Systematic Student:
loved it but

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.)

Today's Memory Monday takes me back — way back. I remember each of these picture books from early grade school. These are books that I first heard when my teacher read them to the class. I loved them so much I read them later on my own, but then I forgot all about them. Something reminded me of them, and I searched for both of them for a long time before I finally found them.

The first was the easiest to find — The Mitten by Jan Brett. A little boy loses his mitten in the woods, and various animals in the forest use it for shelter. I believe this book was my first real experience with the suspension of disbelief. I distinctly remember thinking to myself that what was happening simply wasn't possible. There was no way these animals could all fit inside this mitten, especially when they all start cramming in there together. But then I remember making the conscious decision to like the book anyway, and just pretend for a moment that it was possible, and I was then able to enjoy the story. What can I say, I tend to over think things.

The next book took a lot longer to find, because I didn't remember anything about the title, I just knew it was about a Christmas tree that kept getting its top chopped off over and over, because each piece was just a tiny bit to big for its new home. I was beyond thrilled when I finally found the title again. Mr. Willowby's Christmas Tree by Robert Barry. I used to examine the tops of our Christmas trees every year after I read this book, looking for that bend in the top that meant we would need to clip it off. I never got to though, and I'm pretty sure I was awfully disappointed about it...

Do any of you have a favorite winter or Christmas picture book? Or a favorite winter read now? I'd love to hear about them!

Hattie Big Sky by Kirby Larsen is the story of 16 year old Hattie, who has never felt like she has a home of her own. She's been moved around her whole life, and desperately wants a place of her own. Her uncle leaves her his Montana claim, if she is willing to move there to work it in time to meet the deadlines/guidelines for staking a free claim. Hattie gets her affairs in order and moves to Montana, without knowing anyone or anything about what she's really getting herself into.

There is a wonderful family that lives close to Hattie, and they do all they can to make her feel welcome, help her get settled in and survive. But, it's the middle of WWI, and the husband is German. It's a small town, and the people can't see past his German heritage to the good man they've known for so long. Hattie's never seen anything like it, and it, among other things, forces her to change her view of the world. The story also uses a series of letters Hattie is writing to a friend overseas fighting the war, and articles she sends back to her hometown newspaper about her life in Montana to earn a little money.

I thought this book was stunning. The writing is beautiful and engaging. Hattie is a wonderful narrator. She has a strong, independent voice, spoken, internal and written, and she knows who she is, but she also recognizes that she has room to grow, and she welcomes the help other people can bring to her. She is friendly to all the neighbors, and develops a really solid relationship with all of them, except the stories main antagonist, and even then, Hattie goes out of her way to be nice, and friendly. Chase and Mattie are the older children of the family mentioned above. Their father died, and it's their step-father who is German. These children were a wonderful part of the story. They reminded me of why I really do just love kids. They have a freshness and innocence to them as well as a firm pride in themselves and the man they call their father that you can't help but love them. Some of the most emotional, hopeful and heart-rending scenes involve those children.

Larsen is also a wonderful writer. I live in Idaho, which shares a border with Montana, and I've spent my fair share of time up in Montana and Wyoming both. Larsen nailed it. The area is beautiful, but wild and that feeling is really captured here with Hattie. Larsen's descriptions were so awe-inspiring that I found myself tempted to be a homesteader, and I know what it feels like to be so cold mere minutes outside freezes your blood in your veins, and you think if you close your eyes you'll never be able to open them again. It doesn't get to negative 65 degrees here anymore, but it sure gets cold. The terrain is majestic. When you stand at the edge of a huge expanse of open terrain, it makes you feel like you are a part of the land, like the earth is filling you completely. I can't imagine how much more powerful that feeling would be if you knew that you owned that land.

This is a book I think it would be a shame to miss. This book is one to break the heart. It's rough. Living on your own in the wilds of the Montana prairie would not be easy for anyone, but Hattie handles her trials admirably. Although the story is not always a happy one, it is always a hopeful one.

The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting was a wonderful read. One of the things I most enjoyed was it's simplicity and originality.

I'm not gonna lie, I've gotten a little tired of the seemingly formulaic YA books that have been released and super hyped recently, especially the paranormal types. I get tired of the predictable love triangles, instantly falling deeply in love with supernatural beings, repetitious and overly predictable plot lines etc. I do enjoy them sometimes, but I can't read too many too close together. I end up spending the whole time rolling my eyes because I can't get over it's absurdities long enough to really enjoy the story.

