audio review: Stolen: a Letter to my Capture by Lucy Christopher

pub date: May 4, 2009
publisher: Chicken House
pages: 301
source: library
audiobook reader: Emily Gray
appeals: kidnapping, Australia, England, letter
content: there is swearing, including the f-bomb. Besides that, it's been so long, I don't really remember. But it is about a girl who is kidnapped by an older man, and it is emotionally brutal

thoughts:
It is now May, and I listened to this book back at the beginning of March. A loooong time ago, so my thoughts on the book are a little fuzzy. I debated about writing a review on the book since it's been so long, but decided I really wanted to. This book left me dazed and confused and a tad upset. It packed an emotional punch that lasted a few days. I wasn't lying when I said it was emotionally brutal.

I listened to the audio of this book. I like to listen to audio books in my car, and usually when I select audio books I just browse the shelves for what's checked in. Which means the audios I listen to are ones that I normally wouldn't read. If there is a book I really want to read, I read it in days. Audio books take me a few weeks to listen to, and I'm usually too impatient for that when it's a book I'm excited about. Sometimes the audios I pick up are duds, but sometimes it's a serendipitous find, like Stolen.

The day I picked this book off the shelf, it was the only teen novel that wasn't too long (I try to stick with audio books that are only 6-7 discs), and I knew it was a Printz honor. 

It grabbed me from the get-go. I loved the premise, that this was a letter written by Gemma, to her kidnapper, Ty. She wrote as if she was speaking to him face-to-face and it made it more personable, more real. Though there were times Gemma really got on my nerves, I understood her motivation for everything she did/didn't do.

Ty takes Gemma to Australia. Christopher does such a wonderful job at describing the landscape, the life led on the outback. It was so rich and real. It build a world for this story that was truly remarkable.

The ending sort of traumatized me. It ended the way I thought it needed to, but the way I didn't want it to. Gemma and Ty felt so real to me that I wanted their stories to be different, to end different. I had to remind myself that it was fiction, not nonfiction. It was just a story.

Emily Gray, the reader for the audio, was also fantastic. She had a voice that sounded young and innocent and angry and scared and lost, but not all at the same time. It added to the story.

A really superb book.

summary:

It happened like this.

I was stolen from an airport.

Taken from everything I knew,

everything I was used to.

Taken to sand and heat, dirt

and danger. And he expected

me to love him. This is my story.

A letter from nowhere.

review: The Scorpio Races by Maggie Shiefvator

pub date: October 18, 2011
publisher: Scholastic
pages: 409
source: library
format: audio
appeals: horses, romance, adventure, Printz Honor, male protagonist, multiple protagonist
content: a very few swear words (maybe 4?), some violence from the water horses

thoughts:
This is my new favorite book. Seriously. I LOVED it. I loved the characters, so, so, so much. I loved Thisby, this isolated island with it's own traditions and people set in a modern world. I loved the story. The romance was sudtle and sweet and perfect. And Maggie's words were rich and vivid and created this world I wanted to visit. I wanted it to be real.  

I listened to the audio in my car and by the time I reached the sixth disc (there are ten all together), I couldn't wait any longer. I had to know what was going to happen, how the races would end. So I took it inside and sat on my couch and spent all Saturday afternoon listening. I could've just picked the book up, but I loved the voices, I wanted to just listen.

Have you ever read a book that so involved your emotions, senses, imagination, that when it was over you felt bereft? Lonely? Sad?

That was this book, for me. When I reached the last chapter, I started to get teary-eyed. Not only because the ending was so wonderful and amazing and perfect, but because it was ending. I wanted more. More Thisby. More Puck. More Sean. More Corr and Dove. More, more, more. And there wasn't any more.

Have you ever read a book that so involved your mind that when you reached the last page, you weren't able to let it go? You just wanted to live in it a little longer? Immerse yourself in the story for the forseeable future?

That was this book, for me. I was gushing about the book to my sister and she wanted to listen, so I gave it to her, a bit begrudingly. I wasn't ready to let the story go. So I bought the book, even though I've been on a book buying freeze since the end of December. I reread my favorite parts until I got the audio back from my sister, and listened to the last few discs again. I never relisten to audios, not ever. But this one I wishe I'd listened to again from the beginning.

I want to tell you that the audio was phenominal. The story was wonderful, and the audio added to it so very much. Absolutely so. The two readers, one for Puck and the other for Sean, were amazing. To listen to Maggie's words, in their voices, added a texture to the story that I don't think I would've gotten otherwise. While browsing Maggie's blog, I came across an interview she'd had with the two who voiced Sean and Puck. I enjoyed it, so I thought I would share the link if you're interested.

Really, this book has a place of honor on my shelves. I loved it just that much.

summary:
It happens at the start of every November: the Scorpio Races. Riders attempt to keep hold of their water horses long enough to make it to the finish line. Some riders live. Others die.

At age nineteen, Sean Kendrick is the returning champion. He is a young man of few words, and if he has any fears, he keeps them buried deep, where no one else can see them.

