Young Adult Anonymous

Review: Just One Day & Just One Year by Gayle Forman

noreply@blogger.com (YA Anonymous) — Thu, 24 Oct 2013 01:00:00 +0000

Just One Day series by Gayle Forman
Reviewed by Maggie: October 23, 2013
Published by Dutton Juvenile on Jan 8, 2013 and Oct 10, 2013
Goodreads • Buy Just One Day at Amazon • Kindle • Indie
Goodreads • Buy Just One Year at Amazon • Kindle • Indie

Gayle Forman became one of my auto-buy authors after reading If I Stay and Where She Went. I loved that If I Stay stood on its own, with so much heart in its 196 pages, and I loved that Where She Went brought even more to the story.

After finishing Just One Day at 3:08 am on January 7, I could not wait to see what else Forman would bring to the story in Just One Year. Nine months later, after finishing Just One Year, my reaction was, "Lovely. But that's... it?"

Just One Day was a story that grew on me as the main character grew on herself. Allyson Healey, like Anna Oliphant before her, is begrudgingly in Europe. Her situation is temporary as she is just on an extracurricular trip before starting college in the fall. To Allyson, it seems like everyone is having fun on the trip except her -- because it's true. Things start to change though when she catches the eye of an actor in a Guerrilla Shakespeare production of Twelfth Night. After another chance meeting, she takes the biggest leap of her life as "Lulu" and agrees to go to Paris with him for the day. Yada yada yada, she wakes up alone the next morning. When she gets back to the States, her life post-Willem de Ruiter takes a Bella Swandive. She's stuck in that moment in Paris despite now being at college. After months of stagnation and blank pages in her life, she finally starts to wake up from her stupor.

Just One Year is the B-side of this story. Willem de Ruiter is on his own journey of self-discovery after Paris. Actually, he's been on one since before Lulu. The death of his father 3 years earlier upended his family and he's been unmoored ever since. I love that Forman gives Willem's character an arc that is as emotional and messy as Allyson's. Willem has a lot of growing up to do and he gets the full YA treatment, which is really nice to see done to a male character.

With both of these books, I loved how travel played such a huge role in the characters' development. I believed the intense feelings because it's such a heightened experience when you're young and alone and in Paris! (90s flashback: Remember when Brenda almost ran off with Rick?) I don't think you need to travel to find yourself, but while you're out there discovering what the world has to offer you, you may find yourself being asked what you have to offer the world.

Here's the thing. I did enjoy reading these books and would've probably rated them 4 stars. However, after finishing Just One Year and considering the books together, I'm actually giving it 3 stars. Why? This should've been one book. Just One Day is an unfinished story that ends in the last two pages of Just One Year. Just One Day ends on a cliffhanger because it's the middle of a scene! This is really one 692-page book, and a bloated one at that. What I loved about If I Stay was the economy of language. Forman expressed so much with a single gesture. Adam blowing on Mia's cold hands to warm them up tells Mia's mom everything about how he feels. I know Cath Crowley and I are the only fans of dual points of view, but I wish this was one book with dual perspectives, or one book with two parts. Unlike Where She Went, which continued the story after the first book, Just One Year mirrors the first book and then gives you one scene more. As much as I liked reading about Allyson and Willem in their sprawling, individually published stories, I would've loved reading a tighter, complete, single volume.

Series Rating: 3/5 stars.

Review: Untold by Sarah Rees Brennan

noreply@blogger.com (YA Anonymous) — Wed, 25 Sep 2013 17:30:00 +0000

Untold by Sarah Rees Brennan
(The Lynburn Legacy #2)
Reviewed by Noelle: September 25, 2013
Published September 24, 2013 by Random House Books for Young Readers
Goodreads • Buy at Amazon • Kindle

Warning: Spoilers from Unspoken (The Lynburn Legacy #1) are mentioned below, specifically the developments leading into Book #2. Read my Unspoken review here.

I've lost that loving feeling. Oh, that loving feeling. I've lost that loving feeling and it died under the weight of a thousand quips. (Whoa-oh-oh-oh.)

You all know I love quips-- I do! But there reaches a saturation point where it all becomes too much. Must (nearly) everyone talk like that all of the time? I can't imagine having a conversation with these characters without having to Cher slap them to snap out of it.

Because the stakes are higher than ever for the citizens of Sorry-in-the-Vale. A crazed blood-thirsty sorcerer is demanding human sacrifices. Families are falling apart. Kami and Jared's magical link is broken just when their combined powers are needed the most. And last but not least there are several post-makeout D-T-Rs to establish. There are so many important conversations that need to happen between characters but everyone is too busy lock and loading zingers to say what they really think or feel.

It's like talking to Lorelai Gilmore about stopping the apocalypse after she's had 20 cups of coffee. Funny? Yes. Frustrating? TOTALLY.

Sarah Rees Brennan's writing is charming as always and I still have a lot of affection for these characters and this world. However, while there are eventually some conversational breakthroughs, in the end, Untold is a rather apt title for this installment: there's so much talking in this book without the characters actually saying anything to each other. The plot suffers from middle book syndrome where not much happens until the end, further accentuating the incessant quip-show. By the time the talking stopped and the action kicked in I had already emotionally checked out.

There are several intriguing plot developments setting up the final book, so I'm sure many will be back to see how Kami and the gang fare in the finale. Hopefully Untold hasn't talked me out of it. We shall see. Rating 2.5/5.

Review: Rose Under Fire by Elizabeth Wein

noreply@blogger.com (YA Anonymous) — Mon, 23 Sep 2013 22:30:00 +0000

Rose Under Fire by Elizabeth Wein
Reviewed by Maggie: September 23, 2013
Published September 10, 2013 by Disney Hyperion
Goodreads • Buy at Amazon • Kindle • Shop Indie

First, this isn't Code Name Verity.

To me, Rose Under Fire was a harder read than Verity. Verity was one of my favorite books last year. It was a heartbreaking and beautiful story about friendship and courage set during World War II that I compulsively read in a day. However, I never forgot that it was a work of historical fiction. With Rose, even though I knew it was also a work of Elizabeth Wein's ability and imagination, it felt so much like a memoir. It was so much harder to take knowing that all these atrocities were based on actual events. It's not a quick read nor is it an easy read. The experiences of the women at Ravensbruck were so horrible and beyond imagination, it's no wonder that people at the time didn't believe the stories coming out of Europe. It's also for that reason, though, that I think a book like Rose Under Fire is so important.

Rose Justice is an eager American pilot who learned flying at the knee of her father, the owner of a flight school in Pennsylvania. She goes to England to join the Air Transport Auxiliary and assist the Allied cause. Her uncle uses his connections to get her a flying assignment to France and it is on the return back to England where she disappears. No one has a clue where she or her plane is -- because she has been captured and taken to Germany. She ends up in Ravensbruck, a women's concentration camp, along with women from France, Poland, and Germany. She encounters a group of Polish women who have been nicknamed the Rabbits because they were subject to horrible experimental medical procedures. One of the Rabbits, Roza, was only 14 when she was captured by the Nazis.

What I love about Wein's writing is her ability to take historical events and facts and use them to buttress her story. It's not so much about Nazi medical experimentation as it is about Roza. And Izabela. And Aniela. And all the other women whose names Roza forces Rose to memorize in case something happens to them so that their stories, their names can be told.

This story is also about hope, when it's not that thing with feathers.

"Hope is the most treacherous thing in the world. It lifts you and lets you plummet."

It's about maintaining hope while surviving a reality that is harsher than most people can imagine. It's about surviving a place that was designed to systematically dehumanize and purge its prisoners. For Rose, her poems help keep her from becoming a schmootzich, someone whose desperation has turned her into a savage. Something else that helps Rose are her friendships with the other prisoners. It wouldn't be an Elizabeth Wein story without powerful relationships. The friendships in Rose though are different because they are born of circumstance -- horrible circumstance. It is unlikely that the prisoners would have even encountered each other in the outside world, and yet they now depend upon one another to make it through another day. Sometimes, though, the most powerful bonds are the ones forged in fire. It's what keeps you standing when hope plummets. It's a tiny strip of Cherry Soda nail polish that stubbornly clings to your toes even when your head has been shaved and your clothes stripped off.

I was a bit undone by this book. I honestly expected to finish it in a day or two, but I had to take breaks when the historical aspect overpowered the fictional. At the same time, I wanted to learn more about the very real women who inspired this story. This book is a testament to their endurance and bravery, and one that I think everyone should read.

Rating: 5/5 stars.

Back to the Future: The Song of the Lioness Series by Tamora Pierce

noreply@blogger.com (YA Anonymous) — Mon, 16 Sep 2013 20:08:00 +0000

Welcome to Back to the Future, a feature at YAA where we revisit young adult books from back when we were well, young adults. Sometimes we'll be reading these books for the first time, sometimes we'll be rereading to compare how our adult selves interpret the book and sometimes, we'll be doing a bit of both.

Somehow, Noelle completely missed Tamora Pierce's Song of the Lioness series the first time around. Is she now too old to wear an Alanna is My Homegirl shirt? Only one way to find out---To the DeLorean!

Goodreads • Buy on Amazon • Kindle

Summary from Tamora Pierce's website:

This story, all four books, is about the making of a hero. It's also about a very stubborn girl.

Alanna of Trebond wants to be a knight of the realm of Tortall, in a time when girls are forbidden to be warriors. Rather than give up her dream, she and her brother--who wants to be a mage, not a knight--switch places. She becomes Alan; Thom becomes a student wizard in the school where she would have learned to be a lady.

The quartet is about her struggle to achieve her goals and to master weapons, combat, polite behavior, her magic, her temper, and even her own heart. It is about friendships--with the heir to the throne, the King of Thieves, a wise and kindly knight--and her long struggle against a powerful enemy mage.

