Eleanor & Park

Title: Eleanor & Park

Author: Rainbow Rowell

Rating: 5 stars

Summary: "Bono met his wife in high school," Park says.
"So did Jerry Lee Lewis," Eleanor answers.
"I’m not kidding," he says.
"You should be," she says, "we’re sixteen."
"What about Romeo and Juliet?"
"Shallow, confused, then dead."
''I love you," Park says.
"Wherefore art thou," Eleanor answers.
"I’m not kidding," he says.
"You should be."

Set over the course of one school year in 1986, ELEANOR AND PARK is the story of two star-crossed misfits – smart enough to know that first love almost never lasts, but brave and desperate enough to try. When Eleanor meets Park, you’ll remember your own first love – and just how hard it pulled you under.

Review: I've always harshly judged romance in the books I read; it's always too fast, too unbelievable, too just-written-for-sex-appeal. But for me, Eleanor & Park was different. Wonderfully different. It was sweet, beautiful, and heartbreaking. It didn't take long for Park to fall for Eleanor, but she held back, hesitant to believe in young love. Eleanor struggles with wanting a happy relationship with Park and trying to hide her horrible family life: the abusive step-father, the absent father, the mom and four younger siblings trapped. Park will yell a thousand i-love-yous before Eleanor would whisper one. They're two misfits: Park is half-Korean in a white-majority neighborhood, and Eleanor is the weird fat girl from a broken family. Another thing I enjoyed about this book was how the author treated Eleanor's weight.  It's presented simply as a physical characteristic of Eleanor, not as some hurdle she has to overcome in order to be happy. I loved the third person POV that switched between the two of them because it allowed the reader to observe Eleanor and Park fall in love with each other. 

False Sight

Title: False Sight

Author: Dan Krokos

Rating: 5 stars

Summary: All Miranda wants is a normal life. She's determined to move past the horrible truth of her origin as a clone so she can enjoy time with her boyfriend, Peter, and the rest of her friends at school. But Miranda quickly learns that there's no such thing as normal - not for a girl who was raised to be a weapon. When one of her teammates turns rogue, it begins a war that puts the world in jeopardy. Now Miranda must follow her instincts - not her heart - in order to save everything she's fought so hard to keep. with the image of a terrible future seared into her mind, what will she have to sacrifice to protect the people she loves?

Review: I love the technology Krokos comes up with in this series. The memory downloads, giving kids the psychic power to cause fear; it's fantastic.I particularly enjoy the Roses' (the name for the kids with powers) abilities because it's something I haven't ever seen before and also it shows just how powerful of a weapon fear can be.

Even though Rhys and Sequel are new to the group, they and Miranda, Peter, and Noah quickly form strong bonds. They become a family, willing to risk each willing to risk their lives for one another. Peter and Miranda's relationship is well-written and low-key, which allows it to be enjoyable and leaves the action at the forefront of the story.

Just like the first book, False Sight absolutely blew me away. It's chock-full of action and plenty of twists, but with steady pacing. Also, it has explosions. From clones to parallel universes, this sci-fi thriller will have readers on the edge of their seats.


A big thanks to BookPeople for the ARC

Out of the Easy

Title: Out of the Easy

Author: Ruta Sepetys

Rating: 5 stars

Summary: It’s 1950, and as the French Quarter of New Orleans simmers with secrets, seventeen-year-old Josie Moraine is silently stirring a pot of her own. Known among locals as the daughter of a brothel prostitute, Josie wants more out of life than the Big Easy has to offer. 

She devises a plan get out, but a mysterious death in the Quarter leaves Josie tangled in an investigation that will challenge her allegiance to her mother, her conscience, and Willie Woodley, the brusque madam on Conti Street. Josie is caught between the dream of an elite college and a clandestine underworld. New Orleans lures her in her quest for truth, dangling temptation at every turn, and escalating to the ultimate test.

