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Anna Dressed in Blood By Kendare Blake Out: now Review copy from my library Goodreads listing MUST READ I have to admit, I was sold on this book months ago because I loved the cover that much. I did not care what the book was about. So, I went into this one not knowing what to expect and I was surprised. I LOVED this book. We have a ghost hunter, who happens to be a hot teenage boy and a ragtag group of friends who want to help him banish the most famous local ghost-Anna. Anna, however, is not like most ghosts. Blake writes really scary scenes and they do not come off as hokey, just the opposite. Some of the things that happen in this book are really frightening, and I cannot recommend it for the squeamish. This is so refreshing to see in YA-real horror. I also loved that Blake was not afraid to allow her characters to make fun of themselves. Repeated Ghostbuster and Buffy references abound, and the comments were funny and relieved some of the tension of the world she ha...

Legend  By Marie Lu Published: Nov. 29/2011 ARC from publisher 4.5 out of 5 Stars In the Republic, children are sorted by a trial that they either pass and go on to lead productive Republican lives or fail and go to work camps. June is the daughter of a proud Republic family. She is the best of the best, even entering high school three years early due to her perfect score in the trial. She is 15. Day is a criminal mastermind who has brought nothing but trouble to the Republic-disrupting supplies, breaking into government facilities, and taking his spoils and giving them to the poor. This futuristic Robin Hood is also 15. Now, things have gone horribly wrong and it's the best of the best vs the worst of the worst. June vs Day.   I loved this book. It was like reading manga that had been converted to novel form. The action is solid, the conflict between the two solid characters is even and perfect. It reminded me very much of Death Note. The world building is ...

Frost Marianna Baer Goodreads link Published: September 13, 2011 Stars: 4 out of 5 I love crazy, quirky books. Sometimes I find a jewel of a nutty read and some of the images stick with me forever. This is one of those books. Perfect for Fall, Frost drops us back to school (a boarding school) and in a house on the property that is a dorm for four students and a totally absent house mother. Leena, studious and nerd-girl cool, is rooming with her two besties. Forced on them is Celeste, the school's crazy girl and the reader thinks "Oh, great, another book about friendship dynamics and how they change in senior year". Oh, hell to the no. This is a flat-out horror story complete with a gothic setting, unreliable characters, false leads, and red herrings. It is a strange (in a good way) read. Yet another book I wanted to put down and call everyone who was reading it and say, "Hey, did you just read that? Did that really just happen?" I needed a break fr...

Forgotten by Cat Patrick Goodreads Out: now 4.5/5 Stars Review copy: from the library I was not going to read this book, in fact I had "forgotten" to even add it to my TBR list. But, one of the perks of my library job is to see the new titles when they come in. When I pulled it from the pile, one of my Teen Book Club members was standing there, and we looked it over. She decided to check it out. Flash forward to the next day, when Cayla came screaming into the office: You have to read this NOW! O-kay. Well, I couldn't put the darn thing down and read it in one night. It's a winner! Why? Well, a big thumbs up for London who is a great character with a voice that just grabs you right away. There is very little angst here, and this girl has a lot to be depressed about-however, London never seems to mire in it. And Cayla and I agree, Luke is one of the BEST male characters, ever. He well developed, realistic, and has multiple levels-not the typical YA pretty boy...

The Revenant Sarah Ginsler Published by Knopf Books for Young Readers Released June 14, 2011 Review Copy: From Library Goodreads link What a pleasure! This is not only a spooky ghost story, but a highly researched historical novel as well. I could not put it down, and do not remember reading anything like it before. I was super pleased to see the main character grow up during this novel, the change was subtle,and realistic. Very well done! The ghost here is a real chiller, but scarier than the dead is the behavior of the living. This novel, at its core, is really about class and social standing. It is about how we treat each other and how money and standing effect that. There are really three stories in one here and each is handled very well. I recommend this for fans of Lois Duncan, Laurie Halse Anderson (for the history buffs), and anyone looking for something different to read.

Near Witch by Victoria Schwab Goodreads link Publish date: August 2, 2011 Stars: 3.5/5 One sentence synopsis: In the village of Near a stranger has arrived in town, and the children of Near are disappearing. This one was high on my TBR in 2011 list. I couldn't wait to get my hands on it. I love a good ghost story. I love a good witch story. I love stories that are set outside of time and here we are isolated in the village of Near, which is bordered by spooky moors. The writing is beautiful: "In my dreams, someone is screaming. The voice cries out and gets caught in the wind. It's tangled, faltering. And then it changes, stretches long and thin, pulled taut before it breaks, and all is quiet." (e-galley pg 247) Gorgeous, gorgeous prose! A fiery heroine! A tortured innocent! And somebody is stealing the village's children. The problem with this story is that it is 50 pages too long. And repetitive! Three times, Lexi's mother bales her out of trouble with her l...

