Review: Ten Things We Did by Sarah Mlynowski
A quick and fun read!
They shouldn’t have skipped school, they shouldn’t have brought a hot tub and they certainly shouldn’t have live on their own, concocting an elaborate scheme to keep their parents in the dark.
In Sarah Mlynowski’s Ten Things We Did (And Probably Shouldn’t Have), April is placed in a situation that most teens (if not all) would find exciting. She convinced her father to allow her to live with one of her best friends instead of relocating to Cleveland. Though a string of fake emails and phone calls, her father is convinced that Vi’s mom is OK with the arrangement – which she is – but what he doesn’t know is that Vi’s mom will be away, leaving both girls to live on their own.
What follows is a fast paced adventure with both girls trying to keep their parents in the dark while keeping up with school and life in general. Thrust into adulthood, having to take care of their own needs, each girl is pushed into responsibility that they didn’t quite expect and they handled it in a very realistic fashion. I loved this about the story. Their world wasn’t perfect and their reaction wasn’t necessarily perfect either.
With great character development, Ten Things left me sympathizing with April and crossing my fingers, hoping that the adults won’t realize what’s going on. There is something about Sarah’s writing that drew me in as a reader, holding my attention until the very last sentence. I found the ending to be a little too perfect, but I was satisfied with the growth of both Vi and April and that was good enough for me.
Publisher: HarperTeen || Details →
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Review: How to be Bad by Sarah Mlynowski, Lauren Myracle and E. Lockhart
A fun summer read
Best friends, Jess and Vicks, aren’t clicking like they use to, so Jess has a plan that will bring her and Vicks close again - a road trip to see Vicks’s boyfriend, Brady, who is at University. There’s only one issue, they don’t have enough money to fund the trip. Enter Mel, the new girl. Mel volunteers to help them fund the trip as long as they take her along with them, much to Jess’s dismay. What follows is a hilarious and endearing tale of friendship and love with a couple of crocodiles. Lauren Myracle writes as Jess, E. Lockhart as Vicks and Sarah Mlynowski as Mel.
I absolutely loved the characters in this book. Jess, Vicks and Mel are all well fleshed out and relatable. Since each character is written by a different author, each voice is very distinct, yet, the story is cohesive. In the beginning, I was a little skeptical at how Mel would have fit in - what exactly was her story and why was she so keen on hanging with Jess and Vicks? How to be Bad explores these friendships, the road trip serving to bring out the good and the bad in each of them. For these girls, the trip is definitely about the journey, not just the destination.
While it’s light and fun, How to be Bad has a lot of depth to it, walking a balance between hilarious and serious. It’s a heartwarming story of the love of friends. I love the character growth, it made the book feel more like someone’s diary than the imaginations of three authors. I’m definitely looking forward to seeing more from these ladies and hopefully their future work together.
Publisher: HarperTeen || Details →
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Review: Pure by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Not bad, but not my cup of tea
The characters from Half-Blood return in the faster paced sequel, Pure. I like to think of Pure as the Seth arch in the story. There is a lot more Seth in Pure than in Half-Blood and he is just as fun as in the first book.
Jennifer Armentrout takes us on a trip outside to a different Covenant with Pure. After her attack (in the first book), Alex has to appear before a council of Pures, some who seem intent on getting rid of her. There was more focus on the politics in this book, which was great, however, lovers of the romance need not despair, there is still a ton of that as well.
I had similar issue with this book as I did the first one, I really didn’t like Alex and Aiden; I’m not sure what it is about the characters, but they seemed very dull. Once again, Alex doesn’t seem to have grown from her experience, she’s still feisty and still a fighter, but I would have loved to see some character growth.
Seth was featured more, however, I wished there was more focus on what’s going on in his head than in Alex’s. I would love to know more of his story and why he behaves the way he does. While this book wasn’t for me, I think it’s one that people who love romance driven plots will enjoy.
Publisher: Spencer Hill Press || Details →
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Review: Half-Blood by Jennifer L. Armentrout
A little too predictable!
I found Half-Blood to be extremely predictable yet unexpectedly addictive. I’d definitely classify it as fluff, but it still has the ability to hold your attention.