Review: By the first few pages I was absolutely enraptured, and the final chapter came all too soon.

 The characters, from wonderful to despicable, were enthralling. Though Josie has had a rough life (raised by an cruel mother who steals from her and constantly degrades her, got her own place and a job at age eleven, works as a maid in the brothel in addition to her job at the bookstore), my bond with her grew from more than just sympathy. Josie is smart - both book-wise and street-wise. She's a funny, caring, and driven young woman.  She struggles with whether to stay or go, and what she's willing to do to get what she wants. Her mother couldn't care less what Josie does, unless it concerns money. Willie is a strong, independent woman who, though she might not show it very often, truly cares for Josie. I love how Sepetys presented the women of the brothel; not simply as prostitutes, but as humans with individual quirks and personalities that happened to be prostitutes,  empowered women who weren't just defined by their profession. 

The story, a seemingly simple who-dun-it that is much more complex; a tourist's death shrouded in a mystery that tangles everyone in its web.

Out of the Easy is one of those books where once you finish it, you can't help but just stop and go "Wow."

The Rising

Title: The Rising

Author: Kelley Armstrong

Rating: 4 stars

Summary: Things are getting desperate for Maya and her friends. Hunted by the powerful St. Clouds and now a rival Cabal as well, they're quickly running out of places to hide. And with the whole world thinking they died in a helicopter crash, it's not like they can just go to the authorities for help.

All they have is the name and number of someone who might be able to give them a few answers. Answers to why they're so valuable, and why their supernatural powers are getting more and more out of control.

But Maya is unprepared for the truths that await her. And now, like it or not, she'll have to face down some demons from her past if she ever hopes to move on with her life. Because Maya can't keep running forever.
Review: Filled with adventure, surprises, and action, The Rising was an exciting conclusion to the Darkness Rising trilogy. I loved how the author brought in the characters from the Darkest Powers trilogy, a sister series. She melded the story-lines together excellently. I enjoyed the both series immensely. With a a bit of a twist ending, this third book is sure to please fans.  

Asunder

Title: Asunder

Author: Jodi Meadows

Rating: 4 stars

Summary: DARKSOULS
Ana has always been the only one. Asunder. Apart. But after Templedark, when many residents of Heart were lost forever, some hold Ana responsible for the darksouls–and the newsouls who may be born in their place.

SHADOWS
Many are afraid of Ana’s presence, a constant reminder of unstoppable changes and the unknown. When sylph begin behaving differently toward her and people turn violent, Ana must learn to stand up not only for herself but for those who cannot stand up for themselves.

Review:

I was intrigued by the concept of a city of perpetually re-incarnating souls in the first book, Incarnate, and couldn't wait to see where the author would take the story in this sequel. 

I loved how Ana became much stronger as a person. She had been raised by her mother to believe that she was nothing, and her initial reception in Heart was anything but positive. Even so, she overcame that, found a cause to support, and stood up for herself. 

Ana is trying to figure out the mystery behind Janan's power, and I couldn't help but search along with her. The story pulled me in and was evenly paced. I was kept guessing until the end, and I really enjoyed the explanation of the re-incarnation, the temple, and Janan's power.

I also enjoyed the explanation of the sylph, though I wish that more of the creatures introduced in the first book could have made a reappearance here.

Colin Fischer

Title: Colin Fischer

Authors: Ashley Edward Miller and Zack Stentz

Rating: 4 stars

Summary: SOLVING CRIME, ONE FACIAL EXPRESSION AT A TIME

Colin Fischer cannot stand to be touched. He does not like the color blue. He needs index cards to recognize facial expressions.

But when a gun is found in the school cafeteria, interrupting a female classmate's birthday celebration, Colin is the only for the investigation. It's up to him to prove that Wayne Connelly, the school bully and Colin's frequent tormenter, didn't bring the gun to school. After all, Wayne didn't have didn't have frosting on his hands, and there was white chocolate frosting found on the grip of the smoking gun...