I was more than happy to discover that The Body Finder had none of these elements. Violet is a great character. She is strong and independent with a definite sense of self, even though she is still questioning certain parts of that self. I love knowing that Violet is aware she still has places to grow, even though she is okay with who she is. I also loved Jay and their relationship. Jay is a great friend to Violet, and really wants what's best for her. And, it's nice to read about a love story that has a real foundation in friendship before growing into love.

We also get to experiences several chapters from the POV of the killer. That is another awesome example of Derting's great characterization skills. I've always been fascinated by serial killers, and (I probably shouldn't admit this,) but I know a lot about them and how they think (ish). And I have to say, I believed in this guy. He really creeped me out, and I found myself with a mild case of the shivers when he popped up.

My favorite genre in my teenage years was murder mysteries and I especially loved Mary Higgins Clark. Can I just say that I loved that the major plot arc here was a murder mystery!? I still love a good murder mystery, so I truly enjoyed stepping back into those familiar reading shoes.

I was also very intrigued by the idea of Violet's power and the echoes death creates. That would be a horrifying ability to posses, especially for a young girl. I've never come across anything like it before and I found myself deliciously intrigued, and morbidly wondering what type of echo I would leave behind.

And, I must also speak about Derting's writing, and her ability to manipulate the mind of the reader and direct them where she will. I really enjoyed her writing style and found myself pushed and prodded into thinking what she wanted me to know at that point that I didn't even notice the pushes until something new came up and exposed them, which is something that does not often happen to me while reading mysteries. It definitely tossed me for a loop or two. Even when I knew without a doubt that she was throwing out a red herring, I still found my heart racing a little faster, because the writing was just that good.

I found that this story contained a believable plot with great characters that I was excited to root for and plausible/realistic situations. I am definitely in eager anticipation of the sequel, Desires of the Dead.

The Queen of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner is the sequel to the Newbery-Honor winner, The Thief (read my review ). I was impressed by the intricate writing Turner managed in The Thief, and was very eager to continue with this series. Although the writing in each book is very similar, this tone is different between the two. The Thief is rather lighthearted and fun. It has its depth and importance, but the overall tone is fairly light. The Queen of Attolia is... not so much. The mood and feel of this book is considerably darker and heavier.

But really, that's okay, because I loved this book just as much, if not a little more than The Thief. Turner's writing is as compelling in this book as it was while reading The Thief, although the focus is also a little different. Where, to me, The Thief is primarily about the characters, with Gen (Eugenides) being our obvious focus, The Queen of Attolia is more about the story and the intrigues rampant in court life. The Thief was a story, but the characters are the most important part. In Queen, the characters are still very important and are well developed and complete, but we already saw the beginnings of their development in Thief, and can now focus on the importance of their individual and connecting stories.

Before, Gen was our narrator in The Thief, and unless I'm remembering wrong, he tells the whole story. In Queen, we are given other narrators to help Eugenides tell this story. Although I do love Eugenides, he has become one of my most favorite fictional characters, my favorite narrator in this book was the Queen, Attolia herself. I loved the way her mind worked, and trying to guess ahead of time what plots and tricks she was working through. The face she presents to the world is ruthless and hard. She doesn't appear to be overly conniving, but as we listen in on her thoughts, it is clear that she has a very keen mind, one that is constantly assessing and reassessing the situation and all it's possible implications.

The plot to the story holds a very tight, intricate weave, one I was anxious to watch pull together. Each character has their own motivators, and their own interests to promote. At some point, each character believes that they hold the advantage and it's not until the end, when everything begins to wrap up and come together that we really are able to understand what has been going on this whole time anyway.

Once again, I must also point out Turner's fantastic world building. She set up the mythology and the guidelines for her world in The Thief and continued to build upon them here. I love spending time in this world that Turner has created because it is vividly real and the characters are written so much like real people that I wonder why we can't be friends.

My mom gave me her old copies of the first two Encyclopedia Brown books by Donald J. Sobol when I was pretty young, around maybe 10 or so. I had Encyclopedia Brown, Boy Detective and Encyclopedia Brown and the Case of the Secret Pitch. Each book has 10 mysteries Encyclopedia Brown is supposed to solve. His name isn't really Encyclopedia, it's Leroy. But, no one called him Leroy except his mother and his teachers.

