Title: 

“I touch the wound that’s morphing into a scar on the back of my head.  Coarse new hair pokes through where the stitches used to be.  It itches.  I guess that means it’s healing.”

Summary (from the publisher):
Allie lost everything the night her boyfriend, Trip died in a horrible car accident — including her memory of the event.  As their small town mourns his death, Allie is afraid to remember because doing so means delving into what she’s kept hidden for so long: the horrible reality of their abusive relationship.

When the police reopen the investigation, it casts suspicion on Allie and her best friend, Blake, especially as their budding romance raises eyebrows around town.  Allie knows she must tell the truth.  Can she reach deep enough to remember that night so she can finally break free?

Opinion:
After a deadly accident has claimed the life of her boyfriend Allie struggles to regain her memory as her own traumatic head injury begins to heal.  Told in varying perspectives (present and flashbacks to the past) the mystery of what happened between she and Trip is revealed.  In these revelations the reader experiences the discovery of Trip’s escalating abuse, begins to understand Allie’s involvement in the accident that has killed him and the watches as she rebuilds relationships she’d let fall away.

I have read quite a few books in which the female lead has lost her memory of certain events and the reader follows as she starts to put the pieces back together.  Though it would seem a simple enough plot I’ve seen it executed poorly and I’ve seen it done well.  Breaking Beautiful is one such story that is put together exceptionally well.  Even though I found small portions predictable I enjoyed the progression of the story as it unfolded.  This is due to the pacing Wolf employed.  I never found it too slow nor did I find it excitably rushed to get to the big reveal. To that end, it was written with enough prose and background information that it didn’t give too much away while still avoiding the potential to leave the reader in the dark flailing for direction.

The greatest strength of this book is it’s characters.  Allie is well drawn — she felt equal parts guilty for her role in Trip’s death, mystified and confused by the same, and then as she starts rebuilding her life without him she begins to open up to the many possibilities stretched out before her.  In particular, I found the parts where she is tentatively rebuilding relationships with her friends (most notably Blake) to be particularly realistic.  She feel remorse for how she has treated them and though there is discomfort she finds their reactions and behavior in response to be understandable.  She takes her abuse (despite it’s upsetting nature) with grace and in the end is afforded great respect and forgiven her transgressions.

Trip and his parents are typically one note.  Monied, privileged, arrogant, self-absorbed and all sorts of high-and-mighty they definitely think everyone outside of their family is placed on the earth to do their bidding.  They close ranks quickly and protect themselves no matter what the cost.  This is exactly the behavior that spurns some of the mysterious elements surrounding Trip’s accident.  I’m not particularly compelled by any of them, but in the end that isn’t a detriment to the overall story.  Trip’s abusive behavior is merely the catalyst for Allie’s development as an individual as well the progression of her relationships with others.  He (and his parents by proxy in the aftermath) is also what spurns the focus not only on the abuse storyline but also the mystery that surrounds the accident.

The romantic elements of the story are appropriately focused.  Blake as the former best friend who wants more is a good distraction from the darker abuse focused elements.  His relationship with Allie is never easy and at times the difficulty they experience is uncomfortable.  The growing shift from former best friends who know everything about each other, to acquaintances, then back to friends again, then ultimately building a budding romance felt honest and true.  It isn’t rushed and it isn’t the primary focus of the story.  I appreciate that he didn’t solve all of Allie’s problems, that he has a troubled past of his own that impacts how he is treated by those around him.  It’s not easy for Blake at school, at home or at work.  Thankfully he finally has the support of his friend back and it’s at a time that Allie needed someone to defend and hold on to outside of her own problems.

One of the high points of Breaking Beautiful was the relationship between Allie and her disabled twin brother Andrew.  Many authors will lean a bit more towards the schmoopy or overwrought but Wolf develops their relationship as one that is not only caring but distant at times.  Allie is fiercely protective of Andrew , but even so she is still the sister who isn’t afraid to treat him like a pain in the ass when he’s being one.  Furthermore, I enjoyed that even though Andrew is disabled he is shown to be strong, independent and leading a normal life (going to public high school, attending social events, dating) just like his peers.  To his credit Andrew is equally protective of Ally.  Even though he does not always follow his heart and act upon the suspicions he has he does his best to be the support that she needs.

I’m so pleased that I wasn’t jostled around from plot to plot.  Typically when there are as many sub-plots to a story going on it gets choppy and feels manically focussed.  Fortunately, Breaking Beautiful doesn’t succumb to this problem.  The plots fuse together wonderfully and the transitions in focus from one to others as they story progresses is smooth.  Overall, Breaking Beautiful is a decent mystery with depth of character; one you should put on your list of must reads.

Title:

“But the thought that she wanted to let Mama go for her own convenience stuck in her head like a painful splinter she could not remove. She’s no longer alive. Reverend Soto’s words kept coming back to her.”

Summary (from the publisher):
Two sisters: Kate is bound for Stanford and an M.D. — if her family will let her go.  mary wants only to stay home and paint.  When their loving but repressive father dies, they must figure out how to support themselves and their mother, who is in a permanent vegitative state, and how to get along in all their uneasy sisterhood.

Three young men: Then three men sway their lives: Kate’s boyfriend Simon offers to marry her, providing much needed stability.  Mary is drawn to Marcos, though she fears his violent past. And Andy tempts Kate with more than romance, recognizing her ambition because it matches his own.

One agonizing choice: Kate and Mary each find new possibilities and darknesses in their sudden freedom.  But it’s Mama’s life that might divide them for good — the question of if she lives, and what’s worth living for.

Opinion:
Two very understated teen-aged sisters are suddenly faced with responsibility of taking care of themselves and their incapacitated mother after the unexpected death of their Pastor father.  An unassuming gentleman, who is quite devout in his faith, was overbearing in his care-taking of the girls. Some might say domineering in his expectations of their behavior and choices for the future. His laser focus and tight hold on them is certainly influenced by his faith but he is also guided by the fact that his beloved wife is incapacitated.  As such his expectation that the girls be her primary care takers while he tends to his church assures that one or both of them will be required to change their future plans to assure their mothers continued well-being.

Ugh, so, yea….I totally didn’t connect with this book. At all.

First, the writing style (while very good) was so particular.  It took me a great deal of time to wade through the prose to get to the point of it’s meaning.  A great deal of work.  Further it was so slowly paced that I had a difficult time caring for the characters or the plot.  I just wanted to get somewhere.  The very intense and somber tone of the story also contributed to the feeling that I was slogging through it.

I had as much difficulty connecting to Mary and Kate.  Each of them were so distant and closed off that I couldn’t bring myself to root for them.  I wanted to have some sort of light at the end of the tunnel for each of them.  Something positive or hopeful, yet I never felt as if that came to fruition.  It was one horrible event or decision after another.  Kate in particular rubbed me the wrong way with her complete and total selfishness.  She very clearly wanted her life to play out in a certain way and if that meant throwing Mary to the wolves she was going to do it.  Mary, being the subservient daughter who always does as she’s told was an easy mark.  She never quite got to the point where she was completely able to stand up for herself or what she wanted.  Even when she did speak out or embrace her own desires she was left guilt-ridden.

Having heard such raves for Stork’s prior work I admit I had high expectations for this book.  It could be that, given those high hopes, my disappointment in this book stems a great deal from that anticipation and hope.  This can’t be disregarded as a major impact on my opinion to be sure.

I do think it’s important to note that this book is ideal for the classroom.  There are so many aspects that can be discussed.  Outside of the difficult relationship the sisters had with each other there is the relationship they both shared with their mother.  Her presence in their lives was overwhelming.  Outside of the love they held for her there is this pull for both that if they let her go they would be truly free to chase their own dreams.  Such starts the debate (and at times heated argument) about whether to turn off life support or not.  The philosophical debates of what constitutes life and whether their mother really is there with them at all. This tied into some of the faith-based undertones in the story as well.

While Irises was not necessarily the best fit for me I do believe it to be a well written book that has the ability to impact a great many readers.  I’d be interested to hear from people who really enjoyed it.  Perhaps their experience can enlighten mine.

Title:

“I miss Emma.  Even if we didn’t say anything to each other, even if she remained asleep, I wish I could be sitting on that couch with her right now.”

Summary (from the publisher):
It’s 1996, and Josh and Emma have been neighbors their whole lives.  They’ve been best friends almost as long — at least, up until last November, when Josh did something that changed everything.  Things have been weird between them ever since, but when Josh’s family gets a free AOL CD in the mail, his mom makes him bring it over so that Emma can install it on her new computer.  When they sign on, they’re automatically logged onto their Facebook pages.  But Facebook hasn’t been invented yet.  And they’re looking at themselves fifteen years in the future.

By refreshing their pages, they learn that making different decisions now will affect the outcome of their lives later.  And as they grapple with the ups and down of what their futures hold, they’re forced to confront what they’re doing right — and wrong — in the present.

Opinion:
Gah, this is one of those books that I can’t quite review.  Mainly because I’m ambivalent about it.  I didn’t dislike it, in fact I though it was quite fun, but I didn’t love it either.  It had some major problems — lack of chemistry for the romance, not depth of plot — but again, it was fun!

So the question becomes, does a fun book light on depth = bad.  I’d argue no.  I’d say that there is a place for the fun and fluffy book that is The Future of Us.  The kind of book that makes a woman like me (one who lived through all the pop culture references) look back fondly to the post-collegiate days of AOL and the dawn of the internet age.  But then I wonder how fun this book would be for younger generations.  Sure, they’ll get the references to current technology and culture (i.e. Facebook) but a good portion of what it provided in the way of historical references will likely not instill much interest or caring.  Anyway, back to the point.  I do think there is value to the entertainment factor over loads and loads of moral substance.

This is not to say that The Future of Us doesn’t have any substance or morality.  It does, Asher and Mackler portray the concept of how one’s actions in the present will shape and affect outcomes in the future well.  It’s made clear that Emma and Josh are dealing with a situation where cause and effect plays a large role.  In this way, The Future of Us has the potential to be a good learning tool.  A tool that helps readers in making more effective choices for the long-term.  But then, the periphery focus overall does keep the story from living up to it’s greatest potential.

The characters are a bit vanilla.  Neither seems to be outstanding in any way.  Josh is an emo skateboarder who is in love with the girl next door.  Emma is a bit of a nerd who doesn’t want their friendship to change.  Which in itself isn’t a bad thing, it’s just that together they have no romantic chemistry.  This, of course, is a shame since much of the plot revolves around how their future selves turned out and how that impacts the decisions they (more particularly Emma) make today in regards to their relationship.

Another aspect that provides conflicted feelings is that I can’t quite decide if it falls into the genre of science fiction or magical realism.  I polled twitter and feedback I got was solidly on the side of Sci-Fi but I still can’t brush off the idea that it’s magical realism.  I can’t explain why without spoiling some of the book so if you haven’t read it and plan to stop reading now because, here I go.  For me, it falls less on the side of sci-fi because even though there is an element of time-shifting involved these kids aren’t actually traveling through time.  They are privy to their future via Facebook which is somehow miraculously accessible years before it’s invention.  That makes it feel magical to me.  But then, computers are technology which is definitely in the realm of sci-fi.  So, yea, conflicted.  In the end, I suppose I find the sci-fi descriptor more plausible.

So…..Fun! Entertaining! Kitchy!….The Future of Us is certainly worth the read.  It’s a book that can cleanse your pallet after a particularly dark or trying read.  One that fits the bill if you’re looking for something light and enjoyable.

Title: 

“I knew only sadness as he rode through the woods, shrinking on the horizon until the night swallowed him whole.”

Summary (from the publisher):
The night before Eve’s graduation from her all-girls school, she discovers what really happens to new graduates — and the horrifying fate that awaits her.  Fleeing the only home she’s ever known, Eve sets off on a long, treacherous journey, searching for a place she can survive.  Along the way she encounters Caleb, a rough, rebellious boy living in the wild.  Separated from men her whole life, Eve has been taught to fear them, but Caleb slowly wins her trust…and her heart.  When soldiers begin hunting them, Eve must choose between true love and her life.

Opinion:
Eve lives in a post-apocalyptic time where a virus has wiped out most of the world’s population.  Living in an all girls school she is taught that men are the scourge of the Earth and should be avoided at all costs.  That upon graduation (which is looming soon for Eve) she will be off for a better life.  But then, Eve discovers what that life truly is and it isn’t all that better.  Knowing what’s in store she resigns herself to escaping school and setting out into an unknown land filled with the people and places she’d always been warned against.

Eve is an action based story that moves swiftly through the plot. Thrilling from the jump she is almost instantaneously aware of the horrors that she and her friends face and is quick to action.  As she navigates her escape and subsequent encounters with the wilds and it’s inhabitants there isn’t any shortage of discomfort.  Both for Eve and for the reader.  It’s rough terrain she travels and it is not easily born.

Light on the world-building, Eve is a more character based story.  It delves into the dynamics of communication (specifically cross gender lines) and relationship-building.  What most interested me wasn’t that there was a romantic element to the story — which I’ll delve into later — but the time spent in the wild.  I most enjoyed the time Eve spent with the group of survivalists in the wild.  Reminiscent of the lost boys they varied in age and personality.  They were hungry for female attention and looked up to Eve as a mother figure.  A role she embraced readily.  This, I felt, was a much more realistic and plausible way to infuse Eve into the unknown culture of the male dynamic.  Giving her the ability to encourage and nurture.  I also found the conflict that her being there created to be energizing to the story.  The ultimate betrayal of members of this community allowed for the most intriguing parts of the story and built up the catalyst for the coming sequel.

