Eve

Eve by Anna Carey follows Eve who has been living in a boarding school since becoming orphaned after a plague that wiped out most of the population.  On the eve of graduation she finds out the world is not as she had believed and that after graduation she and her classmates will be forcibly impregnated instead of going on to train for a job as they believed.  Eve escapes with a little help from a teacher and meets one of her former classmates and a boy that she is afraid of because she has been brainwashed into believing that men are evil.  Eve must try to make it to a hideout while being perused by the military who have been hunting her as the king has decided that she is the one to have his children.

This is one of those books that I loved and hated at the same time.  The dystopian world was completely unbelievable.  I just couldn't believe that less than twenty years after a plague that the world has completely fallen apart and is being ruled by a ruthless dictator who is enslaving all of the orphan children.  I also couldn't believe that Eve was so special that the King would have her tracked specifically.  Speaking of Eve, at times she made choices that were so bad that I was rooting against her, wanting her to get caught because she deserved it for being such an idiot.  However, in spite of all that, I couldn't put the book down.  There was something about this story of a girl who is racing through an unknown land, afraid of everything and misinformed about boys that spoke to me.  Her relationships seemed real and the romance was sweet.

So if you don't think to much about it you'll like the book.  However if you start thinking about it then it cracks apart.

Appropriateness:  There is an attempted rape scene which isn't too traumatic, however Eve takes the blame herself because she thought that she was leading him on (it does fit with the characterization).  I'd be sure to have a date rape conversation with your kids while they're reading this book.  The main romance involves just a bit of kissing and there is a scene where they drink beer (which leads to the attempted rape).  I would recommend this book to readers 13+

Sweet Venom

Sweet Venom by Tera Lynn Childs follows a set of triplets who were raised separately.  Grace who is a sweet girl next door who has just moved to town, Gretchen who was found on the streets and raised to be a monster fighter and Greer who was raised in a privileged household.  When they find each other and find out their destiny as daughters of Medusa, huntresses who will protect the world from monsters that only they can see and banish, and that their lives will never be the same. 

I really liked this book.  It seemed more mature and edgy than Childs' other books without moving into older teen only territory.  This was the first in the trilogy and provided a good setup to the characters and the mystery to come while still giving the reader a good story.  I look forward to seeing how the romantic relationships that the girls have change in the next book.  The mythology was well crafted and original.  I finished the book very quickly and was always interested to know what would happen next.

Appropriateness:  There was no adult content in this book.  The girls are in their late teens and seem like high school students.  The romances only consist of flirtation.  I would recommend this book to readers 12+

Review copy provided by Amazon Vine

Ambitious

Ambitious by Monica McKayhan follows Marisol a latina dancer from a rough neighborhood and Drew a wealthy African American boy who have just started attending a Premiere, a performing arts high school.  Marisol and Drew both have to navigate this new world and deal with families and friends who do not understand why they gave up their normal lives and schools to attend Premiere.

This book was written specifically for reluctant readers and because of this it may not appeal to the general audience.  It is not complex and the performing arts aspect is not well researched.  However, this is a book that very low achieving and reluctant readers will enjoy.  The characters are not rich white teens who have perfect lives but are ethnic and come from rocky neighborhoods/families.  The book is fairly short, the plot is clear and easy to follow, and the teenagers act like teenagers (which is rare with books that are this easy to read).

Appropriateness:  There is a bit of adult behavior in this novel but nothing major and there is no sexual activity.  One of Marisol's friends smokes constantly (to which Marisol makes many catty comments) and there are some gang situations.  I would recommend this book to reluctant readers 14+ (however it is appropriate for younger teens).  

Review copy provided by Amazon Vine

Hunger Games Trailer

It's here!  So excited. . .

The Midnight Zoo

The Midnight Zoo by Sonya Hartnett is a magical tale of three children who find a zoo in the midst of a war torn country.  Andrej, a Roma was forced to run with his brother and his baby sister after Nazi's capture his community.  At the zoo they find that the animals can talk and they share their stories.

This book felt more like real literature than most middle grade books do.  It has lots of big concepts that provide lots of potential for real thought and the prose was beautiful.  I do wish that there had been more of an overreaching plot to move the story along, however the stories of all the animals and the boys were engrossing and very well written.  There is some massive vocabulary in this book (along with beautiful descriptions) making this a good book for advanced readers.  However the book is short enough that it is finished quickly.