Puck Connolly is different. She never meant to ride in the Scorpio Races. But fate hasn’t given her much of a chance. So she enters the competition — the first girl ever to do so. She is in no way prepared for what is going to happen.

review: Bloodrose by Andrea Cremer

pub date: January 3, 2012
publisher: Philomel
pages: 406
appeal: werewolfish Guardians, romance, love-triangle (maybe that's a turn-off?), adventure, action, cool magical world
source: library
content: a lot of loving

thoughts:

the tweet:
I almost bought this book the moment it came out. I'm really glad I didn't.

the non-spoiled (slightly rambling) review:
I really loved the first two books of this trilogy, Nightshade and Wolfsbane. I didn't necessarily love the characters, not a big fan of Shay or Ren (though I was rooting for Ren through the first two books just because he was less dislikable than Shay), and was disappointed in how Calla handled herself at times. But the side characters where wonderful. I loved the Guardian packs and Searchers. They were fun to read.

But the big draw for me was the cool world building. It was so fun and original and interesting. The shift of perspective from the first and second book was awesome. And then there was the adventure and action of the plot. Just a cool series overall.

Seriously, so excited for this third book. But since I decided I was broke and didn't buy it, I had to wait for it at the library. It arrived almost three weeks ago, and I began reading it right away. I finished it last night.

Yes, It took me almost three weeks to finish it. Which is bad. On average, I finish books I like in two days. Which means I didn't like this one so much...

On the plus side, this book's world building was steller. The action (once it got started) was great. Fun, witty dialog between characters. I thought it ended the story arch of all three books pretty well.

My problem came with Calla. The first eight chapters or so are all about her and her boys in their epic, stupid love triangle. Have I ever mentioned how much I HATE love triangles? Well, I also discovered that I HATE Calla. She's a liar, she's manipulative, and she's an idiot. Those first two weeks I was stuck in those first eight chapters and didn't seem to make much progress because every three pages I threw the book across the room had to put the book down. 

Once the triangle was no longer the focus of the book and the Searchers actually went out to search for something, it got much better, I enjoyed the story, and I finished the rest of the book rather quickly.

I probably would have been upset about the ending if I had cared more. But the anger and resentment I felt towards Calla in the beginning distanced me from the rest of the book and I didn't care all that much. So o'well.

the spoiled (also rambling) review: 
I mean it guys! I'm not even going to try to make this spoiler free. I will not only be spoiling Bloodrose, I will be spoiling the whole trilogy.

Also, this isn't so much a review as a RANT. More detailed thoughts about the whole triangle that I mentioned above. You'll probably want to skip this part. Just sayin...

You've been warned.

I got through chapter one and was pretty pissed off (excuse the language). Calla is such an idiot. She just slept with Shay one day ago at the end of Wolfsbane, and now she meets up with Ren and things get steamy really quick. She's trying to help Ren, because she knows best and all (ha!), so she manipulates him into believing what he wants to believe about their relationship so that he will go with her. I HATE MANIPULATION!!!  Manipulation is used by bad guys, not the main character who I am supposed to like! And at that moment, I started to hate Calla.

The hate deepened as I read on.

A friend who I recommended the series to got the book from the library at the same time, so over the next week she started texting me about her impressions of the book. I forced myself to keep going because of this, yet for over a week I just kept responding, "still on chapter five," because I was so annoyed with Calla. Finally, when my friend had finished the book and liked it, I made myself push past chapter five, where Calla has a second night with Shay, because she just can't refrain from ripping off his clothes.

It was rather tedious reading in the beginning because EVERY PAGE of Calla's internal dialog was this back-and-forth, "I love Shay so much! He helped me find myself! Yet I'm so drawn to Ren! We have a past together and we work well and make sense. But I love Shay! Everytime Ren isn't around I can't stop myself from kissing Shay and sharing secret looks with him. But Ren can't know about it!"

And the book would go flying across the room.

This is what I hate about love-triangles: The indecision, the manipulation of two boys, the need for attention and power. Calla had it down to an art form.

My favorite was when Calla and Ren met up in the showers, both wrapped in towels, and Ren confronts Calla about Shay. Ren says, "I know you slept with Shay because our packmate told me." Calla responds, "She had no right!" I just groaned. Ren had a right to know what was going on, to know that Calla was playing a game, it's just Calla is an idiot. Her reasoning being if Ren knew the truth, he'd throw a tantrum and storm off and Calla couldn't let that happen because they needed him in this battle. And guess what...when Ren knew the truth he didn't throw a tantrum and he didn't storm off. He acted like a mature, reasoning human. And then he proceeds to seduce Calla, which worked since Calla seems only to think of her body and was soon trying to drop his towel--with no resistance from Ren, of course.

And Calla's insistence that she wasn't going to make up her mind on which boy to have as her alpha was just ridiculous. As far as I was concerned, she'd decided that the moment she went to bed with Shay. The first time.

