not quite enough to earn a 4 star round up.  The characters are fun but kind of annoying at times, the plot is interesting but rather predictable, and the writing is definitely geared toward the younger end of the YA spectrum.  

Evie, the main character, was equal parts obnoxious and endearing.  I loved that her taser had rhinestones all over it, but hated that she called it "tasey".  I loved her girly sense of style, but hot pink boots and a zebra dress?  Come on.  However, I think a character that starts off rather naive has a lot of room to grow.  I loved her friendship with Lish and I wish we could have gotten to know Lish better.  I understood Evie and her motivations and my inner 16 year old girl could totally related to her.

Lend, the love interest was also great.  I thought their relationship was really well done, it developed at a believable pace and I thought their interactions were really cute.  He definitely helped bring the overall rating up.  The romance was believable and it also isn't the main focus of the book, which I found really refreshing for a YA paranormal book. 

I did have some problems with the pacing of the story.  I thought the characters were kind of going in circles and I wish the special powers and the mystery were explained better.   I finished the novel with a lot of questions unanswered, and while I suspect they might be addressed in the next book in the series it wavered between cliffhanger and unsupported plotting. 

Overall I found Paranormalcy a fun read that will appeal to fans of Buffy the Vampire Slayer.  Paranormalcy is a spunky coming of age story with a lot of heart, I would definitely recommend it for your summer reading list.

Dr. Bird's Advice for Sad Poets by Evan Roskos

Published March 5, 2013 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
5 Stars

Goodreads Review
“I hate myself but I love Walt Whitman, the kook. Always positive. I need to be more positive, so I wake myself up every morning with a song of myself.”

Sixteen-year-old James Whitman has been yawping (à la Whitman) at his abusive father ever since he kicked his beloved older sister, Jorie, out of the house. James’s painful struggle with anxiety and depression—along with his ongoing quest to understand what led to his self-destructive sister’s exile—make for a heart-rending read, but his wild, exuberant Whitmanization of the world and keen sense of humor keep this emotionally charged debut novel buoyant.



Review:  Do you ever just randomly pick up a book without knowing much about it and it's just the perfect thing for your life? Well that's what happened for me. I wandered into the bookstore with the goal of just getting a coffee but then Dr Bird's caught my eye. I had no idea what it was about, but I saw the blurbs from Matthew Quick and Jesse Andrews and thought "I need to read this". 

Turns out Dr. Bird's is about a boy with depression and anxiety.   The synchronicity is rather freaky because I've suspected that I have depression for years but I've never really taken action to get some help, I've always tried to deal with it on my own. Dr. Bird's helped me realize that I cannot do it alone and I've started taking steps to find a therapist. I really appreciate this novel and the perfect timing in which it came into my life.

Do you ever just randomly pick up a book without knowing much about it and it's just the perfect thing for your life? Well that's what happened for me. I wandered into the bookstore with the goal of just getting a coffee but then Dr Bird's caught my eye. I had no idea what it was about, but I saw the blurbs from Matthew Quick and Jesse Andrews and thought "I need to read this". Turns out Dr. Bird's is about a boy with depression and anxiety. The synchronicity is rather freaky because I've suspec.

Also I need to read more Walt Whitman.

Sidenote:  I posted this review up on goodreads a few weeks ago and the author, Evan Roskos, took time to leave a very lovely comment on my review.  I wanted to thank him for the words of encouragement and for writing such a wonderful novel.

Blog Tour: Dance of Shadows by Yelena Black

 

Hello everyone and welcome to the Triple Threat Blog Tour hosted by Bloomsbury!  This stop is my review for the newly released debut, Dance of Shadows by Yelena Black. 

 

 

Published February 12, 2013 by Bloomsbury USA Children's Book

#1 in the Dance of Shadows series
egalley provided for review by netgalley
3 Stars


Goodreads Review
Dancing with someone is an act of trust. Elegant and intimate; you're close enough to kiss, close enough to feel your partner's heartbeat. But for Vanessa, dance is deadly – and she must be very careful who she trusts . . .

Vanessa Adler attends an elite ballet school – the same one her older sister, Margaret, attended before she disappeared. Vanessa feels she can never live up to her sister's shining reputation. But Vanessa, with her glorious red hair and fair skin, has a kind of power when she dances – she loses herself in the music, breathes different air, and the world around her turns to flames . . .

Soon she attracts the attention of three men: gorgeous Zep, mysterious Justin, and the great, enigmatic choreographer Josef Zhalkovsky. When Josef asks Vanessa to dance the lead in the Firebird, she has little idea of the danger that lies ahead – and the burning forces about to be unleashed . . .

Review:  I was really excited when I first found out about Dance of Shadows last summer.  I really love ballet stuff (Center Stage, Dance Academy, So You Think You Can Dance, even Dance Moms!) and I was really excited to see how the paranormal aspects would be woven into the ballet story.  While I think there were some really interested ideas in Dance of Shadows, I though they were presented in obvious and uninteresting ways.

Let me start of by thanking Bloomsbury and netgalley for the chance to read Dance of Shadows early and to participate in the blog tour, but unfortunately I don't have a lot of positive things to say.  The best part of Dance of Shadows is the cover, so be prepared.

I didn't think any of the characters were that memorable.  Vanessa, the main character is pretty oblivious throughout. She had this blind faith in certain characters but her relationships with them were never really all that developed so I didn't understand her devotion to them.  She also, and I hate to say this, was a bit of a mary sue (ugh that's so bad but it's true).  She doesn't want to be good at dance, she doesn't love it, but she's instantly the most special snowflake dancer.  Ballet is HARD AS BALLS.  Even the most naturally gifted dancers have to work their asses off, and frankly this book makes all of their dedication to the craft a bit of a joke.  She also instantly makes a ton of friends (who serve no other purpose other than being Vanessa's friends, they have no back story or anything else interesting going on) and instantly draws the attention of the hottest dancer in school (who is really a big jerk face but for some reason Vanessa is just in love with him for....reasons).  It's all just a little too easy for her in my opinion.

