REVIEW: 15 Days Without a Head, by Dave Cousins

15 Days Without a Head
2013

Despite having a depressed alcoholic mother and a little brother who’s convinced he’s a dog, fifteen year-old Laurence Roach is trying to live a normal life. But when his mom doesn’t come home after work one night, Laurence is terrified that child services will find out she’s gone and separate him from his brother.

For two weeks, Laurence does whatever he can to keep her disappearance a secret. Spinning a web of complicated lies for friends, neighbors, and the authorities, Laurence even dresses like his mother to convince everyone she’s still around. By following clues, the brothers are finally able to track down their mother’s whereabouts. And that’s when the real trouble begins in this powerful story about what it means to be a family

Goodness, what a dismal life Laurence is living, and trying to hold together for his brother. Despite reading the blurb, I hadn't expected this story with this title.

Laurence is the overlooked kid--flies under the radio because that's where he best exists. I love that he fights to be overlooked, especially when the alternative could destroy his small corner of the world. He's the epitome of "don't look at me desperation." 

15 Days is a pretty easy read. Not too heavy on the vocab. The story, by nature, is dark, but in the sense that reality is sometimes very dark. Laurence teaches us about resilience, persistence, and the importance of family--even when they aren't everything you need.

What do you think??

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this ebook galley from Flux 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.

REVIEW: There are Reasons Noah Packed No Clothes, by Robert Jacoby

There are Reasons Noah Packed No Clothes

You need your eyes, don't you?

So does Richard Issych. Two weeks ago he overdosed. Now he's fighting for his life, finding threatening notes like that one on his nightstand.

19-year-old Richard Issych wakes to a harsh new reality inside an inpatient unit. Now Richard's journey turns into one of revelations and struggling through his own reasons for being as he discovers new meanings for redemption, sacrifice, hope, love-and the will to live.

In the end, what are the reasons Noah packed no clothes? Richard can only imagine. But it has something to do with a size 3XL bowling shirt with the name "Noah" stitched over the pocket.

There are reasons . . . everyone uses his own dictionary.
There are reasons . . . some new heavens come from some new hells.

First, I had a hard time reading this book in the beginning. The subject matter isn't difficult, it's the train of thought the speaker has. Meaning, this is some sort of mix between narrative and stream of consciousness in the beginning. And it's all 3rd person. 

It's really rather a neat device, though. As Richard comes out of his drug-induced fog and begins to see things clearly, the speaker is more clear. When there's panic and paranoia..there's panic and paranoia evident in the speaker's voice. The teenager tone is VERY evident in this speaker (though, I work 5 days a week with that teenager tone, so I might be biased.)

It's a really good story. Richard is really just a typical kid in a not-so-terrible situation who just doesn't see any way of overcoming his disenchantment with life and depression--well, overcoming and still be alive. He grows up in the story, through interactions with those much worse off than he.

It does have some rather edgy bits--suicidal thoughts, some very inappropriate relations, etc.--that would make it hard for me to put on the shelves in my conservative small Texas town. I could hand it to mature juniors and seniors, but not my freshman and sophomore readers. 

What do you think??

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this ebook galley from Cloud 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.

REVIEW: Identity Theft, by Anna Davies

Identity Theft (Point Horror)

Hayley is going to have the best year ever. After years of careful planning, she's ready to serve as student council president AND editor-in-chief of the newspaper. Ivy League, here she comes!
However, just before student council elections, someone creates a fake facebook profile for Hayley and starts posting inappropriate photos and incriminating updates. It must be the work of a highly skilled Photoshopper, but the attention to detail is scary. The embarrassing photos of "Hayley" in her bathing suit reveal a birthmark on her back--a birth mark Hayley has never shown in public. . . .
The situation escalates until Hayley's mother reveals some shocking information. Hayley isn't an only child: She has a twin sister who was adopted by a different family. And that's not all. Soon, Hayley discovers that her long-lost sister isn't just playing a prank--she's plotting to take over Hayley's life . . . by any means necessary.

Ok..so I was totally expecting a formula. Definitely thought I'd read this story line once before, and frankly heard about it on the news or FB horror stories. 

I was wrong. This is such a DIFFERENT twist than what I'd thought. And these twins are not Parent Trap twins...oh NO. 

It took a little bit for this story to find and sustain a "groove." And it's full of pop culture references, which might make it a bit dated in a hurry. Maybe not. One can never tell. It does remind me of the "horror" novels I read as a tween/early teen that were that formulaic model, but it redeems itself in being a new twist.

Predictable characters (despite the not-so-predictable story line), with Hayley coming across as whiney and no one believing her. But really, who would believe all this? I just didn't like the whiney-ness, but that might work for others.

It's a good, quick read for girls who like this sub-genre. I'd hand it to my casual readers, not my critical readers.

