Tsarina

Author: J. Nelle Patrick
Series: Stand Alone
Genre: Historical
Publisher: Razorbill
Release Date: 27 February 2014
Summary: Natalya knows a secret.
A magical Faberge egg glows within the walls of Russia's Winter Palace.
It holds a power rooted in the land and stolen from the mystics.
A power that promises a life of love for her and Alexei Romanov.
Power, that, in the right hands, can save her way of life.
But it's not in the right hands.
Review: Here’s the thing with me and literature set in Russia: I will eat it up.  I am so excited for Gregory Maguire’s Egg and Spoon I could spit. It is with this that one must realize, no matter what Tsarina was going to be a natural fit, the exception? This novel more than did justice to what, in my opinion, is one of the most interesting countries in Eastern Europe.
I loved the effortlessness of Patrick’s writing style, how she put me in Russia without making it feel stupidly Russian (you know – we were all wearing fur hats, and boots with curled toes, it never stops snowing, etc.)  I loved the setting, how beautifully it was described, and I loved, more than anything, her characters.
I’m not one who can really get behind a character like Natalya, and the first few chapters had me groaning at how utterly childish she seemed, how nothing would or could be better than how it was, slowly I was won over, but it wasn’t easy for me to see things from her perspective.  It was much easier to see things from Leo’s perspective, not that I support his beliefs, but that I get where he’s coming from.  I understand why he sees Emilia and Natalya as disgusting, because in some ways they are.  Natalya’s blind faith in Alexi’s family was unnerving, but not unwarranted. 
There were a few moments of, “oh, I saw that coming” but the thing about this novel: after about fifty pages it starts moving at a breakneck speed.  I love novels like that, where something is always happening, there’s always another bend in the road, and you have to keep up to know what’s going to happen next.
Reading other reviews on goodreads, I can understand their annoyance with the ending.  I too was slightly annoyed with the abruptness of it.  I felt like it was the editor’s fault (love the editor until you have to blame them for something.  Editor:  I blame you – why did you not demand a better ending?  I mean seriously, what the WHAT?)  It was kind of a cliffhanger, I mean WILL THERE BE A SEQUEL? BECAUSE I REALLY WANT A SEQUEL!
I want you to fix that cliffhanger into something real, yo!
In the end this book made me feel something, which is really the point of a book if you ask me, and it was good. Really good.  If you’re looking for a historical fiction set in Russia that is heavy on the supernatural and light on the romance, I recommend this.

How I Live Now

Author: Meg Rosoff
Series: Stand Alone
Genre: Action/Adventure, Dystopia/Sci-Fi, Romance, Contemporary
Publisher: Random House Children's/Wendy Lamb Books
Release Date: 30 November 2004
Summary:“Every war has turning points and every person too.”
Fifteen-year-old Daisy is sent from Manhattan to England to visit her aunt and cousins she’s never met: three boys near her age, and their little sister. Her aunt goes away on business soon after Daisy arrives. The next day bombs go off as London is attacked and occupied by an unnamed enemy.
As power fails, and systems fail, the farm becomes more isolated. Despite the war, it’s a kind of Eden, with no adults in charge and no rules, a place where Daisy’s uncanny bond with her cousins grows into something rare and extraordinary. But the war is everywhere, and Daisy and her cousins must lead each other into a world that is unknown in the scariest, most elemental way.
A riveting and astonishing story.
Review: I actually heard about this book after seeing a trailer for the film.  The film didn't get a wide release, so I picked up the book from the library and read it.  This book was unlike anything I had ever read before, and I'm still on the fence of whether that is a good or bad thing. 
Okay, upfront things to know:  There is no actual dialogue in this book.  It is written in the same vein as Stolen by Lucy Christopher (with the exception that I really enjoyed that book).  Second: there is cousin lovin, and it's not innocent.
The weird thing; it didn't need to be there.  It would have been so easy to make Edmond a boy from the village or a next door neighbor instead of a cousin - as a matter of fact, doing this would have probably made this story more poignant for me, because although everything is glossed over (this is YA after all) it was still creeping me out throughout the book. 
That aside, I really enjoyed the overall story.  Placing this bohemian family under a microscope on the outbreak of war was fascinating to watch.  Getting to see Daisy grow and change and evolve within this family and throughout the war was also wonderful.  I loved Piper's character, she was probably my favorite part of the novel, who knew I could get so attached to a fictional nine year old.  I loved the world Rosoff created, that she wasn't afraid to show us the truly gritty side of things, because this novel is dark and twisted and scary and real.  If it hadn't been for the incest, I would definitely have given this a four or five, but as it stands I'm throwing it up as something between a three and a four.
The film version is currently available to watch on Netflix (as of 6/25/2014).  I have yet to watch it, but here is the trailer:

Breakfast Served Anytime

Author: Sarah Combs
Series: Stand Alone
Genre: Contemporary
Publisher: Candlewick
Release Date: 8 April 2014
Summary: When Gloria sets out to spend the summer before her senior year at a camp for gifted and talented students, she doesn’t know quite what to expect. Fresh from the heartache of losing her grandmother and missing her best friend, Gloria resolves to make the best of her new circumstances. But some things are proving to be more challenging than she expected. Like the series of mysterious clues left by a certain Professor X before he even shows up to teach his class, Secrets of the Written Word. Or the very sweet, but very conservative, roommate whose coal-industry family champions mountaintop removal. Not to mention the obnoxious Mason, who dresses like the Mad Hatter and immediately gets on Gloria’s nerves — but somehow won’t escape her thoughts.
Beautifully told by debut author Sarah Combs, this honest and touching story of growing up is imbued with the serene atmosphere of Kentucky’s natural landscape.
Review:  Coming of age books sort of define what the Young Adult genre used to be (before Twilight).  At a recent book talk/conference event thingamajig, there was this term tossed around, "quiet literature"  this, at least to my limited understanding is talking about books that impact you, but you don't remember a lot of.  Like Judy Blume's Are You There God, It's Me Margaret.  It's books that are beautiful, and timely.  Breakfast Served Anytime is a book that falls into the category of quiet literature for me.  There aren't any overwhelming nuances, no magic, no vegetarian vampires, no cancer patients.   It's the story of a girl on the verge of something new, and it's lovely and heartbreaking and beautiful. 
The only downside was I felt like there wasn't enough.  It felt like one of those flash films where you get a ton of images in quick succession without having a pause button.  Although I really loved the overall tone of this book, I don't know that I'll remember most of it without a re-reading.  You'll read it in an afternoon, but I would give it to a 12-15 year old, even though the characters are 17, it's more suited to that age group, and it's very clean, and appropriate for kids in their middle school/junior high years.

