YA Urban

★DEMONGLASS by Rachel Hawkins

noreply@blogger.com (JP) — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 23:05:00 +0000

Bought | Published by Hyperion

Sophie Mercer thought she was a witch.

That was the whole reason she was sent to Hex Hall, a reform school for delinquent Prodigium (aka witches, shapeshifters, and fairies). But that was before she discovered the family secret, and that her hot crush, Archer Cross, is an agent for The Eye, a group bent on wiping Prodigium off the face of the earth.

Turns out, Sophie’s a demon, one of only two in the world—the other being her father. What’s worse, she has powers that threaten the lives of everyone she loves. Which is precisely why Sophie decides she must go to London for the Removal, a risky procedure that will either destroy her powers forever — or kill her.

But once Sophie arrives she makes a shocking discovery. Her new housemates? They’re demons too. Meaning someone is raising them in secret with creepy plans to use their powers, and probably not for good. Meanwhile, The Eye is set on hunting Sophie down, and they’re using Acher to do it. But it’s not like she has feelings for him anymore. Does she?

I'm pretty sure Rachel Hawkins' Hex Hall books can can pick up just about anyone, in any bad mood. The sarcasm is balanced perfectly with the Serious Business, so Serious Business Scenes don't fall flat. Sophie is a great narrator, and, in Demonglass, there is a love triangle, but it's done well. (She may or may not even make a choice by the end. I like that.) Demonglass is very unpredictable. I wanted to know what was going to happen really badly, and I tried to guess — and I was dead wrong.

Also, I went through this really fast. I read almost all of it in fleeting moments between classes at school. I like how Sophie grows as both a person and a demon, learning more about the lore of the Hex Hall books (without info dumps), too. Demonglass is as fast-paced, hilarious, and original as Hex Hall, possibly with even more surprises. The sort-of-cliffhanger ending makes me want to die for Spell Bound, the last Hex Hall novel, even though that ending was really well-done and solid. I'm glad I finally got around to reading this!

★STARDUST by Neil Gaiman

noreply@blogger.com (JP) — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 16:37:00 +0000

Bought | Published by HarperPerennial, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers

Young Tristrian Thorn will do anything to win the cold heart of beautiful Victoria—even fetch her the star they watch fall from the night sky. But to do so, he must enter the unexplored lands on the other side of the ancient wall that gives their tiny village its name. Beyond that stone wall, Tristran learns, lies Faerie—where nothing, not even a fallen star, is what he imagined.

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Neil Gaiman comes a remarkable quest into the dark and miraculous—in pursuit of love and the utterly impossible.

Unforgettable and touchingly beautiful, Stardust is a thrilling and authentic fairy tale, matched only by Gaiman's other novels. His prose and storytelling is glittery and unparalleled — you can really see exactly what his words mean to picture, and he pieces things together in a brilliant way that forces you to look up for a moment and just think.

The equally gorgeous UK cover.

To some, Tristran may seem like the classic fairy tale protagonist — and while that may hold some truth to it, I feel that Gaiman adds a depth to that that I've never seen elsewhere. If you're an older reader of this blog, you'll know that cookie-cutter, flat characters that don't grow make me scream bloody murder. Luckily, the case is quite the opposite here, because, hello!, Neil Gaiman is a genius. As with all novels I adore, I love all the characters in Stardust. The antagonists are some of the most well-written I have ever come across. There are definitely a good handful of quirky people, and I love quirkiness (especially quirkiness that reminds me of Maureen Johnson, a very quirky person that writes very quirky books).

The village of Wall, and the fact that it doubles as a border between the real world and Faerie (a magical world of things unknown that Gaiman writes so fantastically), are just two of Neil's ideas that make me jealous of his brain. Stardust was my gateway novel into Neil's work; I'm so glad that I finally discovered him and as soon as I can, I'll be getting my grabby hands on his other novels.

Since Stardust's first demographic is technically adults (Neil says that he wanted to write a fairy tale for, well, adults), I should probably state here that if you're not an older or mature teen, you should probably wait a while to read this one, blah, blah-blah, blah-blah, but it is most definitely a crossover novel for teens, as evidenced by its several tie-ins. Stardust is also an amazing film, to let you know, but, obviously, read it first.

While I want to say that this is perfect for everyone, because I think it is impossible not to love a Neil Gaiman book, I should also tell you that I think Stardust is perfect for fans of Diana Wynne Jones, Laini Taylor, or Alexandra Bracken. Also, I love this book.

★WILL GRAYSON, WILL GRAYSON by John Green & David Levithan

noreply@blogger.com (JP) — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 23:31:00 +0000

Bought | Published by Speak, an imprint of Penguin

One cold night, in a most unlikely corner of Chicago, two teens—both named Will Grayson—are about to cross paths. As their worlds collide and intertwine, the Will Graysons find their lives going in new and unexpected directions, building toward romantic turns-of-heart and the epic production of history’s most fabulous high school musical.

Hilarious, poignant, and deeply insightful, John Green and David Levithan’s collaborative novel is brimming with a double helping of the heart and humor that have won both them legions of faithful fans.

