Winger by Andrew Smith

Published May 14, 2013 by Simon and Schuster
5 Stars

Goodreads Review

Ryan Dean West is a fourteen-year-old junior at a boarding school for rich kids. He’s living in Opportunity Hall, the dorm for troublemakers, and rooming with the biggest bully on the rugby team. And he’s madly in love with his best friend Annie, who thinks of him as a little boy.

With the help of his sense of humor, rugby buddies, and his penchant for doodling comics, Ryan Dean manages to survive life’s complications and even find some happiness along the way. But when the unthinkable happens, he has to figure out how to hold on to what’s important, even when it feels like everything has fallen apart.

Filled with hand-drawn info-graphics and illustrations and told in a pitch-perfect voice, this realistic depiction of a teen’s experience strikes an exceptional balance of hilarious and heartbreaking.

Review:  I think I've discovered a genre love I never knew I had.  I love reading contemporary YA with a male protagonist.  Some of my favorite books such as John Green's Looking for Alaska and Paper Towns, Jesse Andrew's Me and Earl and the Dying Girl, and Evan Roskos's Dr. Bird's Advice for Sad Poets feature hilariously awkward and endearing main characters.  I can now add Andrew Smith's Winger to that list.  Ryan Dean, the main character, is charming and vulnerable and very authentic.

Winger tells the story of Ryan Dean, a 14 year old kid who has the book smarts to already be a junior at a private boarding school, but still has the street smarts of a 14 year old kid (ie, not many).  This leads to some hilariously embarrassing interactions because all of his friends are 2 years older than him and are often exasperated at his antics.  His immature 14 year old mouth often gets him into trouble.  Even though Ryan Dean spends a lot of time thinking that he's a loser, don't believe him.  He's athletic, smart (maybe not the most wise but what 14 year old is?), and very charming.  He is a complete joy to read.

I really loved the character Joey.  He was like the great voice of reason with Ryan Dean.  Ryan Dean would go off on some crazy tangent or get himself involved in some crazy scheme and Joey was there to slap some sense into his head.  I absolutely loved the friendship that developed between these two characters, it was so endearing and cute and (without spoilers promise) made the ending even more sad. 

I am very excited to read this for a second time.  There is a lot of subtle development underneath all of the jokes about balls and I'm really excited to re-read it and see what I can catch.  It's very artful storytelling and I think the words chosen are a lot more deliberate than they seem.  That's very difficult to achieve, and I think Andrew Smith is brilliant for it.

So overall I loved Winger.  It's funny and touching and has a great balance between poignant moments of friendship, love, and personal growth and jokes about balls.  I highly recommend Winger and I think it's a perfect addition to your YA collection.

Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan

Published in 2006 by Ember
5 Stars

Goodreads Review
It all starts when Nick asks Norah to be his girlfriend for five minutes. He only needs five minutes to avoid his ex-girlfriend, who’s just walked in to his band’s show. With a new guy. And then, with one kiss, Nick and Norah are off on an adventure set against the backdrop of New York City—and smack in the middle of all the joy, anxiety, confusion, and excitement of a first date.

This he said/she said romance told by YA stars Rachel Cohn and David Levithan is a sexy, funny roller coaster of a story about one date over one very long night, with two teenagers, both recovering from broken hearts, who are just trying to figure out who they want to be—and where the next great band is playing.

Told in alternating chapters, teeming with music references, humor, angst, and endearing side characters, this is a love story you’ll wish were your very own. Working together for the first time, Rachel Cohn and David Levithan have combined forces to create a book that is sure to grab readers of all ages and never let them go.

Review:  Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist is the first book written by the duo Rachel Cohn and David Levithan, and it has a witty, punk rock feel that makes it a quick yet poignant read.  It has that same kind of teenage expectation and excitement you get from The Breakfast Club and My So Called Life. (For serious though, there's enough angst to fill the grand canyon and ride a boat across it). There's plenty of teenage antics and some sexy times, but there's also a deeper context too.  It's a story where two strangers can come together and have an immediate connection and share parts of themselves that they usually keep bottled inside.  It's about letting go of the past and realizing that this time, with this person, it doesn't have to be that way again.

Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins

Published September 29, 2011 by Dutton
5 Stars

Goodreads Review
Budding designer Lola Nolan doesn’t believe in fashion . . . she believes in costume. The more expressive the outfit -- more sparkly, more fun, more wild -- the better. But even though Lola’s style is outrageous, she’s a devoted daughter and friend with some big plans for the future. And everything is pretty perfect (right down to her hot rocker boyfriend) until the dreaded Bell twins, Calliope and Cricket, return to the neighborhood. 

When Cricket -- a gifted inventor -- steps out from his twin sister’s shadow and back into Lola’s life, she must finally reconcile a lifetime of feelings for the boy next door.

Review:  How have I not reviewed this yet!?  Mega fail on my part!  I read Stephanie Perkins's other book, Anna and the French Kiss, and while I enjoyed it, I wasn't in OMG LUV like so many other readers.  Well, I can say that with Lola there was a lot of OMG LUV.  Much more than with Anna. 

Firstly let's discuss this PERFECT cover.  This is what all book covers should be, a reflection of  the story within.  We know exactly what this book is about because of the cover.  We know it's about a girl with a cool fashion sense, the setting is in San Francisco, and we even get Cricket's bracelet/writing on his hands habit and that their relationship is based around their bedroom windows (they're sitting on a window sill). 

There are so many aspects of Lola that I love.  I really enjoyed Lola's zaney fashion sense.  I am not like that at all (I'm such a tomboy) so it was fun to live vicariously through Lola.  I also loved the setting and her family situation.  It's so refreshing to see a same sex couple in a completely normal life.  Her dads are regular dads, they live normal lives and react like any father would.  I have to give major props to Stephanie Perkins for making Lola's parents an important and stable part of her life.  I also loved how Lola is a companion novel to Anna, and we get to see some of the characters we love from Anna, but from a completely different perspective.

One of the best things about this book was how I could relate to every character.  I have been in Lola, Cricket, and Max's positions in different relationships.  I've been in a relationship that isn't working and gotten feelings for someone else, I've been head over heels for someone with a girlfriend, and I've also suspected a boyfriend of cheating (and I think he probably did) and turned into a green-eyed jealous monster.  It almost felt like this book was my love life in novel form lol. 

Ok now let's talk about Cricket.  Oh Cricket, you are soooo my type (way more than St. Clair).  Let's see.  Tall and dark?  Check.  Engineering and Science?  Check.  Shy in a you-don't-know-you're-beautiful way?  Check.  Hopelessly romantic?  Check.  Cricket is everything I look for in a YA romantic interest and he totally captured my heart.  Lola and Cricket's relationship is believable, it's a slow building love, and it seems completely real.  (Writing this review some 8 months after reading it makes me want to pick Lola back up again!  Oh why do I have so little time...)

Show Your Support for Gay YA

Yesterday Amendment 1 in the North Carolina constitution passed, which defines marriage solely as a union between one man and one woman,  and thus joining the states that have an active ban on gay marriage (I'm sad to say my home state of Ohio along with 28 other states also have a similar amendments).  The exact wording of the amendment is "marriage between one man and one woman is the only domestic legal union that shall be valid or recognised in this state".  This amendment goes beyond gay marriage to invalidate all civil unions and domestic partnerships, regardless of orientation.   

This amendment weakens laws that protect unmarried domestic violence victims, unmarried parents, any private agreements between unmarried couples, any unmarried end of life arrangements, and also frees employers from providing health benefits to unmarried partners.  Again, this is regardless of the sexual orientation of the couple, just the fact that they are not married. 

This is extremely discouraging news.  As a strong supporter of the gay community and women's rights, seeing this blatant discrimination is infuriating and frustrating.  So what can we do? Why, we continue what we've been doing.  We support those who are victims of hate and discrimination and continue to spread our message of love and equality. 

One of the best ways to do this is by supporting authors and publishers who create books that deal with LGBT issues.  Share these books with your friends and family, and begin a discussion.  I honestly believe that through continual love, support, and understanding we will change the world and show that we all deserve the same rights, regardless of age, race, gender, orientation, or creed. 

List of LGBT Themed YA 

*This isn't a complete list, so please leave suggestions of other LGBT YA books in the comments!*

Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan
Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan
Naomi and Ely's No Kiss List by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan
Boy Meets Boy by David Levithan
The Miseducation of Cameron Post by Emily M. Danforth
Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins
Shine by Lauren Myracle
Beauty Queens by Libba Bray
City of Bones by Cassandra Clare
The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
The Bermudez Triangle by Maureen Johnson
I am J by Cris Beam

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.  

