Betting Blind by Stephanie Guerra - Review

Betting Blind
(Betting Blind #1)
by Stephanie Guerra
Expected publication: November 4, 2014 by Skyscape

Some risks are worth taking...

The cards are stacking up against Gabriel James: first there’s Phil, the guy paying the bills for Gabe’s mom (but not leaving his wife). Then there’s Gabe’s new school, filled with kids competing for the Ivies, Silicon Valley, and Wall Street—while Gabe’s just trying to swing enough Cs to graduate.

Gabe’s luck seems ready to change when he meets Irina Petrova: a hot violinist who is home-schooled by her strict Russian parents. When Gabe gets her number, he impresses the top guys at his school. When he becomes the drug connection for parties, his reputation is solidified. How else is he going to afford hanging with his new crew and impressing Irina? Anyway, it’s not really dealing if you’re just hooking up friends...right?

Gabe’s never been loyal to a girl before, but he finds himself falling for Irina hard. As the stakes are raised, Gabe will have to decide how high he’s willing to bet on school, on friends, on Irina—but most of all, on himself.

Goodreads * Amazon

My review:

Gabe has always had a hard life, growing up poor in an area full of gamblers, drug dealers and drug addicts. It's not much better now, even though he is living with his mom in a nice place and is in a nice school. His mom is the mistress of a married man who is paying all of their bills, but if they need any money for anything extra, his mom has to ask permission. And Gabe knows he doesn't fit in at his new school. His life is like night and day compared to the kids there. When a hot Russian, homeschooled violinist performs at his school, Gabe gets her number to impress some popular guys. He succeeds and now they are interested in hanging out with him. He needs money for clothes and activities they do so he can fit in. But he also needs money to impress Irina, because he is certainly interested in her. So now he is conflicted with his need to have the money to impress the guys and Irina and his desire to be better and be the kind of person Irina expects him to be.

Stephanie Guerra has managed to flawlessly depict Gabe because the laid-back, street slang easily makes a reader feel they are in Gabe's head. It is easy to see Gabe's internal conflict about selling drugs and understand that the life he has had is the main reason he feels he really has no other solution. You don't have to like Gabe or agree with his decisions to like this story. This sort of thing goes on more than most people want to realize because that kind of life almost always leaves the person with no options, and I really enjoyed how Ms. Guerra highlighted that sad fact while the focus was on Gabe and his story.

Betting Blind doesn't so much have an ending as this part of Gabe's story is wrapped up with the next stage already set up. I don't always like this sort of ending, but Ms. Guerra handled it nicely. I am looking forward to the next book in the series to follow Gabe's story, and I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading about the grittier side of real life.

A copy was provided for an honest review.

*You can also check out my review of Torn by Stephanie Guerra.

About the author:

Stephanie Guerra is the winner of the 2014 Virginia Hamilton Essay Award for her contribution to the professional literature concerning multicultural literary experiences for youth. Her debut young adult novel, Torn, received a starred audiobook review from School Library Journal. Kirkus called her “a strong new voice” and Booklist praised her “complex characters.” Her first middle grade novel, Billy the Kid is Not Crazy, is on shelves now. Kirkus noted the “energy, wit and sensitivity” and “strong characterizations” in Billy.  Stephanie teaches children’s literature and writing at Seattle University. She also teaches creative writing at King County Juvenile Detention and researches and speaks about literacy instruction for at-risk teens. Her next two novels for teens, Betting Blind and Out of Aces, will be out in 2014 and 2015. Her Zach and Lucy series for early readers, co-written with Jennifer Bradbury, will be out in 2016. Stephanie thanks Seattle Office of Arts & Culture and 4Culture for their generous support of her work. She lives in Seattle with her husband and children.   

Find out more at StephanieGuerra.com. 

Skinny by Donna Cooner - Throwback Thursday Review

A "Throwback Thursday Review" is either a book I read way back when but didn't write a review for whatever reason (usually, probably forgot ... oops...) or it is a review on a book I got but then didn't get around to reading until now (again, usually, probably just forgot).

Up this week is Skinny by Donna Cooner. I read this book back in 2012 right before it came out and really enjoyed, and I don't know why I didn't write a review then. Apparently, that part of 2012 was a bad time for me to actually get reviews written because it seems all of my "Throwback Thursday" reviews are coming from then.

Skinny by Donna Cooner
Published: September 2012

Find your voice.

Hopeless. Freak. Elephant. Pitiful. These are the words of Skinny, the vicious voice that lives inside fifteen-year-old Ever Davies’s head. Skinny tells Ever all the dark thoughts her classmates have about her. Ever knows she weighs over three hundred pounds, knows she’ll probably never be loved, and Skinny makes sure she never forgets it.

But there is another voice: Ever’s singing voice, which is beautiful but has been silenced by Skinny. Partly in the hopes of trying out for the school musical—and partly to try and save her own life—Ever decides to undergo a risky surgery that may help her lose weight and start over.

With the support of her best friend, Ever begins the uphill battle toward change. But demons, she finds, are not so easy to shake, not even as she sheds pounds. Because Skinny is still around. And Ever will have to confront that voice before she can truly find her own. 

 Goodreads * Amazon

My review:

Skinny is the story of Ever, an overweight teenager who decides to have gastric bypass surgery. "Skinny" is the little voice in Ever's head that calls her names and tells her everyone is disgusted by her. Even as Ever loses weight, the voice of Skinny never goes away and keeps telling Ever she isn't good enough.

Skinny explores the hard issues of self-esteem, being happy with yourself, confidence, following your dreams, and what true friendship really means. This is an excellent story, and I would recommend it.

Copy was provided for an honest review.

