Bookish Review: Phoenix Island

Phoenix Island was a good read--I think pre-teen boys would probably find it to be a page-turner. Carl, a fighter and down-on-his-luck kid with noble intentions, gets sent to a sort of isolated juvie. He plans to keep his head down til he gets out but notices more and more strange things happening, possible medical experiments on the inmates, and sadistic drill-sargeant-like leaders. Carl is respected for his fighting skills and gets selected for an elite group within the camp, but when he figures out what's really going on, he must find a way to escape--and to save the friends he's made along the way.

This one seems ripe for a sequel, so keep an eye out!

I was provided an advanced e-copy of this title though NetGalley, courtesy of the publisher. Receiving a copy did not affect my review. 

Bookish Review: Jane Austen Goes to Hollywood

Jane Austen Goes to Hollywood is a re-telling of Sense and Sensibility for today's teens. When Hallie and Grace Weston's father dies, he leaves everything to their step-mother and half-brother and they--and their mother--are left with nothing. Luckily, their mother has a generous relative, so they find a place to live, but it is in LA, not their hometown of San Francisco. Everything seems to be turned upside down, and Grace is the only one taking their situation seriously. Can Hallie and Grace both find love and a way to start over in their new life?

Fun read, clever retelling. Teens should enjoy.

Note: An e-ARC of this title was provided by the publisher via NetGalley, which was much appreciated, but did not affect the content of my review.

Bookish Review: Belladonna

Belladonna is historical fiction for tweens/teens. At least one of the characters is a real historical figure, but not one that I was familiar with. Set in 1757, a young Englishman stumbles upon a mysterious French girl in the English countyside. He is soon captivated by her and gets involved in trying to help her reccover her horse. As time goes on, she involves him in new opportunities and schemes and the path of his life is forever changed. An interesting and fun read, which horse lovers in particular will enjoy.

I got my hands on an ARC of this somehow, for which I thank the publisher, Candlewick Press, but the free copy did not affect my review.

Bookish Review: The Magnolia League

When Alex's mom dies, she is forcibly relocated from the commune in CA where she grew up to her grandmother's mansion in Savannah. Suddenly she is a part of "society," and her dread-headed self doesn't really fit in. Still, she comes to find that life as a rich debutante is not all bad--especilly when the elite society you've been born to join has magical connections--ones that can keep you rich and beautiful and make lfe easy. But it's never that simple, is it?

Alex is at times an infuriating protagonist, as she can be stupider than it seems her character should be. But I might find her less annoying if I were actually a teen. The book is pretty well-written and fast-paced if a little cliche at times. Of course, this is the first in a series, so don't expect a lot of closure after reading this first one.

I got an ARC of this at some conference or somewhere, so thanks to the publisher. It didn't affect my review.

Bookish Review: The Fault in Our Stars

The Fault in Our Stars is the latest from YA author John Green. I became a fan of the Green brothers through their YouTube channel (http://www.youtube.com/vlogbrothers) long before I read any of John's books, so I was very excited when I heard that both John and his brother Hank were coming to my town on the Tour de Nerdfighting to promote this book. Even before it was released, this book was getting a ton of buzz and has been widely lauded as Green's best book to date, as well as being on the NYT bestseller list. John has said that he worked on this book for over a decade, and the end result is lovely. The book begins with a sense of doom, since the main character has terminal cancer. But, she's not dead yet, and the book talks a lot about how life changes and what your life should be--if it should be any different--knowing that it is about to be over. John has said that being a parent helped him write this, and the scenes with the parents of the terminal characters are some of the most heart-wrenching because what is more terrible than outliving your children? There are a few predictable and a few outrageous scenes, but overall the book is funny and touching and heart-breaking and very hard to put down. Highly recommended.

Bookish Review: Falling for Hamlet

Falling for Hamlet retells Shakespeare's "Hamlet" from Ophelia's point of view, set in the present day. In this one, Ophelia is not crazy and doesn't kill herself, just pretends to. The book is sprinkled with lines from the play (and some from other Shakespeare plays), but the majority is re-written prose. Hamlet is a college student and Ophelia is a modern-day high schooler who lives in the building with the royal family. They're together, though their families do not approve. When Hamlet's father dies, things start to fall apart. The book was an enjoyable read, and the transition of the classic story to the present-day is pretty well done. It seems this could be used to pique teen's interest in the play.

