Book Review of "Rebel Heart" by Moira Young

Title: Rebel Heart (Dust Lands #2) 
Author: Moira Young
Classification: YA Fiction, Dystopian
Source: Bought from Amazon

Overall Grade:

A-

I thought...

This book cured my sequel fatigue.

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Summary (from Goodreads): 

It seemed so simple: Defeat the Tonton, rescue her kidnapped brother, Lugh, and then order would be restored to Saba’s world. Simplicity, however, has proved to be elusive. Now, Saba and her family travel west, headed for a better life and a longed-for reunion with Jack. But the fight for Lugh’s freedom has unleashed a new power in the dust lands, and a formidable new enemy is on the rise. 

What is the truth about Jack? And how far will Saba go to get what she wants? In this much-anticipated follow-up to the riveting Blood Red Road, a fierce heroine finds herself at the crossroads of danger and destiny, betrayal and passion.

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My Thoughts:

It took me a little time to get into Rebel Heart. I'll admit that lately, I've had pretty severe sequel fatigue. I'll take one look at the opening page, see the annoying rehash of events in the first book (I'm looking at you, Insurgent,) and will immediately abandon the book right there.

So basically, I'm tired of sequels.

But Rebel Heart seduced me.

Saba's narrative lured me in and even when the plot wasn't strong, even when I was itching for a certain someone to finally show up, she still kept me turning page after page.

From the cataclysmic events of Blood Red Road, it's pretty clear to see that any follow up would need to have some downtime, where the characters address the needs that were ignored during the tumult. Normally, I cringe for these moments, because they are almost always boring and done poorly.

However, I think the author tackled this well in Rebel Heart. Saba's journey throughout the novel was very different from that of Blood Red Road, but it was still compelling.

I especially enjoyed the development of one of the minor characters from Blood Red Road and can't wait to see more of that person in the last book! Saba's story in Rebel Heart was more emotional, more personal, and just as twisty and surprising as the first book in the series.

Seriously, once you get a hundred pages in, you won't be able to stop.

So for all of you guys who might have sequel fatigue like I do, don't let that stop you from starting this book!

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Overall Grade:

A-

I thought...

This book cured my sequel fatigue.

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Book Review of "The Thief" by Megan Whalen Turner

Title: The Thief (Queen's Thief #1)
Author: Megan Whalen Turner
Classification: YA Fiction, Fantasy
Source: Bought a used copy for $.01 on Amazon!

Overall Grade:

A

I thought...

Part adventure, part mythology, part quest, and an all-out fantastic read. 

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Summary (from Goodreads): 

"I can steal anything."  

After Gen's bragging lands him in the king's prison, the chances of escape look slim. Then the king's scholar, the magus, needs the thief's skill for a seemingly impossible task - to steal a hidden treasure from another land.  

To the magus, Gen is just a tool. But Gen is a trickster and a survivor with a plan of his own.

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My Thoughts:


The Thief is fantasy at its most successful!

One of the most difficult tasks of reading and writing fantasy is world building. Include too much detail and the reader will get bored and confused, while the plot will come to a screeching halt. Include too little detail and the reader will be frustrated with their growing list of questions, while their reading experience will become sterile.

The world building in The Thief is flawless! The reader is immediately catapulted into a familiar fantasy landscape that changes as Turner includes little details about past wars and other kingdoms. Because the first half of the novel takes place on a journey, this allows Turner to build a rich world around the characters, complete with a rich belief system of creation stories and human-like gods.

However, where The Thief lacks is in its pacing. When Gen and company first begin their journey, it is not clear that this journey will be the bulk of the novel. As a result, the reader continues to flip pages (20, 40, 90) with the hopes of reaching some kind of destination, only to find that they've begun a Tolkien-like adventure that, unfortunately, has no dragons, orcs, or Smeagol along the way to keep things interesting.

While the novel is still very readable, the writing is fresh and Gen is an irreverent, stubborn protagonist, the middle portion of the novel reaches an extreme trough.

However, the ascent from this trough is breathtaking. Turner soon takes Gen and company through a series of unexpected adventures where the stakes are high as high, leaving the reader no choice but to tear through the remaining quarter of the novel with fierce abandon.

In the end, The Thief succeeds in drawing readers into a rich new world with a protagonist they would follow anywhere. They will simply have no choice but to pick up the sequels, The Queen of Attolia and The King of Attolia as soon as possible!


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Overall Grade:

A

I thought...

Part adventure, part mythology, part quest, and an all-out fantastic read. 

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Book Review of "Pure" by Julianna Baggott

Title: Pure (Pure #1)
Author: Julianna Baggott
Classification: YA Fiction, Dystopian, Science Fiction
Source: eARC from the publisher

To be published on February 8th, 2012

Overall Grade:

A-

Recommended to...
Those in need of a chilling, yet beautiful dystopian.


