Systematic Student:
YA

The free-verse poetry is as powerful as even, invoking images and emotions within the reader easily. I've read several authors who use verse to tell their stories, and none of them are as powerful writers as Hopkins. The intensity she writes with with astound you. It is painful, stark, real. This much honest emotion in a story takes my breath away, even as is breaks my heart. None of these children have had an easy time with life and the legacy Kristina has left for them is heartbreak, addiction and destruction. Not very hopeful, is it?

Life is never all about you. There will always be other people hurt or affected by our decisions, and I think it is important to realize this. You are always able to chose your own actions, but you do not get to chose your consequences for yourself or those around you. I once again commend Hopkins for an amazingly powerful story, one that will stay with me for a long time.

Looking for Alaska by John Green is a story of friendship, betrayal, grief, happiness, hope, despair, laughter, tears, and growing up. I could go on and on about how many facets of life this book embodies, but I think you get the point.

Miles, Chip and Alaska were perfectly drawn characters. We were able to see both their strengths and their weaknesses, their perfections and their flaws. These characters each have so many dimensions to them, it's hard to believe they aren't actually real. Sometimes they get along, sometimes they make good choices, and other times they act recklessly, with a complete disregard for the rules and their own well being.

This is definitely not a perfectly wrapped story, decorated with ribbons, and wrapped with a bow, so if that's the story you're looking for, look elsewhere. However, if you are interested in reading a story that is going to alter the way you view your world, I highly, highly recommend this book.

The characters in this story are really stupid at times. But they learn. Miles went to boarding school, searching for his 'great perhaps'. He's lived a fairly boring life, nothing exciting ever happens to him, and he's looking for something, but he doesn't know quite what that something is. When he gets to school, he meets his new roommate, Chip, and one of his best friends, a beautiful and exciting girl named Alaska.

John Green shows an amazing talent for writing with this story. He manages to create in Miles a character who is intelligent, and able to think deep and philosophically without talking over the reader, or condescending to them. Miles thinks a lot about what he's learning, especially in his world religion course, and because he is our narrator, we hear a lot about what he's thinking and feeling. But, I never once felt preached to or overwhelmed.

This is a story about the hard parts of growing up. It's a story about those things every parent wishes didn't happen. But these things do happen and to ignore them, brush them under the rug and act as if they are not real is doing everyone a disservice. I makes kids feel like they are alone and that no one else has ever felt the way they do. But this story lets us know that there are other people out there who can relate to us, and that it's okay to hurt, okay to cry and okay to move on.

John Green, I think you are a brilliant man and I cannot wait to pick up your next story.

*Disclaimer: I received this book through One ARC Tours.

Losing Faith by Denise Jaden is a story of life and death, pain and hope, and friendship. Brie hasn't been close to her sister Faith for several years. Their parents are deeply religious, and Faith is a fervent believer as well. Brie is more interested in whether she really wants to spend alone time with her boyfriend than listening to people talk God, and it's caused some tension between family members.

Then Faith dies. Brie feels like she's losing ground, and there's no one for her to talk to. People at school don't know how to deal with her (what do you say to someone who's been that close to death?) her boyfriend is more interested in her body and her parents are so wrapped up in their own grief there is no room for Brie.

Then, Tessa starts talking to Brie. She's the tough chick, always dresses in black, scowls at everyone and seems more than willing to beat you up. Brie's always been terrified of her, so she's definitely wary when Tessa starts being, almost... nice. Turns out, there's a lot more to Tessa than meets the eye and she's the only one there for Brie as she starts getting closer to the answers about why her sister died.

The characters in this novel were amazing. I was so impressed with how Jaden wrote these characters. Because they are real. I believed in them. They didn't always act how I wanted them to, but I never felt that anything they did was really out of character. The only character I didn't fully believe was Faith, but I won't tell you why because that would spoil the book, and she's dead most of the time, so I can overlook that. Tessa is tough. She doesn't take crap from anyone, and because she's been so isolated from people for so long, she's really abrupt and doesn't really know how to communicate. And she stayed that way. Too often in books we have the tough guy/girl who just needs that one friend to open them up to show that, Hey! They really are totally great after all. But, most people who have gone years without much in the way of interpersonal communication have a lot to learn about being with other people, and it's definitely not something you learn overnight.

The only character I wasn't satisfied with was Pastor Scott, the youth pastor. I really felt that Jaden did him a disservice in her description. Maybe the problem is with me, but I totally kept waiting for it to be revealed that he was a creep of some sort or another, and every time he was mentioned, I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop. But, even though he's described in a way that makes me feel like he's creepy, he isn't. He's actually pretty minor.

The characters in this story were all developed really well, and their relationships with each other were intricate, and believable. I'm sure it's not surprising, given the nature of the YA coming of age novel, but there was a lot of growing up done in this book and it wasn't a disappointment. They grew as people in a believable way, enough to leave you satisfied that these people will continue to develop into great people you'd actually want to spend time with, but not so much that it leaves you disbelieving it actually happened.

The story also makes you think about what people are like inside. It's scary when you realize that someone who seems normal and likable is all kinds of crazy underneath. This is realistic fiction — something that could happen to any of us, but also something that I wouldn't wish upon anyone. It's definitely a book to make you think, to make you wonder, and one that I'll be thinking about for a while yet. And, I'm very interested in what Jaden does next.

Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce was utterly wonderful. I've always love fairy tale retellings, but my especial favorites are the stories that take a familiar tale and make it entirely their own. Sisters Red does this marvelously.

The writing itself was captivating. It's told in chapters narrated alternately by Scarlett and Rosie. I loved that we got to listen to each sister. Their outlook on life is so different, their views so varied that their voices didn't need much help being unique. It was easy to tell which sister was thinking or talking. I also loved both the prologue and epilogue which were written as fairy tales. It's such a small detail that definitely makes a big difference. (Big smile).