I don't know if any of you read any of the Encyclopedia Brown books, but I absolutely loved them. I read my two copies so often the covers fell off and the binding started falling apart. And then, I discovered that both the public library and my school library had more! I was so excited! I read mystery after mystery, always excited when Encyclopedia outwitted Bugs Meany again or helped his father, the Idaville Chief of Police, capture some bad guys. And I don't think I ever once solved the riddle before Encyclopedia. I always had to peek in the back of the book for the answers.

I pick up copies of these books in book orders, or when I find them in good condition in used book stores, because I had such fond memories reading these while growing up, I'd love to have them in my home. I've found new stories that I'm pretty sure I never read as a kid. And, I'll admit it — I still don't solve the mystery before Encyclopedia tells us the answer.

I loved the recurring characters in the stories — Tough Sally (the partner) who routinely beats up Bugs Meany (more or less, the nemesis), and Charlie with his collection of animal teeth. Encyclopedia Brown has a lot of friends, many of whom we meet as they hire Encyclopedia (for 25¢) to help them solve a mystery.

As I said before, I loved Encyclopedia Brown when I was a kid. I actually believe he was my first (and only) legitimate literary crush. I would so have loved to meet him, but alas... It never worked out, and I've decided I'm way to old for him now. So Encyclopedia, here's looking at you kid.

Room by Emma Donoghue is a hard book for me to review. Because really, I just want to spout out random parts of this book that make it so great before just sighing at you and telling you to go read it yourself, because it's kind of a book that just needs to be experienced. But, I won't just blabber on at you.

So Room. It's narrated by Jack, a sweet, smart and charming just turned 5 year old whose whole world are the four walls of Room and it's contents. The only person he's ever seen or spoken to is Ma, although Old Nick is probably real too (but not real real).

I was very impressed with Jack and his voice. I've spent a lot of time around little kids at all stages of life and development, and most of the time, Jack is very much a five year old. The connections he makes, and the way he forms understandings is very typical of five year olds, as is the way he names things. Each wall is named (Door Wall etc), he sleeps in Wardrobe, eats at Table, etc. He does have a rather extensive vocabulary, but to me, that makes perfect sense. Ma has only Jack to talk to all day, and let me tell you — Baby talk gets old really fast. Ma mentions at one point that Jack has already heard every story that she knows, which means they talk a lot, and Jack is surrounded by words. Numerous studies have shown that children who grow up hearing language regularly will learn to speak earlier and will speak properly faster than kids who are rarely spoken to and/or who only hear the adults speak in that babbling baby talk. They also play the 'parrot game' which I loved.

I was impressed with Ma. That would be insanely hard. I can't imagine what it would be like, first to be taken from my home and family and trapped in a small 11x11 room with the only visitor being the creepy older man who kidnapped and rapes me, but to add onto that a baby?! I don't know if I could have done it. And, she's done an admirable job raising him given her circumstances and her resources. That takes a very strong woman, and even though she wasn't perfect (really, who is) she did a good job and she tried so hard. The only thing I could never figure out was why she didn't escape. I know that sounds harsh/unrealistic, especially given the state of the room she was trapped in. But the door was locked using a number keypad, one on the outside, and one on the inside. If I knew I was going to be trapped for an indefinite period of time, I'd start pushing buttons. What else are you going to do?! Or listen to the number tones and try to figure out which he pushes each night. I kind of think she could have done something. But, that's a small thing.

Overall, I was very impressed with this book. There were parts I didn't like, especially in the second half of the book, but for the most part, I loved it. I loved the word sandwiches and the way that Jack tried to take all the new information and assimilate it into ways he already understood. Overall, this is a book that makes you think, makes you wonder and makes you want to hug your kids a little closer. It's a strong book with a strong core of goodness to it. This is a book I would read again, just to hear Jack's voice.

Pick it up. I doubt you'll be sorry.

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

Being Jamie Baker by Kelly Oram was a lot of fun to read. It's the story of a girl with comic book-like super powers struggling to deal with life and high school.