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Summary (from Goodreads):

We know you are here, our brothers and sisters . . .

Pressia barely remembers the Detonations or much about life during the Before. In her sleeping cabinet behind the rubble of an old barbershop where she lives with her grandfather, she thinks about what is lost-how the world went from amusement parks, movie theaters, birthday parties, fathers and mothers . . . to ash and dust, scars, permanent burns, and fused, damaged bodies. And now, at an age when everyone is required to turn themselves over to the militia to either be trained as a soldier or, if they are too damaged and weak, to be used as live targets, Pressia can no longer pretend to be small. Pressia is on the run.

Burn a Pure and Breathe the Ash . . .

There are those who escaped the apocalypse unmarked. Pures. They are tucked safely inside the Dome that protects their healthy, superior bodies. Yet Partridge, whose father is one of the most influential men in the Dome, feels isolated and lonely. Different. He thinks about loss-maybe just because his family is broken; his father is emotionally distant; his brother killed himself; and his mother never made it inside their shelter. Or maybe it's his claustrophobia: his feeling that this Dome has become a swaddling of intensely rigid order. So when a slipped phrase suggests his mother might still be alive, Partridge risks his life to leave the Dome to find her.

When Pressia meets Partridge, their worlds shatter all over again.

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My Thoughts:

Haunting. This is the first word that comes to mind after reading Pure.

While this dystopian can be considered an almost political message on the atrocity of nuclear warfare, the narrative is really about the effects that nuclear warfare has had on each individual in society. Each individual in Pure, whether they were protected by the Dome or not, has had a sometimes literal and physical burden placed on their backs by the catastrophe that disfigured society inside and out.

Because of the serious and devastating effects of the Detonations, the tone of Pure is often bleak and even horrifying at times. However, there are several bright moments of extreme, haunting beauty, mostly coming from the relationships between the truly remarkable characters in this story.

The narrative in Pure is not just about the two protagonists, Partridge and Pressia. Rather, because the story is told in the 3rd person, the author was able to include two other narrators as well: El Capitan and Lyda. The minor characters in this novel were almost more interesting to me than the two protagonists, especially Bradwell and El Capitan.

The most surprising aspect of this dystopian is probably the depth of characterization that we see amidst a thrilling and violent plot. The grotesque nature of many of the characters added to this deep characterization, I feel. The individuals who were outside of the Dome when the Detonations took place were fused to whatever creatures, people, or objects that were near them at the time and are now referred to as wretches by the Pures who live inside the Dome.

For instance, El Capitan was with his younger brother Helmud at the time of detonation and is now forced to carry his younger brother on his back for the rest of his life. This bizarre character trait only adds to El Capitan's character, who ended up being one of my favorites from the novel.

Rather than take away from the rest of the narrative and the personality traits of each person, these bizarre character traits only help to maintain the deep effects of the Detonations and how they have shaped each individual character in the story.

This story contained more layers than the average dystopian novel today. While the plot was thrilling and the world fascinatingly bizarre, how these characters relate to one another in an incredibly bleak social setting is profound and moving.

I could not tear myself away from this book.

Read this book if you wish to encounter a story of rare emotion and thrill that sets itself apart from other novels in this often-saturated genre!
 
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Overall Grade:

A-

Recommended to...
Those in need of a chilling, yet beautiful dystopian.


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Book Review of "Blood Magic" by Tessa Gratton

Title: Blood Magic (The Blood Journals #1)
Author: Tessa Gratton
Classification: YA Fiction, Paranormal
Source: ARC from Random House for Young Readers

Overall Grade:

A-

I Thought...

A dark and lyrical paranormal with great lead characters!


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Summary (from Goodreads):

It starts off simply.

Draw a circle ... place a dead leaf in the center ... sprinkle some salt ... recite a little Latin ... add a drop of blood ...

Maybe that last part isn't exactly simple. Yet somehow it feels right to Silla Kennicott. And nothing in her life has felt remotely right since her parents' horrific deaths. She's willing to do anything to uncover the truth about her family—even try a few spells from the mysterious book that arrived on her doorstep ... and spill some blood.

The book isn't the only recent arrival in Silla's life. There's Nick Pardee, the new guy next door who may have seen Silla casting a spell. She's not sure what he saw and is afraid to find out. But as they spend more time together, Silla realizes this may not be Nick's first encounter with Blood Magic. Brought together by a combination of fate and chemistry, Silla and Nick can't deny their attraction. And they can't ignore the dark presence lurking nearby—waiting to reclaim the book and all its power.

Tessa Gratton's intoxicating first novel will keep pulses racing, minds reeling, and pages turning right up to the very last drop of blood.

