Dark Life

Dark Life by Kat Falls follows Ty who lives on the ocean floor. When he meets a topsider (someone who lives on the surface) named Gemma together they must save the underground settlements from being destroyed by outlaws.

Dark life is a lighter take on today's popular dystopian genre. Falls has created a world under the sea that is different without being terrible. The characters are fun and face adversity and have plenty of action without much violence or terror.

Appropriateness:  This book has nothing that would irritate a parent and is appropriate for middle grade and intermediate readers. The tale is told from a male perspective and there's enough romance to entice girls who need their love story but not enough to chase away boys or younger readers  The lexile of this book is 690 putting it at a fourth grade reading level.

Born at Midnight

Born at Midnight by C C Hunter stars Kylie who is sent by her mother to a camp for troubled teens after being busted at a party by the police.  While on the bus Kylie notices that the kids seem strange and after she arrives at the camp finds out that it's a camp for supernatural teens.  They don't know exactly what Kylie is, just that she can see ghosts.  Kylie soon gets entwined in a mystery and is torn between a cute faerie and a werewolf.

Born at Midnight was a fun book.  It's not the most original of ideas but it's executed in a way that makes it different.  I liked Kylie's ability to see ghosts and the mystery behind who the ghost is and her friends and potential suitors were all interesting characters.  Kylie is very whiny and immature in her reaction to her parents divorce but does end up redeeming herself in the end.

Appropriateness:    Kylie is at a party that's busted by the police for drugs (although she didn't take any) and she drinks a bit at that party.  She also engages in several heavy makeout sessions with more than one guy.  I would recommend this book to teens 14+ that enjoy paranormal romance.

Follow Friday and Book Blogger Hop

This week I reviewed:

Plague

Bite Me

Princess For Hire: The Royal Treatment.

 Aliens on Vacation

The Juliet Club

Putting Makeup on Dead People

So Not Happening

The Question is. . . .

Keeping with the dystopian and apocalypse theme that seems to be running rampant on parajunkee.com, I have one very hard question for you: If you were stocking your bomb shelter, what books would you HAVE to include if you only had space for ten?

Ten?  They'd have to be very long books.  

Gone with the Wind, my favorite along with the sequel Scarlett.  I'd probably add a couple classics like Forever Amber (which I remember liking when I was a kid but don't remember the plot) and some Jane Austin books that I'm not familiar with so I'd have something new.

The question this week is. . .
"Summer is coming quickly - what 2011 summer release are you are most looking forward to?" 
Bloodlines comes out at the end of August, along with Succubus Revealed which will be released on the 1st of September. 

Plague

Plague by Michael Grant is the fourth book in the Gone series.

This series has a premise that sounds like it was created by a couple of fourteen year old boys in their bedrooms.  The kids are in school when suddenly all the adults disappear and the town is enveloped in a large bubble.  The kids have to figure out their own society but to complicate things some of the kids start developing magic powers including some of the kids at the reform school down the road some of which are EVIL resulting in many battles and lots of fighting.  It's totally absurd which makes it perfect for teenage boys.

In Plague things have gotten bad in the FAYZ.  The town is running out of water, there is a horrible flu going around and the most disgusting bugs that eat kids from the inside out are outside the city.  Albert sends Sam and a few other kids off to go look for water and then the unthinkable happens.  Drake and his horrible whip hand escapes.  This leads to a book filled with action and death and lots of gruesome fights.

This book continued along the same line as the previous books in the series.  It's a fun read with a lot of action.   The book bounced back and forth between characters less often than the previous series.  There were some parts that were hard to follow, the giaiaphage/Drake/Brittany storyline was a little confusing and odd but the majority of the book was interesting and engaging.

Appropriateness:  This series is perfect for teenage boys.  It's sick and twisted and extremely violent.  The violence is gruesome the kids kill each other and some of the characters even relish the idea of torturing and killing other kids.  The kids drink alcohol to excess and there's a sexual relationship between a couple in this edition, and group of kids display some very hateful and racist behavior.  However, there are consequences both physical and emotional to all of the negative behaviors and none of them are glamorized.  I wouldn't give this book to a nine year old but it's absolutely appropriate for the12 and up audience that it's targeted towards and this is a series that boys will enjoy.

Waiting on Wednesday -- Frost

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Breaking The Spine where bloggers talk about books they're excited to read.

  Wendy Delsol’s FROST, is the sequel to her YA debut STORK.

After the drama of discovering that she’s a member of the Storks, a mystical order of women endowed with powerful abilities, Katla Leblanc is finally settling into her life in chilly Minnesota. In fact, the ex-California girl even hopes for a white Christmas. But Katla’s wintry wish unexpectedly turns into the snowstorm of the century, drawing the attention of Brigid, a gorgeous environmental researcher with an amazing array of fur coats and an unusual interest in Katla’s boyfriend, Jack.

