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Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver

Posted on May 22, 2012
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Reason for Reading:
  • I read Delirium by Lauren Oliver in 2010 and this is the sequel

I also recommend:

Summary from GoodReads

Lauren Oliver delivers an electrifying follow-up to her acclaimed New York Times bestseller, Delirium. This riveting, brilliant novel crackles with the fire of fierce defiance, forbidden romance, and the sparks of a revolution about to ignite.

My Review:

So I’m hoping that the trend of dystopian young adult books is working its way out (there are sure a lot of mermaid books cropping up, aren’t there?) because I have a confession to make.

I love this genre of book.

Seriously – I love everything from older classics (1984 anyone?) to new stuff like The Hunger Games and Lauren Oliver’s Delirium. But here’s my issue with these books – the insufferable love triangle.

Granted, in Delirium something horrible happens to Lena and that pattern does not crop up throughout Pandemonium … but even in death some things make themselves apparent. Is it too much to just ask that a heroine be focused on the bigger picture?

I enjoyed Delirium for what it was – and I enjoyed Pandemonium for what it was as well. I enjoyed the Then and Now flashes through time, two separate stories being told which provide the bigger picture of who Lena was and is becoming. I just wish the focus was less about boys and more about changing the world so that boys COULD be an option. Just because they are there doesn’t mean they take precedence over everything else, you know?

But don’t let me ranting and raving urge you away from this book, because of all the dystopian books out there, this is one of the better series. I knew Lauren Oliver was a force to be reckoned with when I read her debut novel Before I Fall, and with each book she puts out she gets stronger and stronger. I wish I could write like this woman, but since I can’t I’ll sit back and enjoy the ride.

Don’t just take my word for it! Check out what these bloggers say!

Julia’s Blog

Candace’s Book Blog

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The Obsidian Blade by Pete Hautman

Posted on May 15, 2012
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Reason for Reading:
  • The cover caught my eye.

I recommend:

Summary from GoodReads

The first time his father disappeared, Tucker Feye had just turned thirteen. The Reverend Feye simply climbed on the roof to fix a shingle, let out a scream, and vanished – only to walk up the driveway an hour later, looking older and worn, with a strange girl named Lahlia in tow. In the months that followed, Tucker watched his father grow distant and his once loving mother slide into madness. But then both of his parents disappear. Now in the care of his wild Uncle Kosh, Tucker begins to suspect that the disks of shimmering air he keeps seeing – one right on top of the roof – hold the answer to restoring his family. And when he dares to step into one, he’s launched on a time-twisting journey- from a small Midwestern town to a futuristic hospital run by digitally augmented healers, from the death of an ancient prophet to a forest at the end of time. Inevitably, Tucker’s actions alter the past and future, changing his world forever.

My Review:

For a book that took forever to get actually moving, I was actually surprised at how disappointed I was in The Obsidian Blade. Here’s what my journey through this story looked like.

Confusion: First – a completely strange, utterly alien world was introduced. Fine, that I can deal with. But then it was shoved into a closet and I was thrown into a reality that, honestly, sent me back to the internet to find out what was going on with this books genre classification. It seemed like a typical, young adult, non-science-fiction book. But nope.. after what seemed like forever, I was thrown back into the science fiction realm.

Disbelief: Not only were historical events not sacred (World Trade Center) but religious stories were pulled into the mix and treated with a heavy hand. It’s one thing to express disbelief in the stories that are the foundation of a religion, but using them as a catalyst to make the story seem more interesting? Not cool – especially since it completely felt as if the stories were being used for mere shock value.

I was disappointed in this series, and definitely will not be investigating the rest of the trilogy. The science fiction elements seemed to be implemented merely as an excuse to use past events in a novel, and, as a result, were not very fleshed out in and of themselves. There was virtually no world building, no explanation other than a few vague paragraphs about the diskos, and no resolution of any sort. I understand it’s the first book of a trilogy, but you have to throw your reader a bone, you know? Make the book worth reading now, rather than having to wait.