After all that, Calla keeps drawing Ren behind her, unwilling to tell him that he was out for good and Shay was in forever. Not until after the battle was won. Not sure exactly why...because she loved having power over him? I think her reasoning, if I remember right, was so that they weren't distracted from their goal. Because she still sees Ren as a baby who can't handle the truth.

And then Calla realizes that Shay's responsibilities in the war might take him away from her. But at least Ren is there in the background. Just in case she loses Shay, she'll still have another boy-toy. (I must put in here that I got the pack dynamic that made Calla's behavior "understandable." She needed an Alpha. She was half animal so it was part of her identity to have the urge to mate. I just didn't care.)

It got even better when about about 3/4 the way through Calla's talking with someone and says how much she respects honesty. And expects it. I laughed out loud. I returned the book to the library already, or I would quote the passage. It was so ridiculous and hypocritical.

So it was such a relief when things outside of the messed up romance happened and I could read something else. I was still anti-Calla and everytime any of the romance flared up again I groaned. I love romance in my books. Really, I do. But in this book, it just made me hate the main character more and distanced me from the story.

I decided Ren was too good for Calla, and was rather relieved when he died. Especially in the context of the story, where as a wolf he would've been an Alpha with no pack.

And the ending...like I said before, I would've been so sad if I cared. They were always more human to me than wolf, so when they became wolf for good and forever, it was as if they were dead. Gone for good. There was no Calla or Shay or Ansel or Brynn...there was just a pack of wolves on the mountain. So I'm actually kind of glad I don't care. And really, I think I like Calla better as a wolf (how manipulative and conniving can a wolf be?), so that kind of made me happy.

*as a side note, please treat library books with respect. Don't follow my example and throw them across the room. unless they deserve it

summary:
Calla has always welcomed war.

But now that the final battle is upon her, there's more at stake than fighting. There's saving Ren, even if it incurs Shay's wrath. There's keeping Ansel safe, even if he's been branded a traitor. There's proving herself as the pack's alpha, facing unnamable horrors, and ridding the world of the Keepers' magic once and for all. And then there's deciding what to do when the war ends. If Calla makes it out alive, that is.

review: Au Revoir, Crazy European Chick by Joe Schreiber

pub date: October 25, 2011

publisher: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children

pages: 192

source: for review on Kiss the Book
appeals: adventure, death, male protagonist, comedy, hit woman, New York, prom :)
content: some swearing (20 words or so), some talk on sex/virginity, violence

thoughts:
What a FUN ride. I liked a lot about this book.

First, it's short! There are so many books that have come out/are coming out that are freakin LONG. It is so nice to find a fun, entertaining, quick, short read. I find that Very Appealing.

Second, Joe knows how to write! Wow. Do you ever read a book with such great words that the author's creation of setting and characters and plot seem almost effortless? But you know it wasn't because it is so well done? That was how I felt about this book. I loved it.

Third, lots of adventure.

Fourth, the novel's organization. Each chapter started with a question from college applications, and in the telling of Perry's night, he answers that question. It was so creative and fun.

Fifth, I loved the characters. I liked Perry a lot. And Gobi, too. Even when she was killing people for no apparent reason, I liked her.

Sixth, the Perry-Gobi relationship dynamics worked. The development of their relationship, from beginning to end, was spot on.

Overall, this book was FUN. Sure, there was a lot of blood and violence and death, but it was still FUN.

I'm very excited there's a sequel coming out this fall, Perry's European Playlist. It sounds like it's just as fun and full of adventure (and death), and it's just as short!

I think it has a lot of boy appeal, but there's plenty there for the girls, too.

summary:
Perry Stormaire is a normal high school senior– he is busy applying to college and rehearsing with his band –until he agrees to go to the prom with the Lithuanian exchange student who is staying with his family. It turns out that Gobi Zaksauskas is not the mousy teenager that she seems but rather an attractive, confident trained assassin. Instead of going to the prom, Perry finds himself on a wild ride through the streets of New York City as Gobi commandeers the Jaguar his father lent him for the prom in order to take out her targets. Perry learns a lot about himself – and ends up with some amazing material for his college application essays.

review: Reckless by Cornelia Funke

pub date: September 14, 2010
publisher: Little Brown Books 
pages:391
appeals: fairy tales, adventure, family
content: some violence and a lot of harsh stuff happens to the protagonists

thoughts:
I listened to this book immediately after reading Cloaked by Alex Flinn. Both books have many fairy tales meshed into one story. Both have contemporary characters dealing with fantasy creatures that they didn't know existed. And yet these two books were completely different in their execution. I just found the juxstiposion interesting in reading them back to back.

Anyway, I enjoyed this book. I picked it up for the first time last summer (I had an ARC from ALA), but didn't get past the second chapter. At the time, I just wasn't interested. I decided to give it another shot and I'm really glad I did because it was so interesting!