We Were Liars

Author: E. Lockhart
Series: Stand Alone
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Release Date: 13 May 2014
Summary: A beautiful and distinguished family.
A private island.
A brilliant, damaged girl; a passionate, political boy.
A group of four friends—the Liars—whose friendship turns destructive.
A revolution. An accident. A secret.
Lies upon lies.
True love.
The truth.
Review: This is a really hard book to review.
For a while I couldn't decide whether to give it a four star rating, or two.
The ending was twisted, but didn't come out of nowhere.
This is very sophisticated YA.
It will ensure a lot of discussion.
It is nothing like Lockhart's other work.
It is better.
It is worse.
It is different.
It is now.

Catch A Falling Star

Author: Kim Culbertson
Series: Stand Alone
Genre: Contemporary, Romance
Publisher: Scholastic
Release Date: 29 April 2014
Summary: Nothing ever happens in Little, CA. Which is just the way Carter Moon likes it. But when Hollywood arrives to film a movie starring former child star turned PR mess Adam Jakes, everything changes. Carter's town becomes a giant glittery set and, much to her annoyance, everyone is starry-eyed for Adam. Carter seems to be the only girl not falling all over herself to get a glimpse of him. Which apparently makes her perfect for the secret offer of a lifetime: playing the role of Adam's girlfriend while he's in town, to improve his public image, in exchange for a hefty paycheck. Her family really needs the money and so Carters agrees. But it turns out Adam isn't at all who she thought he was. As they grow closer, their relationship walks a blurry line between what's real and what's fake, and Carter must open her eyes to the scariest of unexplored worlds - her future. Can Carter figure out what she wants out of life AND get the guy? Or are there no Hollywood endings in real life?
Review: I enjoyed this novel immensely.  It was fun, and put a new spin on what I like to call the "fan fic" genre.  No, this isn't a knock off of another YA novel, but it does have a day dream quality to it, like there isn't any realm in known reality where this would ever happen, but I think it happens in a lot of teen and tween girl fantasies,  I mean spending a month with, say, Harry Styles?  Getting to show him around your neighborhood and pretend to date him?  Yeah, day dreams have been built on a lot less.  That being said, Culbertson's debut did have a little more to offer under the surface. 
Her depictions of the town of Little are gorgeous and very believable, and her characters and lovable and fleshed out.  I believed the characters, I believed (and have known) many girls that are just like Carter.  I believed in Adam as well, I liked the spin on his character, and  felt like it rang true with a lot of celebrities today.  I liked the distinct-ness of Culbertson's voice. There are a lot of these dreamy books out there (Angie Stanton has built her entire career writing books like this) but what those didn't have, that this one did was a whole lot of heart and conviction.  Carter is sassy and lovable, and yes she is the typical "I don't like Hollywood" but it's not just for the sake of it.  She has distinct real world reasons for not liking celebrity culture, but she doesn't completely shun it either.
I loved the complexity of Carter's family as well, it brought a different vibe to the story that I felt made the situation Carter is placed in to more believable, willing to work in order to try and help save a family member is very relatable. I just couldn't suspend my disbelief for the actual romance part of the book, which is a big selling point in YA these days.
Fun, yes. Worth reading, definitely.  Would I recommend it?  Yes, especially to young teen girls, or anyone looking for a fluffy read that explores social structures of a small town as well as Hollywood without loosing the day dreamy vibe.  I thoroughly enjoyed this one.  Perfect for wasting a summer afternoon as long as you're willing to suspend your beliefs for a bit.

Beautiful Creatures

Authors: Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

Series: The Caster Chronicles # 1

Genres: Paranormal Fantasy, Young Adult, Romance

Publisher: Little, Brown, and Company

Released: 1 December 2009

Summary: courtesy of goodreads.com There were no surprises in Gatlin County.
We were pretty much the epicenter of the middle of nowhere.
At least, that's what I thought.
Turns out, I couldn't have been more wrong.
There was a curse.
There was a girl.
And in the end, there was a grave.
Lena Duchannes is unlike anyone the small Southern town of Gatlin has ever seen, and she's struggling to conceal her power and a curse that has haunted her family for generations. But even within the overgrown gardens, murky swamps and crumbling graveyards of the forgotten South, a secret cannot stay hidden forever.
Ethan Wate, who has been counting the months until he can escape from Gatlin, is haunted by dreams of a beautiful girl he has never met. When Lena moves into the town's oldest and most infamous plantation, Ethan is inexplicably drawn to her and determined to uncover the connection between them.
In a town with no surprises, one secret could change everything

My Review:  Okay, I’m going to say one thing up front: this book took me FOREVER to get through.  Usually I read 3-4 books a week, but this one.  This one took me nearly a week to get through.  It was annoying but lovely at the same time.  The thing about Beautiful Creatures is that it doesn’t have an overwhelming sense of needing to be read.  If you read Beautiful Creatures – you’ve got to really want it.  For example: I like apple pie.  When I see apple pie on a menu I order it.  Always.  I have this overwhelming need to order apple pie.  Like a pie quest and I am always on it.  Now, I like cheesecake too, but I can’t justify spending $4.00 on a slice, not when I can buy an entire cheesecake at Costco for, like $11.99 (in the back of my mind I know this same concept applies to apple pie, but it’s just not the same).  Beautiful Creatures was my cheesecake.  Although initially incredibly excited about it, and in the end it was quite satisfying – I wasn’t jonesing for it like I would for, say, The Coldest Girl in Coldtown. 

