by Trish Doller

Expected  Publishing Date:September 24, 2013
Length: 352 pages
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Children’s
Obtained Via: Received digital ARC in exchange for an honest review from publisher via Netgalley
Format Read In: Digital ARC

via Goodreads:

Stolen as a child from her large and loving family, and on the run with her mom for more than ten years, Callie has only the barest idea of what normal life might be like. She’s never had a home, never gone to school, and has gotten most of her meals from laundromat vending machines. Her dreams are haunted by memories she’d like to forget completely. But when Callie’s mom is finally arrested for kidnapping her, and Callie’s real dad whisks her back to what would have been her life, in a small town in Florida, Callie must find a way to leave the past behind. She must learn to be part of a family. And she must believe that love–even with someone who seems an improbable choice–is more than just a possibility.

Trish Doller writes incredibly real teens, and this searing story of love, betrayal, and how not to lose your mind will resonate with readers who want their stories gritty and utterly true.

A few phrases come to mind when I think of this book: culture shock, reality check, and. . . Stockholm Syndrome? Perhaps that’s a little far, but I think it rings true. All Callie has ever known is life with her mother–the mother who kidnapped her and hid her from the rest of her family almost all her life. And why it’s easy to point fingers at Callie’s mother, her story is also heartbreaking, watching her struggle with inner demons. And then there’s Callie: stuck in the middle between the life she should have lived for the past ten years, and the life she actually lived.

Watching Callie come to terms with her life was an incredible journey that lasted the duration of this book. At the beginning, even the mood and the atmosphere FEEL so lonely, and it was the hardest part of the book for me to get through because of that. As Callie slowly learns to trust people, to open up, and to really entertain the idea of being part of a family, the setting and Doller’s writing started to reflect that.

This isn’t a book to pick up if you’re looking for a book packed to the brim with plot–it’s heavily character-oriented and while I wouldn’t classify it as one of those slow-moving, but beautiful books, I think the pacing does tend towards the slower side. The revelations that Callie comes across as she struggles with her new life keep the book moderately paced and I HAD to find out how this part of Callie’s story ends, but I don’t think I’d go so far as to call it a page-turner.

I don’t know how a person would act in Callie’s situation, but her character development seemed highly realistic to me. Here she is, thinking all of life has been one way the entire time, and suddenly she’s confronted with this new truth that’s the opposite of everything she’s always been told. She’s dazed and confused, which affects ALL her relationships–her relationship with her father, her relationship with her cousin who becomes her new friend, and her potential romantic relationship. It’s hard to read about Callie’s inner turmoil, but it’s worth it in the end.

At the end of this book, things aren’t perfect. It’s not as if Callie wakes up one morning and suddenly feels like she fits everywhere she “needs” to and her life’s now normal, but she’s in such a different place at the end of the book that it works. Everything might not be tied up in a pretty string, but she’s come far enough that it’s clear to see she might one day be that way, which was an incredibly emotionally satisfying ending.

Final Impression: I loved this book. If I hadn’t heard so many good things about the author, I might not have picked this one up, but I’m SO SO glad I did. It was hard to read at times, but I think the emotional journey Callie went through was believable and satisfying from a narrative point of view. The beginning was slightly rocky for me, but after that, it was clear this was a wonderful book that I came to love. 5/5 cupcakes. 

by Sara Farizan

Expected Publication Date: August 20, 2013
Approximate Length: 256 pages
Publisher: Alquonquin Young Readers
Obtained Via: Was given e-arc in exchange for honest review by publisher on netgalley
Format Read In: Kindle e-book

via Goodreads:

In this stunning debut, a young Iranian American writer pulls back the curtain on one of the most hidden corners of a much-talked-about culture.

Seventeen-year-old Sahar has been in love with her best friend, Nasrin, since they were six. They’ve shared stolen kisses and romantic promises. But Iran is a dangerous place for two girls in love—Sahar and Nasrin could be beaten, imprisoned, even executed if their relationship came to light.