About the author:

Donna Cooner was born and raised in Texas. She is a three time graduate of Texas A&M University. A former teacher and school administrator, she now teaches teachers and principals at Colorado State University where she is the director of the School of Teacher Education and Principal Preparation. She lives in Fort Collins, Colorado, with her two labs and a cat named Stu. She's a big fan of chocolate and laughing (not necessarily in that order).

Donna is the author of over twenty picture books and was a founding member of the Brazos Valley Society of Children's Bookwriters and Illustrators. She has also written children's television shows for PBS and textbooks for future teachers. SKINNY is her debut novel for young adults.

Find out more at DonnaCooner.com.

Butter by Erin Jade Lange - Throwback Thursday Review

A "Throwback Thursday Review" is either a book I read way back when but didn't write a review for whatever reason (usually, probably forgot ... oops...) or it is a review on a book I got but then didn't get around to reading until now (again, usually, probably just forgot).

Today's review is Butter by Erin Jade Lange. This is another book that I read way back in September 2012 and can't figure out why I didn't write a review then because I did enjoy it. Like before, I probably just forgot.

Butter by Erin Jade Lange
Published: September 2012

A lonely obese boy everyone calls "Butter" is about to make history. He is going to eat himself to death-live on the Internet-and everyone is invited to watch. When he first makes the announcement online to his classmates, Butter expects pity, insults, and possibly sheer indifference. What he gets are morbid cheerleaders rallying around his deadly plan. Yet as their dark encouragement grows, it begins to feel a lot like popularity. And that feels good. But what happens when Butter reaches his suicide deadline? Can he live with the fallout if he doesn't go through with his plans?

With a deft hand, E.J. Lange allows readers to identify with both the bullies and the bullied in this all-consuming look at one teen's battle with himself.

Goodreads * Amazon

My review:

An obese, teenaged boy called Butter makes a cry for help by creating a website claiming that he will eat himself to death and do it live online. It isn't really presented as a "cry for help," but that is what it boils down to. Butter doesn't really want to eat himself to death. However, when it seems like everyone at school is so excited about his claim and looking forward to the big event, Butter feels that there is nothing to do but go through with it. 

Butter is a great emotional story that explores one young boy's feelings about being obese, why he eats so much, other people's attitudes toward him, and his loneliness and desperation. I did think everything may have been tied up a little too easily and smoothly in the end, but overall, this was a book that I really enjoyed and would recommend.

Copy was provided for review.

About the author:

Erin writes facts by day and fiction by night. As a journalist, she is inspired by current events and real-world issues and uses her writing to explore how those issues impact teenagers.

She is an only child, so she spent a lot of time entertaining herself as a kid. This required her to rely heavily on her own imagination, which is probably why she became a writer.

Erin grew up in the cornfields of northern Illinois, along the Mississippi River in one of the few places it flows east to west. She now lives in the sunshine of Arizona and will forever be torn between her love of rivers and her love of the desert.

Find out more at ErinJadeLange.com.

     

Shimmer (Breathe #2) by Elena Dillon - Review

Shimmer (Breathe #2)
by Elena Dillon
Published: August 28, 2014

Chandler Raines and her “dad” are on the run. Never staying in one place for very long. It’s just not safe. When they arrive in Lafayette, Louisiana, Chandler quickly realizes this is the place she wants to call home. Friends, a cute boy, and competitive cheerleading have her taking dangerous risks to have the life she always wanted. Risks she promised she wouldn’t take.

When her lies catch up to her, a decision has to be made. Stay or run? Will the evil that’s chased them for the last four years catch up to them? When Chandler’s past comes screeching into the present she’ll have to sacrifice everything to keep what she loves safe. But will it be enough?

Goodreads * Amazon

My review:
In Shimmer, we get to meet back up with Caedan, Lily, Abby, and Finn, who we first met in Breathe. But now "Chandler" is about to come in and shake things up a bit. The reader finds out early on that her name isn't really Chandler, the man she is with isn't really her dad, and that she moves around a lot with a new identity every time because they are running from someone. 

This story takes place 4 years after the events in Breathe, so our cute little pre-teens have grown up some. Lily and Abby are still best friends, and they immediately take Chandler in as their new best friend. Chandler is ecstatic because she mostly keeps to herself and has few friends because they don't stay in one place for very long. On the other hand, Chandler isn't so sure what to think about Caeden, who has grown into a smart, sexy, motorcycle-riding bad boy. Plus, Caeden is fiercely protective of his family because of their past, and he is suspicious of Chandler and wonders what she is hiding.

As I said in my review of Breathe, I wish the feel of Southern Louisiana life had come through more in this story. Regardless, I still really enjoyed Shimmer. I loved the friendship between the girls and was really glad we got to see more of Lily and Caedan. I think the suspense and the love story was even better than in the first book. I would recommend this book and this series to anyone who enjoys romantic suspense. 

This book could technically be read as a stand-alone, but you will want to have read Breathe before you read Shimmer just so you can get to know Caeden and Lily better.

A copy was provided for review.

About the author:

Elena lives and writes in a suburb North of Los Angeles.  She has never lived anywhere besides California which is probably a good thing since she hates being cold and is terrified to drive in the snow. She loves being a wife and a mother to her three kids and three dogs, although really the bulldog is the fourth child who has never matured beyond the toddler stage.

A self-proclaimed nerd, she has been writing since she was a child. She has only recently, however, come out of the closet about this to her family and friends.  They now understand better, but not completely, why she talks about characters in stories as if they are real people.

Find out more at ElenaDillon.com.
 