Inspired by Norse mythology and Hans Christian Andersen’s THE SNOW QUEEN.

I loved the first in this series.  It was a fun read and an original story.

Bite Me

Bite me by Parker Blue stars Val a part demon who fights vampires. Val has spent her teenage years hunting vampires to keep the succubus (sex demon) inside of her under control.  When Val turns 18 she is kicked out of her house and fired from her job in her parents bookstore because her mother claims she's a bad influence on her little sister.  After leaving in a huff she meets a talking dog (a hellhound with the ability to sniff out vampires) and gets a job with the police department's paranormal department and is partnered up with a sexy partner.

 I enjoyed this book and it's a great series for the crossover audience.  Val is a strong female character who kicks a lot of vampire butt and her fluffy hell hound sidekick is entertaining.  The romance has a nice buildup and left me hoping for more at the end of the book and there is lots more of vals story to tell.

Appropriateness:  This book was marketed to me as a YA paranormal romance with crossover appeal and I agree.  It read quite like the adult paranormal romances I like to read except it was missing the sex and had a younger heroine.  The main character does not live with her parents and lives and works in an adult world.  Val is a succubus and struggles with the sexual urges of her demon.  There are a couple steamy makeout sessions but no actual sex.  I would recommend this book to paranormal romance fans 16 and up (but it is not inappropriate for younger readers) and teens who are transitioning to adult romance novels.

Review copy obtained from the publisher via netgalley 

Princess For Hire: The Royal Treatment.

The second book in the Princess for Hire series The Royal Treatment picks up with Desi auditioning for A Midsummer Night's Dream at the high school.  In her substitute princess life Desi steps into working for level two princesses and learns more about the politics and inner workings of the agency.  Desi has to figure out her conflicting feelings for a certain young prince and a fellow actor.

This book is fun cute and romantic.  Like the first in the series it reads like a Disney TV movie.  Desi is a strong and spunky heroine and the small bit of romance takes a backseat in the plot to Desi's princess adventures.  In this book Desi finds out more of the background of the agency and how the Magic Potential is put to use.  This was a fun and sweet book that I couldn't put down and read very quickly.

Appropriateness:  There is nothing even slightly objectionable in this book and I would have no problem handing it to a fourth grader who wanted to read a romance and it would be loved by ten to fourteen year old girls.  The lexile for the first book was 670 putting it about a fourth grade reading level.

So Not Happening

So Not Happening is about a girl who faces culture shock when she goes from living as a pampered New York princess to living in a small town in Oklahoma.

Bella is a sweet girl and suffers through the big changes she has to face in a typical teen way. She learns from her actions and faces a mystery in her challenge to fit in.

Appropriateness:  This is a Christian novel but the Christianity isn't rubbed in your face or a large part of the plot, she prays a bit and goes to a FCA meeting but nothing that would put off a Non-Christian reader. There is no drinking by the main characters (and the characters do a good job of just saying no when they're at parties where alcohol is involved) and no sex at all in the book (just a little bit of kissing).

The Juliet Club

The Juliet Club by Suzanne Harper follows Kate who spends the summer studying Romeo and Juliet in Verona.  Kate is a very serious girl who has no desire for romance.  When she agrees to enter into a fake romance with Giacomo to get back at two of their classmates who were trying to play a trick on them she finds herself learning to relax and enjoy herself.

The Juliet Club is a delightful romance infused with bits of Shakespeare.  Kate isn't a foolish girl and the romance doesn't happen in ten pages or involve lots of angst.  The literary references are a nice touch and not included in a way that would alienate readers who are not familiar with Shakespeare (although some knowledge would make the novel more enjoyable).  I was entranced with the setting and the characters and it made for a lovely contemporary love story.

Appropriateness:  There isn't anything that would upset parents in this novel.  The story is more complex and contains some serious literary references that could go over the head of young readers.  I would put the interest level at 14+ and it would make a perfect book to give a reader who is reading or has read Romeo and Juliet in English class.  The lexile is 830 putting it around a sixth grade reading level.

Aliens on Vacation

Aliens on Vacation stars Scrub a boy sent to stay for the summer with his eccentric grandmother who runs the Intergalactic Bed and Breakfast.  Scrub soon notices that the guests in this hotel look and act a little strange.  He soon learns that this is not an ordinary hotel but one with guests from across the galaxy.  His grandmother gives him many responsibilities around the hotel which he enjoys.  However, the local sheriff has his eye on the hotel and has made it his mission to get it shut down.