The other big issue I had was the pacing of the book.  The mystery was just dragged out at a snails pace for 70% of the book and then it was like all of a sudden they realized they were 300 pages in and nothing had really happened yet so the ending was a huge flux of information and crazy events that took place a ludicrous speed (almost went to plaid!).

 

Now, with all of that said, I still really liked this book.  I liked the premise and I really liked all the crazy stuff that happened at the end, I just wish the pacing was better and the characters were smarter.  I mean, how did NO ONE notice that so many ballet dancers were missing?  How did Elly or Chloe's parents not notice?  Whose parents don't call their teenaged daughter in months?  If it were my kid I'd be freaking the eff out.  While I was intrigued by the people and events that were hinted at for coming books in the series, I do think it could have all been completed in one book and not dragged out. 

Overall I thought Dance of Shadows had an interesting premise but poor delivery which may be the most disappointing type of novel.  I think with a lot more editing Dance of Shadows could have been really good.  Even though I had major issues with the book I was intrigued enough to want to read the sequel if one is published. 

Harbinger by Sara Wilson Etienne

Published February 2, 2012 by G.P. Putnam's Sons
2 stars

Goodreads Review
Girl, Interrupted meets Beautiful Creatures in this fast-paced thriller

When sixteen-year-old Faye arrives at Holbrook Academy, she doesn't expect to find herself exactly where she needs to be. After years of strange waking visions and nightmares, her only comfort the bones of dead animals, Faye is afraid she's going crazy. Fast.

But her first night at Holbrook, she feels strangely connected to the school and the island it sits on, like she's come home. She's even made her first real friends, but odd things keep happening to them. Every morning they wake on the floors of their dorm rooms with their hands stained red.

Faye knows she's the reason, but what does it all mean? The handsome Kel tries to help her unravel the mystery, but Faye is certain she can't trust him; in fact, he may be trying to kill her - and the rest of the world too.

Rich, compelling writing will keep the pages turning in this riveting and tautly told psychological thriller.

Review:  Harbinger had a lot of things going on.  I mean a LOT.  There were elements that were dystopian, paranormal, psychological thriller, or romance.  Unfortunately these ideas were not strung together well and gave Harbinger a disorderly and confusing plot.

Harbinger is set in a post apocalyptic type world, but because Faye is secluded in an institution type place, we only get hints at the dystopian world around her.  This would be ok if the action was only in Holbrook Academy, but the story eventually stretches to a world wide problem.  Because of the scope of the issues presented by the end of the book I really needed more information about the current government and social structure.  We just don't get enough information about what went wrong and what changed from today to bring the world to such a drastic situation.  I felt like there was a lot of interesting things there, but it was treated as common knowledge, which in a made up world doesn't really work.  Honestly I would have just shifted the setting to today's world because the story is about what is happening at the academy and all of this post apocalyptic stuff was just distracting.

I also found the characters to be really confusing.  There's some really unfortunate insta-love with Faye and this guy she meets named Kel.  It's that common trope of two people instantly knowing they are super special snowflakes the first time they meet.  I really don't like relationships like that in books, I much prefer the slow burn of a relationship that takes a whole book to develop.  I find the payoff much more satisfying.  (Plus it's never a good sign when the romance happening between two side characters is more charming than the main love interests.)

I felt like there was a lot of potential with Harbinger.  The mystery was intriguing and suspense was built well throughout the first half of the novel.  However there are just too many different story threads that aren't pulled together neatly.  Harbinger would have definitely benefited from a stronger editor who could have narrowed down the scope of the book to just the elements that are essential to the plot and cut the rest out. 

On a brighter note, there was some really fantastic marketing when the book came out and artists were commissioned to create different scenes from the book.  I think this is a bang up idea and I wish more books would do stuff like this.  Some of these turned out quite lovely, which I think is proof that there is potential with this book in terms of creativity.  Below are some of my favorites, but check out all of the art here.

(c) Mary Etienne

(c) Andrea Offermann

(c) Andrew Mitchell

The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting

#1 in The Body Finder series
Published March 16, 2010 by HarperTeen
4 Stars

Goodreads Review
Violet Ambrose is grappling with two major issues: Jay Heaton and her morbid secret ability. While the sixteen-year-old is confused by her new feelings for her best friend since childhood, she is more disturbed by her "power" to sense dead bodies—or at least those that have been murdered. Since she was a little girl, she has felt the echoes that the dead leave behind in the world... and the imprints that attach to their killers.

Violet has never considered her strange talent to be a gift; it mostly just led her to find the dead birds her cat had tired of playing with. But now that a serial killer has begun terrorizing her small town, and the echoes of the local girls he's claimed haunt her daily, she realizes she might be the only person who can stop him.

Despite his fierce protectiveness over her, Jay reluctantly agrees to help Violet on her quest to find the murderer—and Violet is unnerved to find herself hoping that Jay's intentions are much more than friendly. But even as she's falling intensely in love, Violet is getting closer and closer to discovering a killer... and becoming his prey herself.

Review:  The body finder has a really interesting premise that I thoroughly enjoyed.  I really liked the idea of the echos, how they worked and how they helped Violet solve the murders.  For me they were a unique concept that really added to the suspense of the mystery. 