Breathe by Elena Dillon - Review

Breathe by Elena Dillon
Published: December 2012

Jasmine’s life wasn’t normal for a 16 year old girl. It hadn’t been normal since the murder of her older sister, Daisy, two years ago. Her life had been changed forever. The monster that murdered Daisy was never caught. That was the reason her family decided to move away from their hometown in Southern California, to start over. Hopefully in a place where the last name Rourke wouldn’t bring on staring or judgment or morbid curiosity.

In Lafayette, Louisiana things are quite a bit different but in a good way. Good manners, Cajun accents and a whole lot of Southern Hospitality all make her think things are going in the right direction. On top of that the most gorgeous boy she has ever met is interested in her. Her new friends are better than she could have hoped for even if she is worried about what they might think when they find out who she is. Life would be perfect if odd things didn’t keep happening. Creepy phone calls, texts, and flowers in her locker start adding up quickly to something terrifying. Could the Monster have followed them to Lafayette? Was he coming after her this time? Maybe she was just worrying unnecessarily…or not.

Goodreads * Amazon

My review:

Jasmine, her mom, and her younger siblings have to move away from California so that they can have a shot at a somewhat normal life. They know nothing will ever ease the pain of losing Daisy, but they need to move away from the sympathy and the prying eyes and start over where everyone doesn't know what happened. And, they think, they are moving away from the murderer, who was never caught. When they arrive in Lafayette, Jasmine quickly makes good friends and catches the eye of charming, handsome Easton. Breathe is mostly focused on the love story between Jasmine and Easton, while always present is Jasmine's daily struggle to have a normal life, put everything into "compartments" so that she can cope with the stress, and the knowledge that the murderer is out there and may even be in Lafayette.

"Most days I can almost forget someone murdered my sister. I try to go through every day like a normal sixteen-year-old. I can eat breakfast, go to school, do homework, but then something will remind me that my family will never be the same." This was the amazing beginning to Breathe, and I was immediately hooked and interested in the story and in Jasmine.

As someone raised in Arkansas, I was tickled to see Smackover as the place Jasmine's brother, Caedan, picked as his choice of where to move. I also lived in Louisiana for several years, and that was one of the reasons I so readily agreed to review this book. I wish the Louisiana vibe had come through more. Unfortunately, I felt like this story could have taken place anywhere, and I was only reminded it was set in Louisiana when Ms. Dillon pointed it out. Instead of the author just referring to their strong accent, I would have liked for there to have been at least a few times where that accent was actually portrayed with the words used and the way those words would have been pronounced. I also really would have liked to see a few times when common words that are used in Southern Louisiana had been added into the dialogue. 

Besides the Louisiana feel not coming through for me, I really enjoyed Breathe. Jasmine was a well developed character that a reader can easily empathize with even if you don't agree with or understand her way of coping with things. Overall, this is a good, solid, sweet young adult romance with a lot of suspense mixed in. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys romantic suspense.

A copy was provided for review.

About the author:

Elena lives and writes in a suburb North of Los Angeles.  She has never lived anywhere besides California which is probably a good thing since she hates being cold and is terrified to drive in the snow. She loves being a wife and a mother to her three kids and three dogs, although really the bulldog is the fourth child who has never matured beyond the toddler stage.

A self-proclaimed nerd, she has been writing since she was a child. She has only recently, however, come out of the closet about this to her family and friends.  They now understand better, but not completely, why she talks about characters in stories as if they are real people.

Find out more at ElenaDillon.com.

     

Unhinged by A.G. Howard - Waiting on Wednesday

If you have read Splintered by A.G. Howard, my selection today is one you will be waiting on. If you haven't read Splintered, you should so you will be caught up and ready for Unhinged. And just look at this cover!

Unhinged by A.G. Howard

(Splintered, #2)

Expected publication: January 7, 2014

Alyssa Gardner has been down the rabbit hole and faced the bandersnatch. She saved the life of Jeb, the guy she loves, and escaped the machinations of the disturbingly seductive Morpheus and the vindictive Queen Red. Now all she has to do is graduate high school and make it through prom so she can attend the prestigious art school in London she's always dreamed of.

That would be easier without her mother, freshly released from an asylum, acting overly protective and suspicious. And it would be much simpler if the mysterious Morpheus didn’t show up for school one day to tempt her with another dangerous quest in the dark, challenging Wonderland—where she (partly) belongs.

As prom and graduation creep closer, Alyssa juggles Morpheus’s unsettling presence in her real world with trying to tell Jeb the truth about a past he’s forgotten. Glimpses of Wonderland start to bleed through her art and into her world in very disturbing ways, and Morpheus warns that Queen Red won’t be far behind.

If Alyssa stays in the human realm, she could endanger Jeb, her parents, and everyone she loves. But if she steps through the rabbit hole again, she'll face a deadly battle that could cost more than just her head.

Add on Goodreads. 

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Breaking the Spine.  

A Tale of Two Centuries by Rachel Harris - Review

A Tale of Two Centuries
by Rachel Harris
August 6, 2013 by Entangled Teen

Alessandra D’Angeli is in need of an adventure. Tired of her sixteenth-century life in Italy and homesick for her time-traveling cousin, Cat, who visited her for a magical week and dazzled her with tales of the future, Alessandra is lost. Until the stars hear her plea.

One mystical spell later, Alessandra appears on Cat’s Beverly Hills doorstep five hundred years in the future. Surrounded by confusing gadgets, scary transportation, and scandalous clothing, Less is hesitant to live the life of a twenty-first century teen…until she meets the infuriating—and infuriatingly handsome—surfer Austin Michaels. Austin challenges everything she believes in…and introduces her to a world filled with possibility.

With the clock ticking, Less knows she must live every moment of her modern life while she still can. But how will she return to the drab life of her past when the future is what holds everything she’s come to love? 

