Sixteen-year-old Mara Dyer awakes in a hospital with no memory of surviving the terrible accident that killed her best friend, boyfriend, and weaselly frenemy. The trauma causes her family to move to Florida, but now Mara is hallucinating her dead friends, and additional inexplicable deaths are piling up around her. Also, there's a cute guy.
This book made me feel old. Poor Noah, I can see how teenage me could have found him totally swoonworthy, but mid-twenties me is just not having it. It is neither believable nor attractive when a seventeen-year-old boy orders for his date in perfect Spanish without even allowing her to look at the menu. On their first date! He doesn't know what she likes! What if she had allergies? What's with the single-minded pursuit of her, anyway? Where are his other friends, his hobbies, evidence of a life or inner monologue in existence before the new girl became his raison d'etre? I suppose this is my psyche's indication that I am moving away from teenagerhood and creeping closer to potential mother-of-teenagerhood (perish the thought!), so maybe that made me extra grumpy, but still! No teenager is this suave. No human on earth could be this suave. The romance comprises a major portion of this story, and I just couldn't believe it because this guy is more unreal than Mara's hallucinations.
I was also a little weirded out that all the warnings of playerism from platonic token-of-all-trades friend Jamie were summarily ignored and then banished from the book without further regard, along with poor Jamie himself, whose only purpose seemed to be the thankless chore of tutoring our heroine in Spanish and algebra.
It was a quick read, and I liked Mara's relationship with her family. Her struggles to deal with her recovering memories and the aftermath as well as her best friend's death were engaging.
I don't know if I can stick with this through the whole series, but I do feel compelled to read at least the sequel at some point. Damn you cliffhanger ending! B-/C.
Showing posts with label YA. Show all posts
Showing posts with label YA. Show all posts
Tuesday, March 18, 2014
Sunday, March 9, 2014
Book 27: John Dreamer by Elise Celine
Seven teens wake up in a white room, completely blank but for seven individually designed chairs, and are told by a mysterious, godlike figure that they're there to help make their dreams come true.
The premise is actually more interesting and less creepy than I made it sound. The group embark on a series of dreamlike scenarios that are intended to help each member overcome one of their fears and develop the strength to achieve their dreams. The only catch is that the teens never know what's real and what's a scenario, or who the scenario is meant to help, and failure to rise to the occasion is always a possibility.
It's a cool idea, and I applaud the message of developing confidence and inner strength. Unfortunately, there were a few problems with this book that kept me from completely enjoying it. The characters were fairly flat, and it was difficult to care about or fully appreciate the transformation that they supposedly had to undergo before leaving the white room.
The main two characters, Andy and John, were especially lacking. Andy, the narrator, was an almost completely blank slate. We find out a bit more about her toward the end of the book, but she's not nearly flawed enough to be interesting or developed enough to be believable. Love interest John is the same way: handsome and kind . . . and nothing else. Andy literally falls for him in eight and a half seconds. (She counts!) I felt like the story would almost be more enjoyable if the author had cut Andy and John out entirely and focused more on the spoiled rich girl, surly rocker, timid wallflower, alien-obsessed nerd, or insecure fat kid. Andy and John were just so static; their characters had nowhere to develop.
In fact, the strongest chapter might have been the one in which the POV switched over to sullen bully Roy. I was actually invested in his character arc, rooting for him to change, and I felt like there was a real risk that he wouldn't be able to.
The book also could've benefited from another round of editing; there were a few awkward turns of phrases ("would have been losing my time" when "would have been wasting my time" sounds more natural) and not-quite-organic dialogue from the teens. I did get this from NetGalley, so maybe the finished version is more polished.
The images and cover were lovely; I found myself looking forward to each chapter break just for the illustrations.
All in all, good idea and good message, but I think another few workshopping sessions and editorial reviews could have transformed this book from mediocre to amazing. C.
Review based on an uncorrected ARC received from NetGalley.
The premise is actually more interesting and less creepy than I made it sound. The group embark on a series of dreamlike scenarios that are intended to help each member overcome one of their fears and develop the strength to achieve their dreams. The only catch is that the teens never know what's real and what's a scenario, or who the scenario is meant to help, and failure to rise to the occasion is always a possibility.