Violet was a fairly likable main character in general, even if she is obsessively boy crazy.  I mean, I know most 16 year old girls are obsessively boy crazy, but Violet was taking it to a new level.  The teenager angst was a little too heavy for my taste, and I would have preferred more murder and mayhem, and less high school drama.  (though I have to admit the kissing scenes were pretty great, Derting knows how to write sexual tension (comeone adult romance novel!))

Speaking of murder and mayhem, I really loved the serial killer!  Some of the chapters were written from his perspective and they were FREAKY!  I really loved these chapters beacuse they were perfectly timed and added a lot of great suspense to the story. I was really surprised by some of the plot twists and had absolutely no idea about the killer's identity, so that's a pretty good sign of a good mystery in my book!

Overall The Body Finder is a really cool start to this unique murder mystery series.  I'm really curious to see what kind of bad guy will show up in the next book, Desires of the Dead.  The title hints that maybe there will be more ghosty happenings?  Who knows, but I'm really excited to find out!

Velveteen by Daniel Marks

#1 in the Velveteen series
Pubished October 9, 2012 by Delacorte
egalley for review from netgalley
5 stars
DAC 2012

Goodreads Review
Velveteen Monroe is dead. At 16, she was kidnapped and murdered by a madman named Bonesaw. But that's not the problem.

The problem is she landed in purgatory. And while it's not a fiery inferno, it's certainly no heaven. It's gray, ashen, and crumbling more and more by the day, and everyone has a job to do. Which doesn't leave Velveteen much time to do anything about what's really on her mind.

Bonesaw.

Velveteen aches to deliver the bloody punishment her killer deserves. And she's figured out just how to do it. She'll haunt him for the rest of his days.
It'll be brutal . . . and awesome.

But crossing the divide between the living and the dead has devastating consequences. Velveteen's obsessive haunting cracks the foundations of purgatory and jeopardizes her very soul. A risk she's willing to take—except fate has just given her reason to stick around: an unreasonably hot and completely off-limits coworker.

Velveteen can't help herself when it comes to breaking rules . . . or getting revenge. And she just might be angry enough to take everyone down with her. 

Review:  You guys.  Velveteen is freaking AWESOME.  FOR REALZ.  This is probably my #1 most anticipated book of 2012, and I know this book doesn't come out until October, and of course I have it already pre-ordered, but I could not resist reading it as soon as it landed in my Kindle (thanks netgalley!!!!).  And Velveteen does not disappoint.  If you guys watch Danny's youtube channel (and you should, shame on you if you don't!) you know he is sarcastic, intelligent, eclectic, and a little bit creepy (and I mean that in the most admiration filled way possible) and this is exactly what you get with Velveteen. 

The very best thing about this book is the main character, Velvet.  She is fan-freaking-tastic.  Of course I love her snarky and rude attitude that's wrapped in a bad ass goth exterior, but Velvet is SO MUCH MORE than that.  This character is deep, yo.  She's gone through some hardcore trauma and even though she acts all tough, I think she's a lot more wounded than she wants to admit (and you would be too if some sadist tortured you to death!).

I wanted to mention the world building too.  I absolutely LOVED this interpretation of purgatory.  The descriptions of purgatory aren't just descriptions, they're brush strokes.  Seriously, Marks has one of the best vocabularies in YA literature.  His writing is SO creative and descriptive.  I found myself googling a lot of stuff just so I could get a clearer visual in my head, and I almost never bother to do that.

Photo Credit

This is a nutmeg grater.  You're welcome for that visual.

There are a few things I wanted to change about the story.  I really wanted more Bonesaw!  I really liked that character and I liked how Velvet reacted to him and I wanted more.  It honestly felt like two books were being shoved together, and sadly my preferred story got neglected.  (side note, when I read this back in April the synopsis made it seem a lot darker and a lot more of a revenge story, it has since changed to better reflect the actual story within which I think was a really smart move. The original synopsis would disappoint people who were looking for a horror book and got PNR and scare away people looking for an urban fantasy or paranormal story.)

I also could have done without Nick all together to be honest.  I guess he was there to help bring out Velvet's soft nougat center or whatever, but he felt very one dimensional and kind of a crutch.  I would have rather seen Velvet deal with her demons on her own. 

All in all I really loved this book, but more so I really loved Danny's writing.  I am extremely excited for whatever project he puts out next, be it another Velveteen book or something completely new.  You KNOW I will be reading it!

Butter by Erin Jade Lange

Published September 18, 2012 by Bloomsbury
egalley for review from netgalley
4 stars
DAC

Goodreads Review
A lonely obese boy everyone calls "Butter" is about to make history. He is going to eat himself to death—live on the Internet—and everyone is invited to watch. When he first makes the announcement online to his classmates, Butter expects pity, insults, and possibly sheer indifference. What he gets are morbid cheerleaders rallying around his deadly plan. Yet as their dark encouragement grows, it begins to feel a lot like popularity. And that feels good. But what happens when Butter reaches his suicide deadline? Can he live with the fallout if he doesn’t go through with his plans? With a deft hand, E.J. Lange allows readers to identify with both the bullies and the bullied in this all-consuming look at one teen’s battle with himself.

Review:  Butter is the story of an obese boy looking for acceptance and normalcy.  It's a story about how tough high school can be if you aren't perceived as one of the perfect popular crowd.

I could completely relate to Butter and his struggle with depression, self loathing, and his addiction to food.  I think that people try and self medicate in a lot of different ways, and for a lot of people food is their security blanket.  It's what they turn to when they are sad, lonely, bored, or scared.  Butter just wants acceptance, I think he's afraid to allow himself to be happy.  He eats to create a literal barrier between himself and other people because he's afraid to let people in.  His weight stops people from trying and he doesn't have to worry that they might get to know him and not like him for who he his, not just his appearance. 