Sadly, this story is one where insta-love strikes.  I didn’t loathe the idea that Eve was so quick to long for Caleb, I just found it unrealistic.  Here is a girl who has been taught since a very young age that men are evil and not to be trusted.  Then, after very little time she does exactly that, she trusts him.  I do get that there would be a level of attraction, wanting what you’ve never before experienced or being compelled to reach for the unknown, but it felt off that she would express her feelings in outward actions so quickly.  I do wish that there were a slower build there, particularly given the fact that there is a second book in the series.  Sure, I get the need to compel people to read it but still, I think there was enough in the plot to allow for a more leisurely build up in the romance department.

I do wish there were more background history.  Though the story doesn’t need it to make sense or to progress I would have liked knowing more about the virus and how society got to where it is currently.  I’d also have preferred to see more in the world-building.  Though I did feel the dark, dank and rugged tone I would have liked to have seen a bit more of it laid out.

All in all I quite enjoyed the book, particularly the second half when the action really started to pick up.  Eve also ends on a note that encourages me to read the upcoming sequel “Once”.

Title:

“For one terrifying moment, I was suspended in air above our crabgrassy lawn.  Then my hands connected with the tree branch, and I clamped on like my life depended on it (which it did).  I gave myself a two-count to collect my strength again, then shimmied down the branch, feet first, toward the center of the tree where the limbs converged.”

Summary (from the publisher):
First, Hartley finds out that her boyfriend, Josh, is cheating on her.  The, Josh is pegged as the number one suspect in a murder.  And now he’s begging Hartley to clear his name.

Josh won’t be winning Boyfriend of the Year anytime soon, but Hartley knows he’s no killer and she agrees to help.  Unfortunately Hartley seems to have developed a disturbing penchant for tripping over dead bodies, and it looks like she may be the killer’s next target.  One thing’s for sure: If she gets out of this alive, she is definitely going to choose a better boyfriend next time.

Opinion:
In my experience, a good teen-age focused mystery is hard to find.  Thankfully Gemma Halliday’s debut series Deadly Cool found it’s way to my bookshelves.  I’ll admit, I’m not a huge mystery fan (though I do like a suspenseful and unpredictable read) so I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed the first in the series.  When several of my trusted blogger friends read and enjoyed this book I knew it was going to be a go for me to pick it up.

I’m so glad I took the chance.  Deadly Cool was a fun and light read (contemporary fans you’re going to like this one too) that was a breeze to get through.  Don’t fret though, it’s being a breeze to get through doesn’t mean that it’s not a thoughtful read because it is.  Halliday creates a fantastic murder mystery that avoids being wholly predictable.  Sure, shrewd readers may pick up an idea here and there but ultimately it’s going to be a swiftly paced twisty read with the element of surprise.  Fun and witty dialogue lent itself to the book’s fast pace and made for an entertaining read.  It helped create a light reprieve from the darker more murderous angles.

Let me get to business here.  While the plot is fairly simple — girl gets cheated on by boy, boy’s girl-on-the-side ends up kaput, boy gets accused of said murder, former girlfriend defends boy — it’s execution and attention to detail allows for character and plot development beyond the obvious traps.  Hartley is both endearing and powerful.  Honestly, I was slightly worried that she was going to fall into the trap of being the jilted lover who pines away for the boy who did her wrong.  Thank you Ms. Halliday for shying away from that particular nugget.  Hartley was exactly the opposite, she managed to maintain her integrity while still being a good friend.  That she believed in Josh after his deception showed her strength and dedication.  I appreciated, however, that Halliday didn’t glaze over Josh’s wrong doing and showed how Hartley struggled with the question of if he did or didn’t do what the accusations flying claimed.  She wasn’t immediately forgiving of his actions but still managed to fight for what was right.

For Josh’s part I was thankful that he was remorseful of his actions.  Portrayed as the typical hormonal boy he lost his head and went for the physical over the prospect of waiting for his true love. This was unsurprising.  Also not in the land of the unexpected was the idea that he would crawl back to Hartley for help when he needed a reliable friend he could trust.  Even so, I didn’t dislike him.  Halliday expertly crafted a jerk that wasn’t completely detestable.

Chase as Hartley’s protector and new love interest was a welcomed addition to the plot as well.  As the resident somewhat bad boy he was an appealing alternative to a cheater.  Not without his flaws he had moments of irritation and annoyance.  He wasn’t any more perfect than Josh but his loyalty and dedication to helping Hartley was commendable. He made a good romantic interest too.

Speaking of which, there was a romantic element and I was thankful that it wasn’t one of those raging “who do I choose” debacles of a triangle.  There was a clear and definitive choice for Hartley.  Not only that but what drove the plot wasn’t the fact that she was trying to determine who she should be with.  Go Hartley!  Be yourself and prioritize the important things in life!

A good mystery with dark undertones, Deadly Cool, is the kind of book a reader can fly through and enjoy.  It encourages a person to do right and embrace their inner power.  I’m looking forward to the follow-up (which by the way is out now).

Title:

“How do you think you could have possibly come this far if you didn’t have hope?”

Summary (from the publisher):
Prentisstown isn’t like other towns. Everyone can hear everyone else’s thoughts in an overwhelming, never-ending stream of Noise. Just a month away from the birthday that will make him a man, Todd and his dog, Manchee — whose thoughts Todd can hear too, whether he wants to or not — stumble upon an area of complete silence. They find that in a town where privacy is impossible, something terrible has been hidden — a secret so awful that Todd and Manchee must run for their lives.

But how do you escape when your pursuers can hear your every thought?

Opinion:
I jumped into The Knife of Never Letting Go knowing very little about the series. All I knew for sure was that Patrick Ness wrote it and that was all I needed!

What I found was a new world with a western-sci-fi vibe, a language and tone all its own, new friends, and big, big lessons all wrapped up in love, suspense, and power. OH, did I say suspense? I meant SUSPENSE! Grit your teeth, white knuckle, I-can’t-turn-the-page-fast-enough suspense! All of it—the faith, hope, loyalty, friendship, main characters I was so proud of, communication, trust, right and wrong, coming of age, and so, so much more—just fit right in with what makes my heart tick!

But there will be time for gushing later. For now…

Let me introduce you to Prentisstown. A town settled by space colonists trying to find a new world to call their own, but what they found instead was a land inhabited by aliens and noise! Every one, even the animals, can hear each other’s thoughts (yes, every thought). They call it Noise.

“Men’s minds are messy places and Noise is like the active, breathing face of that mess. It’s what’s true and what’s believed and what’s imagined and what’s fantasized and it says one thing and a completely opposite thing at the same time and even tho the truth is definitely in there, how can you tell what’s true and what’s not when yer getting everything?”

This is a town with ugly Noise, where boys become men at the age of thirteen and where there are no women left. A dying town with dark, dark secrets. Todd Hewitt will learn these secrets on his thirteenth birthday just one month away. But all that and everything else changes when he meets Viola and her silence.

Silence and a girl! Well, let’s just say the evil powers that be in Prentisstown feel a bit threatened, so Todd, Viola, and Manchee—Todd’s loyal dog and best friend–set off on a journey to keep each other safe and to warn others of danger. Through a landscape filled with valleys, rivers, woods, dust, and swamps chock full of dangers and bad guys, the trio find themselves in a race for the truth and a fight to survive. Readers and Todd are in the dark for much of the book. The questions pile up along with the action, but the search for the truth and answers to: why there are no women in Prentisstown, why men can’t hear women’s Noise, why the bad guys want Todd so badly and what the hell is going on will drive you nuts until the end!

This book possesses a language and style of communicating to readers all its own. Todd’s dialect and vocabulary is filled with “ain’t”s and “effing”s, which all add to creating such a familiar and almost friendly tone to such a complex and layered story. Just listen to the words. Mr. Ness describes the flow and noise of everyone so well, especially the animals. Everyone has such a distinct tone and feel to their character. Listen to the noise, but also listen to what is underneath the noise. There is SO much going on under the words and all that “noise”.

OH, the big bad guys in this book are the best kind. The big, bad religious kind on a mission who keep on coming no matter what because they are meant to–it is their destiny! I love it! Aaron, Mr. Prentiss, Jr. and Mayor Prentiss all wear, own, and strut their bad guy roles with style, flair, creepiness, and ignorance. Pure scary, fun! But let’s get back to the man of the hour and my gushing…

Patrick Ness. I warned you there would be more gushing! He crafted a tale packed with such intensity and action that I found myself gripping the book so tightly that my fingernails left claw marks! A tale where strangers forge such a strong bond and friendship that I could feel it in my own heart. I thought my heart was going to burst at one point when Todd…well I can’t go there! …. Let’s just say, Ness made me long and miss characters that were barely in the action. But one of my favorite Ness skills is how he includes the reader in the story. I felt as if I was part of the action. He literally pulls the readers in (shut up)—he does! These characters and Mr. Ness spoke right to my heart and soul. Okay, okay-I will reel in the fangirl love and gushing.

This book has become one of my favorites that I plan to return to again and again. This story made me proud, cry, smile, laugh, and even crush a bit. Todd, Viola, Manchee, Ben, Cillian, and the whole cast of characters made me examine how well I really know the people around me, made me see how a right decision can be so wrong at the same time, and pushed me to look at my decisions in life. If Patrick Ness taught me anything—it is that every decision can take and cost us so much—so much of ourselves. I like to think I still have my battered and broken (but still here) soul and that I’ll continue to get back up, due–in a large part–to reading and books like this one!

“I think maybe everybody falls, I say. I think maybe we all do. And I don’t think that’s the asking.

I think the asking is whether we get back up again.”

I loved this “effing” book! Just in case I didn’t make that clear!

Title:

Summary(from the publisher):
A moving debut novel about a foster child learning to open her heart to a family’s love Carley uses humor and street smarts to keep her emotional walls high and thick. But the day she becomes a foster child, and moves in with the Murphys, she’s blindsided. This loving, bustling family shows Carley the stable family life she never thought existed, and she feels like an alien in their cookie-cutter-perfect household. Despite her resistance, the Murphys eventually show her what it feels like to belong–until her mother wants her back and Carley has to decide where and how to live. She’s not really a Murphy, but the gifts they’ve given her have opened up a new future.

Opinion:
I was asked to read this book and review it by the author and I must say I’m very happy I was because I may not have thought to pick it up otherwise. I would have missed a great story about a young girl finding out who she is and that’s okay to let people in and trust them. I would never have known just how strong Carley Connors was even at a mere 12 years old.

One for the Murphys is about Carley Connors, a young girl from Las Vegas who lived with her single mom.  Although they live pretty inconveniently Carley felt both secured and loved by her mom. It wasn’t until Dennis came into the picture that things changed. Carley didn’t trust her mother’s new husband and she isn’t quiet about it. So when the family moves to Connecticut and things take a turn for the worse, landing both she and her mom in the hospital, Carley is thrust into the foster care system. A family by the name of Murphy take her in and show her the true meaning of family and what love is really like.  This inevitably changes her forever.

I really enjoyed Carley as a character. She was endearing; very likable and relatable. After reading what the experience that landed her in the hospital I could understand why she was so closed off emotionally from strangers. She refused to trust and I couldn’t blame her. She was just a scared kid and all she wanted was to create a family (one that she felt safe and protected in) with her mom.  Unfortunately, that did not happen. Thankfully, being with the Murphy clan, the Mrs. and the two youngest boys in particular, let Carley grow and blossom. Starting out as an angry little girl with a hard shell made it enjoyable to watch the boys and Mrs. Murphy soften it enough to crack through.

Honestly, Carley’s relationship with Mrs. Murphy was my favorite part of the book, save for the Red Sox stuff .  No seriously through I loved the dynamic between these two characters. Mrs. Murphy never stepped over her boundaries even when she wanted to and she never pushed Carley into doing something she wasn’t comfortable with. She was the best kind of support Carley could have and watching her open up to this surrogate mom was both heartwarming and heartbreaking. Without trying too hard she brought Carley out of her shell and made her believe in herself and to see how strong she really was even if she did get emotional at times.

What I didn’t like in this story was Carley’s mother. I found her incredibly selfish and immature. Carley wasn’t her daughter, she was one of her possessions that she wanted to hold on to and control. She wasn’t a good mother by any stretch of the imagination. Did she love her daughter? No doubt.  But that isn’t all there is to the parent/child relationship. Carley needed consistency and stability and she never gave that to her. And don’t even get me started on what lead to the two of them ending up in the hospital. Her mother’s actions, although explained, we’re vile to me and unforgivable. She was by far the worst part.

With that said One for the Murphys is really a fantastic read about love and understanding and finding out who you are. I know it is for middle school age, but I’m not so sure a ten year old should read it with the talk of domestic violence. I would really go with 14 plus, but that’s just me. Definitely a powerful debut by Hunt and I hope to read more by her in the future.

“I’d struggled to pass the seven tests the council of gods had given me to see if I was worthy of immortality and becoming Queen of the Underworld, and because I’d won — only barely — Henry and I were now technically husband and wife.”

Summary (from the publisher):
Kate Winters has won immortality.  But if she wants a life with Henry in the Underwold, she’ll have to fight for it.

Becoming immortal wasn’t supposed to be the easy part.  Though Kate is about to be crowned Queen of the Underworld, she’s as isolated as ever.  And despite her growing love for Henry, ruler of the Underworld, he’s becoming ever more distant and secretive.  Then, in the midst of Kate’s coronation, Henry is abducted by the only being powerful enough to kill him: the King of the Titans.  As the other gods prepare for a war that could end them all, it is up to Kate to save Henry from the depths of Tartarus.  But in order to navigate the endless caverns of the Underworld, Kate must enlist the help of the one person whom she would really rather not meet.  Henry’s first wife, Persephone.