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My Thoughts:

This lyrical paranormal, in the tradition of Shiver with a two-character narrative, was such a great read! Tessa Gratton created very real characters to carry this story, Silla, Nick, Reese, and even Josephine.

Blood Magic sets itself apart from usual young adult paranormals with its unique storyline about blood magic, a kind of witchcraft where nearly anything is possible. As Silla, as well as her brother Reese, are thrown into this occult world after a family tragedy, she begins to learn secrets about her parents that she never thought possible.

While Silla and Nick's relationship seems very typical of this type of novel, i.e. damaged girl recovering from tragedy encounters mysterious boy who knows more than he lets on about a secret paranormal world, the characters are refreshing and the writing is lyrical, which makes the overall contrivance acceptable. Plus... their relationship is seriously sexy when it gets going, so a little contrivance is allowed!!

While Silla is a very damaged and heartbroken character who relies so heavily on the blood magic and centuries old secrets to get through her daily life, Nick is an eccentric and snarky guy with secrets of his own. Nick's voice was definitely my favorite of these two narrators! He was at times hilarious, romantic, and emotional and never felt like a cardboard-cutout type character to me.

Within the story of Blood Magic there is an alternate perspective from Josephine, told in her journal entries. Some might have seen these entries to be somewhat tedious and boring, but her voice was so scathing and affecting that I couldn't stop reading!

By the time the characters join for that last, epic sequence at the end of the novel, there is no hope of putting the book down. It is gripping, intense and emotional!

Overall, Blood Magic is a very underrated, well-crafted and entertaining novel! Tessa Gratton's lyrical writing is reminiscent of Maggie Steifvater and Brenna Yovanoff, all of whom manage to create unique and meaningful novels in the very tired YA paranormal genre.

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Overall Grade:

A-

I Thought...

A dark and lyrical paranormal with great lead characters!


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Book Review of "Wither" by Lauren DeStefano

Title: Wither (Chemical Garden Trilogy #1)
Author: Lauren DeStefano
Classification: YA Fiction, Dystopian
Source: Bought!

Overall Grade: 

A
Would I recommend it? 
Yes, a very entertaining & chilling dystopian!

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Summary (from Goodreads): 

Obviously, something went terribly wrong. Genetic mutations have festered, reducing human longevity to twenty-five, even less for most women. To prevent extinction, young girls are kidnapped, mated in polygamous marriages with men eager to procreate. Sixteen-year-old Rhine Ellery, a recent victim of this breeding farm mentality, has vowed to break loose from its fetters; but finding allies and a safe way out is a challenge she can only hope she will survive. A dystopian fantasy series starter with wings. Editor's recommendation.

 

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My Thoughts:

Wither is a book that works on so many levels! 

Firstly, the concept. While being forced to marry against one's will is not exactly a unique trope in the YA genre, the polygamous marriage in Wither make for an immediate and exciting threat to our main character, Rhine. 

However, because Rhine is immediately shipped off to live in a mansion with two other wives and a husband she's never even met, we don't really receive much information about the outside world. How were Rhine's parents involved in the crisis leading to the demise of society? What is being done now to fix the problem? How is society being led today? 

All of these questions remain vastly unanswered in this book. On the other hand, with the close society that Rhine is thrown into, we become closely acquainted with the other wives, Jenna and Cecily, their husband Linden, Gabriel, and Rhine herself. 

The characters in this book were fantastic! I absolutely loved the secondary characters in this book, particularly the other wives. It was cruel how these girls were forced to share a husband, yet interacted as sisters... or step-sisters, yet the author did a great job at creating a bond between each of these girls. 

Another strong point of Wither was Rhine's relationships with Gabriel and Linden. Even though I did not by any means like Linden, it was interesting to watch how easily charmed he was by Rhine, and you certainly felt a small degree of sympathy for him. Her time with Gabriel, on the other hand, was filled with subtle contact, contraband candies and forbidden glances. I loved Gabriel's character and how both he and Rhine were forced to overcome their innate judgements of the other in order to connect. 

The ending? SERIOUSLY?! Lauren... you evil, evil wizard you. I am incredibly excited to read the next installment to this unique dystopian series, titled Fever and set to be published in February of 2012!

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Overall Grade: 

A
Would I recommend it? 
Yes, a very entertaining & chilling dystopian!

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Book Review of "Forever" by Maggie Stiefvater

Title: Forever (Wolves of Mercy Falls #3)
Author: Maggie Stiefvater
Classification: YA Fiction, Paranormal 

Source: Bought

Overall Grade: 
A
I thought...
Higher highs and lower lows make for a perfect end to one of my favorite series EVER!