Divergent by Veronica Roth Out: now Goodreads link 5 out of 5 stars Oh, my. I loved this book. Now, to give a review without gushing (much). I am always leery of books that have so much hype as they consistently disappoint me (see: Matched ). I was super happy to grab a copy of Divergent from a coworker, and took my time before starting it (I had just finished Blood Red Road - review here -and did not want to merge the books in my mind). This is one of those hard to describe plots. In a futuristic Chicago, folks split themselves up into factions. Beatrice knows she does not fit into the faction she was born into-she just isn't sure she fits into any of the other factions either. The world building is incredible, I never once questioned anything Roth had to say. The characters were all realistic, given the situation. And the best part is that Beatrice, like Katniss (you knew the Hunger Games comparison was coming) and Rhine of Wither is super strong-we as readers know this, but watc...

Blood Red Road by Moira Young Published: June 7, 2011 Rating: 5 out of 5 stars arc from ssgg (thanks!) Of all of the books I was most looking forward to this year, this book was at the top of the list-right above Divergent . What can I say about this story? It is better than great. But why? Let's break it down. We have a family, far from the rest of civilization, isolated and protected, and something happens to trigger a quest of almost epic proportions. I was amazed while reading it, there is very little here that I have not seen before (I read a great deal of dystopian lit). The magic comes in how Young pulled all of these elements together. Sometimes, the book felt as though we were in ancient Rome. Sometimes, the Wild West. The effect is one that feels familiar, but seen through new eyes. As a kid who grew up on Mad Max, we see many of the same elements here: brutal and primal human behavior. At the same time we see our kindly Western heroes, our Amazon princess warriors, a...

I Am J by Chris Beam Goodreads link 4/5 Stars One sentence synopsis: J was born Jeni, but wishes to become the boy she knows she is on the inside. The best thing about reading fiction is when it lets a reader walk in the shoes of a character who is from a world the reader does not get to experience on their own. The second best thing about fiction is when you, as a reader, finds a character in a book who mirrors your own situation. I Am J is an important book. It is the first (and only?) book I have read about transgender teens and I found it really interesting. I liked J very much, although there were times I wanted to jump into the novel and speak up for him (he tends to remain quiet). I wanted to defend him, and be the friend he needed. But no worries, as this book is about more than just a journey from girl to boy. It is a novel about family and friends, and who is really there for you when you need them. I loved that the characters in this story are really "real". Beam...

Wither by Lauren DeStefano Publish date 3/22/11 Goodreads review copy from publisher 4.5/5 stars Wow. What can I say about this book that has not already been said? I have yet to read a bad review of Wither, and there is a reason for that... One sentence synopsis: In the future people have short life spans and Rhine has been kidnapped into marriage to a forlorn groom. The world building is excellent. The storytelling is excellent. I cannot believe this is a first novel. Of all of the titles I have heard people say "will remind you of Hunger Games" Wither is the first to fit that bill. Rhine and Katniss share similar traits, the situation is just as despondant, and the luxury vs extreme poverty settings are there too. But make no mistake, Rhine's story is original and her own (although, it is the reader in me that keeps wanting to compare it to other books- Handmaid's Tale would also work). So, IMHO, this is what I can add to the Wither discussion: what I loved be...

Darkness Becomes Her by Kelly Keaton Goodreads link Published 2/22/11 egalley from gg 4/5 Stars I really liked this story. One, it took a bunch of elements I have seen a million other places and put it back together into a brand new story. Loved the gothic setting. I do wonder if Keaton had me entranced because of her writing or if I loved this so much because I have been to New Orleans and recognized almost everything in the book. Ari is not a blushing flower of a heroine. Think instead: a slightly less mad Lizbeth Salander. I gave super points for this being a first novel, and I am assuming this will be a series. So I want more character development and more exploration of supporting characters in the next book. I love the little cast of outcasts surrounding Ari. Crank, especially, could be our first-ever elementary school steampunk hero! Henri has no personality at all, and Dub needs some background, but I love them already. The world building here is great, but I would love to know...

XVI by Julia Karr Out now, Goodreads Review copy, personal library 4/5 Stars I bought this one back in January when it came out, but you know how it is with books you own. Between the review copies and the library copies, the ones you own keep getting put on the bottom of the pile. To Sum it Up: In the future, girls are tattooed with the number 16 on their wrists to signify they are ready to procreate. Nina fears being marked, fears for her mother's safety with her abusive boyfriend, and is about to find out her family's past is way more involved than she thought. I really liked Nina. In fact, I liked all of the characters (with a special shout out to Gran and Pops who were super great). The plight of poor Nina finding herself kind of gets over shadowed by the Resistance movement, but it is in there. That being said, the world building in this one could have been better. Cars are "trans", soda is "sparkle" and fridges are "chillers". Whoa, futurist...

