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93 posts tagged review
Review: Towering by Alex Flinn (3/5 Stars)
Release Date: May 14, 2013
Author Info: Website
Publisher: HarperTeen
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages: 304
Format: Advance Reading Copy
Source: Edelweiss
ISBN: 0062024175
Rating: 
“At first, I merely saw his face, his hands on the window ledge. Then, his whole body as he swung himself through the window. Only I could not see what he swung on.
Until, one day, I told my dream self to look down. And it was then that I saw. He had climbed on a rope. I knew without asking that the rope had been one of my own tying.
Rachel is trapped in a tower, held hostage by a woman she’s always called Mama. Her golden hair is growing rapidly, and to pass the time, she watches the snow fall and sings songs from her childhood, hoping someone, anyone, will hear her.
Wyatt needs time to reflect or, better yet, forget about what happened to his best friend, Tyler. That’s why he’s been shipped off to the Adirondacks in the dead of winter to live with the oldest lady in town. Either that, or no one he knows ever wants to see him again.
Dani disappeared seventeen years ago without a trace, but she left behind a journal that’s never been read, not even by her overbearing mother…until now.
A #1 New York Times bestselling author, Alex Flinn knows her fairy tales, and Towering is her most mind-bending interpretation yet. Dark and mysterious, this reimagining of Rapunzel will have readers on the edge of their seats wondering where Alex will take them next!”
Check out Towering on Goodreads here.
Alex Flinn’s Towering is very obviously a retelling of Rapunzel with a twist—it wouldn’t be a Flinn novel otherwise. Towering is an original adaptation of a tale that has become increasingly popular and it was refreshing seeing it brought to life in a new light. A fun and surprisingly quick read, Towering is a cute story to be read on a quiet afternoon. Though it is at times cheesy (as fairy tales often are), Flinn’s new novel includes a surprise twist and an ending fit for a fairy tale.
Review: Parallel by Lauren Miller (5/5 Stars)
Release Date: May 14, 2013
Author Info: Website
Publisher: HarperTeen
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages: 432
Format: Advance Reading Copy
Source: Edelweiss
ISBN: 006219979X
Rating: 
“Abby Barnes had a plan. The Plan. She’d go to Northwestern, major in journalism, and land a job at a national newspaper, all before she turned twenty-two. But one tiny choice—taking a drama class her senior year of high school—changed all that. Now, on the eve of her eighteenth birthday, Abby is stuck on a Hollywood movie set, miles from where she wants to be, wishing she could rewind her life. The next morning, she’s in a dorm room at Yale, with no memory of how she got there. Overnight, it’s as if her past has been rewritten.
With the help of Caitlin, her science-savvy BFF, Abby discovers that this new reality is the result of a cosmic collision of parallel universes that has Abby living an alternate version of her life. And not only that: Abby’s life changes every time her parallel self makes a new choice. Meanwhile, her parallel is living out Abby’s senior year of high school and falling for someone Abby’s never even met.
As she struggles to navigate her ever-shifting existence, forced to live out the consequences of a path she didn’t choose, Abby must let go of the Plan and learn to focus on the present, without losing sight of who she is, the boy who might just be her soul mate, and the destiny that’s finally within reach.”
Check out Parallel on Goodreads here.
Parallel by Lauren Miller is a young adult sci-fi debut that explores the “what-if” theme. It is a very unassuming novel that begins like many other young adult novels with fluffy story lines. But when we get accustomed to Miller’s fictional world and begin to guess at what will happen next, we are literally lifted from one place to another, which is quite mind-bending—and oh, so, so brilliant!
Time to start #writing a #review! I hope my #tea doesn’t go cold this time… #yabooks #yalit #yareads #youngadult #leahkonen #meritpress #blog #books #bookstagram
Review: Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins (4/5 Stars)
Release Date: September 29, 2011
Author Info: Website
Publisher: Dutton Books
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages: 338
Format: Hardcover
Source: Chapters
ISBN: 0525423281
Rating: 
“Budding designer Lola Nolan doesn’t believe in fashion…she believes in costume. The more expressive the outfit—more sparkly, more fun, more wild—the better. But even though Lola’s style is outrageous, she’s a devoted daughter and friend with some big plans for the future. And everything is pretty perfect (right down to her hot rocker boyfriend) until the dreaded Bell twins, Calliope and Cricket, return to the neighborhood.