Where do I even begin? Obviously, because it's by John Green and David Levithan, Will Grayson, Will Grayson is fabulous. As with any John Green book, my love for this book makes it far harder for me to go into details than usual, but I try.

As the latter paragraph of the synopsis mentions, Will Grayson, Will Grayson is profound and resonates with the heart while also being downright hysterical. This is the funniest John Green book I've read, honestly. Green and Levithan write very real characters, including two very different Will Graysons, and explore the complications of friendship, love, and family with perfection. The Q&A in the back of the paperback touches on this, and I think it's really important: there are lots of YA books in which one or more of the characters begin to suffer with depression, but there aren't many about after-- in which a character lives his life with depression as just a constant thing that has been there for a long time, something that isn't at all new. Lowercase will grayson suffers from depression, but it's not new. Another important thing about that is that his depression is not what makes will grayson himself; it's something he deals with. An illness or mental condition does not make a person who they are, and Levithan definitely portrays that. Authentically philosophical yet comedic, Will Grayson, Will Grayson will have readers obsessed in a heartbeat, all topped off with the best musical to ever have been performed.

★13 LITTLE BLUE ENVELOPES by Maureen Johnson

noreply@blogger.com (JP) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 18:50:00 +0000

Bought | Published by HarperTeen

Inside little blue envelope 1 are $1,000 and instructions to buy a plane ticket.

In envelope 2 are directions to a specific London flat.

The note in envelope 3 tells Ginny: Find a starving artist.

Because of envelope 4, Ginny and a playwright/thief/bloke-about-town called Keith go to Scotland together, with somewhat disastrous-- though utterly romantic-- results. But will she ever see him again?

Everything about Ginny will change this summer, and it's all because of the 13 little blue envelopes.

Need I say anything but "It's by Maureen Johnson"?

Unfortunately, that would take no effort at all and would be a very boring review, so here we go.

Johnson's prose is humorous, lushly describes the places Ginny must go without ever boring, and hits close to home as Ginny is pushed into foreign territory where the only thing familiar is herself, all at the same time. The pacing is just right-- there was never a moment where it dragged, or where I had to force myself to read. (Quite the opposite, actually. I had to force myself to stop reading so I could get to bed and be alive for school the next day.) As Ginny travels, she meets some very unlikely, very interesting people and comes to terms with Aunt Peg while she finds a little more of herself.

~~Basically, this book is like a drug, and a good one~~ I was always sad when I found that I had to put it down. Always.

Johnson writes some of the most authentic, unforgettable characters I have ever met. (The book itself is unforgettable, actually. Any book that doesn't allow you to forget it-- in a positive way, obviously-- has to be stellar. And 13 Little Blue Envelopes is. There isn't a book out there quite like it, or written as fabulously as this.)

Seriously, the writing is amazing. I never doubted a thing, which is to say, there is total believability, no matter how low the odds. Maureen Johnson is also an expert on when to tell certain things and when to show them. She's a genius and I love her.

THIS BOOK. ~~I just want to scream because I love it so much~~ It's uplifting, inspirational, REALLY funny, and unique. It's better than all those adjectives combined.

I would expect no less from Maureen Johnson.

★SWEETLY by Jackson Pearce

noreply@blogger.com (JP) — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 00:42:00 +0000

Bought | Published by Little, Brown Books For Young Readers

Sweetly is a companion book to Sisters Red, and a retelling of Hansel and Gretel.

Twelve years ago, Gretchen, her twin sister, and her brother went looking for a witch in the forest. They found something. Maybe it was a witch, maybe a monster, they aren’t sure—they were running too fast to tell. Either way, Gretchen’s twin sister was never seen again.

Years later, after being thrown out of their house, Gretchen and Ansel find themselves in Live Oak, South Carolina, a place on the verge of becoming a ghost town. They move in with Sophia Kelly, a young and beautiful chocolatier owner who opens not only her home, but her heart to Gretchen and Ansel.

Yet the witch isn’t gone—it’s here, lurking in the forests of Live Oak, preying on Live Oak girls every year after Sophia Kelly’s infamous chocolate festival. But Gretchen is determined to stop running from witches in the forest, and start fighting back. Alongside Samuel Reynolds, a boy as quick with a gun as he is a sarcastic remark, Gretchen digs deeper into the mystery of not only what the witch is, but how it chooses its victims. Yet the further she investigates, the more she finds herself wondering who the real monster is, and if love can be as deadly as it is beautiful.

I was so, so glad to return to the world first explored in Sisters Red. (And just to have another book by Jackson Pearce to read in general!)

Sweetly's cast is wonderful, and Jackson Pearce expertly shows us how people tick and how people change. I fell in love with everything-- the characters, the super-small town of Live Oak, the creepy edge to the whole thing-- the moment I started the book. Pearce is a masterful storyteller, weaving people and the choices they make and their history and who they are together into a delicious novel.