So they carry on in secret—until Nasrin’s parents announce that they’ve arranged for her marriage. Nasrin tries to persuade Sahar that they can go on as they have been, only now with new comforts provided by the decent, well-to-do doctor Nasrin will marry. But Sahar dreams of loving Nasrin exclusively—and openly.

Then Sahar discovers what seems like the perfect solution. In Iran, homosexuality may be a crime, but to be a man trapped in a woman’s body is seen as nature’s mistake, and sex reassignment is legal and accessible. As a man, Sahar could be the one to marry Nasrin. Sahar will never be able to love the one she wants, in the body she wants to be loved in, without risking her life. Is saving her love worth sacrificing her true self?

A book like If You Could Be Mine is hard to review because as a fictional exploration of a very real, very pressing social issue, I think it does it’s job. While reading, I felt I got quite a bit of insight into the Iranian culture and really came to understand where Sahar is coming from. As a book, it didn’t quite do it for me, and while there are multiple reasons for that, there’s one in particular that stands out: I didn’t want Sahar to succeed in being with Nasirin because Nasirin, while a product of her environment, is quite simply a jerk.

Since the whole book centers around Sahar trying to find a way to be with Nasirin–even going as far as to consider sexual reassignment surgery– this was a major point where the book went downhill for me. No matter what Sahar did, I was hoping she would fail, which is not something I want to be thinking about a main character. Sahar herself was a sympathetic character, but Nasirin seemed to regard Sahar as merely a passing moment, while for Sahar, Nasirin was her life. In this mindset, it was hard to root for the main characters.

As I stated in the first paragraph, the book’s exploration of the Iranian culture and attitude did a good job of educating me, and it was these parts of the book I enjoyed the most. I also enjoyed the exploration of Sahar’s relationship with her father, which was tense due to her mother’s death which happens before the book begins. Moments like this– where Sahar and her father finally talk a little about their grief– are the brief shining moments of this book, which is unfortunate, since it’s not the focus.

Ultimately, there’s not a whole left to say about the book. It left me with a “meh” feeling, though the ending did perk up my opinion slightly, though it felt a bit rushed. I really enjoyed the character of Sahar, but I couldn’t root for her when her purpose was to be with Nasirin, who never treated her right.

Final Impression: If You Could Be Mine does a good job of introducing readers to the culture and attitudes in Iran, but unfortunately focuses two girls who I couldn’t root for as a reader because their relationship seemed so uneven and I found Nasirin to be quite a jerk to Sahar. It made it impossible for me to really root for Sahar, so while I was sympathetic towards her, I was rather “meh” towards the rest of the book. Some good aspects, but overall was lackluster for me. That being said, I do think this book is important as a conversation starter and shows a great need for books like this in literature. 2/5 cupcakes. 

by Jody Casella

Expected Publication Date: September 10, 2013
Approximate Length: 256
Publisher: Beyond Words
Obtained Via: Was given e-arc in exchange for honest review by publisher on netgalley
Format Read In: Kindle e-book

via Goodreads:

Ever since the car accident that killed his twin brother, Marshall Windsor has been consumed with guilt and crippled by secrets of that fateful night. He has only one chance to make amends, to right his wrongs and set things right. He must find a Thin Space—a mythical point where the barrier between this world and the next is thin enough for a person to step through to the other side.

But, when a new girl moves into the house next door, the same house Marsh is sure holds a thin space, she may be the key—or the unraveling of all his secrets.

As they get closer to finding a thin space—and closer to each other—Marsh must decide once and for all how far he’s willing to go to right the wrongs of the living…and the dead.

I started reading this book on March 22, 2013. I finished on May 6th. For the month and a half I was “reading” this novel, I was thoroughly uncaptivated by the story Casella was telling, which is a shame, because it’s actually fairly well-written. I, however, found it poorly paced and the middle section of the novel dragged for me enough that I considered not finishing it. Ultimately, I’m glad I did, but I had quite a few issues with Thin Space. 