Appropriateness:  This book has a few difficult war scenes and asks questions that will require some higher level thinking skills (or help from an adult) to fully comprehend.  I would recommend this book to readers 10-14 with it appealing equally to boys and girls.

Review copy obtained from publisher (not sure how though, it just showed up so if you sent it to me thanks!)

Crush Control

Crush Control by Jennifer Jabaley stars Willow who is moving back to her mothers hometown after living in Las Vegas where her mother worked as a hypnotist in one of the hotels.  Willow is excited to see her best friend Max whom she left in middle school (and may have hypnotized into always being her best friend) but sad to see that he has a girlfriend (who of course is nice and super sweet)  After arriving in town Willow runs into problems with her classmates after putting her mothers hypnotism tricks to work.

This was a fun contemporary romance with a twist.  The hypnotism element was hysterical and the romance was sweet.  I also enjoyed the conflict between Willow, her mother and her maternal grandparents.  It felt real and I loved Willow worked to make things work between all of them.  The friendships all seemed real and the plot was interesting and fun.  I finished the book quickly.

Appropriateness:  There is a bit of sex talk but no sex and the romances are fairly innocent.  There is a party scene where it is implied that the kids are drinking (with the yard being littered with red plastic cups) but beer is never specifically mentioned.  The main character is in her late teens.  I recommend it for readers 12+

Follow Friday and Book Blogger Hop

The Question is. . . .

Q. In books like the Sookie Stackhouse (True Blood) series the paranormal creature in question "comes out of the closet" and makes itself known to the world. Which mythical creature do you wish would come out of the closet, for real?

A. I'd love something that has their own little world that could open into our.  Faeries or Mermaids

http://crazy-for-books.com/2011/08/book-blogger-hop-819-822.html
The Question this week is. . 

Confessions of a First Daughter

Confessions of a First Daughter by Cassidy Calloway stars Morgan Abbot whose mother is the president.  Morgan is far from the perfect first daughter.  She has problems with her grades and gets caught by the paparazzi at the most embarrassing and inconvenient time.  After causing a minor incident after being caught in a closet with her boyfriend Morgan is assigned a new young (and cute) secret service agent. 

This was a cute and fun book.  Morgan is a great character complete with flaws.  Although the story is far from realistic it is still fun and the book is a fun and fast read.  I loved Morgan's relationship with her mother and her relationship with her best friend.  It is very short, fluffy and fun.  I finished it very quickly.

Appropriateness:  There are a couple of scenes where Morgan's boyfriend wants to go further than she is comfortable with.  She goes to a club while underage but does not drink.  The crush worthy older guy is just two years older than her (so it's not creepy like many are).  It is a very short and quick read that reluctant readers would enjoy.  Morgan is in her late teens but she and her classmates interact more like middle schoolers.  I would recommend this book to girls 11-4.

Bloodlines

Bloodlines by Richelle Mead is a spin off series that is set in the same world as Vampire Academy.  While you can start this series without reading VA I would suggest that Vampire Academy be read first.  This series stars Sydney who is an Alchemist.  The Alchemist's are a society that protect the human world from finding about the existence of vampires.  Sydney is woken up in the middle of the night and told that she is being assigned to watch over the Vampire Queen's little sister Jill who is hiding from assassins in Palm Springs.  She is soon enrolled into a private boarding school with Jill, her bodyguard Eddie while Adrian is staying nearby.

This was a good introduction to a spin off series.  It had just enough of the past to make Vampire Academy fans happy but also does a good job of separating from the original and creating a new set of problems and mysteries for the characters.  The only thing that really bugged me about the book was Sydney's obsession with weight.  The girl seemed to think she was fat as a size four and obsesses over Jill's thin physique.  If a character is going to have weight issues then the author should at least make sure that the character isn't complaining about being a size four.  I sped through the book and look forward to the rest of the series.

Appropriateness:  This series is written for the older teen/adult crossover audience and the main character is eighteen.  There is quite a bit of smoking/drinking (although not by the main character).  There is no sexual content (although I would expect that there will be in later books).