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

Published in 1999 by MTV Books and Pocket Books
4 stars


Goodreads Review


Standing on the fringes of life offers a unique perspective. But there comes a time to see what it looks like from the dance floor.This haunting novel about the dilemma of passivity vs. passion marks the stunning debut of a provocative voice in contemporary fiction: The Perks of Being a Wallflower. This is the story of what it’s like to grow up in high school. More intimate than a diary, Charlie's letters are singular and unique, hilarious and devastating. We may not know where he lives. We may not know to whom he is writing. All we know is the world he shares. Caught between trying to live his life and trying to run from it puts him on a strange course through uncharted territory. The world of first dates and mixed tapes, family dramas and new friends. The world of sex, drugs, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show, when all one requires is that perfect song on that perfect drive to feel infinite. Through Charlie, Stephen Chbosky has created a deeply affecting coming-of-age story, a powerful novel that will spirit you back to those wild and poignant roller coaster days known as growing up.

Review:  The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a teen classic.  It's paved the way for many novels with its take on drugs, sex, abuse, friendship, and growing up while told through the letters of a fifteen year old boy whose innocent view of the world charms the reader.  It's not so much that subject matter is unique, but the voice in which it is told is delightful.  It's Charlie's observations of the world, simple though it may be, that makes this story so intriguing and relateable.  


Yes there are certainly aspects of this book that may be difficult for some people to read, in particular the ending, but I think that these difficult elements all make Charlie the way he is, both the things that happened to him in the past and what he experiences over the course of the book.  


While I doubt I'll become one of the rabid fans that swear by this books genius, I still really enjoyed the story and would recommend it to kids in high school who might be feeling a little "uncool".  I know that I do wish I had read it when I was a freshman, I probably would have really loved it then.  The Perks of Being a Wallflower is already over 10 years old, but I still find it extremely relevant to today's young adults.  It is a timeless tale of finding yourself that all teens experience. 

City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

#1 in The Mortal Instrument series
Published in 2007 by Margaret K. McElderry Books
3 Stars

Goodreads Review
When fifteen-year-old Clary Fray heads out to the Pandemonium Club in New York City, she hardly expects to witness a murder - much less a murder committed by three teenagers covered with strange tattoos and brandishing bizarre weapons. Then the body disappears into thin air. It's hard to call the police when the murderers are invisible to everyone else and when there is nothing - not even a smear of blood - to show that a boy has died. Or was he a boy? 

This is Clary's first meeting with the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the earth of demons. It's also her first encounter with Jace, a Shadowhunter who looks a little like an angel and acts a lot like a jerk. Within twenty-four hours Clary is pulled into Jace's world with a vengeance, when her mother disappears and Clary herself is attacked by a demon. But why would demons be interested in ordinary mundanes like Clary and her mother? And how did Clary suddenly get the Sight? The Shadowhunters would like to know. 

Exotic and gritty, exhilarating and utterly gripping, Cassandra Clare's ferociously entertaining fantasy takes readers on a wild ride that they will never want to end.

Review:  City of Bones has some really awesome things going for it, and some not so awesome things as well.  This review is going to be a little different because I'm going to make a pros and cons list.  Because I feel like it.  And I can do what I want.


Pros

• The Setting - I almost always love books set in New York City.  It's one of my most favorite places in the world, and I loved the whole paranormal underground club scene. 
• Snark and Sarcasm - I can be a pretty cynical beyotch when I want to be, so I found myself giggle-snorting at a lot of the one liners and quips that the characters toss at each other.
• HOTHOTHOTHOT - Jace may be an a-hole, but he's a sexy a-hole.
• Clary is a red head - She's a pretty good heroine.  She deals with all of the bad stuff that happens to her and doesn't take shit.  She's not afraid to stand up for herself and that is awesome.
• Shadowhunter Mythology - I really enjoyed the overall mythology and I think there's a lot of cool stuff to develop in future books. 

Cons

• Repeating the same stuff over and over - There were just too many repeated jokes, references, and phrases for me to really enjoy the writing.  I HATE it when the same adjective gets used twice on a page, and I kept noticing that happening (Brindle.  All the time.  Everyone and everything is brindle colored).  It's called a thesaurus.  Get one.
• Every character is the same - All of the characters have the same sarcastic sense of humor and after a while they all blended together into one giant ball of snark.
• Random plot tangents - There were a lot of sub-plots that didn't really support the main story arc.  I would read a hundred pages and then go "why did we just do that?"  They serve absolutely no purpose for the main story.
• GROSS - I'm not going to spoil anything, but ew.  People who've read it know what it is.  One of the plot points takes a really icky turn that I just do not like to read about.  I was not please that that's the way the story went.