When Cricket—a gifted inventor—steps out from his twin sister’s shadow and back into Lola’s life, she must finally reconcile a lifetime of feelings for the boy next door.”
-Check Lola and the Boy Next Door on Goodreads here.
Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins is a feel-good romantic novel. As expected, Perkins’s second novel is full of moments that make the reader wish s/he had such a romantic dilemma. Fun, incredibly witty, and more than just a love story, Lola and the Boy Next Door is a fun and quick read.
Review: Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion
Release Date: November 1, 2011
Publisher: Atria/Emily Bestler Books
Age Group: Adult
Pages: 239
Format: Paperback
Source: Chapters
ISBN: 1439192324
Rating: 
“R is a young man with an existential crisis—he is a zombie.
He shuffles through an America destroyed by war, social collapse, and the mindless hunger of his undead comrades, but he craves something more than blood and brains.
He can speak just a few grunted syllables, but his inner life is deep, full of wonder and longing. He has no memories, noidentity, and no pulse, but he has dreams.
After experiencing a teenage boy’s memories while consuming his brain, R makes an unexpected choice that begins a tense, awkward, and stragely sweet relationship with the victim’s human girlfriend.
Julie is a blast of color in the otherwise dreary and gray landscape that surrounds R. His decision to protect her will transform not only R, but his fellow Dead, and perhaps their whole lifeless world.
Scary, funny, and surprisingly poignant, Warm Bodies is about being alive, being dead, and the blurry line in between.”
-Goodreads
Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion is the Romeo and Juliet of the zombie world. Told in unexpectedly beautiful prose, Marion’s protagonist, R, challenges his undead life and manages to push the existential questions on his readers. His exploration of the confusing and dangerous world that spawned him make for a heavy read, which leads to a powerful conclusion.
R personifies what I’ve always wondered about zombies. He gives the reader an all-access pass to the possible thoughts of a zombie. I mean, sure, we all know zombies love blood, guts, and brains, but what exactly goes on in their heads? Is a zombie an empty vessel that simply feeds, or does the essence of what s/he once was still linger within the confines of the rotting corpse?
Review: Hooked by Liz Fichera (4/5 Stars)
Release Date: January 31, 2013
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages: 368
Format: ARC
Source: NetGalley
ISBN: 0373210728
Rating: 
“When Native American Fredericka ‘Fred’ Oday is invited to become the only girl on the school’s golf team, she can’t say no. This is an opportunity to shine, win a scholarship and go to university, something no one in her family has done.
But Fred’s presence on the team isn’t exactly welcome — especially not to rich golden boy Ryan Berenger, whose best friend was kicked off the team to make a spot for Fred.
But there’s no denying that things are happening between the girl with the killer swing and the boy with the killer smile…
GET HOOKED ON A GIRL NAMED FRED.”
-Goodreads
Liz Fichera’s Hooked is a young adult novel that deals out originality like a pro card dealer, but not so much that the reader might be put off by the newness of the topics explored.
Fichera brings to light the difficulties that Native Americans may face, especially teenagers that grow up alongside the larger population of caucasian residents. Hooked is like candy for the reader, despite its admittedly eye-opening topic. When the novel concludes, the reader will have cavities from all the drama, but s/he will also have the sweet memory of the treat s/he has just devoured.
Review: The Namesake by Steven Parlato (5/5 Stars)
Article first published as Book Review: The Namesake by Steven Parlato on Blogcritics.
Release Date: January 18, 2013
Publisher: Merit Press
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages: 288
Format: ARC
Source: Publisher
ISBN: 1440554579
Rating: 
“Gifted artist? Standout student?
