Oh I couldn’t resist this challenge – for more information please check out:
YA-D2 – The YA Dsytopian Reading Challenge I’m going to aim to read 4 YA Dystopia books between 1st October and 19th December. I’m not sure which I’m going to tackle yet as I’ve read a fair number already this year – but I know there are more 🙂
So stay tuned for a listing and links to reviews as I embark on this exciting challenge! Thanks goes to Bart’s Bookshelf for hosting it.
What a great great ending to this story! For me knowing that it’s based on the author’s own personal experiences adds so much to this experience of this book! I don’t know whether I’ll capture all the things I loved about this book – but I’m going to give it a try!
First – the story itself, told from the perspective of three of Kristina’s children – her three oldest. It’s so heart-breaking how each of their lives have been affected so differently and so harshly. Hunter, her first-born was adopted by his grandparents and lived what appears to be a charmed life but struggles with relationships and avoiding drugs. Autumn, her second born living with her paternal grandfather and Aunt has never met her mother and only knows that her father is in jail. She’s a loner and has strong OCD tendencies. Summer was placed in foster care after her paternal grandparents died and is aware that she has a brother out there. The three siblings were not aware of each other’s lives and each have their personal struggles that link directly back to Kristina’s dance with the monster.
The free verse that makes up the story is awesome! I absolutely love how the author makes statements within her verse! It’s amazing and I have to wonder how long it takes to do that… The timelines of these three siblings and how they mesh in the end is another aspect of this story that I just find incredible! Ok I’m going on about this – can you tell how I loved it! My daughter who got me started on these books loved it just as much as I did.
Highly recommended
Ages: 14 and over
Favourite quotes:
“Like how I feel
right now. Love
is strange. One
minute you’re
jungle fever.
The next
you’re Arctic
winter.” p. 286
“Anger is a valid emotion. It’s only
bad when it takes control and makes
you do things you don’t want to do.” p. 490
Hopkins, Ellen. (2010). Fallout. Toronto, ON: Margaret K. McElderry Books.
Author website: http://www.ellenhopkins.com/
Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
Today’s teaser is from Fallout by Ellen Hopkins:
I keep my temper in
check. Rarely does
anger get the best of me.
The past twenty-four
hours have used up my
pissed-off allowance
for the rest of the year! p. 141
Oh my goodness – I’ve finally finished reviewing all those books I read over the month of August while I was on vacation. If there’s anything I’ve learned I need to write my review as I read my books otherwise I get too far behind and ok I’ll admit in some cases I may have had to go back look at the book to remind myself some of the finer details. Not a good way to write my thoughts about it eh?
But, I’m done!!! YIPPEE!!
Have a great week everyone!
This was one of these books that I read in one sitting. Couldn’t put it down! Lenah Beaudonte is a 592 yr old vampire who became human again – thanks to the sacrifice of her lover, Rhode. Rhode made sure that before his life ended that Lenah had everything she would need and some understanding at how she MUST learn to blend in with the humans again. If she failed to accomplish this – her coven would be sure to find her – and her fate would be in their hands. Lenah loves her new life but always keeps Rhode close to her. She embraces her new life at the Wickham school and fights her legacy.
I loved this whole new twist to the vampire realm of stories. Lenah learns how to become human again and fights those innate vampire urges. I really enjoyed walking through this story from Lenah’s perspective – it’s not a perspective we see very often in Vampire books/series. A wonderful and very emotional story.
Oh I have to add that – yes there is another book in this series yet to be released and the little snippet at the end of Infinite Days has me on the edge of my seat. Can’t wait!
Recommended
Ages: 14 and up
Official book trailers – I found two for Infinite Days – one for the US audience and a second for the UK audience. Here are links to both of them – very different approaches.
The US Book Trailer:
The UK Trailer:
Favourite quote:
“I love that he looked rugged though his skin was flawless and completely polished. He could have told me he slayed a dragon with both hands tied behind his back and I would have believed it possible.” p. 50
Maizel, Rebecca. (2010). Infinite Days. New York, NY: St. Martin’s Griffin.
Author website: http://rebeccamaizel.blogspot.com/
We all waited for what seems like forever for the last book in the Hunger Games Trilogy. Was it worth the wait? Heck YES!!! I really enjoyed this one as much as I enjoyed the first two. The action and suspense just never let up. I was always questioning who was on who’s side and who was faithful and truthful. It was excellent!
Now with respect to a summary – this always gets tricky doesn’t it? I don’t want someone reading my synopsis before they’ve read the first two books and I’ve unknowingly said something that spoils it all. So let’s say it’s the final book in the Hunger Games trilogy, we have the main characters back again, Katniss, Peeta and Gale – their struggles and now the Rebellion against the Capitol. Is Peeta for the Capitol or against the Capitol? Is Katniss being played again?
If you do some searching on the web there are bits and pieces about a movie – it’s always tough to decide what is true and what is not – but I found this really cool and poignant video of a Movie Trailer. Check it out. I think it does a great job at capturing the essence of this book.
One last note before I leave this book. YES I would definitely recommend this book and the entire series. There would be caveats of course, since some of the content can be quite graphic – how graphic will really be up to the reader 🙂
Movie trailer:
Favourite quote:
“What will break me into a million pieces so that I am beyond repair, beyond usefulness? I mention it to no one, but it devours my waking hours and weaves itself throughout my nightmares.” p. 113
Collins, Suzanne. (2010). Mockingjay. New York, NY: Scholastic Press. eBook.
Author website: http://www.suzannecollinsbooks.com/
In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by The Story Siren. (It was inspired by from Alea of Pop Culture Junkie.)