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Summary (from Goodreads):

The thrilling conclusion to #1 bestselling Shiver trilogy from Maggie Stiefvater

In Maggie Stiefvater's Shiver, Grace and Sam found each other. In Linger, they fought to be together. Now, in Forever, the stakes are even higher than before. Wolves are being hunted. Lives are being threatened. And love is harder and harder to hold on to as death comes closing in.

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My Thoughts:

Sam. Grace. Cole. Isabel.

I love these books. I love the writing, I love the way that an otherwise ordinary story is made extraordinary with words and lyrics and poems committed to memory.

But most of all, I love the characters.

Maggie Stiefvater has done an incredible job with The Wolves of Mercy Falls. Each book adds complexity on complexity, as the characters are fleshed out and kissed and lost, but found again.

When Forever begins, each character still has their own set of problems that make their lives particularly difficult. By the end of Forever, these problems are addressed and resolved, but not SOLVED. There is no neat solution to the overall problems... Cole's guilt and tortured past, Grace's relationship with her parents, Sam's love/hate relationship with Beck, Isabel's explosive family life.

Nor is the problem at the heart of these novels, the mystery of the werewolf... disease? toxin? affliction? explained away and wrapped in a box with a shiny red bow. Rather, the issue escalates into a conflict where death, for every main character, is not only probable, but almost imminent.

While this book serves as a perfect conclusion to the series, in that it doesn't feel like a set conclusion, yet leaves very little lingering questions, it also stands out as a seriously enjoyable read on its own. Not only are we able to escape back into the heads of Grace, Sam, Cole, and Isabel, but we are also shown more romance, conflict, and complications than any of the previous books.

Forever is essentially a paranormal coming-of-age story with equal parts romance, thrill, and mystery. It is lyrical and poignant, but very, very readable. It is funny, yet brutal, honest, yet idealistic.

For those readers that are tired of overused clichés and characters that fall flat on the page, read this book. Well, read Shiver and Linger first... then read this one.

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Overall Grade: 

A

Would I recommend it? 

Higher highs and lower lows make for a perfect end to one of my favorite series EVER!

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Book Review of "Blood Red Road" by Moira Young

Title: Blood Red Road (Dustlands #1)
Author: Moira Young
Classification: YA Fiction, Dystopian
Source: Bought

Overall Grade:

A-

Would I recommend it?

A thrilling and surprising dystopian read!

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Summary (from Goodreads):

Saba has spent her whole life in Silverlake, a dried-up wasteland ravaged by constant sandstorms. The Wrecker civilization has long been destroyed, leaving only landfills for Saba and her family to scavenge from. That's fine by her, as long as her beloved twin brother Lugh is around. But when a monster sandstorm arrives, along with four cloaked horsemen, Saba's world is shattered. Lugh is captured, and Saba embarks on an epic quest to get him back. 

Suddenly thrown into the lawless, ugly reality of the world outside of desolate Silverlake, Saba is lost without Lugh to guide her. So perhaps the most surprising thing of all is what Saba learns about herself: she's a fierce fighter, an unbeatable survivor, and a cunning opponent. And she has the power to take down a corrupt society from the inside. Teamed up with a handsome daredevil named Jack and a gang of girl revolutionaries called the Free Hawks, Saba stages a showdown that will change the course of her own civilization.

Blood Red Road has a searing pace, a poetically minimal writing style, violent action, and an epic love story. Moira Young is one of the most promising and startling new voices in teen fiction.

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My Thoughts:

Blood Red Road is one of the most surprising books that I have ever read. In a good way.

The novel is written in Saba's sparse, Southern-esque vernacular, which takes a little getting used to when you first start reading. However, once the story gets rolling, you hardly even notice the phonetic spelling and lack of quotation marks.

The story follows Saba, her sister Emmi, the dare-devil Jack, and other friends that they meet along the way as she hunts down her twin brother Lugh. While most dystopian novels these days are so concerned with one specific set of problems and their overall implications (The Society in Matched, for example), Blood Red Road deals with the stories of individuals within the society without spending as much time tackling the major issues.

While many readers may find this unsettling, it makes for a fantastic read, as we watch Saba become a tracker, a survivor, a warrior, and a fugitive in the course of 450 pages (that seem incredibly short, by the way.)

Just when you settle into one mode in the story, Moira Young sends you for a complete loop, guiding their characters into a new challenge. This keeps the story moving incredibly fast!

Saba as a main character is fierce, stubborn, clever, and ill-tempered most of the time. She is definitely a girl that can take care of herself, rather than the damsel-in-distress type heroines that seem to fill the pages of too many YA books today. While reading her story, you will be frustrated as her headstrong nature leads her to make rash decisions. You will cheer for her as she is thrown into surprising, terrible circumstances. You will laugh at her reactions to unexpected love and romance.