Jackson Pearce is not the first author to take the tale of Little Red Riding Hood and turn the sinister wolf in the forest into a werewolf. It's been done before, but never have I read it done like this. Pearce is brilliant and I'll definitely be signing up to read any and all fairy tale retellings she writes up in the future. Scarlett is mauled while trying to protect her younger sister Rosie from the werewolf (Fenris) that killed her grandmother. She loses her eye and gains an intense hatred for the Fenris and a passion for hunting them down. And, she's good at it. It drives her life and often blinds her to anything else. This is her mission, her role. She needs to protect others and remove as many of these horrid monsters as possible, with the help, of course, of her lovely sister Rosie and their childhood friend Silas. (Side note to say thank you for not making the werewolf the love interest... Ahem... Very big thank you.)

Oh ya, and the red cloak — it's a lure. I just can't get over how much I loved that detail. Red is the color of passion, lust, desire and blood and the Fenris just can't resist the lure. It made me happy.

Anyway... I will admit that I saw the twist coming from a long way off. I can't remember actually being surprised at anything that happened, although I know we were supposed to. But, I'm okay with that. Pearce writes in such a way that I didn't mind figuring everything out long before the characters. It just felt like I was in on the secret. And, I'm much, much more lenient with fairy tales being predictable than I am with the average book. Fairy tales are supposed to be familiar. And, the great writing, and realistic characters more than made up for that. And, it was great writing. It's one of those stories that just pulls you in and holds you close until you finish the last page metaphorically gasping because you just can't handle it anymore.

And can I just add that I love when authors combine more than one fairy tale?! It makes me so happy! And before I go into that, understand that this may very well be me reading more into it than the author intended... Maybe she's not actually familiar with the tale Snow White and Rose Red, and I may have seen the slight correlations because I wanted to, but I wanted to. So there... It's really subtle and I noticed it more in the personalities of the girls and their relationship to each other than the actual story line, but the faint hint of this tale was there, almost like a perfume that lingers long after the woman has left.

If you haven't read this yet, and you have any enjoyment at all for fairy tales, strong heroines, dashing young men, exciting fight scenes and stellar writing, I suggest you locate a copy now, and read it. I finished it a week ago, and already I'm wanting to read it again.

*Disclaimer: I received this book through We Love YA Tours.

This review is posted as part of Once Upon a Bookcase's Body Image and Self-Perception Month.

Have you ever found yourself rooting for the bad guy? Knowing that the character deserves every bad thing coming his way, but hoping that, somehow, things will work out better in the end? I don't know that I had ever truly experienced that before reading Tenderness by Robert Cormier. I generally prefer (ahem-totally love) reading books where the bad guy totally gets his comeuppance. I'm all about hard-core justice for my villains. Mercy?! *Scoff,* What's that. Don't you know what he's done?!

Reading this book changed that. This is the first time (or at least the only time that comes immediately to mind) where I have truly felt bad for our bad guy. Other times when the bad guy is pitiable or shown mercy, it is because they aren't really all that bad, merely misunderstood. Eric Poole may be misunderstood. That's a distinct possibility. But, there is no denying the fact that he is bad. He's a sociopath. When we meet Eric, he's been in a Juvenile Facility for the last three years for the cold-blooded murder of his mother and step-father. Or course, it was justified because of the 'severe abuse' Eric has been living with, so the state tries him as a juvenile instead of an adult, which means he will be released after he turns 18 and his record will be expunged. No one knows about the three young girls Eric murdered, or so he thinks.

If I had to sum up my thoughts/feelings/idea of this novel in one sentence, it would be revolve around the quote that begins this novel: "To know the pain of too much tenderness" — Kahlil Gibran. One generally equates tenderness with only positive things. It brings to mind images of gentleness, kindness and love. But, what about the idea of too much tenderness? Is that possible? Apparently. Lori and Eric are searching for that tender emotion. Almost every action is driven by this desire to experience tenderness. They are always seeking it, they look for and find it in all the wrong places and they never grasp it for long. It creates intense dysfunctions within each character.

Eric kills young girls to find it and Lori subjects herself to all manner of unwanted and unwelcome sexual advances to feel it. Their paths cross and Lori decides that Eric is the one who can give her what she seeks. She goes with him, knowing that he murdered his mother and step-father (but he was so abused!) and later discovers that the murmurs about Eric killing young girls is also true. But, Eric is tender with her. She loves him. She informs Eric that she will stand by him, ignoring his past and assisting him in the future if he will simply remain tender with her. And how can he refuse that, especially once he begins to care for her, as much as he is capable of caring for anyone.

If we only heard from Lori's perspective, it would be incredibly easy to hate Eric and despise him for the crazed cold-blooded killer he is. But, he isn't, is he? I still don't know. We also hear from Eric. While Eric never demonstrates any remorse for what he's done, he too merely desires a little tenderness in his life. Before his mother remarried, she and Eric had a very close relationship. The man she married and Eric do not get along at all. Eric despises him and he thinks Eric is rather in the way. Eric seeks compassion and tenderness from these girls and finds that the only way he truly feels able to experience it is upon their deaths. However evil that is, I can't hate him for it. He seems genuinely puzzled when the main detective on the case calls him a monster and surprisingly, I found myself agreeing.

By the end of the novel, he seems genuinely concerned for Lori's welfare. He takes care of her, makes her feel special and begins to show her what she has been searching for. And there is no doubt that by the end, he truly cares for her. Although abrupt and a bit jarring, the ending suited the story perfectly. It was tragic, but it was the only way to end the story and be true to each character. I won't spoil it for you, but I will say that I ended up heartbroken for each of our main characters. None of them really received their happy ending.