Opinion:
I’m a fan of this series.  I loved Kate’s perseverance and how her relationship with Henry was slow to build.  I also loved Henry’s gruff nature making way for a more tender personality as he opened himself up to the possibility of love.  It’s one of the reasons I was so eager to pick Goddess Interrupted up and see how things would progress.  In total I wasn’t disappointed in what I was given in this book.  It wasn’t as strong as the first but it was still highly entertaining and left me wanting more.

I’ll start there; with the weaknesses that is.  Goddess Interrupted had me feeling less enamored of Henry.  Even though he had justifiable reasons he was far too distant with Kate.  I was hoping for a stronger more romantic vibe between them.  I wanted progression in their relationship from where it ended in the last book.  While there was progression the way it was paced left me feeling a bit more ambivalent about them as a couple.  This is a shame really because a good part of the premise of the series is built on their romance.

I felt a distance from James too.  With him it was more acceptable given the relationships he was maintaining.  It’s clear he has feelings for Kate but that he’s trying to respect (as best he can) her love for Henry.  He’s protective of her but is also keeping his distance.  What I struggle with, however, is that we don’t know  him independent of her.  There are glimpses of his life but there are very small.  I can’t say that the goal is to create a triangle between he, Kate and Henry but if so I don’t have anything to hang my hat on as far as James is concerned.  Even if this is not the goal I would like to know him a bit better.

The pacing of the story was good, it was certainly action packed. Without giving too much away, giving Kate and Henry something to fight against and for together was executed well.  From the perspective of the plot it made sense that the romantic elements took a back seat.  It showcased Kate’s character development best.  Unfortunately, the story is not without it’s predictability.  Mostly, I didn’t mind that I could figure out what next steps would be.  However, the one large plot shaping twist at the very end was pretty clear to me several chapters before it transpired.  I do wish it would have been masked a bit better but didn’t ultimately ruin the book.  This is because the twist opens the opportunity for some great story-telling in the next book.  I’m excited to see how things progress for Kate and Henry as a result of what occurred.

Goddess Interrupted was a quick read filled with a dynamic lead female, a smattering of romance and a twisty-turny plot that is going to carry into the final book of the series.  I, for one, am interested to see how it all turns out.

Title:

“I wish I could say that I’d been asleep when the howling started.  I knew it was the white wolf without being able to see him.  The high, mournful wolf’s cry that filled my bedroom now sounded like he was just outside my window – but I knew it came from deep in the forest. He was venturing farther away.  Away from me.  Away from who he used to be.”

Summary (from the publisher):
A troubled soul.  An impossible choice.  A final battle.

Wrestling with the werewolf curse pulsing deep inside of her, Grace Divine was finally able to find her brother, but it nearly cost her everything.
With her boyfriend, Daniel stuck in wolf form and Sirhan’s death approaching, time is running out for Grace to stop Caleb Kalbi and his gang of demos.  If she fails, her family and hometown will perish.  Everything rests on Grace’s shoulders.

Opinion:
As much as I’ve enjoyed Grace and Daniel’s I have to admit that the third (and final) book in Bree Despain’s Dark Divine trilogy was the weakest.  Though it didn’t lack in action, which is a good thing as far as I’m concerned, it was far too long for my liking.  The amount of time that Grace pined for Daniel the wolf at the very start was challenging.  Not because it wasn’t believable, because it was, but because it just went on for far too long. There was only so much depression and desperation I could handle before the repetition started to wear me down.  Further, I found that aspect quite frustrating given the strength of Grace’s character in the previous novels.  All of that perseverance seemed to seep away in a flash.  Again, it’s not that it wasn’t entirely realistic.  Of course, she was upset who wouldn’t be?  But it was just so abruptly out of character.  Even with her dedication to finding a way to bring Daniel the boy back from wolf form.

The culmination of the plot — the epic battle for Daniel to be Alpha over Caleb — was unsurprising.  The story had been going in that direction from the start.  As I mentioned before it was quite action filled which I enjoyed.  The fight to overcome picked the pacing of the book to just the right speed for me.  So the last 2/3 of the story was far better for this reader.  I also liked the fact that the romance between Grace and Daniel seemed to take the back seat in this final book.  Sure, it was still there, so those that are looking for payoff in regard are going to get it, but it was much more muted in tone this time around.  This felt like a natural progression given their comfort level with each other and the way their relationship transpired up until that point.  It was clear that each was dedicated to the other and that there was no shortage of love between them.

Jude’s story ties up nicely as well.  I found his role throughout the series to be the most appropriate.  He was a key factor and figure in the story but the focus wasn’t so much on him and what was happening with him as much as it was about his role as a catalyst for other events.  That is the case in this book as much as the others.  That his story played out the way it did made perfect sense.

The most enjoyable aspect of this book was definitely the inclusion of Daniels wolf-pack.  The addition of Brent, Slade, Ryan, Marcos and Zach added a much needed element of levity.  Though they all had their darker more intense moments they also brought the fun as well, which allowed for a bit of down time between the angstier sections.  The way that they interacted with Grace as she was working to help Daniel was endearing.  They were protective of their den mother and weren’t afraid to do what needed to be done to assure her safety.  Even the most rigid tough-guy Slade softened over time.  If I were Despain I would certainly consider writing a spin-off series with this boys.

While not my favorite in the series I will say that The Savage Grace ended the series in a fitting way.  There were no questions hanging out there unanswered, there was nothing left unsaid, and the characters were all in realistically satisfying places in their lives.  Despain has certainly created a compelling and entertaining series for lovers of paranormal fiction.

Title:

“I expect instant culture shock when our plane touches down, but the Guatemala City airport looks like every other I’ve seen.  Just with more Spanish.”

Summary (from the publisher):
Are you a Global Vagabond?

No, but 18-year-old Bria wants to be.  In a quest for independence, her neglected art, and no-strings-attached hookups, she signs up for a tour of Central America — the wrong one.  Middle-aged tourists are hardly the key to self-rediscovery.

So when Bria meets Rowan, devoted backpacker and dive instructor, and his outspoken sister Starling, she seizes the chance to ditch her group and join them off the beaten path.  Bria’s a good girl trying to go bad.  Rowan’s a bad boy trying to stay good.  As they travel through Mayan villages and remote Belizean islands, they discover they’re both seeking to leave behind the old versions of themselves.  The secret to escaping the past, Rowan’s found, is to keep moving forward.  But Bria realizes she can’t run forever.  At some point, you have to look back.

Opinion:
Aspiring artist Bria is heartbroken after and unexpected break up with her boyfriend Toby at the tail end of her senior year.  Already planning to go on an international trip with her two friends she is further disappointed when they decide she is not in the frame of mind to travel.  Unwilling to let the idea of breaking free of the pressure at home go she books a solo trip to Central America.  Through a tour company she flies to Guatemala to travel the country and see the sights.  Unfortunately, it turns out that the average age of group members is far older than she.  Stuck in a conservative middle-aged tour of an exciting never before seen country her frustration grows until she’s faced with an interesting decision.  Having met a couple of seasoned backpackers her own age she given the choice to stay with her tired boring tour group or strike out on an interesting fun adventure with travelers her own age.

Yup, it’s not hard to guess, Bria chooses fun!  Only, as it turns out, much of the trip from then on out isn’t as much fun as she was anticipating.  Challenged by a young man with questionable motives she’s definitely a fish out of water.  His inquiring mind and his desire to encourage her to be a different other than she is sets her off kilter.  Not because she’s averse to the challenge but because she knows she wants to be the person he wants her to be, only she isn’t quite sure how to get there.  Afraid of disappointing everyone in her life, but more importantly herself, she finds it difficult to open up to new and spontaneous experiences.

This is where the friction rises between she and Rowan.  He is trying to mold her into the person she wants to be (though he is not necessarily aware of her desire) while still trying to remain in his own shell.  It’s ironic, he’s lecturing her on being more open minded and trying to get her to open up about her life yet he is the more shut off of the two.  Hiding his past and closing himself off to everyone but his sister he’s irritating and arrogant as he tries to shape Bria in this vision he likely has of his own life.  Trying to realize his own wishes and dreams through her.

Naturally, this is where the romance comes in.  The two start to build an attraction to each other.  There is a fair share of push and pull between them as Bria feels judged while Rowan feels desperate to hide his secrets.  Ultimately it’s his inability to open up to her and the challenges she places in his way as a result of their relationship that keeps them apart.  But, that’s what I liked best about Wanderlove.  It had a slow building romance that wasn’t the easiest of roads to follow.  They weren’t immediately in love, in fact they weren’t even immediately in like, it was a slow moving relationship beginning with a tentative acquaintance that built into genuine friendship then more.

Hubbard also created dynamic characters in Bria and Rowan.  Not to mention Rowan’s flighty sister Starling and a small cache of secondary characters.  None of these characters were drawn of perfection, each had his or her cross to bear and did so with very little finesse.  The struggle to pull out the reality of their lives, to communicate feelings with each other, felt realistic.  It’s the kind of angst that people this age and in this circumstance really would encounter.

Oh and the travel aspect was cool too.  I was impressed with the way Hubbard included the Central American locale.  I felt every inch of the jungles, beaches and crowded shopping areas.  It was steamy and sultry enough to create an added level of frustration for the characters but also exciting and wild enough to keep them on their toes.  I quite enjoyed taking the ride along with them as they backpacked through the surrounding areas.

An emotional trip through a foreign country with a sweetly challenging romance, Wanderlove is definitely a book contemporary lovers should add to their in flight reading.

“Although I am alone, I blush, but not with shame.  I have been hoping for this!  Some acknowledgement that he feels as I do, that there is a possibility of something fine and noble between us.”

Summary (from the publisher):
Eliza Monroe — daughter of the future president of the united states — is devastated when her mother decides to send her to boarding school outside of Paris.  But the young American teen is quickly reconciled to the idea when — ooh, la-la! — she discovers who her fellow pupils will be:  Hortense de Beauharnais, daughter of Josephine Bonaparte; and Caroline Bonaparte, youngest sister of the famous French general.  It doesn’t take long for Eliza to figure out that the two French girls are mortal enemies and that she’s about to get caught in the middle of their schemes.

Opinion:
I can’t quite wrap my mind around why I am so pleasantly surprised when I’m engrossed in (and enjoy) historical fiction but I always am.  Maybe it’s because I don’t read a great deal in this particular genre or perhaps I tend to forget that history itself is so interesting and therefore fictionalized situations and characters surrounding such events become compelling as well.

Such is the case with Susanne Dunlap’s The Academie. Set in Napoleonic France during Revolutionary times the story follows Eliza Monroe (the future US President’s daughter) as she navigates finishing school.  Her mother has surprised her with the “opportunity” which causes her much angst.  Until, she realizes that two of Napoleon’s cherished relatives are enrolled as well.  The prospect of school becomes much less daunting when encountering the idea of befriending each of them.  Her relationships are complicated, though, by the fact that Hortense (daughter of Josephine) and Caroline (sister of Napoleon) are not fond of each other.  Caroline in particular is confrontational and manipulative when it comes to Hortense.  In fact, she befriends Eliza specifically to keep her away from her niece-in-law.

Told in multiple points of view (four to be exact) The Academie portrays a fairly simple plot that focuses on the interpersonal relationships of these young girls and the boys they set their sights on.  The majority of the story focuses on the girls desire to find love for themselves but it is interwoven with Revolutionary action and no shortage of scheming.  For example, in order for Caroline to position herself in the presence of her true heart’s desire (a military man close with her brother) she is forced to sneak about in dangerous situations.  This, naturally, ends up involving Eliza and Hortense.

A slower read, The Academie includes a fourth story that felt unnecessary.  There is a sub-plot with a young actress (Madeleine) that has fallen in love with Hortense’s brother Eugene.  Though Eugene’s mother does not approve he plans to sneak away with Madeleine regardless.  Unfortunately, Madeleine’s mother (a wretched, controlling woman who uses her daughter as more of a slave) other ideas.  Luckily, the young lady is happened upon by Eliza and becomes a part of a larger plan the girls hatch to move forward in their respective relationships.  This plot has a clear point and fits into the plot well but still extended the story in ways that weren’t needed.  The same character motivations and catalysts could have been encouraged via other means leaving Dulap the opportunity to cut these sections out.

I appreciate Dunlap’s ability to uniquely characterize each of the girls. Eliza is the naive social climber, Hortense is soft-spoken and reserved, Madeleine is the victim and Caroline the arrogant, aggressive manipulator.  Almost all showed development as the story went on but the one who changed most was Eliza.  She gained depth and embraced her desire to do what was right as opposed to what was expected.  I found her the most intriguing and definitely wanted more for and from her.  Caroline is the character that was most cliched (though there is a bit of tie for that title with Madeleine).  Wicked as they come she was all about plotting and scheming to get what she wanted.  She tormented Hortense for sport and generally didn’t care for much that wouldn’t help her get what she wanted.  Hortense was kind of just there, if I’m being honest.  I desperately wanted her to get more of a backbone and stand up for herself more.  The only traces of that potential was in her interactions with Bonaparte and those were limited in scope and frequency.  Like, Eliza she wanted to do what was right by those she favored and many times that made her a victim to Caroline’s whims and schemes.

Though this story was primarily about the way the girls interacted with each other there was a romance factor to the book too.    Each girl had a suitor or object of her affection.  A portion of each girl’s story did focus on how she was going to land her big fish permanently.  Generally speaking I was hoping for more in here.  I understand the focus of the book was not necessarily the romances as much as the lives the girls were living with each other but I still wanted to explore some of the relationships more deeply.  Particularly Eliza and Valmont.  Their love hate relationship was, by far, the most intriguing and undoubtedly had the most chemistry.  That it had little focus in comparison to Hortense and the piano teacher’s son was disappointing.