Don’t just take my word for it! Check out what these bloggers say!

Emily’s Reading Room

Charlotte’s Library

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Irises by Francisco X. Stork

Posted on May 14, 2012
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Reason for Reading:
  • Francisco X. Stork made me a fan with Marcelo in the Real World

I also recommend:

Summary from GoodReads:

TWO SISTERS: Kate is bound for Stanford and an M.D. — if her family will let her go. Mary wants only to stay home and paint. When their loving but repressive father dies, they must figure out how to support themselves and their mother, who is in a permanent vegetative state, and how to get along in all their uneasy sisterhood.

THREE YOUNG MEN: Then three men sway their lives: Kate’s boyfriend Simon offers to marry her, providing much-needed stability. Mary is drawn to Marcos, though she fears his violent past. And Andy tempts Kate with more than romance, recognizing her ambition because it matches his own.

ONE AGONIZING CHOICE: Kate and Mary each find new possibilities and darknesses in their sudden freedom. But it’s Mama’s life that might divide them for good — the question of *if* she lives, and what’s worth living for.

My Review:

Here’s what I love about Francisco X. Stork: He writes inspirational stories without feeling the need to preach.

I saw it in Marcelo in the Real World, then again in The Last Summer of the Death Warriors, and now… he completely turns away from the male-focused stories and focuses instead on two girls, sisters, ages 16 and 18, and manages to write with such an honest and clear voice I found my heartstrings being tugged at again and again.

While I didn’t love this story as much as I loved Marcelo and Summer, I still found it had honest merit, and I could relate to it. I grew up in a fairly restricted environment, and my sympathies were definitely inclined toward the sisters.. but I also found myself disbelieving some things as well – such as the scenes with the new, young pastor. It just seemed a bit far-fetched and strange to me, and that’s what kept me from overly gushing at this book – but still it had a quiet sort of beauty that made me glad to have read it, and once again I was proven right in my love for Mr. Stork.

Don’t just take my word for it! Check out what these bloggers say!

Justin’s Book Blog

My Friend Amy

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An Abundance of Katherines by John Green

Posted on May 11, 2012
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Reason for Reading:
  • John Green climbed to the top of my list of favorite young adult authors with his newest novel – so now I’m going back and reading his previous ones!

I also recommend:

Summary from GoodReads:

When it comes to relationships, Colin Singleton’s type happens to be girls named Katherine. And when it comes to girls named Katherine, Colin is always getting dumped. Nineteen times, to be exact. He’s also a washed-up child prodigy with ten thousand dollars in his pocket, a passion for anagrams, and an overweight, Judge Judy-obsessed best friend. Colin’s on a mission to prove The Theorem of Underlying Katherine Predictability, which will predict the future of all relationships, transform him from a fading prodigy into a true genius, and finally win him the girl. Letting expectations go and allowing love in are at the heart of Colin’s hilarious quest to find his missing piece and avenge dumpees everywhere

My Review:

I am not a math lover – but I loved nearly everything in this book (Including the math, nerdy appendix).

Here’s what I’ve come to love about John Green. He makes nerd look AMAZINGLY COOL. And I have to give him props for that. He also makes the most amazing heroes out of kids that.. well, they aren’t exactly easy hero material.

An Abundance of Katherines is about Colin, a boy prodigy who dates only girls named Katherine, loves anagrams, and is pretty scared of not becoming a genius … kinda. Basically, he wants to make his mark in the world, something I think everyone can agree with.

So after completing high school he sets out on a journey with his Muslim friend (who, by the way.. hilarious – yet again. Love the sidekicks in Green’s books).

I cannot express how much this book tickled me, even with all of the math and the footnotes, which.. I admit, I kind of glazed over at times (with permission of the author of course!).

Highly recommended for teenagers who think that being cool means you have to conform to a certain mold, and for adults who want to read a fun, interesting novel.

Don’t just take my word for it! Check out what these bloggers say!