I absolutely love super heroes, and super hero movies/stories. I've seen all the Batman, Spiderman, X-Men etc movies they've been producing lately (although I've never gotten into Superman. Shrugs.) so when I saw this book, I knew I had to read it. I love the superhero idea (not to be confused with paranormal. There's definitely a difference) but you don't really see a lot of actual superheros in books lately.

Being Jamie Baker was a fun book with a really fun story, but it was also well written, well planned and very non-gimmicky. Although I was pretty excited for the book, I was a little worried that it was going to be one stereotype after another, but that isn't what this book was at all.

Jamie was completely normal a year ago, but a tragic car accident killed her boyfriend and left her with superpowers. Her natural senses (taste, touch, smell, hearing, and sight) are enhanced, she is super-fast and super-strong, and she is electrically charged. The electrical charge isn't really a problem until her emotions get out of control, and then lights start flickering or exploding, and heaven help anyone who's actually touching her. She's got a bit of a temper, and her temper is a scary thing to witness (unless you are just reading the book, and then it is absolutely awesomeness). The accident has also left her with a massive case of survivors guilt, and a huge fear of getting close to anyone, because she can't control her powers. She doesn't want to hurt anyone, and she can't risk anyone finding out her secret.

Jamie is a perfect character. Although she is completely hard core and just made of awesomeness, she is also a pretty typical teenage girl, who wants all things a normal teenage girl wants, but she feels like her superpowers make most of those things completely impossible, which is especially hard for her, because she used to have all of those things. So, when her parents move her from their small town Illinois home to Sacramento, Jamie becomes the Ice Queen. She isolates herself, both for her sake and theirs, and even if she isn't happy, at least she is content.

Well, that wouldn't make for much of a story, so enter Ryan Miller. He's honest, good looking, kind and incredibly sure of himself. His is the kiss that starts our Jamie's story, and he is the one who begins to get to know the real Jamie. He starts talking to her, and she keeps trying to brush him off. But, he's hot, she likes him, and no matter what she says to him, he's still interested. I really liked Ryan. He was perfect for Jamie. She needed someone completely sure of himself to break down the walls protecting her, because anyone else would have been discouraged long before getting to meet the real Jamie.

Although our main character happens to have the potential to become the world's greatest super hero, it's primarily a story about growing up and learning who you are and how to trust. I thought it was brilliantly done. Jamie learns about growing up at the same time she learns about her powers, and how to control and manage them.

The only thing that I would change about this book is something I can't share in detail, because it spoils something major, is the reaction both Jamie and Becky share to a semi-shared event. I know this doesn't make any sense if you haven't read the book, but you'll get it once you do. Although I understand their reaction, and the way they tried to handle things, I don't agree with how that was played out. (If you really want to know what I mean and don't mind huge spoilers, or know what I mean and want to add your thoughts, send me an email!)

Aside from that one concern, I loved this book. I enjoyed reading it, and read through it in one sitting. This was Oram's debut novel, which means there's a lot to look forward to in the future. This book is completely able to stand alone (and as far as I know is intended that way) and I am a little tired of the constant stream of series and sequels, but I must say, I would definitely read another story about Jamie. She's a girl I'd love to spend more time with!

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

When offered the chance to review The Duck Song by Bryant Oden, I accepted because my nephews (not quite 3 and almost 5) love books, and they are always appreciative when I bring them something new. The book looked cute, and fun, so I was pretty excited when I got my copy. I didn't know that it had originally been a bit of a big deal on youtube.

Once I got my copy, I read through it once and then brought it to my sister's to read with my nephews. I was quite pleased with the book. The words are repetitive and move well, making it interesting for kids to listen too and the illustrations (which I understand were done by someone around 14) are bright and easy for kids to understand are something they will enjoy looking at.

My nephews are at the stage right now where they are a little bit indignant if you try to read them the same one more than once. When I try, I get an exasperated, "We've already read that one Ash. We need a new one. Get us, umm, nine!" It's about the same with the bed time stories. They need long periods between readings. So, imagine my surprise when I finish reading this one and get an immediate, "Read it to me again Ashley." That's pretty impressive, coming from two kids under 5.