Mystery is a big part of Sweetly-- secrets and their keepers unfold at a perfect pace, as well as the cores of the characters for the reader to see (through Gretchen). Intrigue and the love of everything about Sweetly kept me addicted, not able to stop turning pages like when I can't put the the top back on the Nutella,* yet savoring each chapter. As always, Pearce breaks readers' hearts (sweetly) and gives this outstanding novel a heartfelt ending that I loved loved loved!

*You've never heard of Nutella!? Shame on you! It's a very yummy chocolate hazelnut spread thingie-thing.

★DAUGHTER OF SMOKE AND BONE by Laini Taylor

noreply@blogger.com (JP) — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 07:52:00 +0000

ARC provided by publisher, also bought | Published by Little, Brown Books For Young Readers

AROUND THE WORLD, black handprints are appearing on doorways, scorched there by winged strangers who have crept through a slit in the sky.

In a dark and dusty shop, a devil’s supply of human teeth has grown dangerously low.

And in the tangled lanes of Prague, a young art student is about to be caught up in a brutal otherworldly war.

MEET KAROU. She fills her sketchbooks with monsters that may or may not be real; she’s prone to disappearing on mysterious “errands;” she speaks many languages — not all of them human; and her bright blue hair actually grows out of her head that color. Who is she? That is the question that haunts her, and she’s about to find out.

When one of the strangers — beautiful, haunted Akiva — fixes his fire-colored eyes on her in an alley in Marrakesh, the result is blood and starlight, secrets unveiled, and a star-crossed love whose roots drink deep of a violent past. But will Karou live to regret learning the truth about herself?

Daughter of Smoke and Bone is so original, I almost wept. Laini Taylor is an amazing writer: I rarely read prose that flows so well, or allows you to really see everything happening from first page to last.

Daughter caught me the moment I read its synopses. It, as well as the novel, is so very compelling. It absorbs you completely, leaving the rest of the world nonexistent in your mind until you are forced to stop reading. Rich voice that matches character and these characters' stories all come together beautifully. Laini pulls things off that I have never witnessed pulled off, or imagined-- and does it well.

I have not been so addicted by a book in a while. I'm already seething for the sequel-- and it's the lasting kind. I have read some books that are good and that I like, that are part of a trilogy and do make me want to read book two-- but the feeling sometimes doesn't last. Trust me, with Daughter, it will last all the way up until you get your hands on that sequel.

It's enchanting and addictive, with sweaty-palm-inducing pacing; Laini's writing makes me jealous, and Daughter has wonderful characterization, which I am picky about-- yet there is nothing quite like it. Try as I might, I can't place it, but Daughter shines in a time where there are many cookie-cutter YA books out there. Reminiscent of Diana Wynne Jones and Sarah Rees Brennan, I am in love with this book. It's hard to process that Laini Taylor is human!

THE VESPERTINE by Saundra Mitchell

noreply@blogger.com (JP) — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 04:50:00 +0000

Bought | Published by Harcourt, an imprint of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

The summer of 1889 is the one between childhood and womanhood for Amelia van den Broek-and thankfully, she’s not spending it at home in rural Maine. She’s been sent to Baltimore to stay with her stylish cousin, Zora, who will show her all the pleasures of city life and help her find a suitable man to marry.

Archery in the park, dazzling balls and hints of forbidden romance-Victorian Baltimore is more exciting than Amelia imagined. But her gaiety is interrupted by disturbing, dreamlike visions she has only at sunset-visions that offer glimpses of the future. Soon, friends and strangers alike call on Amelia to hear her prophecies.

Newly dubbed “Maine’s Own Mystic”, Amelia is suddenly quite in demand. However, her attraction to Nathaniel, an artist who is decidedly outside of Zora’s circle, threatens the new life Amelia is building in Baltimore. This enigmatic young man is keeping secrets of his own- still, Amelia finds herself irrepressibly drawn to him. And while she has no trouble seeing the futures of others, she cannot predict whether Nathaniel will remain in hers.

When one of her darkest visions comes to pass, Amelia’s world is thrown into chaos. And those around her begin to wonder if she’s not the seer of dark portents, but the cause.

My thoughts about The Vespertine are very scattered, so I'm going to try and sort them out into something coherent.

The synopsis of this novel is inviting and seems wonderful. I was immediately drawn to something so original. At first, I was a little disconcerted about the time changes between beginning and end, but I eventually figured it out. The first thing that kept me from liking The Vespertine as much as I could have was tension. I felt as if most of the scenes lacked that electricity that compels the reader, and that not enough of the story was driven by the characters. The second and more "big-picture-like" thing is where The Vespertine starts and ends. I really think that if it started at the middle and ended further after the end it would be better.

What it boils down to: I liked The Vespertine okay, but I believe it could have been much better. I really do wish I could have liked it more! It just didn't make the cut. I had to force myself to sit down with it at times. Perhaps borrow it from a friend or the library.

The Problem with Trilogies (or: In Which I Use "Realized" a Lot)

noreply@blogger.com (JP) — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 17:17:00 +0000

As I scroll through lists of books I want to read and books I have read, I realize that many of the books I have read are the first in a trilogy. I also realize now that ~~several~~ quite a few of these first-in-a-trilogy titles just don't compel me to read the rest of the trilogy.