If this novel was being rated on the last 10% of the story alone, it would be a solid five stars. The ending has everything I ever want in a incredible novel– a great twist(even if I saw it coming), emotions so intensely catatheric without being sentimental, and a feeling of firm resolution without everything being wrapped up in a neat bow. I love books about siblings probably more than any other relationship, and the ending delivered on that.

However, there was quite a bit of words I struggled through before I reached that 90% mark. Mainly, I was just bored. The mystery in this book didn’t seem much like a mystery to me, as much as I love the idea of a teenage boy who has lost his brother trying to find a thin space. For the most part, Marsh’s character fell flat for me, and the twist that comes at the end is fairly easy to spot if you’ve been paying attention. The plot in the middle of the book consists mainly of Marsh and Maddie, the girl mentioned in the summary, walking around without shoes trying to find a thin space. There’s a lot 0f walking in this book, and not much of a destination.

The dynamic between Marsh and Maddie is kinda strange. Sometimes I really liked their friendship and thought it was headed for something more, sometimes I thought there WAS something more that they were both denying, and sometimes I thought it was just a strange pairing. I normally like the whole “pair-the-misfits-together-and-show-them-they’re-not-alone” theme, but I’m not a hundred percent sure it worked for me in Thin Space. 

As mentioned before, I really like sibling relationships, and that was probably the biggest aspect of Thin Space that I truly enjoyed. Obviously, one of the siblings isn’t actually present due to the car crash, but the entire story line does revolve around the twins, and Maddie and her brother Sam serve as a second story line. This wasn’t the book for me, but it wasn’t bad by any means, and I would recommend it to people who like books about siblings, about misfits, or perhaps even about journeys. This isn’t really that emotional book considering the subject, so if you read hoping for that(as I was) you’ll probably be disappointed.

Final Impression: Even though I can see the appeal of Thin Space for many readers, it did not have that same appeal for me. It had a good start and an absolutely superb ending, but unfortunately I found the majority of the book lacking in pacing, emotions, or mystery. It had a great basis with the sibling relationship as a focused, but felt lackluster to me.  2/5 cupcakes. 

by Sara Kocek

Expected Publication Date: September 1, 2013
Approximate Length: 320 pages
Publisher: Albert Whitman Teen
Obtained Via: E-arc given by publisher in exchange for honest review
Format Read In: Kindle ARC

via Goodreads:

As if starting high school weren’t bad enough, Reyna Fey has to do so at a new school without her best friends. Reyna’s plan is to keep her head down, help her father recover from the car accident that almost took his life, and maybe even make some friends. And then Olive Barton notices her. Olive is not exactly the kind of new friend Reyna has in mind. The boys make fun of her, the girls want to fight her, and Olive seems to welcome the challenge. There’s something about Olive that Reyna can’t help but like. But when Reyna learns Olive’s secret, she must decide whether it’s better to be good friends with an outcast or fake friends with the popular kids. . . .before she loses Olive forever

I’ve been having a run of bad book luck lately, so I wasn’t exactly expecting Promise Me Something to blow me out of the water. In fact, as I began this book I felt  very “ugh” about the idea of reading it, but I knew it wasn’t fair to dump my experience from my past few books onto an innocent one, so I tried to be as open-minded about it as possible. And against quite a few odds, Promise Me Something ended up being quite a good book.

Let me first start with the few things I didn’t like about this book. There’s an elaborate scheme at the end of this book that reminds me of Angie’s scheme in The S-Word, which I really didn’t like. I don’t know why there seems to be this idea in contemporary YA that the only way to bring the attention of something heinous to the authorities in charge is by an elaborate scheme that takes 2-5 committed people, a lot of paper, and perhaps even committing your OWN felony. Perhaps readers find this exciting? Maybe it’s just me. The only other thing I found a bit disappointing was the beginning– the first couple of pages were a bit awkward, but by the end of the first chapter I had forgotten all about the first couple of pages. Now on to the positive stuff!