The only thing that saved me from a third read through was the CD that came with the book. It has 12 kid friendly tracks on it, including 'The Duck Song'. The whole story is a song. It was a song and a youtube video before it was published as a book, and apparently pretty popular on youtube. It's a fun song to listen to, especially if you have kids, but I'm going to warn you — It has a really catchy tune and the story is simple enough you'll probably pick it up after one or two read/sing throughs, and it's really hard to get out of your head once it's there.:)

Included with the book was information on the condition of the finished copies. Apparently, they sing to you! I think it's a great way to make the book fun for kids, especially as a way to begin reading. The lyrics to the song are almost exactly what's printed (with the addition of a few waddles here and there) and kids can 'read' along with the book as it sings to them. How great is that?!

So, got any grapes?

*Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.

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

Kiersten White's debut novel, Paranormalcy is an absolutely delightful story. I loved it!

Our heroine, Evie, is one of the best female characters I've read in what seems like a long time. She hasn't had an easy time of things. She's been living at and working for IPCA (International Paranormal Containment Agency) since she was 8 (which btw, is underground. *shudder*). Now at 16, she has never been able to experience normal. Her best friend is a mermaid who can't speak without a computer to translate, her tutor is a werewolf, and her only experience with the world outside IPCA is when she's sent out on assignment to retrieve a paranormal, and 'tag' them — making them less of a hazard to the human population.

Evie is so valuable to IPCA because she is the only person they've ever come across who can see through a paranormal's glamour — the face that they present to the rest of the world, so she can always spot the paranormals. It's an ideal trait when your hunting them. But it's been hard for Evie. She's 16, and her version of normal is what she can watch on TV. I felt bad for Evie. It must have been incredibly hard growing up away from almost all human contact. But, I was incredibly impressed by her. She made the most of her life, and most of the time seemed genuinely happy. I love the parts of Evie that seem incongruous with her job and her situation. She carries a taser, hunts paranormals, and is really pretty hardcore for a 16 year old. But, her taser is pink, named Tasey, her knife has a pink hilt, her wardrobe contains tons of (yup) pink, she has high heeled zebra print boots (ummm, ya... I want) and she is in love with the high school equivalent of a soap opera, which is also her only tie to a 'normal high school experience.' Sure, she wished things could be different, but she also understood why she was there, and why it wasn't possible for her to have much outside contact.

Everything changes though, once Lend enters the scene. He's like nothing they've ever seen before, and even Evie has a hard time focusing on his real form past his glamour. He's a shape shifter, and is able to mimic any form and voice he sees. He breaks into IPCA, and no one knows why. They contain him, but he's not talking to anyone, until Evie starts hanging around. They form a bond and become really close friends. And of course, given the nature of paranormal YA lately, of course they start a romance, but they were friends, and liked each other as people before they decided they were in love with each other. There was none of that instant flash of recognition/chemistry/whatever that seems so prevelant in YA lit now, and I for one was beyond grateful. I don't actually believe it's possible to truly fall in love that fast. You can definitely become attracted to someone, but that is not love, it's hormones. But I digress...

I though Lend was also a great character. He's pretty down to earth, and is accepting of things he doesn't understand. And, he helps Evie understand herself better too. I liked their relationship, and I liked watching it grow at a normal pace.

I think that the characters, and their relationships with each other are really the best part about this book. The world White created was wonderful, but wouldn't have been terribly memorable or unique without her amazing characters to brighten the world. And when I say characters, I also include her descriptions of the other paranormals that we don't really get to meet. How creepy must it be for Evie to see past a vampire's glamour. We see someone pretty hot, she sees that superimposed over a rotting, decaying corpse. Ugh. The nymphs were wonderful, werewolves interesting, and fairies creepy. I'm actually really excited to see what role Reth is going to have in the future installments.

This book is part of a trilogy, so we don't get to learn everything about Evie's past, and there's definitely more places she can go in the future. But, I loved the way White handled it. Although there are still questions, Paranormalcy ended at a good place. It's not a horrible cliffhanger that's going to leave you angry for a year until the next book comes out. It's a comfortable place to end the story. Although, there is also enough information missing to ensure you're going to be wanting and waiting for the sequel. I'm definitely excited for the sequels to come out. I can't wait to see what the future holds for Evie and her friends, and eager to learn more about her past.