Epitaph Road

Epitaph Road by David Patneaude follows Kellen.  In Kellen's world men are rare having almost all died out in a mass epidemic years earlier. The epidemic occurred after the Men in charge had almost ended the world with constant conflicts and environmental ruin. Women took control of the world and things are peaceful and the environment has started to repair itself. However, things are not as perfect as they seem. The new government is controlling and limits procreation and the activities of men.

The story starts with the author allowing the reader to explore Kellen's world. Then we find out that there is a planned outbreak in the area where Kellen's father lives. The characters have to figure out the mystery of the outbreak (which is clearly shown for the reader) and then must save Kellen's father. There is a nice twist at the end and some action. The author paints both men and women as capable of major evil and makes the reader think about what sacrifices would be acceptable to have in order to have a more peaceful world.

I enjoyed this book and could not put it down, I would recommend it to readers who enjoy post-apocalyptic novels such as Life As We Knew It who don't require a lot of action or romance.

Appropriateness:  There is nothing in the book that would irritate parents. No sex or drug use and no graphic violence.  This is one of those rare books that boys will like as much as girls. It does have a touch of romance but not enough to turn boys off, it has a strong female main character and there is some action and a frenzied pace at the end of the book to keep the reader interested. The author did a good job of presenting both men and women as equally evil so this book doesn't end up being a male hating or a woman hating book.  The lexile is 720 putting it around a fourth grade level and making this a great book for reluctant or struggling middle school readers.

Wildwood

Wildwood by Colin Meloy follows Prue and Curtis as they enter the Wildwood in search of Prue's baby brother who was kidnapped by a murder (the correct term for a flock) of crows.  The two are quickly enveloped into a fantastical land with talking animals and a great political battle and become important to the freedom of the Wildwood.

This is a great fantasy novel that kids will love.  The world building is excellent and it is full of adventure.  The characters are separate for a large portion of the book and the author does a good job of keeping the story moving while moving back and forth between the characters.  I found the book to be too long for the intended audience (it is over 500 pages) and think that will turn off many readers (it turned me off).  It is also fully in the fantasy genre and does not offer much for crossover readers.

 Appropriateness:  Curtis gets drunk off of blackberry wine in the first few chapters.  It is treated as a fantasy event (and frankly, it makes him look like an idiot) and is not treated as a fun or a good decision, he drinks the wine because he is not offered water.  It is not anything that would bother me as a parent.  There is however a large amount of gruesome violence that young children might find upsetting.  The back of my ARC says this book is for grades 3-7 and I disagree with that assessment.  The book is HUGE and there are some massive vocabulary words which lead me to believe that it is written at a far more difficult reading level than the average third or fourth grader could handle.  The length makes it too long to work as a read aloud.   I would recommend this book to readers in grades 5-8 who are fans of fantasy (both male and female).

ARC provided by publisher (not sure who actually sent me the book, it arrived at my house so if you sent it thanks! 

-- If you really want to be entertained go check out the reviews on Amazon.  There is a delightfully hysterical one star review that made me laugh, it has an absurd amount of not helpful results.

Princess Academy

Princess Academy by Shannon Hale follows Miri a small girl living in a town that mines a special rock called linder.  When a man from the capital arrives he tells the town that the priests have proclaimed that the next princess is to come from their town.  To prepare all of the girls for the princes arrival all girls of eligible age are sent to a princess academy that has been created to educate the girls so that they can learn enough to be a princess.  Miri initially does not want to go and the school mistress is cruel but she soon finds that she loves to learn and is able to use the knowledge that she has gained to help her town.

This was not the pink encrusted bubbly book full of twittering girls that the title suggests.  Instead it is a wonderful tales of girls realizing the importance of education and discovering their own self worth.  Miri is a strong girl who learns to love learning, to be confident in her own abilities and is a fantastic role model. 

Appropriateness:  I would recommend this book for a 10-13 year old audience.  There is a bit of romance but not enough that it would intimidate young readers.  Miri is fourteen and her classmates are between the ages of twelve and seventeen,  The lexile is 890 putting the book at a fifth grade reading level and it would be a great read aloud for older kids.  The book comes with a readers guide complete with an author interview and discussion questions. 