Reyna and I have quite a bit in common– we’re both fairly shy, we’re both studious, and we’ve both lost a parent. Even though it was just a subplot, I really liked how Kocek handled Reyna dealing with her dad and his girlfriend, as well as all her conflicted emotions in regards to her parents. It was subtle, but emotionally charged. You could tell how much Reyna really loved her dad, even when her actions might indicate otherwise if Reyna wasn’t the narrator.

Promise Me Something deals with some pretty dark issues, but I found it all really well-done. It didn’t spread itself too thin, but instead really concentrated on suicide and bullying. No one in this book is portrayed as being completely innocent, either. Olive is definitely the biggest victim in the book of bullying, but she also makes mistakes, says some pretty mean things, and lashes out at people.  No one is completely safe from hurt feelings, and no one is completely innocent, which I appreciated. This book embraces the grey areas of life, and I like that.

There’s only a bit of romance in this book, and I actually really liked it. It’s not at all the focus of the story, and after some big things happen(I’m being vague in the intention of no spoilers!), it pretty much disappears into the background. When the romance is around, it’s subtle, slow, and starts as a friendship. It wouldn’t even be worth bringing up except for the fact that Renya’s love interest, Levi, became my favorite secondary character so I have to discuss him a little bit. He’s supportive, but also encourages Renya to stand up for what she believes in, which she has a hard time doing at first. He’s definitely a secondary character, but an extremely well-written one.

Not gonna lie, this book at times, especially in the first half, reminded me of a less-intense take on Mean Girls, but it dealt with issues much more complexly and really came into it’s own in the second half. It’s a great contemporary for when you’re in the mood for a book that deals with real and dark issues.

Final Impression: Promise Me Something might not be the most original book, but it handles some pretty common themes much more complexly and realistically than books I’ve read in the past. There’s a lot that happens in this book and that gets dealt with, and it won’t be for everyone. That being said, it was a fantastic read with characters who felt very real to me.  4/5 cupcakes. 

So one day while writing a review I used the phrase “Exceeds Expectations”, which naturally made me think of O.W.L.s(Ordinary Wizarding Levels) from Harry Potter. And then I thought about using those as my new bookish ratings for the blog, but since it doesn’t really fit my theme and I had JUST made a new rating systems of delicious cupcakes, I decided to modify it a little.

Basically, I don’t review every book I read, and I read a lot BEFORE I started blogging. I decided to showcase some of those reads from time to time but instead of giving them a review, I’ll give them an O.W.L. report card. AND just to cement by Harry Potter nerdiness further, each “aspect” of a book will correspond to a Harry Potter class. For example, transfiguration=characterization(because characters should grow & change over the course of a novel.)

In Case You Need a Refresher, Here are What OWLs scores ARE:

Pass Grades:
Outstanding (O)
Exceeds Expectations (E)
Acceptable (A)

Fail Grades:
Poor (P)
Dreadful (D)
Troll (T)

I thought I’d test out this feature by showcasing some books I’ve read since I’ve been blogging, but decided not to review. Here they are:

Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson

So you can see which Hogwarts class I decided to correspond with each aspect of books. For the most part, Wintergirls passed almost all criteria. I failed it for DADA(predictability), since as pretty much the book starts you know where’s it going to end up. And since this is Laurie Halse Anderson and her writing is always phenomenal, a big Outstanding there. I decided to give History of Magic a N/A since there’s not much world building in this kind of contemporary–I’ll only make the poor fantasy and science fiction selections suffer through the boring history lectures.

Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

Shadow and Bone also did pretty well, failing only on predictability. The plot also barely scraped by. I found Shadow and Bone’s plot not much different from every other fantasy novel out there, and only got a passing grade because it was at least exciting enough. I loved the world-building and the pacing though, as well as the characters.

