August Reviews 2013

 Butter
Grade: B-

Butter, is the story of a morbidly-obese, teen who decides to live-stream his suicide by over eating.  After years and years of being bullied and everyone (adults included) calling him "Butter" instead of by his real name, he creates the website "Buttlerslastmeal.com" and invites his tormentors to suggest items for his last meal. The response to the website is overwhelming and unexpected. In fact, it feels a lot like popularity- something that Butter has only experienced as a result of his weight. As the grim deadline approaches, will Butter follow through with his plans or will he save himself?

We have to admit, this is a pretty bold storyline for mature readers and we were thinking about it long after finishing the final page. There were some conversations we wish had happened between characters and others that were so extreme, that it took us out of the story for a bit. We think Thirteen Reasons Why is a better read concerning bullying and suicide, but this one is certainly unique.

    Born of Illusion
                Grade: B-

Possibly a new YA series, Born of Illusion is set in 1920's New York and tells the story of Anna Van Housen and her uncanny abilities as a magician. Many compare her to the great Harry Houdini and some believe she may actually posses supernatural gifts. Her talents attract the attentions of the Society of Psychical Research, who may not just be observing their subjects, but causing them actual harm.

With kidnappings, mediums speaking to the dead, and a bit of romance, Born of Illusion is an okay read (certainly no Diviners). We liked the descriptions of the time and the tension between Anna and her mother, but felt like the plot wrapped up too quickly and shabbily.

    Railsea
                Grade: A

Moby Dick and a bit of Treasure Island combined and updated with a good dose of steampunk. Instead of ships on the ocean, they use trains crossing a vast landscape of rails. Instead of a white wale, they are searching for giant moles that burst from the earth.

We love it when talented authors take Classics and, without dropping the beautiful language, they give us something that feels new and is totally creative. We suggest you give this one a try, then move on to Herman Melville's classic.

    172 Hours on the Moon
                Grade: B+

In an effort to boost interest in returning to the moon, an international lottery is held to select several teens for the honor of representing their countries on another expedition. But there is a terrifying reason why no one has returned to the moon in decades.

If you are looking for a sci-fi thriller on the moon, with a complete lack of reality (and science), then you should try 172 Hours on the Moon. Just go with the flow and don't analyze whether or not NASA would actually send teens into space or if characters would really react this way.

    In The After
                Grade: A

They hear the most silent of footsteps.
They are faster than anything you've ever seen.
And They won't stop chasing you...until you are dead. -Goodreads

Are they aliens, zombies, or something else? Amy has been trapped in her home alone for weeks, watching the world fall apart. It isn't until she is forced to leave in search of supplies, that she stumbles across "Baby," a toddler left behind in the chaos. The girls hear rumors of a colony of survivors, but are not sure if the group can be trusted.

We really liked this one. We have also noticed a bit of a book brawl between In The After and The 5th Wave. They do have similar storylines, but we felt that this one was a bit more original and moved at a faster pace.

July Reviews 2013

    

                   
The 5th Wave
Grade: B+
After four successful "waves" of an alien invasion, the world is down to a handful of survivors. Cassie, sets out on what appears to be a hopeless journey to rescue her brother who may already be dead.

We love Rick Yancey and we are totally on-board with the whole alien invasion craze that is coming to all of our shelves this fall. We immediately put The 5th Wave on our alert list so that we could read it the moment it was for sale. But mid-way through we began to realize a couple of things- 1) We've read this story before and it was called The Passage. Just swap out the aliens and put in vampires. 2) At some point, toward the end of the book, it turns in to Ender's Game. 3) We know Mr. Yancey is talented, but this just doesn't sound like him (can you say "ghost writer"?). The online clips of each wave will grab you and it's not a total waste of your time to read, but we don't think it lived up to all of the hype.

     Belle Epoque
                      Grade: B

Imagine living in Paris and getting paid to shop and attend lavish parties, but only if you agree to accompany daughters of wealthy Parisians because they think you are plain and will highlight their own daughters' beauty. Maude leaves behind her meager country life for the excitement of Paris only to find that most of the things that are pretty on the outside can be quite ugly on the inside.

The author, Elizabeth Ross, does a great job setting the scene and creating the characters, but the story is a bit slow. However, if you like historical fiction, particularly one set in Paris, then pick this up.

     Black Hole Sun
                      Grade: B

On Mars, a planetary version of the Wild West, Durango and his crew of mercenaries for hire try to prevent a feral band of marauders from stealing the settlers' most valuable resource. -GoodReads

Book 1 of the Hell's Cross trilogy reads like an action movie- lots of action that you are thrown into without much character development early on, so you don't really know if you should care about someone being in danger. But, if you go into it knowing that it is just a fun romp on Mars, you'll like it. We really enjoyed the ribbing that the main character Durango and his implanted assistant Vienne give each other. It's a fast read and the entire trilogy is on our shelves.

     Eleanor & Park
                     Grade: A-

It's 1986 and Eleanor and Park, two misfit teens, are smart enough to know that first-loves rarely last and can be devastating, but they are brave enough to try.

If you are a fan of Dash and Lily's Book of Dares or just about anything by Sarah Dessen, you should give this one a try. We love the honesty of the story and the authentic characters. We expect to see this one on a couple of award lists this year, so don't miss out.

June Reviews 2013

     Catherine
                     Grade: A-

Author April Lindner continues to modernize those British Classics that everyone has been forced to read in their English class. This time, Catherine, is the modern re-telling of Brontes' Wuthering Heights. Although we are still firmly entrenched in the Jane Eyre camp, we found this version of Wuthering Heights far less annoying and easier to follow. We suggest that you read both this version and the original. If you want even more Catherine and Heathcliff drama, you can follow up the books with one of the many films.

    Paper Valentine
                    Grade: A

We have heard that author Brenna Yovanoff writes some crazy, disturbing, but totally fantastic books- and it's TRUE! We thought we'd start with Paper Valentine (guess it was one of those "let's read about serial killers" moments). Hannah's best friend, Lillian died six months ago of starvation. Hannah blames herself for letting her friend waste away and now Lillian is haunting her, trying to get her to investigate a series of murders that are happening in their town. Strange storyline, but certainly not your typical girl detective works with ghost. In fact it really is so much more. If you read this one and like it, we've got her other two- The Replacement and The Space Between- already on our shelves.

     Dodger
                    Grade: A-

Pratchett fans probably won't be disappointed- we weren't, but there were some slow moments in this one and some that felt as though they had been repeated. Dodger saves the day by rescuing a damsel in distress, becomes friends with Charles Dickens, and helps capture Sweeney Todd in this cool mix of adventure and history.

     Wonder Show
                     Grade: A

Sometimes you just have to run off and join the circus... or carnival... or Wonder Show. Portia Remini joins the troupe after running away from a home for girls in the hopes that she will find her father and escape the clutches of Mister. But he has eyes everywhere and he knows the truth about her family. Full of heartfelt characters, Wonder Show is one of the summer must-reads.

     Just One Day
                    Grade: A

Gayle Forman has a knack for setting up a storyline that fills in one side so well, that you really want to know what the other character was doing. That's not a criticism, it's her style. In Just One Day, Allyson Healy takes the Senior trip of a life-time to Europe. While visiting London, she meets Willem and together they take a spontaneous trip to Paris. In just 24-hours, Allyson will experience risk, adventure, love, fear and abandonment which will change her in every way. The companion novel, Just One Year, will be available October 2013.