The basis of the way my opinion on my enjoyment of a book is like Victoria Schwab's, which is along the lines of: "I like lots of books; I LOVE few." I truly did (and do) like most of said books, and I had fun reading them-- they just didn't "do it" for me.

You can find stand-alone YA titles if you look for them, but I feel that they should be more readily...~~available~~ there. (Am I making any sense? MAYBE? Okay.) I'm not going to go on about this particular part of trilogies because I think that the want/need for YA stand-alones is already written about more than enough.

I never realized how much work needs to go into a trilogy to make the reader need to read it in its entirety. That doesn't mean every first-in-a-trilogy should or has to end with cliffhangers or, furthermore, have them all over the book. The seed of a trilogy starts with that core idea for the book, and, later, judgement. Authors have to judge what story needs to be told, and whether that story should be told in one novel, companion novel(s), or a trilogy/series. After that stage, book one needs to force the reader to need the second book. But that need has to last a long time. Long time meaning all the way until the release of book two.

It comes down to this: trilogies need 1) excellent judgement and 2) excellent execution. All the things you can think of that go into a novel (pacing, characterization, story, change, choices, etc.) have even more effect, because they all have repercussions that will flow into the next book and effect it greatly.

Do you guys have first-in-a-trilogies you've read, but don't really have that much desire to read the rest of the series? Let me know in the comments!

UGLIES by Scott Westerfeld

noreply@blogger.com (JP) — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 02:21:00 +0000

bought | published by SimonPulse, an imprint of Simon & Schuster

Tally is about to turn sixteen, and she can't wait -- not for her license, for turning pretty. In Tally's world, your sixteenth birthday brings an operation that turns you from a repellent ugly in a stunningly attractive pretty and catapults you into a high-tech paradise where you're only job is to have a really great time. In just a few weeks, Tally will be there.

But Tally's new friend Shay isn't sure she wants to be pretty. She'd rather risk life on the outside. When Shay runs away, Tally learns about a whole new side of the pretty world -- and it isn't very pretty. The authorities offer Tally the worst choice she can imagine: find her friend and turn her in, or never turn pretty at all. The choice Tally makes changes her world forever.

From the first line to the shocking ending, Uglies is utterly gripping. Westerfeld crafts a thrilling futuristic novel spun with delicious tension like that of Cassandra Clare, Holly Black, and Sarah Rees Brennan. Tally's world is finely sewn; I was never once confused, and Westerfeld never dumps information on the reader.

I really like that Tally's world is near-future -- our world now is reduced to rubble in Uglies, known for wasting metal and trees, among other things, killing animals for food, and several other details like those.

Highly original and fast and flowing in pace, Uglies is not a story telling you how you should act, but a treasure with meaningful symbolism.

★THE SCORPIO RACES by Maggie Stiefvater

noreply@blogger.com (JP) — Sun, 06 Nov 2011 20:57:00 +0000

Advance Reader's Copy from publisher | published by Scholastic Press, an imprint of Scholastic

Some race to win.

Others race to survive.

It happens at the start of every November: the Scorpio Races. Riders attempt to keep hold of their water horses long enough to make it to the finish line.

Some riders win.

Others die.

At age nineteen, Sean Kendrick is the returning champion. He is a young man of few words, and if he has any fears, he keeps them buried deep, where no one else can see them.

Puck Connolly is different. She never meant to ride in the Scorpio Races. But fate hasn't given here much of a choice. So she enters the competition -- the first girl ever to do so. She is in no way prepared for what is going to happen.

As she did in her bestselling Shiver trilogy, author Maggie Stiefvater takes us to the breaking point, where both love and life meet their greatest obstacles, and only the strong of heart can survive. The Scorpio Races is an unforgettable reading experience.

I am in love with Maggie Stiefvater. I do not know for sure, but The Scorpio Races may pull at my heartstrings more than any of her books -- and that is definitely saying something.

I closed this book not a minute ago, gazing at it and whispering "Oh my God" repeatedly and having this absolutely indescribable, overwhelming, wonderful feeling take me over. It's still inside of me, around me, all over. That is how much The Scorpio Races is now also a part of me, as Maggie Stiefvater's other novels also are.

Each character is perfect yet fractured, and finely captured, like a literary photo shoot of every one. Who they are and the decisions they make decide where the plot goes, which is an important thing in any book. The Scorpio Races is both delightfully and devastatingly realistic. Characters, relationships, and story stay true while keeping you guessing; in the meantime, Maggie Stiefvater secretly lets characters grow and puts you inside her book and her narrator, underneath her lyrical, poetic, and authentic prose.

My palms are still sweaty from turning the last page.

I am in love with this book.

Author Interview and Giveaway: Victoria Schwab

noreply@blogger.com (JP) — Sat, 01 Oct 2011 16:53:00 +0000

I had the honor of interviewing Victoria Schwab, author of recently released The Near Witch, and upcoming The Archived. I also have a copy with a signed bookplate inside to give away!