I loved this book.  It read like a Disney TV Movie (and Disney has apparently optioned the movie rights) making it a quick, funny and fast read.  Scrub grows as a person throughout the book and really enjoys the responsibility that his grandmother gives him and that he is really needed for once in his life.  The different descriptions of the alien guests are very funny and there are plenty of scenes that will make readers laugh out loud.

Appropriateness:  I would recommend this book to readers from 10-14 (and younger advanced readers).  The main character is around 14 and has problems that boys will be able to relate to.  There is a little bit of a romance in the book (which could encourage some female readership) but not enough to alienate a male readership.  There is no adult content. 

Review copy obtained from publisher through netgalley.  Book to be released on May 1st.

Follow Friday and Book Blogger Hop

This week I reviewed

The Magnolia League

Jekel Loves Hyde

Jenna and Jonah's Fauxmance

Between Shades of Gray

Where She Went

Chalk the Block

The Gardner

And gave some

Reading tools and tips for the pre-school set

The Question is. . . .

Q. What is on your current playlist right now?

I've got Sarah Bareilles, Avril Lavigne and Taylor Swift (the little one loves Taylor Swift) on the playlist

The question this week is. . .
"If you find a book you love, do you hunt down other books by the same author?"

Yes, I've always done this.  If I like a book then I go out and buy everything they've written.

The Magnolia League

  The Magnolia League by Katie Crouch follows Alex, a deadlocked hippie raised on a communal farm after the death of her mother as she moves to Georgia to live with her rich grandmother who is the leader of the elite Magnolia League.  Alex soon finds out that the good looks and riches that come to the Magnolia League are the result of magic and that magic comes with a cost.

The Magnolia League while flawed was very engrossing.  Alex was a likable character and the magic of the Magnolia Girls (MG's) made for a story that flowed very well and I had no problem finishing the book and will be reading the sequel.  However, unlike in many novels instead of the main character learning and growing from her experiences Alex became more vapid and shallow as each chapter progressed and only had a slight redemption in the end. 

Appropriateness:  This is not a book I would recommend to teenagers that are not reading adult books on a regular basis.  The substance use was so frequent (and not portrayed negatively) in this book that it bothered me.  The main character was raised on a pot farm and smokes pot a lot with no consequences at all and there is also lot of drinking and partying which is encouraged by the adults in her life.  In the beginning of the book for example, Alex is found smoking pot by her grandmother who tells her that it smells bad and that she should smoke cigarettes instead because that's what they own stock in.  The drug use is seen to be normal, and no big deal.  The pot growing farm that Alex is born on is seen as bad only in a consumerist way.  Alex goes to several drunken parties and her friends drug her to perform magic several times.  Her romantic relationships were unhealthy (with her first boyfriend calling her Pudge and refusing to acknowledge her relationship in public) and she was more worried about the physical aspects of her relationships (and willing to take them to the next level very quickly) than the emotional.  If your child chooses to read this book I'd be sure to have a long discussion about drug use, healthy relationships and why money and looks will not make you happy.  


This book will be enjoyed by teens who enjoyed The Lying Game, and the  Gossip Girl series.


Review copy obtained by publisher.

Jekel Loves Hyde

Jekel Loves Hyde by Beth Fantaskey chronicles Jill Jekel a girl whose father has just been murdered and Tristen Hyde a boy with a troubled past, a murdered mother who has murderous visions put there by the monster in his head. Both characters are of course chemistry nuts and they pair up to try to win a chemistry competition and to perfect the formula from the old novel to rid Tristen of his beast.

This novel is plagued with problems. The first problem is that the author chooses to have both characters narrate the story and doesn't give either one enough of a voice so that the reader can know immediately (without reading the chapter title) who is narrating. The romance wasn't believable and the main story was illogical and absurd. The main characters sneak around and break into schools preparing dangerous chemical compounds for Tristen to drink while also preparing for a high school chemistry scholarship competition. Tristen admits that he's dangerous and has fantasies that involve murdering Jill yet she still loves him and tries to change him. As you get further into the plot it becomes more and more strange and unbelievable.

Appropriateness:  As for content that parents would find objectionable there's discussion of rape (along with the monster within being blamed) drinking and glorified petty crime. There is a lot of violence that's excused as being the fault of the alter ego and a girl running to a guy who has told her how dangerous he is and how he dreams of raping and murdering her (and she doesn't even seem to like him that much).

Jenna and Jonah's Fauxmance

Jenna & Jonah's Fauxmance by Brendan Halpin and Emily Franklin tells the story of Charlie and Fielding (Aaron) who have spent the past several years playing Jenna and Johah on a cheesy teen family show and pretending that they're a couple off screen.  The two are not fond of each other.  When a publicity stunt goes bad the two are forced to spend time together first at a secluded beach house and then performing for a theater production of Much Ado About Nothing.