Funke is great at creating these alternate worlds where her everyday, modern characters escape to or have to deal with. The Mirrorworld is so cool! I loved how she revealed things about the world as the story went along. The characters are so original and interesting. The adventure is very exciting.

However...

Funke is not a very happy writer. There is always great loss to the main character, horrible sacrifice, and her endings don't end very happy. This book had a somewhat happy ending, the ties were mostly all tied, but it was still somber and sad in several instances. I cannot pick up the next in the series because I know that though the situation these characters are left in isn't the best, it will only get worse in the next installment. And I would rather leave them where they are now then have to watch them go through worse.

summary:
For years, Jacob Reckless has enjoyed the Mirrorworld’s secrets and treasures.


Not anymore.

His younger brother has followed him.

Now dark magic will turn the boy to beast, break the heart of the girl he loves, and destroy everything Jacob holds most dear. . . .

Unless he can find a way to stop it.

review: Cloaked by Alex Flinn

pub date: February 8, 2011
publisher: HarperCollins
pages: 342
source: library
appeals: fairy tale retelling, contemporary, romance, male protagonist,
content: none that I remember

thoughts:
This is only the second book I've ready by Alex Flinn, the first being Beastly, and that was many years ago. I remember enjoying Beastly, so I had hopes for this one. Hopes that were not realized.

I think Flinn does a good job of taking fairy tales and updating them to our modern times. It's great world building and entertaining. In Cloaked, I thought all of the fairy tales she brought in to this one story were fun and I enjoyed how they all entertwined.


However, I kind of thought seventeen-year-old Johnny was an idiot. Sorry, kind of harsh, but I really started to dislike him A LOT by the middle of the book. He lied, he stole, he was extremely dim-witted, and not a hero at all. He did such stupid things and got in such lame situations because of stupid decisions, that I had a hard time liking him, or even rooting for him to come out on top. I saw the consequences of his choices LOOOOONG before he did, as well as how to get out of situations he got himself into when he didn't, and it was annoying. I kept thinking, "this is who the princess chose to help her? She's just as dumb as he is." He was also extremely shallow.

At the end when they were praising how honest and upright Johnny was, I had to laugh. If that is the definition of honest and upright then the world is in a lot of trouble.

Overall, not a recommend.

summary:
I'm not your average hero. I actually wasn't your average anything. Just a poor guy working an after-school job at a South Beach shoe repair shop to help his mom make ends meet. But a little magic changed it all.

It all started with a curse. And a frognapping. And one hot-looking princess, who asked me to lead a rescue mission.

There wasn't a fairy godmother or any of that. And even though I fell in love along the way, what happened to me is unlike any fairy tale I've ever heard. Before I knew it, I was spying with a flock of enchanted swans, talking (yes, talking!) to a fox named Todd, and nearly trampled by giants in the Everglades.

Don't believe me? I didn't believe it either. But you'll see. Because I knew it all was true, the second I got cloaked.

review: Gypsy Knights by Two Brothers Metz

pub date: May 19, 2011
publisher: LoudCloud Publishing
source: author
format: ebook
appeals: Gypsies, magic, historical fiction, mystery, adventure
content: clean

thoughts:
This was a fun book. It has a lot of mystery, history, some Gypsy magic, and a little bit of romance. I thought it was very well written and had great descriptions. The writing flowed well. As someone who knows nothing about the game (all I know comes from the musical Chess), I loved the roll chess played in this novel and how it became so important to the developing plot.
In the beginning I did have a hard time getting into the story. There was a lot of jumping around in time between 1960 and 1065, and then a lot of flashbacks to other times. It made the story somewhat choppy and confusing. But once I got past that aspect of the novel, I finished the book rather quickly and really enjoyed it.

Also, I thought the clues that Durriken received from his mother seemed rather contrived, but it set Durriken and Dilia on a fun adventure, so I guess it's all good.

summary:
Fourteen-year-old Durriken Brishen has lost his parents, his grandfather, and though he doesn't know it, his Gypsy culture's dangerous gift.

Taken in and raised on the rails by the first woman to pilot a freight train, Durriken has one remaining connection to his Romani roots: a small wooden box that hangs from the hammer loop of his overalls.

The last gift he received from his grandfather, the box contains the world's first chess set. But a piece is missing: the Red Queen. According to Durriken’s family lore, the complete set awakens the power of Tărie, a mercurial gift that confers unique abilities on each new Master.

When a suspicious fire erupts in the Chicago rail yard, Durriken's escape produces an uneasy alliance, though not without its silver lining. Dilia is a few inches taller, several degrees cleverer, and oh yes – very pretty. While Durriken is uneasy allying with a girl whose parents were convicted of sedition, there's no doubt she is a powerful partner. And while it's not immediately clear to either, her own Guatemalan culture and family history are deeply entwined with the ancient Romani mystery.