You will feel for Saba and the other characters in Blood Red Road, because they are especially well-crafted.

An unconventional, multi-faceted dystopian read that lovers of The Knife of Never Letting Go, The Hunger Games, and Under the Never Sky will enjoy immensely!

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Overall Grade:

A-

Would I recommend it?

A thrilling and surprising dystopian read!

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Book Review of "The Knife of Never Letting Go" by Patrick Ness

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Title: The Knife of Never Letting Go (Chaos Walking #1) 
Author: Patrick Ness

Classification: YA Fiction, Sci-Fi, Dystopian
Source: Bought

Overall Grade:

A+

Would I recommend it?

Wow. A powerful, powerful book!

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Summary (from Goodreads): 

 

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?

 

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My Thoughts:

 

The summary for this book really does not do it justice.

 

The Knife of Never Letting Go is a book that grabs you and refuses to let go... whether you like it or not. Following the story of Todd Hewitt, his dog Manchee, and a mysterious girl he finds on his way, Ness tackles themes of war, bigotry, survival, and the definition of growing up.

 

The plot of this book is very fast paced, leaving you wanting more with each page. However, don't expect Todd to be delivered from every situation like most young adult novelists allow! In fact, you should probably expect to be frustrated, heart-broken, amused, happy, then frustrated all over again.

 

Written in Todd's dialect, which gives a similar experience to reading The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, (which I adore), this book has a stream-of-consciousness flow that makes every pain and joy resonate with the reader. The story itself forces the reader to cling obsessively to the main characters, but especially Todd, as one watches this young boy struggle in a land that has no place for weakness, kindness, or childhood.

 

A coming-of-age novel that is as suspenseful and entertaining as it is heart-breaking and poignant!
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Overall Grade:

A+

Would I recommend it?

Wow. A powerful, powerful book!

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Book Review of "The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks" by E. Lockhart

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Title: The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks
Author: E. Lockhart
Classification: YA Fiction, Contemporary
Source: Bought!

Overall Grade: 

A
Would I recommend it? 
Yes! A fun, thoughtful, entertaining contemporary!

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Summary (from Goodreads): 

Frankie Landau-Banks at age 14:
Debate Club.
Her father’s “bunny rabbit.”
A mildly geeky girl attending a highly competitive boarding school.

Frankie Landau-Banks at age 15:
A knockout figure.
A sharp tongue.
A chip on her shoulder.
And a gorgeous new senior boyfriend: the supremely goofy, word-obsessed Matthew Livingston.

Frankie Laundau-Banks.
No longer the kind of girl to take “no” for an answer.
Especially when “no” means she’s excluded from her boyfriend’s all-male secret society.
Not when her ex boyfriend shows up in the strangest of places.
Not when she knows she’s smarter than any of them.
When she knows Matthew’s lying to her.
And when there are so many, many pranks to be done.

Frankie Landau-Banks, at age 16:
Possibly a criminal mastermind.

This is the story of how she got that way.

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My Thoughts: 

I started reading The Disreputable History one night and did not go to bed until after 2:00 AM, after I'd turned the final pages. 

This book immediately drew me in. The narrative is 3rd person, but you never feel distanced from Frankie's thoughts or feelings. In all actuality, the writing actually helps to further develop Frankie's world and everyone in it. 

I loved that not only is The Disreputable History about prep school, pranks, secret societies, late night parties, and other thoroughly entertaining events that make for a fast read, but Frankie also struggles to see how she fits in as a girlfriend, sister, young woman, friend, and student. 

How does she reconcile all of these traditional notions with her thoroughly real and physical self? 

This is something that Frankie continually struggles with and puzzles out, to the delight and entertainment of all those reading her story.  

Here is an awesome example of Frankie's wit and her love for the underused words in the English language:

"I have a serious and justified love for Kermit that I will parage to the end."
"Parage?"
"Parage. The neglected positive of disparage."
"You mean defend. You will defend Kermit to the end."
"Parage."
"Praise?"
"Parage. I will parage him. And Animal, too. I love Animal..."
Trish changed the subject. "We should do facials and paint our toenails Friday before they pick us up. What do you say, blow through dinner and come back here for girlie stuff?"
Frankie said, "You're on. When we're finished, we'll be absolutely sheveled."
"You'll be sheveled," said Trish. "I'm a normal person."

Without a doubt, you will love reading about Frankie and her shenanigans! And if you're anything like me, after you finish this book, you will want to pick up anything else that E. Lockhart has written and devour it whole!

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Overall Grade: 

A
Would I recommend it? 
Yes! A fun, thoughtful, entertaining contemporary!