JP: An inspiration for The Near Witch was the structure of folklore and fairy tales and the archetypes that make them up. What exactly are these archetypes and structure?

V: The archetype depends on the tale, but some of the classics, like the witch, the dark queen, the hunter, the wolf, take different forms while appearing in many stories. Heck, the wolf appears today in most dark YA, a dangerous but alluring boy, inner demons and hunger and dark intentions.

For NW, I was most interested in the way that stories are passed down, the oral tradition and the way that truth becomes relative, and things become tradition, and tradition gains a measure of weight it doesn't always deserve. Tradition lets us stop questioning WHY we do something, and in NW, these elements create a very dangerous environment for change (and strangers). I also wanted to play, of course, with the notion of magic, the outsider, the witch...

JP: Describe The Near Witch in five words or less.

V: Fairytale, magic, fear, past, change.

JP: You love Little Red Riding Hood (the most popular version being the Brothers Grimm fairy tale). What's your favorite Hans Christian Anderson fairy tale?

V: Ohhh, that's hard, but probably The Little Mermaid. Yet another example of the darker start to fairytales.

JP: Both spellings, "fairytale," and "fairy tale" are correct, right? You seem to prefer the former. Is there a reason, and do you think people should use one or the other?

V: Haha, well, above I used the one-word way because I only had five words. Both look correct to me, but I never feel quite certain. And since the meaning doesn't change between one-word and two-word uses, I don't see the harm.

JP: Jackson Pearce, a YA author of three fairy tale retellings, says that a lot of the time it's in the nature of fairy tales to adapt and change to a society or individual's needs, for example: stories to tell children to teach them lessons, stories to show gender/racial equality, etc. Do you think you wrote The Near Witch in a certain way to a society or individual's needs? If so, how?

My approach was geared more toward the classic. Originally, fairy tales (ah, see, two words there) weren't for children, and they certainly weren't light. So part of me wanted to revisit the Grimm origins, and the other part of me wanted to explore the kind of world that would exist in a fairy tale, since settings are generally so sparse in those stories. Lastly, I did want to speak to the idea of fear itself, to a society who does something because it's familiar, rather than doing something because it's right. The Near Witch, I guess, has many reasons for being the way it is.

JP: Do you have a crazy-awesome-insane picture of yourself you want to share?

V: Haha, sure! I'll share my witch-hat picture. :)

JP: Thank you so, uber much, Victoria!

V: My pleasure!

RAISED BY WOLVES by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

noreply@blogger.com (JP) — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 00:44:00 +0000

Bought | Published by Egmont USA

At the age of four, Bryn watched a rogue werewolf brutally murder her parents. Alone in the world, she was rescued and taken in by the mysterious Callum, the alpha of his werewolf pack. Now fifteen, Bryn’s been raised as a human among werewolves, adhering to pack rule (mostly). Little fazes her.

But the pack’s been keeping a secret, and when Bryn goes exploring against Callum’s direct orders, she finds Chase, a newly turned teen Were locked in a cage. Terrifying memories of the attack on her mom and dad come flooding back. Bryn needs answers, and she needs Chase to get them. Suddenly, all allegiances to the pack no longer matter. It’s Bryn and Chase against the werewolf world, whatever the consequences.

An exciting new paranormal adventure, with a heroine that rivals Buffy, Raised by Wolves will leave you howling for more.

I stayed up really late reading this book, and I am so glad I did.

One thing I very much appreciate is that our main character, Bryn, has a best friend who is male (Dev), and it's never even thought of or mentioned or implied that there is anything more between them. After reading this post, it has come to my attention that male/female friendships are, in my opinion, something that you don't see all the time in YA.

Then there's the thrilling action and well-done pacing. Barnes firmly sets you in Bryn's world and introduces you to the people in her life in an organic way. There are twists and surprises, things that you'd never think of, mysteries and high stakes, people to love and people to hate. Characters that do things about their problems.

Raised by Wolves is funny and witty, yet realistically scary.* You'll fall for these characters, care about them, and, as the jacket warns you, leave you howling for the next book. Perfect for fans of Paranormalcy by Kiersten White.

The paperback is out now!

*Scary, but not out-of-a-horror-movie. No worries.

In My Mailbox (21)

noreply@blogger.com (JP) — Sun, 25 Sep 2011 04:20:00 +0000

The Shattering by Karen Healey (Advance Review Copy; Amazon | Goodreads; released Sept. 5, 2011)
Daughter of Smoke and Bone (Advance Review Copy -- I got one from Well Read Wife, and one from Little, Brown! I'm giving one away; Amazon | Goodreads; releases Sept. 27, 2011)
Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins (Amazon | Goodreads)
Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys (Amazon | Goodreads)

I didn't get a picture of Anna or Shades of Gray. Too tired. Happy reading! Did you get anything in your mailbox?

In My Mailbox is a meme created and hosted by Kristi, on her blog, The Story Siren.