She sees battle as a squire and as a knight, lives among desert people and tries to rescue an independent princess. Singled out by a goddess, accompanied by a semi-divine cat with firm opinions, somehow she survives her many adventures to become a most unlikely legend.

Present Day Noelle:
Not only am I not too old for an Alanna is My Homegirl t-shirt, I want one for Christmas.

Quick peek at circa 1992 Noelle: *muppet flailing*

Back to Present Day Noelle: Young adult Noelle would have looooved this series and I'm still surprised I managed to miss it the first time around. The Song of the Lioness would have felt right at home on my shelf beside Jackaroo by Cynthia Voigt and The Blue Sword by Robin McKinley. Nevertheless, I'm glad I finally got the chance to remedy my oversight. I greatly enjoyed Alanna's journey.

I loved that although Alanna was naturally talented, she also depended on hard work and practice to overcome her deficiencies. Mini-trials and tribulations built to serious battles, showcasing just how far Alanna grew throughout the series. Alanna had to work hard for her accomplishments which helped balance out the Everyone Loves Alanna vibe that developed later in the series--- not that I could blame them. I loved Alanna, too.

Another great thing about the series is it's handling of romantic relationships. Like real life, the heroine was allowed multiple romances that had their own natural expiration dates. There wasn't any of the My High School Boyfriend is My Soulmate crap that can show up in other YAs. Relationships began and ended for a variety of reasons with no talk of destiny, fate or tragedy. It was very refreshing.

Unfortunately, I read this series at the beginning of the summer and took all my notes for this review on my now extinct cell phone so this review is much shorter than I intended. (If only I had a real Delorean to go back in time and back up my phone!) Still I remember enough to say with confidence: Alanna is definitely my homegirl for life. I can't wait to read Tamora Pierce's other Tortall series.

Present Day Noelle's Ratings:
Alanna: The First Adventure: 3.5/5 stars
In the Hand of the Goddess: 4/5 stars
The Woman Who Rides Like a Man: 4/5 stars
Lioness Rampant: 5/5 stars

Recap: An Evening with Markus Zusak at the Museum of Tolerance

noreply@blogger.com (YA Anonymous) — Mon, 09 Sep 2013 16:00:00 +0000

By Maggie

I only found out about this event the day before and I am so glad I did because it was hands down one of the best book events I've been to. Get comfortable because it was also the one where I took the most notes. (Sidebar: After seeing how long it was, I put a recap of the recap at the bottom.)

Date: Sunday, September 8, 2013
Time: 7pm
Place: Museum of Tolerance

ETA: 30 minutes early! Not only that, Markus was in the lobby chatting with people. I was gearing up to talk to him when I remembered what my Australian friend, Anna, called him.

Lost in translation.

Guys, I couldn't stop laughing. Every time I regained my composure, I would lose it all over again. Wisely, my friend and I decided to just head into the auditorium.

Did you notice the curtains in the first picture? Movie money! I'm used to book events where the author's name is printed out on a piece of paper -- if that. From the venue to the presence of "guests of Twentieth Century Fox" taped over a row of seats, this was obviously a big event. We got a surprise later when they screened two scenes from the upcoming The Book Thief movie. Here is how the night was broken down:

Introduction by the Director of the Museum of Tolerance, Liebe Geft
Markus Zusak spoke for 10 minutes
Screening of The Book Thief movie trailer
Q+A moderated by Danielle Berrin of the Hollywood Jew blog
Screening of The Book Thief movie clips (exclusive!)
Mad rush out of the auditorium to the signing line

Introduction:

Liebe Geft said that when this event went up on their website, they got calls from all over the world. She gave some facts about The Book Thief, like how it has spent over 230 weeks on the New York Times Best Seller List. When she described Markus as "the author of five renowned and important books," I saw Markus put his head down and sort of chuckle to himself.

Markus Zusak:

The first thing he said about Liebe's introduction was, "That was really nice." He then talked about his first signing in a town by the Margaret River. Nobody showed up. The librarian still made him do a reading and a guy sitting in the corner reading a fantasy book kept interrupting to give his opinion. His message to librarians: Don't make authors do that.

The Book Thief started in his backyard in Sydney. He's the youngest of four, and he and his older brother would often get in trouble. His mum swears a lot and his friends would come over to hear her swear with her German accent. He and his brother would come in from playing outside and his parents would randomly start telling them stories about Europe. They'd hear about bombings, people who didn't want to put out the Nazi flag on Hitler's birthday, and people who would give food to prisoners. One such person was a teenage boy who gave a piece of food to an old man who couldn't keep up on the march to Dachau. No one else came to the aid of this old man but the teenage boy did. Markus said, "That's why you can't underestimate teenagers." The old man fell to the boy's feet to thank him.

Markus's parents didn't come to Australia with much but they came with great stories. His parents were great storytellers. He set out to write a 100-page novella and "it kind of got out of hand." He set out to write a book that meant something to him and it turned out to mean everything.

Trailer:

Q+A:

Q: Danielle asked him about this reaction to the trailer.

A: Markus said it was surreal because he "never thought it would be successful at all." He couldn't imagine people recommending it to their friends. How would they even describe it? That, though, took pressure off when he was writing. He watched the trailer about 40 times. "It's surreal and a real privilege."

Q: How to make the topic (Holocaust) accessible to an audience.

A: "You never want to be taking advantage of the theme. You have to make sure your heart is in the right place."

Q: How did you conceive Death as a personality?

A: "Hopefully it looks effortless but it was a nightmare." He wrote the first 200 pages quickly and then he stopped to redo it because it wasn't working. Death would say things like, "This is a story about a young girl. Do you like young girls? I do, but I like everybody." He felt like he had to take a shower after writing a page.

People tell him he must have a lot of imagination and he says, "No, I have a lot of problems."

One thing he thought about was, "What if Death is actually afraid of us."

Q: What went into the idea that everybody suffers, including the ordinary Germans.

A: "Imagine waking up one day and being able to speak another language. That's what writing The Book Thief felt like. It was there for the taking."

Q: The Book Thief is a book that celebrates books. What is so powerful about words and storytelling? Do you feel a responsibility when you're writing?

A: "The hardest question to ever answer is, 'What is your book about?' At the end of the day, what we are made of is stories." His parents came to Australia without a toothbrush but they had stories.

His motive is simply, "Is the world a better place for the fact that this book is out there?" Do we really need another book set in the Holocaust? He asks himself if his heart was in the right place. Is the world a better place for the fact that your book is out there. He read Diary of Anne Frank on the plane ride over from Australia. The flight attendant came over and said, "I don't want to spoil it for you but she dies at the end." Markus said, "That's why you still need Holocaust books."

Q: Was there a religious or spiritual impulse guiding the hopeful worldview of book?

A: [Note: Someone turned on a mic somewhere and her voice interrupted his answer. His answer here follows the interruption.] "This is what happens when I'm talking about religion. This voice comes from nowhere."

Q (from the audience): His parents' reaction to the book.

A: Funny story first. He finished the manuscript in December 2004 and gave it to his mum and dad for Christmas. (Yes, he realizes the irony.) It had taken 3 years to finish after numerous interviews with his parents and his dad kept asking him when the book was going to be finished. A week after Christmas, he called his dad and finally asked him about the book since he hadn't mentioned anything about it. Markus asked if he read it and his dad said, "Yeah, yeah. I'm up to page 11." Markus said, "That's like a page and a half a day!" It turned out that his mum had read the manuscript first and then given it to his dad. When it came out in Germany, his dad read the German version. He then told Markus, "It's not so much that it's shit in English, but the German version is so much better." Another thing Markus's dad says to him: "Your books are doing well -- not like JK Rowling." Unsurprisingly, Markus says that everyone wants to meet his dad. Of his parents, he says that they bought so many books for their kids so they would be good in English, unlike them. They weren't only telling them about their lives but teaching him how to write.

Q: Did he have a concern about the book being marketed as YA in the United States? (I recognized the person who asked this question but couldn't place him until later when I remembered he was the moderator at the Laini Taylor event at the Santa Monica Library.)

A: I loved Markus's answer to this. He said it was like going into a shop and trying on a great jacket and then coming out and seeing the same exact jacket in a different color. You don't know which one to get, but ultimately for him, he doesn't care about categories. He said, "My ambition is to write somebody's favorite book. Once a book is loved, it's a loved book." It doesn't matter what it's classified as. It sits on the top shelf with all the other most loved books. YA is a huge force in the US.

Q: "I noticed your use of foreshadowing wasn't very subtle."

A: He says he gets that a lot. That and, "You're an idiot." Another common one: "Congrats on the success of your book but I just couldn't get into it." One drunk guest at a wedding told him that seven times. However, he refers to something Death says in The Book Thief: "Mystery bores me, it chores me." Markus: "If I could get them to love these characters, they're going to read on no matter what." It was a risk but he wanted to do it that way. He loved Rudy the most and it really hurt him to do that to his character, and he wanted to prepare people. It just felt right to do it that way.

Exclusive sneak peek:

Ahhhhh!

Signing line:

This was just one side too! There was one line for people who bought books from the Museum of Tolerance, aka not real fans, and another line for people who brought books with them.

When it finally got to my turn, I told him some of the books were going back from whence they came to some Aussie friends. When he heard that, despite the fact that he'd been signing for over 30 minutes with at least 30 more to go, he took time to doodle something special.

Where's my doodle, Zusak!

My thoughts:

I loved how diverse the crowd was. Not only were there people of all ages, these were people who were so passionate about the book and affected by it. The older lady sitting next to me told me before the event started that she never buys books, she just gets them from the library, but she HAD to buy this one.