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Book Review of "The Replacement" by Brenna Yovanoff

Title: The Replacement  
Author: Brenna Yovanoff

Classification: YA Fiction, Paranormal, Horror
Source: Bought

Overall Grade: 
A 
I thought...
What a creepy, wrenching, oh-so-lyrical ride!


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Summary (from Goodreads): 

Mackie Doyle is not one of us. Though he lives in the small town of Gentry, he comes from a world of tunnels and black murky water, a world of living dead girls ruled by a little tattooed princess. He is a Replacement, left in the crib of a human baby sixteen years ago. Now, because of fatal allergies to iron, blood, and consecrated ground, Mackie is fighting to survive in the human world.

Mackie would give anything to live among us, to practice on his bass or spend time with his crush, Tate. But when Tate's baby sister goes missing, Mackie is drawn irrevocably into the underworld of Gentry, known as Mayhem. He must face the dark creatures of the Slag Heaps and find his rightful place, in our world, or theirs.

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My Thoughts: 

The Replacement is a wonderfully refreshing and creepy paranormal novel! The main character, Mackie, is mostly a normal teenage boy: he gets nervous when trying to talk to girls, struggles with whether or not to tell his best friends his darkest secrets, and tries his best to fit in with everyone else. 

However, Mackie is anything but normal! He is deathly allergic to iron, blood, and cannot attend church services with his family. When Mackie starts being followed by some really really creepy people, people that seem to know that he is a replacement, he finds that he can no longer ignore the very thing that he and his family have been trying to cover up for his entire life. And as he continues to grow weaker and weaker, these strangers may be the only way for Mackie to avoid an early death. 

I loved the characters in The Replacement! Brenna Yovanoff is a very talented writer with an ability to weave lyricism into this paranormal tale, à la Maggie Stiefvater. I loved Mackie and his relationship with his friends, his family, and Tate, of course. I also enjoyed the fact that The Replacement is far from your run of the mill paranormal romance, complete with predictable endings and falsely sappy romances, because there are some points during this read that I was creeped out and scared and I still wanted to keep reading. 

I did find that Mackie's interactions with the House of Mayhem and its residents to be a bit stilted at times, where Mackie's behavior and questions were more to serve the plot than to continue on with his personal journey. But other than that, I will definitely be recommending this book to the morbid of heart, to those that don't mind a little bit of creepiness in their day, and those that want to read a lyrical young adult novel that's simply not like the rest!

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Overall Grade: 

A 

I thought...

What a creepy, wrenching, oh-so-lyrical ride!

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Book Review of "Like Mandarin" by Kirsten Hubbard

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Title: Like Mandarin

Author: Kirsten Hubbard
Classification: YA Fiction, Contemporary
Source: Won!

Overall Grade: 
A 
Would I recommend it? 
Yes, for a thoughtful contemporary read!

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Summary (from Goodreads): 

It's hard finding beauty in the badlands of Washokey, Wyoming, but 14-year-old Grace Carpenter knows it's not her mother's pageant obsessions, or the cowboy dances adored by her small-town classmates. True beauty is wild-girl Mandarin Ramey: 17, shameless and utterly carefree. Grace would give anything to be like Mandarin. When they're united for a project, they form an unlikely, explosive friendship, packed with nights spent skinny-dipping in the canal, liberating the town's animal-head trophies, and searching for someplace magic. Grace plays along when Mandarin suggests they run away together. Blame it on the crazy-making wildwinds plaguing their Badlands town. Because all too soon, Grace discovers Mandarin's unique beauty hides a girl who's troubled, broken, and even dangerous. And no matter how hard Grace fights to keep the magic, no friendship can withstand betrayal.

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My Thoughts:

When I picked up Like Mandarin, I wasn't thrilled about the concept. A 14 year old girl who becomes "friends" with the older, cooler, more mysterious girl that she is seriously obsessed with. Something about this entire plot made me cringe and avoid reading the book!

However, Like Mandarin turned out to be more about friendship, culture, travel, and beauty than anything else, and Hubbard's representation of  young Grace's obsession with Mandarin is very accurate, in my opinion.

Although there is not a very exciting plot that keeps the reader turning pages just because they need to find out who the murderer is, I was still anxious to finish the tale and find out whether or not Grace and Mandarin would be able to escape Washokey.

There is something lovely about the way that Hubbard tackled the concept of travel and environment, that stereotypical urge that makes small town peoples want to leave and "see the world." In a way, Hubbard shows through Grace and Mandarin's friendship and adventures that landscape or location does not change your overall human experience. Wherever you go, there will always be people like Mandarin and Grace that want to get out, people like Grace's mother that want to stay, and towns like Washokey that celebrate things like Jackalopes, just to have something to do.

Overall, Like Mandarin is a thoughtful contemporary novel that is a light, fast read!

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Overall Grade: 
A 
Would I recommend it? 
Yes, for a thoughtful contemporary read!

