Fast pace. Slick special effects. Edgy narrator. This novel is a perfect SF techno-thriller for YAs. The voice of the main character is still in my heFast pace. Slick special effects. Edgy narrator. This novel is a perfect SF techno-thriller for YAs. The voice of the main character is still in my head, he’s that fun to read....more
BETWEEN THE NOTES is a love story, a rags and riches story, and most of all a story about reimagining yourself because you have no choice—and finding BETWEEN THE NOTES is a love story, a rags and riches story, and most of all a story about reimagining yourself because you have no choice—and finding out what really makes you happy. Ivy Emerson is a perfect heroine for all of her relatable flaws, and the cast surrounding her (especially those boys!) really makes this an enjoyable read. Young adults and others looking for a love story with something good to say will be highly satisfied....more
This book doesn’t go easy on its characters, which is what makes it such a compelling read. That and the depth of the characters’ yearning—not just foThis book doesn’t go easy on its characters, which is what makes it such a compelling read. That and the depth of the characters’ yearning—not just for love, but for freedom, happiness, a better life, a feeling of self-worth. What they sacrifice for each other is stunningly beautiful, and their voices are going to stay with me for quite some time. ...more
How refreshing to read a book that is largely about . . . kindness. About friendship. About people who are hurting and lost in this world, yet lookingHow refreshing to read a book that is largely about . . . kindness. About friendship. About people who are hurting and lost in this world, yet looking out for each other. The main characters—Samantha, Annamae, Peety, Cay, and West—find themselves on the Oregon Trail together amongst homesteaders and gold-rushers. The tension in the story comes from the secrets they keep from each other (for desperate and believable reasons) and from the various (and many) obstacles they face on the trail. The historical detail—from the landscape, to the stops along the way, to the random people along the trail—is rendered gorgeously. This book has been touted as a good “diverse” choice, and it certainly is, but it is also a good choice for its beautiful, universal truths demonstrated by characters whose stories will resonate long after the last page is turned....more
This is a look at the deceptions we embrace to avoid being hurt and the ways those deceptions can hurt us and the ones we love. It was heartbreaking fThis is a look at the deceptions we embrace to avoid being hurt and the ways those deceptions can hurt us and the ones we love. It was heartbreaking for me to watch Aubrey make mistakes and discover truths as she navigated her relationships with three best friends, two loves, and one best friend cast away. There are good lessons here for young readers (heck, all readers) about dealing with feelings honestly. With its rich, complex, and believable characters, this is a book that takes you somewhere wise and good....more
Although the particular identity crisis Kristin Lattimer has in this book isn’t one most adolescents will face, there is so much here that all teens (Although the particular identity crisis Kristin Lattimer has in this book isn’t one most adolescents will face, there is so much here that all teens (all people) will be able to identify with. That said, I.W. Gregorio’s story chronicles the struggles of an intersex teen with her gender identity, putting to use the author’s expertise as a surgeon. Even more important, the story is about the spectrum of reactions others have to the revelation of Kristin’s intersex status—from shockingly cruel to accepting and supportive. Kristin is so well-drawn, readers will empathize with her fully. A great pick for those looking for a good “diverse” book or simply a good book....more
I read an ARC of this book as a member of the Fearless Fifteeners. Peter, Eliza, Andy, and Anita are four teens with limited overlap in their social cI read an ARC of this book as a member of the Fearless Fifteeners. Peter, Eliza, Andy, and Anita are four teens with limited overlap in their social circles. When the asteroid nicknamed Ardor threatens humanity with a 66.6% chance of total destruction, everything changes. The teens’ paths cross in surprising and touching ways. This is a good look at the question of what makes life worth living through the eyes of four kids who may only have weeks to figure it out....more
I read an ARC of this book as a member of the Class of 2K15 and Fearless Fifteeners. What a beautiful, and at some points heartbreaking, book! Fiona/FI read an ARC of this book as a member of the Class of 2K15 and Fearless Fifteeners. What a beautiful, and at some points heartbreaking, book! Fiona/Fi Doyle’s story is told in chapters that alternate between the girl she is after an accident scars her face and the girl she is if the accident had never happened. As you keep reading, you wonder if fate will give her the same ending no matter what, or if the different sets of events (“everything that makes her”) will propel her in two permanently different directions. Perfect for readers looking for realistic contemporary or fantasy, with romance as well....more
