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Thursday, September 27, 2012

172 Hours on the Moon, by Johan Harstad

172 Hours on the Moon CoverIt's been decades since anyone set foot on the moon. Now three ordinary teenagers, the winners of NASA's unprecedented, worldwide lottery, are about to become the first young people in space--and change their lives forever. Mia, from Norway, hopes this will be her punk band's ticket to fame and fortune. Midori believes it's her way out of her restrained life in Japan. Antoine, from France, just wants to get as far away from his ex-girlfriend as possible.

It's the opportunity of a lifetime, but little do the teenagers know that something sinister is waiting for them on the desolate surface of the moon. And in the black vacuum of space... no one is coming to save them.

Think...Apollo 18. That allegedly based-on-a-true-story movie that flopped. Big time. The idea is that we did go back to the Moon after Apollo 17 and we did stuff up there. And found things up there.

This story is very reminiscent of that story line to me. The difference is that this story works. It's an interesting premise--teenagers? on the moon? That's definitely different. But it also just flows well. It doesn't feel like The Blair Witch Project in space. (And I don't feel like a movie adaptation of this book would, either.)

It's a little slow to start. I did find myself wondering when it would hurry up already, but it paid off, nearly in spades. Once the kids get together for training, the action moves at a steady pace. I loved that Harstad drew out the revelations and provided so much "history" for background (how the DARLAH station came to be, why we put a station on the moon at all, etc.). It provided for a more believable sci-fi story.

The characters are interesting, a diverse. The only thing I really didn't like was how things played out with the female (adult) astronaut. I kind of felt her story was a cop-out. But that's me.

On a different note, this book was originally published in Norwegian. Translations always make me a little wary because sometimes the story (or even the flow of a sentence) work as well when translated. No fault of the author's, it's just sometimes the translation doesn't work. Harstad was incredibly lucky--the translation is great and very readable. It doesn't hinder the story at all.

Disclosure of Material Connection: This title is part of the permanent collection for the library that I oversee. No publisher or representative contacted me and I was not required to read it or prepare a positive review. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Graveminder, by Melissa Marr

Graveminder Cover
Paperback
Rebekkah Barrow never forgot the tender attention her grandmother, Maylene, bestowed upon the dead of Claysville. While growing up, Rebekkah watched as Maylene performed the same unusual ritual at every funeral: three sips from a small silver flask followed by the words, “Sleep well, and stay where I put you.”
US Hardcover
Now Maylene is gone and Bek must return to the hometown—and the man—she abandoned a decade ago, only to discover that Maylene’s death was not natural . . . and there was good reason for her odd traditions. In Claysville, the worlds of the living and the dead are dangerously connected—and beneath the town lies a shadowy, lawless land ruled by the enigmatic Charles, aka Mr. D. From this dark place the deceased will return if their graves are not properly minded. And only the Graveminder, a Barrow woman, and the current Undertaker, Byron, can set things to right once the dead begin to walk. 

Although she is still grieving for Maylene, Rebekkah will soon find that she has more than a funeral to attend to in Claysville, and that what awaits her may be far worse: dark secrets, a centuries-old bargain, a romance that still haunts her, and a frightening new responsibility—to stop a monster and put the dead to rest where they belong.

Melissa Marr's first novel for adults is awesome. If I had stars or some other cutesy rating system, it would top out and I'd pencil in more. 

I love stories of small towns, that have big, scary, secrets. Ones that the majority of the town has no clue exists. Claysville and its story has a Dean Koontz-middle years feel to it. (Like my favorite Koontz Tick Tock). The little town certainly isn't the idyllic utopia that the locals believe it to be.

There's really just no match today for Marr's ability to create a "world" that grabs you up so easily. I had such a hard time putting this book down and a week later, I'm still thinking about it. The story itself--a town with a sinister pact with the dead--is a captivating premise. I liked the Rebekkah and Byron, and all the other minor characters they met and dealt with. And while I've read other reviews that just didn't like Rebekkah and Byron and how easily they accepted their new roles in town, I did. I liked that Rebekkah was opposed to the idea, because it meant never leaving the town again. And I liked the Byron had (spoiler alert!) waited all those years for her, and now was her protector per the contract. He wasn't fussy or wimpy, he was merely waiting.

I liked, too, that this story completely stands alone. I loved Wicked Lovely and it's series, but I was kind of tired of waiting for the next installment so I could have some closure. 

Graveminder is intended for adult readers, but will easily attract and be appropriate in that "A for YA" minded set.