This book has been reviewed and reviewed, and reviewed again, so here’s what I’m going to say:  I enjoyed this.  I enjoyed this like I enjoy a good analogy.  I enjoyed this for everything that it was – a deeply passionate story about life in the South and discovering new aspects of where you live, struggling with who you are and overcoming obstacles.  Was it long? Yes.  Did is move relatively slowly? You bet your bottom dollar it did.  Am I glad I read it?  Yes.  Do I think it will appeal to everyone?  Probably not.  As a matter of fact, this is probably more likely going to appeal to adults than young adults because it reads like an adult novel to me – there isn’t a huge gasping need to get to the horizon, there is a faint and familiar lull which I think is a common feeling in the Southern United States – it isn’t necessary to move someplace quickly just as long as you’re working towards something.

I don’t know if I’ll read the sequel.  The sad thing about Beautiful Creatures is that if I had read this a few years ago – when it first came out – I would have gobbled the series up like crazy – but I’ve read this story before.  I’ve read its sequels before, and although this is beautiful and lovely and insightful – I think I’ll wait a bit before I dive into the rest.

The Dark Unwinding

Author: Sharon Cameron

Series: The Dark Unwinding # 1

Genres: Science Fiction, Steampunk, Young Adult, Mystery, Romance

Publisher: Scholastic Press

Released: 27 August 2012

Summary: courtesy of goodreads.com When Katharine Tulman’s inheritance is called into question by the rumor that her eccentric uncle is squandering away the family fortune, she is sent to his estate to have him committed to an asylum. But instead of a lunatic, Katharine discovers a genius inventor with his own set of rules, who employs a village of nine hundred people rescued from the workhouses of London.

Katharine is now torn between protecting her own inheritance and preserving the peculiar community she grows to care for deeply. And her choices are made even more complicated by a handsome apprentice, a secretive student, and fears for her own sanity.

As the mysteries of the estate begin to unravel, it is clear that not only is her uncle’s world at stake, but also the state of England as Katharine knows it.

My Review: I actually received this as a Christmas present, and I have to wonder: why did this book not get more love than it has?  This was my first venture into Steampunk, (though I realize now, Steampunk may have been an overstatement, however, in my case I liked this “watered down steampunk”) As a matter of fact I was genuinely surprised by how much I enjoyed this novel! Sharon Cameron does an amazing job at setting the stage of a mysterious gothic house, a crazy uncle, and a quiet boy with a lot of secrets. Although the plot moved relatively slowly (for my taste) I enjoyed the description of the estate and how it was managed, as well as all of the descriptions of machines her Uncle Tully made.  There were just enough spine tingling moments throughout the novel that I was on the edge of my seat.  What starts out as a distinctly Victorian gothic novel slowly morphed into something slightly more sinister, and the hint of steampunk added well to the story line.  Although I didn’t always love her Uncle’s outbursts, I felt the journey Katharine made throughout the novel, as far as her giving up her own selfish tendencies in order to take care of him, as well as the estate, was one many young adult readers (myself included) can look up to and draw inspiration from.

The thing I did not enjoy, however, was the pacing, it began slowly, which is something I don’t like personally as a reader, and built relatively slowly (as I admitted, there were spine tingling moments, though slightly inconsistent and the overall mystery was attention grabbing) then it suddenly became a whirlwind, with a cliff hanger to lead into a follow-up.  Don’t get me wrong, I’m okay with cliffhangers, as a matter of fact there are a few books were the cliffhanger gives me an adrenaline rush akin to driving really fast or, I imagine, hanging off a cliff (hence the excellent title of “cliffhanger”) which I LOVE.  What I do not like, however, is when a book builds slowly for roughly 85% and then suddenly it’s a cliffhanger ending leaving you with more questions than answers.  Basically you go throughout the entire game thinking you’re playing bridge when, in fact, you’ve been playing blackjack. (I know it would be impossible to screw those to up, but go with me).  I’ve got all my ducks in a row, it’s pretty slow going, then I realize, I’ve got a LOT of money on the table, and one hand to win it all back.  The clock is ticking, what happened to the slow build up to the inevitable ending?  It got lost in the cards.  Though, I will admit, Cameron does a beautiful job and getting the reader there.  It's incredible in a way, because you get so lost in the world she's created you don't realize you're nearing the last page until you're there and suddenly everything is bursting at the seams.

I plan on reading A Spark Unseen, I’ve got it pre-ordered, because I loved the characters in The Dark Unwinding, and I want to see France through Cameron’s eyes (because I’ll tell you what, England was just lovely). Also I love her choice in character names.  It’s weird I’ve gotten so attached, but I find Lane, Katharine and Tully to be positively lovely names, which is superficial, but hey, I never said I wasn’t.

Hex Hall: Happy Halloween!

Author: Rachel Hawkins

Series: Hex Hall # 1

Genres: Paranormal, Fantasy, Young Adult

Publisher: Hyperion

Released: 2 March 2010

Summary: courtesy of goodreads.com Three years ago, Sophie Mercer discovered that she was a witch. It's gotten her into a few scrapes. Her non-gifted mother has been as supportive as possible, consulting Sophie's estranged father--an elusive European warlock--only when necessary. But when Sophie attracts too much human attention for a prom-night spell gone horribly wrong, it's her dad who decides her punishment: exile to Hex Hall, an isolated reform school for wayward Prodigium, a.k.a. witches, faeries, and shapeshifters.

By the end of her first day among fellow freak-teens, Sophie has quite a scorecard: three powerful enemies who look like supermodels, a futile crush on a gorgeous warlock, a creepy tagalong ghost, and a new roommate who happens to be the most hated person and only vampire student on campus. Worse, Sophie soon learns that a mysterious predator has been attacking students, and her only friend is the number-one suspect.

As a series of blood-curdling mysteries starts to converge, Sophie prepares for the biggest threat of all: an ancient secret society determined to destroy all Prodigium, especially her.