It's a cool idea, and I applaud the message of developing confidence and inner strength. Unfortunately, there were a few problems with this book that kept me from completely enjoying it. The characters were fairly flat, and it was difficult to care about or fully appreciate the transformation that they supposedly had to undergo before leaving the white room.
The main two characters, Andy and John, were especially lacking. Andy, the narrator, was an almost completely blank slate. We find out a bit more about her toward the end of the book, but she's not nearly flawed enough to be interesting or developed enough to be believable. Love interest John is the same way: handsome and kind . . . and nothing else. Andy literally falls for him in eight and a half seconds. (She counts!) I felt like the story would almost be more enjoyable if the author had cut Andy and John out entirely and focused more on the spoiled rich girl, surly rocker, timid wallflower, alien-obsessed nerd, or insecure fat kid. Andy and John were just so static; their characters had nowhere to develop.
In fact, the strongest chapter might have been the one in which the POV switched over to sullen bully Roy. I was actually invested in his character arc, rooting for him to change, and I felt like there was a real risk that he wouldn't be able to.
The book also could've benefited from another round of editing; there were a few awkward turns of phrases ("would have been losing my time" when "would have been wasting my time" sounds more natural) and not-quite-organic dialogue from the teens. I did get this from NetGalley, so maybe the finished version is more polished.
The images and cover were lovely; I found myself looking forward to each chapter break just for the illustrations.
All in all, good idea and good message, but I think another few workshopping sessions and editorial reviews could have transformed this book from mediocre to amazing. C.
Review based on an uncorrected ARC received from NetGalley.
Saturday, March 8, 2014
Book 26: The Here and Now by Ann Brashares
I'm often drawn to time-travel books, but I'm usually disappointed by
the execution. It's just too hard to keep a compelling story featuring
time travel moving along without leaving gargantuan plot holes in its
wake (The Shining Girls by Lauren Beukes is a notable exception). The Here and Now, by Ann Brashares of Traveling Pants fame, does a decent job bringing to life a stellar idea, but I felt the book left me a little unfulfilled.
Prenna belongs to a secretive community of refugees who fled the tail-end of the twenty-first century to settle in our present day (the book takes place in 2014, though the group immigrated a little earlier). Although the group ostensibly colonized the past to try to change the horrible future facing Earth (carbon emissions increased, leading to global warming; a horrible blood disease turned epidemic and is spread by mosquito bites; and all progress is nonexistent), their leaders are now more focused on staying hidden and preserving the time line as is. One of the major rules is avoiding intimacy with "time natives," but this rule is beginning to pose a problem for Prenna, who finds herself developing feelings for her classmate Ethan. Ethan, unbeknownst to Prenna, saw her as she first appeared in the present day exiting the time stream and has been intrigued by physics and time travel (and Prenna) ever since.
I had a tough time deciding what age group this book was directed toward. The plot was light on the detail and angst I've come to associate with YA, but the mention of sex, though totally PG and appropriate in context, seemed a little out-of-place for middle grade (but maybe I'm just behind the times here). I always enjoy the teenagers-versus-the-establishment plot variety, and I appreciated that Ethan and Prenna were fighting something more important than just their relationship. Both seemed to place greater priority on the lives jeopardized by the actions of the time travel leaders. However, their little vacation detours, although sweet, did kind of detract from the tension of the story. I suppose they were necessary to build the relationship between Ethan and Prenna into something past insta-love. Both characters were likable, although Prenna seemed a little more hesitant, and I liked Ethan's directness and sense of humor. The Traveler One storyline was excellent, although my mind ran in circles trying to keep the alternate timelines straight. And the ending was tragic.
So, great idea, decent-but-not-stellar execution, and lots to think about. It felt a lot shorter than it actually was, which is usually a good sign, but I found myself craving more detail and substance. I think this would be a fun book to read in a book club just because there's a lot to dissect; I'd love to hear other people's thoughts. B.
Review based on an uncorrected ARC received from NetGalley.