Choker by Elizabeth Woods Goodreads link Copy from the library 3/5 Stars Quick recap: Cara is having some major issues at school: She is being bullied by the in-crowd, has a crush on a guy out of her league, and she feels friendless and alone. Enter her best childhood friend, Zoe, who has resurfaced after doing something bad. Cara agrees to hide Zoe in her room in the hopes that they can reform the close friendship they enjoyed as kids. Spoiler Free Review: Choker is a good first novel. The pacing is page turning, the plot is interesting, and there are some genuine shivery moments. My only issues are with the characters. They are highly undeveloped, and that leads to a disconnect for the reader. If you are not invested in anyone, then the story just plays out without emotional attachment. Large chunks of time are not reported. Something had to have happened in between events. Cara is unlikeable-she barely speaks to anyone, and as a friend she sucks. If a friend of mine showed up in m...

Angelfire by Courtney Allison Moulton egalley from netgalley Set to release: 2/15/11 3/5 Stars I really wanted to like this book, but alas.... What is going to sell this book will be its cover. Angelfire reads like an episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer minus the humor, spunk, personalities, and magic. Okay, I take it back. Ellie is no Buffy. I really did not like Ellie or relate to her in anyway. She is the Slayer, er, I mean Preliator. The fight scenes were not bad, if confusing in points, and the monsters seem original although interchangable. The book does not do a very good job of setting up the history of The End of Days. I really felt like the average reader, who has not read books like this before, would have to do some side research to really understand what was going on. Here's an unanswered question: Why are the "bad" angels trying to bring about the war? The story may have been better from Will's POV. It might have been more effective with some flashback...

Warped by Maurissa Guibord Goodreads link Copy from personal library Rating: 3/5 stars * The story: Tessa finds a tapestry in which a unicorn has been woven. She pulls a thread and a young man named Will falls out. Add to this the sisters Norn (the weavers of Greek mythology) and a nasty witch and the adventure begins. Good quote: "You know your life is completely screwed up when you have to look up the mythological figures who talk to you in the bathroom mirror."pg 179 This is first novel and it felt like one. There is a lot of telling and not showing. I loved the setting of this novel. It started out so great. My problems with the story were the main characters. Tessa is lacking in personality and Will is really unbelievable. Everyone is so passionless. I had a really hard time with the "romance" in this story. Guibord never lets us into the heads of the characters, I still don't understand WHY the characters did the things they did in the story. Add to the m...

Across the Universe by Beth Revis Out 1-11-11 Goodreads link here I had such high hopes for this book and it does not disappoint. ATU is very enjoyable. The real star of the novel is not Amy, who is okay or Elder (who is wonderful) but the world that they live in. First, the world is a ship-one that is racing across the universe to a new planet. I found myself getting more and more uncomfortable as the story evolved, and I am not usually claustrophobic. They (the inhabitants of the Godspeed ) are truly cut off from EVERYONE. No calling Houston with problems, that's for sure. And there are some major problems in this world! So much of the story is layered-secrets piled on secrets. Some of them are shocking, others you can kind of see for yourself, and the pages just could not turn fast enough. This is an excellent read and I could not believe it was a debut novel. Revis has chops. I have two teeny tiny issues. Really, they are minuscule, but I have to mention them. One, the book fea...

The Latte Rebellion by Sarah Jamila Stevenson Hit the shelves on 1/01/10 Review copy from Flux (thanks!) Goodreads link here After hanging with the vampires, angels, and what-have-you I decided I was excited to read a DARING contemporary read. This was not it. The back promised a shake up of the world of people who did not recognize people of color. The title promised a "rebellion". The word terrorist was thrown around in the first few pages- whoo , I thought, "This one will be a thought provoking, discussion starting blaze of a novel!" Nope. The main problem here, for me, was Asha . I didn't like her. The reason I did not like her is that she is miserable. She has something negative to say about everybody-for someone who is going to start the fight against labeling people perhaps Asha should learn that not every cheerleader is part of the Bimbocracy and not every skater is a stoner . Asha also hates herself, and that is so obvious. The other problem I ha...

Unearthly by Cynthia Hand Goodreads link here Released 1/04/11 egalley from netgalley (thank you) Wow. It is so much harder to write great reviews than bad ones. What can I say besides WOW. This novel is beautiful. It is unputdownable . Clara is wonderful. Wow. I lack a good adjective for this book. Wonderful just isn't powerful enough. I read this in one shot because I just couldn't put it down. The writing is stupendous. I was sucked in right away. So, how to write a spoiler-free review and still prove to you that you should stop what you are doing and run to the bookstore? Hmm . I will point out my 3 favorite things. One. Clara has a Purpose (don't we all, but her purpose is a purpose with a capital "P"). She never waivers about having a purpose, but instead grapples with how to remain true to herself while accomplishing her purpose. Clara is very mature. Two. Clara is already on task when we meet her. Thank God, no angst about " OMG I'm an angel...