My Review: I went into Hex Hall after finishing the emotionally draining Finnikin of the Rock and Froi of the Exiles.  I had a sort-of call for help for something fluffy and my call was definitely answered!  Hex Hall was such a fun read, and I couldn’t help but adore Sophie.  Her heart it totally in the right place and she tries so hard to befriend people, even though she is on the complete outside.  At times I felt a little bit like I was reading a Harry Potter spin off (and I mean that in a good way) with the way Hawkins described things.  The world building was similar to Harry Potter because it was this magical place that held a lost of base in reality.  Setting it in the South could not have been a better place.  I don’t know about anyone else, but I love books that are set in the South, there is so much history there, so much magic.

I have to say, the only thing that I wasn’t really sold on was the relationship development between Sophie and Archer.  Now, you all know me, I love a little love story.  Sometimes I even love the insta-attraction, but with Hex Hall it felt like Sophie was forcing herself to like Archer.  I know what you’re thinking, “but she keeps telling herself how much she doesn’t like him.” And I get that, but I felt like this was a little reverse psychology on the reader, like “I know he is bad for her, but they should still be together anyways.”  It just rubbed me slightly the wrong way.  Don’t misunderstand.  I still was excited with the scenes between Sophie and Archer, but I felt like she deserved someone better than him, someone like the groundskeeper guy.  He was sweet and funny and very alluring.  Usually I don’t root for someone on the sidelines of a story (with the exception of Maureen Johnson’s The Name of The Star), but I am definitely rooting for Sophie and Cal.  I like Cal.  Cal is a reserved little hottie.  I know, this will probably break my heart later (because it always seems like in book love triangles the girl ends up with the first person they fall for, even though, in the wise words of Johnny Depp: “If you love two people at the same time, choose the second. Because if you really loved the first one, you wouldn't have fallen for the second.”)  I’m not saying Sophie WILL fall for Cal (hello, I have not read that far yet yo!) but if it did happen I would definitely be rooting for them to end up together.  I mean, Archer was with Elodie, how smart can he be?

Seriously.

The other thing I adored about this book were the characters.  Even the villains were fun!  They were so well rounded and thought out.  From Jenna to Elodie I liked them all.  They were distinctive and awesome.  I will definitely be continuing this series, probably not immediately, but definitely in the coming weeks.  Such a fun world to escape to for a while. And BONUS: It's PERFECT for Halloween! Happy Haunting y'all!

Finnikin of the Rock

Author: Melina Marchetta 
Series: The Chronicles of Lumatere # 1

Genres: Fantasy, Adventure, Young Adult

Publisher: Viking Australia

Released: 29 September 2008

Summary: courtesy of goodreads.com Finnikin of the Rock and his guardian, Sir Topher, have not been home to their beloved Lumatere for ten years. Not since the dark days when the royal family was murdered and the kingdom put under a terrible curse. But then Finnikin is summoned to meet Evanjalin, a young woman with an incredible claim: the heir to the throne of Lumatere, Prince Balthazar, is alive.
Evanjalin is determined to return home and she is the only one who can lead them to the heir. As they journey together, Finnikin is affected by her arrogance . . . and her hope. He begins to believe he will see his childhood friend, Prince Balthazar, again. And that their cursed people will be able to enter Lumatere and be reunited with those trapped inside. He even believes he will find his imprisoned father.
But Evanjalin is not what she seems. And the truth will test not only Finnikin's faith in her . . . but in himself

My Review:  Okay, here is a disclaimer: I read Finnikin of the Rock and Froi of the Exiles in quick succession (as in, I finished Finnikin and immediately at 2:00 in the morning began Froi) and I’m not saying that I confused the two, but because I am admittedly more drawn to darker characters, I liked Froi better (not by a lot) and that is why I am giving Finnikin a four.  Not because it wasn’t superb, but because it’s follow-up was hands down one of my favorite fantasy books ever.

Finnikin was such a fun character, and he was so honest.  A nineteen year old who has been traveling around with an old Sir (who I imagined to be a Sean Connery/Patrick Stewart like, seriously) especially a place that has been ravaged by war, I felt like he depicted this lifestyle perfectly.  Evanjalin was a character that I definitely hated in the beginning, as was the thief.  Both seemed to be almost too motivated and they didn’t explain themselves in the beginning (especially Evanjalin) to the point where I was more annoyed with her than rooting for her.  I wouldn’t mention it, but until everything is revealed she really got on my nerves.

The curse was impeccable.  I don’t read a lot of fantasy books, I think the last one that I read was Enchated by Alethea Kontis, so they aren’t really my strong point as far as finding parallels in other books.  With Finnikin I felt like the curse, and the breaking of the curse was really well done. (do fantasy books have a lot of riddle like curses that main characters must go on a quest in order to break?) How everything fit together, and how, as a reader, I was figuring things out as the characters were was really amazing.

When you read a lot of books you tend to be able to pick out the ending relatively quickly.  Rarely do things come as a surprise, and the fact that Marchetta was able to literally bring me along for the ride was amazing.  The descriptions of the world of Lumatere, and all of the other races and kingdoms that Evanjalin, Finnikin, Sir Topher, (and numerous other characters) are described so beautifully and thoroughly that I felt like I was actually there.

If you like high fantasy, I definitely would recommend this one.  I consider myself more of a contemporary lit lover, and I still found this one quite appealing. Maybe it's Marchetta, if you like her contemp stuff, this had a lot of echos, although it's fantasy, some of her core themes are seen in this one (the importance of family, and fighting for/earning what you want), but if you're into books that have excellent world building, Marchetta does that here as well. A really fun, well done (in my amateur opinion) fantasy.

Social Suicide

Author: Gemma Halliday

Series: Deadly Cool # 2

Genres: Mystery, Contemporary, Young Adult

Publisher: HarperTeen

Released: 24 April 2012

Summary: courtesy of goodreads.com Twittercide: the killing of one human being by another while the victim is in the act of tweeting.
Call me crazy, but I figured writing for the "Herbert Hoover High Homepage" would be a pretty sweet gig. Pad the resume for college applications, get a first look at the gossip column, spend some time ogling the paper's brooding bad-boy editor, Chase Erikson. But on my first big story, things went . . . a little south. What should have been a normal interview with Sydney Sanders turned into me discovering the homecoming queen-hopeful dead in her pool. Electrocuted while Tweeting. Now, in addition to developing a reputation as HHH's resident body finder, I'm stuck trying to prove that Sydney's death wasn't suicide.
I'm starting to long for the days when my biggest worry was whether the cafeteria was serving pizza sticks or Tuesday Tacos. . .