Jumping box cars, escaping riverboats, deciphering clues, crossing swords with the brilliant madman Radu Pinch – with great American cities as its backdrop – Gypsy Knights is the page-turning saga of Durriken Brishen and his quest to rediscover his past.

review: A Web of Air by Philip Reeve

pub date: October 1, 2011
publisher: Scholastic Press
pages: 304
series: Mortal Instruments Prequel #2, or Fever Crumb #2
appeals: Steampunk, future, flight, action, adventure, rationality
content: some violence

thoughts:
This is the second book in the Fever Crumb series, following (obviously) Fever Crumb. And it was great. I have not read the Mortal Instruments books, though I think I might need to. I really love this world. But with my to-read pile, it might be a while...

I enjoyed Fever Crumb, but I liked this one even better. I think. It's been a year since I read Fever Crumb, so it's hard to compare. Anyway, this was a fun and adventurous (and near the end a) very suspenseful book.

What I really love about A Web of Air and it's predecessor is the world. I'm not sure how far into the future these books take place, hundreds at least, but there has been a great Downsizing, and much of the technology and knowledge of our age has been lost. It's fun to see how Reeve changes our world in this future. So inventive and fun to read. The silly play of Naill Strong-Arm flying to the moon, because of course flight isn't possible, and Mad King Elvis of America. It's great stuff.

Fever is a engineer so she is smart and mechanical and very set on being rational in all things, including love. Sometimes that really annoys me, but other times I really like her for it. All of the characters in A Web of Air have depth to them, and there are a lot of surprises on who is doing what and why behind the scenes. Which made for a surprising read.

I am very unsettled about the ending of this book. It's the middle of the trilogy, so of course it leaves me hanging on what is to become of Fever, and I am bugged that it does so. I want a happy ending! And I want it a particular happy ending! And I really need the third book Right Now to find out if I (and Fever) get that happy ending. Sometimes a years seems soooo very faaaaar away.

summary:
Two years ago, Fever Crumb escaped the war-torn city of London in a traveling theater. Now, she arrives in the extraordinary city of Mayda, where buildings ascend the cliffs on funicular rails, and a mysterious recluse is building a machine that can fly. Fever is the engineer he needs - but ruthless enemies will kill to possess their secrets.

review: The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson

pub date: September 20, 2011
publisher: HarperCollins
pages: 432
source: NetGalley
appeals: fantasy, romance, adventure, magic, religion,
content: violence and war


thoughts:
I loved this book. From the very first page, I was drawn into the story and didn't want to put the book down.

I loved Elisa. Even in the beginning, when she isn't a particularly appealing main character, I still really liked her because I understood her. I understood her fears and why she thought what she thought and did what she did. But as the book went on, I loved her because of her bravery and smarts. I loved how her world view changed. How she changed.

The romance was great. Sudtle and very real. And hopeful. There was also a lot of sadness which made me mad. I didn't want sadness. I was very impressed with the world Carson created. The religion and different perceptions of God from all the different characters was so interesting. I loved the geography of the land. It's varied landscapes and peoples. They felt very real and fully developed. The land was its own character.


My one issue is that I thought it ended too soon. The resolution was too quick. And I'm kind of sad it's a trilogy. I loved Elisa, but now I have to wait knowing there is more to her story. It would've been nice to know this was the end. The story was wrapped up neatly so I'm wondering where it's going to go in the next book.


I'm not a big fan of the cover, but I like it better than the previous cover. The previous cover had a skinny, light-skinned beauty on the front. That wasn't Elisa. So at least this one doesn't give the impression of what isn't.

you should definitely pick up this book!


summary:
Once a century, one person is chosen for greatness.


Elisa is the chosen one.


But she is also the younger of two princesses, the one who has never done anything remarkable. She can’t see how she ever will.


Now, on her sixteenth birthday, she has become the secret wife of a handsome and worldly king—a king whose country is in turmoil. A king who needs the chosen one, not a failure of a princess.


And he’s not the only one who seeks her. Savage enemies seething with dark magic are hunting her. A daring, determined revolutionary thinks she could be his people’s savior. And he looks at her in a way that no man has ever looked at her before. Soon it is not just her life, but her very heart that is at stake.


Elisa could be everything to those who need her most. If the prophecy is fulfilled. If she finds the power deep within herself. If she doesn’t die young.


Most of the chosen do.

review: Wisdom's Kiss by Catherine Gilbert Murdock

pub date: September 12, 2011
publisher: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children
pages: 314
source: NetGalley 
appeals: fantasy, fairy tale-ish, romance, adventure
content: clean

thoughts:
I am a huge fan of Murdock's Dairy Queen series. I love DJ Schwenk and her adventures in Red Bend Wisconsin. However, I'm not such a fan of Murdock's fantasy books.

I read Princess Ben when it came out a few years ago, and it was okay, but I didn't love it. I read Wisdom's Kiss because I wanted to give Murdock's fantasy another go because I love her realistic fiction so much. However, I have to say the I felt the same about Wisdom's Kiss as I did for Princess Ben. It was okay. Not my type of fantasy.