I read an ARC of this book as a member of the Fearless Fifteeners. Stella Cambren survived an attack in the woods that her friend did not. Years laterI read an ARC of this book as a member of the Fearless Fifteeners. Stella Cambren survived an attack in the woods that her friend did not. Years later, another little girl is found dead, and Stella and her former childhood love, Sam, work to uncover the truth of what is happening in their small town. This is a true horror story about hunting monsters, and about finding them in unexpected places. ...more
I read an ARC of this book as a member of the Fearless Fifteeners. Told in multiple POV, this fantasy story tells the story of the search for a young I read an ARC of this book as a member of the Fearless Fifteeners. Told in multiple POV, this fantasy story tells the story of the search for a young princess who can keep safe the barrier between two worlds—one magical and one not. Plenty here for lovers of fantasy or romance. The storyspinning is a unique and interesting angle, the love story compelling, and what Wallace does to her characters had me in tears....more
I read an ARC of this book as a member of the Fearless Fifteeners. As the tagline for this book says, Lark has forseen that she’ll fall for an as yet I read an ARC of this book as a member of the Fearless Fifteeners. As the tagline for this book says, Lark has forseen that she’ll fall for an as yet unknown guy who will kill her. What I won’t spoil, but is equally important, is that she receives a second vision even more devastating. The book has the feel of a classicly done fantasy, with rich settings, magical objects, and a cast of unique characters. Lark’s suffering and strength make her an endearing character....more
A sensitive and heart-breaking look at two teens struggling with depression that manifests itself in different ways. Emily Delgado withdraws while EliA sensitive and heart-breaking look at two teens struggling with depression that manifests itself in different ways. Emily Delgado withdraws while Elizabeth Davis acts out. The two opposite-seeming girls are drawn together partly because the boys they love are friends themselves, and partly because they share a literary interest in Emily Dickinson’s poetry as the result of a shared English class and its dedicated teacher. The book opens with the attempted suicide of one of the girls, but her identity isn’t revealed until the end, so although the reader can see the signs in both girls that tragedy might befall each, the mystery of which girl it will be keeps the pages turning. In the end, the aftermath of the main event is handled without shortcuts. When a person is driven to commit suicide, the healing process for all involved is not a quick and tidy one, and Rodriquez’s handing of it in the final pages is the real hope that “reason” doesn’t have to remain “broken” forever. ...more
This is one of the best books I've ever read. So much yearning. So much injustice. So beautifully written.This is one of the best books I've ever read. So much yearning. So much injustice. So beautifully written....more
I read an ARC of this book as a member of the Freshman Fifteens. Aysel’s father has committed an unspeakable crime as the result of a mental illness. I read an ARC of this book as a member of the Freshman Fifteens. Aysel’s father has committed an unspeakable crime as the result of a mental illness. Aysel fears that she may turn out to be just like him. Isolated from her peers and feared by her mother (who has started a new family), Aysel turns to an internet site where “suicide partners” can find each other. Enter Roman, a star athlete with a family tragedy he cannot escape. As Aysel and Roman plan the specifics of their suicide, they understandably grow closer, as they are the only ones they know who can understand something of what the other is feeling. As Aysel begins to wonder if she might have something to live for after all, she looks for a way to help Roman see the same thing, but the countdown to their suicide date is ticking, and Roman has made it clear from the beginning that he does not want his suicide partner to “flake” out on him. This book had me in tears, and although I have never struggled with the question of suicide, I feel it has given me some insight into how to help someone suffering from depression. ...more
As a West Wing fan, I found this book highly satisfying, not just for the behind-the-scenes dramatization of political campaign theatrics, but for theAs a West Wing fan, I found this book highly satisfying, not just for the behind-the-scenes dramatization of political campaign theatrics, but for the critical look at what it means to be involved in politics—to have your platform and your actions touch the lives of others. Everyone in this book has an angle on the revelation that the republican nominee for president has just discovered he has a teenage child from an old affair. That child, Kate Quinn, faces her coming-of-age in a sea of people, including one highly desirable boy, whose motives aren’t clear, and the raw portrayal of her plight—and the plights of those close to her—is at some times eye-opening and others just heart-breaking. Lovers of contemporary YA will fall for this story....more