The audio version of this book (and other books by the same author) is narrated by full cast audio which uses a different actor for each character making for a delightful listening experience. We picked our copy up at the library.

The Predicteds

The Predicteds by Christine Seifert follows Daphne who has just moved to Quiet Oklahoma.  On her first day at the new school she is involved in a school shooting where she is saved by Jesse who shoves her in a cabinet and disables the attacker.  Soon after the attack rumblings happen in the town that his behavior was "predicted".  Daphne soon finds out that her mother was the creator of a program that was given to students in the town that could predict if a teen will commit an act of violence, abuse drugs or become a teen parent.  The names of the students that are predicted will soon come out and rock the small town.

This book had a very original premise.  I initially thought that it would be a dystopian novel but it was more of a contemporary novel with an added twist and the majority of the book read like a regular contemporary novel with a bit of a romance and mystery.  The book had some major problems that were mostly character related.  While Daphne was fleshed out fairly well everyone else was like a caricature of popular high school kids and while Daphne seems to want nothing to do with these popular kids they keep pushing and pushing into her life (while also warning her that she could do things that would make her unpopular).  I think if Daphne's social situation had been a little different and she'd had anyone that she could confide in (and that she didn't feel superior to)  it would have made it easier to relate to her and it would have made for a better read.  

Appropriateness:  There was quite a bit of drinking, lots of gossipy sex talk and an attempted rape (which doesn't get very far and is not traumatic).  The characters are all older high schoolers and act their age.  I would recommend this book for teens 14+

Follow Friday and Book Blogger Hop

The Question is. . . .

Q. If you could write yourself a part in a book, what book would it be and what role would you play in that book?

I would love to be a sassy best friend in Meg Cabot's Queen of Babble Series. 

http://crazy-for-books.com/2011/08/book-blogger-hop-819-822.html
The Question this week is. . 

“What’s the LONGEST book you’ve ever read?”
(Note: I’m putting one caveat on this question. You aren’t allowed to say the Bible, Torah, Qur’an, or other religious/spiritual text.)

Probably Gone with the Wind, I know it's really long.  I really dislike super long books.  Generally they need a good edit someplace (or a split in two) and drag.

You Will Call Me Drog

You Will Call Me Drog  follows a boy named Parker who gets a sarcastic puppet named stuck Drog on his hand.  Parker is going through many problems in his life and Drog just makes his life more difficult.  His relationship with his father hasn't been strong since his parents got divorced and Drog's sarcastic comments complicate things.  Because of Drog Parker is forced to confront many issues in his life and find new interests and friends.

I really enjoyed this book.  I initially thought it was going to be a silly little children's book but it was far more than that.  This is a well crafted book about a boy in pain over his parents divorce.  Throughout the book Parker grows from a needy little boy to a young adult who sticks up for what he believes in and isn't afraid to speak honestly but kindly to his father and other adults in his life.  The book has several fantastic adult characters that help Parker on his journey including his teacher, his Akido instructor, his therapist and his mother.  Many social issue novels read like after school specials but this one integrates the problem into Parker's struggle with his sarcastic puppet making it a book that kids will want to read. 


Appropriateness:  Drog tries to get Parker to show him dancing girls, he does some searches on the computer to get pictures.  He makes a visit to a strip club (to which Parker is immediately stopped from entering), both of which are seen as crazy activities.  I would recommend this book to boys from 9-13 and it would be helpful for kids dealing with a divorce or custody disputes.

Pregnant Pause

Pregnant Pause by Han Nolan follows Elenore a pregnant sixteen year old.  After finding out that she is pregnant her mother tells her that she can either come with them to Kenya or she can marry her boyfriend.  She marries her very immature boyfriend and takes a job working at her inlaw's weight loss camp.  While there she has to make a choice as to what she is going to do about the baby (her inlaws want the baby as does her sister), her cheating looser of a husband and the ins and outs of working in the camp.

Stories about teen pregnancy are generally riddled with problems.  Many authors feel the need for a happy ending which results in almost glamorizing the pregnancy. Nolan however, succeeded in making Elenore's story into a cautionary tale as opposed to turning the situation into an "everything will be all right and work out perfectly in the end" situation. Elenore's story is very complex and her problems are laid out for the reader to see and she doesn't have much of a happy ending.  The looser boyfriend continues to be a looser and she realizes that she has to figure out how to do everything herself.  I enjoyed the story, found it emotionally stirring and finished it quickly.