(Photo brought to you by the Idaho Meth Project)

(Will contain mild spoilers for Crank, so be warned of this if you haven't read it yet)
If possible, Glass by Ellen Hopkins is even more horrifying, socking and upsetting than its predecessor, Crank (click for review) . Crank shows us how Kristina becomes addicted to 'the monster' — meth. At the end of the book, it seems like Kristina is getting her life back. She is trying to give up the drugs so her unborn child will have a chance of being born normal. Although it's hard, she seems to be doing well.

Glass begins a short time later. Her son, Hunter, is a few months old and Kristina is tired all the time, and she's tired of feeling fat and unattractive. Life begins to feel like too much for her, and she falls back into old habits. She tells herself she is in control, and can handle the drug, and she won't let it handle her. She's confident she can maintain control. Well... She's wrong. The drug grabs hold of her and takes her farther down than she's ever gone before. She loses control quickly and is a danger to herself and to others around her.

It was heart breaking watching Kristina destroy herself and leave those who love her behind. She is an incredibly selfish character, one who refuses to think beyond her own desires. She again becomes involved with the 'wrong crowd', finding people who supply her habit, and make it glamorous.

I found this book to be more powerful and dissuasive than Crank because we are able to watch the complete deterioration of Kristina's life. She completely loses control and doesn't even notice. We watch Kristina as she becomes involved, directly or indirectly with drug trafficking, neglectful/semi-abusive parenting, prostitution, theft, and more.

I can't describe to you how powerful this story is, and again, the free verse style used by Hopkins is brilliant and perfect. I don't think there is a better way to have told this story. This is an important book, one I think should be made readily available to teens. It saddens me that this book has been banned or challenged by people, because it is important. Drugs and the problems it creates aren't going to go away just because you refuse to look at them. If anything, this guarantees that they will be around longer, and that they will only get worse. Both Crank and Glass so us clearly why drugs should be avoided. It's fearful, intense and horrifying. And, I think a lot of the power comes from knowing that some of what's contained here and written comes from personal experience. The author has lived through a lot of this pain and is trying to provide a way for others to avoid that same hurt.

Crank by Ellen Hopkins is one of the scariest books I think I've ever read. It's about a young girl who gets involved with 'The Monster'. Meth is, in my opinion, one of the scariest drugs currently on the market. It's insanely addicting and incredibly damaging. One of the reasons meth is so addicting is that the chemicals used to create this Frankensteinish drug completely obliterate and destroy the pleasure center of your brain, which means that meth becomes the only way you are able to experience pleasure.

Ellen Hopkins is an incredibly powerful writer. It's written in verse and the starkness of the prose is where half the impact lies. Hopkins doesn't need many words, but it's clear each word is chosen carefully for its impact. This book grabs you and never lets go. We follow Kristina, the good girl, through her decent into darkness at the hands of the monster. We watch as her life falls to pieces around her while she believes she's still in control and she only does it to have enough energy to keep going, but really, she can stop. It's like, no big deal. It's heart breaking to watch as it destroys her and brings her family members low with her.

I'm intentionally not going to say much about the plot beyond the obvious meth addiction, because I feel there is more of an effect, a stronger impact if you don't know what's coming beforehand. I respect that Hopkins doesn't pull her punches, and she doesn't sugar coat the truth at all. It is one of the reasons she is so frequently banned, but it is also why her books are able to reach so many people. When Hopkins is talking about Kristina's experiences with the drugs, her highs are high and her lows are low. Too many books skirt around the truth, they try to convince you to stay away from drugs by lying about how good they feel the first few times, and then turning around are trying to hide how detrimental the side effects are, because they don't feel like our young people can handle it. Hopkins does none of that. She tells it like it is and makes no apologies for it.

Reading this (and Glass) reminded me of the Idaho Meth Project. The images at the top and bottom of this post are part of this effort to educate our children about the dangers and horrors of meth. Idaho state is one of the top states in both meth production and teenage meth use, and around 50% of our inmates are there as a result of meth. They created the Idaho Meth Project to educate and dissuade, and studies are showing that it's working. Reading Crank and Glass reminded me of these ads. It's horrifying because it's real. I recommend checking out the site, that I've linked above and viewing some of the other ads they've produced. There are print ads, radio ads and televisions ads and all are horrifying. This project has been picked up by other states like Montana and Colorado and it's working. Meth usage is dropping. Books like Crank and Glass are just as effective in my mind, because they help to educate us on the true dangers of meth and what really happens when you involve yourself with the monster.

