Author: Jennifer Brown

Genre: YA, fiction

Summary: Five months ago, Valerie Leftman’s boyfriend, Nick, opened fire on their school cafeteria. Shot trying to stop him, Valerie inadvertently saved the life of a classmate, but was implicated in the shootings because of the list she helped create. A list of people and things she and Nick hated. The list he used to pick his targets.

Now, after a summer of seclusion, Val is forced to confront her guilt as she returns to school to complete her senior year. Haunted by the memory of the boyfriend she still loves and navigating rocky relationships with her family, former friends and the girl whose life she saved, Val must come to grips with the tragedy that took place and her role in it, in order to make amends and move on with her life.

Pretty Good

This was a very emotional read, and the testimonies of other students through newspaper articles, as well as flashbacks from Val’s point of view leading up to the incident, the reader gets a pretty well-rounded perspective on the incident. All that we are missing is Nick’s POV.

Some things were left open, such as the relevance of Nick’s secrets and new friendships, and later, Frankie’s reaction to Val’s behavior came out of left field. I would like to know more about Nick and have some insight into Frankie but even without, this book packs a powerful punch on a controversial subject.

Well worth a read to bring forth a horrifying reality in today’s high school culture.

I have been getting back into reading YA and Children’s books now and I’ve missed so much! I’m having a blast reading the new releases and I have found several new favorites. I’ll be posting more reviews as I read them and update them when I can if a new sequel or companion book comes out.

The semester is almost over, so it’s crunch time now on campus. Lots of studying and paper writing within the next few weeks.

Right now I’m reading the book Hate List and I will probably finish it tonight and write up a review. So far I love it.

Sometime I will add a list of my old favorites, or just compile a reading list for certain genres. I’m most knowledgeable with fantasy, but I have read other things too. Any suggestions are welcome.

Author: A. S. King

Genre: Fantasy, YA, historical fiction, and the odd how-to for training dogs

Summary: In the late seventeenth century, famed teenage pirate Emer Morrisey was on the cusp of escaping the pirate life with her one true love and unfathomable riches when she was slain and cursed with “the dust of one hundred dogs,” dooming her to one hundred lives as a dog before returning to a human body-with her memories intact.

Now she’s a contemporary American teenager and all she needs is a shovel and a ride to Jamaica.

Wow

This book is unlike any I have ever read. Part historical romance, part fantasy, part how to train a dog, with wonderful action and flashbacks, this book has it all. Emer is a fascinating character in all of her incarnations and her insight into the behavior of others and her anecdotes on dismembering those who bother her (very creatively) are entertaining and a constant reminder of her past self. We not only see her twentieth century self trying to regain her treasure and old life, but also how she became a pirate and the events that led to her curse and demise and somehow the ending still comes as a surprise.

I highly recommend this book to any teen wanting a little adventure and mystery. It also might be good for someone with a new puppy, too.

Author: Kristin Cashore

Genre: Fantasy, YA

Summary: She is the last of her kind…

It is not a peaceful time in the Dells. In King City, the young King Nash is clinging to the throne, while rebel lords in the north and south build armies to unseat him. War is coming. And the mountains and forest are filled with spies and thieves. This is where Fire lives, a girl whose beauty is impossibly irresistible and who can control the minds of everyone around her.

Thumbs Up

The companion to Graceling, Fire was an entirely different take on the world Cashore created and it took a long time for me to get used to the vast differences. However, once I did, I found myself loving the book just as much as the first. Fire is another strong heroine and while it got a bit irritating reading just how beautiful she was and how beautiful the monsters were (lots of beautiful things), the action and characters made up for it. Her search for identity and friendship woven into political intrigue made for a strong plot and led to much character growth.

As I said, it takes a bit to get used to the vast changes in atmosphere of this book but once you have it’s worth it.

There is talk of a sequel, Bitterblue, and I will be looking for that when it comes out.

Companion book to Graceling.

Author: Kristin Cashore

Genre: Fantasy, YA

Summary: Graceling takes readers inside the world of Katsa, a warrior-girl in her late teens with one blue eye and one green eye. This gives her haunting beauty, but also marks her as a Graceling. Gracelings are beings with special talents—swimming, storytelling, dancing. Katsa’s Grace is considered more useful: her ability to fight (and kill, if she wanted to) is unequaled in the seven kingdoms. Forced to act as a henchman for a manipulative king, Katsa channels her guilt by forming a secret council of like-minded citizens who carry out secret missions to promote justice over cruelty and abuses of power.

Definite Thumbs Up

To be blunt, I loved this book. I could not put it down and immediately searched for a sequel when I finished. Graceling was a mix of old-world fantasy with a dash of romance (not too much, and a bit more mature so not for young children), some darker themes in loyalty, friendship, and one’s place in the world. I loved the heroine, Katsa, who was believably strong but was not perfect. For once, I had no complaints.

If you like fantasy and good old fashioned adventure around mythical kingdoms, then pick up this book and settle in for a fun ride.

Look for the companion, Fire.