Appropriateness:  This book is full of adult content however, the author does not glamorize any of the negative behavior and most of it is not done by the main character while she is narrating the book (her boyfriend is a looser).  There is sex talk (but no descriptive sex), drug and alcohol use, driving while high, teen pregnancy, emotionally abusive adults and suicide (I think I got it all but may have missed some, if teenagers do it and it's bad then it happened).   Even with all the adult behavior I would not think twice about handing this book to a middle school reader (although it is complex enough to be enjoyed by high school students) because the adult behaviors are handled in a way that serves as a cautionary tale and it would serve as a good start off for parent child discussions on these topics.  I would recommend this book to teens 13+

Review copy obtained from Amazon Vine.  Release date September 20

Into the Wild/ Out of the Wild

The book Into the Wild follows Julie who is the Daughter of Rapunzel.  Julie's mom and her fairy tale friends escaped from the wild years before and the wild has remained safely contained underneath Julie's bed.  When someone makes a wish at a magic wishing well the wild is released and townspeople are forced to reenact it's famous stories.  Julie must find her way through the wild, acting out pieces of fairy tales to rescue her mother and save the town from the wild and allow them to get back to their regular lives.

Into the Wild is a delightful mix of fairy tales.  It introduces readers to a large mix of fairy tales and the reader is made aware of the differences between the real versions and the Disney versions.  Julie is a spunky independent girl who is able to think and work independently and cares about her family and friends.

Appropriateness:  Aside from a little scariness this book is appropriate for all middle grade and young adult audiences.  Julie is twelve and her adventure would appeal to kids in the 9-13 year old range.  The lexile is 530 putting it at a third grade reading level making it a good book for reluctant readers.  

The sequel Out of the Wild follows Julie on another adventure fighting to save the world and it is also very good.
 

Bestest Ramadan Ever

Bestest. Ramadan. Ever by Medeia Sharif follows Almira a Muslim girl who is trying to have her first successful Ramadan fast.  The members of Almira's family differ in how devout they are from her grandfather disapproving of anything American to Almira herself who appreciates her heritage but also wants to be able to have a boyfriend and wear makeup.  The story follows Almira through her month of Ramadan while she tries to balance her families traditions with the American lifestyle that her friends have.

This is a cute and funny book about an immigrant trying to make sense out of the complex world that she lives in.  Trying to figure out how to be Muslim enough for her parents but American enough for herself.  The book doesn't do a great job at showing readers what it's like to be an Islamic teenager.  Islam and her families culture is seen more as a burden and the reader isn't given many positive aspects of the religion to balance out the negatives.  However, I loved Almira and was engrossed in her story and finished the book quickly.  The author did a fantastic job at creating characters that the reader cares about and there are lots of funny moments in the book (like the comments that her English teachers writes on her daily journal entries).

Appropriateness:  There is not any adult content in this book.  This is a light hearted fun contemporary novel that will be enjoyed by readers 11+

Glow

Glow by Amy Ryan follows Waverly and Kieran whose lives are turned into disarray when their spaceship is hijacked.  Waverly is taken aboard another ship by a group of settlers who need girls because their fertility was compromised.  She must find a way to escape and save the rest of the girls.  Kieran on the other hand is thrust into a leadership role and then is faced with mutiny after a series of decisions he made put the ship in danger.

While I greatly enjoyed this book it was seriously flawed.  The book followed two characters who spent the majority of time on seperate ships.  So we would have eight chapters (or so) following one character and then it would switch to the other.  It almost like reading two seperate books in a series with the two characters only interacting together for a short time at the beginning and end.

I did however find the two stories very interesting.  There were enough big questions to make all the situations fall into shades of grey as opposed to being plain black and white to make the reader think.  I thought the author gave us a large cast of characters that were interesting and distinct.  The girls being stolen for their ovaries angle worried me at first but it was handled in a way that was completely appropriate for the audience, there is no rape in this book.  I finished the book very quickly and was engrossed in the story.