Bookish Review: Why We Broke Up

I picked up an ARC of this book at a conference. Let me say this: they put some money into this project. The book is quite heavy for its size, which means they used really nice paper. They've also got this awesome marketing campaign: http://whywebrokeupproject.tumblr.com/

The book is the story of a girl returning to her ex-boyfriend all of the mementos of the relationship, explaining to him why she saved each one and why they broke up. Towards the end, when you discover the main reasons they broke up, the book lost a bit of its satisfaction for me because the reversal seemed to come out of nowhere. Given that the entire story is told by the girl, however, and that she was completely blindsided by what happened, I suppose it makes sense for the reader to be blindsided as well--except that the whole story is her looking back, and you would think she'd point out a few more things that should have been red flags (she does point out some, but most are minor). Still, it was an interesting read, though I think I find the tumblr page more intriguing than the book itself.

Book Review: Will Grayson, Will Grayson

Will Grayson, Will Grayson is a collaborative book by John Green and David Levithan. The authors write alternating chapters, each narrated by a different Will Grayson. I am a big John Green fan (Google Vlog Brothers if you want to know why), so I was excited about reading this book.

I enjoyed it from the beginning, but it definitely gets stronger as the book goes on, particularly after the two Wills meet. The chapters have distinct voices (surprise, surprise, given they are written by different authors), and I laughed out loud a few times. My favorite part wasn't the humor, or even the vocabulary (though weltschmerz is my new favorite word)--my favorite part was the truth, the angst, the authentic voices, and the fact that I think this book could have a positive impact on the life of every teen, everyone who has been a teen, and especially every gay teen, or friend or family member of a gay teen. It's such a positive look at gay life--the characters definitely have issues and problems and depression--but it's not because they are gay or their friends are gay, and that was a wonderful thing. I liked this better that John's Paper Towns, though I liked that, too. I highly recommend it--it fully deserves the kudos it has received.

DFTBA

Bookish Review: Sweetly

Sweetly by Jackson Pearce is a follow-up to her lovely YA novel Sisters Red. It;s not really a sequel, because it is not the same characters, but it is another twisted fairytale. Pearce's website is calling it a "companion novel," so let's go with that. When they are children, brother and sister Gretchen and Ansel venture into the woods with Gretchen's twin...but only Gretchen and Ansel make it out of the woods. Gretchen saw the eyes of the "witch" that snatched her twin and grows up wondering why she wasn't taken, too. Gretchen and Ansel are scarred by the loss and watch their parents completely fall apart as a result. Once Gretchen turns 18, their step-mother kicks them out of the house, and they drive cross-country in search of a new start. When their car breaks down in a small South Carolina town, they are taken in by the lovely young Sophia Kelly, who runs a chocolaterie in the woods. But something is not quite right, and Gretchen fears the witch may lurk here, too.

It's another fun fairytale twist, and very enjoyable. Fans of Sisters Red will enjoy this one, for sure.

I received an ARC of this book at a conference this spring. The book is available in HC this month.

Bookish Review: Darkness Becomes Her

Darkness Becomes Her by Kelly Keaton is a YA fantasy set primarily in a future New Orleans. I am a sucker for Nola tales, as I love seeing my favorite city play a role in any story, and it does have a big role in this one. The book is clearly written by someone who loves the city, but is not a native. Some details are just ff, but it's still fun.

This New Orleans is rebuilding after being destroyed by hurricanes (a popular theme, though not very comforting). Ari is drawn to New2, the city rebuilt by 9 powerful families who own/run it after it is abandoned by the US after the disaster, in search of her father and the real reason her mother killed herself--a curse to which she is also a victim.

New Orleans is known for being a haven for the different, the "other," outcasts, voodoo, darkness, and revelry. In this version, it's definitely home to outcasts, and maybe vampires, witches, and other creatures of the night--maybe even gods and goddesses.

The story is fun and entertaining, though not mind-blowing. There's plenty of violence and foul language, so be aware. The "bad girl" goddess is an unusual choice--not one usually depicted as a villain. I wasn't sure how I felt about that, but it was an interesting approach.

Of course, the story is not complete, because can we have a YA these days without starting at least a trilogy? Of course not. An enjoyable romp, overall.