This is a book that will stay with me for a long time, and one that will influence my thoughts as well. I can't imagine someone with such a low image and perception of themselves that they would be willing to subject themselves to what Lori willingly puts herself through before and after meeting Eric. What would drive an attractive young woman to such lengths and who is to blame for not teaching this girl that she has value all on her own. This is a story that will both warm and break your heart and one that will linger in your thoughts long after you've turned the last page.

The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan is my first real experience with zombies, and I can't say I was disappointed. It was... Wow.

There were a lot of things that I really liked about this book, something I really didn't like about this book, and things I didn't really like, but couldn't have had it happen any other way. Sigh... I love when a book can bring such varied reactions at the same time while still being great! This is definitely a book that grabs your attention and keeps it, all the way to the end.

I do wish that we had learned more about the Sisterhood and the Guardians. Both groups (but especially the Sisterhood) gave off these real creepy sinister vibes, but we never really get to learn about them. It's hinted at and alluded too, but never spoken.

I also was fairly dissatisfied by the ending. It left a lot of unanswered questions, some I believe will be answered in the sequel(s), but some I imagine will never be answered. The very end was also the only time I actually felt that Mary was selfish. I've read quite a few reviews that complain about how selfish Mary is throughout the entire story, but I didn't see it. Sure, she was a teenager with the natural amounts of self-centeredness that goes along with that, but I didn't think she was anymore selfish than the average teenager, until her choices at the very end, which I won't tell you (obviously) because it would be a shame to spoil this book for you like that.

Although there were a few things I didn't love about this book, for the most part I was incredibly pleased. The writing was wonderful and captivating, beautiful and heartbreaking. I love that the undead were referred to as 'unconsecrated'. It changed the rhythm of the story (if that makes sense) and I definitely liked it. Any way you talk about them though, I definitely don't want to live in a world where zombies exist. ~shudder~

This book, although beautifully written and brilliantly designed is not a happy book. It's about the end of the world, and zombies, so it's to be expected. And, while I definitely prefer reading books with a happy ending and lots of closure, the stark realities of their world, and the unhappiness they have to live with is infinitely more logical, likely and realistic. So, even while crying, and wishing things had ended differently, this ending made sense to me, and felt right.

This is definitely a book that will stay with me for a while. And, I'm eagerly awaiting the chance to read the sequels.

The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff is the story of Mackie. Mackie is in high school, and he desperately wants to fit in, and live his life, but he has a secret, one that, if anyone found out, would likely mean the end of him.

He lives in Gentry, a quiet, unassuming town that hides a secret beneath the ground. Every so often, a child will disappear in the night, to be replaced with a child who looks similar but is, somehow, not quite right. Those children generally die soon after, and although the family grieves, no one acts like anything out of the ordinary has happened.

Until Tate's younger sister Natalie disappears, and Tate knows that what died in the crib was not her little sister.

The town of Gentry seriously creeped me out. Not because they have fairy like (evil) creatures living underneath their streets, but because no one ever talked about it, or acted as if it was anything out of the ordinary. I don't understand how people can live in a place like that, and do nothing about it. I would move. I especially don't understand why Mackie's mom stuck around. She hates the fey creatures that inhabit the underground, and is terrified of them, but (and this is a pretty big but) she stayed there. Why?!

Anyway, this was such a great book. The writing was wonderful, and I really felt like I could believe that these things were happening. It made me think about what I would do in a similar situation, which makes me think of Tate. I pretty much think she is like, the greatest teen heroine character I've read in a very long time. She's hard-core. She knows that what died in place of her sister wasn't really human, and she refuses to accept that everyone is just going to turn aside. She knows something isn't right, and she does something about it. I would like to feel that I would react like Tate in a similar situation. I've always been really close to my family, and I'm pretty sure that if you vanished with one of my little brothers, or my nephews I would raise hell to get them back and bring you down. Tate just made me really happy in that little angry place inside.:)

Mackie is also a great character, and I was amazed at how well he was crafted. (I feel weird saying crafted about a character that's so realistic to me.) High school is a hard time for everyone. It's when you are learning who you are, and trying to find and create your place within your surroundings. Everyone has those moments when they feel like they don't belong. How much harder would it be for someone like Mackie who wants to fit in, but knows that he really doesn't belong.

I loved watching Mackie learn more about himself, and why he is unique. Most of the replacement children die soon after being left in the human world, but Mackie has lived topside now for years (although he is sick all the time...) Anyway, watching Mackie learn that there were people who knew him, and understood him (more or less) but still loved him and wanted to be around him. It warmed my heart, because he's such a great character. He's a guy I'd like to run into in 10-15 years just to check up and see how he's doing.

*Disclaimer: I received this book through Star Book Tours.

* Disclaimer: I read this book through 1 ARC Tours.

Extraordinary by Nancy Werlin is the first book I think I've read where fairies play a predominant role. At least it's the first book that I can remember. So, I was pretty open minded about this one, the cover is attractive (I am especially fond of the way her hair looks, although it's harder to see online) and I'd heard some good things about the author and the book. So, I was excited for the chance to read this one. All in all though, I can't say I was thrilled with what I got.

This book is about Phoebe Rothschild and her unfortunate run ins with the Fey. The book begins with an aura of secrecy. In the beginning, all we know is that the fairies have sent someone to pretend to be human in order to gain contact with Phoebe, but their intention, although sinister in tone, is, as yet, unknown.

Phoebe ends up befriending Mallory, the fairy in disguise. (That makes me want to sing Elvis... You're the devil in disguise, oh yes you are...) And, I don't think Elvis is too far off. Although Mallory does seem to genuinely like Phoebe, it's obvious that ultimately, whatever evil plot the fey have cooked up with triumph.