Giveaway: DAUGHTER OF SMOKE AND BONE by Laini Taylor

noreply@blogger.com (JP) — Sun, 18 Sep 2011 22:25:00 +0000

It's giveaway time! I have an Advance Reader Copy of Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor up for grabs. The only thing you have to do is comment and put in your entry below, and if you choose, you can tweet about it. Please remember to respect ARCs, and that the sale of ARCs is illegal -- just so you know. Also, US and Canada only, please. Sorry, shipping prices stink. Thanks, and good luck!

★BEAUTY QUEENS by Libba Bray

noreply@blogger.com (JP) — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 00:39:00 +0000

Bought | Published by Scholastic Press

From bestselling, Printz Award-winning author Libba Bray, the story of a plane of beauty pageant contestants that crashes on a desert island.

Teen beauty queens. A "Lost"-like island. Mysteries and dangers. No access to email. And the spirit of fierce, feral competition that lives underground in girls, a savage brutality that can only be revealed by a journey into the heart of non-exfoliated darkness. Oh, the horror, the horror! Only funnier. With evening gowns. And a body count.

This is not a book to constantly tell you that "beauty is something that is on the inside." Just wanted to get that out of the way.

No, Beauty Queens is a wonderfully written, very funny book, whose pee-your-pants hilarity almost rivals that of Audrey, Wait! No, this is a great addition to my list of favorite books. Even if you're not a fan of pop culture references, you'll love it. The references are done in a timeless way, so that it isn't dated, but you can still pick up on them, and if you don't, you're not confused. The format is really fun -- commercial breaks, sponsor notes, and footnotes are placed throughout the book. Although this isn't a book to preach to you about beauty, it does leave you with a heightened, newer, better sense of beauty when you're done. You realize things that you may not have known before.

Kick-ass Miss Teen Dreamers and characterization of fantastic depth come together in an original story that will leave you in an uproar of laughter and a jovial heart. You really must read it.

In My Mailbox (20)

noreply@blogger.com (JP) — Sun, 11 Sep 2011 04:01:00 +0000

After returning from Decatur Book Festival, I now have some sweet books for IMM this weekend!

Rage (Riders of the Apocalypse #2) by Jackie Morse Kessler (Goodreads | Amazon)

Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor (Goodreads | Amazon)

Demonglass (Hex Hall #2) by Rachel Hawkins (Goodreads | Amazon)

Beauty Queens by Libba Bray (Goodreads | Amazon)

Sweetly by Jackson Pearce (Goodreads | Amazon)

Thanks to Jackson Pearce for Daughter and Rage!

Happy reading -- and what did you get in your mailbox?

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme created and hosted by Kristi, from her book blog, The Story Siren.

★THE BERMUDEZ TRIANGLE by Maureen Johnson

noreply@blogger.com (JP) — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 10:00:00 +0000

Bought | Published by Razorbill, an imprint of Penguin

The Bermudez Triangle are:

Nina Bermudez, who TiVos every episode of Trading Spaces and What Not To Wear because watching people rip down bad decorations soothes her.

Avery Dekker, who worships Jack Black but has learned to play Billy Joel's "Piano Man" by heart just so that she can hate it in detail.

Melanie Forrest, (a.k.a. Mel), who inspires guys to develop instantaneous, epic crushes -- the kind that cause them to want to iron their clothes and listen to the lyrics of slow songs.

Lifelong best friendss Nina, Avery, and Mel face their first separation the summer before their senior year, when Nina attends a ten-week program at Stanford. But how much can happen in ten weeks?

Plenty, it seems. Nina finds herself blindsided by Steve, the adorable ecowarrior down the hall. Too bad he lives in Oregon and she's from upstate New York. When the Stanford program ends, she has to wait 8,736 hours before she can see him again.

At least she'll soon be reunited with Mel and Avery. But Nina isn't the only one whose life was turned upside down in ten weeks. While Nina was gone, Mel had her first real kiss. With Avery.

I know I hopped onto the Maureen Johnson train late, but since I am, I'm sure there are others out there who haven't hopped on either. Maureen Johnson did it again -- The Bermudez Triangle is a book that may even turn out to be a classic. Written from the point of view of each point of the Triangle, this tender novel has everything I like about a book: quirky, complicated characters fleshed out completey (even the parents!), complicated relationships (not instantaneous or based off attraction), wit (umm, this is Maureen Johnson, who is made of wit!), and humor (this is a deep book, but also hilarious).

I think I actually like this one better than The Key to the Golden Firebird, which I loved. This woman knows how to write!

THE GRAY WOLF THRONE by Cinda Williams Chima

noreply@blogger.com (JP) — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 15:52:00 +0000

ARC received from publisher | Published by Hyperion

Han Alister thought he had already lost everyone he loved. But when he finds his friend Rebecca Morley near death in the Spirit Mountains, Han knows that nothing matters more than saving her. The costs of his efforts are steep, but nothing can prepare him for what he soon discovers: the beautiful, mysterious girl he knew as Rebecca is none other than Raisa ana’Marianna, heir to the Queendom of the Fells. Han is hurt and betrayed. He knows he has no future with a blueblood. And, as far as he’s concerned, the princess’s family killed his own mother and sister. But if Han is to fulfill his end of an old bargain, he must do everything in his power to see Raisa crowned queen.