I've read some reviews that say that Butter's classmate's reaction to his suicide plan as unrealistic.  Well, I disagree.  Maybe I have less faith in today's youth but it wasn't long ago that I was in high school and I could totally see my classmates egging people on.  I was an outcast too, and I could completely see someone doing anything to get the popular crowd's attention, and in turn the popular crowd taking full advantage of that. 

Butter is an extremely difficult book to read, and I think it will strike a deep chord with any person who as ever felt desperate to fit in.  It is equal parts heart warming and breaking, but handles some extremely sensitive topics with care and grace.

Graceling by Kristen Cashore

#1 in the Graceling Realm series
Published October 2008 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
5 Stars

Goodreads Review
Katsa has been able to kill a man with her bare hands since she was eight—she’s a Graceling, one of the rare people in her land born with an extreme skill. As niece of the king, she should be able to live a life of privilege, but Graced as she is with killing, she is forced to work as the king’s thug.     When she first meets Prince Po, Graced with combat skills, Katsa has no hint of how her life is about to change. She never expects to become Po’s friend. She never expects to learn a new truth about her own Grace—or about a terrible secret that lies hidden far away . . . a secret that could destroy all seven kingdoms with words alone.

     With elegant, evocative prose and a cast of unforgettable characters, debut author Kristin Cashore creates a mesmerizing world, a death-defying adventure, and a heart-racing romance that will consume you, hold you captive, and leave you wanting more.

Review:  Graceling is hands down one of the best examples of YA high fantasy I've ever read.  It is action packed, well thought out, and never got static or predictable.  There is a great foundation set in the world building that really allows the characters to shine. 

I really believe that good high fantasy is based on good geography;.  When you write high fantasy, you're creating an entire new world, and how that world works is based upon their geography.  Coastal countries should have port cities, colder regions can trade furs and game, warmer regions grains and fruits. There are going to be areas that have better advantages in war because of a river placement or a mountain range.  There are going to be different cultures, economies, governments, religions, and dialects, and can get very confusing all on its own even without adding in a magical element.  I think Graceling handles all of these elements well while still keeping it simple enough for younger readers.

I also really enjoyed the main characters, Katsa and Po.  I loved the growth that Katsa goes through and I like how their relationship develops.  I LOVE how Katsa takes charge of her life and decides that she will have lovers without marriage.  In medieval settings it's rare to find a woman who is open about this kind of sexual arrangement and who really takes control of her life (I'm thinking of the women in Game of Thrones) which makes Katsa even that more refreshing in the fantasy genre.  I also loved Po.  I thought he was what a YA love interest should be, supportive, understanding, and a hottie (that goes without saying though).  Po isn't perfect, he has his own insecurities and short comings, but he never tries to dominate Katsa and I really like the dynamic the two have (plus Cashore doesn't sky away from the sexy times which is AWESOME).

Overall Graceling is everything that everyone has been telling me, exciting, interesting, intelligent, and totally awesome.  I highly recommend this novel as one of the best high fantasy novels in the YA genre.

Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

#1 in the Grisha Trilogy
Published June 5, 2012 by Henry Holt and Co.
4/5 Stars

Goodreads Review
Surrounded by enemies, the once-great nation of Ravka has been torn in two by the Shadow Fold, a swath of near impenetrable darkness crawling with monsters who feast on human flesh. Now its fate may rest on the shoulders of one lonely refugee. 

Alina Starkov has never been good at anything. But when her regiment is attacked on the Fold and her best friend is brutally injured, Alina reveals a dormant power that saves his life—a power that could be the key to setting her war-ravaged country free. Wrenched from everything she knows, Alina is whisked away to the royal court to be trained as a member of the Grisha, the magical elite led by the mysterious Darkling. 

Yet nothing in this lavish world is what it seems. With darkness looming and an entire kingdom depending on her untamed power, Alina will have to confront the secrets of the Grisha…and the secrets of her heart.

Review:  Shadow and Bone is really hard to rate and review. It was nothing like what I expected, which is good and bad. There were many aspects that I found extremely frustrating and unoriginal, but even with my grievances I could not put this book down. Shadow and Bone was a read until 2am, sneak pages during work, and walk around doing everything one handed because it is just that compelling kind of a book. 

The story of Shadow and Bone starts off totally awesome, but then slides into very typical YA fare. There are mean girls and boarding school antics and a sexy dark mysterious hottie OMG!!!! It was so frustrating because there is a very interesting foundation for Shadow and Bone but it is just buried under trite YA carp. The story does turn back to the awesome later on, but the aspects of the story that lead our character to make changes felt forced and extremely convenient. 

The main character Alina has a bit of a Bella Swan syndrome. She is told she is special, she has a destiny, but she just constantly denies it because the magical Grisha are “beautiful and striking” where Alina is “plain and awkward.” It’s definitely a case of “I’m so ugly, I’m so plain, there’s no way I’m special!” mentality which is completely annoying. And of course the first thing they do to her is give her a super magical makeover! Too much time is spent focusing on physical attributes that ultimately give very little to the overall story. 

I also had some pretty major issues with parts of the writing. Alina and her friends sounded like modern American teenagers. They say things like "you guys" and "you're crazy" and "that's his problem" and other expressions that modernize the narrative and took me out of the story. In my opinion, when you write a fantasy that has a historical feeling to it, you can't use modern expressions or culturally specific ones that don't match the culture of the characters. 

Speaking of culture, I know that this is just based on Russian history and the author has taken creative liberties (obviously, there's magic and whatnot) but the basic linguistic structure should still be the same. Doing research to make sure you don't completely change the definition of an existing word or name a girl the Russian equivalent of "Kevin" is really important, and I feel like this did not happen.