I say not my type of fantasy because the fantasy I enjoy delves into characters and relationships and has solid world building and a well-set forth magical system. I didn't get that with this book. I felt like the story just skimmed the surface, and I wanted depth.
I didn't really feel attached to any of the characters. They were fun or evil or woeful or hopeful, but none of them I felt like I knew. They never came alive for me. Trudy was my favorite but there wasn't enough of her, or any of them really, to love.

The plot had moments of surprise and fun, but it wasn't suspenseful. I didn't feel the urgent need to know what was going to happen next. I felt more of a need to finish the book so that I was finished.

I thought Murdock's story telling style was very creative. Told from (I think) 8 different points of view in (I think) 8 different styles, it was fun to read. Though I did skip the encyclopedia entries near the end. The story might have made more sense if I hadn't done so.

I really hope Murdock writes more contemporary, realistic fiction. I will definitely read it when she does. But I think not any more of her fantasy books. Just not my kind of fantasy.

Readalikes would be Jessica Day George's books or Magic Under Glass by Jaclyn Dolamore. And if you liked Princess Ben, you'll enjoy this one.

summary:
Princess Wisdom, known as Dizzy, longs for a life of adventure far beyond the staid old kingdom of Montagne.

Tips, a soldier, longs to keep his true life secret from his family.

Fortitude, an orphaned maid, longs only for Tips.

These three passionate souls might just attain their dreams while preserving Montagne from certain destruction, if only they can tolerate each other long enough to come up with a plan. Tough to save the world when you can't even be in the same room together.

Magic, cunning, and one very special cat join forces in this hilarious, extraordinary tale by the author of Dairy Queen and Princess Ben. An incredibly creative tale told with diaries, memoirs, encyclopedia entries, letters, biographies, even a stage play, all woven together into a grand adventure.

review: Witchlanders by Lena Coakley

pub date: August 30, 2011
publisher: Simon and Schuster
pages: 411
source: Simon and Schuster Galley Grab
format: digital
appeals: high fantasy, adventure, male protagonists
content: some mild violence

thoughts:
This is a fantasy novel with lots of dark magic and two male protagonists. Definitely a book that would appeal to boys. Now look at the cover. Are you as horrified as I am? ARG! Really, what fantasy loving teen boy is going to pick up a pretty blue cover with a girl on the front? It's pretty! It's a girl! It reflects nothing of the plot and tone of the story! I think the Simon and Schuster marketing department really screwed this cover up. And I'm not happy about it.

What I liked about this book:

--The writing was beautiful. I loved the way Coakley described places and people and situations. It was really beautiful.

--The world building was really original and enjoyable to read. The relations between the Baen and the Witchlanders was well established. To the point that they were true to their beliefs, even when I really didn't want them to be. I wanted things to resolve in a different way, but that wouldn't have been true to the characters.

--Which brings me to the characters. Two male protagonists. So awesome. I thought they were very believable. And I liked how their relationship developed through the book.

Overall, I think this is a good book. But having written all of that, it wasn't my kind of book. At least not the kind I adore. I wanted more physical action, but especially more magic action. And some romance. (I am a girl who likes some romance in her books). And I wanted a more conclusive ending. But that's just me. Like I said, overall, this is a great book with a very misleading cover. ARG!

summary:
High in their mountain covens, red witches pray to the Goddess, protecting the Witchlands by throwing the bones and foretelling the future.


It’s all a fake.

At least, that’s what Ryder thinks. He doubts the witches really deserve their tithes—one quarter of all the crops his village can produce. And even if they can predict the future, what danger is there to foretell, now that his people’s old enemy, the Baen, has been defeated?

But when a terrifying new magic threatens both his village and the coven, Ryder must confront the beautiful and silent witch who holds all the secrets. Everything he’s ever believed about witches, the Baen, magic and about himself will change, when he discovers that the prophecies he’s always scorned—

Are about him.

review: Uncommon Criminals by Ally Carter

pub date: June 21, 2011
publisher: Hyperion
pages: 304
source: publisher
series: Heist Society #2
appeals: Robin Hood-ish, adventure, friendship, world traveler, family
content: clean

thoughts:
I really enjoyed this book. It was a lot of fun to read, with an engaging plot and great characters. There was a lot of adventure, humor, a teeny-tiny romantic interlude, and fun.

I love reading books about characters who learn and change and grow wiser through the novel's adventures, and that was Kat. She rather irritated me in the beginning because she insisted on isolating herself from friends and family. But she learned and by the end of the book, she didn't irritate me anymore. And it wasn't just Kat I liked reading, it was all her crew, too. They are fun and funny. If Kat ditches them again...erg. Then I will have something to say that isn't flattering.

The plot was great. I love how the beginning is simple and straight forward. But by a fourth the way through, it suddenly isn't anymore. A lot of twists and turns that kept me reading and guessing on what was going to happen next and how Kat would handle the situation. 