Review:  Colin Fischer is a fun YA mystery that appeals to all age groups. There's an engaging cast of characters, from Colin the modern-day Sherlock Holmes, Danny the angry and attention-deprived little brother, their parents who want to help Colin but sometime get frustrated, even Wayne, who turns out not to be so bad. The book is funny, fast-paced and sprinkled with footnotes. If you're looking for a laugh and a quick read, check out this book.

Unspoken

Title: Unspoken

Author: Sarah Rees Brennan

Rating: 4 stars

Summary: Kami Glass loves someone she’s never met . . . a boy she’s talked to in her head ever since she was born. She wasn’t silent about her imaginary friend during her childhood, and is thus a bit of an outsider in her sleepy English town of Sorry-in-the-Vale. Still, Kami hasn’t suffered too much from not fitting in. She has a best friend, runs the school newspaper, and is only occasionally caught talking to herself. Her life is in order, just the way she likes it, despite the voice in her head.

But all that changes when the Lynburns return.

The Lynburn family has owned the spectacular and sinister manor that overlooks Sorry-in-the-Vale for centuries. The mysterious twin sisters who abandoned their ancestral home a generation ago are back, along with their teenage sons, Jared and Ash, one of whom is eerily familiar to Kami. Kami is not one to shy away from the unknown—in fact, she’s determined to find answers for all the questions Sorry-in-the-Vale is suddenly posing. Who is responsible for the bloody deeds in the depths of the woods? What is her own mother hiding? And now that her imaginary friend has become a real boy, does she still love him? Does she hate him? Can she trust him?



Review: This book was hilarious, as on laugh-out-loud at almost every other page. Kami is a witty, quirky, intelligent, and strong female protagonist.  Kami and Jared have been talking to each other in their heads their entire lives, and when they meet, they don't immediately start a romantic relationship! This is very exciting! The story was eery and Gothic, complete with magic and mysteries. It became very serious very quickly, though, and sometimes I became a bit lost. Overall a good story, and I will be looking for the second book when it comes out.

Interview: Marissa Meyer

Marissa Meyer is the author of Cinder, a sci-fi twist on the Cinderella story.

Me: Which of your characters do you think you're most like?
Marissa Meyer: Peony because we both daydream a lot.

Me: Where did you get the idea for Cinder?
MM: I entered a writing contest for a Sailor Moon fanfiction. I then took the story I wrote and developed it into a novel.

Me: How is it being a debut author in the YA lit scene, and what's your favorite part?
MM: It's awesome. The other YA authors are really nice, and it's a great community.

Me: Did you plan on making Cinder into a series?
MM: I knew I wanted to write four books, but wanted there to be little crossover between them. As I wrote, they just came together into a series.

Me: Why did you decide on the four fairytale characters the books are about?
MM: I started with a list of about 15 characters, and as I wrote, those four characters' stories just fit together.

Me: What is your favorite genre to read?
MM: I enjoy all young adult books.

Me: What is Scarlet like as a character?
MM: She's feisty, hot-tempered, makes rash decisions, and doesn't think things through.

Interview: Ally Carter

Ally Carter is the author of the Heist Society books and one of my favorite series ever, the Gallagher Girls series.

Me: Did you want to be a writer growing up?
Ally Carter: Yes, but I never thought that it could be a real career.

Me: Which of your characters do you think you are most like?
AC: Cammie, because I spent the most time with her, so more of me is in her.

Me: Would you rather attend The Gallagher Academy or be a part of Kat's family?
AC: I'd want to go to the academy, but I wouldn't want to do field work. I'd rather be in the lab, like Liz.

Me: If the Gallagher series were to become a movie, who would you want to play Cammie?
AC: It changes almost every day, but for now it's Morgan Saylor.

Me: Who has had the greatest impact on your writing?
AC: Jennifer Lynn Barnes. We're best friends and we talk a lot about books together.