Disclosure of Material Connection: This title is part of the permanent collection for the library that I oversee. No publisher or representative contacted me and I was not required to read it or prepare a positive review. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”


Tuesday, September 25, 2012

2:32 am, by Emily Ford

2:32 AM (The Djinn Master's Legacy, #1)What if you suddenly discover you have magical powers?
 
Seventeen-year-old Cat Townsend was woken suddenly by an unknown man sitting on the edge of her bed. Silently, the middle-aged man with shoulder-length dreadlocks and dark, flawless skin reached for her hand. His touch was shocking, but his smile, reassuring. When their eyes locked Cat knew she should be afraid, but she wasn't. Then in an instant he simply disappeared. She rubbed her eyes thinking the man was a dream. For in that undefined place between asleep and awake, the moment felt hazy and surreal. A chill ran down her spine as she glanced at the time. It was 2:32 a.m.
 
Alone in the darkness, Cat had no way of knowing her destiny had just changed forever.

It's a pretty idyllic life that Cat Townsend leads. She gets along with her brothers, has lived in places all over the world, thanks to her dad's top secret job, and she's got hot guys interested in her (yes..guys). It starts out feeling like a teen romance novel.

And then...it gets interesting. Ford's characters are relatable and easy to like. You root for them and you could easily imagine them in your own high school. It's a good start to a series that will be excellent escapist reading. This was my "hammock read" one weekend. I got caught up, but even with the bit of drama in the story, I wasn't weighed down when I finished it. Though I'll admit to still not understading the significance of "2:32 AM"---there has to be some reason why it's that time specifically.

My only quandary is the cover art. It's really bad. I don't know how I'd change it, but I can tell you (as someone who knows better), I probably wouldn't have picked this up to read the back simply because of the cover art.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this ebook galley from JKSCommunications via the netGalley publisher/reader connection program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”  

The Paladin Prophecy, by Mark Frost



Will West is careful to live life under the radar. At his parents' insistence, he's made sure to get mediocre grades and to stay in the middle of the pack on his cross-country team. Then Will slips up, accidentally scoring off the charts on a nationwide exam.

Now Will is being courted by an exclusive prep school . . . and followed by men driving black sedans. When Will suddenly loses his parents, he must flee to the school. There he begins to explore all that he's capable of--physical and mental feats that should be impossible--and learns that his abilities are connected to a struggle between titanic forces that has lasted for millennia.



This book hits the ground running--which you expect when you realize that Mark Frost was a co-creator of the series Twin Peaks. (Kids, if you don't know this show, find it..somewhere.)  

Will isn't your average teenager, but he is desperately trying to appear average, at his parents' insistence. Right way you know something is up, for what parent wants his child who is clearly capable of more to be merely "average?" 

 Off to a school no one's ever heard of, Will is finding himself fitting in as himself. But it's more than just fitting in at a school: his parents are either missing or gone, replaced by people who are able to almost get the character right; something weird is going on at the school itself; and, most importantly, someone's out to harm him...all because he made a perfect score on a test.   I think Frost hit the nail on the head with this one.

It's action-packed (Think the Jason Bourne novels/movies crossed with a fantasy novel) and keeps you drawn in. There's a few slower spots, but I found myself almost needing them so that my own subconscious could work out what was going on.  

Glad to see this is book one of a series, too. The story itself stands alone, with every climactic point in the plot being resolved, but enough....intrigue to make you want Frost to hurry up with book 2.   

 Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this ebook galley from Random House Children's Books (Random House BFYR) through the netGalley publisher/reader connection program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Monday, September 24, 2012

iBoy, by Kevin Brooks


iBoy CoverBefore the attack, Tom Harvey was just an average teenager. But a head-on collision with high technology has turned him into an actualized App. Fragments of a shattered iPhone are embedded in his brain. And they're having an extraordinary effect on his every thought.
Because now Tom knows, sees, and can do more than any normal boy ever could.
But with his new powers comes a choice: To avenge Lucy, the girl he loves, will he hunt down the vicious gangsters who hurt her? Will he take the law into his own electric hands and exterminate the thugs from the South London housing projects where, by fear and violence, they rule?
Not even his mental search engine can predict the shocking outcome of iBoy's actions.

The plot seems a little far-fetched, but still in a "hmmm....this could be possible" way. Tom is the typical everyday teenage boy who seems to almost be the victim of circumstance--wrong place at the wrong time kind of deal. It's left him with a sudden responsibility and power he's never experienced. 

Brooks has given this story kind of a comic book hero feel (in the realm of Spiderman, in my opinion). The good guy suddenly has a power no one else has, it's unexpected and really came out of nowhere, but he's also just a guy. Grounding the story with very typical teenage boy situations (liking the girl who, as it turns out, likes him). 