And just for good measure, how bout a book I read quite a few years ago?(Let’s see how much I remember):

All-American Girl by Meg Cabot

Like I said, I read this many years ago, so these grades would probably change if I read them again. However, I remember LOVING the characters so they get an Outstanding with quite a bit of emotional pull.

That’s enough OWL results for one day, I think! Hope you find this feature as fun as I do!

Be warned, my taste in TV shows is. . . varying, to say the least. But I thought to start I’d choose a character who already LOVES to read: Rory Gilmore from Gilmore Girls. Rory’s more of a classics girl, but I think I could pick some YA books for her. And because this is my feature and I make the rules, we’re going to say this is the Rory from the late high school years, because she’s my favorite. I’m only doing a few picks for each because I need plenty of YA books to go around in the future. Here are my picks for Rory:

c’mon Rory. Time to meet your new Book best friends. 

Rory Would be Book BFF’s With:

Smart Girls Get What They Want by Sarah Strohmeyer

I know I talk about this book whenever I can because it’s my favorite “light” contemporary YA, but I really think Rory would be ALL over this book. For one, she’d love the three best friends going after what they want, and that they value their intelligence. She’d feel like she’d fit right in with their studying ways. Secondly, I think she’d really like the boys in this book. They kind of remind me of a few of the boys in her life. Plus, Gigi’s grandmother has hints of Emily Gilmore(though much less snobby–just the prim & proper aspect).

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

I think Rory would love this book for quite a few reasons: The unique narrator, the literary writing, and the historical elements. Even though there’s so many World War II books out there, The Book Thief is very special and unique, and I think Rory would appreciate that. Plus, as a book lover herself, she’d love the title.

And just for fun, I’d thought I would throw in a few of these–

Books Rory Would Totally Break-Up With:

Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell

So I LOVE Eleanor & Park, but I think Rory would break up with this book in a second. She’s not sappy or sentimental, and I think the romance in this book would make her put it away quickly.

Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver

I’m pretty sure Rory would HATE Samantha. And while Rory would be smart enough to know that Samantha has a lesson to learn, I don’t think she’d ever make it that far before throwing the book across the room.

Those are my picks for the YA books that I think Rory would LOVE and the ones I don’t think she’d get through. And who knows what TV character will be up next? I definitely feel slightly ridiculous writing this post, but it was a fun kind of ridiculous. Maybe I’ll challenge myself next time and pick a REALLY random TV character.

by S.K. Falls

Expected Publication Date: June 2013
Obtained Via: E-arc given by publisher in exchange for honest review
Format Read In: Kindle ARC

via Goodreads:

Saylor Grayson makes herself sick. Literally.

She ate her first needle when she was seven. Now, at nineteen, she’s been kicked out of college for poisoning herself with laxatives. The shrinks call it Munchausen Syndrome. All Saylor knows is that when she’s ill, her normally distant mother pays attention and the doctors and nurses make her feel special.

Then she meets Drew Dean, the leader of a local support group for those with terminal diseases. When he mistakes her for a new member, Saylor knows she should correct him. But she can’t bring herself to, not after she’s welcomed into a new circle of friends. Friends who, like Drew, all have illnesses ready to claim their independence or their lives.

For the first time, Saylor finds out what it feels like to be in love, to have friends who genuinely care about her. But secrets have a way of revealing themselves. What will happen when Saylor’s is out?

Secret for a Song  is not a light read, but it was a fascinating look inside the mind of someone with Munchhausen’s syndrome. As the summary suggests, Saylor does everything she can to make her self sick for attention, sometimes going to great lengths to do so. It’s hard to understand why Saylor would do the things she does, but I think Secret for a Song does a good job of really getting inside Saylor’s head and her thoughts as much as possible. The entire read, I was torn between feeling so sympathetic for Saylor and being so disappointed in her actions, but I thought S.K. Falls was skilled enough to create a character who isn’t very likable on the surface, but has a lot of hidden depths and is in an interesting situation.