Fictitious Delicious

Mostly Reading YA

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New Girl by Paige Harbison

Posted on March 2, 2012
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Reason for Reading:
  • The blurb talks about Rebecca and I’m a sucker for boarding school stories.

I also recommend:

Summary from GoodReads:

They call me ‘New Girl‘…

Ever since I arrived at exclusive, prestigious Manderly Academy, that’s who I am. New girl. Unknown. But not unnoticed—because of her.

Becca Normandy—that’s the name on everyone’s lips. The girl whose picture I see everywhere. The girl I can’t compare to. I mean, her going missing is the only reason a spot opened up for me at the academy. And everyone stares at me like it’s my fault.

Except for Max Holloway—the boy whose name shouldn’t be spoken. At least, not by me. Everyone thinks of him as Becca’s boyfriend…but she’s gone, and here I am, replacing her. I wish it were that easy. Sometimes, when I think of Max, I can imagine how Becca’s life was so much better than mine could ever be.

And maybe she’s still out there, waiting to take it back.

My Review:

I love Rebecca – how could I not? It’s mysterious, gothic, romantic… so much fun. So it goes to say, I was both apprehensive and excited when this title came across my desk.

I both loved and disliked New Girl. I thoroughly enjoyed the dual storytelling style (even through it frustrated the heck out of me at times), and I really enjoyed the “New Girls” story – but Becca.. my goodness, this is not a good example being set here! If anything – this story made me realize just how thoroughly inappropriate Rebecca might have been back in the day for certain ages.

But overall, I was entertained. It’s a boarding school story, and there’s just something about the mysteries of boarding school that make books about them get their tentacles on you and refuse to let you go. That’s what happened to me. I couldn’t put it down – not because it’s great literature or anything, but because I was so entertained I didn’t want to end the source of the entertainment.

Don’t just take my word for it! Check out what these bloggers say!

Paperback Treasures

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The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

Posted on February 18, 2012
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Reason for Reading:
  • I have had this book pre-ordered for months.  I was SO happy to see it the day it arrived.

I also recommend:

Summary from GoodReads:

Diagnosed with Stage IV thyroid cancer at 12, Hazel was prepared to die until, at 14, a medical miracle shrunk the tumours in her lungs… for now.

Two years post-miracle, sixteen-year-old Hazel is post-everything else, too; post-high school, post-friends and post-normalcy. And even though she could live for a long time (whatever that means), Hazel lives tethered to an oxygen tank, the tumours tenuously kept at bay with a constant chemical assault.

Enter Augustus Waters. A match made at cancer kid support group, Augustus is gorgeous, in remission, and shockingly to her, interested in Hazel. Being with Augustus is both an unexpected destination and a long-needed journey, pushing Hazel to re-examine how sickness and health, life and death, will define her and the legacy that everyone leaves behind.

My Review:

If perfection can be achieved in a book, then The Fault in Our Stars has achieved it.

I am overwhelmed by how much this story affected me. Even more so now that I’m studying many of the techniques used by John Green in writing this book.

I’m not sure why I would ever feel compelled to pick up a story about a teenager who is struggling with terminal cancer, but John Green’s name has carrying power, and so I did. What I did not expect was the bittersweet humor that was injected into every. single. page.

Seriously, for a book that (you would think) has a foregone conclusion (this is exactly what I thought when I picked it up – no spoiler here), would you expect to be laughing while wiping away tears? I expected the tears, but not the laughter.

Hazel’s voice is so genuine that it gives me this pleasant pain in my heart to remember it. I get the pain because I miss her. She is someone I want to know, and I somewhat resent the fact that she is merely a figment of Green’s imagination. It isn’t fair.

What else isn’t fair about this book is the brilliant method in which Green puts a book into the book, and the idea.. well, read the book. I was astonished. My jaw literally dropped. So, so brilliant.

Filled with twists and turns – you cannot take any moment for granted in this beautiful book. I highly recommend you check it out as soon as possible.

Don’t just take my word for it! Check out what these bloggers say!