My Review: So, I loved Deadly Cool.  Loved, loved, loved it.  Which means that I had pretty high standards for Social Suicide, and I am pleased to report that it delivered!  You may read the blurb and think: “death by twitter…hmmmm” and admittedly it does seem a little strange and mainstream, like a way to instantly date the novel, but somehow it doesn’t. 

In the second installment of this fantastic series Hartley is forced to confront what exactly is going on between her and Chase.  And this, my friends, was my favorite part of this story.  Reading Hartley and Sam’s banter back and forth about what exactly Chase’s intentions are, and then the semi-public humiliation that is wrought from misinterpretation is not only hilarious but pretty real.  Having Hartley dress up, and the subtle nuances in Chase’s behavior reminded me so much of high school I could practically hear the crowd at the Friday night football game, smell the day old lunch room food, and see the emptiness of after-school staff meetings.

I liked how Sam’s boyfriend stepped it up this round, and I loved that Hartley’s mom is still a pretty major part of her life.  If there is one thing that I truly adore about this series, besides Hartley herself, it is the relationship that Hartley has with her mother, how real it is without being suffocating.  Actually, all of Hartley’s relationships are kind of my favorite. I mean seriously, is Sam not the best "best friend" EVER? I mean seriously, she is kind of perfect (and not in a too perfect kind of way, in a 'you're such an awesome bff' kind of way, like really truly awesome). 

The only thing that did get on my nerves with this novel is that Hartley is still kind of the same.  In Deadly Cool Hartley grew up a little bit, she left her cheating boyfriend, made some new friends and joined the newspaper staff, whereas in this one it’s kind of the exact same Hartley.  This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but I wanted a little bit more to happen to her personality-wise.  The fact that nothing did gave this novel a “filler” kind of feel.  Don’t get me wrong, Social Suicide is just as much fun, if not more so than Deadly Cool because Hartley is trying so hard to figure out the “guy” thing along with who killed Sydney, definitely one I would recommend for someone looking for a fun mystery read with a lovely amount of fluff and an immense amount of fun. I mean, I want the next Hartley Featherstone novel, like . . . now.

Graffiti Moon

Author: Cath Crowley 
Series: Stand Alone

Genres: Realistic, Contemporary, Young Adult, Aussie

Publisher: Pan Macmillian Australian

Released: 1 August 2010

Summary: courtesy of goodreads.com Let me make it in time. Let me meet Shadow. The guy who paints in the dark. Paints birds trapped on brick walls and people lost in ghost forests. Paints guys with grass growing from their hearts and girls with buzzing lawn mowers."
It’s the end of Year 12. Lucy’s looking for Shadow, the graffiti artist everyone talks about.
His work is all over the city, but he is nowhere.
Ed, the last guy she wants to see at the moment, says he knows where to find him. He takes Lucy on an all-night search to places where Shadow’s thoughts about heartbreak and escape echo around the city walls.
But the one thing Lucy can’t see is the one thing that’s right before her eyes.

My Review: Have you ever had a crush on someone that you didn’t know.  You build them up in your head from your faraway perch on the outskirt of their life.  Imagining that they’re this perfect, wonderful person and then you finally meet and start talking to them and you realize . . . perfection is futile?  I’ve done this.  I’ve done this on more than one occasion, and this is what Lucy does. And this is why I really loved Graffiti Moon.

It’s hard to describe why this book struck such a significant chord with me.  I loved the strength of both Lucy and Ed’s perspectives.  The banter, Ed’s way of coping with the idea that Lucy has of him was hilarious.  Trying to break down her imaginary boy without breaking her down.  There was something so whimsical and lovely about the night that they spend together discovering Shadow.  There were a lot of bits in this novel where I was laughing out loud, Lucy is so straightforward and has one of the most distinct voices I’ve read in YA.  The other thing that I truly enjoyed was how real their evening together was (minus the bad guys, I’ll get to that in a minute).  They spend the evening riding around on a bicycle looking at incredible graffiti art (that I wouldn’t mind seeing in real life – the descriptions are lovely) and talking about life.  They don’t spend the night trying to get with each other, and they have pretty low expectations of each other, which I know sounds weird, but was actually really refreshing.  There wasn't some type of "mask" that they had in front of each other, or this animal-like attraction where they had to say everything that was on their mind either.  They were normal.  It was really nice.

The only thing that did get to me was the “bad guys”.  I wanted them to be a little bit more consistent, be in the novel a little bit more.  It seemed like no one was really afraid and then suddenly this really scary (to me – I’m a fraidy cat) thing was happening and I was kind of like, “wait, say what? – I mean I know you said ‘he’s a bad guy’ but I didn’t think you actually meant it.” I guess I wanted more of a substantial fear of them from the beginning, but all of the boys seem to write them off a little bit, so when it did appear I didn’t really believe it.  I would like to believe it is because Ed is so enamored with Lucy, but I'm pretty sure that wasn't the case.

This book reminds me a little bit of that film American Graffiti, where the kids are graduating and moving on and somehow when the sun rises nine hours later they’re totally different people?  This was kind of like that (except substitute cars and music for a bicycle and graffiti art). And I think that the Paper Aeroplanes described Lucy’s initial feelings about Shadow (especially how “perfect” he seems) wonderfully in their song “My First Love.” Just saying.  Also: how to Australian authors seem to be able to grab these incredible realistic pieces of life and just share it so beautifully?  That's what I want to know.  Love it. Love it so so much.

Outpost

Author: Ann Aguirre

Series: Enclave # 2

Genres: Dystopian, Romance(ish), Adventure, Young Adult

Publisher: Fiewel and Friends

Released: 4 September 2012

Summary: courtesy of goodreads.com Deuce’s whole world has changed. Down below, she was considered an adult. Now, topside in a town called Salvation, she’s a brat in need of training in the eyes of the townsfolk. She doesn’t fit in with the other girls: Deuce only knows how to fight.