Also I think when you write different cultures with different languages, anyone from the same country should have the same speaking style (ie Baghra speech is broken, but as far as we know she was born and raised in the same country as Alina, who speaks perfectly. Botkin, being from a different country, is ok speaking in broken English because he wouldn't be fluent in their native tongue). I realize this is more of me nitpicking, but I really liked where the author was going, it just didn’t quite get there for me.

Now based on this review you might think that I would be giving Shadow and Bone a two or even one star rating. I chose to give it a four star rating because even with all of my complaints, I still really enjoyed this book. Despite its faults Shadow and Bone is completely enthralling and has so much potential to grow. I think a lot rides on the second book of the series, but I’m really hoping the author will take the fantastic history and word she has built and leave the overdone plot devices behind. 

Starters by Lissa Price

#1 in the Starters series
Published March 13, 2012 by Delacorte Books
egalley for review from netgalley
2 Stars
DAC 2012

Goodreads Review
HER WORLD IS CHANGED FOREVER

Callie lost her parents when the Spore Wars wiped out everyone between the ages of twenty and sixty. She and her little brother, Tyler, go on the run, living as squatters with their friend Michael and fighting off renegades who would kill them for a cookie. Callie's only hope is Prime Destinations, a disturbing place in Beverly Hills run by a mysterious figure known as the Old Man.

He hires teens to rent their bodies to Enders—seniors who want to be young again. Callie, desperate for the money that will keep her, Tyler, and Michael alive, agrees to be a donor. But the neurochip they place in Callie's head malfunctions and she wakes up in the life of her renter, living in her mansion, driving her cars, and going out with a senator's grandson. It feels almost like a fairy tale, until Callie discovers that her renter intends to do more than party—and that Prime Destinations' plans are more evil than Callie could ever have imagined...

Review:  I began Starters with high hopes.  It has a striking cover and a very interesting premise.  However as I read more I became increasingly disappointed.  See, I love dystopian, when it makes scientific sense.  That's the key phrase, but sadly Starters's world building was under developed which really detracted from my reading experience. 

The world building gave me the same problems that I had with Lauren DeStefano's Wither.  I don't understand the age principle used as the crux of the story.  It doesn't make sense that the youngest and oldest would get vaccinated first.  The richest and most important would.  It's not age so much as status and power.  I find it extremely hard to believe that important military, political, economic, and medical personal wouldn't get vaccinated before some 100 year old grandma.  I also found it very difficult to believe that since EVERY child in America (or maybe the whole world, that wasn't clear) became an orphan at the same time that any kid who didn't happen to have living grandparents would be forced to live on the street or sent to what is basically a prison.  I mean, it's every single child, the future of the country.  I don't believe the enders who are now running the country wouldn't set up some sort of care system that would raise the orphans to be productive members of society. 


The other problem I had was the first 75% of the book.  It has a promising start, but then quickly fell into the oh so common YA dystopian trap of thinly veiled girls in pretty dresses meeting cute boys.  And the middle chunk of this book dragged.  I just couldn't care about the night clubs, costumes, or parties.  The book did pick up in the final 25% and I think that if I had cared more about the characters I could have really enjoyed the ending.  However even parts of that felt rushed and just too convenient.


I think my biggest frustration is I loved half the premise and was really annoyed by the other half.  I loved reading about Callie's body being taken over and how she tries to figure out what is going on with Prime Destinations.  I liked the conspiracy theory and there were some great plot twists that I didn't see coming.  I just really disliked the world building that puts the characters in their situations.  Now, I did read an egalley, so there is a great chance this book has gone through another round of editing that could smooth out some of the rushed and unsupported parts, but for me Starters was a book with great potential that focused too much on trivial details.

The Miseducation of Cameron Post by Emily M. Danforth

Published February 7, 2012 by Balzer + Bray
5 Stars
DAC 2012

Goodreads Review
When Cameron Post’s parents die suddenly in a car crash, her shocking first thought is relief. Relief she’ll never have to tell them that, hours earlier, she had been kissing a girl. 

But that relief soon turns to heartbreak, as Cam is forced to move in with her conservative aunt Ruth. She knows that from this point on, her life will forever be different. Survival in Miles City, Montana, means blending in and not making waves, and Cam becomes an expert at this—especially at avoiding any questions about her sexuality.

Then Coley Taylor moves to town. Beautiful pickup-driving Coley is a perfect cowgirl with the perfect boyfriend to match. To Cam’s surprise, she and Coley become best friends—while Cam secretly dreams of something more. Just as that starts to seem like a real possibility, her secret is exposed. Ultrareligious Aunt Ruth takes drastic action to “fix” her niece, bringing Cam face-to-face with the cost of denying her true self—even if she’s not quite sure who that is.

The Miseducation of Cameron Post is a stunning and unforgettable literary debut about discovering who you are and finding the courage to live life according to your own rules.


Review:  This is by far the best book I have ever read on Christianity and homosexuality. I was thoroughly impressed with how the author handled this very touchy subject.  There is no moral of the story crammed down your throat, no secret agenda. It's a story of a girl dealing with the loss of her parents while on the brink of womanhood, and it is told beautifully, honestly, and lovingly.  


One of the aspects of The Miseducation of Cameron Post that I have to comment on is the writing style.  It is a lot more like adult literary fiction than YA, but for this type of story it works well.  The writing could have easily overpowered the story, making it feel heavy handed and slow to read, but Danforth does an excellent job painting a complete picture.  It's easy to get completely submerged in her writing.


I really appreciated how honestly Danforth handled Cameron's sexuality.  Nothing about it was overdone, it was understated and shy and exactly what so many kids go through when they get their first crush.  Straight or gay, I could completely related to the confusion and excitement of young love.  