I've had this book on my shelf for a while but put off reading it because it didn't look that great.  I was very pleasantly surprised.  The story is told in alternating voices and both of the characters are interesting and fully developed.  What initially seems like a light and fun story turns intelligent and fun at the end as the two characters look into themselves while working on their characters in the Shakespeare play.

Appropriateness:  There is no adult content in the book.  The references to Shakespeare are fantastic and they are placed in a way that makes readers interested in the play.  I would recommend this book to teens who like quirky romances.  I would place the interest level at 13+ with it not being inappropriate for a younger audience.

Waiting on Wednesday -- Fins are Forever

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Breaking The Spine where bloggers talk about books they're excited to read.

 Fins are Forever is the sequel to Forgive my Fins a terrific middle grade book about a girl who discovers she's a mermaid.

On Lily Sanderson’s eighteenth birthday she’ll become just a girl—still a mer girl, true, but signing the renunciation paperwork will ink Princess Waterlily of Thalassinia out of existence. That leaves plain old Lily living on land, dating the boy she loves, and trying to master this being human thing once and for all.

Now that Lily and Quince are together, mer-bond or not, she’s almost content to give up her place in the royal succession of Thalassinia. But just when she thinks she has everything figured out, Lily’s father sends a certain whirlpool-stirring cousin to stay with her on land. What did Doe do to get herself exiled from Thalassinia and stuck in terraped form, when everyone knows how much she hates humans? And why why why is she batting her eyelashes at Lily’s former crush, Brody?

The seafoam on the surf comes when a merboy from Lily’s past shows up. Tellin asks Lily for something that clouds her view of the horizon. There’s a future with Quince on land, her loyalty to the kingdom in the sea, and Lily tossing on the waves in the middle. Will she find a way to reconcile her love, her duty, and her dreams?

Sounds like fun.  I adored the first book and I assume the second will be just as delightful.  

Between Shades of Gray

 Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys tells the story of Lina an artist who is sent with her mother and brother to a Siberian work camp.  The story begins with Lina being forced out of her home by Russian Police, she then has to endure the long journey to Siberia and is assigned to a work camp.  Lina and the others that share her journey face sickness, starvation, overwork, and death throughout their journey.  Lina uses her art as and outlet and continues to draw, keeping her artwork carefully hidden so it doesn't cause her to

This is a beautifully written tragic historical novel about a period in time that many are not familiar with. The author did extensive research and many of the incidents that happened in the book are based on real accounts from survivors of this horrific period.  I was completely engrossed by the story which was both powerful and heartbreaking.    I fully expect this book to be able to hold it's own and make it onto recommended reading lists for years to come.

Appropriateness:  This book like many that detail horrific historical incidents is difficult to read at times.
would compare it to a Holocaust novel like The Devil's Arithmetic in content with it being difficult to read but well suited for the middle/high school audience that will read it.  There is no rape, no physical torture and the kids survive.  There are deaths of main characters and plenty of difficult incidents.  I would recommend this book to readers 12 and up and would encourage parents to read the book along with their kids and discuss it together.  It is a very good book that can be equally enjoyed by teens and adults.

Top Ten Tuesday -- Childhood Favorites

 

Top Ten Tuesday is sponsored by Broke and the Bookish.  This week is blast from the past with bloggers picking one of the past topics.

I'm going to go with Childhood Favorites.

1. The Babysitters Club  I just couldn't have enough.

2. Little House On the Prairie  I read these books over and over.  My daughter liked them also.

3. The Phantom Tollbooth I remember loving this book and thinking it was so clever.

4. The Witch of Blackbird Pond one of the few real classics that I enjoyed.  

5. Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm was one I got over and over from the library (and it's in the public domain now so that means free for your e-reader)

6. The Ramona Collection, Vol. 1: Beezus and Ramona / Ramona the Pest / Ramona the Brave / Ramona and Her Father I always went back to the Beverly Cleary section in the library.

7. Best of Blume: Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret/Blubber/Iggie's House/Starring Sally J. Freedman As Herself Ditto with Judy Blume

8. Gone with the Wind: 75th Anniversary Edition My original copy has lost it's cover I read it so many times.

9. Interview with the Vampire Another series I read over and over (although in high school this time).

10. The Complete Anne of Green Gables Boxed Set (Anne of Green Gables, Anne of Avonlea, Anne of the Island, Anne of Windy Poplars, Anne's House of Dreams, ... Rainbow Valley, Rilla of Ingleside) I also adored Anne.