To make matters worse, her Hunter partner, Fade, keeps Deuce at a distance. Her feelings for Fade haven’t changed, but he seems not to want her around anymore. Confused and lonely, she starts looking for a way out.

Deuce signs up to serve in the summer patrols—those who make sure the planters can work the fields without danger. It should be routine, but things have been changing on the surface, just as they did below ground. The Freaks have grown smarter. They’re watching. Waiting. Planning. The monsters don’t intend to let Salvation survive, and it may take a girl like Deuce to turn back the tide.

My Review: Okay, so I never wrote a formal review for Enclave.  I read it around Christmas time last year and I remember being pretty “meh” about it.  I didn’t really care about Duece or her world, which was pretty darn messed up btw.  What kept me going with Enclave were the all-too-creepy action sequences Down Below.  Just when I would get ready to set it down for good, zombies (mutants?) would come out of no where and be all: “I’m going to chomp on you fool!” and I would be all: “holy crap, they’re gonna get chomped, WHAT HAPPENS?!?!” and keep going.  When Endurance came out I didn’t care one way or another what happened to Thimble and/or Stone so I decided to forgo it for some other novellas and full-length novels.  What I’m trying to say is: a lack of feeling towards the book one way or another kept me from reviewing Enclave and reading Endurance.

So . . . along comes Outpost, and I’m thinking: fall is here (not really) Halloween is on the way (sort of) why not pick up a good zombie chomping novel?  And let me just say, all of the issues that I had in Enclave (Down Below really freaked me out, Deuce was pretty stunted as a leading protagonist, and the love triangle between Fade and Stalker was annoying at best.)  went away.  Salvation is the exact polar opposite of Down Below (not in how it is run necessarily, but in their belief systems, routines, and how they handle adverse situations.)  The town of Salvation is based (if I remember the author’s note correctly) on and Amish-type of religion (though not specifically Amish).  However, what I really loved about Outpost was this: Deuce finally stops acting like a robot and has really awesome, amazing grown up thoughts and perceptions.  Really, the way that Deuce is able to accurately analyze and perceive the world of Salvation (look for the birthday scene) was almost chilling.  I loved her thought process in this novel.  She didn’t revert back to a type of “babyish” learning in Salvation, she comes across as a smart girl who is trying to understand how the world works, how humans interact.  She questions the initial belief system, and she’s pretty logical in her assumptions.

And, let me just say: the two free chapters of Outpost are completely misleading.  Aguirre sets up the success of a Deuce/Fade relationship right off the bat (probably the very beginning of chapter three, no joke). And watching these too develop is fun, and interesting.  Mainly because Fade keeps having to remind Deuce (and she keeps having to remind herself) that they aren’t Down Below any more, and that it’s okay to love each other.  Watching Deuce grow into a three dimensional, thoughtful, smart (she was always smart when it came to hunting zombies, etc. But I mean legitimately smart in a lot of areas) strong (again not just physically, but mentally and emotionally) and well rounded character is really what made this book for me.  I haven’t read a book where the main character goes on this much of an internal and external journey in a really long time, and that was what made this refreshing.  The only thing I didn't really appreciate was that the author seems to glaze over some really important issues (Fade and his "foster father" how the men at the outpost treat Deuce etc.) with a type of indifference.  I understand that this novel is dysopian, but I feel like these are things that kids right here, right now go through, and the indifference kind of bothered me. (Though admittedly it wasn't necessarily a deal breaker - and I didn't think about it much when I was reading, just later when I started to think about it more.)

Don’t worry, there are still zombie/mutant chomping bits, and it leaves you with a nice little cliffhanger.  Needless to say: I probably won’t be as complacent and “meh” when Book 3 comes out.

Spark

Author: Brigid Kemmerer

Series: Elementals # 2

Genres: Paranormal, Fantasy, Young Adult

Publisher: K-Teen

Released: 28 August 2012

Summary: courtesy of goodreads.com Gabriel Merrick plays with fire. Literally.

Sometimes he can even control it. And sometimes he can’t. Like the fire that killed his parents.

Gabriel has always had his brothers to rely on, especially his twin, Nick. But when an arsonist starts wreaking havoc on their town, all the signs point to Gabriel. Only he’s not doing it.

More than Gabriel’s pride is at stake -- this could cost him his family, maybe his life. And no one seems to hear him. Except a shy sophomore named Layne, a brainiac who dresses in turtlenecks and jeans and keeps him totally off balance. Layne understands family problems, and she understands secrets. She has a few of her own.

Gabriel can’t let her guess about his brothers, about his abilities, about the danger that’s right at his heels. But there are some risks he can’t help taking.

The fuse is lit…

My Review:  Wow, okay, well . . . give me a moment while I dig myself out of the hole I buried into.  If you’ve read my reviews (or really, just read my review of Storm) you’ll know that I wasn’t the biggest fan of these books.  Or at least, that book. Seriously.  I basically hated it.  It wasn’t so much something against the idea of the book, as it was against all of the crappy things that happen to the main character in the book.  I really felt bad for her, and the things that happened to her were never-ending, intense, and pretty dark for a YA novel (in my opinion). Spark, though.  Spark was pretty fantastic.

Here is what I loved:  the miscommunication (not joking) here’s a fact: guys don’t like to communicate, they don’t like to talk about their feelings, and they make rash decisions once in a while.  The way that the Merrick brothers act and react to each other I felt like was so honest to how males react.  I also loved how Gabriel completely embodied his element.  With Storm things seemed more vague, less cemented with Chris, but in Spark the characterizations were stronger.  This may be because Gabriel has a lot more issues than the rest of his brothers (maybe not Michael, but definitely Chris and Nick) and he deals with them in a really honest way.