Overall City of Bones has a lot of potential, but I think it was failed by its editors.  I am excited to read the next book in the series because even though I was not in love with this book there were a lot of great moments.  I'm hoping that as the series continues some of the technical kinks will be worked out so the awesome story idea can shine through.

Shine by Lauren Myracle

Published April 27, 2011 by Amulet Books
5 Stars

Goodreads Review

When her best guy friend falls victim to a vicious hate crime, sixteen-year-old Cat sets out to discover who in her small town did it. Richly atmospheric, this daring mystery mines the secrets of a tightly knit Southern community and examines the strength of will it takes to go against everyone you know in the name of justice. 

Against a backdrop of poverty, clannishness, drugs, and intolerance, Myracle has crafted a harrowing coming-of-age tale couched in a deeply intelligent mystery. Smart, fearless, and compassionate, this is an unforgettable work from a beloved author.

Review:  Shine is a very important book that covers the topics of homosexuality, drug use, and small town mentality.  It's about how ignorance can breed fear and hate.  But Shine is also about overcoming social expectations to do what is right.

I really liked how Shine handled such a wide variety of problems without ever feeling forced.  The main story is about a gay hate crime, but as the motivations behind that crime unfold we get to see the fronts put up by everyone in the town fall away.  We see that everyone has things about themselves that they are ashamed about.  Instead of putting things out in the open where they can be resolved and get help they shove it down where it never gets dealt with and just festers and gets worse.  I think this creates a sense of isolation and helplessness. 

However I did find parts of the story very predictable.  There would be times where I figured out something way before Cat and I would just sit there thinking 'Come on girl, figure it out so we can move on."  Eventually she'd figure it out and we'd move on.  There were also times where my imagination was way worse that what actually happened.  I think that because it was a YA book parts of the story were toned down a bit.  I don't have a problem with that but when I was expecting an ocean of hurt and only got a medium sized pond of hurt I felt a little underwhelmed (if that analogy makes any sense at all).

Beyond the who-done-it aspect of the story, I think the most important part is the commentary on how fear causes us to be selfish and act with a fight for survival mentality.  We forsake other's well being for our own when fear takes us over.  And ignorance and misunderstanding cause fear.  We have to all be more tolerate and take an active role to understand each other and people who are different in order ot overcome that fear.

After the cluster that was the WSJ Article of Doom and the more recent National Book Award mess I can only hope that people will continue to read books and make up their own minds about the merits of a book.  Shine is a dark book that covers dark topics yes, but overall it has a message of hope and that even the most prejudice of people can learn to accept and love.

Beauty Queens by Libba Bray

Published May 24, 2011 by Scholastic Press

4 Stars

Goodreads Review
The fifty contestants in the Miss Teen Dream pageant thought this was going to be a fun trip to the beach, where they could parade in their state-appropriate costumes and compete in front of the cameras. But sadly, their airplane had another idea crashing on a desert island and leaving the survivors stranded with little food, little water, and practically no eyeliner.

What's a beauty queen to do? Continue to practice for the talent portion of the program--or wrestle snakes to the ground? Get a perfect tan--or learn to run wild? And what should happen when the sexy pirates show up?

Welcome to the heart of non-exfoliated darkness. Your tour guide? None other than Libba Bray, the hilarious, sensational, Printz Award-winning author of A Great and Terrible Beauty and Going Bovine. The result is a novel that will make you laugh, make you think, and make you never see beauty the same way again.

Review:  Zany, wacky, silly, hilarious, empowering, awesome.  All adjectives that can describe Libba Bray's satire on modern beauty stereotypes and women's roles in today's society as well as consumerism, racism, LGBT issues, and politics.  This is a perfect book for fans of Drop Dead Gorgeous, Miss Congeniality, and Legally Blonde (AKA me).

I really enjoyed all of the girls on the island and their unique personalities.  What I liked was how each girl started off with their own preconceived notions, their own mold that they were trying to stuff themselves into (in particular Mary Lou was amazing).  As the book progressed they learn how to let go of society's demands and expectations of them and to become the girls that they truly are.  I think this is a lovely message for the book and I really enjoyed the delivery.