I also really liked how the Christian characters weren't one dimensional villains.  I think it could have been very easy to make these characters judgmental and cruel, but instead I could understand where they were coming from.  I wanted to hate Ruth, Rick, and Lydia, but I understood those characters and realized that in their mind they were trying to help Cameron and her classmates.  It's fairly obvious that they weren't very successful with their methods, but Danforth doesn't outright condemn them either.  It is possible for good people to do very bad things without realizing it.


Overall The Miseducation of Cameron Post is a fantastic addition to the growing LGBT themed books in the YA community.  It shows how sexuality isn't a black or white issue and I hope it will raise awareness that people are people first, and their sexuality and religion second.  This is a fantastic book for parents and teachers to start a dialogue about tolerance for different sexualities.  

Bad Taste in Boys by Carrie Harris

#1 in Kate Grable series
Published July 12, 2011 by Delacorte Press
4 Stars - DAC 2011


Goodreads Review
Someone's been a very bad zombie.

Kate Grable is horrified to find out that the football coach has given the team steroids. Worse yet, the steroids are having an unexpected effect, turning hot gridiron hunks into mindless flesh-eating zombies. No one is safe--not her cute crush Aaron, not her dorky brother, Jonah . . . not even Kate!

She's got to find an antidote--before her entire high school ends up eating each other. So Kate, her best girlfriend, Rocky, and Aaron stage a frantic battle to save their town. . . and stay hormonally human.

Review:  Let me start off by saying I freaking LOVE zombies.  They're my favorite horror genre, and I am very protective of them.  I'll pretty much read or watch anything that has to do with zombies, but I'm also extremely critical.  With that said, Bad Taste in Boys is a super cute zombie read (how often do you get to say that?).  I'd say it's more of a middle grade book that is great for kids who want to read a zombie book but don't want to read anything too scary. 

There are lots of cliches and over-the-top dramatics, but I still really enjoyed this book.  I think if you go into Bad Taste in Boys wanting a serious and scientific book you will be sadly disappointed.  I'm surprised I liked it as much as I did because I am usually a huge stickler for proper science in a zombie novel.  I would recommend taking this book for what it is, fun and light hearted.  Don't try and read too much into it or think too hard about how ridiculous the science is.  Just go with it.

Overall Bad Taste in boys is a silly little zombie romp.  Definitely more Shaun of the Dead then Dawn of the Dead.  There are some great quotes from the book, and one of my favorites is “Excuse me if I feel skeptical,' I said. 'Coach's foot fell off. How exactly do you propose to cure that? Superglue?”.  LOL! 

Bad Taste in Boys is the first in a series, with the second book Bad Hair Day set to come out November 2012.  I will definitely be reading the next one!

Fracture by Megan Miranda

Published January 17, 2012 by Walker Childrens
5 Stars
DAC 2012

Goodreads Review
Eleven minutes passed before Delaney Maxwell was pulled from the icy waters of a Maine lake by her best friend Decker Phillips. By then her heart had stopped beating. Her brain had stopped working. She was dead. And yet she somehow defied medical precedent to come back seemingly fine-despite the scans that showed significant brain damage. Everyone wants Delaney to be all right, but she knows she's far from normal. Pulled by strange sensations she can't control or explain, Delaney finds herself drawn to the dying. Is her altered brain now predicting death, or causing it?

Then Delaney meets Troy Varga, who recently emerged from a coma with similar abilities. At first she's reassured to find someone who understands the strangeness of her new existence, but Delaney soon discovers that Troy's motives aren't quite what she thought. Is their gift a miracle, a freak of nature-or something much more frightening?

For fans of best-sellers like Before I Fall and If I Stay, this is a fascinating and heart-rending story about love and friendship and the fine line between life and death.

Review:  Fracture was a great book for me.  I had been in a reading slump for a couple of weeks and this was the perfect book to draw me out.  This book was so well written, I just had to keep reading to find out what happened next!  Also, Fracture incorporates my favorite musical, Les Miserables, so it automatically gets about a million stars for that.

The mystery aspects of Fracture were really well done.  The pacing was excellent.  Facts were revealed at a good pace that kept me guessing but not frustrated.  Everything in this story adds to the mystery.  Even with the romance, the book never strayed from the main genre.  Speaking of the romance, I really enjoyed that too.  Even though there were some moments where I was yelling "just talk to each other!  Stop being so stupid!" I really cared about Decker and Delaney.  But man were they stupid sometimes!  

One thing about Fracture that I really appreciated was the fact that while Delaney's abilities were presented in a paranormal way, it never actually became a paranormal book.  There were scientific explanations for everything that happened and I found that to be very refreshing.  I kind of wish that there  was a little more explanation about what actually causes her abilities (not just something weird in her brain), but it's not a huge deal.  Not knowing adds to the suspense, it's just that my science-y mind would like to know.   


Overall Fracture is an excellent mystery that, while short, is perfectly paced and will keep you guessing.  Fracture is a stellar debut and I recommend it for anyone looking for a spooky mystery with a great twist and a very well thought out ending.

The Butterfly Clues by Kate Ellison

Published February 14, 2012 by EgmontUSA
egalley for review from netgalley
3 stars
DAC 2012

Goopdreads Review
Penelope (Lo) Marin has always loved to collect beautiful things. Her dad's consulting job means she's grown up moving from one rundown city to the next, and she's learned to cope by collecting (sometimes even stealing) quirky trinkets and souvenirs in each new place--possessions that allow her to feel at least some semblance of home.
 