My Short and Sweet Review:
In A Tale of Two Centuries, Alessandra (Less) is the one doing the time-traveling. She suddenly finds herself in the same time and place as her cousin, who we met in My Super Sweet Sixteenth Century. In this one, there are many hilarious moments as Less comes into contact with modern day items, things we don't even think about how they would appear to someone from the past. Less changes and grows as a person because of her experiences and isn't sure she can ever be happy going back to the kind of life she lives in the 16th century. I really enjoyed the first book, but I think I liked reading about Alessandra's adventure even more.

You will probably like this book if you like sweet, fun YA with a side of time-travel and a dash of romance.

You may not like this book if you only like the "more mature YA" (or, of course, if you don't enjoy YA at all).

A copy was provided by the author for an honest review.   

About the Author:
Rachel Harris grew up in New Orleans, watching soap operas with her grandmother, and staying up late sneak-reading her mama's romance novels. Today, she still stays up late reading romances, only now she does so openly. 

A Cajun cowgirl now living in Houston, she firmly believes life's problems can be solved with a hot, sugar-coated beignet or a thick slice of king cake, and that screaming at strangers for cheap, plastic beads is acceptable behavior in certain situations. 

She homeschools her two beautiful girls and watches countless hours of Food Network and reality television with her amazing husband. She writes young adult, new adult, and adult Fun, Flirty Escapes, and LOVES talking with readers!

Find out more at RachelHarrisWrites.com. 

 

Dear Cassie by Lisa Burstein: Review

Dear Cassie by Lisa Burstein
Expected publication: March 5, 2013
Entangled Teen

What if the last place you should fall in love is the first place that you do?

You’d think getting sent to Turning Pines Wilderness Camp for a month-long rehabilitation “retreat” and being forced to re-live it in this journal would be the worst thing that’s ever happened to me.

You’d be wrong.

There’s the reason I was sent to Turning Pines in the first place: I got arrested. On prom night. With my two best friends, who I haven’t talked to since and probably never will again. And then there’s the real reason I was sent here. The thing I can’t talk about with the guy I can’t even think about.

What if the moment you’ve closed yourself off is the moment you start to break open?

But there’s this guy here. Ben. And the more I swear he won’t—he can’t—the deeper under my skin he’s getting. After the thing that happened, I promised I’d never fall for another boy’s lies.

And yet I can’t help but wonder…what if?

Add on Goodreads.

My Review:
We first met Cassie in Pretty Amy as part of the trio of friends that broke into a guy's house after they were stood up for prom night, stole his pot, and managed to get themselves arrested with it. Cassie was the "tough guy" of the group, never showing emotion and never really letting anyone in. In Dear Cassie, we find out why she is so closed off from relationships and so guarded with her emotions. Besides Cassie's tough childhood and getting arrested with a crap load of pot on prom night, she is also trying to figure out how to deal with a life altering decision she was forced to make after the arrest. Now Cassie is being sent to rehab to try to keep herself out of jail, but she wonders if this will be enough? Will it really help her?
 
I have developed a love/hate relationship with Lisa Burstein. And I use the word "hate" in a very loose sense because I don't really mean hate. This is the third book I've read by this author. (Well, two books and one novella. Review on the novella coming soon.) I must say that I have been pleasantly surprised that I have enjoyed them so much. On the surface, Dear Cassie may look like a typical YA book with a whiny "oh poor me" main character where everything pretty much turns out perfectly even though they complain about their hard life the whole time, but you get so much more than that. Lisa Burstein manages to capture the raw emotions and effectively portray them so that the reader can relate to the character and the situation. Both Pretty Amy and Dear Cassie take real situations and show how hard it can be to deal with the consequences. I enjoy this type of YA/NA book and wish that I had been able to find these when I was that age. Now for the "hate" part. I rarely find myself so drawn into a character's world that I am disappointed at the end of the book. Not disappointed in the story but disappointed that it was over because I was so drawn into Cassie's world that I want to know what happens next. What is Cassie's next step? I am really hoping we find out in a follow up. Is Lila's story up next? I hope so.

A copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Read my review of Pretty Amy.

About the author:
Lisa Burstein received her MFA in Fiction from the Inland Northwest Center for Writers at Eastern Washington University. She lives in Portland, OR, with her very patient husband, a neurotic dog and two cats. Dear Cassie is her second novel.

According to her twitter profile: "I write to help girls like me turn into girls not like me."

Find out more at LisaBurstein.com, on Twitter, and Facebook.     

What Happens Next by Colleen Clayton - Review

What Happens Next
by Colleen Clayton
October 9, 2012
Poppy (Little Brown Books for Young Readers)

How can you talk about something you can’t remember?

Before the ski trip, sixteen-year-old Cassidy “Sid” Murphy was a cheerleader (at the bottom of the pyramid, but still...), a straight-A student, and a member of a solid trio of best friends. When she ends up on a ski lift next to handsome local college boy, Dax Windsor, she’s thrilled; but Dax takes everything from Sid—including a lock of her perfect red curls—and she can’t remember any of it.

Back home and unable to relate to her old friends, Sid drops her college prep classes and takes up residence in the A/V room with only Corey “The Living Stoner” Livingston for company. But as she gets to know Corey (slacker, baker, total dreamboat), Sid finds someone who truly makes her happy. Now, if she can just shake the nightmares and those few extra pounds, everything will be perfect... or so she thinks.

Witty and poignant, Colleen Clayton’s stunning debut is a story about moving on after the unthinkable happens.

My Review:
From reading the blurb of this book, I really didn't realize what happened to Sid. Call me slow or whatever, but I simply didn't make the connection. During the first chapters of this book, I was enjoying it but wasn't really invested yet. Then suddenly, bam. I was hooked. For some readers, this is a controversial event that may make you not want to read this book, but Colleen Clayton handles it delicately and with no actual details of what happened. This is simply about Sid "before" and Sid "after."