Well written, Dunlap created a story that had the right combination of prose and dialogue for my reading preferences.  She also didn’t go too crazy on the historical facts.  She incorporated the feeling of the time period and definitely elements of that place in history but it wasn’t over the top with trying to teach me everything there was to know about the Napoleanic era.  With a few exceptions (which I’ve already referenced) the story was well paced, I liked that there was some action and that it wasn’t just about girls back stabbing each other.   The Academie is definitely a good read for those who love historical fiction and those who are interested in experimenting with the genre.

Title:

“I don’t want to be the person I was being without you…”

Summary(from the publisher):
Charlotte and Oliver have been friends forever. She knows that he, Abe, and Trip consider her to be one of the guys, and she likes it that way. She likes being the friend who keeps them all together. Likes offering a girl’s perspective on their love lives. Likes being the behind-the-scenes wordsmith who writes all the lyrics for the boys’ band. Char has a house full of stepsisters and a past full of backstabbing (female) ex-best friends, so for her, being friends with boys is refreshingly drama-free…until it isn’t any more.

When a new boy enters the scene and makes Char feel like, well, a total girl…and two of her other friends have a falling out that may or may not be related to one of them deciding he possibly wants to be more than friends with Char…being friends with all these boys suddenly becomes a lot more complicated.

Opinion:
First I must start by saying I am a huge, huge fan of Terra Elan McVoy. I picked her book Pure up on a whim and fell in love with the story. It wasn’t my usual kind of book or subject matter, but it was so fascinating I couldn’t put it down. Basically, I have been a fan ever since. When I heard she was writing a new book I was ecstatic. And then when I was offered an ARC I was so over the moon. And let me tell you it was exactly what I expect from McVoy. Was it as good as Pure for me, no way, but it still was really enjoyable. And part of that is because I think McVoy hit the ups and downs of having friendships with boys.

Being Friends with Boys is a story about Charlotte, a normal girl that is the manager of a band.  The band includes Abe, Trip and Oliver, Char’s three best friends, and she is completely content with that. After all, she has more guy friends than girl friends because girls never seem to be there for her when she needs them. For example, her mother abandoned her when she was younger, her sister is in college leaving her behind, and her former best friend Lish stopped coming around because Charlotte wasn’t cool enough. Charlotte knows that Oliver, Abe and Trip will always be there. She counts on it. But the problem is, things tend to change and change quickly.  Soon Char has no idea which end is up — she and Trip are suddenly barely speaking, he’s out of the band and replaced with new guys, and most scary of all she is suddenly singing instead of managing. Quickly thereafter, she is forming a crush and Lish is unexpectedly back in her life.  Things are on the upswing and starting to look good. But why can’t she get Trip out of her head and why is he ignoring her?  There is no question that her hands are full and as a result of the many transitions her emotions are all over the place.

Honestly, there was stuff I really liked about this book and stuff that I wasn’t crazy about. Charlotte was one of the parts I really liked. There was something about her that was very relatable.  There was an ease to her when she was around all the boys in her life and I liked that. She seemed comfortable in her own skin and in her element. And as much as I liked her relationship with all the guys, my favorite by far was the one she shared with Trip and Benji.  When Char was around Fabian she was awkward and unsure, around Oliver she was constantly looking out for his feelings and reactions, but when she was around Benji and Trip she never once second guessed herself. Well, that is until she tried to force situations with both of them. Truthfully she was her absolute best when around those two boys and that made me really like her as a character.

On the other side, as much as I enjoyed that Charlotte that was friends with the boys, I loathed the Charlotte that was friends with the girls. The girls that Charlotte was friends with, and I use that term loosely, were the complete opposite of the boys and that bothered me. I guess when you think about it there is obviously going to be two different dynamics with these kinds of friendships, with boys and girls being so different from one another, but these girls were just horrible. They used Charlotte and treated her like dirt and I wasn’t a fan of that. The fact that Charlotte let them when she would have never let Trip or Oliver get away with the same behavior was insulting. She was better then Lish and the girls that were using her for access to the band and I couldn’t for the life of me figure out why she would take that from them. The friendship with the boys was much more believable than it was with the girls so that was disappointing.

What wasn’t disappointing was the focus on music in the story. I’m not usually one that goes gaga over music in books, but I have to say there was something about the addition of the band’s music that added to the plot. I don’t know if it was Charlotte coming out from behind the scenes and actually being front and center singing her own lyrics, or the places that Sad Jackal played.  The scene’s set — like the Halloween dance that brought me back to high school dances or the bar where Charlotte and Fabian would go with friends and listen to other bands — set a fun and interesting tone. It added an energy to the book that helped feed the emotions Charlotte was feeling. When she was confused she would write and sing out the confusion. When she was hurt she would dance and sing away the pain. It added depth to Charlotte’s character and gave me the ability to look inside her as opposed to the external view her relationships provided. I appreciated that ability.

All in all I really enjoyed this book. It was a fun, entertaining read. It made me look forward to more books by McVoy. If you haven’t read her, check some of her stuff out. If you have, pick this one up and enjoy. I did.

“So he’s why.  Lucas needed to know the truth, and I had to be the one to tell him.  Somehow, telling Lucas is like admitting that it’s real.  The it — the liking girls — isn’t going to evaporate.”

Summary (from the publisher):
If someone hurts your sister and you’re any kind of man, you seek revenge, right?  If your brother’s been accused of a terrible crime and you’re the main witness, then you banish all doubt and defend him.  Isn’t Lucas and Tessa’s friendship is the stuff of legend in their small Midwestern town.  So it’s no surprise when Lucas finally realizes his feelings for Tessa are more than friendship and he asks her to prom.  What no one expected, especially Lucas, was for Tessa to come out as a lesbian instead of accepting his heartfelt invitation.  Humiliated and confused, Lucas also feels betrayed that his best friend kept such an important secret from him.

What’s worse is Tessa’s decision to wear a tastefully tailored tuxedo to escort her female crush, sparking a firestorm of controversy.  Lucas must decide if he should stand on the sidelines or if he should stand by his friend to make sure that Tessa Masterson will go to prom.

Opinion:
Tessa and her best friend Lucas have been tied at the hip since they were young children.  Regarded by most in their small town as the “it” couple that haven’t quite gotten it together romantically it is surprising to most when the unimaginable happens.  Lucas and the rest of town discover, after his humiliating billboard sized invite to the prom is declined, that Tessa is gay. This sparks a town-wide revolt when Tessa decides she wants to go to prom with a girl and *gasp* wants to wear a tux to boot.  The furtherance of the book goes on to show the conflict between Tessa and just about everyone — her parents, Lucas, her high school and the townspeople.  She even has to deal with the matter seeping out into larger US population as a whole.

Halpin and Franklin have crafted a quite serious book wrapped in a somewhat light package.  What do I mean by this?  Well, they touch on a young girl’s coming out, the fall out of it as it were, in a way that gives the subject matter appropriate depth and meaning while still making the story entertaining.  This is done not through the plot (which is pretty straight-forward and not all that unique) or the setting (typical small town fare) but rather the dynamic characters.   Specifically Tessa, who (as one would expect) has a pretty tough go of things after her proclamation to Lucas that she’s just not that into him.

So let me start there.  Tessa was a great girl-power kind of character.  She was inspirational in her actions while still being a regular teenaged girl with problems.    What made the book for me wasn’t that Tessa was struggling with her sexuality.  Because, she really wasn’t.  She knew she was gay and didn’t have any problem embracing it.  Where she encountered the struggle was in timing her admission, helping those around her deal with her it and and making sure that her relationships remained in tact.  It took her quite some time to make her sexuality known to the public but once done she did she was willing to fight for her rights regardless of her preference.

Enter the great prom debacle.  Once it was discovered that Tessa was going to go to the prom in a tux and with a girl all hell broke loose.  School tried to ban her and then the prom got canceled all together. As a result her life at school suffered (kids blamed her for the prom not happening), her life at home suffered (her parents livelihood was put in jeopardy), and her friendships undoubtedly suffered (Lucas wanted nothing to do with her).  It’s in the latter that the most enjoyable portions of the book occurred.  Seeing Tessa experience and overcome the loss of a lifelong friend was both emotional and enjoyable.  Watching her journey of self-discovery as it related to the trust and loyalty issues Lucas brought up was quite interesting. While he initially struggled with the fact that she was gay he felt the ultimate in betrayal because she waited so long to tell him.  He was under the impression that their friendship was based on complete honesty.  He shared everything with her only to find out she did not return in kind.  It was devastating for him.

Which brings me to Lucas.  I found him realistically painted.  He was so conflicted over it all.  A true and loyal friend he was genuinely hurt by Tessa’s refusal of his love but then even more so when he discovered she’d been holding back the truth for so long.  Then how widespread that lie by omission really was.  He had his moments of jackassery as a result.  He was childish, spiteful, rude and self-involved when it came to the aftermath of Tessa’s admission.  But, for me, that is what made him true.  He was dependable when it counted and angry when it suited him.

There was some touching family interaction, some sweet romance, and great friendships portrayed thoughout Tessa Masterson’s story.  A quite little book that teaches a lesson loud and clear.

Title:

“For the first time ever, I felt ashamed of my species. The volcano had taken our homes, our food, our automobiles, and our airplanes, but it hadn’t taken our humanity. No, we’d given that up on our own.”

Summary (from the publisher):
Under the bubbling hot springs and geysers of Yellowstone National Park is a super-volcano. Most people don’t know it’s there. The caldera is so large that it can only be seen from a plane or satellite. It just could be overdue for an eruption, which would change the landscape and climate of our planet.

Ashfall is the story of Alex, a teenage boy left alone for the weekend while his parents visit relatives. When the Yellowstone super-volcano erupts unexpectedly, Alex is determined to reach his parents. He must travel over a hundred miles in a landscape transformed by a foot of ash and the destruction of every modern convenience that he has ever known, and through a new world in which disaster has brought out both the best and worst in people desperate for food, water, and warmth. With a combination of nonstop action, a little romance, and very real science, this is a story that is difficult to stop reading and even more difficult to forget.

Opinion:
One of my many book addictions is the “End of the World As We Know It” story or otherwise known as “Oh-My-Good-Golly-What–Do-We-Do-Now?” book!

Over the years, these tales began to possess similar plots, events, scares, and attitudes but Mike Mullin’s Ashfall felt like a brand new bag to me in many ways. It held such inspiration, morality, and hope in the pages. This story felt more like a journey towards a new way of living in a new world rather than the beginning of the end.

After a super-volcano erupts in Yellowstone National Park, Alex’s weekend of freedom away from his family turns into an unimaginable journey of survival in a world now covered in ash, darkness, unpredictable weather, violence, pain, loss, hunger, and fear.  Setting off on foot (and skis) he treks across Iowa on a mission to find his family.  What he discovers along the way is so much more; his battle to survive brings him face to face with new friends, horrible foes, and a girl named Darla.

Alex and Darla are flat out amazing! While this book does not shy away from the harsh nature of survival it places great emphasis on the power of love as well.  These two were adorable, smart, strong, and caring towards each other and the people they came across on the road. It was a joy to watch them conquer a problem with patience, strength, smarts, and grace. Alex and Darla encouraged, leaned on each other, and were not afraid to let the other one lead at times. They made my heart happy! It was just so refreshing to see intelligent young adults with a “we-should-try-it-how-hard-can-it-be” attitude. I fell in love with both of them, but Darla, she was my hero. That girl rocks!

Some of my favorite parts of Ashfall were the detailed lessons for the different techniques Alex and Darla used to help them survive. They combined their knowledge to practice skills used in their previous lives as well as skills they had read about.  Adding in good use of their common sense they were able to put thought into action to battle the elements and starvation. I truly admired their attitudes through the highs and lows of their travels. I would have wanted to curl up and die at points, but they constantly pushed each other to keep learning and trying. Much of the science and skills (such as pig farming, greenhouses, smoking meat, and grinding corn) were well explained point by point.  However, the author did well to piqued the reader’s interest for further research of topics. I often found myself asking—is that true? I enjoyed all the survival lessons—even the gross ones!

As many dystopian stories do, this one showed the ugly side of a society struggling to survive.  The good thing is that it also encouraged the best to shine through as well. My hat goes off to you, Mr. Mullin, you have written an end-of-the-world-as-we know-it story, but infused it with hope. Hope in love. Hope in humanity. Survival is key, but who we choose to surround ourselves with and how and what we do to survive should be the most important parts of the journey.

It was a very refreshing take on the genre and I can’t wait for more!

Title: The Rivals [indie bound] [amazon]
Author: Daisy Whitney [website] [twitter] [facebook]
Genre:  Contemporary
Publisher: Little Brown Books for Young Readers
Series: The Mockingbirds
Format: Print (ARC)
Source: Publisher (via BEA)
Reviewer: Michelle & Andi
Parental Advisory: sex, alcohol, drugs, language
Teachable Moments: rape, cheating

Michelle
What did you think about the story overall?  I have to say I liked The Mockingbirds better.  I felt like this book (while good) wasn’t a necessary extension of the first.  Having said that I quite enjoyed catching up with Alex and liked seeing her growth since what happened with Carter.  The story itself made sense to me, that there would be a cadre of people who rebel against the Mockingbirds (even if I saw the plot points and progressions pretty early on) and that there were some who still didn’t believe Alex.  I’m still on the fence about the school administration though.  It felt a bit too over the top, that any school administrator would be so blatant about turning a blind eye or that those that were aware of The Mockingbirds wouldn’t do more about it.