Appropriateness:  This is a fantastic science fiction novel that will be enjoyed by middle and high school audiences.  It has a bit of romance and a strong female character to appeal to girls but also has a crazy element and a male narrator for much of the book to appeal to male readers.  There is one sex scene that is not detailed and the romance is at a distance for most of the book.  There is a bit of talk about alcohol, a bit of mild torture and violence.  The main characters are sixteen.  I would recommend this book to fans of science fiction and dystopian books aged 12+.

Review copy provided by Amazon Vine

The Witches

The Witches by Roald Dahl is a tale about real Witches.  Witches who hate children.  A boy and his grandmother go on vacation after his grandmother is ill and have a run in with The Grand High Council of Witches.  They have come up with a potion to turn all children into mice.  The boy and his friend Bruno and his Grandmother have to stop them before they can turn all the children into mice.

My daughter Katelyn read this book and loved it.  She looked forward to finding out what was going to be next every day.  She loved the descriptions of the witches so much that she told me about them and even wrote a journal entry about how to tell a real witch from a regular woman. 

Appropriateness:  This book is very creepy and like all Dahl books there is a bit of twisted disturbing humor involved in the end.  The book has a kind of happy ending but it's not as picture perfect as most children's books.  This is not a book for kids who scare easily or have a problem figuring out reality from fiction.  For kids who like scary and weird stories this book is great.  The lexile is 740 putting it at a mid fourth grade level, guided reading level R.  I would recommend this book to kids 9-14

There is a great movie version of this book which is a good reward for kids who have finished the book.  The ending was Disneyfied but Angelica Houston does a fantastic job as the High Witch.

Follow Friday and Book Blogger Hop

The Question is. . . .

Q. How has your reading habits changed since you were a teen? or If you are still a teen what new genres are you in love with currently? 

I was a huge fan of historical fiction when I was a teen.  I read Gone with the Wind over and over and All the Alexandra Ripley books (she wrote the sequel).  I also read a lot of Danielle Steele. . .

I'm reading mostly YA now because I'm not thrilled with what's happened to romance and it's more consistently entertaining.  I have no desire to read books about divorcee's or women leaving their men or cheating and a lot of romance has turned into that instead of being young and flirty.

http://crazy-for-books.com/2011/08/book-blogger-hop-812-815.html
The question this week is. . .

“Let’s talk crazy book titles! Highlight one or two (or as many as you like!) titles in your personal collection that have the most interesting titles! If you can’t find any, feel free to find one on the internet!”

I love cute titles with puns.  Tera Lynn Childs' Oh. My. Gods. is a great one.

Blood Ties

Blood Ties by Mari Mancusi is the sixth book in the Blood Coven Vampire series.  This series follows Sunny and Rayne as they deal with living in a supernatural (and silly) world and deal with their sexy vampire boyfriends and the stresses of living in a world with vampires and vampire slayers (and vampire vampire slayers) and fairy princesses.  It is a hilarious series that manages to be both satirical and silly and serious at the same time.

This book is narrated by Sunny (who is not as entertaining a narrator as her sister) who must deal with one of her friends who has been turned into a vampire because of her.  She travels the world and fights unwanted romantic feelings to help him turn back into a human.

While I did enjoy this novel I did not find it as enjoyable as others in the series (although I've never enjoyed Sunny's novels as much as Rayne's).  It seemed like a filler book and although the ending did continue the plot most of the book was just going from place to place without a solid point for the reader to look towards and I found the romance lacking.  Sunny's boyfriend showed his age and seemed to treat her like the kid she is (compared to his extremely advanced age).  It wasn't enough to make me worry about the series (although a lot of series do take a major divebomb in quality when they get this many).  The preview for the next book in the series has me hoping that the next will be as exciting as some of the previous books.

Appropriateness:  There was a bit of wine drinking and some sex talk (but no sexual content beyond kissing).  I would recommend this book to teens 13+ who are fans of paranormal romance and comedy.

Waiting on Wednesday -- The Predicteds

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

The Predicteds

 Daphne is the new girl in town and is having trouble fitting in. At least she has Jesse... sort of. He wants to be more than "just friends," but there's something he's not telling her about his past. Something dangerous. When a female student is brutally attacked, police turn to PROFILE, a new program that can predict a student's capacity for drug use, pregnancy, and violent behavior, to solve the case. As the witch hunt ensues, Daphne is forced to question her feelings for Jesse-and what she will do if her first love turns out to be a killer.