Jennifer Armentrout tells a tale of a Half-Blood girl who is special, the Pure she is in love with and the Apollon she can’t escape from. Pures are off-springs of demi-gods and Half-Bloods are offspring of pure bloods and humans, the caste doesn’t make much sense to me since demi-gods are off-springs of gods and humans - so Pures have human blood in them, but the politics behind it is Pures are higher ranking and to avoid mixing blood it is forbidden for a Half-Blood and a pure to have romantic relationships.
Alex (our protagonist) was on the run with her mother, unaware of why her mother took her from the protection of the Covenant – their home – when they were attacked and her mother lost. As the story continues we learn why her mother ran way and the meaning of the strange connection between Alex and Seth – the Apollon – who was my favourite character in the book.
My biggest complaint about this story is the characters. With the exception of Seth, I couldn’t love the main characters. Alex was just forever feisty and she didn’t seem to grow as a character. Aiden – the forbidden love interest – was completely flat; I couldn’t really picture him in my head and found his character a little monotonous. Seth, even though he was the typical bad-boy character, was a refreshing change to the others. I’m not unusually a fan of the cocky bad-boy character because they all seem to be the same, but Seth works.
I wouldn’t say the story was fast paced but it kept me engaged enough to want to know what would happen next and this was the main reason for me liking the story. I think Jennifer Armentrout did a neat job with the way she intertwined mythology into her story and I’d love to find out what happens in the end. I’d say Half-Blood is a quick read for a long trip.
Publisher: Spencer Hill Press || Details →
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Review: The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa
The winner of the best vampire series award
The Immortal Rules is in the minority when it comes to vampires in Young Adult novels; the vampires here are scary, not overgrown emo kittens. Julie Kagawa’s story is like bright sunshine on a rather dismal genre, it stands tall among some of the newer paranormal books out there, and it keeps the reader engaged without the use of a manipulative and sappy love triangle*!
We are introduced to Allie at a hanging. Allie is an unregistered, a street rat living in a vampire ruled city who is under the radar, so she has to scavenger for food. Allie is good at scavenging, she knows how to take care of herself, she is a strong character and remains thus throughout the entire book. Allie also has a caring heart - even though life as an unregistered has taught her to be wary of who she trusts.
Allie lives in a post-apocalyptic world**, where a virus breakout has killed most of the human population. Vampires (who never mingled in human society before) have set up cities and offered sanctuary to humans if they would register to provide blood for the Vampire masters. The humans live within the wall, under vampire protection and away from rabids***. Allie hates the vampires, and as an unregistered, she must find creative ways to survive. On one such adventure, she’s faced with the choice of death or being turned and she makes a choice she never thought she would make.
The rest of the story is nothing short of spectacular.
Julie’s writing style has definitely matured. We are introduced to a world with a rich political system and history but there was no time in the storytelling that it felt as though the reader was getting an info dump; everything we needed to know was seamlessly woven into the plot. The story was perfectly paced, nothing seemed to drag and I found myself swept away into the narrative.
Then, we run into a band of wandering humans and I became apprehensive.
It always seems that paranormal stories take a turn for the worse when the heroine meets the boy. So I was a little worried when we ran into the wandering humans, but, that was unnecessary. Allie stayed in character and did not become that whiny, angst-ridden character that some female protagonist seem to become when they meet the male counterpart. For this I gave Julie Kagawa a standing ovation. Well done. Applause. Also, no love triangle. Cheers!
I think that The Immortal Rules was brilliant; the characters were well developed and the conflicts were organic. I cared about what happened, even to the characters I did not like. This is hands down, Julie Kagawa’s best work to date and I’m looking forward to the rest of the story.
* If you are a reader of this blog, you’ll know how much I dislike sappy love triangles that just make you want to bang your head against the closest hard object.****
** I see a few reviews call it dystopia, but I think it’s more post-apocalyptic than dystopia: see this handy dandy flowchart.
*** At first I was a little excited, would it be Vampires vs. Zombies? But, it’s not quite Zombies, you’ll have to read the book to see what I mean.