Prenna belongs to a secretive community of refugees who fled the tail-end of the twenty-first century to settle in our present day (the book takes place in 2014, though the group immigrated a little earlier). Although the group ostensibly colonized the past to try to change the horrible future facing Earth (carbon emissions increased, leading to global warming; a horrible blood disease turned epidemic and is spread by mosquito bites; and all progress is nonexistent), their leaders are now more focused on staying hidden and preserving the time line as is. One of the major rules is avoiding intimacy with "time natives," but this rule is beginning to pose a problem for Prenna, who finds herself developing feelings for her classmate Ethan. Ethan, unbeknownst to Prenna, saw her as she first appeared in the present day exiting the time stream and has been intrigued by physics and time travel (and Prenna) ever since.
I had a tough time deciding what age group this book was directed toward. The plot was light on the detail and angst I've come to associate with YA, but the mention of sex, though totally PG and appropriate in context, seemed a little out-of-place for middle grade (but maybe I'm just behind the times here). I always enjoy the teenagers-versus-the-establishment plot variety, and I appreciated that Ethan and Prenna were fighting something more important than just their relationship. Both seemed to place greater priority on the lives jeopardized by the actions of the time travel leaders. However, their little vacation detours, although sweet, did kind of detract from the tension of the story. I suppose they were necessary to build the relationship between Ethan and Prenna into something past insta-love. Both characters were likable, although Prenna seemed a little more hesitant, and I liked Ethan's directness and sense of humor. The Traveler One storyline was excellent, although my mind ran in circles trying to keep the alternate timelines straight. And the ending was tragic.
So, great idea, decent-but-not-stellar execution, and lots to think about. It felt a lot shorter than it actually was, which is usually a good sign, but I found myself craving more detail and substance. I think this would be a fun book to read in a book club just because there's a lot to dissect; I'd love to hear other people's thoughts. B.
Review based on an uncorrected ARC received from NetGalley.
Saturday, March 1, 2014
Book 24: Cress by Marissa Meyer (Lunar Chronicles #3)
I really enjoyed the third entry in this series; I thought it was the best one yet. It was still easy to spot the twists from miles away, but that's not such a terrible problem to have. (If you can't surprise your readers, at least let them feel smart, right?) I love how Meyer has now introduced three (and a brief appearance by a fourth, it seems) major female characters, all of whom have distinctly different interests and personalities, and all of whom manage to be strong characters without falling into the "strong female character" caricature (see these comics by Hark a Vagrant's Kate Beaton for some hilarious examples). Because it's YA, all the characters have love interests, and as I said in an earlier review, I don't really buy the foundations of these relationships, but all of the characters can stand alone, and I appreciate that they all (except maybe Wolf) seem to recognize that they have more important things to do than moon over their love life. Excited to read Winter when it comes out! A
Book 23: Scarlet by Marissa Meyer (Lunar Chronicles #2)
I was happy to see that this book continued to follow Cinder and Kai even after introducing Scarlet. I don't quite buy the building of the romances in the series (why did Scarlet think Wolf was going along with her to confront the dangerous gang he'd supposedly fled just a few weeks ago?), but they are sweet. I thought this book was slightly weaker than the first, but I like where the series is going. B-
Sunday, February 23, 2014
Book 22: Cinder by Marissa Meyer (Lunar Chronicles #1)
I've heard so many good things about this book, and I put off reading it for so long because I thought I'd be disappointed with it, but I was surprised to find I actually really enjoyed this. It shouldn't have been such a surprise; I love fairy tale retellings, and years of loving Sailor Moon pretty much conditioned me to sit up straight and pay attention whenever a missing moon princess is mentioned (even if the identity of said moon princess is inevitably easy to discern). The love story didn't really hook me yet (maybe in the sequels? They just don't seem to know each other well enough, and they both have way bigger things on their minds), but the relationships between Cinder and Peony, Iko, and the doctor were believable enough. I liked the futuristic China setting (especially considering that I'd always heard that the earliest known versions of Cinderella are from China), and I like how Cinder had interests and goals that had nothing to do with the prince and resisted typical, ultra-feminine stereotypes (but I cringed all the way through the ball scene! It made me wish a fairy godmother would make a quick appearance). I look forward to reading the next book in the series! B+
Saturday, February 22, 2014
Book 21: Split Second by Kasie West (Pivot Point #2)
I loooved Pivot Point, so I was really excited to read the sequel. I was a little disappointed that Split Second didn't follow the same format as Pivot Point, with the POV alternating each chapter between the two potential paths Addie sees while using her Divergent gift, but the chapters do alternate between Addie and her friend Laila, who totally stole the show. Seriously, Laila was awesome, and her whole storyline with her brother and father and Connor was a lot more emotionally engrossing than Addie's story this time around, although both POVs held my interest. It was also interesting getting to learn a few more of the secrets of the Compound. Not as good as the first book, but solid B.