All his teachers are sure certain that Evan Galloway can be the graduate who brings glory to small, ordinary St. Sebastian’s School.
As for Evan, however, he can’t be bothered anymore.
Since the shock of his young father’s suicide last spring, Evan no longer cares about the future. In fact, he believes that he spent the first fifteen years of his life living a lie. Despite his mother’s encouragement and the steadfast companionship of his best friend, Alexis, Evan is mired in rage and bitterness. Good memories seem ludicrous when the present holds no hope.
Then Evan’s grandmother hands him the key—literally, a key—to a locked trunk that his father hid when he was the same age as Evan is now. Digging into the trunk and the small-town secrets it uncovers, Evan can begin to face who his father really was, and why even the love of his son could not save him.
In a voice that resonates with the authenticity of grief, Steven Parlato tells a different kind of coming-of-age story, about a boy thrust into adulthood too soon, through the corridor of shame, disbelief, and finally…compassion.”
-Goodreads
Steven Parlato’s The Namesake is an emotionally stimulating young adult novel that delves into the powerful topic of abuse. Using dry wit, incredible similes and metaphors, and a very thought-provoking storyline, Parlato introduces the reader to an original and unforgiving exploration of the teenage psyche.
Parlato lulls the reader into a false sense of security, making him/her think the story is cliched and predictable. But then, Parlato surprises the reader, leaving him/her as lonely, desperate, and confused as the protagonist himself.
Review: What We Saw At Night by Jacquelyn Mitchard (3/5 Stars)
Release Date: January 8, 2013
Publisher: Soho Teen
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages: 239
Format: Ebook
Source: NetGalley
ISBN: 1616951427
Rating: 
“Sixteen-year-old Allie kim suffers from Xeroderma Pigmentosum: a fatal allergy to sunlight that confines her and her two best friends, Rob and Juliet, to the night.
When freewheeling Juliet introduces Allie and Rob to Parkour - the stunt-sport of scaling and leaping off tall buildings, risky by day and potentially deadly in darkness - Allie feels truly alive, equal to the “daytimers”.
But on a random summer night , while practicing Parkour on an apartment building, the trio catches a glimpse of what appears to be a murder. Allie alone takes it upon herself to investigate. Navigating the shadowy world of specialized XP care, extreme sports, and forbidden love, she ultimately uncovers a secret that upends everything she believes about the people she trust the most…at an unthinkable price.”
-Goodreads
What We Saw At Night by Jacquelyn Mitchard is a young adult mystery that introduces readers to a unique storyline about teenagers suffering from a very rare condition. The novel is a very quickly paced book that can be read in a day, but it strives to be memorable by throwing red herrings that rather than intrigue the reader, may in fact confuse him/her.
Review: Scarlette by Davonna Juroe (5/5 Stars)
Article first published as Book Review: Scarlette by Davonna Juroe on Blogcritics.
Release Date: October 12, 2012
Publisher: BumbleB Media, Inc.
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages: 326
Format: Ebook
Source: Publisher
ISBN: B009PU7TJQ
Rating: 
“Find the Beast ~ Find the Cure
Scarlette, an 18-year-old peasant, lives under a dark threat. A nightmarish creature lurks in the surrounding forest, killing the villagers one by one. When Scarlette’s grandmother survives an attack, Scarlette learns that her grandmother hasn’t suffered the bite of just any normal animal.
Now desperate, Scarlette searches throughout her province to find a cure. But there are those who want to keep their pasts hidden. As she begins to uncover the dark secrets of her village, Scarlette is befriended by a local nobleman and a woodcutter who share a gruesome history with the beast. To save her grandmother, Scarlette must unravel their mystery and solve an age-old crime. But as she pieces together the clues, Scarlette finds herself torn between the two men, both of whom want to be more than friends and hold the key to the cure.
What if Little Red Riding Hood was Real?
Based on both the Grimm and Perrault versions of Little Red Riding Hood and set against the terrifying, historic Beast of Gévaudan attacks, this dark YA retelling blends two epic legends, giving the fabled girl-in-the-red-cloak a new, shockingly real existence.”