Disclaimer: I received an advance electronic copy of this book from the publisher for the purposes of review. Free access to the book did not affect my opinion. For more information on Simon & Schuster's eGalley program, please visit www.galleygrab.com.

Bookish Review: Mockingjay

The final book in the Hunger Games trilogy did not disappoint! Katniss is finally going to have to choose between Peeta and Gale--if they all survive the war, that is. District 13 wants to use Katniss to help rally the rebel effort, but she's not sure she wants to let them use her like the Capitol did. When she realizes it may be her only option to save Peeta, she acquiesces, but not before naming her price.

There has been a lot of backlash over the violence in this book, and the series as a whole. I think this is ridiculous. It's not that the books aren't violent. because they absolutely are. However, the books are about war, about what is worth dying for--and what is worth killing for--and how far is too far, even in war. Guess what? Wars are violent. Men, women, and children die, often in horrible ways. That is reality, and if these books can bring that reality home to a few people, maybe we'll have fewer wars and less violence, not more of it. It's a beautifully done series. Highly recommended.

Bookish Review: The DUFF

I'm not actually sure this is the final cover of this book, as the publisher sent me an advanced reading copy for review purposes.

I wasn't thrilled with this book. Although it tries to drive home the messages that labeling each other "whores" or "duffs" or whatever else only serves to harm us all and that maybe the consequences of sex should be kept in mind at all time, these conclusions kind of feel like afterthoughts as the main character repeatedly engages in sex with a boy she finds repugnant in an effort to take her mind off her problems. That seems to be the real message that comes through--that such behavior is okay and that you'll end up with a caring, sensitive boyfriend who no longer desires to be a man-whore because he has seen just how wonderful you are. Dangerous territory. Not recommended, especially not for easily-influenced teens.

Bookish Review: Catching Fire

This is the second book in the Hunger Games trilogy, and it's probably even better than the first. Katniss and Peeta survived the Hunger Games, but their defiance of the Capitol has not been forgotten, and it seems that uprisings are inevitable and Katniss will be held responsible. How will Katniss keep her family, Gale, Haymitch, and Peeta safe? Will she have to pretend she loves Peeta forever? When she and Peeta are sent back to the Hunger Games, will either of them be able to survive again? (Well, it is a trilogy, so it seems likely Katniss isn't going to die, right?) Will Katniss be able to figure out how she feels about Gale and Peeta? The action and tension are high, just as in the first book, and when Katniss and Peeta have to travel to the other districts, I actually shed a few tears. Can't wait for the third one

Bookish Review: The Hunger Games

I had heard a lot about The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins before reading it. (As I'm sure you have, unless you've been living under a rock.) The trilogy is a sensation, and most of the coverage is wholly positive. Having read the book in one sitting, I can't say I disagree!

The book is set in a dismal future on what used to be the North American continent. A failed uprising has lead to 12 "districts" (the 13th was bombed into oblivion) toiling in service of the Capitol. Every year, the reaping occurs. One boy and one girl from each district are entered in the Hunger Games, where they will all battle each other to the death. Every year, only one can survive. When Katniss Everdeen's sister is chosen, she volunteers to take her place. Katniss has been taking care of her sister and mother ever since her father's death. When the boy from District 12 is chosen, it is the one person who showed Katniss kindness and helped keep her family alive soon after her father's death. How can she repay his kindness by killing him?

The book is fast-paced, well-written, and interesting. A definite page-turner, teens (and adults) should love this one.

Bookish Review: Sisters Red

Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce is an updated Little Red Riding Hood for teens. Scarlett's family is attacked by a Fenris when she is just a little girl. Her grandmother is killed, but she manages to protect her little sister Rosie and kill the Fenris, though she loses an eye and gains some scars in the process. Fenris are, of course, werewolves. In the mythology of this story, they are soulless creatures that change form when overly enraged or aroused. They are all men, and prey primarily on young women. Fenris don't age, but they can be killed with a hatchet or sharp knife, which Scarlett, Rosie, and their friend Silas employ to destroy the creatures. Scarlett is a single-minded hunter, but Rosie is not so sure she doesn't want more from life, and when Silas returns from a year away and realizes Rosie is not a little girl anymore, it awakens feelings in both of them that they are unsure how to handle. In the meantime, the three of them must uncover what makes a Potential, which is the only person who can become a Fenris, and only during a certain time.