Friday, February 14, 2014
Book 19: Body and Soul by Stacey Kade (Ghost and the Goth #3)
This is book three of Kade's The Ghost and the Goth series. I'd actually read the first two way back in 2011 when I first got a Nook, and I had no idea that a third book even existed until I looked it up for my Top Ten Tuesday post this week. Pleasant surprise! The first two books were absolutely adorable, and this one was no different. Alona is a more likable Regina George, with far more depth, and Will is just so sweet. This series is a lot of fun without being totally mindless, and it's always a good sign when the last book in a series just makes you want to immediately pick up the first one again. A
Book 18: All the Truth That's in Me by Julie Berry
Two girls disappeared from their small, Puritan-esque town; only Judith came back, tongueless, unable or unwilling to tell the town what happened to her and her friend. This book wasn't quite what I thought it would be. The story itself actually ended up being a lot less dark than I'd expected. The real flair Berry's story is how the facts of Judith's disappearance are slowly uncovered over the course of the book as she slowly gains the confidence and the urgency to let her story be known, so I'm hesitant to go into detail about any aspect of the plot; I don't want to inadvertently give anything away... I loved Judith's friendships with Maria and Darrell, but I wish they had gone a little deeper; they seem to serve only as the means by which Judith begins to work on overcoming her injury rather than playing major roles during any of the heroine's crises. I groaned a little bit when I realized that whole book was written in second-person narration to Judith's childhood sweetheart, but it actually ended up working really well for this story. Solid B-.
Sunday, February 9, 2014
Book 17: You Look Different in Real Life
I'm a huge fan of the Seven Up documentary series, so when I read a summary for You Look Different in Real Life, I just had to get the book. This novel is about Justine, one of the children featured in a documentary series called Five at Six, which focuses on five children at six years old, and then again at eleven, and so on for every five years. Now it's time to start filming Five at Sixteen, and Justine, one of the viewer favorites from the first two movies, is insecure about coming across as a disappointment in the new film. She has no hobbies, her friendships have imploded since the last documentary, and she's just not where her sassy eleven-year-old self had envisioned she'd be. Every character here has a lot to deal with on individual level, and they're all so likable. I loved the complex relationships, especially between the five kids and their past selves (although Ian, Justine's recently ex-boyfriend, felt a little red herring), and everything just unfolded perfectly. My favorite book this year so far. A+
Saturday, February 8, 2014
Book 16: Stranger with My Face by Lois Duncan
I hate how the ebook editions of these have been "updated" for modern readers! Just let the story have happened in the early eighties; that's much easier on my suspension of disbelief than awkwardly explaining away cell phones and e-mails. Stranger with My Face is an atmospheric, spooky book taking place on an isolated New England island (one of my favorite spooky settings). Teenage Laurie is being spotted in places she hadn't been and soon begins seeing a spectre that looks eerily like herself. Astral projection is a rare enough book topic (for me at least) that it held my interest, and I loved Laurie's family and her friends Helen and Jeff.
Tuesday, February 4, 2014
Book 13: Beauty Queens by Libba Bray
Beauty Queens is about a group of teen beauty pageant contestants stranded on a desert island after a plane crash. Over the course of their stay on the island, they discover an evil corporation's secret volcano lair, a marooned ship of pirates, and lots of secrets about each other. This is sort of like Libba Bray's feminist, satirical take on an all-girl Lord of the Flies. Her commentary on consumerism and reality TV I found quite funny, but while I agree with the heart of her message on girl power and sisterhood, it just felt a little too preachy to work for me. It's a weird position to be in as a reader, to be in essence agreeing with the book yet still feeling put off by its tone, which seemed a bit patronizing. I did enjoy learning more about each character and seeing them interact with each other. A lot of the humor fell flat for me as well, but I could see it working for other people. 3/5
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