Andi
For me this book was close to being excellent, but something made it a little off from the greatness of The Mockingbirds. I tried to figure out if it was the case, the new people, the slight shift in Alex’s personality, but it wasn’t any of that. I actually liked how Alex was always on the line of deceptive and straight forward. It worked, and so did the new people. It was the administration that bothered me. It was too much of a plot point to make the head master be that ‘turn a blind eye to win an award’ like. It was very contrived and it took away from what Alex and The Mockingbirds were up against and made everything they did whether good or bad okay because the administration was the bad guys in the long run.

Michelle
Yes!  I felt like the award thing was way too convenient.  Particularly given the fact that the precedent had been set in the previous book that the administrator never paid much attention to goings on.  Also, I think the focus on that element took away from the strength of The Mockingbirds. As a group it felt far more public in this book where as in the last they were more covert and at least tried to fly under the radar.  It felt like vigilantism was being flaunted as opposed to being a means to an end.

What are your thoughts on the case that was being investigated?

I was kind of torn.  I liked that Whitney spoke to a relevant topic on a much grander scale (cheating) but part of me felt like one of the best things about The Mockingbirds was that they gave a voice to an individual who was wronged.  Rivals took away from that some for me.  It lost some of it’s emotion and urgency because there wasn’t one single person being focused on.  BUT, I don’t think this book was as much about The Mockingbirds as it was a continuation of Alex’s story.

Andi
Like you I was torn too.  I got that it was used as a way to justify the means, to show that not everything was so black and white and clear cut. I liked that aspect of it. But I had trouble believing that a high school senior, even someone like Alex, would go that hardcore against a cheating ring. There was something about the case that just didn’t work for me. Was the mystery aspect of who was behind it good? Absolutely. But I couldn’t help but think it would be even better if the case was more individualized. I just couldn’t see a kid caring about cheating if it really wasn’t affecting them and I struggled with that.

Michelle
Again, I agree!  In my high school it was pretty much keep your nose down and stay out of it. Now, this doesn’t necessarily mean that such things are always that way I can see where it could be this way.  But it seems far less plausible to me.  Did you feel like it was a mystery?  Because I knew what was going on pretty early on.  There were a few places where things worked out differently than I expected but it wasn’t overwhelmingly surprising overall.

Andi
Oh, definitely not a surprise to me. I saw the writing on the wall from the get-go, but the attempt at a mystery was there for sure. Whitney wanted to keep you guessing, but for two amazing astute readers like ourselves…come on now.

What did you think of Alex and Martin’s relationship?

Their relationship was the one aspect I 100% loved. The growth and love from what they were in The Mockingbirds was pretty amazingly done in my eyes. It was the part of the story that I just found very real. The problems they had, the insecurities, that is all typical high school, if not just relationship stuff that couples go through. Sure their was the added pressure of working together and not always agreeing on the course of action to take, but their relationship was totally relatable and added to the book instead of just being there to add some romance.

Michelle
I was more drawn to their relationship in the first than this one.  She was a bit unkind to him (understandably so) in some respects.  I enjoyed that he handled it well.  I do like that their relationship was portrayed realistically.  She was distant and he was hurt.  There was some spitefulness and childishness.  No Dawson’s Creek action here where they were far to wise and introspective for their own good.  I liked that a lot.

What did you think about her attraction to the other boy?  I’m forgetting his name, UGH.

Andi
Jones! Oh Jones. I guess I was annoyed more with Jones then her attraction to him. I kind of understood the attraction because he was completely separate from everything else that was going on. He wasn’t in The Mockingbirds and he wasn’t in the circle of friends that she wasn’t trusting anymore. He was her Jones, her soft place, her music guy. But personally I thought Jones was pretentious and full of himself and that is what bothered me. He really acted like he was above all things Mockingbirds and I couldn’t figure out why he felt so entitled.

Michelle
Yes, Jones!  Thank you!  See that’s one of the problems for me is that we didn’t have all that much time with him.  To really get to know him outside of the peripheral.  That made it harder to understand why she would be so inclined to give up what she had with Martin for Jones.  I do get the inclination to gravitate towards him for the reasons you mention but why allude to potential romance.  You can get that connection through friendship, you know?  I agree that he had arrogance about him and I wonder if it was intended to be felt as more aloof than anything else.  I didn’t much mind about his personality just because I knew his purpose was to be conflict for she and Martin.

Speaking of which, I didn’t feel like that was a necessary focus for the story.  There was already so much conflict in the plot already that there wasn’t a need to have a third party element to the romance.

Andi
Maybe that’s the problem that I was thinking of him from both books, like I couldn’t separate the two. I guess I’m just not a Jones fan. LOL. But I totally get what you are saying. The extra conflict was just that…extra. There was plenty immerse yourself in without it. Was it supposed to show the strength of Alex and Martin or what? Kind of pointless is right.

Michelle
I think so.  Also, I think it went to show that Alex was healing from the rape.  That she could open herself up to the idea of dating not just one man but potentially someone else as well.  In that way I think it worked well.  She had far more interaction with boys in this book and I found that aspect was handled really well.

What did you think of Alex’s character development from book one?

Andi
Now that part I honestly thought was really well done. From book one to The Rivals you could notice the change in Alex. Like she said in the book, as much as she wanted to be that same girl from before the rape, the one that went under the radar she couldn’t. She was different and I think Whitney showed that really well. I loved even in just The Rivals how at the beginning Alex was afraid to face Natalie, who I can’t stand by the way, and then at the end she refused to let her bully her. She found who she was and how being raped made her able to withstand things the old Alex never would have. Once she stopped running from her past she was no longer her past, she was the girl that did something about it and took control back of her life. You know?

Michelle
I do!  What I liked best about it was that her progress was slow and thoughtful.  It wasn’t this huge grand sweeping change that happens in 2.5 seconds so that the story can be conveniently done.  She was still traumatized by the rape and had appropriate reactions when seeing Carter at different times.  I also liked that she was able to continue to move forward with Martin and that she opened herself up to multiple possibilities where romance and intimacy were concerned.  Not sure I’m on board with her getting to sexy times with him as quickly as she did.  I would have imagined it taking longer given where she was in the first book.  But that’s just me.  Did it feel too fast for that to you?

Andi
I can see how people would think it was very fast that she was okay to sleep with Martin. But I can also see why it was important for Alex to actually let herself be with someone like that. It was more, to me anyway, to show that the rape didn’t define her and that she was in a safe place with Martin. Martin made her feel like the Alex of old so it was natural that she would be okay to be intimate with him. Fast, maybe a little, but I think it was a way for Alex to grow and for the rape to have been something that happened to her, not who she was.

Michelle
This is true, it’s difficult not to let something like that define you so plowing ahead to try and make positive changes is definitely an encouraging message.

Any final thoughts to share?

Andi
All in all I really enjoyed the book. It was nice to see some character growth. There were things I would have lied to have been different, but in the end I think it all worked as a whole. I do get the feeling of a possible third part, but time will tell. I know I’m excited for whatever Ms. Whitney has for us next.

Did you read it?  What did you think?  Add your thoughts to the comment.

Title:

“The world would be a boring place if we were all the same.”

Summary(from the publisher):
Meet Josephine Foster, or Zo Jo as she’s called in the biz. The best pint-sized photographer of them all, Jo doesn’t mind doing what it takes to get that perfect shot, until she’s sent on an undercover assignment to shoot Ned Hartnett—teen superstar and the only celebrity who’s ever been kind to her—at an exclusive rehabilitation retreat in Boston. The money will be enough to pay for Jo’s dream: real photography classes, and maybe even quitting her paparazzi gig for good. Everyone wants to know what Ned’s in for. But Jo certainly doesn’t know what she’s in for: falling in love with Ned was never supposed to be part of her assignment.

Opinion:
I was really excited for this book when I read about it months ago. The premise sounded like it would be right up my alley. I mean, who doesn’t love a story where the lead character falls for the person she is supposed to? It’s a classic. But, sadly, this one fell a little flat for me.  It felt somewhat unbelievable.

The story is about Jo, a 16 year old paparazzo, that is trying to make money so she can get out of the business and take photography classes. Having been taught by watching her dad (one of the best known ‘Zo’s’ in the business) she followed his footsteps out of convenience and obligation but really wants to study photography as art. As a teen who is petite and has the looks to match her age it works to her advantage, allowing her to get into places other photogs can’t. Given those qualities she is offered a job to head to Boston and ‘spy’ on a music celebrity who has recently checked himself into a rehab facility focused on young adults.  Desperate to get out of the business, Jo agrees to take on the assignment because the money is just too good to resist.  As one might expect, when she gets to the facility Jo learns there is more to both the situation and the boy she’s investigating.   It’s in this experience that she ultimately discovers how difficult it is to keep emotions in line when feelings start to develop for the subject.

To be honest I’m not sure what it was specifically I didn’t really enjoy about this book. Well, wait, that isn’t true. Jo was a really big part of my problem with the story. I didn’t feel like I got to know her like I should have.  As reader I wanted to feel bad for her when she found herself in a pickle but I didn’t because everything about her was so surface level. There was definitely potential for more depth but it was always hidden behind her camera, or her fauxpod as she called it. There were moments when the real Jo made an appearance.  For example, she showed traces of depth when she talked about her trust issues and a little about her past and relationship with her dad.  Unfortunately it was short-lived and felt peripheral. I wanted to know more about her abandonment issues.  Her mother’s departure and her father’s need to travel for work leaving her on her own deeply effected her everyday life but it was never really explored with any great focus. I felt like I knew Katrina (one of the supporting characters) better than Jo and it didn’t sit well with me.

What I did enjoy was Jo and Ned’s relationship.  The friendship they created in the treatment facility was real and easy. It was the one time when I could actually feel an emotion from Jo. Every time she talked to him and had to lie I could feel her guilt. She was doing what she had to, but she liked Ned so much that it was eating her up inside. The strength of her character and the story was exhibited best when she wasn’t hiding behind her camera; when she was spending time with Ned. Ned got Jo talking about herself and that was what I wanted more of.  I would have enjoyed the story more had it been told from their dual perspective instead of just Jo’s. It would have been nice to see both sides of the coin and I think it would have done wonders for their story and my feelings on the outcome.

Thought this wasn’t a book that worked particularly well for me, it may be more your speed.  Pick yourself up a copy and see where you fall.

Andi: Um, I have one word for this movie…FANTASTICAL! Wait, is that even a word? Hmmm… Ah whatever! Word or no word, The Hunger Games was just that…it was FANATASTICAL! I was very, very nervous after all the hype, but the hype, the hype was worth it and more. Would you agree Ms. Heather?

Heather:  I would TOTALLY agree.  It was, as you put it, FANTASTICAL and then some!  The hype definitely gave me pause because when you’ve loved a book so much and then it’s adapted to screen, you get nervous when everyone is singing its praises. I didn’t want to come out of the theater disappointed and I didn’t.  Not even a little bit.

One of the things I was most impressed with was the casting.  I thought it was so well done.  What did you think, Andi?

A: The casting was so spot on. I know there was a lot of contention when the cast was released. I’m not gonna lie, I was one of those worried people. I wasn’t sure Lenny Kravitz would be a good Cinna and not knowing Jennifer Lawrence I didn’t know if she could pull off the awesomeness that is the character of Katniss. But I will fully eat my words because not only was Lenny a pretty perfect Cinna, Jennifer Lawrence carried that film on her back and made Katniss into what she was written to be. She managed to get across the strength, the fear, the uncertainty and the power of the character across with just her looks. I actually believe she was Katniss and that was so important for this film to be a success.

H:  It’s funny you say that about Lenny Kravtiz because I thought he’d be a perfect Cinna the first time I saw he was who had been cast in the role! Funny how people see things differently when you picture them in your mind.  Maybe it was because I read the books later and the cast had already been announced, but I thought from early on that the casting sounded pretty good.  Like you, I didn’t know much about Jennifer Lawrence, so I wasn’t sure what to expect from her, but I think she did a fantastic job and as you said, she really carried the film.  She embodied what Katniss should have been, a strong, able heroine.

You know the other thing that struck me about the casting was that I thought Josh Hutcherson was a great choice as Peeta.  To me Peeta always seemed like he was the underdog because he didn’t have that established relationship with Katniss like Gale did in the beginning.  I thought Josh, and then with Liam Hemsworth as Gale, established that well.  Josh is a cutie, but he’s not conventionally hot.  Does that make sense?

A: That makes totally sense. Josh has that silent cuteness to him and it worked for Peeta. He was charming when he had to be like the character was in the book, but he also was thinking a lot and you could see that all over Josh’s face. His mind was always moving and calculating what his next move should be to protect him and Katniss. It was really well done and I got the same feelings I did from the book watching him.

I know there was some talk about no chemistry between Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson but I didn’t really get that. To me it came off exactly how the book relationship felt to me. He was head over heels for her and she was kind of aloof because she didn’t know what she felt about him or the games. When they were in the cave I definitely felt it and thought it was real, but after and before that I think it was portrayed spot on.  What did you think about it?

H:  I was hoping we’d get to the “no chemistry” talk about Jennifer and Josh!  I agree with you that it came off exactly as it did in the book for me.  As I mentioned earlier, Katniss had an established relationship with Gale and that was evident to me, especially when he came to see her right before she left for the Capitol.  The way Katniss launched herself into Gale’s arms; you could see and feel that connection.  I think there was a good connection between Jennifer and Liam too.

With Peeta, Katniss didn’t have that connection.  All she had was the memory of seeing that young boy throw burnt bread at her feet and I think that was confusing for her when she saw him at first, let alone hearing that this now much older boy had a crush on her and had for years.  I think it was perfectly played on Jennifer’s part because Katniss didn’t know how to feel about Peeta’s declaration, then she sees him with the other tributes once they were in the arena and I think she was trying to figure out if he was “with” them or if he was trying to protect her, so the chemistry at that point in the movie might have been less, but I think it SHOULD have been.  Once they got to the cave, you could definitely see the chemistry increase and it was there between the actors.  I felt the connection between them in those scenes.  There is no question that the aftermath of the cave scenes was played perfectly too.