What do you think??

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this ebook galley from Scholastic (Point) through the netGalley publisher/reader connection program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

REVIEW: Chrysalis, by Michel Prince

 In the annals of dysfunctional families, the Chisholm’s are working their way to the top. Drug abuse, an unwed mother with multiple fathers, and the questionable cash flow for the 'pretty one'.   All this from a seemingly normal, two parent middle class family. But were the choices truly made of their free will?
            Bad choices are a Chisholm family trait, one that confounds the youngest child, Ellie, who's trying to separate herself by making smart decisions. And falling for Oscar Jeffreys, the hottest guy at school, would be number one on the list of  Chisholm family disasters.  Yet the crazy part is it’s not a one sided attraction.  Somehow Ellie has caught Oscar Jeffreys’ eye.   Sure she could see the barriers between them.  Race, age, popularity.  They were at opposite ends of the spectrum.  But a demon set to destroy her family? She can't see that.  
            Oscar provides security and acceptance Ellie never imagined she deserved.  As the passion of first love grows, Ellie honestly believes she has a chance to beat the odds and live a happy, normal life. Then her world collapses around her. With the help of a guardian angel, Ellie learns of a world that has unknowingly surrounded her for years.  And she'll have to find strength buried deep inside to save not only her future, but flush out and stop the demon in her midst.
            And Ellie will have to learn that sometimes the hardest lesson about growing up is accepting that you're worth more. 

The cover throws me...really, there's not that much centered around Ellie playing volleyball. At least, not enough to make me think the cover works. I suspect it's to draw in a certain set of readers. I also feel like the high school age/setting is moot. It doesn't feed the actual story. Does that make sense? 

(I happen to think if you're going to use "high school" as a setting and "16" as a character age, then it needs to matter to the story. It doesn't in this book.)

Ellie and Oscar are an interesting pair, but far too grown up for high school. Granted, they've dealt with more mature issues in their futures, but they don't behave the way I think high school kids behave (and since I spend 187 days a year with high school kids...). I also felt like Prince got too descriptive in the physical scenes...it bordered on light erotica, and I'm really not that okay with that in this book. I like my YA romance to be less descriptive. 

The first part of the book is contemporary romance with some crazy things thrown in. Then, you get to why the story is paranormal. And then everything is driven by that. Oh, and teenagers struggling with sex too much for the rest of the story to be important.

Oh..and then the story ends. I see that it's set to be the first of a trilogy, but it's not even really a cliffhanger, it just stops. I even read the last couple of chapters twice to make sure I didn't miss the cliffhanger. 

Overall, this would've been fine as an adult paranormal romance. It doesn't work as a legitimate YA story line for me.

What do you think??

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this ebook galley from Goddess Fish Promotions. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

REVIEW: The Rules, by Stacey Kade

The Rules
2013

1. Never trust anyone.

2. Remember they are always searching.

3. Don't get involved.

4. Keep your head down.

5. Don't fall in love.

Five simple rules. Ariane Tucker has followed them since the night she escaped from the genetics lab where she was created, the result of combining human and extraterrestrial DNA. Ariane's survival--and that of her adoptive father--depends on her ability to blend in among the full-blooded humans, to hide in plain sight from those who seek to recover their lost (and expensive) "project."

But when a cruel prank at school goes awry, it puts her in the path of Zane Bradshaw, the police chief's son and someone who sees too much. Someone who really sees her. After years of trying to be invisible, Ariane finds the attention frightening--and utterly intoxicating. Suddenly, nothing is simple anymore, especially not the rules.

You grab this thinking it's some sort of dystopian/sci-fi thriller YA novel. And, yes, there's some of that in there. Instead of being strictly that, The Rules is also some romance, some high school clique-drama, and some rather bizarre and intense situations all rolled into one story. Really, it's well done. And it's not like Kade's other books--which come off a little silly to me.

Ariane is in a typical teenage state--finding herself. But also, finding out the truth of what happened to her when she was younger. She's a great character, and one I enjoyed getting to know, and pulling for. She's sharp, without being too much so, and still vulnerable, like all teenage girls are at the core.

Zane is the great guy next door, who has his own skeletons in the closet. Again, really that good, good, guy that any father would love to see his daughter with. But the relationship is organic, and not forced or fast (like so many YA romances are). 

Great story line, never slows down. Every time a twist pulled up, I really had no idea it was coming. It kept me on my toes, and was a "finish in a sitting" book. It is the first in a series (Project Paper Dolls), but it's one that could stand alone and leave you satisfied.

Sadly, the next book is over a year away...perhaps someone could suggest that Stacey Kade hurry up, a bit?

What do you think??

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this ebook galley from Disney Book Group through the netGalley publisher/reader connection program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.