The humor in this book is pretty out there, I will admit.  I consider my sense of humor to be pretty dry, so this over the top slap stick humor was a little too much for me at times.  Other times this humor was right on point and had some very poignant undertones.  Beauty Queens has varying levels of humor, so don't be surprised if you find yourself simultaneously rolling your eyes and laughing out loud. 

Overall Beauty Queens is a very funny satire that comments on beauty and how we try and contain it and give it structure and definition instead of letting it be the wild exciting thing it is.  While the humor doesn't always hit the mark for me, when it's on it's SO ON and speaks truly about sexuality and growing up.

Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan

Published in 2010 by Speak
5 Stars


Goodreads Review
One cold night, in a most unlikely corner of Chicago, Will Grayson crosses paths with . . . Will Grayson. Two teens with the same name, running in two very different circles, suddenly find their lives going in new and unexpected directions, and culminating in epic turns-of-heart and the most fabulous musical ever to grace the high school stage. Told in alternating voices from two YA superstars, this collaborative novel features a double helping of the heart and humor that have won them both legions of fans.


Review: Will Grayson, Will Grayson is a ridiculously hilarious book about high school students trying to find themselves through, friendship, love, betrayal, and musical theater.  


This book is told from the perspective of two different Will Graysons, each written by one of the authors, and gives an interesting reading experiences.  The first Will Grayson is written by John Green and is a quite and introspective boy who is often overshadowed by the loud and super gay personality of his best friend Tiny Cooper.  We'll call this Grayson BFF Grayson.  The second Will Grayson is written by David Levithan and is dealing with being gay and in the closet and the feeling of loneliness that comes with that.  I'll call this Grayson emo Grayson.  


At the beginning of the book I found myself liking John Green's chapters more, but I soon figured out that it wasn't BFF Grayson that I liked, it was the humor found in Tiny Cooper who is a force to behold.  More on him later.  When it comes to the actual Graysons, I found myself relating a lot more to emo Grayson.  I was a huge loner myself in high school, and I could really relate to feeling like no one understood him and that desperate search to find someone who could love you for just being you.  Also some REALLY shitty stuff happens to him which I hated but thought was brilliant.  


I love all of the crazy stuff that happens that brings the characters together.  There's a lot of great humor and you can tell that the authors not only have similar writing styles, but have a strong friendship.  All three of the main characters (BFF Grayson, emo Grayson, and Tiny Cooper) grow so much throughout the book.  I really loved Tiny Cooper though.  I really connected to him.  At first I thought he was going to be a stereotypical gay sidekick character, but he is so much more than that.  I think a lot of his personality comes from insecurity, and I love how both graysons help him learn to love himself and in the process, grow as people themselves.   I also absolutely loved the ending.  Tiny Dancer is everything I hoped it would be, and so much more.  I actually teared up at the end which is something I was not expecting.


Overall Will Grayson, Will Grayson is a wonderful coming of age story about people learning to accept their friends for who they are and to love themselves.  I highly recommend this book to any gay teen who is feeling lost or alienated and to all teens as a book about accepting those who are different.

Zombies vs. Unicorns by Holly Black and Justine Larbalestier

Published in 2010 by Margaret K. McElderry

4 stars

Goodreads Review

It's a question as old as time itself: which is better, the zombie or the unicorn? In this anthology, edited by Holly Black and Justine Larbalestier (unicorn and zombie, respectively), strong arguments are made for both sides in the form of short stories. Half of the stories portray the strengths—for good and evil—of unicorns and half show the good (and really, really bad-ass) side of zombies. Contributors include many bestselling teen authors, including Cassandra Clare, Libba Bray, Maureen Johnson, Meg Cabot, Scott Westerfeld, and Margo Lanagan. This anthology will have everyone asking: Team Zombie or Team Unicorn?

Review:  Zombies vs. Unicorns is an awesome anthology that has a great mix of stories. Some are action, some are humorous, and some are romantic, but they are all awesome (ok a few are kind of weird but whatever). There is great banter between the two teams, captained by editors Holly Black (unicorns) and Justine Larbalestier (zombies) that ties the stories together and makes it both an anthology and a novel.

For this review I want to go through each of the stories because each one was very unique and at the end we'll see where my loyalties lie (though if you watch my youtube channel you probably already know lol).