Markus was so funny and charming. He understands the seriousness of the subject and has a tremendous respect for it, but he doesn't take himself too seriously. I love that he didn't consider being categorized from "Adult Fiction" in Australia to "Young Adult" in America to be a downgrade or anything to gnash his teeth about. His goal was and is simply "to write somebody's favorite book." Whether that's an adult or a teen doesn't matter. What he said about never underestimating teenagers really struck a chord with me and, I think, a lot of the teens in the audience. I especially enjoyed his stories about his parents. He said being German, they're not really touchy feely but after the book came out, he told them he loved them. His parents weren't fluent in English, but they made sure their kids were with all the books they bought them. This definitely made me think of my mom and the books she still offers to buy me if we happen to have lunch by a bookstore.

Basically, I came out of the event an even bigger fan of Markus Zusak (and his family!) and I can't wait to see The Book Thief in theaters.

Booking Forward: Sequels and Titles and Dates, Oh My!

noreply@blogger.com (YA Anonymous) — Wed, 04 Sep 2013 17:00:00 +0000

By Maggie

That sound you hear is my belated squeal. While we were on our hiatus, we missed a lot of news. Two series are coming to an end in 2014 -- Daughter of Smoke and Bone and Dustlands. If you haven't read Days of Blood and Starlight yet, get on that. If you have, the title for Book 3 was revealed.

Dreams of Gods and Monsters by Laini Taylor - April 1, 2014

Raging Star (Dustlands #3) by Moira Young - April 15, 2014

The title that caught my eye though is World After, or the LONG anticipated sequel to Angelfall by Susan Ee. Let me check my glasses because the release date says November 2013, as in 2 months from now. And there's a cover!

World After (Penryn & the End of Days #2) by Susan Ee - November 19, 2013
Preorder on Amazon • Kindle

If I squeal, will I jinx it? Will the release date suddenly change to 2014 like it did with The Killing Woods by Lucy Christopher? Don't play with our emotions, publishers! Did we miss any other squeal-worthy news?

Early Review: More Than This by Patrick Ness

noreply@blogger.com (YA Anonymous) — Tue, 03 Sep 2013 19:30:00 +0000

More Than This by Patrick Ness
Reviewed by Noelle: September 3, 2013
(YAA received an ARC of this book from the publishers)
(Will be) Published on September 10, 2013 by Candlewick Press
Goodreads • Preorder on Amazon • Kindle

Here's the thing with reviewing Patrick Ness books: I don't want you to read reviews of Patrick Ness books. I want to Panda slap your laptop out of your hand before allowing you to read any details about Patrick Ness books. I want you to skip GO, do not collect $200 dollars and JUST FREAKING READ THEM ALREADY. Save the review browsing for after.

Which might be a bit scandalous to say as a book blogger (goodbye page views!) but: 1) I don't want you to get spoiled because part of the fun of reading Ness is feeling like you are a reaction GIF brought to life, and 2) Preconceptions and Ness books just don't mix.

Your brain will try to fill in the blanks and make assumptions--specifically that you can try and guess where the story is going in Part One. Patrick Ness will smile to himself, suddenly amused on the other side of the planet, not quite knowing why. Part Two comes around and you'll chuckle ruefully. That Ness, he gets you every time! But you've read a book before, you know where Part Three is going, right? RIGHT? Part Four comes along and there you are lying in the fetal position in your driveway as Ness lays down rubber doing donuts around you while screaming "MWAHAHAHAHA!" out the window.

We've all been there.

I always thought one of the best things about Patrick Ness was the beauty of not being sure where he was leading you but being willing to open up and experience the journey. Ness has made that thought into a book.

"I'll just see", he says. "That's all I'll do. I'll just see what's next."

What's next takes the universal feeling of being sure there must be More Than This, focuses it into a tight close up shot of a teenage boy's dying face and then pulls it back all the way to the atmosphere. Detailed personal agonies let go to boundless breadths of emotion.

I somehow didn't cry until page 381.

More Than This is unconventional. It might test your patience and expectations as a reader. But, as a reader, haven't you ever read a book and wondered, isn't there more than this? Well, my dears. This is it.

Rating: 4.5/5 stars

Our Bookstagram Life: September 2, 2013

noreply@blogger.com (YA Anonymous) — Mon, 02 Sep 2013 07:00:00 +0000

Now online: http://instagram.com/ya_anonymous

YAA: I Know What You Did(n't Review) Last Summer

noreply@blogger.com (YA Anonymous) — Sun, 01 Sep 2013 08:00:00 +0000

You may be asking yourself: What exactly have Maggie and I been doing all summer---BECAUSE IT CERTAINLY HASN'T BEEN REVIEWING BOOKS.

WELL. It's not like we've been staring into the middle distance with artful lighting, a wind machine, some y-necklaces and a pack of Kools.

Of course we read. HELLO. We even logged into Blogger every now and then and started some reviews. And there those review drafts stayed. Unpublished. For months.

We got complacent and lazy but then I opened up my latest library book to find this:

Obviously, it's time to come clean before we have to practice our Ginger scream (warning True Blood spoilers in that link). Here's what Maggie and I read this summer (and the chances of ever reading a review of it on this site):

Theme of the Offseason:
Noelle - Judging by the graphic, I'd have to say Book Series with at least Four Installments for $800, Alex. Also, if I'm being 100% honest: Books Maggie has Already Read so I Won't Have to Review Them. Phew. It feels good to get that off my chest.
Maggie - Ha! Perfect because that was also my theme apparently. Half of the books I read were re-reads. Never mind the stack of unread books I bought, borrowed, or swapped -- Kate Daniels (and Curran, ahem) demanded to be read again!

Book On This List I'm MOST Likely to Review:
Noelle - The Song of the Lioness Quartet by Tamora Pierce because I actually took notes! (Even though those notes are now stuck on an old cellphone that is stuck in a boot loop. So EVENTUALLY is what I'm saying.)
Maggie - Wildlife. For sure...ish. (I'm afraid to say for sure and make it feel like homework, which of course, I won't do.) But yeah, Wildlife. It's one of my favorite, if not favorite, reads so far this year. So good and so worth the wait. Hopefully my review will be? I also want to review Since You Asked and recap the launch.

Best Material I Won't Get to Use Because I'm Not Writing a Review:
Noelle - Secret Society Girl: Because have you ever wondered WHAT IF FRANKIE AND ALPHA WENT TO COLLEGE TOGETHER? Also, The Fire Horse Girl contains the best marriage proposal refusal mic drop since Pride & Prejudice.
Maggie - Alanna, or Arya Stark becomes a knight and gets her period.

I Had a Summer Fling with...
Noelle - Non-fiction I guess? SEXY. (Before you say anything Maggie, my Rory Curtain secret reads are a COMMITTED RELATIONSHIP, okay?)
Maggie - Curran.

Book I'm not Reviewing But Really Wish You'd Read:
Noelle - The Lost Conspiracy and The Fire Horse Girl. I really wish I hadn't read these in the middle of my biggest reviewing slump of all time. I loved both of them and think you will too!
Maggie - Ghosts of Ashbury High, which means you have to read Feeling Sorry for Celia and Year of Secret Assignments! Snookered, Jaclyn Moriarty styles. She's such a unique and creative writer. I think every YA fan should read her.

Luckily, all things--even reviewless summers on book blogs--must come to an end. And what do you know? Blogging has dragged us back in.

Hopefully with less kicking and screaming. Don't look now, but there is an actual completed review in our drafts folder scheduled to post on Tuesday! We swear on Jennifer Love Hewitt!

YAA Soundtrack: Chaos Walking

noreply@blogger.com (YA Anonymous) — Thu, 23 May 2013 16:00:00 +0000

By Noelle

If you scroll through my favorite books on Goodreads, chances are I have a soundtrack for them on my iPod. For any other playlist aficionados out there who enjoy making and listening to book-themed soundtracks, you've come to the right place! We will occasionally be posting links to playlists from my personal soundtrack collection.

This week I'm posting my soundtrack for the Chaos Walking trilogy by Patrick Ness...or as I affectionately call it, Chaos Crying. I went full-on twangy with lots of duets for the dual protagonists and (I'm helpless to resist!) several Noise nods. There will be a lot of no comments in the liner notes in an effort to not spoil anything but if you think I'm referring to something I probably am. (Nice blanket statement to make me sound like a genius too, so win/win really.)

You can listen to the playlist on Grooveshark or read the tracklisting with liner notes below:

1. Goin' Against Your Mind - Built to Spill: Starting my playlist with an 8 minute song--bold choice or most skipped song on the playlist? Time will tell!
2. Helplessness Blues - Fleet Foxes
3. Rattlin' Bones - Kasey Chambers & Shane Nicolson
4. Orphan Girl (cover) - Crooked Still
5. Coal War - Joshua James: If we don't walk free with hand in heart, it's time. / If we cannot see all we destroy, we're blind. / It's not the hand that cuts, it's the heart we left behind / It's not the hand that cuts, it's the hatred deep inside.
6. Blackbird (cover) - Evan Rachel Wood
7. Walking - The Dodos
8. Bartholomew - The Silent Comedy: Saw the darkest hearts of men / And I saw myself staring back again
9. David - Noah Gunderson: This one is for you, Davy.
10. Oh, Death! - Pearl and the Beard
11. Nothing Else Matters (cover) - Lissie
12. Come Away to the Water - Glen Hansard
13. Voice in My Throat - Pearl and the Beard: My Todd and Viola song. Don't ask me how many times I played this in a row after finishing Monsters of Men. No matter what you guess you'll guess low.
14. The Lost Boy - Greg Holden: I'm sort of convinced this song is about this series.
15. Early One Morning - Nana Mouskouri: Because I'm eviiiiiil.