The book was a good read, scary and entertaining. I did have a slight problem with the age difference between Silas and Rosie (he's 21 and she's 16--yikes!), but their affection feels real and overall the book is good.

Full Disclosure: The publisher sent me a free pre-pub copy of this book for review. It did not affect my opinion.

Bookish Review: Guardian of the Gate

Guardian of the Gate is Book 2 in the Prophecy of the Sisters Trilogy (Series?) by Michelle Zink. The first book is also reviewed on this site.

I actually liked this book better than the first. Perhaps it was because I didn't expect the 1st one to be a part of a series, so I was annoyed with the lack of closure. This time, I knew what to expect.

The second book picks up with Lia's quest to end the prophecy and stop her evil twin. She has been in England, trying to strengthen her powers and find the other keys. Alice is also only getting stronger. This book also brings a new love interest, though Lia has not forgotten about James. Lia takes on a new mantle as well, as she becomes next in line as Lady of Altus after the aunt passes away. She will not make her final decision on that until the prophecy is resolved. however. So, the quest continues.

This book doesn't move the action along that much, but it is a pretty fun read.

Full disclosure: I picked up a complimentary review copy of this book at a conference, courtesy of the publisher.

Bookish Review: The Grimm Legacy

The Grimm Legacy by Polly Shulman tells the story of Elizabeth Rew, who takes a job at the New York Circulating Material Repository. The Repository is like a library, but instead of lending books, it lends objects, including doublets, old spoons, and Marie Antoinette's wig. In addition to the ordinary objects, however, are objects from the Grimm fairy tales and other magical bric-a-brac. Elizabeth is excited to be trusted with the magical objects, but all is not well at the repository. Things keep disappearing, and the pages are being tracked by a large, black bird. When one of the pages disappears, Elizabeth and her friends decide to take matters into their own hands.

There is, of course, also a romantic storyline involved.

The book is a fun read, and should appeal to fairytale lovers.

Full Disclosure: I picked up a free ARC of this book at a conference. Pub Date: July 2010

Bookish Review: Ship Breaker

Ship Breaker is set in a disturbing future where grounded oil tankers are being scavenged for parts. Nailer scrambles through the tight spaces to gather up copper wiring while dreaming of one day riding on one of the high-tech clipper ships someone in his class will never set foot on. Nailer's work is perilous--he nearly drowns in a hidden oil tank (a very valuable commodity)--and his father is an abusive drunk. Nailer does have loyal friends on his crew, though. When he and his friend Pima find a lone survivor of a shipwreck--who happens to be a very wealthy girl--Nailer decides to follow his conscience and help her find her family rather than killing her or ransoming her. By doing the right thing, he finds a way to live his dream. But with the bad guys chasing them--led by Nailer's father--it won't be an easy journey.

The book is well-written and enjoyable, though as a Gulf Coast resident, I did find it a bleak and disturbing vision of the future.

Full Disclosure: I picked up a free ARC of this book at a conference. Pub date: May 2010

Bookish Review: The Prince of Mist

The Prince of Mist is a translation. The author is best known for his book The Shadow of the Wind. Max Carver moves with his family to a new house in a new town. Once there, strange things begin happening, centered around an old shipwreck and a creepy garden of circus statues at the house. Max and his sister Alicia make a new friend, Roland, whose grandfather knows a lot about the evil in the town. It turns out that no one is in more danger than Roland.

The book is appropriately creepy, though the ending is not very satisfying--too many loose ends; probably an open door for sequels. I'm also not a huge fan of the title--it's not quite ominous enough.

Full disclosure: Little, Brown sent me a free ARC of this book. It will be available on May 4.

Bookish Review: The Cardturner

Louis Sachar is probably best known as the author of Holes. In this book, he tells the story of Alton Richards, who is coerced into helping his blind great-uncle by his parents, who have hopes that the rich uncle will leave them lots of money in his will if Alton sucks up to him enough. Alton dreads the duty at first, but he comes to like and love his uncle and the game that he plays--bridge. Sachar manages to make bridge seem exciting and challenging while not making the rules too confusing. Alton, of course, also finds a bridge-loving girl. The book is pretty straightforward, but the end does have a supernatural element.

Fun, quick read--it may inspire a whole new generation of bridge lovers. I don't get the cover, though--it seems to have nothing to do with the plot.

Full disclosure: I picked up a free ARC of this book at a conference. Pub date: May 11, 2010