I read an early version of this book as a member of the Freshman Fifteens. After the Woods is about a pair of best friends who go into the woods one dI read an early version of this book as a member of the Freshman Fifteens. After the Woods is about a pair of best friends who go into the woods one day . . . and only one comes out. The story is a psychological thriller exploring the relationship of these two girls--the one who was originally targeted and the one who sacrificed herself to save her friend. As the narrative unfolds, the reader sees the consequences both girls face because of that day while simultaneously divulging pieces of what truly happened in the woods. A thoughtful, suspenseful read....more
I read an early version of this book as a member of the Freshman Fifteens. WOW! Phee Van Zant is a race car driver on a world corrupted by corporate gI read an early version of this book as a member of the Freshman Fifteens. WOW! Phee Van Zant is a race car driver on a world corrupted by corporate greed. Once a street racer, she is recruited and forced to drive on the corporate circuit and represent a system she hates. With the help of a talented, secretive boy who is also forced to wear the corporate colors, she finds herself in the position of being the only person who can possibly overthrow the corporate empire. This book is science fiction/space opera in the purest sense—full of action and romance and political intrigue all set against the backdrop of an interplanetary conflict....more
I read an early version of this book as a member of the Freshman Fifteens. Blood and Salt has been pitched as Romeo and Juliet meets Children of the CI read an early version of this book as a member of the Freshman Fifteens. Blood and Salt has been pitched as Romeo and Juliet meets Children of the Corn. In order to save her mother, Ash Larkin flees her NYC home for a commune in the corn fields of rural Kansas. There she learns the secrets surrounding her mother’s upbringing, confronts an evil lurking in the corn, and falls for a boy the commune would never permit her to have. Death and immortality strike a perfect contrast as Ash tries to figure out how to thwart a disturbing ritual five-hundred years in the making. This is a perfect story for horror fans....more
I read an early version of this book as a member of the Freshman Fifteens. In alternating points of view, City of Savages follows sisters Sky and PheeI read an early version of this book as a member of the Freshman Fifteens. In alternating points of view, City of Savages follows sisters Sky and Phee, who live in a P.O.W. version of Manhattan in the aftermath of a global war. In pieces, through their mother’s stolen journal, they learn the history of both their family and the city that one sister views as a place of opportunity, the other as a place of oppression. Every character in this book is a hauntingly rich mix of good and bad, from the sisters themselves--who love each other, yet are capable of extreme jealousy--to the dictator of the camp--who rules with an uncompromising iron fist, except, strangely, in the case of Sky and Phee’s family. Throw in cannibals, a cult, and a beautiful English boy and his brother, and this book has everything you need to stay up all night turning pages. Lovers of science fiction, romance, and even literary fiction will find plenty to love....more
I read an early version of this book as a member of the Freshman Fifteens. Azra Nadira wakes up on her sixteenth birthday having become the very thingI read an early version of this book as a member of the Freshman Fifteens. Azra Nadira wakes up on her sixteenth birthday having become the very thing she’s dreaded all her life—a full-fledged Jinn, finally able to use her powers, but controlled by the Afrit and forced to grant wishes to humans. Her five Zar sisters—most of whom have already come into their powers—could be her greatest source of support, but she has been slowly alienating them for years because, unlike Azra, they fully embrace their Jinn nature. To top it all off, a shocking secret has been kept from her—one that will alter Azra’s destiny. As the Jinn world increasingly complicates her life, Azra’s kind, understanding, childhood friend Henry becomes a force in her life, as does the sweet, gorgeous lifeguard Nate. Azra navigates all of these relationships with grace, humor, and a few mistakes that had me furiously turning pages to see what it would mean for her, in the end, to truly become Jinn. I loved Azra, loved the boys, loved her Zar sisters, loved the humor and the poignant moments, loved everything about this book! Readers of contemporary, fantasy, and romance (and Jinn!) will love it too! ...more
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