This week has been a quieter one…
There’s one book this week that I received through the Traveling ARC Tour:
Mark said he heard the dark song when he creeped houses. The song the predator’s heart sings when it hears the heart of the prey. I heard it now. Mark said it had always been in me. Lurking. Waiting for me to hear.
Ames is not the person she was a few months ago. Her father lost his job, and her family is crumbling apart. Now, all she has is Marc. Marc, who loves her more than anything. Marc, who owns a gun collection. And he’ll stop at nothing–even using his guns–to get what he wants. Ames feels her parents have betrayed her with their lies and self-absorption, but is she prepared to make the ultimate betrayal against them?
To see my thoughts on this gret book check out: Dark Song by Gail Giles
And I also obtained Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare for my eReader:
What’s in your Mailbox this week?
A very compelling and thought-provoking story. It was a great book that I read in one sitting. Couldn’t tear myself away from Ames’ story. A 15-yr old girl who had everything, the big house, attended a private school and what seemed to be the perfect family life…. until the “buzz” started around town and her father was “let-go” from his corporate job. Ames’ life then turned upside down and she learned who her family really was. While their family tries to rebuild, Ames meets Marc, a handy guy to have around the house and the only person that seems to be looking out for her. But when Ames’ situation comes to a head, who will she believe and who has she become?
A wonderful and frightening story all in one. The author grabbed me at the start and as I’d mentioned earlier just wouldn’t let me go. I usually don’t pay too much attention to chapter titles and the length of them – but for some reason they really grabbed my attention in this book – I can’t put my finger on it – but there was something about the titles that reinforced my thoughts and feelings as I read the book.
This would be a great book for folks to read to understand how one can fall from a comfortable life into one that just isn’t right – the dangers and pitfalls. I would definitely recommend this book and to an older age group – 14 yrs and up.
Favourite quotes:
“But memories don’t always reveal the whole picture. And some memories lie.”
“…that my heart would still. That it would stop drumming for a moment. Instead it hammered, pounded, and thrummed. It sang mad music in dorian mode. Slightly atonal. I closed my eyes and listened to my heart’s new, strange melody.”
Note: Since this is an ARC I will not publish page numbers until these can be confirmed in the published novel.
Giles, Gail. (2010). Dark Song. New York, NY: Little, Brown and Company. Advanced Reader’s Copy provided by the Travelling ARC tour blog.
Author website: http://gailgiles.com/Welcome.html
Ok I know a strange title and when you read the back you really wonder what this is all about 🙂 But in the end, the story is all about a young teenaged boy trying to find his way in life – where is he going? What are his plans for the future? I found it a bit slow at times but overall it was a wonderful story.
Dylan lives with his father in Florida and really has no direction in life. After being caught abusing his Internet privileges, Dylan gets a job as a caddy at one of the many, many golf courses in Jupiter. With the sudden appearance of the Blessed Virgin Mary (BVM) on a tree, the little golf course is put into utter turmoil. Folks from everywhere come to see the BVM and amongst them are a small group of teens that befriend Dylan. With Angela, Crispy and Desiree, Dylan or rather Alex learns that there’s more to life than what he’s experienced to date – he learns that he needs to (a) want something and (b) take a risk.
The more I think about this story there are so many poignant aspects of it that have me thinking and thinking and thinking. Dylan’s relationship with his father, their relationship with Marie (Dylan’s grandmother), and Marie. I could this book being used in an English class since there are so.. many things that are really left to the reader to decipher. Wonderful!!
One last comment – the title Virgin Territory – does anyone know what this really means? I know when I read the title I thought of all sorts of things – but was surprised when I read what it really means. A wild, untamed area. Again – the interpretations are unlimited here.
Highly recommended
Ages: 13 and up
Favourite quotes:
“… words are precious symbols that allow us, depending on the way we arrange them, to express just about anything in the world.”
“A person can never be 100 percent certain about anything in this world – that’s the one thing about which I’m entirely certain.”
Note: Since this is an ARC I will not publish page numbers until these can be confirmed in the published novel.
Lecesne, James. (2010). Virgin Territory. Advanced Reader’s Copy provided by the Travelling ARC tour blog.
Author website: http://www.jameslecesne.com/
Sapphique is the awesome sequel to Incarceron. And it was just as gripping and intriguing as Incarceron. Now it’s tough to talk about Sapphique without spoiling Incarceron – for those of you who haven’t read it yet 🙂 Hmmm… can I leave it at the story picks up where Incarceron ends?
What I really enjoyed about this book was that you really got to know the characters: Claudia, Jared, Finn and his oath-brother Keiro and Attia. All along we’re asking ourselves – Is Finn the long-lost prince Giles? Will Incarceron find a body and escape? Is Sapphique real? ah… so many questions and you don’t know the answer until the very end! The most exciting aspect of this story is the difference between the Prison and the Realm – who is INSIDE and who is OUTSIDE? What is real and what is not? You have to read it to understand!!!!
I congratulate Catherine Fisher for giving her readers a story with a beginning and an end. So many times today I have started reading a book not realizing that it’s a part of a trilogy or a series and I never get to the end. I find that soooo frustrating. Not the case with Incarceron and Sapphique – Thank-you!!
Recommended
Ages: 13 and over
Favourite quote:
“None of us know who we are anymore.”
– The Steel Wolves
Note: Since this is an ARC I will not publish page numbers until these can be confirmed in the published novel.
Fisher, Catherine. (2010). Sapphique. Advanced Reader’s Copy provided by the Travelling ARC tour blog.
Author website: http://www.catherine-fisher.com/
Pineapples & Pyjamas - YA 