-Goodreads
Davonna Juroe’s Scarlette is a young adult gothic romance novel that follows a naive protagonist in a dark and distressing world. Through a strikingly described setting, an eerie plot, and characters befitting the novel’s genre, Juroe creates a nail-biting adaptation of Charles Perrault’s Little Red Riding Hood.
Review: Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout (5/5 Stars)
Release Date: May 8, 2012
Publisher: Entangled Teen
Age Group: Young Adult, 14+
Pages: 335
Format: Paperback
Source: Chapters
ISBN: 1620610078
Rating: 
“Starting over sucks.
When we moved to West Virginia right before my senior year, I’d pretty much resigned myself to thick accents, dodgy internet access, and a whole lot of boring…. until I spotted my hot neighbor, with his looming height and eerie green eyes. Things were looking up.
And then he opened his mouth.
Daemon is infuriating. Arrogant. Stab-worthy. We do not get along. At all. But when a stranger attacks me and Daemon literally freezes time with a wave of his hand, well, something…unexpected happens.
The hot alien living next door marks me.
You heard me. Alien. Turns out Daemon and his sister have a galaxy of enemies wanting to steal their abilities, and Daemon’s touch has me lit up like the Vegas Strip. The only way I’m getting out of this alive is by sticking close to Daemon until my alien mojo fades.
If I don’t kill him first, that is.”
-Goodreads
Jennifer L. Armentrout’s Obsidian is a sexy, unique, and surprising piece of work. Honestly, this book is so hyped up that I thought it would be a let-down—but holy crap, no. NO. Obsidian has a strong female protagonist, an unusual storyline, and well, erm, very sexy descriptions.
Review: inDIVISIBLE by Ryan Hunter (5/5 Stars)
Release Date: September 1, 2012
Publisher: Ryan Hunter
Author Info: Website
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages: 257
Format: ebook
Source: Author
ASIN: B0093HDV20
Rating: 
“Brynn Aberdie had everything: a loving family, security and an electronic implant that monitored every move.
Brynn had everything but freedom.
When her father’s life is taken Brynn vows to find that freedom, but it’s a task that puts her life at stake. She’s tagged as a terrorist and put on an Alliance kill list, forcing her to leave her home and become the rebel they already believe her to be.
Brynn learns a lesson many in One United have already learned – by failing to protect they’re rights, Citizens have forfeited their lives with little hope to ever recover their own identities.”
-Goodreads
Ryan Hunter’s inDIVISIBLE is a very impressive young adult dystopian novel. The story is fast-paced, brimming with potential, and hosts a collection of mysterious and well-rounded characters. Hunter’s novel is a wonderful start to a very promising series.
Review: Exposure by Kim Askew & Amy Helmes (5/5 Stars)
Article first published as Book Review: Exposure by Kim Askew and Amy Helmes on Blogcritics.
Release Date: January 18, 2013
Publisher: Merit Press
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages: 272
Format: Paperback
Source: Publisher
ISBN: 1440552614
Rating:
“Double, double, toil and trouble. Sometimes, the quest for high school royalty can be deadly!
In this emotionally-charged twist on Shakespeare’s Macbeth, a self-conscious shutterbug named Skye Kingston navigates a treacherous school year in Alaska fraught with unspoken secrets and tragic twists of fate.
Along the way she encounters three strangely prophetic BFFs; one social-climbing, sociopathic cheerleader; and a heart-stopping hottie named Craig McKenzie: the man who would be Prom King. Can Skye save the boy she loves — and herself — before they get caught in the crosshairs?”
-Goodreads
Exposure by Kim Askew and Amy Helmes is the second installment in the Twisted Lit series. It is also an adaptation of William Shakespeare’s Macbeth. The prologue offers a unique introduction into the story, while the protagonist is a smart twist to Shakespeare’s most tragic play. Set in Alaska, Askew and Helmes pull the reader into a world as new and unique as their story line.