Since we’re still talking about casting, what did you think of Elizabeth Banks’ Effie and Woody Harrelson’s Haymitch?  I heard some scuttle that people didn’t care for Harrelson, but loved Banks.  Personally I loved them both, but…

A: I thought they were spot on as the characters they were cast as. Banks was the perfect Effie. She was so clueless and worried about appearances. And Harrelson was a great Haymitch. If I did have one complaint about him was that there wasn’t enough. We didn’t get to really see the relationship that developed between Katniss and him. I mean I get that that was a timing thing, but I wish there was just a little bit more. In the book they had a great push/pull thing between them and I just wanted to see that on the screen. But other then that no complaints about the cast at all.

And with that let’s move on to the setting. What did you think about the actual set designs? Was it what you would have pictured Panem and the districts to look like? What about the arena?

I must say everything was spot on to the vision in my head but for one thing and it is really my only complaint about the film and it is so ridiculously minor, but it made me crazy. The Cornucopia.   Oh man did they screw up the look of the Cornucopia. Silver mirrored?! I think not. The Cornucopia was gold and much, much larger. That just totally disappointed me. But everything else was exactly what I would imagine it to have looked like.

H:  I thought everything as far as set design was pretty close to what I had envisioned in my head with the exception of the same thing you disliked… the Cornucopia.  I couldn’t believe that it was silver mirrored!  To me that was the biggest disappointment of the film.  I, like you, envisioned it being larger, but I also had a vision of it being more rustic.  Definitely gold in color, but since they were in the middle of basically the wilderness, I just thought it would not be as modern and futuristic looking as it was, even though this story is obviously set in the future.  It looked sorely out of place to me.

I felt they did a great job with the districts.  District 12 had that very downtrodden feeling that you got out of the descriptions in the book and I think it really gave you a good feeling of where Katniss came from and the struggles that the citizens of that district faced on a daily basis.

This may not totally pertain to sets, but it does in a way because I’m talking about “Games Control.”  One of the things that I really thought was cool was getting to see how Seneca Crane really played “gamemaker.”  I had wondered how they would do that in the film and I thought it was done so well.  I loved getting an inside look at the control center and how he directed when the tracker jackers were introduced and the fire, etc.

A: That had to have been the coolest part of the whole movie. The room were the Games were controlled was off the hook awesome! That really showed the kind of future world they were living it and gave an even more sinister feel to the “gamemakers”. Getting to see just how much they controlled and how they decided to change the games as they went was pretty ingenious and gave me the chills. It was definitely a more in depth look at it then was in the book.

The other thing that I really enjoyed was how they shared with the viewers the stuff that was in Katniss’ head in the book. Like when she was in the arena in the book we were able to see what she was thinking and since they obviously can’t do it that way in a movie, having Stanley Tucci’s character Caesar Flickerman tell us like we were the actual audience watching the Hunger Games in Panem was a pretty creative way to get it all across.

Now let me ask you what you thought of the camera shakiness? I heard a lot of complaints and was curious what you thought about that part of it?

H:  Honestly, I think the camera shakiness just added another layer to what the film was.  So much is shown from the perspective of the characters and when you’re running through the wilderness or through a body of water, you’re going to be moving all over the place.  It gave it a realistic feel in my opinion.  I could see how it would bother some people though because there were some times it was super shaky.  You know the one thing I thought was cool about having the shaky effect was?  They were able to showcase the killings and some of the more gruesome moments without it being totally gruesome.  With the quick, shaky camera shots you got the gist of what was going on, but you didn’t have to look for long at what was happening.

What did you think of it?  Did it bother you a lot?

A: I actually think it added to the movie. The shaky camera to me was a tool used to show the fear that these kids were facing both at the reaping and in the actual arena. It made me feel twitchy and jittery and I would imagine that would be how a person would feel if put in that situation. Like you said it made it feel realistic. And that’s a really good point about the killings/violence. It made it watchable when you weren’t looking at it head on. I didn’t even think of that. Nice call Heather.

Favorite scene in the movie?

H:  Ooh, that’s a tough one…Can I have two?! LOL There are two scenes that come to mind for me right away and for very different reasons.  The first is when Katniss goes in for her evaluation.  To me her shooting the apple out of the pig’s mouth was the first time she really flexed her heroine muscle and I just wanted to cheer for her because it’s so rare that the female main character gets to kind of stick it to everyone.  I loved that!  Honestly I think that is one of the reasons I loved these books so much is because for once the woman was the one to root for!  The second scene(s) are those that Katniss had with Rue following her demise and the care she took putting the flowers around her.  I just thought that showed the kind of person Katniss really is even if she wasn’t so good with words, as she put it.

How about you?  What was your favorite?

A: Those were some really great, powerful Katniss moments. I do love that she was such a fierce heroine. She is who little girls should look up to in books. But as great as those both were mine is when Katniss showed her vulnerable side. She very rarely cried or showed emotion going into the games assuming it would show weakness. She was strong and stoic to a point. So when she was getting ready to actual enter the arena and it was just Cinna and her and they weren’t saying anything but she was visibly shaking I felt the human part of Katniss. She was no longer the girl that fed her family, that looked after her sister, that put her life on the line for Prim. She was a scared 16 year old girl that was about to fight to the death for her life. In that one scene she said so much without saying a single word. That was my favorite part hands down.

H:  Good choice!  I liked all the scenes that Jennifer Lawrence and Lenny Kravitz had together.  I thought they were great scene partners. I also felt like Katniss’ relationship with Cinna in the book was one of the most stable she had and she trusted him to point her in the right direction, she was able to vulnerable with him and his vote of confidence right before she went into the arena was invaluable.  I wish they had been able to explore that relationship a little bit more on-screen.

A: It’s funny that you noticed the comfort level between Jennifer and Lenny in their scenes together. It actually wasn’t that far of a stretch for her to trust him. Jennifer Lawrence is friends with his daughter Zoe in real life and has been going over his house for years. Like most kids call their friend’s parents she calls him Mr. Kravitz and got the whole cast doing it. Just a little behind the scenes trivia for you. J

So in comparison to the book, which we both loved to pieces, how do you think they fared in making this into a movie?

H:  That’s really interesting about Jennifer and Lenny!  I had no idea!  Here’s another little tidbit before I answer your question, I read that when Wes Bentley (Seneca Crane) got down here to Charlotte to film, he had a full beard and so the hair stylists just took what he already had and sculpted the beard he had in the movie.  The funny thing was that he had his family down here and filming had moved into one of the more rural areas up toward the mountains and he had to go to Target to pick up some formula and he said the people looked at him like he’d stepped out of a different time with the futuristic design.  They weren’t used to seeing that type of facial hair!

Okay, so back to your question…I think they did an excellent job of bringing this extraordinary story to life.  I’ve seen a lot of films that have been adapted from books and nine times out of ten there is some major flaw or they’ve changed a huge plot point in the film version that makes you grit your teeth.  That didn’t happen with this movie for me.  With the amazing job they did with casting and the attention to detail, I think they nailed it.  There are always going to be things from the book that there just aren’t enough time to include or develop, but when you look at the big picture, I think that The Hunger Games ranks high on the list of success stories when it comes to creating a world that we’ve all imagined in our minds and making it come to life.

A: They really did do an amazing job. They did the important stuff right out of the book and then tweaked other things to make them work for a film adaption. Like you said 9 out of 10 times it just doesn’t translate and I felt like this time it just worked. Makes me hopeful for the last 2 books. Catching Fire is going to be off the hook good!

Anything else you want to add?

H:  Catching Fire was my favorite of the three books, so like you I think it will be off the hook good as a movie.  I have high hopes for it anyway!  Seriously I hadn’t been this excited about a movie in a long, long time and this lived up to my expectations and then some.  For the first time in eons I’ve already said I want to see this again in the theater not to mention buying it when it comes out on DVD.

Thanks so much for including me in this.  It’s been fun and I hope everyone has enjoyed reading our thoughts.  And, like Andi said, if you haven’t read the books, read them and then hightail it to the closest theater and see this great piece of cinematography!

A: And scene. 

Thanks for helping out Heather. It was a pleasure having you.

So these are our thoughts. What do you think?

Series:

Book Names:
1 – Birthmarked [indie bound] [amazon]
2 – Prized [indie bound] [amazon]

Plot:
<spoilers this way come! Because I’m reviewing two books at the same time it’s impossible not to let information flow.  Beware!>

The Enclave is home to a powerful government oppressing those living outside the gates.  Amongst the inhabitants of the many outlying villages are Gaia and her parents.  Gaia’s mother, tasked with assisting in the birthing of healthy babies then delivering them to the Enclave, and her father are unexpectedly taken away one evening leaving Gaia alone to find out why.  Taking over her mother’s place as midwife she takes the opportunity to ask members of her community what they may know.  Then, one day, she is visited by the mysterious Captain Gray as he has been tasked with investigating her parents actions and behavior and reporting what he finds back to the Enclave.  This leaves Gaia with more questions than answers .  To find the answers Gaia goes undercover in the Enclave where she finds herself the focus of some serious political intrigue where survival is more than about just being the fittest.  It’s about cracking codes, seeking the truth about her parents, rebellion against their oppressors and ultimately determination to make the world a better more fair place for everyone.

The result of her actions bring about the events in Prized.  Gaia’s now focused on finding a place in the world outside of the Enclave.  Carrying her newborn sister through the rugged terrain of The Wastelands she hopes to find a safe haven where they can go unnoticed and live free.  Unfortunately she is drawn into a world that isn’t all that different than that of the Enclave.  Being taken captive she and Maya are taking to Sylum a place where females are the ruling class.  Though motivations are different the population here  is about assuring that the human race is given a fighting chance.  Arranged marriages, infertility, more baby selection drama, and all manner of feuding (family and otherwise) are what welcome Gaia when she arrives at Sylum.  But she also encounters the potential for love.  With Leon missing she meets brothers Will and Peter whom she has vary different attractions to.

Characters:
Gaia is, in Birthmarked, a strong and determined young lady.  One who has clear visions of who she is and where she comes from.  She fights injustice with her daring and courageous nature.  Though not entirely fearless she puts the welfare of her family high above her own.  She is a girl of action and is quick-thinking. Gaia suffers though, she misses the comfort of home and the love of her family.  She’s vengeful of death and has a mean streak that works to her advantage.  Caring of others, she even finds compassion for some in the Enclave that have been most oppressive of others. But then, in Prized, she loses some of her will.  She loses some of her fire.  She becomes more introverted and careful. All of which I found to be believable under the circumstances.  Her experiences in the Enclave fundamentally changed her.  Add to that, the responsibility she had in Prized was not just for herself but now for her infant sister as well.  This resulted in Gaia becoming more conservative, far more cautious, and even subservient when needed.  Many of these traits were against her nature but people do what they must to survive.

Leon (Gaia’s first love) remained fairly consistent throughout both Birthmarked and Prized.  This is not to say his character was completely unchanged or under developed but rather what made him Leon continued to shine through in all circumstances.  A man of honor, he consistently challenged those around him.  Though he was, at times, a prisoner to his family and the reigning government of the Enclave he was subversive enough to fight for what he believed in.  The strong silent type he was straightforward and of few words.  He was courageous enough to take risks when necessary yet realistic enough to reserve himself when the situation called for it.  Like Gaia, he knew how to love.  He struggled with showing his emotions but once revealed he had such endearing tenderness.

The Matrarc of Sylum read as a giant cliche.  I did appreciate that she wasn’t a faceless foe like the Enclave was in Birthmarked but still she was very predictable.  A bitter and scorned old woman she was deadly and domineering.  Her character did not feel fully fleshed out. I never completely understood her motivations.  As the leader of Sylum she claimed to be working for the greater good of her people, and I did feel she was at times, but many of her actions felt far more personal which I never found reason for.  She was certainly the most atrocious of Prized’s characters — not an ounce of compassion nor love.  Her negative influence and desperation for control went to making me loath her (which I believe was the intention) but I would have liked to have seen some sort of emotion from her.

I thought there was great opportunity where Will and Peter (Prized’s brothers who were both attracted to Gaia) were concerned.  Certainly there is room for them to develop as the last book progresses.  I did find each of them interesting enough to keep me reading but I would like to see more of them independent of their desires for Gaia.  Where Peter was the more law-abiding of the two Will wasn’t afraid to step outside the lines time and again.  Will was softer spoken while Peter more abrupt.  Will was emotional and tender while Peter was more gruff and stronger armed.  Each of them had a compelling relationship with Gaia in their individual way.

There was also a variety of secondary characters throughout both, Gaia’s parents who were bold and strong, Leon’s family who were dark and overbearing, as well as a number of inhabitants in Sylum who both fueled Gaia’s fire of rebellion and assisted in oppressing her.  All in all it was a fairly well rounded (though at times peripherally developed) cast.

Setting:
The setting of these books is just as much a star as the characters.  It is a sparse land with serious environmental issues that cause any number of stressors for its inhabitants.  It leads to infertility and desperation for food and water that naturally affects the behavior of people.  A world that is easy to envision I could imagine the large-scale difference between the populated city of the Enclave, the lesser comfortable outlying burgs that surrounded it, the rigors and savagery of the Wastelands as well as the discomfort but safety of Sylum.  There was community to be found in each, the populace carrying varying degrees of comfort.  Of course this went to the availability of natural resources and the level of oppression experienced by governmental leaders.  All in all O’Brien has crafted an interesting world that lends itself to be a good back drop for the action of the plot and the depth of characters being built.