The gang activity does it make for a meatier story. There are some powerful conversations between Tom and Lucy (he's crush, and the girl who needs a little rescuing from her own personal super hero), and when Tom questions a gang member.

FYI, this book does discuss gang rape and gang activity. It's not overtly graphic, but there's no mistaking or glossing over what happened. I know reviews say it's 14 and up, but I wouldn't hand it to the majority of my freshman students.

Disclosure of Material Connection: This title is part of the permanent collection for the library that I oversee. No publisher or representative contacted me and I was not required to read it or prepare a positive review. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Tuesday, September 18, 2012

Butter, by Erin Jade Lange


A lonely obese boy everyone calls "Butter" is about to make history. He is going to eat himself to death-live on the Internet-and everyone is invited to watch. When he first makes the announcement online to his classmates, Butter expects pity, insults, and possibly sheer indifference. What he gets are morbid cheerleaders rallying around his deadly plan. Yet as their dark encouragement grows, it begins to feel a lot like popularity. And that feels good. But what happens when Butter reaches his suicide deadline? Can he live with the fallout if he doesn't go through with his plans? 

Bullying is a topic all too familiar and important topic in schools today. It's always been there, it's just that today, in this instant access to everything world, it's easier to do it, and harder to hide from it.
Butter doesn't realize he's being bullied. He doesn't realize that his eating disorder is his coping mechanism. Yes, eating disorder--bulimia and anorexia, while getting more air-time aren't the only disorders out there.

I found myself alternately wanting to laugh and to cry with/for Butter. He hides behind a persona he designed to be attractive, he only has friends when he announces he will kill himself, publicly. Even his mother is inadvertently bullying him, because he knows she doesn't feel loved when he doesn't eat the food she puts in front of him. What a sad existence.
This is one of those important books that will hit shelves and be picked up because it sounds interesting. People will think it's unbelievable, despite being so compelling written. Really, what boy would kill himself because of his weight? 

Really?

By the way...bullying is very serious. Visit Stop Bullying for more information.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this ebook galley from Bloomsbury Children's Books through the netGalley publisher/reader connection program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”  

Tuesday, September 11, 2012

Anything But Ordinary, by Lara Avery



Bryce remembers it like it was yesterday. The scent of chlorine. The blinding crack and flash of pain. Blood in the water.

When she wakes up in the hospital, all Bryce can think of is her disastrous Olympic diving trial. But everything is different now. Bryce still feels seventeen, so how can her little sister be seventeen, too? Life went on without her while Bryce lay in a coma for five years. Her best friend and boyfriend have just graduated from college. Her parents barely speak. And everything she once dreamed of doing-winning a gold medal, traveling the world, falling in love-seems beyond her reach.

But Bryce has changed too, in seemingly impossible ways. She knows things she shouldn't. Things that happened while she was asleep. Things that haven't even happened yet. During one luminous summer, as she comes to understand that her dreams have changed forever, Bryce learns to see life for what it truly is: extraordinary.

Anything But Ordinary is a sweet story about a young girl given a second chance at living her life, 5 years later. Real, awake life feels a bit like being a stranger in a familiar land. She knows everyone, knows about them, how they think and feel...but doesn't really know them anymore. It's got to be so difficult to know them all, but not know any of them anymore.

It's well-written and keeps the reader involved. You almost don't realize you've read so much, yet you've finished the book.

Disney-Hyperion bills this story as being appropriate for 12 and up. I really have to disagree. The characters, save 1 teenage younger sister, are early 20s and older. There's drinking, some allusions to sex, and a wedding being planned.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this ebook galley from Disney-Hyperion through the netGalley publisher/reader connection program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.” 

Monday, September 10, 2012

Hanging by a Thread, by Sophie Littlefield

From the Hardcover edition
One small town. One special girl. Many dirty secrets.
     The quaint little beach town of Winston, California, may be full of wholesome townsfolk, picturesque beaches, and laid back charm, but Clare Knight is about to uncover something underneath its thriving demeanor. Someone is hiding something, and it's as gruesome as the townsfolk, and their stately homes, are stunning. Amanda Stavros, fellow classmate and resident of Winston, is gone and there's no sign of her ever coming back. Everyone says she was taken and murdered, but where's the evidence? Why isn't there a single ounce of proof? And why is everyone okay with this, except for Clare?
     Luckily—or as it's been turning out, unluckily—Clare possesses a gift, an ability to see visions from the clothes she works with. And since her clothes come solely from the townsfolk, Clare has become privy to some startling and disturbing memories of these townspeople. Will she uncover who killed Amanda Stavros? Or is she just moving herself up in line to be the next victim of Winston?