I liked the idea of this book and the writing was stunning. There is no doubt that Werlin is a great writer. Emotions are clearly conveyed from the characters to the reader, and Werlin is able to give a great deal of insight into the motivation of characters with just a few words. I will be reading more by Werlin because I loved the clarity and beauty of her writing.

However, I felt that the words ordinary and extraordinary were incredibly overused. After a while, I felt like I was being beaten with extraordinary. Nothing like beating a dead horse. Seriously. No one I've ever met uses those words to describe themselves in everyday conversation, especially not like these characters do. I know people with incredibly high self esteem, over-inflated egos etc and none of them call themselves extraordinary, or talk about how awful it would be to be ordinary. They say things like amazing, awesome, cool, better than you, etc. I understand the significance of the word, because I've read the book, and there's no doubt it's important, but I feel like they could have arrived at exactly the same place by occasionally substituting ordinary with other words or phrases. Constantly reading about being ordinary vs. extraordinary was awkward and unnatural.

I also had a hard time relating to Phoebe. Part of it was this obsession with whether or not she is ordinary or could maybe be extraordinary, but most of it came from her interactions with Ryland; her secret boyfriend and Mallory's brother (fey and human.) He is the epitome of an abusive boyfriend and although he wasn't doing it because he is a crazy psycho, he was doing it deliberately to emotionally destroy Phoebe, which I kind of think is worse. Each scene involving the two of them made me incredulous that someone with so many loving relationships would allow herself to be locked into such an abusive relationship (although it does explain that she doesn't really have a choice, them being magic and all...) but they also made me sick to my stomach. No one should have to endure what Phoebe does and it severely limited my enjoyment of the story.

I can easily see where and why this book could become a favorite, but it wasn't one for me. I enjoyed it, loved the writing and will definitely be reading more by Werlin, but I didn't love the story itself.

* Disclaimer: I received this book as part of One ARC Tours.

Low Red Moon by Ivy Devlin was a great read. For the most part, Avery was a great character. My heart broke for her as she tried to accept and understand the senseless and brutal murder of her parents. For most of the book, I felt that Avery was a strong character, and someone I could have been friends with in high school. The only time I didn't particularly love Avery was when she was swooning over Ben. Don't get me wrong, I really liked Ben. I actually thought he was a good love interest, and a great addition to the story, and I liked almost all the scenes where they were actually together. However, it got a little old listening to Avery having the same thoughts about Ben over and over.

I also loved the descriptions of the forest. I have always loved trees and the woods. When I was younger, and playing those imagination games, I used to pretend that I was being chased through a thickly wooded area by someone just faster than me. But, my unknown pursuer was also bigger and less agile than I was, and kept running into the trees and brambles that I so nimbly avoided. Oddly enough, this was never a scary game, it was always one that left me feeling empowered and free. (Don't ask my why... I'm sharing potentially embarrassing childhood information here, give me a break!) Reading about the forest in this book brought all those great memories back. It makes me want to look around for some wooded areas to run through, preparing myself for that inevitable day when being able to run through the forest will be what saves my life. It isn't often that a description in a book brings back such vivid memories for me.

I've also always loved fairy tales, and although they were very subtle, I loved the slight elements of Little Red Riding Hood this book contained. The fairy tale elements aren't overt or anything, are in fact subtle enough I could very well be imagining them, but either way, I feel like it added a lot to the story. I won't share them, other than a young girl going through the woods to live with her grandmother because it is fun to look for them on your own, and several of the connections I noted are spoilers. I had such a great time reading this book and watching everything unfold that I wouldn't want to ruin that for anyone.

Daughter of Xanadu by Dori Jones Yang is the story of young Emmajin, the eldest grandchild of the Great Khan. Her closest friend is her cousin, Suren, the eldest grandson of the Khan. Strength and fighting skills are valued in their culture, and Emmajin desperately wants to be allowed to serve in her grandfather's military. She would be the first.

Her grandfather gives her an important assignment. She is to become the companion and guide to the young traveler Marco Polo, and his father and uncle, who are traveling with them. She is basically a spy — sent to extract secrets that will make it easier for her grandfather to conquer their lands, and fulfill the prophecy from the Gods that their empire would unite the world.

Predictably, as Emmajin gets to know Marco better, she stops thinking of him as a stranger, or enemy and begins to consider him a friend, and then — more.

Although I found several parts of this story to be fairly predictable, I still really enjoyed the book. I thought that Emmajin was a great character, and we see a lot of growth in her over the course of the story. She really comes into her own. In the beginning, she is enthralled by the stories told in the courts about the mighty battles their warriors fought, and the grand acts of heroism and valor in battle. She can't imagine anything more rewarding or wonderful than being involved in something like that. But, as the story progresses, and she begins to learn more about Marco Polo's European ideals, and his desire for peace, she starts to question her belief systems, and view their culture from the eyes of an outsider. Eventually, Emmajin learns the hard way that battle is not all glory. The enemies have faces, lives, and stories of their own.

I loved watching her learn about differing points of view, and realizing that there isn't only one way of doing things. I thought Emmajin was a very well drafted and carefully thought out character. Unfortunately, she was about the only character I thought was fully imagined. Suren is Emmajin's best friend. They've been inseparable since they were tiny, and continue to be close as they grow. But, Suren is only ever fleshed out in relation to Emmajin. It's almost like he is only fully a person when sitting next to Emmajin. I felt like that about most of the other characters, including Marco Polo. To toss in a bit of philosophy, it reminded me of Idealism, which is the idea that there is no real reality. Everything we know/see only exists in relation to us. Sort of like The Matrix, except we aren't really plugged into any machines.