But in the year since her brother Oren's death, Lo's hoarding has blossomed into a full-blown, potentially dangerous obsession. She discovers a beautiful, antique butterfly pendant during a routine scour at a weekend flea market, and recognizes it as having been stolen from the home of a recently murdered girl known only as "Sapphire"--a girl just a few years older than Lo. As usual when Lo begins to obsess over something, she can't get the murder out of her mind.

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

Review:  I wanted to start off this review by saying that while I gave this book three stars, I read an advance galley so I think the finished copy will be more of a 4 star book.  There are certain things that will probably be edited up a bit (mostly some support to characters that may not show up a lot but are important to the story).  However as it was The Butterfly Clues was still an excellent murder mystery that, while not really all that surprising, was still very suspenseful and enjoyable to read.

The Butterfly Clues is first and foremost a book about OCD.  The author does a, well, intense job of describing what it's like to have OCD.  It is on every single page, for better or worse.  When the consistent need to touch, take, and tap is done well, it adds SO MUCH anxiety and tension to the murder mystery.  It's like, imagine not being able to escape a dangerous situation because you HAD to tap your leg nine times before you went through a doorway, or you HAD jump over every crack in the sidewalk or you'd HAVE to go back and start over, even if someone was chasing you!  There were times where I just had to take a break from reading because I was getting so freaked out!  But then there were times where the OCD was just there because it had to be, but didn't do anything to move the plot forward.  Those scenes were painfully slow to read. 

I really liked Sapphire as a character, even though we never get to actually meet her.  I don't want to give away the plot (even though I found it to be pretty predictable, as in I guessed everything from about page 60 or so) but I liked who she was and what ultimately happened to her.  I found her relationship to Lo a little convenient, but still very interesting.  

There is one other thing I didn't like, and I think this is just personal preference.  What is up with the idea that homeless = artsy?  Where exactly does this kid get the money to pay for art supplies?  I had a really hard time believing a person like Flynt really exists.  Maybe that's because I am too grounded in my need for security.  I could never just be an artist and "live off the land" Chris McCandless style.  I think if more background to how Flynt survived had been given I would have enjoyed his character more.  As he was I pretty much rolled my eyes every time he used his art to be all mysterious and sexy.

Overall The Butterfly Clues is an intense murder mystery (that doesn't have any paranormal aspects to it, thank God!) that uses OCD to create extremely suspenseful situations for the main character.  Lo is a unique character that has some major flaws, but you can't help but love and root for anyway.  I recommend The Butterfly Clues to anyone who enjoys murder mysteries or books about mental illness (or books with beautiful covers!).

Cinder by Marissa Meyer

#1 in the Lunar Chronicles
Published January 3, 2012 by Feiwel & Friends
5 Stars
DAC 2012

Goodreads Review
Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl. . . . 

Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future. 

In this thrilling debut young adult novel, the first of a quartet, Marissa Meyer introduces readers to an unforgettable heroine and a masterfully crafted new world that’s enthralling.


Review:  I know it's barely into 2012, but I already think that Cinder will be one of my favorites of the year. I've read a lot of fairytale re-tellings, but never one quite like this.  There's not just one thing about Cinder that makes it so awesome.  The setting, the characters, the twists, the writing style, and so much more all add to this unique reading experience. 

Let's talk characters.  Cinder is fantastic.  She is one of the best heroine's I've ever read.  I love how she faces prejudices against her and still tries to take charge of her own life.  She's her own person and makes her own decisions.  Some of the things that are said and done to her by her "family"are absolutely horrible, but that only makes Cinder more determined.  It's not just Cinder that's an awesome character though.  I really LOVED all of the supporting cast.  Iko, Cinder's robot BFF, is adorable and HILARIOUS.  Cinder and Iko together were some of the cutest parts of the book.  I also really liked (and hated) the evil stepmother and sister.  I think Meyer did an excellent job with these two characters because, while they are still evil beyotches, I understood WHY the were evil beyotches.  They were just flat "bad guys" they had their own motivations and reasoning behind their actions.  

Let's also talk Prince Kai for a minute.  Prince Kai is dreamy and funny with great interaction with Cinder.  I really liked how we also get to read some chapters from his perspective.  Not only does this give us valuable information about the overall story, but we also get to see Kai's struggles.  He's trying to come to terms with his father dying and the fact that he will be the next emperor, which is a huge responsibility at any time, let alone when his country is precariously close to war with a much stronger nation.

I absolutely loved the futuristic setting, AND the fact that it was set in future China!  I've been to China, so I really enjoyed reading her interpretation of how China would have evolved.

Proof!  I'm in the red coat, and yes that really is the great wall behind me.

 Cinder is an excellent start to the series.  There are going to be 3 more books, and each one is going to be a re-telling of a different fairy tale.  They are Scarlet (2013) - Little Red Riding Hood, Cress (2014) - Rapunzel, and Winter (2015) - Snow White.  This is really encouraging because in Cinder there are plenty of questions that still need to be answered, in particular with the Lunars and their evil "queen".  

In all honestly, I haven't been this excited about a book in a long time.  While I don't think I'm doing nearly a good enough job at expressing just why I love this book so much, I hope you all will look past my inadequate ramblings and just buy the book.  You won't regret it. 

Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake

#1 in the Anna series
Published on August 30, 2011 by Tor Teen
5 Stars
DAC 2011

Goodreads Review
Cas Lowood has inherited an unusual vocation: He kills the dead.

So did his father before him, until he was gruesomely murdered by a ghost he sought to kill. Now, armed with his father's mysterious and deadly athame, Cas travels the country with his kitchen-witch mother and their spirit-sniffing cat. Together they follow legends and local lore, trying to keep up with the murderous dead—keeping pesky things like the future and friends at bay.