What Happens Next portrays very powerful emotions, and Sid is a character who tugs at your heart and makes you empathize with her. This may be centered around an event that people don't like to read about and don't want to think about, but unfortunately, it does happen. This is the story of how someone goes on with their life when everything suddenly changes. What do you do when the people you thought were your friends aren't there for you but someone you didn't expect is? What do you do when your entire life changes in an instant? Don't be turned away by the controversial event that this book is based on because it would really be a shame if you didn't read this.

An advance copy of this book was provided by the author and the publisher for review.

About the author:

Colleen Clayton grew up in a small, suburban town just outside of Cleveland, Ohio. After graduating from Kent State University, she worked as a social worker in residential treatment centers for troubled teens and as Program Supervisor for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Mahoning Valley. She currently lives in Ohio with her family and recently received her MFA in fiction writing from the Northeast Ohio Consortium (NEOMFA). She teaches fiction writing and composition at Youngstown State University.

Find out more at ColleenClayton.com and on Twitter. 

Splintered by A.G. Howard - Review

Splintered by A.G. Howard
Expected publication: January 1, 2013
Amulet Books

Alyssa Gardner hears the thoughts of plants and animals. She hides her delusions for now, but she knows her fate: she will end up like her mother, in an institution. Madness has run in her family ever since Alice Liddell told Lewis Carroll her strange dreams.

But perhaps she's not mad. And perhaps Carroll's stories aren't as whimsical as they seem.

To break the curse of insanity, Alyssa must go down the rabbit hole and right the wrongs of the real Wonderland, a place full of strange beings with dark agendas, a twisted fun-house reflection of Alice's childish tales. Alyssa brings her real-world crush - the protective Jeb - with her, but once her journey begins, she's torn between his solidarity and the enchanting, dangerous magic of Morpheus, her guide to Wonderland. But no one in Wonderland is who they seem to be - not even Alyssa herself...

My review:
If you ever wondered what happened after Alice left Wonderland, this is the book for you. A.G. Howard stays true to the original, but this is a much darker Wonderland than Lewis Carroll ever dreamed of. This book revisits the familar characters, such as the White Rabbit, and the familar scenes, such as the tea party; however, everything is much more twisted than in the original. We realize that what we thought we knew about Wonderland is not what really is because it had been told through the eyes of a young child, and Alice's interpretation of Wonderland is not the reality that Alyssa finds.

A.G. Howard's Splintered lets us revisit the Wonderland that we remember from childhood on a whole new "grown up" level. This is a wonderful tale that combines the dark and sinister with a strong sense of family and a touch of romance. (Team Jeb or Team Morpheus, anyone?)

I had high hopes for this book even before I received an ARC to review, and I was not disappointed. After reading it, I was blown away. It was even better than my expectations. The characters, even the minor ones, are well developed and well described. Everything is written in such a way that it easily brings the story alive in your mind. A.G. Howard did an outstanding job on her debut novel, and I am very much looking forward to reading anything she writes in the future.

About the author:

A.G. Howard is most at home when weaving the melancholy and macabre into settings and scenes, twisting the expected into the unexpected. She was inspired to write SPLINTERED while working at a school library. She always wondered what would’ve happened had the subtle creepiness of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland taken center stage, and she hopes her darker and funkier tribute to Carroll will inspire readers to seek out the stories that won her heart as a child.

A.G.’s pastimes are reading, rollerblading, gardening, and family vacations which often include impromptu side trips to 18th century graveyards or condemned schoolhouses to appease her overactive muse.

Find out more at AGHoward.com, on Twitter, and Facebook.

I was very honored to have been able to set up a Traveling ARC Tour for Splintered. Please check out the reviews of the participants of this tour below.

To everyone who participated: Please add a link to your review. (You can ignore where it says to comment after linking.)

Splintered by A.G. Howard - The Red Queen's Castle - Giveaway

On the third day of Splintered, we’re whisked by card guards into the Red Castle. Our footsteps glide along slick, black marble floors. Candles in brass sconces light the glittery red walls. We arrive at an arched wooden door painted red and fitted with brass fixtures in the shapes of card suits: diamonds, spades, hearts, and clubs.

Inside, upon a throne cushioned with black velvet, sits a queen who wears enchanted red bows on every finger and toe. She shushes the ribbons as they whisper to remind her of things she’s forgotten. Her memory has been lost for some time, but she’s given up trying to find it. If not for her ribbons, she wouldn’t even remember the love of her life. Perhaps if we’re quiet, we might overhear one or two of the mysteries harbored deep in the recesses of her failing mind. Although fair warning, some of her reminders might be cryptic to those who haven’t yet visited...

The one thing this queen doesn’t need reminding of is Christmas, because the delicious aroma of a feast swirls throughout the halls of the castle. We could stay and have dinner here, but we should save our appetites for tomorrow. Katie's Book Blog is hosting a Christmas Tea Party where all sorts of Wonderland delicacies will be laid out for our feasting pleasure. Hope to see you there at tour stop number four!

Splintered by A.G. Howard
Expected publication: January 1, 2013
Amulet Books

This stunning debut captures the grotesque madness of a mystical under-land, as well as a girl’s pangs of first love and independence. Alyssa Gardner hears the whispers of bugs and flowers—precisely the affliction that landed her mother in a mental hospital years before. This family curse stretches back to her ancestor Alice Liddell, the real-life inspiration for Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Alyssa might be crazy, but she manages to keep it together. For now.