As always, thanks for listening!

Series Review: Chaos Walking by Patrick Ness

noreply@blogger.com (YA Anonymous) — Thu, 23 May 2013 12:15:00 +0000

The Chaos Walking Series by Patrick Ness
The Knife of Never Letting Go, The Ask and the Answer, Monsters of Men
Reviewed by Noelle: May 23, 2013
Published by Walker Books, Ltd
Goodreads • Buy at Amazon • Kindle • Book Depository

I won't go into specific detail in this review as I want it to be safe as possible to read at any point in this series, but just know this: the less you know beforehand, the better. I urge you just to try it out and experience the crazy beautifulness of the series for yourself.

To put it in the most mundane way possible, I prepare for Patrick Ness books by making sure I'm stocked up on anguish and crying GIFS for my Goodreads status updates. Pick a page and any of these could be an accurate representation of my emotional state:

Yup.

Bask in the pain.

Let it all out.

It might seem over the top but it is true. Reading Chaos Walking is a catharsis, and will leave you feeling raw, but OH is it so worth it. To try and put it more seriously---

Chaos Walking is set on a planet other than Earth and Ness describes the indigenous species' method of communicating like this:

“I find I am swimming in a river of voices reaching out and touching mine"

“And I realize he ain’t telling me with words. [...] he’s surrounding me with it, letting me sit in the middle of it, knowing it to be true.”

And honestly, that is what reading this series was like for me, complete emotional immersion. Ness continually challenges the reader with his exploration of the moral ambiguity and hypocrisy of human nature. He has readers questioning the characters, their motives, their decisions, and examining their own belief system. He asks the hard questions and demands truthful answers (whether you agree with him or not). It results in a level of emotional investment that in my personal experience, is just about unparalleled.

Each book in the series multiplies in complexity. The first is action-packed, the second is a grind of mind games and moral quandaries and the final is a combination of both---cranked to a million. Each book also adds an additional point of view that fills out the world wonderfully. In Chaos Walking, high-stake dilemmas aren't merely used for suspense value. When Ness puts his characters (and by proxy the readers) in horrific situations and forces them to make impossible choices, those decisions have real consequences and cause actual, sometimes irreparable damage. The repercussions don't just disappear, they alter the world of the characters.

Nearly every character is a complex, three-dimensional person. Both heroes and villains are shown to be capable of good and evil. Not only did I come up with a curse word in honor of the protagonist (TODDAMMIT), I count the antagonist as one of my favorite characters of all time.

The themes of the series are explored in devastatingly beautiful and honest ways. Vengeance vs. forgiveness. The power of love to save and destroy. Trust, truth and openness vs. suppression, misdirection and lies. Questioning yourself vs. blind certainty. The meaning of redemption.

It’s not how we fall. It’s how we get back up again.

I'm so glad I stumbled across Patrick Ness and Chaos Walking. I cannot recommend this series enough. The beauty and emotions Ness can convey in a phrase, scene and story is breath-taking. I know it will stay with me for a long time.

Chaos Walking:

I've linked to my individual Goodreads reviews below. Be forewarned, the reviews will contain small spoilers.

The Knife of Never Letting Go: 4.5/5 stars (review)

The Ask and the Answer: 5/5 stars (review)

Monsters of Men: 5/5 stars (review)

YAA Confessions: Our Biggest I CAN'T EVENs

noreply@blogger.com (YA Anonymous) — Wed, 22 May 2013 19:34:00 +0000

In life, there are just some things that make you say, I CAN'T EVEN. I can't even can be used for both good and evil. For example, Tom Hardy and a puppy? I CAN'T EVEN good. Joe Manganiello trying to emote? I CAN'T EVEN bad. Sometimes something is so I CAN'T EVEN bad it's good, and sometimes it can be a little bit of both.

Case in point: There are some books we love, but that doesn't mean they don't contain an element of I can't even.

Maggie: There's a reason why I didn't read Harry Potter until two years ago. Cho Chang. I CAN'T EVEN. The first time I heard her name, I remember thinking, Was Ching Chong too obvious, JK?? I steadfastly refused to read the books and only went to the first movie because my friend paid for my ticket. And then I fell asleep in the theater. It wasn't until Noelle wore me down with her book pressure over months and months that I decided to give Sorcerer's Stone a try. Yeah, I ended up mainlining them in a row and talking like I lived at Hogwarts for a month. However, whenever I see that name... It's not even a valid name. They are two last names! Two Korean last names! Okay, Chang can be both Korean and Chinese but still. I can't with that name.

Noelle: At this point I feel like I'm picking on a clearly repentant Gayle Forman, but I CAN'T EVEN with Adam's band name in Where She Went. Adam, charming, irresistible, pluck-you-like-the-stringed-instrument-of-your-choice Adam forms a band that is supposedly the game changing accolade acquiring Grammy winning heir to Nirvana and calls it....Shooting Star? Shooting Star?!!? Reader, there isn't a record scratch sound effect loud enough.

NOW FOR THE GOOD...

Maggie: I can't even with... sweatpants. Specifically, sweatpants no shirt. Before you judge, I would like to refer to Exhibit A: The Beast Lord of Atlanta. What can Curran be found in when not in his warrior form? ...Sweatpants. Exhibit B: Rites of Spring (Break), Chapter 14. "[Redacted] was dressed in a pair of sweatpants and nothing else." I'll let the turning point speak for itself. There is an art to wearing the sweatpant -- if you're hot, boom, art. And a million I can't evens. Followed by please and thank you.

Noelle: I thought long and hard about this one and thought of my well documented love for Buddy Cops of Convenience and basically the Ruby Oliver series as a whole but settled on a more broad choice. You know when you're reading a book and then all of a sudden the author writes something that resonates so personally it sends you into a what-the-hell-were-you-there?! flashback? Yeah, I CAN'T EVEN. Whether it is the thrill of a note in your locker, the gut punch of seeing your ex in a new relationship, seeing your parent from a new perspective, the power of a mixtape or you know, just about anything Melina Marchetta writes...the feeling is just THE best. I think that kind of connection is what makes YA so powerful. And so, well, I CAN'T EVEN.

What makes you say I CAN'T EVEN these days?

YA in LA: Summer Lovin' Tour, Part Deux

noreply@blogger.com (YA Anonymous) — Thu, 16 May 2013 06:45:00 +0000

Almost exactly a year ago, I went to my first author event, the Summer Lovin' Tour with Jenny Han, Jessi Kirby, and Morgan Matson. When I found out it was coming back again this year with even more authors, I knew I had to go. Of course, like last year, there was the little matter of the NBA PLAYOFFS delaying me, but I was only 15 minutes late!

The Summer Lovin' Tour 2013 is back and bigger than before. (Missed you, Jenny Han! I should have made a "For Jenny" shirt, a la Lori and Coral in the Real World/Road Rules Challenge.) This year, the authors were:

Jessi Kirby, Golden (released this week)
Sarah Ockler, The Book of Broken Hearts (released next week)
Suzanne Young, The Program
Morgan Matson, Second Chance Summer
Kimberly Derting, Dead Silence
Shannon Messenger, Let the Sky Fall

By the time I got there, the authors were each introducing their books. After that, Sarah Ockler read passages selected by each other and the audience guessed who had written it. The turnout was small this time, but really, there were two potential elimination games going on. I almost didn't make it. However, this didn't deter the authors and they gamely participated in discussions. One great thing about smaller crowds is that discussion is more relaxed, which leads to unexpected topics, like embarrassing moments. If you're going to any of the other dates on this tour, ask Jessi Kirby about the time she was in charge of the boys basketball team. Or Kimberly Derting about the email meant for her husband. Or Shannon Messenger about the time she met Arthur Levine.

One audience member asked which character the authors would be in each other's books. Sarah Ockler immediately answered that she would be Honor from Jessi Kirby's In Honor. If you've read In Honor and/or watched Friday Night Lights, you know why: Rusty/Tim Riggins. There was also a fun discussion about who the authors stalk/fangirl over. Sarah said she couldn't breathe when she met Sarah Dessen. Jessi mentioned how, when she was writing Moonglass (her debut novel) before she had a publishing deal, she saw Sarah's Twenty Boy Summer in the library and stopped dead because her story featured a beach and red sandglass. She immediately got the book and started reading it. Even more of a coincidence, her character was named Anna Ryan and the main character in Twenty Boy Summer is Anna Reiley. After she finished reading the book, Jessi emailed Sarah with the subject heading, "We are literary soulmates." Sarah remembered the email and they met for the first time at a writers retreat last year.

Sarah also got a great email from another fan of Twenty Boy Summer who actually wrote a song about the book. Her name was Jude Hernandez and she mentioned how people had trouble pronouncing her name so she went by Jude Henderson at times. That stuck with Sarah and the name of the main character in The Book of Broken Hearts is... Jude Hernandez. How cool is that? BRB. (Dear Melina...)

Another question was what the authors are working on now.