A Literary Odyssey

Bookhooked Blog

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Double Feature – Crown Duel and Court Duel by Sherwood Smith

Posted on January 19, 2012
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Reason for Reading:
  • I’ve had this on my TBR for two years, figured it was time to get around to it.

I also recommend:

Summary from GoodReads:

A deathbed promise to their father sends a daring girl and her brother off to war. Filled with intrigue, romance, and magic, this spellbinding novel is a dramatic coming-of-age story about a girl who rises from impoverished beginnings to take command of her own fate.

My Review:

Sherwood Smith, why oh why are your covers so horrifically bad?  Because girl… you can write oh so good.  Seriously, as I read this fantastic gem of a young adult fantasy duo I felt like pumping my fist and shouting GIRL POWER quite happily.  Because this girl, this Meliara, she knocked my socks off.

So basically this story starts with an impoverished member of the court and his two kids, a boy and a girl.  The girl has been left to her own devices, she’s run wild, and she does not have a good impression of the finery and snobbery of the court off in the distance.  But now.. her father is dying and the duchy is left to both girl and boy.  And to make matters worse – it appears they are going to war.

Meliara is gutsy in a very good way.  She doesn’t have magical powers that allow her to pick up a sword and kick some butt, she’s too petite for that, and Sherwood realistically portrays that weakness.  Instead, she sneaks, she spies, and she does what she firmly believes to be best.  From captures to escapes, double-crossings and alliances, and then to the scene at court and the flirtations, parties and secrets, this story moves quickly and had me flipping pages and very grateful that the edition I read had both books combined.

This is a satisfying, little gem of a fantasy that is the perfect solution for those of you out there who are tired of cliffhangers and want to read a good, solid story that will have you cheering and maybe even tearing up a little bit at the conclusion.

Check out these reviews!

Steph Su Reads

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Touch of Power by Maria V. Snyder

Posted on January 13, 2012
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Reason for Reading:
  • I love reading Maria Snyder’s books.  This one was no exception.

I also recommend:

Summary from GoodReads:

Laying hands upon the injured and dying, Avry of Kazan absorbs their wounds and diseases into herself. But rather than being honored for her skills, she is hunted. Healers like Avry are accused of spreading the plague that has decimated the Fifteen Realms, leaving the survivors in a state of chaos.

Stressed and tired from hiding, Avry is abducted by a band of rogues who, shockingly, value her gift above the golden bounty offered for her capture. Their leader, an enigmatic captor-protector with powers of his own, is unequivocal in his demands: Avry must heal a plague-stricken prince—leader of a campaign against her people. As they traverse the daunting Nine Mountains, beset by mercenaries and magical dangers, Avry must decide who is worth healing and what is worth dying for. Because the price of peace may well be her life…

My Review:

I’ve come to expect awesome things from Maria Snyder.  She writes about strong females, the perfect touch of magic, action, a little bit of romance – basically everything that makes the teenager in me giggle with delight.  Her latest book, Touch of Power, provided all those things.

Seriously, if you want to lose yourself in a good book, and know you have an entire day to allow yourself to get lost in it, you cannot fail with picking up one of Snyder’s books.  With Touch of Power, I found myself trapped away in this world where healing is not considered to be a good thing, and the young heroine is on the run…constantly.  So much so, in fact, even I was out of breath reading it!

The imagination of Snyder is to be envied.  The Death Lilies were magnificent – so incredibly interesting. The choice having to be made by Avry was heart-breaking .. how would you choose?  The combination of interesting characters, rough situations, and action scenes kept me reading from beginning to end in one sitting.  And that, my friends, is fun reading.

Check out these reviews!

In the Good Books

Bookalicious

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Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins

Posted on December 27, 2011
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Reason for Reading:
  • I was a big fan of Anna and the French Kiss by the same author and, honestly, Stephanie Perkins is SO HYPED by the book blog community, how can you be a part of it and not read her books!?