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Book Review of "Jane" by April Lindner

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Title: Jane

Author: April Lindner
Classification: YA Fiction, Contemporary
Source: The library!

Overall Grade: 

A 

Would I read it again? 

Definitely Yes!!

Would I recommend it? 

Certainly!!

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Summary (from Goodreads):

Forced to drop out of an esteemed East Coast college after the sudden death of her parents, Jane Moore takes a nanny job at Thornfield Park, the estate of Nico Rathburn, an iconic rock star on the brink of a huge comeback. Practical and independent, Jane reluctantly becomes entranced by her magnetic and brooding employer, and finds herself in the midst of a forbidden romance. But there's a mystery at Thornfield, and Jane's much-envied relationship with Nico is tested by a torturous secret from his past. 

Part irresistible romance and part darkly engrossing mystery, this contemporary retelling of the beloved classic Jane Eyre promises to enchant a new generation of readers. 

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My Thoughts:

Jane has all the mystery, romance, and suspense of Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre. It is lyrical and intense. At times desperately sad, and at times blissfully wonderful. 

What if Mr. Rochester was a rock star? A world-famous, honest to goodness rock star?

Yeah.

I absolutely loved this book. I have always loved the story of Jane Eyre, because of the decidedly different relationship between Jane and Mr. Rochester, the way that Jane grows, develops, and always stands up for her beliefs.

Lindner's adaptation of Jane Eyre is absolutely exquisite. I found her story to be a great mimic of the original, but with enough originality of its own to become a new Young Adult Classic. I seriously recommend this book to anyone that is a fan of contemporary novels, romance, and stories where the smart yet plain heroine gets the rock star. :)

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Overall Grade: 

A 

Would I read it again? 

Definitely Yes!!

Would I recommend it? 

Certainly!!

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Book Review of "Across the Universe" by Beth Revis

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Title: Across the Universe (Across the Universe #1) 

Author: Beth Revis

Classification: YA Fiction, Science Fiction, Dystopian

Source: Bought!

Overall Grade: 

A-

Would I read it again?

Yes.

Would I recommend it? 

Yes!

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Summary (from Goodreads):

A love out of time. A spaceship built of secrets and murder.

Seventeen-year-old Amy joins her parents as frozen cargo aboard the vast spaceship Godspeed and expects to awaken on a new planet, three hundred years in the future. Never could she have known that her frozen slumber would come to an end fifty years too soon and that she would be thrust into the brave new world of a spaceship that lives by its own rules.

Amy quickly realizes that her awakening was no mere computer malfunction. Someone-one of the few thousand inhabitants of the spaceship-tried to kill her. And if Amy doesn't do something soon, her parents will be next.

Now Amy must race to unlock Godspeed's hidden secrets. But out of her list of murder suspects, there's only one who matters: Elder, the future leader of the ship and the love she could never have seen coming.

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My Thoughts:

Across the Universe is one of those rare books that I know I will read again and savor every word. Beth Revis begins this book with serious, heart-pounding action, eases us into the life of Elder and others on the Godspeed, then races us to the ending with a murder-mystery, dystopian drama, science fiction, and romance.

Yes, apparently, Across the Universe has it all!

However, I must say that I saw right through the murder mystery from the beginning. I hate when I already know who the murderer is, and who that mysterious missing person is, without the author surprising me in some way.

Besides that small qualm, I highly recommend this book! Across the Universe is unlike any book I have ever read. I loved the social commentary brought about by the contained society of the Godspeed. I loved the way that history, ancestry, and the human condition were discussed. I loved how Revis portrayed love and sexual relations.  

I felt like the point-of-views from both Amy and Elder were very real. Their inner dialogue didn't ignore often tabooed topics. Their voices were different for each character, but both distinctly Revis. 

I don't know what else to say about this book, besides this: you will not be disappointed by Across the Universe! 

I'm anxiously awaiting the sequel in this set trilogy, A Million Suns (Across the Universe #2), set for publication in 2012!

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Overall Grade: 

A-

Would I read it again?

Yes.

Would I recommend it? 

Yes!

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Book Review of "Perfect Chemistry" by Simone Elkeles

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Title: Perfect Chemistry
Author: Simone Elkeles
Classification: YA Fiction, Contemporary
Source: Bought

Overall Grade: 

A

Would I read it again? 

Yes, definitely!

Would I recommend it? 

Yes, with disclaimers on content.