I wished that there had been more character development outside of Emmajin, but my biggest problem with the story was the ending. I thought that the ending was unrealistic. I don't want to go into details, because that really ruins the story, but I didn't believe it at all. I stopped believing what was happening as soon as Emmajin was sitting around the fire at the camp with Marco Polo, her grandfather and other members of the court and hunting party. It just would not have happened like that, and I feel like the author just needed a quick and happy resolution.

I do think this is a book worth reading. I wish the author had stayed a little truer to her characters when writing the ending. I think it was a disservice to both the characters and the reader to end it as she did. That being said, overall, I still enjoyed Emmajin's character and her discoveries about her world, and I enjoyed following her interactions with people.

*Disclaimer: I received this book through Around the World Tours.

Tales from Silver Lands by Charles J. Finger won the John Newbery Award in 1925. I didn't know anything about the book when I picked it up other than it's Newbery, but I must say, I was quite pleasantly surprised by what I found.

I have always loved Fairy Tales. Like, a lot. If you remember, a few weeks ago I talked about my first experience reading Grimm's Fairy Tales, which helped cement my love for reading them as well. (If you are really interested, in my blog, and you can go back and read it.) So, imagine my delight when I realized this was a collection of 19 fairy tales recorded by Finger from South America. Although I'm not nearly as knowledgeable about other countries and their rich cultural histories as I'd like to be, I'm always open to learning more. And I think you can learn a lot about a society from their fairy tales and children's stories.

This was a real treat for me to read, and one I'm definitely looking forward to adding to my shelves and rereading, not only for myself but also to read to kids. I used to read some of the Grimm's fairy tales to my little brothers as a bedtime story, and I'd love to be able to add these tales to stories I can read/tell to young kids.

Although some of these stories might be classified as more mythology than fairy tale, I felt the same way reading these as I did reading the classic fairy tales. There's that sense of magic and possibility, where you know anything can happen, and although things might get a little rough along the way, and there probably won't be super happy ending, the good guys do win in the end.

I also noticed that the emphasis of each tale was placed on the struggles of each character rather than the resolution. The ending is always over so quickly. Normally, this is something that is a major no-no in writing, I mean, seriously. Who wants to read a 400 pg. build up to a 4 paragraph resolution?! But it seems to work in fairy tales. The stories aren't about what happens, it's about learning how to get there. We see their struggles, know their challenges and then we get to know they end up relatively alright in the end.

This is definitely a book I would recommend. The writing is a little older, but to anyone who is a fan of fairy tales in their original setting (or people who want to write a fairy tale retelling but are wanting new material) this is a great book to read and one that I strongly recommend.

Girl, Stolen by April Henry is the story of Cheyenne, a young girl accidentally kidnapped when someone steals the SUV she's sleeping in. She's sick, (pneumonia) and she's blind.

I can't imagine how terrifying that would be. Being kidnapped would be horrifying enough, but to be blind as well?! I can't imagine. I thought this was handled very well by the author. Cheyenne's emotional state when she realized she was being kidnapped seemed very real. She tried threats, she tried bargaining, and she tried begging. She was scared, but she's also a smart girl, and she thought things through — used her brains.

It was also interesting to watch Griffin's character, and discover more about him. He's the boy that takes the SUV, but right from the beginning, it's pretty obvious that he's not an inherently bad kid. There are outside influences on Griffin that seem to be shaping his behavior, and that broke my heart, just the tiniest bit.

Overall, reading this book I was more impressed with the characters than I was the story itself. Large parts of the story were just a little bit too unbelievable. It was hard to suspend my disbelief long enough to take what was happening to or between the characters seriously. However, I thought this was an interesting look into human characteristics. It's often hard to know who we will be in different situations, and how we would react to them. April Henry has us look into what circumstances might make of us. Griffin doesn't have to be a bad kid, he's just desperate for his father's love and approval. Cheyenne wasn't always blind but once she got over the initial shock and depression, she didn't let it keep her down, and she learned to live around the blindness. It makes me wonder how I'd react to various stimuli.

And, I also have to add that I loved the climax of the story! It was very well done, and the only part of the story I found to be compulsively readable. It was handled wonderfully, and was just realistic enough to have been possible.

Overall, this book was an enjoyable read, but not one I found to be terribly memorable. It's a book I'm not going to remember much about down the road, but it's that book that will come to mind at odd moments and make me stop, to think and contemplate on life.

*Disclaimer: I received this book through We Love YA Tours.

Case Closed? Nine Mysteries Unlocked by Modern Science by Susan Hughes is a fun look into nine mysterious disappearances, many going back to ancient times.

The book is definitely geared toward middle grade readers. The language was on a level younger kids could understand, and larger words (like Anthropology) that young kids might not have come into contact with previously are explained in a way that does not make the reader feel stupid or condescended to. And, the author also included a glossary in the back of the book to use as a reference guide.

This is a great starting point, and would definitely be a book I'd direct children toward if they showed an interest in history, or science. My main complaint with this book is that there wasn't a lot of detail. Both our introduction to the original mystery, and its resolution were told with just the basic facts presented. Knowing that this is a book geared toward younger kids makes that understandable and acceptable, but I still found myself wishing for more detail. But, this is a great place to start. If mysterious disappearances intrigue you, this is likely a book you will enjoy as a starting point, but don't expect very much new information if you are already familiar with the cases.

Although I did enjoy reading this book, it doesn't cross over for adults as well as I'd hoped. However, I do not fault the author or the book for that, because it is meant to be a place to initially learn about some of these disappearances, and it was written for kids. If you have kids who are interested in history or science, I'd definitely recommend picking up a copy of this book and giving it a shot.