It's been a year since I read the first in the series, Heist Society, so my recollection of that novel was a little hazy. I felt that Carter did a fantastic job at putting reminders in of previous events, without huge chunks of info dump. Which I appreciated a lot.

I wanted a little more romance. At least another kiss. A good one. But then I remember that Kat is 15, and I get why there isn't. But still...

summary:
Katarina Bishop has worn a lot of labels in her short life. Friend. Niece. Daughter. Thief. But for the last two months she’s simply been known as the girl who robbed the greatest museum in the world. That’s why Kat isn’t surprised when she’s asked to steal the infamous Cleopatra Emerald so it can be returned to its rightful owners. There are only three problems.

First, the gem is owned by the most secure auction house in the world. Second, since the fall of the Egyptian empire and the suicide of Cleopatra, no one who holds the emerald keeps it for long, and in Kat’s world, history almost always repeats itself. But it’s the third problem that makes Kat’s crew the most nervous and that is simply… the emerald is cursed. Kat might be in way over her head, but she’s not going down without a fight. After all she has her best friend—the gorgeous Hale—and the rest of her intrepid crew with her as they chase the Cleopatra around the world, realizing that the same tricks and cons her family has used for centuries are useless this time.Which means, this time, Katarina Bishop is making up her own rules.

Critics and fans alike have fallen for Heist Society (no conning necessary). With more mystery, non-stop action, romance and humor, this second novel in the hit series is just as irresistible.

review: I am Number Four by Pittacus Lore

pub date: August 3, 2010
publisher: HarperCollins
pages: 440
appeals: aliens, adventure, romance, male protagonist,
content: some swearing

thoughts:
Will you hate me if I admit I liked the movie better? Because I did.

I saw the movie first and really enjoyed it. I thought it was fun and exciting and romantic. I'd been meaning to read the book since it came out, but watching the movie made me finally pick it up.

Truth be told, I was rather bored by the book. It was different from the movie, but similar enough that I already knew the main story arch and plot points and the writing was not compelling. It was very bland writing and I got bored with it.

I did enjoy the depth the book brought to the story. There was a lot more about Four's legacies and his home planet. Who Henri is to him and what they're doing on earth. There were so many cool things in the book, it was just written so bland!

I thought the ending dragged on and on. I wish I had read the book first. I know I would've liked it better. Even if the writing was bland, the plot would've kept me interested.

The romance in the book made me laugh. Only because it is such a boy romance. If a girl had written this book or if it was from a girl pov, there would've been a lot more senses involved. And his descriptions of what people were wearing cracked me up. If I hadn't already returned the book to the library I would give you an example, but it was mostly because there was no detail, just a, "she was wearing a nice dress," sort of description. It sounds like I'm bashing it, but I'm not. I enjoyed it and just thought the contrast between the boy/girl pov was interesting.

summary:
In the beginning they were a group of nine. Nine aliens who left their home planet of Lorien when it fell under attack by the evil Mogadorian. Nine aliens who scattered on Earth. Nine aliens who look like ordinary teenagers living ordinary lives, but who have extraordinary, paranormal skills. Nine aliens who might be sitting next to you now.

review: Everfound by Neal Shusterman

pub date: May 3, 2011
publisher: Simon and Schuster
pages: 512
format: audio from library
appeals: awesome and exciting and mind blowing and suspenseful and completely rocked my world
appeals (for real): friendship, adventure, death, adventure,
content: violence--a lot of kids die in this book. so sad

thoughts:
I love Neal Shusterman! 

Let me say that again: I LOVE NEAL SHUSTERMAN!

Passionately. I've read seven of his books and I've loved every one. There are very few authors I can say that about. If you haven't read his books, you're missing out. I'm just sayin.

Everfound is the third in the Skinjacker trilogy, following Everlost and Everwild. The ending of Everwild was seriously wild. It was disturbing (in a good way...sorta) and I could not wait until Everfound. It was worth the wait. Everfound is complete awesomeness.

The limbo between life and death that is the world of Everlost is SOOO very original. There are rules that govern the world and they are so cool and twisted and surprising. I never knew what was going to happen next. It was exciting to listen to with all the surprises and twists and turns in the plot.

One thing I really respect about Shusterman's villains is that they don't know they're villains. They think they are doing the right thing, and that is how it is with this series. The fact that Evil Hightower in Everfound is so convinced that she is right and all the horrible things she does is for the benefit of all mankind, makes her beyond wicked. Much more than if she knew she was wrong. She gave me the shivers. I listened to this book while driving and I screamed so much at Evil Hightower I went hoarse.

The ending was perfect. Perfect. But that didn't make it any less sad when it ended. Though I impatiently listened until I discovered how it would all resolve, once I'd reached the end I wanted more.

I loved all the original characters (even if they were evil, I loved how evil they were!). But I especially loved Allie and Nick and Mickey. My favorite new character was Clarence. He was awesome. Saying goodbye was hard.

Okay, so after all that rambling, I don't think I actually wrote much of the particulars, just gushed about how much I loved this book. It was just that good.