When her mother’s mental health takes a turn for the worse, Alyssa learns that what she thought was fiction is based in terrifying reality. The real Wonderland is a place far darker and more twisted than Lewis Carroll ever let on. There, Alyssa must pass a series of tests, including draining an ocean of Alice’s tears, waking the slumbering tea party, and subduing a vicious bandersnatch, to fix Alice’s mistakes and save her family. She must also decide whom to trust: Jeb, her gorgeous best friend and secret crush, or the sexy but suspicious Morpheus, her guide through Wonderland, who may have dark motives of his own.

Find out more at Mod Podge Bookshelf.

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The Shadow Society by Marie Rutkoski - Review

The Shadow Society
by Marie Rutkoski
October 2012
Farrar, Straus and Giroux

Darcy Jones doesn’t remember anything before the day she was abandoned as a child outside a Chicago firehouse. She has never really belonged anywhere—but she couldn’t have guessed that she comes from an alternate world where the Great Chicago Fire didn’t happen and deadly creatures called Shades terrorize the human population.

Memories begin to haunt Darcy when a new boy arrives at her high school, and he makes her feel both desire and desired in a way she hadn’t thought possible. But Conn’s interest in her is confusing. It doesn’t line up with the way he first looked at her.

As if she were his enemy.

When Conn betrays Darcy, she realizes that she can’t rely on anything—not herself, not the laws of nature, and certainly not him. Darcy decides to infiltrate the Shadow Society and uncover the Shades’ latest terrorist plot. What she finds out will change her world forever . . .  

Add on Goodreads. 

Guest Review by Sarah:

I chose this book for two reasons:

1) The opening line of the Prologue: "Knowing what I know now, I'd say my foster mother had her reasons for throwing a kitchen knife at me."

I mean, come on! How could I not want to know what that was all about?

AND

2) The girl's boots on the cover. I have serious boot envy.

When I started "The Shadow Society," I was worried it was going to be a rehash quite a few Young Adult novels I've read over the past few years:

We have a girl, Darcy Jones, who feels like she doesn't really belong anywhere.

Cue the arrival of a mysterious new guy at school, Connor McCrea, who apparently either likes or loathes our heroine. It's surprising how many books for teens have this, "I am irresistibly drawn to this guy who is either really into me too, or quite possibly wants to kill me" dynamic going on.

They're paired together for a class project.

Wait, haven't I read this book before? I didn't have high hopes.

And then Rutkoski hit me with the poetry, specifically T.S. Eliot's "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock." Conn and Darcy work together on an English assignment based on this poem.

Y'all, I have a deep and abiding love for Prufrock. There was no way I was going to give up on the book after that sad little man showed up. Plus, the writing style was lyrical without being flowery and I was enjoying it.

I'm really glad I kept reading, because after a slow start, the book started to grow on me. The characters started to grow on me. Darcy is a pretty angsty girl, and hard to warm up to at first. But she is also fiercely loyal to her friends, passionate about her art, and determined to find out about her past and figure out exactly who she is.

Conn turns out to be a more complicated character than we first believe, too. As Darcy's best friend Lily puts it, "You two sound like a pair of misfit toys who are going to end up breaking each other."

The secondary characters had some of the best lines, especially Jims, who serves up the comic relief. And every now and then, there would be a funny sentence that made me smile. Like this one by Darcy's friend Raphael, talking about Conn: "And, speaking of putting on acts, how's Mr. I Wear A Cologne and It's Called Mysterious?"

There are some things that did nag at me a bit. The way the Great Chicago Fire caused the dimensional rift between our world and the reality in which Conn and the Shades live is never really explained.

Another thing that didn't exactly ring true for me was the outcome of the big climatic scene. It was a little Breaking Dawn-ish, since the climax was pretty anticlimactic. However, I do appreciate Rutkoski giving us characters who solved problems with words and not violence.

And since I only read books without strong language and sexual content, I also liked that this was a "clean" read.

If you go into the book ready to push past the slow start and not expecting lots of wham-bang action Shade vs. human action (there's not any), I think you'll enjoy this book. It's a well-written novel with a vividly described setting and characters discovering who they are, where they came from, what they want, and what matters most in their lives.

There was a lot to enjoy, and despite my initial misgivings, I found myself thinking about the book for days after I finished it. For me, that's always the sign of a worthwhile read.

About the author:
Marie Rutkoski is the author of the YA novel The Shadow Society, about a girl who discovers that she’s not human and that her kind are terrorists in an alternate world where the Great Chicago Fire never happened. The Shadow Society will be published October 30, 2012. Marie has also written the children’s fantasy series The Kronos Chronicles, including The Cabinet of Wonders, The Celestial Globeand The Jewel of the Kalderash. The Cabinet of Wonders, her debut novel, was named an Indie Next Kids’ List Great Read and a Bank Street Best Children’s Book of the Year, among other honors. 

Rutkoski grew up in Bolingbrook, Illinois (a suburb of Chicago), as the oldest of four children. She attended the University of Iowa. After graduating, she lived in Moscow and Prague. Upon receiving her Ph.D. from Harvard University, she held dual appointments as a lecturer there in both English and American Literature and Language, and History and Literature. Rutkoski is currently a professor at Brooklyn College, where she teaches Renaissance Drama, children’s literature and creative writing. She usually lives in New York City with her husband and two sons, but she and her family are now living in Paris for the 2012-2013 academic year.
 

Find out more at MarieRutkoski.com.

About the guest reviewer, Sarah:
Sarah reviews YA novels at the cleverly titled Sarah's YA Blog. She freely admits she doesn't quite fit the profile of a "young" reader, and the "adult" part is also questionable. :) She lives in Arkansas and chases/chauffers/wrangles her kids, and is always looking for the next great book to obsess over. 