Meanwhile, some people will stop at nothing to prevent Raisa from ascending. With each attempt on her life, she wonders how long it will be before her enemies succeed. Her heart tells her that the thief-turned-wizard Han Alister can be trusted. She wants to believe it—he’s saved her life more than once. But with danger coming at her from every direction, Raisa can only rely on her wits and her iron-hard will to survive—and even that might not be enough.

The Gray Wolf Throne is an epic tale of fierce loyalty, unbearable sacrifice, and the heartless hand of fate.

This is one of those books that can almost be summed up with one word—wow—but doesn't quite do it justice either.

The Gray Wolf Throne is shocking, captivating, and un-put-down-able. It's full of easy-to-keep-up-with political, magical, and street battles, as well as dangerous love and dire decisions. Han and Raisa's points of view never cease to be amazing. Chima spins a complex yet interpretable story that will leave readers begging for the next and final book in the Seven Realms series.

Beautiful and wonderfully executed, pitch-perfect and pace-perfect—readers must get their hands on this ASAP.

★THE NEAR WITCH by Victoria Schwab

noreply@blogger.com (JP) — Sun, 28 Aug 2011 18:40:00 +0000

Bought | Published by Hyperion

The Near Witch is only an old story told to frighten children.
If the wind calls at night, you must not listen. The wind is lonely, and always looking for company.
And there are no strangers in the town of Near.

These are the truths that Lexi has heard all her life.

But when an actual stranger—a boy who seems to fade like smoke—appears outside her home on the moor at night, she knows that at least one of these sayings is no longer true.

The next night, the children of Near start disappearing from their beds, and the mysterious boy falls under suspicion. Still, he insists on helping Lexi search for them. Something tells her she can trust him.

As the hunt for the children intensifies, so does Lexi’s need to know—about the witch that just might be more than a bedtime story, about the wind that seems to speak through the walls at night, and about the history of this nameless boy.

Part fairy tale, part love story, Victoria Schwab’s debut novel is entirely original yet achingly familiar: a song you heard long ago, a whisper carried by the wind, and a dream you won’t soon forget.

Am I the only one who didn't know what exactly a moor is? Well, I looked it up before I read The Near Witch. From Dictionary.Reference.com:

Moor [moo'r]

1. a tract of open, peaty wasteland, often overgrown with heath, common in high latitudes and altitudes where drainage is poor; heath.

2. a tract of open land preserved for game.

Awesome, no!?

The Near Witch is one of those few books that now has a special place in my heart. It's perfect and wonderful and will leave you hugging it after you finish.

Schwab has weaved a flawless, heartfelt debut. The imagery and description was ethereal yet unimaginably real, so vivid I feel I know Near and the moor and the Near Witch as much as Lexi. The cast of all different shapes and sizes, their own mindsets, backstories, and personalities, helps this novel flourish even more. Near and its neighbor moor are characters as much as said amazing cast, too!

Schwab should be shelved next to Maggie Stiefvater's and Jackson Pearce's books, all of which -- like The Near Witch -- are simply unforgettable.

In My Mailbox (19)

noreply@blogger.com (JP) — Sun, 28 Aug 2011 04:30:00 +0000

Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins (Advance Reader Copy, Goodreads | Amazon)

The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater (ARC, Goodreads | Amazon)
Icefall by Matthew J. Kirby (ARC, Goodreads | Amazon)

Thank you so much Harmony and Mandy!

THIRTEEN REASONS WHY by Jay Asher

noreply@blogger.com (JP) — Sat, 27 Aug 2011 12:00:00 +0000

Bought | Published by Razorbill, an imprint of Penguin

Clay Jensen returns home from school to find a mysterious box with his name on it lying on his porch. Inside he discovers cassette tapes recorded by Hannah Baker–his classmate and crush–who committed suicide two weeks earlier.

On tape, Hannah explains that there are thirteen reasons why she decided to end her life. Clay is one of them. If he listens, he'll find out how he made the list.

Through Hannah and Clay's dual narratives, debut author Jay Asher weaves an intricate and heartrending story of confusion and desperation that will deeply affect teen readers.

I have a complicated relationship with Thirteen Reasons Why.

On one hand, little things started pulling me out of the book, and built up over the course of it all. I think if these things hadn't been there, I would have enjoyed it a lot more. Things like Clay's mom's reaction to him staying out so long listening to Hannah's tapes. She's so passive, and since the novel is really about Hannah's story before her suicide and Clay's story of listening to the tapes, we really don't get to see much else, and thus, there isn't any framework for me to believe Clay's mom. At one point Clay does something that seems pretty ridiculous, and there also isn't much explanation or framework for that. Just little things along the way.