Good, creepy little story about small town life after the apparent murders of 2 school age children, 2 years in a row. There's clearly some clique-ishness and plenty that too many aren't telling--including Clare's best friend and the hot guy who clearly likes her. All of this alone would've made a good story.
Throw in the visions she can see when she touches clothes. Sometimes they're good, sometimes they're bad. They always take her breath away and leave her a little woozy. The scary ones are the worst, rocking her. And after years gone from the town she lived in as a little kid, the visions she's getting now are bad.
Winston is a typical tight-knit community, everyone watches out for each other, and keeps each other's secrets. There's the requisite "stay away from the bad boy" vibe, though the bad boy is more honest than the rest of them. It moves a little slowly, BUT, it's great "escape" read and the story is interesting. The descriptions of Clare's clothing designs are fun, and I'd love to see illustrations to match the outfits she describes. 
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this ebook galley from Random House/Delacorte Books for Young Readers through the netGalley publisher/reader connection program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.” 

Tuesday, September 4, 2012

Blink Once, by Cylin Busby

West is a high school senior who has everything going for him until an accident leaves him paralyzed. Strapped down in his hospital bed, slipping in and out of consciousness, West is terrified and alone. Until he meets Olivia. 

She's the girl next door-sort of. A patient in the room next to his, only Olivia can tell what West is thinking, and only Olivia seems to know that the terrible dreams he's been having are not just a result of his medication. Yet as West comes to rely on Olivia-to love her, even-certain questions pull at him: Why has Olivia been in the hospital for so long? And what does it mean that she is at the center of his nightmares? But the biggest question of all comes when West begins to recover and learns that the mysterious girl he's fallen in love with has a secret he could never have seen coming.


Imagine waking up in a strange place, unable to move or speak, see outside a small space around you, and there's no one you know around you. But there's this girl...

As someone who doesn't deal well with the feeling of having no control over a situation, I can't imagine being in anything like West's situation. The not speaking is what would get to me...how I am I supposed to tell you what I need?

Busby and her father wrote The Year We Disappeared, a memoir of the year after her police officer father was brutally shot while on duty. It's a memoir and a very good one. (If you haven't picked it up, you should.)

But Blink Once is nothing like it. Amazon.com actually has it tagged in YA horror---seriously? Not even close. I can't give you much without giving it away, I really don't want to do that, because it's worth the read.

West, for being a coma patient who cannot speak is AMAZINGLY well-developed, as are a host of secondary characters in there (particularly one the nurses, Nelson). Everyone is vivid and believable. The story has a twist I never saw coming (and I'm CLASSIC for ruining stories for myself) and does keep you wrapped up in it. You won't put this one down, by any means.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this ebook galley from Bloomsbury Children's Books through the netGalley publisher/reader connection program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.” 

Monday, September 3, 2012

Freaks Like Us, by Susan Vaught




When Jason Milwaukee's best friend Sunshine vanishes, Jason knows that something is terribly wrong, but solving her disappearance will require pushing through all the voices in his head and then getting the world to listen to him. His schizophrenia is stopping him from remembering the events leading up to her disappearance, and often he discounts his own memories, and his own impressions. But his deep knowledge that he would never hurt his friend, plus the faith of his parents and a few others in the town bring him to the point of solving the mystery. In the end, it's Sunshine's own love for Jason (Freak) that persuades him of his own strength and goodness.






It's not very often that you get to peak inside the mind of an "alphabet"--as Jason and his friends call themselves. Alphabets are kids who are described in letters--ADHD, ED, LD, for example. It made me sad, as a teacher, to read that description. "Alphabet." That's worse than the proverbial being a "number."


In Freaks Like Us, we're reminded that people who are alphabets are people first. This story is fast-paced, intense. The final copy information says it'll be 240 pages, but it doesn't read that way. I'd hand this easily to a reluctant reader or someone looking for a quick read. Both will appreciate the intensity and the story


Jason has a rather severe mental disorder, and reading the story in his words can be a little challenging. Because it's not just his words at times. Sometimes it's the voices in his head and it's all a jumbled mess. 


BUT..it's realistic. It's a tough, emotionally investing and a little mentally draining read. Clearly, I lot of time went into crafting Jason's voice. And it is very well done. It probably doesn't hurt that Vaught is a practicing neuropsychologist.




Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this ebook galley from Bloomsbury Children's Books through the netGalley publisher/reader connection program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.” 



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