*Disclaimer: Review copy received from the author/publisher in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins is a fun contemporary romantic YA. I don't read a lot of fiction where the primary plot line revolves around romance, but like watching a chick flick, every once in a while it just hits the spot. And this book is like that.

I felt really bad for Anna when the book first started. Her dad is a best selling author who has decided that to impress his buddies he needs a bigger profile, and more pretentious things to talk about. So, he decides he is going to send Anna to an American boarding school in Paris, France. Without asking her how she feels about it. For her senior year. Anna already has problems with her dad, considering he walked out on them when her brother was a baby and now sends money and not much else and this definitely makes things worse. Her mom can't help her and Anna is bitter, scared and lonely when she first gets to Paris. Her meeting with next door neighbor helps bring her into a new circle of friends, and give her some bearings and this is where her story starts.

The characters are very well written, with multi-faceted personalities, flaws, shortcomings, and positive traits in a believable combination. None of these characters are perfect, all of them make stupid mistakes and bad choices, but they all also have many redeeming qualities too. They not only have personality traits, they also have hobbies, preferences and quirks. Like Anna who is almost obsessively neat and absolutely adores movies, especially the classics. These characters were written as if they were real people. Because the characters were real, the relationships between the characters also felt very real. I hate reading books where the romantic connection consists of a glance across a room, instant hormonal craze, one conversation and BAM! I'm head over heals in love. Things like that don't actually happen. You can't be in love with someone that fast. What you can be however, is in lust. Which is what Anna is when she first meets beautiful boy Etienne St. Clair.

But, St. Clair has a long term girl friend, is being crushed on by a mutual friend and is therefore totally off limits. So, she thinks he's totally hott, but doesn't try to make anything happen. They become friends and over time she realizes that Etienne is her closest friend. It get complicated when emotional attachments start to muddy the waters, but Anna is trying really hard to keep her head up, and not cross that boundary line. They toe the line, they nudge it, but they never cross it. Until they do...

Although mostly lighthearted in tone and topic, there are serious elements to the story as well. Both Anna and Etienne have problems with their fathers that need resolution, and the book brings up the topics of pain, death, loss and betrayal. It's a credit to the author that each of these topics was handled in a realistic way that enhanced rather than detracted from the story line, and didn't bog the story down. I've read too many books that are supposed to be about one thing and end up getting caught in the black abyss that is the sub plots.

I loved this book. I thought it was scads of fun to read, and I'm beyond desperate to visit Paris now. It's always been high up in my top 5 places to visit list, but after reading this book I feel like I needed to be there yesterday. I loved that the author included a lot of touristy sites, as well as places a little more off the beaten path. It made me feel like I could really be there. And man, do I want to go hard core!

Although not my usual fare, this is definitely a book I'm glad I read, and one that I wouldn't mind reading again. I was very excited to hear that Perkins has two companion novels in the works. I'm glad that we aren't getting a continuation of Anna's story, because it is over, but that there will be more coming soon from Ms. Perkins. Yay for Anna!:)

*Disclaimer: I received this book through Around the World Tours.

Cloaked is another modern fairy tale retelling by Alex Flinn, the woman who wrote the ever popular Beastly (Beauty and the Beast) and the recently released A Kiss in Time (Sleeping Beauty).

I've made no secret about the fact that I absolutely adore fairy tale retellings, and I very much enjoyed Flinn's first two tales. Cloaked was just as much fun to read as the first two stories, but I actually liked this one even better.

Before I get into the story itself, I need to mention one of my most favorite parts of the book. In the beginning of each chapter, Flinn included a quote from one of the Grimm's Fairy Tales she took inspiration from and included it under each chapter numbering as a sort of foreshadowing for what was to come. I love the original fairy tales, and have read them many times, so it was beyond delightful to see them quoted within the story.

Cloaked is the story of Johnny, a young boy trying to help his mother pay their bills by spending all his free time working in their family shoe repair shop, located in a large Florida hotel. Johnny has big dreams, but is realistic enough to know that all they will ever be are day dreams. He works in the shop, but his real passion is design. He has notebooks filled with designs for high end, beautiful shoes. He's even managed to save enough scraps and materials to make up a prototype, and he knows they are a good design. But alas, he needs to stay behind to help his mother, and their is no way they will be able to afford college or trade school to further this dream. Although he wishes and hopes that there was some way something might be different, he has resigned himself to his fate.

But, in the way of all fairy tales, fate decides there is something more in store for our unassuming hero, and when a foreign princess (think Paris Hilton with a crown) comes to stay at their hotel, Johnny's life will change forever. Because real magic exists in the country out fair princess comes from, and her brother has been turned into a frog in a wicked attempt for the witch to steal their throne for herself and her evil oaf of a son. The princess is desperate for assistance, and promises Johnny money and marriage if he successfully saves the prince. In need of money, desperately hoping for something more out of life, and afraid to offend the princess, Johnny agrees to look into the disappearance of her brother.

It takes Johnny some time to admit and accept that magic really exists, but once he does, he finds himself in the middle of an impossible adventure, giving assistance to talking geese, taking aide from rats and foxes and searching every where for a missing toad all while being chased by magical crazy folk. By his side, ready and willing to offer whatever assistance she can is Meg, Johnny's longtime best friend who helps her family run the coffee shop also located in the hotel.

I adored the mash up of fairy tales included within Cloaked. We see elements of The Six Swans, The Elves and the Shoemaker, The Valiant Tailor, The Golden Bird, and of course, The Frog Prince. Almost all of these tales come from my favorites of the Brother's Grimm. Being so familiar with fairy tales in general, and these fairy tales in particular did mean that I was able to predict a lot of what was about to happen, but there was enough that surprised even me that I was not left feeling like this was another predictable retelling.