Final Thoughts:
While I enjoyed Birthmarked more than Prized I feel invested in this story.  I found O’Brien’s addition of the love “square” to be an interesting twist on the usual romantic fare.  All the more impressive is the fact that Gaia was appealing with all of her suitors.  She could find happiness with each of them for different reasons.

Further, the characters were differentiated enough to allow for more complex relationships (familial, romantic or friendship).  Was that opportunity for complexity always taken?  No, sadly it wasn’t.  But there was enough there to build on for the final book which I’m very much looking forward to.  I’m also quite looking forward to how the plots of Birthmarked and Prized are tied together (if they are).  Will events from the Enclave to come back to haunt Gaia and Leon, if so how will it impact life in Sylum?  There is a great deal of potential for the final book in the series.

Hi everyone! My name is Sarah Wethern and I am running for the 2014 Michael L. Printz Committee. I am currently working as a youth librarian serving ages 0-18 in a small Minnesota library. I’m a passionate advocate of teen services and teen literature and have been since grad school. My invovlement in YALSA continues to grow and I am so thankful for the support they offer libraries across the nation. I am an avid reader, particularly of contemporary young adult fiction. My spare time is basically reading time!

MF: What experience do you have that is particularly applicable to this position?
SW: I am a voracious reader and frankly, that is going to be necessary on the Printz Committee given the vast amount of books that I will need to read. I am learning to be a stronger critical reader and I think my reviews on my blog have started to reflect that. The Printz means excellence in young adult literature and that means I will need to analyze and thoughtfully examine the text in a way I have not always done before. Currently, I am serving on the Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults committee which is giving me a small taste of the arduous reading ahead of me for the Printz. In the past, I have also served as a round one judge for the Cybils which is another reading heavy award. Fortunately, all of these experiences have been not only fun but helped me grow as a librarian and reader. I know the Printz will do the same.

MF: Share some of your thoughts on previous winners.  Are there any standouts?  Any omissions?
SW: For some odd reason, I tend to connect more with Printz Honor books rather than the winners themselves. For instance, last year one of my favorite books was Maggie Stiefvater’s The Scorpio Races. It is an utterly gorgeous reading experience and I’m so thrilled it won a Printz Honor. E. Lockhart’s amazing book, The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks, a 2009 Printz Honor, continues to amaze me and pull me in. I can re-read that book again and again and pick up something new and insightful. I am still sad that it was not the winner in 2009, much as I love Jellicoe Road.

MF: How do you feel your reading habits will influence your role on the committee?
SW: I tend to enjoy lighter, fluffier reads and this is something I am going to have to put aside because I will need to read so many more genres. I love a story with great characters and romance and frankly, those are not usually indicators of a Printz winner (well, the romance angle anyway). The award is for excellence in young adult literature and that means that books that I may not have read for “fun” will need to be examined. I’m so excited for the challenge however because I think this will give me a great opportunity to continue to broaden my reading horizons and become a more critical reader. The fact of the matter is that even as I have my favorite authors and storylines, I tend to ready anything someone sets in front of me so I know I will do well on the Printz Committee. This will allow me to develop new reading habits!

MF: If elected, what would you provide the committee in terms of new or innovative approaches?
SW: I’m never going to reinvent the wheel but I think I’ll bring a very open mind to the table that will allow me to see past previous reading experiences to truly pinpoint what makes a book worthy  of the Printz Award. I also come with a mindset that sometimes books about relationships, about very personal and contemporary issues, can be award-winners. As I said, I love a good romance and I think too often books with heavy romance themes get pushed aside as being shallow or silly. That is certainly not always the case and something I can advocate for. As with any committee member, I hope to bring insights based on personal experiences to the table. We are all committed to this award for a reason but that reason differs for everyone.

MF: Finally, why do you run for this position and why do you feel you’re the best candidate to select?
SW: I am running because I want to be able to leave a mark on the young adult literature landscape. I want to be able to work with my fellow librarians in choosing an amazing book for readers that will stand as a testament to the growing creativity that young adult writers show every single day. I am running because I am eager for the discussion, the give-and-take and the friendly arguing that is sure to follow as we work as a committee to decide which book will receive the Printz Award. I am the best candidate because I am already chomping at the bit to participate. I am committed to working hard and making the 2014 Printz experience a good one for everyone, committee members and readers eagerly anticipating the reveal.

Thank you for stopping by Sarah and best of luck!

Series:

Book Names:
1 – Finnikin of the Rock [indie bound] [amazon]
2 – Froi of the Exiles [indie bound] [amazon]

Plot:
<spoilers this way come! Because I’m reviewing two books at the same time it’s impossible not to let information flow.  Beware!>

Finnikin is a young man when his best friend (and prince of the land Finnikin lives within) is killed along with the rest of the royal family.   This time, known as “the five days of the unspeakable” forever curses a portion of the land’s population to be sequestered within the gates of the palace walls.  Those remaining outside the walls become exiles left to roam until they find a place to live.  There is great suffering for all on both sides, with the exception of the Imposter King who is the one who initiated the coup.  Then after ten years, Finnikin is confronted with Evanjalin a young girl who claims to walk through the dreams of others.  She has claimed that the young prince, and heir to the throne, is actually alive and should be found so as to return him to his rightful place by ousting the Imposter King.  So starts a journey (both physical and emotional) that will bring Finnikin and other exiles back to their homeland.

In Froi of the Exiles Finnikin, the newly appointed queen, and their loyal friend Froi are again put to the test when bordering lands look to start war. Froi, having now been trained by the Royal Guard, is sent out to the kingdom of Lumatere’s most aggressive foe as a spy and assassin. In doing so he is confronted with a young Princess possessed by multiple personalities.  In working through his royally appointed duties Froi befriends a pair of brothers and finds himself at the heart of a larger mystery involving the Princess of Charyn.

As a reader who has not always connected with works of fantasy I found both Finnikin and Froi to be exceptionally well written and plotted.  Though each book did start off slowly once the action picked up both were difficult to put down.  Marchetta is detail oriented in he writing, leaving very few questions related to the plot left unanswered.  Even so, she creates a story that is so tightly woven that it is difficult to foretell the surprises she has in store.  Though I was able to discern a very large reveal in both (similar plot points actually) the general progress of each was enjoyable regardless.  In that way, the story was more about the characters than the plots they were in.

Characters:
Finnikin is one of those strong silent types.  A hero in action and words.  Though he is, no doubt, rough around the edges when a person is able to dig deep enough they see the tenderness beneath the tough outer shell.  He is extremely loyal and his bravery knows no bounds.  Valiant almost to a fault he is, at times, out of his element when dealing with those he is unaccustomed to.  His progression from the lonely exile to the loving future consort is one that moves at a leisurely and believable pace.  By the time he is revisited in Froi of the Exiles he’s softened considerably.  This is not to say that he is weak, but rather he has learned to wear more outward emotion and to show more happiness than ever before.  He’s certainly complex but extremely likable no matter his attitude.

For her part Evanjelin is equally rough.  Strengthened by the difficult life she’s lead up until her meeting of Finnikin and his friends she is closed off entirely from making connections with others.  Her defenses are rigid and she is not one to let her guard down with anyone.  That is until somehow Finnikin is able to get her lower her walls a bit.  In doing so she opens herself up to the potential of friendship and love.  Like Finnikin she is loyal and steadfast, she cherishes those she loves and is fiercely protective.  There is an air of mystery to Evanjelin though, there is more to her than the reader is led to believe.  It is in the discovery of what exactly that means that shows the continued growth she experiences.

Froi is the worst kind of street urchin.  A scrupulous survivor in Finnikin of the Rock he is not bound by any kind of socially acceptable behavior.  He is erratic, irrational and isn’t short of temper and violence.  He has no respect for life (his or others) and is not above criminal activity.  Like Evanjelin he is a survivor and has endured the unspeakable in his plight to make it from one day to another.  Of all the characters in these books he is the one who develops most significantly.  He goes from this street thug to an incredibly loyal and stable friend.  Though he constantly fights his urges and propensity for violence he becomes a more gentle and understanding soul.  A man who wants love and friendship in his life.  He is brave and unafraid to do what needs to be done while still doing his best to discern what is right from wrong and follow a more honest path.

Quintana is crazy crackers.  This girl has multiple personalities to spare.  But you know what, that’s what makes her so very interesting.  She’s had a hard life.  Unloved by her family, thought by her people to be a curse on them, and basically prostituted out to a variety of men and boys in the hopes of lifting said curse.  She is, by far, the most tortured soul in the books.  The wrongs done her makes it completely believable that she’s retreated into herself and relied upon the two personalities to survive.  But survive she has and she’s a stronger girl for it.  She has no shortage of fight in her and isn’t afraid to take giant risks.  As anyone with such a grand personality would Quintana loves grandly as well.  When she finally finds that love she goes after it full force.  She is a girl of action to be sure.

There are a bevy of secondary characters here too.  Marchetta does not skimp on creating a robust canvas for Finnikin, Evanjelin and Froi to interact with.  From Finn’s companion in exile Sir Topher, his Father Trevanion who is the leader of The Royal Guard, the latter’s lady love Beatriss (and her child Vestie), Lucian of the Monts, Gargarin & his brother, Lirah, and a host of other folks who cross the paths of the main characters.  Marchetta has incorporated diversity of age, gender and class and has done so well.  I admit, at times it can get a tad bit confusing trying to wade through all of the different characters but once you get to know them it flows well.

Setting:
Holy world building batman!  Marchetta is all about creating this HUGE, lush landscape that spans multiple kingdoms and regions.  From the rugged mountainous terrain to the sparse water-starved land Marchetta has set the scene with just the right level of detail.  I was completely aware of my surroundings throughout both book.  Not only that but there was the perfect variety of landscapes used to exemplified the differences between regions.  It helped to characterize each of the kingdoms by their different crafts and trades.  Much like our world today there are different natural resources to be found in different locations and that helps orient a person.   Furthermore, Marchette did well to incorporate the use of different languages by different people.  Sure, the reader doesn’t hear much of it but the allusion makes the settings all the more realistic.  But, these books aren’t just about the physical Marchetta gives the full sensory experiences.  I could smell the stench of city streets where slaves were traded, I could feel the grime of the prison where Finnikin’s father was held, and I shivered in the cold air of the forest and rocks.

Final Thoughts:
I was afraid going into these books.  Besides the sheer length of each being somewhat daunting, Fantasy has never been one of my strongest points.  Gotta say, though, that I loved these books.  This is actually one of my favorite series going.  The characters are so dynamic and (despite the fantastical world) relatable. The situations they find themselves in are action-packed and give the reader the perfect reasons to root for particular people and outcomes.  They are just all around fun and enjoyable to read.  Escapism at it’s very finest.  Oh and the writing?  Amazing.  Truly, inspired.  The perfect combination of dialogue and prose for this reader.

Get thee to a bookstore and get these books.  The third in the series Quintana of Charyn is due out in October at which time you know I’ll be pestering you all to read them all!

Shanyn of Chick Loves Lit and I have an announcement and it’s a doozy!

She and I are going into business together.  We’re bringing our considerable experience to the table and jumping into the deep end of the publicity pool.

Introducing Literary Logistics!

So what initiated this, you ask?

Well, in short I’ve been slaving myself to misery for the better half of a year generating revenue (measured with a capital M!) for my employer.  I create and market a product that I care little about.  Don’t get me wrong, I’m so grateful for my job and the benefits it gives me.  But if I’m going to work this much shouldn’t I be passionate about it?  Shouldn’t I be doing something I truly love?  I’ve got a good thirty more years of work left and I don’t want to settle.  I want to be excited to go to work everyday — even if it means eighteen straight hours at my computer.  I want to enjoy the people I work with.

It is with this in mind that Literary Logistics was born.  We’re good at what we do, damn good.  We know the YA and kidlit industry and we love it.  We not only want to see it flourish but we want to be part of making that happen.  We’re thrilled to have already started work with several clients and hope to expand our roster steadily.

That’s where the interwebs comes in!  We’re hitting the ground running and are pleased to announce a fantastic opportunity.  Shanyn and I are offering two authors free services for a year!  We can’t include tangible costs like design and production of websites or marketing materials (we outsource that work to people far more fabulous at it than we are) but anything else we offer, it’s yours!  Just fill out this form to enter.

We’ll be leaving the giveaway open for a week and will draw two authors from the list of submissions on Tuesday April 3 using random.org.  Remember we are young adult and children’s literature focused so please be sure you are an author that works within that particular area of focus.

Wish us luck as we embark on this endeavor.  It’s scary but oh so exciting.

Title: 

“Cam had vowed that that was it, though.  She was done trying stupid New Agey crap.  In fact, if she heard another note of Yanni or Enya or anything on the harp, she was going to lose it.”

Summary (from the publisher):
Dry, sarcastic, sixteen-year-old Cam Cooper has spent the last seven years in and out hospitals. The last thing she wants to do in the short life she has left is move 1,500 miles away to Promise, Maine – a place known for the miraculous events that occur there. But it’s undeniable that strange things happen in Promise: everlasting sunsets; purple dandelions; flamingoes in the frigid Atlantic; an elusive boy named Asher; and finally, a mysterious envelope containing a list of things for Cam to do before she dies. As Cam checks each item off the list, she finally learns to believe – in love, in herself, and even in miracles.

Opinion:
Warning: If you are not up to a tear-jerking, emotional, angsty and fantastically good read then Probability of Miracles is definitely not the book for you.

Oh how I loved this book.  Seriously, if I were a star giver Probability of Miracles would be getting all five of ‘em to be sure!  It’s filled with tough situations but treated with such grace and humility that it’s hard not to fall in love with the story and it’s characters.