The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick won the Caldecott Medal in 2008. As I'm sure most of you are aware, the Caldecott Medal is awarded annually to the artist of the most distinguished American Picture Book for Children. It's akin to receiving the Newbery Award for children's books, or the Printz Award for young adult.

Hugo Cabret was an especially interesting win for the Caldecott, because although it does contain a lot of beautiful illustrations (284 in a 533 pg. book) it's a 533 page novel. The front jacket describes this as a book "combining elements of picture book, graphic novel, and film" which "breaks open the novel form to create an entirely new reading experience."

The dust jacket does not lie. Reading this book was unlike anything else I've ever read and it was wonderful. I was hooked from the first page, "A Brief Introduction by Professor H. Alcofrisbas" to the last page as we visually watch the moon as it disappears from the sky. The illustrations are... beyond brilliant. Designed to look like sketches, they are surprisingly complex and deceptively simple. As I mentioned in my review of American Born Chinese I am increasingly shocked by what you can portray and how much story you can tell with just one picture.

The story itself was wonderful. Hugo Cabret is a wonderful character just trying to find his place in life. He is a young boy living alone in the middle of Paris in the 1930s, trying desperately to survive. He has no money, but he feels bad every time he is forced to steal something to survive. He is such a good character. He is so confused and desperately searching for something tangible to bring him hope. I loved the secondary characters as well. Questioning and spunky Isabelle, hurting and bitter old Georges, and loving and protective Jeanne. Each of the characters are incredibly well developed. Even the minor characters are given more depth than we normally see.

This book was marvelous. It's definitely one that I am going to want on my own shelf sometime soon. It's beautifully illustrated and wonderfully written. This is a book that can be enjoyed by people of any age, at any stage of their life. I'm enjoyed reading this one so much, that I am definitely looking forward to seeing what else Mr. Selznick has to offer the literary world.

So, I feel like everyone has at least one book they read as a kid that was way too old for them, but was totally awesome anyway.

Mine was Vertical Run

by Joseph Garber. My aunt left it behind after she stayed at our house for a visit when I was somewhere between 12 and 14. Knowing I was always needing something to read, my mom let me keep it without really knowing what it was about. I probably wouldn't recommend this book to anyone younger than 16 or 17. Not because the book is hugely inappropriate. It's not. It's just very violent and has a lot of very foul language (some of those people are very creative, especially for a 12 year old). This is the book that introduced me to conspiracy literature.

The whole book is about a highly trained group of huge muscle bound mercenaries trying to kill a middle-aged Vietnam vet inside his 50 story office building. As his specialized combat training begins to return, he fights back and serious amounts of mayhem ensue. Dave is our main character and it was fascinating to follow his interactions with Ransome, the main 'bad guy' (or is he?...) . This book takes place within a roughly 24-hour time frame, and with only a few exceptions, happens entirely within one 50 story office building. Dave has to stay a step ahead of them in order to survive and he has very limited resources. He has no idea why they are after him. All he knows is that they seem to possess incredible amounts of power and authority and that they have managed to bring everyone he knows and cares about on their side. With no one to turn to and no where to run, Dave must find the tools to stay alive while also trying to unravel the carefully hidden secret that will explain why everyone around him seems to suddenly want him dead. Ha, and you thought your day sucked.

Interspersed throughout the book are flashbacks to Dave's younger years, both growing up and the time he served in the military. Each segment is a lead in to a skill or ability Dave has learned that will allow him to escape and survive yet again. They were a lot of fun, and never felt clunky or forced. I also loved Dave's snarky inner voice. It isn't really Dave and it isn't really a separate person either. It's more a blend of the two. This inner voice is about as close as you can come to hearing voices without actually being considered crazy... (Perhaps.)

I've reread this book many times and will undoubtedly read it again in the future. It comes really close to a basically amazing review, and I loved it, but I don't love the ending. We do end up discovering why everyone wants to kill poor Dave. But, I feel like the author took the easy way out. The way we (and Dave) obtain the information is plausible, but not quite in character and felt like Garber just really needed a quick way to end it. (a la Ransome ex Machina)

Now that you know my 'under-aged' favorite, please share yours! Leave the book that you knew you shouldn't be reading but loved anyway in the comments section. Share what you liked about it then, and what you think of it now, if you have reread it.