This was a wonderfully fun story, filled with mischief and mayhem, love and loss, and the hope for brighter days. Johnny was a great character, well rounded and fully written. There are times when he is your typical 17 year old boy, but he is so much more than that. He's loyal and loving, willing to put others before himself and he truly wants to do the right thing. He is sacrificing his dreams to protect and assist his mother. Meg was also a wonderfully written character. Although we don't see as much personal development in her as a character, a lot of the growth we see in Johnny is a direct result of Meg's influence and company.

All in all, this was a wonderfully enjoyable book. It's the perfect combination of reality and myth, fact and fiction, and is full of all the elements which make a wonderfully perfect fairy tale. This is a story that I very highly recommend to any and all whole love a good fairy tale.

*Disclaimer: I received this book through Star Book Tours.

Desires of the Dead by Kimberly Derting is the sequel to The Body Finder . (click for my review).

Violet is a high school girl who has the uncomfortable ability to sense the echoes of those who have died a violent death. These echoes linger on both the victim and the villain. We learn a little bit about this ability in The Body Finder, but I really liked that we are able to explore Violet's abilities with her in Desires of the Dead. Violet is slowly learning more about her ability, and through knowledge, she slowly begins to gain control as

In The Body Finder, the mystery has a strong sense of urgency to it that was missing in this book. Although the prologue does set us up nicely to fear for Violet, we learn early on that the 'bad guy' whose thoughts we are listening to is a vengeful teenage girl. It's a lot harder to be afraid of a teenage girl than it is to fear a sociopathic serial killer who has been killing young girls for years. Although being in the mind of the bad guy was a strength of the first novel, I actually think it was a bit of a weakness this time. As I said, there's just something infinitely less fearful about a young girl who just hates you because you have a better boyfriend, and that is never hidden from the reader. Knowing this, it makes each of her actions less threatening, and I never really feared for Violet the way I did the first time around. This one also has a predictability to it that the first one did not, but it was not so much as to ruin my enjoyment of the story.

I was also unsure how I felt about the potential involvement of the FBI 'liaison' in Violet's life. I'm not sure where that story line is going to go, but I have a feeling it can either be really great, or really awful... And, I desperately hope that it doesn't devolve into yet another love triangle. I love that this book doesn't have one, and I wouldn't want that to change.

Speaking of Violet and Jay, their characters are just as great this time around as they were before. I really like both characters, and I think that Derting has done a great job creating believable teenage characters in a believable and healthy relationship. Jay does look out for Violet, and takes protecting her seriously, it's definitely in a non creepy/controlling way. He really cares about her, and just wants her safe. I love that they were best friends before they started dating, and that they have an actual foundation based on more than just, 'Wow! You're like, totally hott!'. Not only are their individual characters realistic and well written, but the dynamics of their relationship are also believable.

This is another great read from Kimberly Derting, and she's definitely going to stay on my 'watch' list. I look forward to what she comes out with next.

*Disclaimer: This book was received through Star Book Tours.

Pegasus by Robin McKinley was one of my most highly anticipated books of 2010. I've mentioned before that I love Robin McKinley. She is the author I credit with teaching me that fantasy can be a great genre to read. I was so excited when I noticed a new McKinley book that I'm pretty sure I made those embarrassing 'sqeeish' noises.

When the book came in the mail, I was beyond excited. And then, I started reading... End of excitement. The entire book was a struggle for me to get through. The beginning of the book is really vague, with the readers jumping into the middle of our 12 year old princess' history lesson and the narration doesn't really clear up much after that. I felt like I was reading the story told many years later by someone who kept forgetting the order things happened. It was full of flashbacks and flashforwards that would go on for pages, before the narration would pick up again in the present. I'm normally okay with this in books, but I like a little warning first. These flashes would just happen, and I'd find myself wondering where we were, and when we left the present tense.

I also regularly found myself bored with all the description. McKinley is a fantastic world builder and has a great imagination. I am amazed that she is able to come up with such beautiful and vivid descriptions for this magical world, but I got tired of hearing about them over and over again. It felt too much like a really boring teacher's desperate attempt to make a history lesson interesting to a group of students who couldn't care less. (ie: fail).

The story does definitely pick up once Ebon enters the picture and the story is no longer solely about Sylvi. Ebon was a fun character and I found myself truly enjoying his blunt and honest interior commentary. But this too was over used.

I must also admit that I was seriously upset, disappointed and annoyed when I realized that this book was actually going to have a sequel. I thought that McKinley could easily have cut the book down by 100 or so pages, removing the repetitious and redundant descriptions, and smoothing out the timeline, and then I find out she's going to follow it up with a second book?! Sigh. That was a bit of a bummer. And, of course I need to read the sequel because this book has one of the worst endings I've ever read. It ends, quite literally, in the middle of a scene. Nothing is resolved, everyone seems doomed, and all we have to go on are questions, assumptions and vague references to history.

I know that this review is predominantly negative, which makes me sad, and is not entirely what I was going for. The writing is, as always, beautiful and very well done. Sylvi and Ebon were a great character team, and their friendship is almost palpable. Their connection has enriched their lives, and I'm very interested to see what they will be able to accomplish in the future.

And although I was quite annoyed that this story ends in the middle of the scene, I must admit that I am incredibly interested in watching what Sylvi's father does with this new information, and how it will change their lives.

Overall, this is a beautiful story that just happens to be a little difficult to get through. But, I'd still recommend it for McKinley fans. Just, don't get your hopes too high.

* Disclaimer: I received this book through Star Book Tours.

Just Listen is my second attempt at a Sarah Dessen book. (Read my review for This Lullaby) I liked This Lullaby okay, but wasn't wowed by it the way so many people seemed to be. But, I did enjoy it.

Just Listen was better. I felt more of a connection with these characters, and I can most definitely see myself reading more by Sarah Dessen in the near future.