I also really enjoyed Layne.  She felt a little bit like Becca, in the fact that her family life sucked majorly, but the way that she reacted to it wasn’t with a forced sense of optimism like Becca.  With Layne and Gabriel I felt like they really balanced each other out.  There were still the cringe worthy moments when it came to groups of teenagers.  (Seriously, cringe worthy – why are teens so freaking mean?  I don’t remember them being this mean . . .)  There were some points that played out like an ABCFamily movie, but as far as characterization, plot structure, and the central love story this one was a lot stronger than Storm (in my opinion).  The only thing that I was kind of bothered with was that there wasn’t any resolution with Chris and Becca.  The entire story focuses solely on Gabriel and Layne, so it makes me wonder if there will be another Chris and Becca book.  I’m sure that it says on a fan board somewhere, but I’m too lazy to look it up.  I want a full new adult Michael story.  That’s what I want. (Nick is kind of a boring straight arrow, let’s be honest.  What fun hot sexy brother things does he have to bring to the table?)  More Gabriel, more Michael.  They’re my favorite brothers.

Looking for Alibrandi

Author: Melina Marchetta

Series: Stand-Alone

Genres: Contemporary, Realistic, Young Adult

Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers

Released: 18 December 2007

Summary: courtesy of goodreads.com For as long as Josephine Alibrandi can remember, it’s just been her, her mom, and her grandmother. Now it’s her final year at a wealthy Catholic high school. The nuns couldn’t be any stricter—but that doesn’t seem to stop all kinds of men from coming into her life.
Caught between the old-world values of her Italian grandmother, the nononsense wisdom of her mom, and the boys who continue to mystify her, Josephine is on the ride of her life. This will be the year she falls in love, the year she discovers the secrets of her family’s past—and the year she sets herself free.
Told with unmatched depth and humor, this novel—which swept the pool of Australian literary awards and became a major motion picture—is one to laugh through and cry with, to cherish and remember.

My Review: # 3 in my Melina Marchetta marathon.  I’m pretty sure that this one has the most awards (not the high accolades, but the most by sheer number) and so far, it has been my least favorite.  Which, actually is a good thing.  This was Marchetta’s first novel, and obviously it only gets better and better.  In her newer contemporary novels Marchetta sets the bar so incredibly high, that it makes sense I wouldn’t like this one as much as, say, On the Jellicoe Road.

Looking for Alibrandi  defines a “coming of age” novel.  Not only because it tells the story of a girl in her seventeenth year (literally), but because it shows how much a year can change you.   Josie has a really honest and consistent voice which I definitely approve of.  She is honest, and a little bit lost, which you expect from a coming of age novel.

Although I enjoyed the relationship between Josie and Jacob, I like the relationship between Josie and her father the most.  The way that Josie interacts with her father is, in my opinion, why this novel has won so many awards.  It really is a special thing to read.  Not only because as characters they’re so similar and get so many different characteristics from the other, making the father/daughter thing seem more real, but also because they react to each other so brilliantly.

If you’re going to begin a Melina Marathon of your own, I suggest you begin with this novel, because they get better and better.  My favorite is still On the Jellicoe Road (though, Saving Francesca was the funniest).  Regardless, though not my favorite Marchetta, Looking for Alibrandi is an excellent YA story. Now if only I can get my hands on the film….

Stolen: A Letter to My Captor

Author: Lucy Christopher

Series: Stand Alone

Genres: Contemporary, Realistic Fiction, Romance, Young Adult

Publisher: Chicken House Ltd.

Released: 4 May 2009

Summary: courtesy of goodreads.com It happened like this. I was stolen from an airport. Taken from everything I knew, everything I was used to. Taken to sand and heat, dirt and danger. And he expected me to love him. This is my story. A letter from nowhere.
Told in a letter to her captor by 16-year-old Gemma, Stolen explores the influence that a really wild and remote space can have on the inner development of a young woman.
Gemma, a British city-living teenager, is kidnapped while on holiday with her parents. Her kidnapper, Ty, takes her to the wild land of outback Australia. To Gemma’s city-eyes, the landscape is harsh and unforgiving and there are no other signs of human life for hundreds of kilometres in every direction. Here, there is no escape. Gemma must learn to deal with her predicament, or die trying to fight it.
Ty, a young man, has other ideas for her. His childhood experience of living in outback Australia has forever changed the way he sees things. But he too has been living in the city; Gemma’s city. Unlike Gemma, however, he has had enough. In outback Australia he sees an opportunity for a new kind of life; a life more connected to the earth. He has been watching and learning about Gemma for many years; when he kidnaps her, his plan finally begins to take shape.
But Ty is not a stereotypical kidnapper and, over time, Gemma comes to see Ty in a new light, a light in which he is something more sensitive. The mysteries of Ty, and the mystery of her new life, start to take hold. She begins to feel something for her kidnapper when he wakes screaming in the night. Over the time spent with her captor, Gemma’s appreciation of him develops …but is this real love, or Stockholm Syndrome

My Review: Stolen was another one of those books that really makes you think.  I hadn’t thought or really studied Stockholm Syndrome at all before pulling this book of the shelf.  Needless to say this book was a very interesting introduction.  Stolen in my opinion, was written in such a way where you feel like you know 100% exactly what is going on, and at the same time you’re not really getting all of the story.

Ty and Gemma are both such well written characters, and so multi-dimensional.  The way that this is constructed, as a letter using “you” instead of “Ty”, the sincerity in Christopher’s prose which is heart wrenching, and the way that the Sandy Desert and the compound are described, are what truly makes this a landmark novel in young adult literature.

Everything in Stolen is so intense.  White-knuckles intense.  Not in an action/adventure sort of way, but in an adrenaline constantly surging through your veins kind of way.  As a reader I became so torn, hating what Ty was doing, and yet yearning to see a good side in him.  And the more I thought about it, the more I realized.  A LOT of YA paranormal books do this (clarification: this is NOT paranormal whatsoever, but I’m drawing a conclusion) not Stockholm syndrome, but getting you to root for the bad guy.  Because thinking about it, Ty IS a bad guy.  A really bad guy, and I understood that because he had the label of “kidnapper” and not “super hot sexy guy” like so many other YA male protagonists are labeled. (which isn’t a diss, actually I love reading those books, they’re some of my favorite forms of escape, I’m just trying to make sense of this book too…)  *sigh* I digress.