Sarah Ockler: Sarah is working on a book that was called Love and Other Internet Disasters. The name is going to changed. It's a contemporary story about a girl named Lucy who is in love with her best friend's boyfriend. Her best friend ends up getting sick and asks Lucy to take her boyfriend to the prom. Even worse, the boyfriend kisses Lucy at the after party. Even worse than that, someone takes a picture and uses Lucy's phone to post the picture onto Lucy's Facebook page. The pictures go viral and Lucy is branded a slut.
Suzanne Young: Suzanne is working on copy edits of The Treatment, which comes out next year. She's also working with Cat Patrick on a contemporary book, Just Like Fate, which comes out in August.
Shannon Messenger: Shannon is working on the Let the Sky Fall series, as well as her Keeper of the Lost Cities series. The Keeper is much longer with at least 60 characters, so it takes up much more of her time.
Jessi Kirby: Jessi's next book doesn't have a title yet but it's a contemporary. The main character is a girl whose boyfriend tragically died. His family donates all his organs. She starts to write letters to all the recipients and they all write her back except one -- the person who received his heart. She goes outside all the regulations because she becomes obsessed with who got the heart since that's the most important one to her. She just wants to see him but they end up meeting and he falls for her and she wonders if it's him or the heart. She also has to deal with whether to tell him the truth about how she found it. This will be released in 2015.
Morgan Matson: Morgan just turned in her book. It's about a girl named Emily and her best friend, Sloan. Sloan moves away and doesn't tell her. Two weeks later, she gets a list of 13 things that relate to things that are in their history. She starts going through the list and doing the things listed, like stealing something, because she thinks it will bring her back to Sloan. Morgan also has another series coming out in 2016 about four friends who spend every summer together on an island. Everything changes when they turn 16. Right now there are 3 books planned in the series, but it may turn into 4.
Kimberly Derting: Kimberly finished revisions on the third Pledge book, which will come out in January. It's her fave. She couldn't reveal the title yet but she said that somebody dies. She also sold a new trilogy to Harper Collins -- a contemporary sci-fi. It's about a girl who vanishes when she's 16 and is gone for 5 years. She has no memory of where she's been but when she comes back 5 years later, her life is completely different but she is still 16. She's trying to fit into her new world. Her dad saw her disappear but people didn't believe him so he's an alcoholic now and her parents are divorced. The title of this series is The Taking.

That's it for me. I'm passing the recap baton to Flannery from The Readventurer because I know she's going to the Seattle event. The other dates for the tour are:

Review: Nothing Can Possibly Go Wrong by Prudence Shen & Faith Erin Hicks

noreply@blogger.com (YA Anonymous) — Wed, 15 May 2013 12:40:00 +0000

Nothing Can Possibly Go Wrong by Prudence Shen and Faith Erin Hicks
Reviewed by Maggie: May 15, 2013
Published May 7, 2013 by First Second
Goodreads • Buy at Amazon • Kindle • Shop Indie

Nerds. Jocks. Cheerleaders. Epic battle. Sounds like your typical high school story, right? Enter the killer robots!*

I knew there was a high propinquity** that I would like this because I loved Faith Erin Hicks' Friends with Boys (my review / Noelle's review) and Prudence Shen's /report podcast is a must listen in my book club.*** After flying through the first 50 or so pages on the official website, I ended up breaking my months-long NetGalley ban to request it. And it was totally worth it.

Charlie is the popular captain of the basketball team. Nate is the much less popular president of the robotics team. They're neighbors and best friends though they are on opposite sides of the social spectrum. Nate is usually worked up about something while Charlie is laid back. The latest outrage in Nate's life: the school has decided to let the student council determine which extracurricular club gets money. The science club was going to get it so they could enter the national robotics competition, but then the cheerleaders said they needed new uniforms. Enter Holly, head cheerleader and Charlie's ex-girlfriend. Nate's solution is simple: run for student body president and make sure the science club gets the money. Yeah, that idea doesn't fly with the other members of the club either. As Ben disbelievingly tells Nate, "You're literally trying to win a popularity contest!" Holly counteracts Nate's move by entering Charlie into the race. Even though Charlie is an unwitting challenger, it's game on for Nate. Friendships, loyalties, and robots are tested.

To begin with, this book has my favorite depiction of cheerleaders ever. I mean, look at Holly's entrance in the book:

Image from the Nothing Can Possibly Go Wrong website.

She enters the story like freaking Beyonce! And she has the attitude to back it up. These aren't your stereotypical cheerleaders. Nate calls them the "Pom Pom Gestapo" for a reason. They are fierce, ruthless, smart, and organized. Holly is a formidable opponent, but she is by no means a villain in the story, which I loved.

Charlie, oh Charlie. Do you remember Jake Ryan from Sixteen Candles? Jake was one of the first boys my heart Teen Beated for, and he will always hold a special place there. Well, Charlie reminded me of him. When the basketball team finds out Charlie's dad is out of town and decide to invite half the school over to his place, Nate finds Charlie hiding under his bed reading a book. Nate tells him, "You really are the worst cool kid ever." Also, since this is a graphic novel, we don't just have to imagine Charlie shirtless. Ahem, shoulders.

Before you think this is just about the popular kids, remember that Prudence Shen wrote this book. In her /report bio, it says:

"She has written, much to her chagrin, hundreds of thousands of pages of bad-to-slightly-less-bad fanfic in everything from anime to Smallville to shows that lasted three episodes to children's books."

The nerd voice is well represented. And it's not just nerd boys. Joanna is a key member of the robotics team. I love that one added touch to the KILLER ROBOT is a little, stenciled bow.

Nothing Can Possibly Go Wrong combines a fun story with clever illustrations, or maybe it's a clever story with fun illustrations. The result is a book that will appeal to even those who don't consider themselves graphic novel fans. I think this was even better than Friends with Boys, and I can't wait to see what Faith Erin Hicks and Prudence Shen come up with next.

Rating: 4/5 stars.

--
*Okay, so they're not technically killer robots in the Michael Bay sense. But really, do you want to live in a world where Michael Bay makes sense?
**Quinto/Pine Challenge: To use one of the words that made Chris Pine's head hurt.
***Confession: I've only listened to the episode about Korean dramas. But it was hilarious.

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher.

Jaclyn Moriarty Came to LA & I Almost Forgot to Breathe: My Recap of the LA Times Festival of Books

noreply@blogger.com (YA Anonymous) — Thu, 09 May 2013 12:00:00 +0000

Remember when I found out Jaclyn Moriarty was coming to LA for the Festival of Books and I almost passed out? That about sums up what happened when I actually did meet her.

I ended up only going on Saturday (April 20) because the Spurs were starting their series against the Lakers on Sunday. (The Spurs won so it was worth it.) Saturday was the day I cared about anyway since Jaclyn Moriarty and Elizabeth Wein were both on panels that day. I had a bit of a Sophie's Choice moment because Jaclyn's appearance at the Once Upon a Time Bookstore booth was at the same time as Elizabeth's panel, Young Adult Fiction: Danger & Determination. My friend, Vickie, and I decided to stake out the booth early and then hightail it over to the panel afterward.

Let me tell you how excited I was that day: I got up at 6am. And I am NOT a morning person. I'm also perpetually late to everything. This time, though, Vickie and I met up for coffee at 9 and then carpooled over to USC. We got to the booth 30 minutes early and looked around. I wasn't sure which books they would have in stock, so I brought a stack with me. I know from Nomes (Inkcrush) that Jaclyn doesn't do many events even in Australia so while I had this opportunity, I wanted to get some books signed for other fans as well. I knew they would have Corner of White in stock, but I was pleasantly surprised that they had The Year of Secret Assignments. There was only one copy in all the LA area B&Ns -- and I bought that one to gift the day before.

When Jaclyn finally showed up, I Wiig-ed out. I let the other people in line go before me so there would be less witnesses. Vickie actually went first. She's been a Moriarty fan ever since she first picked up Secret Assignments while in library school. It's the book she always recommends to her teens. When it was my turn, Lord help me, I don't know what I said. All I know is that I couldn't stop talking. I like to think that her smile was of bemusement and not, you know, fear. Once I got somewhat coherent, she noticed that I had a copy of the Australian edition of Secret Assignments, Finding Cassie Crazy. I think I blurted out "Frying pan!" before explaining that Nomes mentioned her favorite line of the book, which I didn't recognize because it had been edited in the US version. She said she doesn't do many events but it was lovely that she had so many fans in the States. I asked her about the sequel to A Corner of White because THAT ENDING, and she said the second book is already written and she thinks it will be published in Australia at the end of this year or early next year. It's all up to the publisher. (This year please, Pan Macmillan Australia!)

After talking her ear off while grinning like a fool, Vickie and I dashed off to Elizabeth Wein's panel. Well, first I dropped my Fuji Instax camera because my bag was overflowing with books and someone from Scholastic very kindly stopped me. This is when I remembered that I needed to breathe between bouts of verbal diarrhea and fangirling, so we took a minute to stop in the shade. After that, we were off again.

The Danger & Determination panel consisted of Elizabeth Wein, A.S. King and Martine Leavitt. I had never heard of Leavitt before but Vickie is a huge fan of her books, especially Keturah and Lord Death. Another of Leavitt's books, My Book of Life by Angel, was nominated for the LA Times Book Prize for Young Adult Literature. Code Name Verity and Ask the Passengers were also nominated, with Ask the Passengers winning the prize. We missed a lot of the panel but got there in time for the Q&A.

Wein said she knew she wanted to be a writer after reading Ellen Tebbits by Beverly Cleary when she was 7 years old.
When King was asked whether she had any advice for aspiring writers, her response was, "Pack a lunch." It took her 15 years to get published.
Someone asked what their superpowers were and Leavitt answered, "I'm a really good list maker... That might be an illness, not a super power." Wein answered, "As a writer, my power is foreshadowing."

After the panel, there was a signing outside. If you look through this thread, you'll see that I was tasked with getting a book signed from Elizabeth "Queen of My Shattered Heart" Wein. Warning for BEA attendees: Elizabeth's line was jam packed. There were at least 20 people in front of me and more people kept showing up. We were told to stick a post-it on the title page and one on page 68. Verity fans, you know why. I saw someone in line who had first editions of her Lion Hunters series and let me tell you, I was tempted to grab and run. When my turn came up, I was much calmer than an hour earlier, having learned my lesson. Elizabeth, like Jaclyn, was wonderful. There's always that fear when you meet an author you love that the experience won't live up to the one you've imagined in your mind. My expectations that day were met and exceeded. Elizabeth remembered our Twitter conversation and signed the books accordingly. She also immediately recognized Chachic's name, as Chachic (Chachic's Book Nook) was an early fan and bibliovangelist of her books. Mandee (Vegan YA Nerds), Anna (I Am Here for This), and I had joked about buying these bracelets for one another, so I noticed that Elizabeth also had a similar bracelet. She said her best friend surprised her with it... after she had already bought one for herself.