I suppose Secret for a Song is really a New Adult title, since Saylor’s college-aged, and the book definitely deals with certain things a little more graphically than a YA book might. I really appreciated this AS a New Adult title, because it definitely doesn’t fit in the stereotypical New Adult mold that many people complain about. Saylor’s issue is not glamorized and sometimes it’s hard to read about, but it’s depicted fairly and as much as I can tell, accurately.

The romance in this book is pretty interesting. On one hand, you have Drew, the boy with the terminal illness whose disease is slowly taking away his ability to walk, use his muscles correctly, and have the quality of life most people in their early twenties do. On the other hand is Saylor, who is also sick, but whose illness is a mental one and who desires the attention the physically sick get. This isn’t a romantic portrayal that I as a reader root for, necessarily, but I think it showed a lot about both Drew and Saylor.

At it’s core, this is a really character-driven book, which made it a bit hard to read at times. After all, I don’t really LIKE Saylor, but I’m interested in her situation. There’s subplot with Saylor’s family as well, and while her family is at the height of dysfunction, I think S.K. Falls did a good job of putting all the pieces together.

There’s not terribly much of a plot in this book, but I don’t consider that a bad thing since it’s so character-driven. Most of the book consist of Saylor hanging out with her new friends, watching them cope with the diseases they actually have, and her Munchhausen’s and how it effects the way she keeps secrets from them. While I wish the truth had come out sooner, the way it happened in this book was really one of the only believable ways.

Final Impression: Secret for a Song was tough to read at times, but I thought it was an interesting and sad look at someone with such a hard-to-understand mental illness. Saylor was a great main character, someone who’s not exactly likable but sympathetic, and while I was sometimes frustrated with her actions, I also pitied her. I’d recommend this one, especially if you’re liking for a New Adult that’s different and tackles some pretty serious issues. 4/5 cupcake.

These posts made me think: Why are we so afraid of science?

On one hand, my immediate response is to say that we don’t understand it, and what we don’t understand scares us. But that’s a simple explanation, and I’ve learned simple explanations are rarely ever the best ones. Things are more complicated than a simple cause-and-effect. I think why some authors might not understand science, it’s hard to lump all authors and readers into that category.

I think one main reason we like to place the blame on “science” is because science without ethics IS really scary. BUT so are many other branches of knowledge. There are so many advances in technology and science research right now that are happening at an incredibly fast-paced. And because we’ve seen it before, we want to caution ourselves to treat scientific advancements with the respect it deserves. 

What happens then, I think, is that the pendulum swings the other way. We get so caught up in remembering to temper our knowledge and advancement with integrity and human principles that we cower in the dark from the very things we embrace as making our lives easier. As Renae put it in her post, we start giving science the blanket approach. 

This isn’t anything new though. . .

Here’s this thing: this isn’t exactly a new development in literature. In my introductory American literature class, which I took my freshman year of college, we read the short story The Birth-Mark. Now, there are quite a few themes and ideas that arise in The Birth-Mark, and one of them is science. I’ll let you read the Wikipedia page(which is what the title links to), if you’re really curious, but our class discussion that day quickly turned into our analysis of the way Hawthorne was portraying science and the cautions he was suggesting against quick and rapid scientific advancement without ethics. Our professor shared that one of her friends in a science department had all the students read The Birth-Mark at the beginning of the semester.

I don’t think there’s anything wrong with portraying science without ethics as bad, because it IS bad. Just because you can do something doesn’t mean you should. But there’s another side to this too: science WITH ethics can be very, very good. Think of all the scientific advancements that have been made, from computers(and don’t we all love the internet? Well, most of the time), to eradication of smallpox and to cures for common infections that could have once been a death sentence. And yet there are so FEW portrayals of positive science in books that I’ve read.