The Highest Justice by Garth Nix - ok let me start by saying I FREAKING LOVE GARTH NIX. When I read this book Garth Nix was the only author I'd already read. I absolutely love his Keys to the Kingdom series, Sabriel series, and The Ragwitch. So needless to say I was really excited to read this story. However, I thought The Highest Justice missed the mark as a short story. Don't get me wrong, I really enjoyed it but I wanted more. It felt incomplete, like a selection from a novel, not it's own story. I really don't like it when a short story doesn't feel complete (that happens a lot in this book) but this was still good, just not standout. It does get points for having a zombie even though it's a unicorn story.

zombies:1 +1 for sneaking into a unicorn story
unicorns:1 +1 for being written by Garth Nix

Love Will Tear Us Apart by Alaya Dawn Johnson - This story was a little rude for my taste, but if you can get past the crassness it's an awesome gay zombie story. Yup, gay zombie romance. I really liked the explainationsuprisingly deep and had many different layers for a short story. It never felt incomplete either. Everything was well thought out.
zombies:2 +1 for standing up to your crazy Dad for being gay...and a zombie
unicorns:1

Purity Test by Naomi Novik - This was a more humorous and modern take on the unicorn myth. That was the strongest point of this story. There are some really great virgin and dragon jokes. I also really loved the baby unicorns (SO CUTE! lol). It's wasn't too serious, but it had a good complete feeling to the story.
zombies: 2
unicorns: 2 +1 for the baby unicorns that don't eat people! And Harry Potter.

Bougainvillea by Carrie Ryan. - This was a really good zombie story that told another facet of her Forest of Hand and Teeth world. People who have read that book will enjoy this story because it tells more about the orgins of the zombie outbreak. For those of you who don't know, I really didn't like The Forest of Hands and Teeth and I had pretty much written the series off. Until I read this story. Bougainvillea gave me hope that the series would pick up for me, so I went out and got The Dead Tossed Waves. I haven't read it yet, but I want to, which is entirely due to this story.
zombies: 3 +1 for saving a series for me
unicorns: 2

A Thousand Flowers by Margo Lanagan - This was weird. I didn't like this story very much at all. I guess I could see where it was trying to take the whole unicorns and virgins thing in a new way but it ended up being kind of boring then really gross. The ending was also very anti-climactic and a little bit confusing too.
zombies: 3
unicorns: 1 -1 for bestiality. Never a good thing.

The Children of the Revolution by Maureen Johnson - Probably my favorite zombie story. It's got a good satirical feel to it by making not too subtle comments on crazy celebrity antics. My favorite part of the story though was the freaking creepy ass zombie children. The pacing and buildup in this story is fantastic. I had serious aprehension about the narriator's choices and had to know what was going to happen next. Very well done with a pretty funny ending too.
zombies:4 +1 for everything. I loved this story
unicorns: 1

The Care and Feeding of your Killer Baby Unicorn by Diana Peterfreund - This story is from her Rampant series world, but since I haven't read those books, I only have this story to go on. I really liked the beginning of the story which has the unicorn as a side show attraction. However because it's a story about saving a baby unicorn, it felt like the introduction to a bigger book. The ending was really bad, because it was like Peterfreund literally just stopped writing. Almost mid-sentence. Maybe if I had read some of the Rampant books I wouldn't have minded, but as a stand alone the story wasn't developed enough.
zombies: 4
unicorns: 0 -1 for complete lack of an ending.

Inoculata by Scott Westerfeld - The idea behind the book is cool, but I wish the sience behind the zombies had been developed more. I love intersting reasons for the existance of zombies, and this story wasn't explained enough for me. Also the characters in this story are complete idiots. Seriously, I hate it when people in zombies stories made dumb decision that get other people or themselves killed. The ending was really bad too, because again it just stopped. It was like the story was just getting started and then bam! over. Loathe.
zombies: 3 -1 for sheer stupidity
unicorns: 0

Princess Prettypants by Meg Cabot - This is the Lisa Frank of unicorns. Rainbows and glitter galore. This is the most "teen" of the stories and is all about girl power. It doesn't have huge literary merit, but It's just a great story about girls getting back at boys that treat them like shit. With unicorns.
zombies: 3
unicorns: 1 +1 for rainbow farts. I'm not kidding.