We had a thirty minute break and decided to rest a bit before heading to Jaclyn's panel, Writing for Teens & Tweens: Sagas & Series.

Have I mentioned how wonderful Jaclyn is already? I love that the moderator knew it too. As she went through Jaclyn's CV (Yale, Cambridge), everyone was a bit awestruck, but Jaclyn demurred that it was all an excuse to put off actually having to practice law. While attending Cambridge, she wrote Feeling Sorry for Celia and made a secret pact with herself to get published before she left London. She sent Celia out to a bunch of publishers but was rejected each time. When her visa ran out and she still hadn't been published, it turned out that "a secret pact with yourself isn't a valid reason to extend your visa." She returned to Sydney and started working in a law firm. She decided to try finding a publisher one last time. She sent her manuscript off and it ended up in the hands of Garth Nix, author of Sabriel. This led to her finding a publisher. The Ashbury/Brookfield books were "an accidental series." After she wrote Finding Cassie Crazy, her sister was the one who wanted to know more about one of the minor characters, Bindy. This led to The Murder of Bindy Mackenzie.

Speaking of her sisters, when Jaclyn was 8, she used to write stories. Her younger sister asked her how she came up with them, and Jaclyn told her that there were little fairies under her pillow who told her the stories. When her sister said that she didn't have any fairies, Jaclyn replied that it was because her sister had dark hair whereas she was a blonde. Haha!

When asked about writing YA, Jaclyn said that she loves children's books for "the imaginative freedom and the imaginative range." She likes adult books because they deal with serious issues. Young adult is a good mix of both. On writing fantasy, Jaclyn said, "What's important is for us (authors) to believe what we're writing."

She discussed A Corner of White and how she started writing in wintry Montreal, Canada. She said, "Being from Sydney, snow is the most magical thing." On naming the kingdom of Cello, she said that in her research, she found out that the cello is the instrument closest to the human voice. As part of her research, she also bought a cello off eBay and started taking lessons with a "beautiful Polish cellist."

There were some other great topics and Ridley Pearson was also an interesting panelist, but unfortunately, the panel was nearly overshadowed by another participant whose behavior was boorish, disrespectful, and unprofessional. I won't name names because I don't want my fantastic experience with one of my favorite authors to be about someone who is neither. Jaclyn Moriarty, the person who I came to see, was delightful, intelligent, and charming. I'm glad I went to see her earlier in the day because after the panel, I was LIVID.

I will say this: If you're an author on a panel, it's not just about you. Not only are there other authors, there are people in the audience who specifically want to hear those authors. Give them some respect and don't interrupt or YELL OVER THEM. I wish I was kidding.

Anyway, these are the books I was lucky to get signed for myself.

If you ever have the opportunity to hear or meet Jaclyn Moriarty or Elizabeth Wein, RUN. And don't forget to breathe.

Reveal Yo Self: Friday Never Leaving by Vikki Wakefield

noreply@blogger.com (YA Anonymous) — Wed, 08 May 2013 12:00:00 +0000

If you've been on YAA for any length of time, you may have seen us mention Vikki Wakefield. All I Ever Wanted, her debut novel, was one of the first reviews we posted. (Third, to be exact.) In our second podcast, we talked about how in a literary landscape riddled with Lyla Garritys, Mim from All I Ever Wanted is the closest to Tyra Collette. Friday Brown, Vikki's second novel, was the first book we gave away -- not because we had an extra copy from the publisher, but because it was THAT good and we were willing to put our money where our mouths were and have it shipped from Australia. She was on both of our Favorite Books of 2012 lists.

We were so excited when it was announced that Friday Brown was going to be published in the US as Friday Never Leaving on September 10. We saw the UK cover a few weeks ago. And now, we have a US cover. Vikki revealed the cover on her Twitter account.

We love it. It's so eerie and perfect. For those of you who have read the book already, what do you think? For those of you who haven't, get your preorders in! Here are all the editions together. Which one is your favorite?

Editions from left to right: US, AUS, UK

Friday Brown (AUS) available now at Fishpond • Text Publishing (free worldwide shipping)

Friday Brown (UK) available on July 4 at Fishpond • Book Depository

Friday Never Leaving available on September 10 at Amazon • Kindle • Book Depository

Lunch Table Rankings: May 3

noreply@blogger.com (YA Anonymous) — Fri, 03 May 2013 20:30:00 +0000

Everyone knows the biggest honor you can bestow on someone is an invite to your lunch table, but an invite doesn't get passed around to just ANYONE....

Review: For Darkness Shows the Stars by Diana Peterfreund

noreply@blogger.com (YA Anonymous) — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 10:40:00 +0000

For Darkness Shows the Stars by Diana Peterfreund
Reviewed by Maggie: April 25, 2013
Published June 12, 2012 by Balzer + Bray
Goodreads • Buy at Amazon • Kindle • Shop Indie

I first heard about this book a year ago through Catie's fantastic review. As a fan of Persuasion, I figured this was an automatic skip. I mean, come on, Wentforth? And why is Coco Rocha modeling a dress on the cover? In space? Fast forward a year later, I saw this was available at my e-library and thought, Why not? Well, a funny thing happened on the way to the DNF Shelf. I loved it. And the thing is, objectively, I still agree with the points Catie made -- but sometimes, you have to go with your gut. In my case, my stomach was doing backflips as I read the scenes between Wentforth and Elliot.

In Persuasion, Anne Elliot and Frederick Wentworth are kept apart by class differences and societal expectations. I thought Peterfreund's approach of creating a feudalistic dystopia was brilliant. It's a modern take that makes the antiquated values that kept Anne Elliot in her place relevant. In For Darkness Shows the Stars, the world as we know it was destroyed by people who tried to go too far with scientific and technological advancements. In trying to unlock the secrets to the genetic code, people began experimenting on one another. The ERV procedure was given to babies to make them better, faster, stronger. However, the procedure resulted in generations of people being "reduced," their brains turned to mush. This became known as the Reduction. The people who refused ERV, called Luddites, ended up rebuilding in the aftermath of the Reduction and taking power. They blamed the reduced for trying to play God. The Norths are a prestigious old Luddite family. The Wentforths are CORs who live on the North estate. CORs are the children of the reduced, people who have finally escaped the effects of ERV generations later.

Diana Peterfreund knows her source material. Rather than try to compete with THE LETTER from Persuasion, she gives us a bunch of letters from the time Elliot and Kai are young. The Luddite baron's daughter and the COR mechanic's son can't be seen socializing so they leave letters for each in a knot in the barn wall. The absence of these letters once Kai leaves the North estate is felt as much as the absence of Kai himself. Elliot always glances at the knot when she enters the barn even though Kai has been gone for years. It's a detail I love so much. It's a longing for something that's long gone combined with a tiny hope of maybe.

One other significant change that I thought worked really well for a modern YA audience is the character of Elliot. There were things Anne Elliot couldn't do or be because of the times, her station, and her family. Elliot North is still under the thumb of her father but she has some independence from running the farm. She also chooses to stay behind, though it hurts her, because the responsibility she feels to the farm and everyone living on it. However, that's not to say she doesn't feel the loss of Kai acutely.

"His shadow fell across her lap, and she traces its edges with her hands."

That's all she allows herself. It's such a heartbreaking gesture.

A few years ago when Noelle was trying to get me to read Persuasion, she called Wentworth "a secret handshake." Diana Peterfreund goes one step further and makes him sleek and modern.

For Darkness Shows the Stars surprised me with its creative retelling of a classic. It's the remake I didn't know I wanted but now I can't wait for the next one. I am half agony, half hope.

Rating: 4/5 stars.

Review: This Lullaby by Sarah Dessen

noreply@blogger.com (YA Anonymous) — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 10:30:00 +0000

This Lullaby by Sarah Dessen
Reviewed by Maggie: April 22, 2013
Published March 27, 2002 by Viking Juvenile
Goodreads • Buy at Amazon • Kindle • Indie Bound

It feels almost sacrilegious to run a Young Adult blog without having read Sarah Dessen. She's one of the biggest names in YA with a massive, devoted following. I wasn't sure where to start but when Anna suggested This Lullaby and threw in Veronica Mars as a selling point, I couldn't resist.

This book definitely surprised me. I expected Dessen to be light and fluffy. However, instead of The Sisterhood of Traveling Pants, I got The Sisterhood of the Traveling Diet Zip and Cigarettes. I know it's chic to be geek right now, but I love that Remy, the main character, drinks, smokes, cusses and has sex. And she still got into Stanford! She's not the girl standing in the corner hoping that the boy will notice her. She's the girl guys crash into hoping she will notice them. Believe me, I was not that girl, but there were other elements of her personality I related to, like when she says,

"The only I can't stand more than seeing something done wrong is seeing it done slowly."

Preach! She also does her crosswords in ink. Basically, she's a Type A personality. This is what got her into Stanford while her mother flitted from husband to husband. She also has Chloe, Jess, and Lissa, her core group of friends. Though they are all friends, they don't necessarily all get along.

This Lullaby starts right after Remy graduates from high school and right before her mother's fifth wedding. While waiting at her soon-to-be stepfather's car dealership, a guy named Dexter clumsily enters her life.