That’s what I really want. I don’t necessarily want authors to stop with the evil science line if it’s done well, with all the complexity that a book should have, but I also hope for authors to portray science positively, especially in YA. I’m convinced that both portrayals of science can exist side-by-side on the YA bookshelves. As much as I want diversity of characters in YA, I want diversity of portrayals too, and the portrayal of science is one of them. I then went on my Goodreads shelf to find books I’ve read that are “Science-Positive” books. What I found was quite disappointing. Only a few books I’ve read that I could even classify as such, and some of there were quite a stretch.

Science-Positive Portrayals

A Wrinkle in Time & sequels

There’s some not-so-positive science too(hello, threat of nuclear war in A Swiftly Tilting Planet), but both of Meg’s parents are scientist and it’s always portrayed in a reasonable and healthy manner.

Parallel

This is more “fringe”-science type stuff that’s really the focus of Parallel, but Abby(the main character)’s best friend studies science and it’s portrayed as a positive thing and the reason everything’s able to be explained.

TWO. Two whole books(maybe 4 if you count ALL of the Wrinkle in Time books), that portray science as anyway that can be construed as positive. Now, maybe this is just a personal experience for me, and most readers have read more books with positive science aspects in them. There’s also the fact that I don’t remember clearly every book I have on my Goodreads shelf, so I might have missed a few there. Even if that’s true, though, it’s a very small percentage.

Now, granted, I don’t read much science fiction, and when I do, I prefer LIGHT science fiction. If I was a heavy science fiction reader, my experience might be very different. So let’s look at the breakdown of books I’ve read that have anything to do with science at all. If you count all the books that follow A Wrinkle in Time plus Parallel, that’s five books. How many books do I have on my Goodreads shelf that I remember dealing with science in some capacity? 21. And I was picky with that number too. If there were books on my shelves that I knew dealt with science but I couldn’t remember how, I didn’t include that in the count. So five out of twenty-one books is Twenty-three percent(according to the calculator. . . I don’t trust myself to do math). Less than a QUARTER of books I’ve read portray science in even the slightest positive way.

So. . . What to do?

I don’t know about you, but writing this post has really made me want to seek out books that portray science in a more positive manner. Don’t get me wrong, I’m scared of science without ethics too, but I’m also grateful for scientific advancements, and I wish that was portrayed better in literature(especially YA). And I’ll cross my fingers and hope to see more positive science portrayals in books in the future. I didn’t study science in school–I don’t particularly LIKE studying science(I’m an English and words person all the way), but I think it’s GOOD for there to be diversity of portrayals in YA, just as it’s good for there to be a diversity of characters. So let’s try to get out of the science=bad in books.

by Cynthia Hand

Original Publishing Date: January 4, 2011
Length: 435 pages
Publisher: HarperTeen
Obtained Via: Amazon Daily Deal
Format Read In: Kindle E-Book

viaGoodreads:

In the beginning, there’s a boy standing in the trees . . . .
Clara Gardner has recently learned that she’s part angel. Having angel blood run through her veins not only makes her smarter, stronger, and faster than humans (a word, she realizes, that no longer applies to her), but it means she has a purpose, something she was put on this earth to do. Figuring out what that is, though, isn’t easy.

Her visions of a raging forest fire and an alluring stranger lead her to a new school in a new town. When she meets Christian, who turns out to be the boy of her dreams (literally), everything seems to fall into place and out of place at the same time. Because there’s another guy, Tucker, who appeals to Clara’s less angelic side.

As Clara tries to find her way in a world she no longer understands, she encounters unseen dangers and choices she never thought she’d have to make between honesty and deceit, love and duty, good and evil. When the fire from her vision finally ignites, will Clara be ready to face her destiny?

Unearthly is a moving tale of love and fate, and the struggle between following the rules and following your heart.

I haven’t had much experience with angel books, but the little experience I’ve had has not left me with a whole lot of confidence in books that carry that label, which is why Unearthly was such a breath of fresh air. The angel mythology in Unearthly is definitely a new twist, but retains enough roots that it’s still recognizable. And the angels in this book are actually useful, not just humans with wings, which is nice.