Cold Hands by Cassandra Clare - First of all, what the heck time period are we in? There was medevial system of government but cars and cd and stuff. This story had a lot of potential, but didn't quite hit the mark with me as a complete short story. I liked the underlying message of accepting those who are different from you but I just couldn't get over the inconsistency's of setting. If that had been explained a little better I think I could have gotten on board with this story.
zombies: 2 -1 for being confusing as hell
unicorns: 1

The Third Virgin by Kathleen Duey - Probably the best unicorn story out of the bunch. I loved that the unicorn was the narriator and that he isn't perfect. I loved the morality brought up in this story with the unicorn's healing powers being both good and bad and how immortality isn't such a great thing. I thought this story had a lot of potential and therefore made the ending really frustrating. I wanted so much more,
zombies: 2
unicorns: 1 +1 for interesting unicorn perspective, -1 for the MAJORLY disappointing ending

Prom Night by Libba Bray - The premise of this story is that only the adults have turned into zombies and the teens and children are left to try and carry on society as best they can. The teens are looking for some sense of normalcy so they decide to throw a prom. I wish there had been more about the zombies in this story. Instead this was more about how a group of people survive in an apocalyptic setting. I really liked the sense that their relatively normal life wasn't going to last forever. There were allusions to their defences being slowly broken down by the zombie hoard.
zombies: 3 +1 for being little like Lord of the Flies with zombies (I like it)
unicorns: 1

So yes, I am on team zombie! Was there really any doubt? I love science fiction and I love nothing more than a well thought out zombie story. I tend to be a traditionalist though. Zombies are mindless killing machines, they don't have feelings, silly.

I like unicorns, but I guess I'm a 3 year old at heart when it comes down to what kind of unicorn I like. I like them girly, rainbowy, and sparkley. Like they should be.

Shadowflame by Dianne Sylvan

 #2 in the Shadow World Series
Published in 2011 by Ace
4 Stars

Goodreads Review
Spread throughout the dark corners of our world lies the Shadow World, a society of vampires who feed off the living. In Austin, Texas, one woman must find her place within that world, before she loses everything...

It's been three months since musician Miranda Grey became a vampire and married David Solomon, Prime of the South. As Queen, Miranda must quickly come to terms with her new role and learn how to negotiate the treacherous waters of Signet politics, inevitably making dangerous enemies along the way.

As if complicated vampire politics and a rising music career weren't enough, an enigmatic but powerful force from David's past appears, leaving a wake of chaos and uncertainty for the Pair's fledgling relationship. Miranda begins to realize how little she really knows about her husband. But when an assassin begins targeting her friends and allies, the Pair must track down the killer, even as their lives hang in the balance...

Review:  Shadowflame is an exciting second installation that introduces us to the politics of the shadow world and some of the history behind this society.  It also focuses on sexuality and how it is not so cut and dry and that there are many shades of grey when discussing lust verses love.

I want to talk about all of the things I loved about this book.  First is Sylvan's writing style.  Once again she delivers a book that is full of snappy dialogue and sarcastic humor as well as some really awesome nerdy references tossed in.  She writes with true ease and skill that makes reading anything she writes a complete joy.

I also really identified with David in this book.  I have been in a very similar situation as him and I thought Sylvan captured the sense of desperation and guilt very well.  I found it totally believable and relateable.  I really liked the overall theme of having sexual attraction to both sexes and being able to be in love with more than one person at the same time.  I think that love and sexuality cannot be penned into a heterosexual and monogamous box that so many people try to stuff themselves into, and I really appreciated Sylvan tackling this rather taboo issues with realistic honesty.

I also really loved the murder mystery aspect of this book.  There was no major info dump, clues and facts were revealed at a good pace that kept me guessing without frustrating me with lack of information or overwhelming me with too much. The action sequences were very well done and I really liked reading about the technology and David and Miranda's psychic powers that were used to try and solve the mystery.

The only aspect that I didn't like was that David's sexual past seemed to come out of the blue.  I don't care what Kat says, but I never once picked up on his "swishy" nature in the first book.  I found his past relationships a bit difficult to believe because it seemed rather random to me.  I think if it has been alluded to more in the first book I would have been a lot more accepting of the events that took place in Shadowflame.

Overall Shadowflame is a great second book that begins to introduce the extensive pasts of the characters and vampire society and how it affects their present.  Traditional roles for both men and women are challenged as the characters struggle to come to terms with their pasts.