I also  recommend:

Summary from GoodReads:

Budding designer Lola Nolan doesn’t believe in fashion . . . she believes in costume. The more expressive the outfit — more sparkly, more fun, more wild — the better. But even though Lola’s style is outrageous, she’s a devoted daughter and friend with some big plans for the future. And everything is pretty perfect (right down to her hot rocker boyfriend) until the dreaded Bell twins, Calliope and Cricket, return to the neighborhood.

When Cricket — a gifted inventor — steps out from his twin sister’s shadow and back into Lola’s life, she must finally reconcile a lifetime of feelings for the boy next door.

My Review:

I’m going to jump on the Cricket bandwagon.  I. loved. him.

However, I do not love his name. Cricket, Stephanie?  Why Cricket?  And here I thought you couldn’t get worse than Etienne St. Clair.  I mean, you have these awesome, traditional, if somewhat old-fashioned, girls names with Anna and Lola.. but what is going on with the boy names?!  It’s just so hard to take a guy named Cricket seriously.

Speaking of Anna and St. Clair – LOVE the cameo’s here.

So the things I didn’t agree with, or that gave me a bad feeling from Anna and her story were still a bit present in this one.  I’m not sure why these stories need to have an element of breaking hearts through the whole flirting-with-cheating storyline, but I am really hoping the third companion book to these will see an end to that little bit.  I didn’t like it in Glee Season 1, I don’t like it here.

But I do love everything else.  I love Lola’s sense of fashion, her two dads, her family dynamics, the tension with Calliope, the best friend, the gorgeous boy next door, the history between them … I could go on and on, but most of all it boils down to just digging with Stephanie Perkins does to make what might otherwise be a hum-drum, teenage story into something like a party in between the pages.

Because that’s what this book is.  It’s a book party.  It makes me happy, giddy, and feel like I”m 16 years old again.

If you loved Anna, you are gonna love this book.  You haven’t read either of them?  Then get off your butt and do so! Libraries, book stores, and friends (I’m sure) will have them laying about, so fix it!

 

Check out these reviews!

Johan Unwound

Geeky Girl Reviews

[ 2 Replies ]

The Blacksmith’s Daughter by Arley Cole

Posted on December 7, 2011
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Reason for Reading:
  • Pam from Bookalicious was advertising this one and the synopsis caught my eye.

I also recommend:

Summary from GoodReads:

She believes she is only a blacksmith’s daughter, but he must discover the truth or risk losing his land—and his life.

Acwellen Lex’Magen rules as liege lord of a small country bounded by forbidding mountains and powerful neighbors. When the neighboring baron, allied with a powerful wizard, attempts to take over his land, first by political, then by covert means, Acwellen finds an ally of his own in Enith Roweson, an unassuming blacksmith who possesses powers he’s only known of in legends. As he attempts to unravel both the plots against him—-including the nature of the monsters sent to assassinate him—-and the mysterious powers Enith is only beginning to understand she has, he also finds himself falling in love with the blacksmith’s daughter.

My Review:

So, I expected good.  I mean, when Pam from Bookalicious started hyping this book I figured it had to be good – I trust her judgement, and so I took the leap.  I was not disappointed.

There’s something about good, wholesome, feel-good, fairy-tale-like fantasies that just make my heart warm, give me goosebumps and cause my to walk around my house with my nose buried in the book (or in this case, pressed to the screen of my Kindle).  Arley Cole takes tried and true methods to set up the scene, providing her readers with an incredibly strong female heroine who is smart, sassy, strong, clever, and magical – all combined into a short package.  And I loved her.

This book has tricks being played, wars being planned, good and evil wizards, mean fathers, a ditzy girl,  loyal followers, strong hero and heroine, history, world-building and more.  And best of all – for those of you who are scared of getting into the reading of a fantasy book, this is what I like to call “Fantasy-lite”.  Yes, there are strange names and beings – but it’s all put together in a nice package that will have you flipping pages in your hurry to get to the next one, rather than using the book (like some seriously intense fantasies inspire me to do) for a coaster.

I very much recommend picking up this book, especially if you have a teenage son or daughter interested in fantasy.  It’s good, clean fun.


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