This novel makes you think, that’s for sure.  And it is really well done.  I’m not sure that I’ll find another book about Stockholm Syndrome that is quite as well thought out as this one, definitely not your average weekend read.  I’m giving it four (I know, FOUR? After you just RAVED about it?!) because some of the scenes were just a little bit too intense for my taste.  It left me wondering what the heck was going on, and feeling slightly dizzy, which is awesome, but kind of strange and terrifying at the same time.

Welcome, Caller, This is Chloe

Author: Shelley Coriell

Series: Stand Alone

Genres: Realistic, Contemporary, Young Adult

Publisher: Amulet Books

Released: 1 May 2012

Summary: courtesy of goodreads.com Big-hearted Chloe Camden is the queen of her universe until her best friend shreds her reputation and her school counselor axes her junior independent study project. Chloe is forced to take on a meaningful project in order to pass, and so she joins her school’s struggling radio station, where the other students don’t find her too queenly. Ostracized by her former BFs and struggling with her beloved Grams’s mental deterioration, lonely Chloe ends up hosting a call-in show that gets the station much-needed publicity and, in the end, trouble. She also befriends radio techie and loner Duncan Moore, a quiet soul with a romantic heart. On and off the air, Chloe faces her loneliness and helps others find the fun and joy in everyday life. Readers will fall in love with Chloe as she falls in love with the radio station and the misfits who call it home.

My Review:  I have never met a protagonist quite like Chloe before.  Part of me loves her dearly, like a sister; but another part of me totally understands why her friends ditched her in the first place.  Clementine (a character in the novel) uses the phrase “roller skating through life” and I definitely think that this perfectly describes Chloe.  There is kind of a disconnect between her reality and actual reality in this novel that makes it a little hard to sympathize with her.  She is so incredibly over dramatic about everything which is typical to her age, but not typical to the Young Adult genre.

Chloe however, in my opinion, didn’t hold a candle to the supporting characters in this novel, the staff at 88.8 and Duncan.  Oh, swoony Duncan with his pent up emotions and brooding stares.  The boy who likes to fix everything and works two jobs, yep that’s Duncan.  Definitely an excellent character to juxtapose Chloe’s over dramatic flair.

I admit that I LOVED reading such an honest voice, although maybe Chloe doesn’t connect really well with reality, I felt like she knew that as a character, and that the author knows that as well.  Chloe’s voice is quite clear: here I am, are you ready world?  She is so resonating on the page.  High school is hard, and Chloe understands that, but she also gets a rude wake up call in her friends trying to talk her off of her singular happy cloud.  In all honesty, because of the quirky characters, the subject matter, and the dialogue, this felt like a much lighter version of Sarah Dessen’s Just Listen to me.   Both novels are just similar enough to each other that I definitely felt the connection there, whether it was meant to be or not.

I’ve missed the happy go lucky heroine, or maybe I just don’t come across them that often, that in the end, although Chloe isn’t really in touch with any sort of actual reality and is a massive drama queen, she definitely won me over.

For Darkness Shows the Stars

Author: Diana Peterfreund

Series: Stand Alone (with a prequel)

Genres: Dystopia, Science Fiction, Re-telling, Young Adult

Publisher: Blazer + Bray

Released: 12 June 2012

Summary: via goodreads.com It's been several generations since a genetic experiment gone wrong caused the Reduction, decimating humanity and giving rise to a Luddite nobility who outlawed most technology.
Elliot North has always known her place in this world. Four years ago Elliot refused to run away with her childhood sweetheart, the servant Kai, choosing duty to her family's estate over love. Since then the world has changed: a new class of Post-Reductionists is jumpstarting the wheel of progress, and Elliot's estate is foundering, forcing her to rent land to the mysterious Cloud Fleet, a group of shipbuilders that includes renowned explorer Captain Malakai Wentforth--an almost unrecognizable Kai. And while Elliot wonders if this could be their second chance, Kai seems determined to show Elliot exactly what she gave up when she let him go.
But Elliot soon discovers her old friend carries a secret--one that could change their society . . . or bring it to its knees. And again, she's faced with a choice: cling to what she's been raised to believe, or cast her lot with the only boy she's ever loved, even if she's lost him forever.
Inspired by Jane Austen's "Persuasion", "For Darkness Shows the Stars" is a breathtaking romance about opening your mind to the future and your heart to the one person you know can break it.

My Review: First I must admit: I'm not a massive Jane Austen fan. I've always considered myself more of a Bronte sisters girl. I just like the intensity that the Bronte sisters deliver, whereas I feel like Austen focuses more on the social customs of the age and not on the relationship of the two people. So, take from that what you will (and please don't kill me!) All of that said, For Darkness Shows the Stars was very...interesting. Beyond the completely lovely title, Peterfreund has woven together a tale that is at once both agonizing and incredibly beautiful as the original tale (Jane Austen's Persuasion) from which she draws.

Elliot and Kai are characters defined and constrained by their respective birthrights. Both independent and strong minded characters. It is for this reason that the novel can become so agonizing. Kai and Elliot don't know how to freaking talk to each other. What? Come on my peeps! We all know that you are in love, so just say it. Because this beating around the bush nonsense it really ticking me off.

The world that Peterfreund creates is also pretty fantastic, incorporating a whole new dystopia and making it her own. The place that Peterfruend has created is such a beautiful and desolate place. For some reason I was thinking the Caribbean, but having the North estate be literally up North and a little colder. I don't know, it worked in my head though. Also, the main reason why Elliot becomes so disgusted with Kai was both terrifying and electrifying. There were so many layers to this story. I've honestly never felt so close to these characters, maybe it's because there were so many times where I wanted to reach in and shake some sense into them (just like when I read Jane Austen). My heart broke for Elliot and Kai.

The story itself is, obviously, incredibly well written with fantastic characters and relationships all around. Still, watching Elliot and Kai do a sort of dance around each other verbally, and for Kai to try and hurt Elliot the way in which he does was really hard for me to understand. Why don't people just say what they mean and mean what they say? The only thing I can recommend besides to read this book because it's lovely, is to read it over a long time period, that way you don't want to chuck your book (or e-reader) across the room whenever one of the characters doesn't say what they mean.