**** Like a desk, or the chiseled chest of most YA vampires. Especially the sparkly kind.
Releasing: 24th April, 2012 || Publisher: Harlequin Teen || Details →
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Review: The Girl with the Steel Corset by Kady Cross
Steampunk with a Dash of Superheroes
I’ve always loved steampunk, but it was only in recent years that I realized that the thing I love has a name, so when I came across Kady Cross’s Girl with the Steel Corset, I knew I had to read it. Not only are there awesome machines and great costumes, but I loved the references to other stories that ran through the story.
Finley is a girl who, quite literally, has two distinct sides. Generally, Finley’s lighter side is dominant, but when she is threatened, her darker side activates (for loss of a better word). As our story begins, Finley gets into an alteration with her former employer and finds herself running into Griffin – the Duke of Greythorne – in the middle of the night.
At his home she meets Sam and Emily who work alongside Griffin and seem to have powers of their own. She is welcomed into their little family like a band of misfit heroes reminiscent of the X-Men. Add Griffin’s family history and you have a bit of Batman thrown in.
With so many great parallels The Girl with the Steel Corset does not disappoint; there is enough action and twists to keep you on your toes. As the story progresses the reader learns about the experiments that made Finley into the person she is – very reminiscent of The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. I found the characters to be well developed and even found myself curious about the shadier characters and what lead them to the lives they chose.
My one complaint about this story was varying points of view. Sometimes it was a little confusing when the narrative moved from character to character, thankfully it’s in the third person so we have a better idea as to who we are following, but I wonder if it was necessary to see so many character views.
Overall I loved the story! If you love steampunk, super heroes and villains that tread grey areas in their villainy, then this is a book for you.
Publisher: Harlequin Teen || Details →
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Review: Wintertown by Stephen Emond
A story of friendship and change
Stephen Edmon introduces readers to the story of Evan and Lucy in, Wintertown. Evan and Lucy grew up together, they were best friends, inseparable. Then Lucy’s parents divorced and Lucy moved away with her mom. Lucy spends every Christmas break with her dad, something that Evan looks forward to every year, but this year is different. Lucy is different and Evan’s not sure what to say to or how to act around this new Lucy.
Wintertown was a great read for me; it’s a bit melancholy with quite a few sweet moments sprinkled in between. Evan’s family is a bundle of fun, especially his Gram. (A sassy grandmother? Yes, please!) Evan’s friends are quite hilarious, adding comic relief to the story.
Though the beginning focuses on Evan and his reaction to “New Lucy”, the rest focuses on Lucy and the mystery behind why she is different this year. As Lucy’s past year unfolds, the reader and Evan begin to understand Lucy on a different level - and in a way, understand “Old Lucy”. I found the resolution and reveal to be very realistic and appreciated that the story wasn’t just a fluffy tale.
I loved that the characters had such strong history, it made me care about what happened to them, even if I didn’t agree with their actions. I also enjoyed the drawings that are scattered throughout the novel. Evan is an artist and there are drawing from both him and Lucy that align with the story and adds another layer to the storytelling. I found that, while this book was a quick read the story stays with you after the cover is closed. If you’re looking for a quite, but real story, this is definitely the book for you.
Publisher: Little Brown Books for Young Readers || Details →
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Review: Suite Scarlett by Maureen Johnson
A wonderful, witty read
Imagine your family owned a hotel in New York City. It wasn’t a giant chain hotel, but an old historical sort of hotel. Imagine you lived in the hotel, slept in a suite, ate in the dining room and helped at the front desk after school. If you can’t imagine this, Maureen Johnson’s novel, Suite Scarlett, helps you with that.
Scarlett’s family lives in a run down hotel in New York City. The charm of the hotel is its history, but Scarlett’s family is struggling to keep the doors open and as our story begins, things seem to have taken a turn for the worse. With a younger sister who is a cancer survivor and whose medical bills didn’t help the family finances, an older brother who wants to be a starving actor - quite literally if he has to be - and an older sister who seems like she has it all together, Scarlett and her siblings have to band together to help her family with the hotel. Top this off with her brother’s play that seems doomed from it’s beginning, his scene partner that has Scarlett seeing stars and the mysterious Mrs. Amberson who likes to shake things up and you’ve got a book packed with a fun and witty plot.