Looks awesome.  Release date September 1

Supernaturally

Supernaturally is the second book in the Paranormalcy series.  This series stars Evie a girl who works for an organization that controls supernatural beings, the IPCA.  Evie has a special power, she can see through the glamor of supernaturals that helps her with her job.

In this book Evie has moved out of the IPCA and is trying to live a normal life going to a regular high school and going out on dates with her boyfriend when the IPCA pops back into her life.  She partners up with a human named Jack who can travel on the Faerie paths and tries to balance both worlds.

This book suffered from a major sophomore slump and was lacking in a strong plot to pull the reader through.  The romantic relationships were strange and unsatisfying (and contained a scene where she sat and bawled miserably because of a breakup ugh) and while there were some very interesting moments in the story I felt a lot of it was boring.  While I would recommend the first book in the series this book was a disappointment and I would not recommend it.

Appropriateness:  There is no adult content in this book.  Evie is in her late teens and acts her age (except for saying beep instead of cursing, that's just annoying).  I would recommend this book to teens 13+

Skipping Stones at the Center of the Earth

 Skipping Stones at the Center of the Earth by Andy Huller is the story of Cal, a boy with fire red hair that has grown up in an orphanage that is located on the sunny side of an island located in the center of the earth.  The book tells a few interrelated and interesting stories.  The story of  the discovery of a giant screw that is found at both poles, how the screw is found and how it is unscrewed creating the hole in the earth that Cal's orphanage is located inside.  The story of Cal's father and most importantly the story of Cal.  The orphanage that Cal lives in is a strange place.  They have fire poles instead of stairs and the food is horrible.  Cal sneaks out every morning to watch a man skip stones in the great artic lake.



This is a very interesting middle grade book.  It has an outlandish setting and background that kids will love.  The orphanage has a creepy but interesting vibe to it and the idea of there being a screw at the north and south pole is really interesting.  The characters are all distinct and interesting with the secondary characters having distinct and interesting personalities.  This is a book full of quirky and original characters.  There isn't much action in the book but the unfolding landscape keeps the reader interested.



Appropriateness:  There isn't anything in this book that would upset parents.  There is absolutely no romance and although the orphanage is creepy and horrible there isn't any violence.  The almost exclusively male cast makes this a book that young boys will enjoy.  I would recommend this book to kids 10-14.

Ashes

Ashes by Illsa Bick stars Alex a teenager with a terminal brain tumor that takes off to go hiking in the woods so that she can be alone and dispose of her parents ashes.  While on the trail she meets up with Ellie, a girl who recently lost her father in Iraq, and her grandfather when a loud pulse goes through the woods making the animals go crazy and Ellie's grandfather dies.  The girls also find that all of their electronics have died.  Alex takes off for the rangers station with a reluctant Ellie eventually joining her.  They find that others on the trail have turned into inhuman predators.  They eventually join up with Tom a war veteran and find out that the very worst has happened, a nuclear war with consequences no one could have predicted.

After reading the description of the book I wasn't enthused.  If I'd had anything else on my e-reader that interested me I probably would have skipped it, a book about a dying teen, a little girl and a war veteran and zombies?  Weird.  I'm glad I took the chance though..  This book was original and engrossing.  Most zombie and apocalyptic books that I have read take place sometime after the post apocalyptic event when some rules have been established.  This takes place at the very start of the apocalypse.  Alex and her companions have no idea what is going on and they get their information very slowly.  The characters all felt very real to me.  I loved that Ellie was presented as mopey and unpredictable instead of sweet and cute.  The reactions of the characters and the society felt realistic.  There were sections that were a little slow and it's not without it's flaws but for the most part it was a real page turner.

Appropriateness:  This book is super creepy and a violent with many scenes that are pretty disturbing.  There is a bit of romance but no sex.  I'd recommend this book to high school aged readers 14+ who are fans of horror and dystopian books. 