When they arrive in a new town in search of a ghost the locals call Anna Dressed in Blood, Cas doesn't expect anything outside of the ordinary: track, hunt, kill. What he finds instead is a girl entangled in curses and rage, a ghost like he's never faced before. She still wears the dress she wore on the day of her brutal murder in 1958: once white, now stained red and dripping with blood. Since her death, Anna has killed any and every person who has dared to step into the deserted Victorian she used to call home.

But she, for whatever reason, spares Cas's life.

Review:  Anna Dressed in Blood is an excellent and creepy ghost story that is sure to thrill readers.  It's a perfect book for the Halloween season.  This mystery is excellent for anyone interested in ghosts and their motivations for haunting and how the living can help them.

I seriously loved everything about this book.  First off, the title is perfect.  Man I love a good title.  Also the setting is fantastic.  The descriptions of Anna's house is so freaky and just the perfect place to be haunted.  It really adds to the mystery of the whole story, and I really liked the history of the house.  The house is even more scary once you learn what happens in the house while people were still alive.

I also really liked Blake's writing style.  The pacing of the book is very well done.  The way the mystery unravels never feels forced nor predictable.  I was constantly guessing what was going to happen next, and in a mystery/thriller that is a MUST.  If I can guess what's going to happen within the first 50 pages you're doing it wrong.  I really enjoyed the humor in this book as well.  It's subtle and well placed.  The overall tone of the book is firmly on the dark side, but the instances of lightness really help maintain my interest in the book.  

The other thing that I really appreciated was the Wiccan and witchcraft aspect of the book.  Cas's mom is a pagan who does things like cleanse tools used to hunt ghosts, purifies their home and casts protection spells, and creates candles, herbal mixes, and other items that are infused with a specific intention that are sold online and at various metaphysical shops.  What I loved about this is the fact that what Cas's mom does IS REAL WITCHCRAFT.  This is what real witches do.  They don't fly or turn into cats or shoot lasers of the their eyes (oh wait that was x-men).  I loved how the witchcraft in Anna never goes into the made up "Hollywood" witchcraft that is in pretty much every book about witches ever.  It's real, and I loved it.  

I'm very excited there's going to be another book because I am not ready to let go of Anna and Cas.  The ending of Anna Dressed in Blood is exciting, suspenseful, and fairly cliff-hangery so I definitely want to read more.  

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

#1 in the Mara Dyer series
Published September 27, 2011 by Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing
3 stars
DAC 2011


Goodreads Review
Mara Dyer doesn't think life can get any stranger than waking up in a hospital with no memory of how she got there.

It can.

She believes there must be more to the accident she can't remember that killed her friends and left her mysteriously unharmed.

There is.

She doesn't believe that after everything she's been through, she can fall in love.

She's wrong.


Review:  This book was a major disappointment for me, and this review may get a bit ranty but I'll try and reign it in.  Now, I'm not saying that it was bad or poorly written.  But I was expecting an exciting and fresh murder mystery/ghost story, and what I got was an overdone and tired paranormal romance.  It's not a poorly written paranormal romance, but it was unoriginal.  People who liked Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick will really enjoy this.  I think if I had read this book in January or February, which is when I first started reading YA, I would have absolutely loved this book.  However I feel like I've read way too many YA books that go down the same road TUoMD did. 


This book divides into two parts for me.  The first part is a ghosty murder mystery where we don't know what is going on with Mara and it full of WTF moments (it's the part I really loved) and the second part falls into the stereotypical paranormal romance.  That's when TUoMD lost a lot of appeal for me.  It became predictable and I started to care less and less about the characters because the focus shifted from an awesome mystery to a boring romance. 

I'll start with the things I liked.  I loved the mystery around why Mara was in the hospital, what happened to her friends, and what the hell is currently going on.  I loved all of the scary stuff that happened and I wanted so much more of that.  When this book is good, it's damn good.  Which is why it was so frustrating too.  I don't understand why this book couldn't have been a paranormal mystery or even horror book.  It had SO much potential and great marketing.  I also LOVE the cover, it's so cool and mysterious. 

I had problems with the ending, mostly because I had a very hard time understanding what was going on.  I have pretty good reading comprehension skills and I found myself re-reading paragraphs because I was trying to understand what was happening.  Now, part of this was probably because I finished the book at around 3am, but it also was the unclear writing.  I think this was partially due to the fact that the story hadn't focused on the mystery for so long that at the end when it tried to go back to that it was underdeveloped. 

The other parts that I had an issue with was how the relationship was handled and how the friendships developed (or didn't).  Mara made a friend at school but he really seemed like a device to introduce Noah, the love interest, and once that relationship had started he was unceremoniously dumped from the story.  This pissed me off.  I hate it when romance=no other character is important in the MC's life.  I kept expecting the friend to make another appearance, but he never did.  He was just gone.  The romantic relationship between Mara and Noah was very Twilight-y.  Noah was too perfect (hot, smart, rich as balls) and Mara was too insecure about him and  her feelings.  And then the paranormal aspect of Noah was also too convenient.  It literally was like "oh, you have magic powers? I have magic powers!  What a coincidence!"  Their whole relationship and the plot devices used to move their relationship were frustrating, illogical, and too perfect to be realistic.

The final issue I had is a minor one that I didn't like but many people may, and that's the writing style used to create humor in conversations.  I know the author was trying to be amusing and teenager-y but it came across as too crude for my taste (and that's saying something because I'm a pretty crude person).  There were just too many immature boner jokes and sexual innuendos that didn't really fit with the voices of the characters nor the overall tone of the book.

Now, don't let this review get you down.  I still really enjoyed this book, even with all of the complaints I have.  I think I feel this way because I was hoping for something amazing, and what I got was a story I'd already read in 20 other books.  Many people will love TUoMD, I just wasn't one of them.