  

YA Mythology Giveaway Hop - Win a Book of Your Choice

This giveaway is part of the YA Mythology Giveaway Hop hosted by I Am A Reader, Not A Writer and For Those About to Read. There are a lot of great blogs participating in this hop. After you enter here, please hop over and enter their giveaways as well.

My Giveaway:
One winner will receive a YA Mythology Book of Choice! (Up to $10 USD from The Book Depository.)

How to enter:
Just fill out the form below.

Additional optional entry:
Leave a comment letting me know which book you would like if you win.

Giveaway Details:
Giveaway is open internationally (as long as The Book Depository ships to your area). Giveaway is open until midnight EST on November 4. Must be 13 or older to enter. Winner will be decided using Random.org. Winner will be emailed and this blog post updated to show the winner. Winner has three days to respond or a new winner will be selected.

Sorry! This giveaway is now over.

Winner: Melinda 

Snapshot by Angie Stanton - Review

Snapshot by Angie Stanton

The Jamieson Collection #2
First published June 2012

Published by Vanguard Management Inc.

Marti Hunter hates rockers and anything remotely related to the rock-and-roll lifestyle. She thought she’d left that all behind, along with her drug-addicted mother and absent-minded, rock legend father. Now she lives with her grandmother, and Marti’s life is finally normal. Just the way she likes it.

For Adam Jamieson, normal is not possible. He is the genius guitar player of the band Jamieson. He’s ecstatic to finally get a two-week break from his micromanaged life and a chance to hang with regular teens. Adam’s shaving off his trademark curls and going undercover.

But when Marti, the reluctant rock princess, and Adam, the undercover guitar wizard, meet, sparks fly in more ways than one. They spend their time alternating between making out and driving each other crazy. But their summer adventures of skinny dipping, storm watching, and stolen kisses are brought to a halt when tragedy strikes.

Suddenly, they’re on opposite sides of the country, just when they need each other the most. Can Marti survive life with her dad and his vicious girlfriend? Will Adam get so fed up with his over-managed life and controlling parents that he quits the band?

Snapshot. A moment in time that changes two people forever.

Add on Goodreads and buy on Amazon.

Darian’s Review:

I read the first book in this series, Rock and a Hard Place, a few months back. I’ll admit I’m typically not much of a YA fan and was hesitant about reading it. But Stanton’s writing style, ability to tell a story, and talent for plot pace quickly washed those worries away. I’m happy to report that her sequel, Snapshot, also holds the things I loved about reading Stanton’s work the first time around.

True to Stanton’s style, the book starts off with lively characters that you can’t wait to get to know. Marti has many characteristics of your average teen. Throw in a bit of spunk, a dash of Stanton’s amazing ability at fleshed out emotions, and poof! She’s a girl any teen (or woman) can relate to and love.

Stanton has this way (which I have to say I’m a tad jealous of) of drawing you so deeply into the story that you completely forget the world around you. The story flows effortlessly, and again she paints beautiful scenes throughout the book, highlighting different aspects at just the right moment. Being a writer myself, I can’t help thinking about the author while reading a book. It just happens. Did they slave over it? How many drafts did they do? How many times did they write this scene to get it just right? But I didn’t think about Stanton once. Her story took me by the hand on the first page, and led me through it until the last page.

Stanton is one of the best I’ve seen at plot pace. She lifts you up so high that you’re smiling while reading, only to make you gasp at the precise moment, of course then urging you to hurry up and get to the next chapter. She’s really quite fantastic at creating the perfect timing for the story.

I felt the emotions of every character so raw that it seemed as if I knew them, that I was living the story with them. The challenges they faced in coming together and being torn apart made my heart race, and stop. I had to keep reading, and again, finished the book in one sitting.

Overall this was another great read by Stanton. She has a fantastic ability in creating real characters, real emotion, and real drama – with flare. There are about four authors that I will blindly buy their books, because I know it will be a good read. Stanton has now made that list. She’s just a very talented writer who clearly has what it takes to bring solid writing and stories time and again.

About the author:

Angie Stanton never planned on writing books, she wanted to be a Rockette. However, growing up in a rural setting with her brothers' 4-H pigs as pets, dance didn't work out. Instead she became an avid daydreamer. After years of perfecting stories in her head she began to write them down and the rest is history.

She loves dipping french fries in chocolate shakes, all natural disaster movies and Broadway Musicals. Angie is a proud double finalist of the 2011 National Readers Choice Awards for Love 'em or Leave 'em, as well as a finalist for the Golden Quill Award.

When not writing, Angie is concocting ways to make more dreams come true, whether it be tickets to a Broadway show or convincing her family they should rent an RV and travel the country.
 

Find out more on her website, Twitter, and Facebook.

Ashen Winter by Mike Mullin - Waiting on Wednesday

I was actually at a loss as to what book I was going to feature this week, so I put a call out to my wonderful Twitter followers for suggestions. This book is now going on my TBR list, along with the first one in the series.

Ashen Winter by Mike Mullin
Ashfall, #2
Expected publication: October 16, 2012
by Tanglewood Press

It’s been over six months since the eruption of the Yellowstone supervolcano. Alex and Darla have been staying with Alex’s relatives, trying to cope with the new reality of the primitive world so vividly portrayed in Ashfall, the first book in this series. It’s also been six months of waiting for Alex’s parents to return from Iowa. Alex and Darla decide they can wait no longer and must retrace their journey into Iowa to find and bring back Alex’s parents to the tenuous safety of Illinois. But the landscape they cross is even more perilous than before, with life-and-death battles for food and power between the remaining communities. When the unthinkable happens, Alex must find new reserves of strength and determination to survive.

Add on Goodreads.

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Breaking the Spine. 