I really liked Dessen's portrayal of family and friendship, but with all the dramatic exits and declarations and breakups, it felt more like a romance book. It was like a YA version of a Kristan Higgins book, aka Type A Bitches Deserve Love Too. (Not that there's anything wrong with being Type A. Or a bitch.) There's even a dog! Dexter was so sweet and rumpled and lovable and his dog, Monkey, just killed me, but there was such a quick turnaround from first meeting to True Love. A lot of issues are brought up and not really explored. It was all very dramatic -- and very high school. Sometimes, like with Sloppy Firsts by Megan McCafferty, it works for me. Sometimes it doesn't. In the case of Sarah Dessen, I liked This Lullaby and can see her appeal, but I'm okay with being one and done.

Rating: 3/5 stars.

Review: 17 & Gone by Nova Ren Suma

noreply@blogger.com (YA Anonymous) — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 10:30:00 +0000

17 & Gone by Nova Ren Suma
Reviewed by Maggie: April 17, 2013
Published March 21, 2013 by Dutton Juvenile
Goodreads • Buy at Amazon • Kindle • Indie Bound

I spent most of this book confused. Like the main character, I wasn't sure what was going on or what was going to happen next. And then it all came together. It's unfortunate that discussing how it all came together is a huge spoiler because it's such an important topic, but luckily, Nova Ren Suma addresses more than one worthwhile issue.

17 & Gone is about in-between girls at that in-between age. They're not legally adults but they left the protection of childhood long ago. If these girls disappear, it's noted but not particularly noteworthy. Expected even. Lauren isn't one of those girls. She lives with her mother, goes to school, and has a boyfriend. Yet one day, she finds herself drawn to a flyer of a missing girl, Abigail Sinclair. She knows without a doubt that Abigail actually went by "Abby." She knows this because Abby is talking to her.

This is a book that could've easily turned into a public service announcement or after school special, but instead Nova Ren Suma weaves her message into a taut thriller. Even when I was confused, I couldn't put it down. The first part, where Lauren obsessively tracks down details of missing girl after missing girl, was heartbreaking and staggering. There's a "ripped from the headlines" feel because they probably were. At one point, Lauren wonders,

I was 17.
I was a girl.
Didn't we matter?

The second part deals with a topic I wish was explored more. I'm being purposefully vague but wanting more is just a testament to the quality of the writing. I expected a straight criminal procedural, but 17 & Gone surprised me with its creative depiction of relevant and serious issues.

Rating: 4/5 stars.

Extracurricular Review: Gunmetal Magic by Ilona Andrews

noreply@blogger.com (YA Anonymous) — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 13:30:00 +0000

Gunmetal Magic by Ilona Andrews
(Kate Daniels World #1 / Kate Daniels #5.5)
Reviewed by Maggie: April 12, 2013
Published July 31, 2012 by Ace
Goodreads • Buy at Amazon • Kindle • Indie Bound

Do you remember that episode of Arrested Development where GOB goes to work for Stan Sitwell (Season 2, Episode 7: Switch Hitter)? While trying to impress Sitwell, GOB runs through the entire backlog of Michael's ideas in one meeting and then goes back to Michael and asks for more.

Michael: There were 34 proposals in there.
GOB: You'd be amazed how fast they come out when you read them all in a row.
Michael: That was 6 months worth of work. You can't just blurt them all out at once.

Well, Ilona Andrews, I'm sorry I blurted through 6 years worth of Kate Daniels novels back to back ... to back to back. And thank you for knowing we'd ask for more after Gunmetal Magic and throwing in the Magic Gifts novella (and setting some of it in a Korean restaurant!).

I kind of wish I had read Magic Gifts first. Both stories take place at the same time, Magic Gifts from Kate's perspective and Gunmetal from Andrea's, but since Gunmetal is full length, it goes beyond the events of the novella and references some of it. When I was reading Gunmetal, I thought I had missed a story or my brain had finally turned to mush after a week of choosing Curran over sleep.

Gunmetal Magic shifts the focus of the story over to Kate's partner-in-crime, Andrea Nash. Andrea was always such an interesting character to me because she's a lethal weapon who constantly allows herself to be sheathed by the Order and Ted Moynohan. Her loyalty to the Order is unflinching and it costs her in Magic Bleeds. She lives by a code that revolves around the Order first, herself second, her beastly self last -- at all costs last. Who she is without the Order?

Girl. You slapped Aunt B once and survived. You're an ass kicker!

I felt for Andrea so much in this because after learning more about her childhood, I understood how much the badge meant to her. For a girl who was abused by people bigger and stronger than her for the first 11 years of her life, the Order badge was a sign that declared, "You will not fuck with me. You will not touch me." The badge was a symbol that demanded respect. The Order was also a place she could feel at home. It was her pack, no boudas allowed. She always knew the Order was only her home so long as she hid who she really was, but it still hurts to be proven right.

I liked this book a lot but some of the Andrea-Raphael scenes reminded me of the Alpha & Omega series, ie super romancey and drawn out. And I hate, HATE to say this, but the Kate and Curran scenes made me think of Anna and Etienne in Lola and the Boy Next Door. Perfect couple is perfect! Kate would GAG at that. I missed hearing Kate gag at that or mentally threatening to punch Curran in the face. I loved Andrea's scenes with Ascanio the teenage heartthrob, and Ascanio and Julie. Ascanio and Julie -- I'm calling it now! I loved seeing a more serious side to Raphael, although he most definitely could've used a punch in the face too. The characters in this more than held their own without Kate calling the shots... but I can't wait until Kate is back.

Rating: 3.5 stars.

Extracurricular Review: Kate Daniels Series by Ilona Andrews

noreply@blogger.com (YA Anonymous) — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 12:00:00 +0000

One week ago, I fell into the world of Kate Daniels. 5 books and 3 novellas later, I'm finally resurfacing -- and only because there aren't any more books until July 30. This series has completely wrapped me up in its magic, its world, and its characters. Kate redefines badass. She is woman, hear her make Curran roar. Smart and smart-ass, this series is everything I could have asked for.

My review for Magic Bites (Kate Daniels #1) can be found here.

Magic Burns
(Kate Daniels #2)
Read from April 4-5, 2013
Published April 1, 2008 by Ace
Goodreads • Buy at Amazon • Kindle • Indie Bound

For the first quarter of the book, I thought this was heading toward 3 stars. I liked it and it explained the world much better than Magic Bites, but there were more new characters and creatures when I'd barely managed to wrap my head around the ones already introduced. But then, but then, there was the soup and the please and the thank you and AH. And then Noelle sent me this gif for Curran:

...and well, I was walking around murmuring Curran all day.

Starbucks barista: May I have a name for this drink?
Me: Curran.
Barista: Karen?
Me: CURRAN. Wait, what are we talking about?

I haven't been this wrapped up in a world since last year when I zoomed through all the Mercy Thompson books. Full review to come.

Psych. I'm getting some coffee (coffee) and reading the next book. And if you like The Princess Bride, you need to read this.

Rating: 4 stars.

• • •

Magic Strikes
(Kate Daniels #3)
Read from April 6-7, 2013
Published March 31, 2009 by Ace
Goodreads • Buy at Amazon • Kindle • Indie Bound

5 SIGNS THAT YOU'VE BEEN INFECTED WITH THE KATE DANIELS VIRUS

1. That knife you used to butter your toast? It now has a name.

2. You relate everything in the real world back to the Kate Daniels world and start making the cheesiest jokes.

3. You said "Katelanta." Even once.

4. Lions. How hot are they?! --> This is a legitimate thought.

5. You're panicked that your Kindle battery will run out mid book because you usually charge it while sleeping but you haven't been sleeping because of this series!

There is so much MORE in Magic Strikes. We get more of Kate's back story, more of Curran's back story, more of Kate and Curran's present story... Hold on while I go back and reread EVERY scene with them.

Derek has quickly emerged as a favorite character as well. He's like a mix of Warren and Ben from Mercy Thompson wrapped up in a pretty package. And Doolittle! Who doesn't love Doolittle!

As in the previous books, the word/foreplay in this is off the charts. It's a slow, simmering burn and yet the effect is scorching.

Rating: 4.5 stars.

Okay, on to Book 4. Curran is a hell of a drug.

• • •

Magic Bleeds
(Kate Daniels #4)
Read from April 7-8, 2013
Published May 25, 2010 by Ace
Goodreads • Buy at Amazon • Kindle • Indie Bound

I have zero clue what's been going on in the world the past 3 days. However, I now know the real reason Snoop changed his name from Dogg to Lion. Curran.

How is this series just getting better and better with every book? As if I didn't love Katelanta (Curran County? I need to talk to Jermaine Dupri about this) enough already, Ilona Andrews throws in a POODLE and more Princess Bride. That's in addition to the standard A+ banter and toe curling chemistry.

In this book, we learn more about what motivates Kate and Curran to be who they are -- and why these reasons keep them apart. Someone from Kate's past comes back to wreak havoc and destruction. The shit hits the fan in the Order, the Guild, and the Pack. Kate is as badass as she wants to be.

"But know this: if you come to remove me, come in force because ... I will kill every single one of you. My hand won't shake. My aim won't falter. My face will be the last thing you'll see before you die."

You come at the queen, you best not miss. Bitches.

I'm already mourning the fact that there's only one more after this that I haven't read. I'm going to drown my sorrows at book club tonight while pleading Curran for not having read either book club book. Maybe I'll have some Boone's in Kate's honor (and try not to get laughed out of the bar).

Rating: 5 stars.

• • •

Magic Dreams
(Kate Daniels #4.5)
Read on April 9, 2013
Published June 26, 2012 by Ace
Goodreads • Buy on Kindle

Dali, you adorable scene stealer. In this novella, the half-blind nerd girl gets center stage. Dali, the vegetarian white tiger shapeshifter who crashed into the story in Magic Strikes, is everything Kate Daniels isn't. She doesn't fight, doesn't kill, but that doesn't mean Dali isn't badass in her own right. She can write out a curse in calligraphy like no one else.