On the other hand, I adore this book. Clay is instantly relatable, as is Hannah. The story is beautiful and breathtakingly wonderful. Asher knows how to write compelling stuff. I love how the tapes impact all these unsuspecting peoples' lives, and how that's shown. Perfect for fans of Gayle Forman's If I Stay and Where She Went.

In My Mailbox (18)

noreply@blogger.com (JP) — Sun, 21 Aug 2011 12:00:00 +0000

I usually don't do IMMs if I just got one book, but this is an exception because a) I am very excited for this book and b) I'm going on a book-buying hiatus until my birthday and Christmas because I cannot buy any more books out-of-pocket, period. So without further ado, I give you my reaction to finally receiving said book. Now, let me tell you, I accidentally clicked standard shipping instead of Member Express, so I have been waiting for twice as long as I thought I'd be waiting. Here we go:

Yep. That right there is one happy book nerd (me) holding one gorgeous book (The Near Witch by Victoria Schwab). I can't wait to start it!

GRACELING by Kristin Cashore

noreply@blogger.com (JP) — Sat, 20 Aug 2011 03:27:00 +0000

Bought | Published by Graphia, an imprint of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Katsa has been able to kill a man with her bare hands since she was eight—she’s a Graceling, one of the rare people in her land born with an extreme skill. As niece of the king, she should be able to live a life of privilege, but Graced as she is with killing, she is forced to work as the king’s thug.

When she first meets Prince Po, Graced with combat skills, Katsa has no hint of how her life is about to change. She never expects to become Po’s friend. She never expects to learn a new truth about her own Grace—or about a terrible secret that lies hidden far away . . . a secret that could destroy all seven kingdoms with words alone.

With elegant, evocative prose and a cast of unforgettable characters, debut author Kristin Cashore creates a mesmerizing world, a death-defying adventure, and a heart-racing romance that will consume you, hold you captive, and leave you wanting more.

Holy. Freaking. Wow. End of story. Seriously. I'd heard so many wonderful things about this book before buying it, but none of it, of course, can adequately show the beauty, power, and awe in this book. One blurb that I read on the back of my copy is from Publisher's Weekly, and I think it's one of the things that comes closest to capturing the book's impact. It says: "Grace-full, in ever sense."

And it's so true. Cashore weaves one action-packed, kick-ass novel with characters I love and think about after finishing, but when it comes down to it, I'd describe Graceling as ultimately graceful. Fire is on my shelf, as well, and I can't wait to dive in.

Trust me when I say that this book deserves it when you hear or see people gushing about it, like right here!

★THE PIPER'S SON by Melina Marchetta

noreply@blogger.com (JP) — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 12:00:00 +0000

Bought | Published by Candlewick (US edition)

Award-winning author Melina Marchetta reopens the story of the group of friends from her acclaimed novel Saving Francesca - but five years have passed, and now it's Thomas Mackee who needs saving.

After his favorite uncle was blown to bits on his way to work in a foreign city, Tom watched his family implode. He quit school and turned his back on his music and everyone that mattered, including the girl he can't forget. Shooting for oblivion, he's hit rock bottom, forced to live with his single, pregnant aunt; work at the Union pub with his former friends; and reckon with his grieving, alcoholic father. Tom's in no shape to mend what's broken. But what if no one else is either?

An unflinching look at family, forgiveness, and the fierce inner workings of love and friendship, The Piper's Son masterfully redefines what it means to go home again.

This is another of those books that takes a special place in hearts. I absolutely love this book to pieces. Tom is the perfect protagonist, his voice powerful and relatable, and Marchetta's prose in third-person, present-tense does wonders. Every sentence feels natural, and the pacing is extremely well-done. The Piper's Son leaves you feeling a sort of euphoric fulfillment inside at the end, and you close it thinking about it long afterwards. It was great seeing the cast from Saving Francesca again, years later. This is an example of young adult contemporary fiction at its finest, a story of a boy who's family is broken and who's broken himself and how, with the help of some friends from his past, he pieces everything back together. Because we all have times where everything is broken.

★PARANORMALCY by Kiersten White

noreply@blogger.com (JP) — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 19:49:00 +0000

Bought | Published by HarperTeen, an imprint of HarperCollins

Evie’s always thought of herself as a normal teenager, even though she works for the International Paranormal Containment Agency, her ex-boyfriend is a faerie, she’s falling for a shape-shifter, and she’s the only person who can see through paranormals’ glamours.

But Evie’s about to realize that she may very well be at the center of a dark faerie prophecy promising destruction to all paranormal creatures.

So much for normal.

I devoured Paranormalcy. White takes creatures of lore from long ago, like vampires, mermaids, faeries, and werewolves, and spins them up really well in her own way, placing them (and our snazzy secret agent, Evie) in a contemporary setting. Oh my, and the setting. Setting is a character in and of itself in this rocking novel. Or, rather, settings, plural, as there are more than a few exciting places Evie goes. Readers will never see the genuine surprises expertly revealed throughout the book. The characters are amusing and wonderful, and all these things stitch together to give us a riveting first book to what I know will be an awesome trilogy. Very funny, fast-paced, and fresh-- I can't wait to read Supernaturally!