So let me start there.  Cam, oh Cam….how I want you to be one of my BFFs.  Your quick wit and amazing sarcasm brought joy to my heart despite the tragic circumstances you were using them as a defense mechanism against.  Your journey through the last months of your life were inspirational and dang it, fun.  You brought me along for the ride through the difficult steps of acceptance to the joyful experiences of first love.  You gave me a completely do-able bucket list that gave you purpose and focus at a time when I know I would have lost all ability to function.  But, perhaps what I liked best was that you also had your moments of childishness.  You were spiteful and angry and confused.  You struck out against your family and friends when needing them the most but then recognized your behavior just enough to make amends. *sigh* I just enjoyed pretty much everything about you.

Then, oh then you met Asher.  What a delicious treat you were for Cam and for the reader.  Loyal and dedicated you were a fantastic friend though not entirely without flaws.  You’re fear of the unknown, your fear of the world outside Promise stunted your growth.  Set in your ways it was interesting to see you encourage Cam to expand her own thoughts while still closing your own off.  Quite the contradiction. But boy, oh boy, you are an awesome boyfriend.  Super swoon-worthy.  I’m not at all surprised that Cam fell for you as hard as she did.

Now, let me tell you about the setting of Promise, Maine.  It’s a small town reportedly (by family friends of the New Age variety) infused the mystical ability to provide miracles.  Much needed miracles for cancer-suffering Cam.  As a result, Cam’s mother uproots she and her sister from their Florida home to move up to Maine in the hopes of prolonging her life or magically curing her cancer.  Instead, they encounter other miracles (some fantastical in nature).  Puppies that live despite overwhelming illness, flamingos grazing the fields of Maine, and everlasting sunsets no matter the direction they are being watched from.  Then there are the miracles of a person’s own makings.  The kind where love is discovered, appreciation for the friends and family one has, and the ability to learn from one’s own actions and the circumstances we find ourselves in.  It is these miracles that make the story so compelling.

A quite simple plot honestly but one filled with great depth and beauty.  To participate in the journey with Cam; to feel both her joy and pain in new life experiences was both uplifting and filled with sadness at the same time.  There was a hopefulness to the story.  One where I found myself wondering if the miraculous properties and inhabitants of Promise would indeed come through for Cam in the end.  But man, in the end it just rocked my world in every possible way.  With a heartfelt message of love and encouragement it spoke of learning to appreciate the every-day miracles in life I was overwhelmed with this Wunder’s ability to tell a story.

Have I mentioned that I listened to this on audio?  Because, it totally made the book.  I feel confident that I would have enjoyed it in print but in audio, totally.brought.the.awesome.  Galvin brought Cam’s dry tone and sarcastic wit to life in a way that was beyond endearing.  Kudos to Penguin for bringing this girl to life in such a way.  I feel confident that listening to Galvin as Cam created a much stronger connection for me, one that truly had me experiencing her life in the way I suspect Wunder wanted.  Sincerely, one of the best audiobooks I’ve listened to.

In the end, whether listening to this book on audio or picking it up in print I strongly encourage you to read it.  It inspires appreciation for life and love while providing a definite feeling of escapism.

Title:

“I was going to tell you about how I was one of the popular kids for a couple of weeks, and it wasn’t worth it…”

Summary(from the publisher):
Piper, Cassidy, Mei, and Izzy have been best friends their whole lives. And they’ve always agreed on one goal: to get out of tiny Paris, Texas, and see the world. The school’s foreign exchange program seems like the perfect escape: Piper will go to the original Paris; Mei will go to China; Cassidy will go to Australia; and Izzy, unable to afford the program, will stay at home. To add spice to their semester away, and to stay connected to their best friends, the girls start The International Kissing Club, a Facebook page where they can anonymously update one another and brag about all the amazing guys they’re meeting. After all, these girls are traveling abroad: amazing guys abound at every turn! But sometimes fun, flirty vacation flings turn into more serious romances, and sometimes you don’t return from abroad the same person you were. Will the girls’ relationships-and their friendships-be able to survive?

Opinion:
When I started this book I wasn’t really sure I was liking it all that much. The beginning was kind of slow and a little whinny. I knew I was only a short bit in but instead of giving up I decided to push through and I’m happy I did. As the book progressed and I got to know the main characters I grew to like them more. I started to learn their personalities and what they were really looking for I found myself eagerly anticipating their next adventure and what might be in store for all four.

The main premise is about four best friends that sign up for a foreign exchange program and decide to kiss as many boys as they can.  Piper is the mastermind behind not only pitching the exchange program as well as creating the International Kissing Club, or the IKC as they call it. She wants out of Texas and fast after a series of humiliating events happen to her. She wants to run from one Paris to another and she enlists Cassidy, Mei and Izzy to join her. Cassidy is heading to Australia, Mei to China and Izzy wants to go to Costa Rica. Sadly, unfortunate events occur and Izzy is forced to stay home, but the other girls are off for an adventure on different continents and despite being homebound Izzy is in for an adventure of her own.

What International Kissing Club did best was was giving each girl a completely distinct personality. Piper is the girl desperate to be loved and accepted; Cassidy, the girl afraid of love; Mei, the girl looking to belong; and Izzy, the girl that wants to be seen.  All distinguished traits that made each independently likable and their friendship as a whole work.

All in all, I loved reading about each girl’s ten week experience but (as one would expect) I enjoyed some more then others.

Piper

I had my ups and downs with my feelings for Piper. I liked her a lot when she was in Paris, Texas. I could understand her and the fact that she was tired of being tortured and treated poorly by her mother. It helped me understand why she wanted to go to Paris, France. She was an artist and wanted to emerge herself in the culture. She needed to be on her own and spread her wings without being under the watchful eyes of her super critical mother and archenemy.  Truth be told, I actually liked her when she was in Paris, France too. She was more free then she had ever been before; able to do the things she wanted without a watchful eye or feeling disdain.

I quite enjoyed her with Sebastian, the boy in Paris she unexpectedly fell for. She knew she was risking a broken heart and pain, but she was willing to take the chance. What I didn’t like about her was her selfishness. Everything was always about Piper without her ever opening her eyes and seeing other people were having problems too. She wasn’t the only one having a hard time or experiencing confusion. Everything was about Piper and she never gave a thought to her other friends and their struggles. Sure she had real problems, but if she just looked around and opened her eyes I think I could have liked her more then I did.

Mei
Mei was my least favorite by far. I could see where she was coming from.   Adopted by her parents when she was 2 she was the only Chinese person in her small town and felt something missing. Wanting to know more about her roots she decided to go to China. Definitely reasonable, and not the crux of my problem with Mei. What I struggled with most was that she was a control freak and somewhat judgmental. She very rarely lived in the moment and I thought she looked down on her friends when they did. She wanted to belong, but she didn’t want to stand out.

Mei was at her best when she was with Guiran, the boy she met in China. He pulled her out of her comfort zone and made her try things and figure out that she already belonged, just not where she thought.  She had a place and her place was better then some made up idea in her head.



Izzy
Izzy was a tough one. She was the one that was left behind while her friends went on exotic trips. She had to deal with her same old family life –  being invisible to her parents, tormented by her older brother and having no friends at school. She was lonely. Her ex-boyfriend used her and she was heartbroken. Because of this she made some terrible choices, but she also learned how to stand on her own two feet and not always be in the back ground. She made herself  stand out more, which she quickly learned wasn’t always for the best. When more visible a person puts themselves out there and open themselves to being hurt regardless of circumstance. I guess in the long run I did like her just not some of the choices she made.

Cassidy

Cassidy was by far my favorite. She had been the outsider her whole life. Her mom got pregnant with her at a young age and her father was a nonentity. She was the poor kid with the single mom. But unlike Piper, Cassidy didn’t whine and complain, she stood up for herself. She didn’t take crap from anyone. But that didn’t mean she didn’t want to get away from it all. She was tired of the ridicule and the looks. She just wanted to be Cassidy. So she picked Australia because it was the farthest away. And honestly it was the best decision she could have made. All her life her mom had told her men were no good and couldn’t be trusted. She was basically terrified of love and wanted no part of it because she couldn’t trust it. Well Lucas, adorable Australian Lucas, made all of that change. Cassidy was finally able to be herself with him. Watching her slowly change from closed off to a girl falling in love endeared her to me and I found myself wanting more of her story the most.

In conclusion, although this book was a bit long and wordy at times it really was a cute read. I mean really how can you go wrong with four best friends that are dying to get out of their small town of Paris, Texas and find something different, find something that seemed to be missing from their lives?  Each girl picks a location and for 10 weeks they have the experience of a lifetime. As in real life some experiences are good and some are bad and some are just plain confusing. I must admit that I was reminded of The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants and the movie Now and Then at times, but this book also had its own identity. Ivy Adams wrote the trials and tribulations of friendship and growing up really well. A fun, cute read for sure.

Good morning friends!

How are you?  Things in Galleysmith land have been extremeeeeely busy.  With my full time job in full swing I haven’t had the opportunity to spend as much time gabbing with you.  I also haven’t had as much time to get blog posts written.  I’m hopeful to get that rectified today though.  I have a few in the pipeline for next week so hopefully things won’t be as quiet in these parts from here on out.

I’m also working on a super secret project with a friend that I’m hopeful to announce by the end of this week.  It’s something I’ve been thinking of doing for some time and now it feels like it’s the right time to focus on it.  I hope that you all will be as excited by it as I am.  So, yea, that’s been taking up a bit of my time too.

I’ve also been reading quite a bit (though not as much this week as in weeks past).  It’s all kind of been on the weekends as opposed to during the work week — you know, the whole falling asleep at 8pm thing doesn’t allow for that much — but still I’m mostly enjoying what I’ve been getting through.  Recent favs include Froi of the Exiles, A Need so Beautiful, Born Wicked and Article 5.  Plus a whole bunch more!  Really, there have only been a few kinda “meh” books in the bunch.  This is a good thing, no?  What have you all been reading that you think I should pick up?

I hope you are all doing well! 

Title: 

“Mikey lifted Ellie’s hand to his lips and kissed it.  He didn’t know why he did it, but it fitted in with the sadness and the sea and the rain.  He knew he’d got it right, because she gave him that look again, like he was some kind of hero.”

Summary (from the publisher):
If someone hurts your sister and you’re any kind of man, you seek revenge, right?  If your brother’s been accused of a terrible crime and you’re the main witness, then you banish all doubt and defend him.  Isn’t that what families do?  When Mikey’s sister claims a boy assaulted her at a party, his world of work and girls begins to fall apart.  When Ellie’s brother is charged with the crime, but says he didn’t do it, her world of revision, exams and fitting in at a new school begins to unravel.  When Mikey and Ellie meet, two worlds collide.

Opinion:
Motivation makes people do strange things.  It comes from a place of truth and desire.  Even though it is not always real truth rather a truth perceived instead, there are those that believe it none-the-less.  That is the difference between Mikey and Ellie’s motivations.  His are born of one truth — his sister Karyn has been assaulted by the boy she’s been chasing after — while hers are based on another — her brother Tom (the boy being chased) didn’t do it.  You Against Me is the story that helps them both uncover the real truth.

This truth is not without deception.

You Against Me is not the story of rape that one would expect.  While it does show Karyn’s fear and self-loathing after having been assaulted it focuses primarily on her brother’s quest to get revenge on the perpetrator of the crime.  In equal parts it also focuses on Ellie’s journey to both determine the truth of the matter as well as stay loyal to her family.  Along the way Mikey and Ellie find themselves growing closer together until they are undeniably in love.  Love doesn’t come without cost though, as Ellie and Mikey both learn.  Because it all comes down to the underlying truth, which neither is telling each other or themselves.  Thus the push and pull of the story is born.

Told in alternating points of view, Downham sets out on an emotional trip through each character’s development.  The stronger arc of the two is Ellie’s.  Here is a girl who is from a privileged family; a family that is used to closing ranks in the face of any adversity.  A family that will do anything to keep the status quo and maintain their image.  But Ellie, she’s starting to realize that she’s not like her brother or parent.  She strives for something more, she strives to be able to live with herself.  A journey of self-discovery that is not without a great deal of pain.  But this is what makes it so real and so enjoyable.  That even though Ellie endures quite a bit as a result of her brother’s actions she learns from his mistakes and comes out on the other side a stronger and more capable young woman.

Mikey, while compelling, was less dynamic in that regard.  Don’t get me wrong he had a journey of his own, and his loyalty to his family was admirable, but his path felt less twisty.  It could be argued that this is not necessarily the case — he too questioned much of what he believed and felt the impact of his actions on his family — but it felt far more muted in comparison.  The larger emphasis for him was how he learned to open himself up to love and relationships.

Which brings me to the romance that grew between Mikey and Ellie.  It was tentative and believable, this wasn’t some overwhelming melodramatic affair.  I greatly appreciated that it wasn’t one that focused on one or the other involved pining away or whining about how the relationship was progressing.  As typical teens they circled each other and played a few games but when the time came they shared important parts of their lives with each other.  Even though there were notable exclusions (that is where more of the push and pull came in) the games played a large role in how they ultimately found and stayed with each other.

Downham created a simple plot — a did he or didn’t he story that showed the over-arching impact of one person’s actions on those around him.  One crafted with great care to the subject of rape and the effects it asks people to endure.  Though the rape was not the primary focus of the story it acted as the catalyst for concentration on Ellie and Mikey’s individual growth and the progression of their relationship.  With no shortage of drama You Against Me was a fabulous contemporary novel about life and love.  One that readers, no matter what their genre preference or age, will enjoy.  I highly recommend it.