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Summary (from Goodreads):

When Brittany Ellis walks into chemistry class on the first day of senior year, she has no clue that her carefully created “perfect” life is about to unravel before her eyes. She’s forced to be lab partners with Alex Fuentes, a gang member from the other side of town, and he is about to threaten everything she's worked so hard for—her flawless reputation, her relationship with her boyfriend, and the secret that her home life is anything but perfect. Alex is a bad boy and he knows it. So when he makes a bet with his friends to lure Brittany into his life, he thinks nothing of it. But soon Alex realizes Brittany is a real person with real problems, and suddenly the bet he made in arrogance turns into something much more.

In a passionate story about looking beneath the surface, Simone Elkeles breaks through the stereotypes and barriers that threaten to keep Brittany and Alex apart.

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My Thoughts: 

Perfect Chemistry has everything that I love about contemporary novels: Well-developed characters, an exciting plot, tension between the two protagonists, and a dual first-person narrative that is done very well.

In Perfect Chemistry, we meet our first main character: Brittney. Brittney represents for many readers that polished, pretty, popular girl in high school that was at once hated and adored. She is beautiful, affluent, and is girlfriend to the captain of the football team. However, when she is paired with dangerously-sexy Alex Fuentes in Chemistry class, her perfect reputation is definitely on the line.

Perfect Chemistry had very high-stakes for a contemporary novel. Alex is in a gang, forced into the situation when he was young, and often engages in less-than-savory activities, like collecting debts for gang leaders. This makes Brittney's interactions with Alex much more tense, because he is obviously dangerous.

It was very clear from Elkeles' writing that she did a lot of research into common slang terms used by Mexican Americans and gang members. During Alex's portion of the narrative, I felt the authenticity of his interactions with his friends and fellow gang members through the prose.

The clash of cultures in Perfect Chemistry was extremely interesting. Elkeles effectively deconstructs Brittney's affluent family, complete with her disabled sister Shelley and critical mother, as well as Alex's poor family, with his two younger brothers, single mother, and the dynamics of gang-life.

However, while the novel was compulsively readable, the romance palpable, and the characters endearing, I found the perfect ending to be contrived and more than a little cheesy. That, however, is my one major complaint about the novel! The rest of the book was amazing; The plot was fast moving and exciting... I ended up reading most of the novel in one sitting. Elkeles made it easy to get to know her characters, and to eventually love them! Even when they were being infuriating, stupid, and annoying!

PS: In my rating, I mentioned that I would give others a disclaimer before reading this book on the content. This is because for a YA novel, there is an awful lot of swearing in it, something that I found surprising when I first started reading.

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Overall Grade: 

A

Would I read it again? 

Yes, definitely!

Would I recommend it? 

Yes, with disclaimers on content.

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Book Review of "Linger" by Maggie Stiefvater

Title: Linger (Wolves of Mercy Falls #2)
Author: Maggie Stiefvater
Classification: YA Fiction, Paranormal
Source: Bought

Overall Grade: 

A
I thought...
Maggie Stiefvater is my favorite person.

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Summary (from Goodreads):

In Maggie Stiefvater's Shiver, Grace and Sam found each other.  Now, in Linger, they must fight to be together. For Grace, this means defying her parents and keeping a very dangerous secret about her own well-being. For Sam, this means grappling with his werewolf past . . . and figuring out a way to survive into the future. Add into the mix a new wolf named Cole, whose own past has the potential to destroy the whole pack.  And Isabelle, who already lost her brother to the wolves . . . and is nonetheless drawn to Cole.

At turns harrowing and euphoric, Linger is a spellbinding love story that explores both sides of love -- the light and the dark, the warm and the cold -- in a way you will never forget.

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My Thoughts:

I'm officially a Maggie Stiefvater fan-girl. I absolutely love her lyrical writing and the ability she has to create emotion on every page.

The characters in this series continue to amaze me! Not only are Grace, Sam and Isabelle explored further, but we also meet the tortured and seriously-hot Cole. Cole is my new favorite! I loved his interesting story and his struggle to abandon his painful past in favor of a future without human emotion. I loved his relationship with Isabelle, as well. What a couple, huh?!

Linger just might have been better than Shiver. Probably because of the addition of Cole and the constant shift in POV from Grace, Sam, Isabelle and Cole. Some people don't like this, but I loved getting into the heads of characters that I have grown to love so much.

Although there have been some complaints about Linger being more slow-moving than Shiver, I didn't mind the pace at all. I found myself savoring each paragraph as I heard each character's story. Stiefvater is so amazing at making every sentence lyrical and interesting.

The only complaint that I have about this series in general is the use of the wolves howling. It seemed like too many chapters were ended with "And then the wolves began to howl." Yes, it's a poignant and appropriate ending, but I started to get sick of it after awhile.

A great sequel to one of my favorite paranormal series ever! Can't wait to read their conclusion in Forever (The Wolves of Mercy Falls #3) out July 12th, 2011!

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Overall Grade: 

A

I thought...

Maggie Stiefvater is my favorite person.

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