Skinny by Donna Cooner - Waiting on Wednesday

Okay, I'll admit it. I just read this on Sunday. Literally. I started it Sunday morning, and it was so good that I read all of it by late Sunday afternoon. Since I enjoyed it so much, I just had to spotlight here.

Skinny by Donna Cooner
Expected publication: October 1, 2012
by Scholastic

Find your voice.

Hopeless. Freak. Elephant. Pitiful. These are the words of Skinny, the vicious voice that lives inside fifteen-year-old Ever Davies’s head. Skinny tells Ever all the dark thoughts her classmates have about her. Ever knows she weighs over three hundred pounds, knows she’ll probably never be loved, and Skinny makes sure she never forgets it.

But there is another voice: Ever’s singing voice, which is beautiful but has been silenced by Skinny. Partly in the hopes of trying out for the school musical—and partly to try and save her own life—Ever decides to undergo a risky surgery that may help her lose weight and start over.

With the support of her best friend, Ever begins the uphill battle toward change. But demons, she finds, are not so easy to shake, not even as she sheds pounds. Because Skinny is still around. And Ever will have to confront that voice before she can truly find her own.

Add on Goodreads. 

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Breaking the Spine. 

Pitch by Emlyn Chand - Waiting on Wednesday

I've read the first two books in the Farsighted series, so of course I am interested in finding out what happens next.

Pitch (Farsighted #3)
by Emlyn Chand
Expected publication: January 15, 2013
Evolved Publishing

The dead always find a way to talk to Shapri Teak. In fact, some never seem to shut up. A frightened young girl and a spectral suitor encroach on her privacy day-in and day-out. It’s driving her crazy, so when Shapri discovers the opportunity to get rid of them by traveling to the spirit portal in New Orleans, you better believe she’s going to take it. With Alex, Dax, Simmi, and her mother in tow, she attends Mardi Gras—the one time per year when pesky ghosts can be sent to the other side.

After returning to Grandon, she assumes all her problems are solved, but then the blackouts start. Now her best friend and kind-of-almost boyfriend are accusing her of acts she didn’t commit, which begs the question: if she didn’t, who did? Has everyone gone crazy, or is something sinister afoot?

Who will stand together, and who will fall to the other side? Will Alex and Shapri ever admit their true feelings for each other? Book three pitches the Farsighted series into a quiet chaos. 

Add on Goodreads. 

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Breaking the Spine. 

Writing Series: The Path to The End

Writing Series: The Path to The End

Guest Post by Patti Larsen

I love writing series. LOVE. I’m able to pen good flash fiction, short stories even. But my passion is for the long tale-telling, the expansive and epic adventure characters lead you on at times. I think it comes from my younger reading days, raised on science fiction and fantasy by my Dungeon Master father.

When I started journalism in college, I learned about the importance of a lead, or knowing and being able to distill an idea down into a single sentence. The repetition of this skill, learned over many news stories, helped me understand how important it was to see where I was going before I began to write.

That year was the first time I outlined a novel. A full trilogy, in fact. I’ve not returned to them, that fantasy tale about horses and nomads and banished princes, but the seed of the idea of outlining was sown.

From there I dove into another series, also fantasy, nine books alternating character points of view. I was on to something, I could tell. But at that time, sadly, I listened to the critics who told me I couldn’t, I wasn’t good enough. I gave up writing and forgot completely what I’d learned about telling stories from front to back.

Script writing came next, years later. I loved turning ideas into films, following the three act structure from exciting start to climactic finish, from page to screen. TV show pilots and independent flicks taught me to tear a story apart before I told it, to break it down into its most important pieces and to always, always know exactly what it was about just in case I had thirty seconds in an elevator to make my pitch.

When I found YA and finally realized I was meant to be telling stories for young adults, I returned not only to the joy of writing books, but to the idea of knowing where the timeline went before I wrote a word. Everything from my past experiences fell together into one simple, totally logical format.

I’m now an outlining fanatic and most often will completely structure a series before I write a word of prose. Not only am I able to tell great individual stories, but linking together all the hints and foreshadows and hidden moments of pure pleasure for my eager readers comes from having a firm grasp on what I’m doing right from word one.

Currently I’m working on the remaining twelve (you read that right) books (four at a time) in an extraordinary twenty volume jaunt about a teen witch who wants to be like normal kids. That’s the other part I love so much about series—I’m family, now. I know the characters as well as my own sisters and parents. The stories come easily, the connections as clear as the ah-ha moments I have every time I sit down to think about Syd and what’s coming next.

So, let me ask you a question: if you’re a reader, does it bug you when a novelist misses something in book three you remembered (and loved) from book one? And if you’re a writer, do you know how your series ends?  

About the Author: Patti Larsen is an award-winning middle grade and young adult author with a passion for the paranormal. Her YA thriller series, The Hunted, is available now. Book one of that series, RUN, is a recent recipient of the 2012 PEI Book Awards for Fiction. Seven books of her very popular Hayle Coven Novels, beginning with Family Magic, are also out now. Her YA steampunk series, Blood and Gold, can be found on Amazon, along with her YA paranormal novel, Best Friends Forever, and The Diamond City Trilogy. Her middle grade novel, The Ghost Boy of MacKenzie House (Acorn Press), is available now. She is a full time writer and a part time teacher of her Get Your Book Done program. Patti lives on the East Coast of Canada with her very patient husband and four massive cats. 

Find out more at PattiLarsen.com, on Twitter, and Facebook.

This is part of a sort of regular feature that I try to post each Friday about various topics related to writing and publishing. If you would like to do a guest post, please contact me.

Most recent: 10 Ways YA Novels Leave You Totally Unprepared to be an Actual Adult by Donna Gambale. Click here to see previous posts.