Review: Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer (5/5 Stars)
Release Date: October 1, 2006
Publisher: Harcourt Children’s Books
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages: 337
Format: Paperback
Source: Chapters
ISBN: 0152058265
Rating: 
“Miranda’s disbelief turns to fear in a split second when a meteor knocks the moon closer to the earth. How should her family prepare for the future when worldwide tsunamis wipe out the coasts, earthquakes rock the continents, and volcanic ash blocks out the sun? As summer turns to Arctic winter, Miranda, her two brothers, and their mother retreat to the unexpected safe haven of their sunroom, where they subsist on stockpiled food and limited water in the warmth of a wood-burning stove.
Told in journal entries, this is the heart-pounding story of Miranda’s struggle to hold on to the most important resource of all—hope—in an increasingly desperate and unfamiliar world.”
-Goodreads
Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer is one of those post-apocalyptic books that gives you all the scary details of what life would be like if the world took a turn for the worse, without being over-the-top and over-dramatic. Pfeffer creates a story where readers get to see what life is like as the apocalypse happens, rather than after. Addicting, emotionally stimulating, and an excellent example of character growth, Life As We Knew It is a must read for fans of the apocalyptic genre.
Review: “Three Cheers for Chunky” by Mike Ronny (5/5 Stars)
Release Date: May 7, 2012
Author Info: Amazon
Publisher: Amazon Digital Services
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages: 10
Format: Ebook
Source: Author
ISBN: B007IIBZ0Q
Rating: 
“Chunky plans to spend junior year of high school goofing off with his friends, watching soap operas with his Grandma, and stuffing his face with as much candy as humanly possible. But then, as a joke, a classmate signs him up for the track team. To everyone’s surprise, Chunky accepts this challenge – well, sort of.”
-Amazon
When I first started reading “Three Cheers for Chunky” by Mike Ronny I wasn’t sure what to expect. On one hand, it was a relief to read and review a short story, on the other hand—I haven’t read a short story since last spring, and that was for school. On that note, however, I found Ronny’s short story to be a fun, light read with a surprisingly strong message.
Review: Moonlight Mayhem by Sherry Soule (4/5 Stars)
Release Date: July 2, 2012
Publisher: Moonlight Publishing
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages: 306
Format: ARC
Source: Author
ISBN: 9780615665658
Rating: 
“Otherworldly Creatures. Dazzling Magic. Fiery Romance.
Shiloh Ravenwolf thought she was getting used to the strange events in Whispering Pines, until the full moon brings another surge of supernatural threats to her coastal town. Ferocious wolves, deadly necromancers, and shambling zombies have descended upon the neighborhood, so Shiloh needs to gain control of her magical abilities—fast!
It sucks that she has a crippling fear of the dark, which for a demon hunter can be an epic problem. But she spends so much time wallowing in the darkness, how can she not become a part of it?
When her classmates are attacked by a mysterious creature and her father is murdered, Shiloh vows vengeance. Forcing her phobias aside, she forms an unlikely coven of supernaturally gifted teens to help her eradicate this menace. Except that’s not all Shiloh has to worry about. She’s battling a different monster within herself and struggling not to become the very thing she fights: evil.
But with demon blood inside her—anything can happen…”
-Goodreads
I’m a fan of Sherry Soule because of how captivating her story lines are.
She has these immense ideas that, if put successfully onto paper, will steal the reader’s attention for hours. The difference between Moonlight Mayhem and Beautifully Broken is extreme.
Beautifully Broken, the first in the Spellbound series, has a protagonist, Shiloh, that was a bit too emotionally unattached. In Moonlight Mayhem, the sequel, Shiloh is too emotionally attached to her father’s death, but barely mentions her other friends.
Moonlight Mayhem will make an entertaining read for readers. However, my focus was occasionally stolen by misused words. I did enjoy, however, how the characters surpassed the high school cliches to work together on the problem at hand.
Seeing as this is a sequel, there’s not much I can say without causing huge spoilers. So, read at your own risk.