Jim: "You want me to go back into that house protected by a magic sticky note?"

We saw a hint of possibly something between Dali and Jim, Alpha of the Cats and Curran's Chief of Security, in Magic Bleeds. Okay, Kate was just mouthing off as per usual but she may have actually touched on something. However, Dali knows she's not that girl. She knows guys see her as a brain with glasses. Now she has to use that brain when something goes wrong in one of the Pack houses and affects Jim.

This was so cute, SO CUTE. You can't not love Dali but throw in her equally feisty mother and hijinks ensue. Who else but an Asian mother could or would greet an Alpha with "He is dark. Very, very dark", and THEN bop him over the head with a rolled up newspaper? But Jim has some tricks of his own and seriously, my heart melted. I won't spoil it even though it's not a huge part of the story but it's a HUGE deal to me! Oh, and there is an appearance by a Korean woman and even though it's only to say hello, it was just icing on an already perfect cake.

Basically, if you haven't read any Kate Daniels yet, WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR??

Rating: 5 stars.

• • •

Magic Slays
(Kate Daniels #5)
Read on April 9-10, 2013
Published May 31, 2011 by Ace
Goodreads • Buy at Amazon • Kindle • Indie Bound

I feel I should warn you: Ilona is actually a power word that means read. After 5 books, 3 novellas and 1000 squeals in 6 days, you would think the novelty would wear off. NOPE. There is still such a freshness to the story and so many more storylines to be explored. Derek? More please. Jim and Dali? More please. Kate and Curran? I WILL SAY PLEASE BEFORE AND THANK YOU AFTER.

Basically, I can't get enough and it's a great feeling. Book slump? What is that?

The stakes are raised even more in this book because as Voron repeatedly told Kate, caring about people makes you vulnerable. And for the first time in her life, Kate has people she truly cares about and vice versa. In Magic Slays, there is a mysterious device that puts them all at risk.

I love that Kate and Curran are so evenly matched. This is one of my favorite quotes from the book:

"You're free to leave. Go home, kiss your wives, hug your children, and put your affairs in order, because tomorrow I will burn your neighborhood to the ground. We will kill you, your families, your neighbors, your pets, and anyone who will stand in our path. An attack on my family will not go unpunished."

It was said by Curran, Beast Lord of Atlanta and BAMF, but it could just as well have been said by Kate, former mercenary and all around BAMF.

In a week, I've gone from silently mocking the cover (a lion?!) to wanting to start a Fuck Yeah Curran tumblr. Yes, it's that serious. Kate Daniels has quickly established itself as one of my favorite series and I can't wait to see what the next book brings.

Rating: 5 stars.

Early Review: The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey

noreply@blogger.com (YA Anonymous) — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 12:29:00 +0000

The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey
The 5th Wave #1
Reviewed by Noelle: April 10, 2013
(YAA received an ARC of this book from the publishers)
(Will be) Published May 7, 2013 by Putnam Juvenile
Goodreads • Preorder on Amazon • Kindle

Aliens are coming and everyone knows it. They've been hanging out in orbit for a week or so now, observing Earth. Waiting. Watching. And they like what they see. They like it a lot. Except here's the thing: they don't really do sharing, so nothing against us humanoids, but we've gotta go.

Earth's eviction notice comes in five waves:

Wave #1: Say buh-bye to electricity.
Wave #2: Hope you live above sea-level.
Wave #3: You thought lil' ol' bird-flu was scary? That's cute.
Wave #4: Shhh...what you can't see might kill you.

By the fourth wave, 95% of the human population is dead and those who remain aren't even sure who the real enemy is--or what they look like. The fifth wave is coming, battle lines have been drawn and Earth's greatest weapon is up for grabs: humanity itself.

The 5th Wave is a taut, psychological sci-fi thriller that is destined to be a huge hit and deservedly so. The suspense is well-crafted and the characters' voices, particularly Cassie's, feel alive and three dimensional.

Cassie, a "normal" teenager who suddenly might actually be the last human on Earth, is my favorite. She is isolated and on the run but desperately driven by the chance of reuniting with her younger brother--at much physical, psychological and emotional pain to herself. I loved reading about her struggle to stay pragmatic in the face of paranoia and her moral balancing act with the ever evolving rules of survival in the post-invasion world.

I wasn't as engaged with Zombie's POV but I rather enjoyed the character when he was depicted by others. The strength of his character voice wasn't as dominant as Cassie's and while that made sense with his character's story line, Zombie's guilt (and other extenuating circumstances) gave his voice a muted quality in comparison. I enjoyed the psychological suspense the most and wished those aspects of Zombie's story had been cranked all the way up to the Ness-ian levels they flirted with. (I couldn't help but also wonder what it'd be like with a dual female protagonist POV pair of Cassie and Ringer as well...) There are several other intriguing smaller POVs that have room to grow in future installments of the series and one in particular I would have SO much to talk about if not for pesky spoilers.

The POVs expertly enrich the depth and scope of the invasion and the story is such that even though you'll figure some twists out before the characters, it does nothing to diminish the suspense or emotional rewards. Sure there are some questions that surface when you think too much about certain plot points (the age demographic of the squads for one), but the overall result is so entertaining and well-written that the questions are easy to brush aside. The more the different POVs come together, the stronger the story grows with surprisingly moving results.

I love backing characters into corners to see what they are capable of--and an alien invasion has a lot of corners. Let's face it. Humanity is freaking weird and that will always be our secret weapon. How strong we can be with our weaknesses. How unpredictable we are in our predictability. Humanity has a fluidity than cannot be fully foreseen or contained. You can back humans into a corner and you're never quite sure what you're going to get. The results can at turns disgust or delight, but something will always prevail.

Whether that is to the benefit of Earth's surviving humans or the new invaders, is yet to be seen. But I'll definitely be reading to find out! Rating: 3.5/5 stars

Read the first 70 pages for free!

*I got a sort of sick relief that Florida (aka me) would get wiped out by the second wave and miss the whole bleeding-from-every-orifice third wave, but that's why I'm a lowly blogger and not the star of an amazing sci-fi action adventure I guess.

**Bonus points for mentioning tampons in a dystopia! What's next--actually acknowledging body hair when all the razors are gone?

Our Bookstagram Life: April 5, 2013

noreply@blogger.com (YA Anonymous) — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 16:30:00 +0000

Now online: http://instagram.com/ya_anonymous

Extracurricular Review: Magic Bites by Ilona Andrews

noreply@blogger.com (YA Anonymous) — Thu, 04 Apr 2013 12:00:00 +0000

Magic Bites by Ilona Andrews
Kate Daniels #1
Reviewed by Maggie: April 4, 2013
Published March 27, 2007 by Ace
Goodreads • Buy at Amazon • Kindle • Book Depository

When your entire blogroll recommends a book and your co-blogger threatens public shaming until you read said book, what do you do? Well, you fall asleep the first two times you try to read the book. I mean, the main character was drinking Boone's Farm Hard Lemonade. FFS. How am I supposed to take a mercenary seriously when she drinks something that high schoolers barely get drunk off of? Not only that, it takes place in a future Atlanta where people are driving buggies with horses? Because of magic? What in Boone's Farm hell?

However.

Noelle, I never doubted you. For too long. The third time was a charm. Remember the dynamic between Veronica and Logan in Season 1 of Veronica Mars? Now instead of a tiny blonde, picture all that tension and animosity in these two:

Source: Celebitchy

Kate Daniels is Veronica Mars in the body of former MMA fighter Gina Carano. And Curran... RAWR... Curran is Logan Echolls in the body of Superman Henry Cavill.

I usually complain about all the world building in fantasies, but in this one, we're just dropped into a world of vampires and shapeshifters and ley lines without much explanation. Despite feeling kind of lost in the beginning, what kept me engaged was the dialogue. Kate is snarky as hell. After she finds out that her guardian has been killed, she tries to get involved in the investigation. When asked whether she knows anything about investigative work, she replies,

"Sure. Annoy the people involved until the guilty party tries to make you go away."

Annoy like the wind, Kate! In the course of her investigation, she has to meet with the Master of the Dead and the Beast Lord. While the world and the rules of magic were kind of vague to me, I really liked Ilona Andrews' take on the supernatural. Vampires are mindless, hairless, glitterless bodies that are piloted by necromancers. Shapeshifters aren't limited to the usual werewolves, but there are 337 different varieties, including were-rats, were-bobcats, and were-bears. Fingers crossed that there is a cameo from Magenta the were-hamster from Sky High at some point in the series. There are strict rules in the pack and clear consequences for breaking those rules.

Kate is such a compelling character. She's tough and physically fit -- she has to be since she fights for a living. Whenever she's feeling vulnerable or outmatched, she hides behind a smart-ass bravado. She acknowledges she is not the feminine ideal, but she left any wallowing about her appearance behind when she was 14. Why?

"Survival took precedence over fashion."

Bravo. She's not entirely certain about how she's handling the investigation, but she's determined to bring her guardian's killer to justice.

The verbal sparring between Kate and Curran, the Beast Lord, is fantastic. Curran is someone who demands instantaneous respect. Kate chafes at authority figures. Put them in a room together and you don't get any insta-love. I highlighted at least one line from each of their interactions and cracked up over the rest.

Magic Bites is a supernatural version of Criminal Minds meets Veronica Mars. There are a lot of dead bodies and a lot of snark. I finally found an urban fantasy series to challenge Mercy Thompson. Round one goes to Mercy, but I can't wait to start round two.

Rating: 3.5/5 stars.