Clara was a pretty great main character for the most part. I liked her, even when her flaws were shining through. She’s angelic, so she KNOWS she has a mission from God and she struggles with balancing that against other teenage predicaments. She’s far from perfect, and she has a tendency to be a bit self-absorbed, which other characters are quick to call her out on. However, she’s still a teenage angel I’d want on my side. Clara’s entire family is a really heart-warming portrayal in YA. There’s some sibling stuff with her brother, and Clara and her mom are pretty close, though they have quite a few disagreements as Clara tries to sort out her purpose.

The plot was well-paced and fairly interesting, with a few surprises here and there that I didn’t see coming. It wasn’t the most tightly woven plot or the most exciting in some places, but overall I was interested in the book, and if anything, this was the biggest weak point in the novel, which is a pretty good indicator to how GOOD the book was overall.

And perhaps the best part of reading Unearthly is that I finally understand why people love the Christian/Clara/Tucker love triangle so much. It seems like every time I read a review for the Unearthly series, bloggers LOVE this triangle, even bloggers who typically loathe triangles, which naturally made me curious. And I think the love triangle in Unearthly is a love triangle in the best possible way: It shows two sides of Clara, and her dueling with herself between the two. While it’s nice to not have a bad boy/good boy love triangle and I think BOTH love interest are pretty good male characters, I have to say at this point I’m rooting for Tucker, which should again point to Hand’s writing ability since I try to stay far away from cowboys and country boys as much as possible(I’m from Texas–I’m over the cowboys), so for me to actually root for one says quite a bit.

Final Impression: As far as I have found, Unearthly really is the best YA Angel book available. I’m excited to read the sequels, but even without the knowledge of a series, Unearthly has interesting and likable characters, a well-placed plot, and a love triangle I actually really enjoyed.  4/5 cupcakes. 

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish, which features (you guessed it!) top ten lists on a given topic each week. This week’s topic is Top Ten Books at the top of my Summer TBR. 

1. Peaces by Jodi Lynn Anderson

I bought this on my kindle when it was a daily deal. The summary makes it sound like a perfect contemporary summer read.

2. The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest

This book was on my Spring TBR AND my Winter TBR, but never happened. I bought this book because I HAD to know how the trilogy ended and somehow never got around to it. I WILL read it this summer.

3. Paper Towns by John Green

I received this as a birthday RAK, and since I’ve liked all the other John Green I’ve read, I’m excited to read this one. I’ve heard so people complain that Margo is really annoying, so we’ll see if she gets on my nerves, but I like the idea of the book.

4. Unravel Me by Tahereh Mafi

I don’t think this one really needs explaining. I need to dive back into the world of Shatter Me!

5. The Ask and the Answer by Patrick Ness

After The Knife of Never Letting Go completed ripped me a part, I needed some time to put myself back together before I was emotionally ready to continue on with the series. However, I think 6 months is  more than enough time, so back into the saddle I go.

6. Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe

Everything about this book–the cover, the summary, other’s reviews–makes me think that I will love it.

7. The Demon’s Lexicon by Sarah Rees Brennan

I have a feeling I’d actually really enjoy the Demon’s Lexicon if I ever sat down with it long enough to read more than a chapter at a time. I keep getting distracted by all these other shiny books!

8. The Distance Between Us by Kasie West

OK, so this doesn’t even come out until halfway through summer. I don’t care–I’m excited for it! I’m normally not the hugest fan of YA contemporary romance but there’s just something that looks so awesome about this book.

9. Nantucket Blue

Everyone was saying this was such a great summer read, and I was excited for it, but it promptly went on the back burner. Then I won a copy during Armchair BEA, so I thought I’d read this book in-season.

10. The Rules for Disappearing

See that above statement below Nantucket Blue? Copy & paste here, because it’s pretty much the same reason!