Owen was a great character. The boy has got a lot of bottled up anger, but he's got a huge capacity for love as well. Watching him open up was wonderful. I think he was my favorite character in this story.

Annabel was also a great character, and it was painful watching her struggle. You have a pretty good idea the whole time why she's struggling so much, but that doesn't make it any easier to read about. She is hurting, and distrusting, but she slowly begins to open up to Owen, and allow him a place in her life. I thought they were great together, and I really wanted for things to work out.

This book really reminded me of Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson, and I think that is a weakness of this story. Not because Just Listen isn't powerful or important, but because I believe Speak to be more so, and I read it first. That being said, I do honestly believe that Just Listen is an important story, one that needed to be told, and one that will touch just as many people as Speak has. Speak is powerful in its simplicity and sparseness, but Just Listen offers us a deeper look into the characters and their relationships with each other, not just focusing on the main character.

Music plays a hugely important role in Owen's life, and as they grow closer, it begins to change Annabel as well. This is a story that will reach certain people and that makes me truly happy, because people need to know that life gets better, that there can be an end to pain, that sometimes, all you have to do is be willing to listen.

The King of Attolia is the third book in The Queen's Thief series by Megan Whalen Turner. (Read my reviews of The Thief and The Queen of Attolia here) Eugenides is back again, although the bulk of this book is not narrated by him, but by a young member of the Queen's guard, Costis.

The Attolians are having a very hard time dealing with Gen as their new king. They distrust him because he is an outsider, the people we meet in the book know that he stole the Queen to force the marriage before her escape, and no one believes them truly in love, because of a certain event at the beginning of Queen. Costis loses his temper, and strikes the new King. Rather than have him killed, Eugenides makes him a member of his guard (ish) which is why so much of the story is narrated by him.

I was a little worried at first, when I learned that Eugenides was not our main narrator, because I love his character, completely. I think he's wonderful. (In fact, I think I'm making myself a little giddy, just thinking about it...) But, Turner handles it brilliantly. We are able to see Eugenides through new eyes, and the eyes of someone who strongly dislikes him. We all know how clever Gen is, and he knows how clever Gen is, but Costis does not. So, when we see these small pieces of the Gen we know and love pop through his image of boredom and weakness, we rejoice and cheer and laugh at how silly the people of his new court are, because they can't seem to pick up on his genius.

The scene where Costis finally realizes just how brilliant his new King is still makes me happy. (This is what I was referring to, as still being able to make me a little giddy...) . I won't give away any spoilers, because that would be criminal, but I will hint that it's the scene when the Queen (Irene) is discussing the difference between ninety-eight days and six months with Gen.

I think this is my favorite so far (there is a fourth already out, and I believe a fifth in progress) and it's my favorite because it combines the best elements of the first two. It contains the wonderful characterization of The Thief and the intrigues and intricacies of The Queen. Turner writes wonderfully. She builds up a huge tower of cards, and you can't possibly understand how she supports it all when BAM, you realize she was never using cards at all, and that it has always been completely stable. Brilliance!

Even though, as outsiders, we know that Gen just has to have something up his sleeve, it still hurts watching the way the people treat him. It has to be incredibly hard, knowing that everyone hates you and suffering through their constant belittlements. But Gen handles it well and when he finally begins to show his true colors, and turn the tables? It's perfection in a book. I love what he says on page 356, "You can always change the perceptions of fools."

I can't wait to see where the fourth book takes me! Sophos is back (a fairly important character in The Thief who in barely mentioned in The Queen and who has gone missing in The King.)

Fixing Delilah is so much more than it appears. If this book is anything to judge by, Sarah Ockler is a writer to watch out for because she has an incredible ability to form realistic and wonderful characters, relationships and settings. I haven't believed so much in the actions of the characters I was reading about in a long time. I have been planning to read Twenty Boy Summer for a while now, but after reading this book, it's definitely higher up on my tbr now.

Delilah used to be a good girl, who got good grades and never got into trouble, the same way she used to be close to her mom. But her mom's job is demanding, and over the years, they spend less and less time together until all they seem to do it fight. And, Delilah is facing down a whole bunch of crap at school that she can't seem to get a handle on, and no one seems like who they are suppose to be anymore.

Delilah has legitimate problems at school and home and she reacts the only way she knows how. I was impressed by the way Ockler handled this. In order for Delilah to need 'fixing' she had to have some issues to begin with. I've read too many books in my life where the author gives us a 'troubled' teen complete with the stereotypical problems that are used to completely explain away and excuse bad behavior until some easy and magical fix comes along (like a new boyfriend...) . But Ockler never does that, not with any of the problems she sets up for her characters. She does give us reasons for the behaviors, but she never once treats them like an excuse. They are the catalyst, and perhaps the cause, but she always lets us know that her characters chose what their effect would be. I never felt like Ockler took the easy way out. I never once felt cheated as a reader.

I thought that Ockler was able to create a very believable family dynamic and each of the relationships in this book were truly great. I can't say enough times how believable I found this story to be. Her relationship with Patrick was perfect — a childhood friend who maybe, just might start to become a little bit more. Emily was a great addition as well, a friend for Delilah when she desperately needed one. Even her memories showed relationships, her loving grandfather, distant grandmother and her imagined connection to the father she never knew.

Both individually and in connection to others, Delilah was a very real character to me. I felt her pain and her happiness, despair and hope.

This was a strong read, one I highly recommend. It answers each question it brings up satisfactorily without over-exposing. This book reminds me once again why I really do prefer contemporary fiction. If Twenty Boy Summer is anywhere near as good as this was, Sarah Ockler will land on my instant to-read list forever.

*Disclaimer: I received this book through Around the World Tours.