Sweetly

When Gretchen was young she was out in the woods with her brother Ansel her sister was taken by what she thought was a witch.  Now she's older and after being kicked out of the house by their stepmother Ansel and Gretchen move into a candy shop being run by Sophia.  Every year girls have disappeared after Sophia's chocolate festival and Gretchen is determined to find out why and to stop it.

The plot of this book moved very slowly and the romance/mystery wasn't enough to keep me super interested.  The back of the book promised me a take on the fairy tale Hansel and Gretel while the only real similarities were the names of the characters and the chocolate shop location.

Appropriateness:  There isn't much adult content in the book.  However I do not feel that it is one that young teens would enjoy because the main characters are out of school and over 18.  The plot is a bit scary and the final battle is very bloody and graphic.  I would put the interest level as 16+

Review copy obtained from publisher

Ultraviolet

  Ultraviolet (Carolrhoda Ya) by R. J. Anderson begins with Ali waking up in the hospital.  She is told that she is being transferred to a mental institution on a mental hold after a psychotic break in which she admitted to the murder of a girl from school.  Ali has always seen the world differently than those around her.  She sees colors and hears sounds to correspond with her other senses.  The novel consists her her learning to understand her disorder and under covering the mystery behind the disappearance of her classmate. 

I had mixed feelings about the book. I found it utterly fascinating for the first three quarters and then it completely changed genres and went in a way I didn't expect and didn't love.  While the weird ending answered all the questions the reader may have about the Ali and the disappearance of her classmate it did it in the weirdest way possible and I would have preferred the book stayed a book about a girl with a mental illness instead of going into a nutty place at the end.

Appropriateness:  The book deals with mental illness and takes place primarily in a mental hospital and the other patients have many different mental issues.  There is no substance abuse or sexual content.  I would recommend this book to readers 14+

Wildefire

Wildefire by Karsten Knight stars Ashline Wilde.  After suffering a traumatic experience involving her wild sister causing the death of a field hockey player though a lightning strike Ashlyn moves to a boarding school in California.  Soon after arriving she finds herself drawn to a group of students and they find out that they are gods which explains odd moments in their past and they quickly gain use of their powers.  While the others are told who they are Ashline's past and powers are still unexplained and her powerful storm goddess sister is inflicting chaos.

This book suffers from a bad publishing decision.  The person in charge of marketing the book spoils a major piece of the plot and the ending in all of the press materials.  An important development in the last thirty or so pages is printed on the back flap.  So while reading the book you know what the big reveal will be which ruins a large chunk of the story.  Aside from that the book was fairly good.  The mythology was well developed and original.  While there were a few snags in the writing that dragged in the beginning (including a section written in second person) and a large number of plot points left dangling I did enjoy the book and I cared about the characters.

Appropriateness:  There are quite a few drinking scenes including the kids drinking in a bar complete with fake ID's.  The sexual content is limited to heavy makeout sessions (and includes a scene where Ashline forcibly kicks a boy out of her room for being too demanding).  Ashline is  in her late teens and acts true to her age.  I would recommend this book to the older end of the YA audience, readers 13+

Dark Parties

 Dark Parties by Sara Grant follows Neva, a girl living in a very controlling domed city that is falling apart.  They are running out of goods, running out of genetic diversity and people frequently disappear without a trace.  The government tightly controls the information that it's citizens are allowed to have and kids are encouraged to get married and have children as quick as possible.  When Neva decides to start a revolution everything changes.

Dark Parties is a great addition to the Dystopian Genre.  It provides a lot of room for thought and discussion on teenage rebellion, the need for individuality and government control.  The story contains elements found in other dystopian novels in a new way and it makes for a very engaging story that any lover of dystopian fiction will enjoy.

Appropriateness:  Sex, procreation and how it can be used to control people is a major theme in this novel.  From the government encouraging pregnancy in it's youngsters to the rebellious teens focusing on not having it to spite the government.  There is one sex scene that is not graphic later in the book and several make out scenes.  The main character is rebellious (although in a good way) and disobedient.

Dark Parties will be released in August of 2011.  I give it four wagging pug tails and recommend it for lovers of dystopian fiction.  It will be enjoyed by readers who enjoyed Birthmarked, Matched and The Hunger Games: Book 1.

Review copy provided by the publisher.