A quick-thinking, problem solver with strong family ties, Scarlett, is an endearing character and I found myself cheering for her from the very beginning. Mrs. Amberson - who moves into their hotel for the summer - takes her on as an assistant and meddles in the life of her family, putting Scarlett in some awkward situations which she has to power through. There is a bit of sibling rivalry, but it’s clear to see that Scarlett and her siblings love and respect each other.
There are times when the story read a little sitcomesque, but overall I thought that Suite Scarlett was a wonderful read. Though it walks the line, it never crosses over to saccharine or corny; its quick pace guarantees that there is never a dull moment.
Publisher: Point || Details →
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Review: Nevermore by Kelly Creagh
Poe fans will enjoy
Varen is considered a high school outcast. Isobel is a high school darling. When the two are assigned to do an English paper together, they choose Edgar Allen Poe as the subject of their report, a topic that Varen knows well. By working together Isobel and Varen learn that there is more to each other than their original pejudices. This is the basic plot of Nevermore by kelly Creagh, but it’s not the part of the story that I found the most enjoyable, there is also a fantasy aspect to the plot. There are things haunting Varen and they seem to have taken notice of Isobel, worse yet, she seems to be the only one who sees them.
I have a love/hate relationship with this story. I really want to love it and there are times that I do love it, but what really puts me off about the plot is the contrived initial conflict. Isobel’s boyfriend, Brad, is very jealous when it comes to Varen and doesn’t want Isobel hanging with him - dispite the fact that she would fail her class and be kicked off cheerleading if she doesn’t complete the assignment. All of her friends seem onboard with Brad with is mindboggling, either Isobel’s friends don’t really care about her at all or they are all just a bit insane. The other frustrating part is that she starts sneaking around and lying to her parents about her assignment, and it makes me wonder why her parents seem to not care enough about her education to let go of their prejudices against Varen.
While I understand why the author does this - a lot of Isobel’s character is revealed to Varen and the reader during this struggle - it seemed too artificial and I found that it was something I couldn’t accept. It was that frustrating. After we get past the initial conflict and we see more of Varen and Isobel and well, Edgar Allen Poe, the story becomes a million times better.
Kelly Creagh’s narrative pulls you in, her descriptions of the invisible creatures, the otherworld, even the emotions that Isobel feels practically leaps off the pages. It engages the reader and I found myself cheering Varen and Isobel on while also trying to figure out what was happening. The story has a lot of references to Edgar Allen Poe and his stories, particularly the Masque of the Red Death, and (while trying not to give too much away) Kelly provides the reader with a very graphic imagery of this particular story.
I think Poe fans will enjoy this read, I know fantasy fans definitely will.
Publisher: Atheneum Books || Details →
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Review: Model Spy by Shannon Greenland
Cute, light and fluffy
Cute would be the perfect word to describe Shannon Greenland’s novel, Model Spy. Kelly, a beautiful and gifted teenager, is caught breaking into a high security government system to help her crush David find information about his father. She is given the choice to either to join an elite group of teens who work as spies for the government or face a jail sentence, so Kelly decides to join the teenage spies. What Kelly finds there isn’t quite what she expected,David involved in the program, they have to do physical training, and she’s almost immediately thrusted into an operation that involves her going undercover as a Model with David as her photographer.
Model Spy is one of those quick, vacation-reads books. It’s light and fast paced but not overbearingly so. The characters are lovable, I’d have loved to see the other characters developed more, but, I guess the subsequent books will deal with that.
The plot itself was pretty simple if not a little predictable, however, I was found that this worked for the story. The one thing that I didn’t really like was the fact that, while enjoyable, it didn’t really leave an impression on me. I liked the characters but wasn’t able to love them as much as I would have liked.
If you’re looking for a quick read and something to satisfy the spy in you, this is definitely your book.
Publisher: Speak || Details →
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Similar books that I’ve read → Allie Carter’s Gallagher Girls series
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