And if you like listening to books, you should get this series on audio. Nick Podehl is an awesome reader. He gave me the shivers, too.

summary:
I'm not pasting in the summary. Unless you've read the first two, it gives spoilers. And spoilers should not be allowed where this series in concerned.

review: Eona: The Last Dragoneye by Alison Goodman

pub date: April 19, 2011
publisher: Penguin
pages: 656
source: ALA Midwinter
appeals: dragons, adventure, war, romance, fantasy
content: very gritty--for older teens. There wasn't sex or swearing, just harsh life situations and war and torture and death

thoughts:
I enjoyed Eon: Dragoneye Reborn. I LOVED Eona: The Last Dragoneye. Loved, loved, LOVED this book. It was so awesome and exciting. Sadness that it's over.  Though I'm really glad it was only a two book series. (1200 pages between them would be enough for five).

Again, I was just amazed by the world building. It fits seemlessly in with the first in the series, Eon, and expands and builds upon the previous story. Eon took place in the capital. This takes place all over the kingdom. We learn so much more about the dragons and Eona's past and her swords and the folios.  

There was also some romance going on here. It was the strangest love triangle I've ever read. I hope that doesn't stop anyone from reading the book, because it was so much more/different then just love. Maybe more of a power triangle? "Love" triangles get on my nerves at times, but this one didn't at all. And it was a lot because of Eona. She was attracted to the men for very different reasons and her feelings were never in question.

It was interesting to see the development of some relationships, and the disintegration of others. Eona has this power, and some people like it and want it, others don't. Relationships that Eona values are put to the test, and some fail. Which was really sad.

Unlike in the first book, Eona was very intellent. She had this internal battle between power and compassion. The tug-a-war, the shifting view of her power was interesting to read. She made me proud. Even as she struggled and sometimes failed, I loved it. I loved her. 

The characters, all of them, were very real to life. Even when I wanted them to behave differently, they behaved like they would in life if they were real. Which was awesome.

Did you notice how many pages this book is? It's HUGE. That is because it takes so long for things to happen. There is a daring rescue that starts on page 243 (of the ARC) and ends on page 337 (of the ARC). One hundred pages for a rescue. It is a very daring rescue and things don't go exactly as planned. But the point is, NOTHING happens quickly in this book (or in Eon, for that matter). I did get impatient at times because I wanted things to happen faster, but I never got bored or felt that the story was dragging or that there was too much description (though there was a lot). I'm just an impatient reader.

I actually wanted more when I finished it. After all that, it just sort of ended and I wanted more of a conclusion. Though honestly, it didn't need one. I wanted more of the world, the characters, the dragons.

Okay, enough ramblings. Just an encouragment: You should pick up these books. They're AWESOME!

blurb:
In this standalone sequel to Eon: Dragoneye Reborn, Australian author Alison Goodman (Singing the Dogstar Blues) tracks the perilous adventures of Eona, the first female Dragoneye in many centuries. Unfortunately, our heroine finds no time to rest on her laurels: She and her fellow rebels are racing frantically to find a potent black folio while they also attempt to elude High Lord Sethon's pursuing army. Eona: The Last Dragoneye brims with romance, suspense, and surprises. Definitely worth recommending.

review: Eon: Dragoneye Reborn by Alison Goodman

pub date: August 2008

publisher: Viking Juvenile
pages: 536
source: my bookshelf (before that, Barnes and Noble)

appeals: fantasy, dragons, adventure, war,

content: very gritty--definitely for older teens. A lot of war brutality. There aren't any soft punches.

thoughts:
Amazing world building. It blew my mind how awesome this fantasy world was. I loved it. I also loved how information was introduced. There's all this history that gets reveales slowly.

I don't read high fantasy often, so when I think of dragons, I think of them as sort of pets. Like sweet puppies. I'm not sure what fantasy dragons are usually like, but these ones were very different than what I was expecting. In a very cool and original way.

It was rather frustrating because I understood Eona's relationship with her dragon loooong before she did. Which was fun because I felt smart, but it wasn't fun when I figured it out half a book before Eona. Because then Eona just looks stupid. And makes stupid decisions. Which bothered me A LOT. Literally, I was yelling out loud because she was being such an idiot. Luckily, I was at home, alone, so nobody heard my rants.

My frustration with Eona knocked an apple off the wall for this book. I really enjoyed it. Awesome adventure. Wonderful characters. It was just so great. Yet...when I resort to yelling at a fictional character because she's DUMB, it kind of takes away from the enjoyment.

blurb:
Eon has been studying the ancient art of Dragon Magic for four years, hoping he'll be able to apprentice to one of the twelve energy dragons of good fortune. But he also has a dark secret. He is actually Eona, a sixteen-year-old girl who has been living a dangerous lie for the chance to become a Dragoneye, the human link to an energy dragon's power. It is forbidden for females to practice the Dragon Magic and if discovered Eon faces a terrible death.