ARC Review: Me, Him, Them, and It by Caela Carter

Publisher:  BloomsburyUSA

Publication Date:  February 26th, 2013

ME is Evelyn Jones, 16, a valedictorian hopeful who's been playing bad girl to piss off THEM, her cold, distant parents. HIM is Todd, Evelyn's secret un-boyfriend, who she thought she was just using for sex - until she accidentally fell in love with him. But before Evelyn gets a chance to tell Todd how she feels, something much more important comes up. IT. IT is a fetus. Evelyn is pregnant - and when Todd turns his back on her, Evelyn has no idea who to turn to. Can a cheating father, a stiff, cold mother, a pissed-off BFF, and a (thankfully!) loving aunt with adopted girls of her own help Evelyn make the heart-wrenching decisions that follow?

(Courtesy of Goodreads)

If I'm going to read and like YA Contemporary, I'm inclined more toward the issue-based type than the romantic type.  There are a lot of "issues" facing teens today, and I like it when they can read about them, and (hopefully) avoid making some of the same mistakes that the characters in the books make.  I'm a sucker for teachable moments, and books like this are full of them.  That being said, I went into Me, Him, Them, and It looking for a dramatic story about teen pregnancy, but I wanted it to have a subtle message too.  Did I get it?  Yes and no.  It wasn't a super dramatic story because the protagonist, Evelyn, was not a dramatic person.  She acted out a lot, hoping to get some kind of rise out of her self-absorbed, disconnected parents, but she was more passive-aggressive about it than she was dramatic...  This story actually takes place more inside of Evelyn's head than out, and it was extremely compelling, even without the drama.  As for the lesson?  Well, it was subtle, and not at all preachy to any side of the debate on whether Evelyn should keep the baby, put it up for adoption, or abort.  The decision was entirely hers, and it took the entire 320 page book for her to work it out.  I liked that.  It made sense that it wasn't an easy decision for her, and the emotional rollercoaster ride she was on was written in a very real, very sincere way.  I think everyone has their own opinion when it comes to the pro-choice/pro-life debate, and I thought Caela Carter did a really good job keeping her personal opinion out of the story.  What I mean when I say this is that I would not be able to guess her stance from reading this book, and I know I would have a difficult time doing that.

Evelyn is a smart, pretty, upper middle class girl who wants to make her parents pay for the ways that she feels they have wronged her.  How does she do this?  She parties, quits track, and starts acting slutty (although Todd is the only one she actually sleeps with).  When Todd ends up getting her pregnant, she really doesn't know where to turn or what to do.  She talks to a counselor at Planned Parenthood, and is given her options, but Evelyn doesn't want to deal with any of it.  She doesn't want to tell her best friend, her parents, or Todd.  She goes through a range of emotions; Denial, anger, indifference, sadness, guilt.  She is unsure what to do or where to turn, and there is only one thing she knows for certain... She just wants it all to be over so that she can go back to living her life the way she was, graduate valedictorian of her class, and go to college.  At the same time, she knows that no matter what her choice, she will be forever changed, and THAT is her biggest struggle.  Aside from the internal struggles about what to do with "It", I also liked how Evelyn observed the changes she was going through physically.  As a parent who wanted her children, I found it interesting to read the account of a girl who had this foreign, unwanted "thing" growing inside her.

Honestly, this book was better than I expected it to be, and I think that has a lot to do with how Caela Carter presented the situation.  I have to wonder if she related on a personal level, because the way the situation was written was so heartbreakingly real.  I think this book would be a great class discussion book for high school students because boys and girls alike would get something from it.  Todd and Evelyn were both changed forever by the situation they found themselves in, and would have been no matter what Evelyn's choice was.  For me, the only part that didn't work was the ending.  It was just a little too clean and easy.  I suppose things could have worked out the way they did, but in the real world, I find it doubtful.  Even so, I think Me, Him, Them, and It was a great read, and one that I would recommend to anyone.

My Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★  

Grade Level Recommendation:  Obviously, there is some mature content in this book, but I think the benefits of reading it far outweigh any content concerns.  It think this is a great book for students grades 7 and up to read (ages 12+); Even better if they can discuss what they've read with an adult.

ARC Review: The Madman's Daughter by Megan Shepherd

Publisher:  Balzer + Bray

Publication Date:  January 29th, 2013

In the darkest places, even love is deadly.

Sixteen-year-old Juliet Moreau has built a life for herself in London—working as a maid, attending church on Sundays, and trying not to think about the scandal that ruined her life. After all, no one ever proved the rumors about her father's gruesome experiments. But when she learns he is alive and continuing his work on a remote tropical island, she is determined to find out if the accusations are true.

Accompanied by her father's handsome young assistant, Montgomery, and an enigmatic castaway, Edward—both of whom she is deeply drawn to—Juliet travels to the island, only to discover the depths of her father's madness: He has experimented on animals so that they resemble, speak, and behave as humans. And worse, one of the creatures has turned violent and is killing the island's inhabitants. Torn between horror and scientific curiosity, Juliet knows she must end her father's dangerous experiments and escape her jungle prison before it's too late. Yet as the island falls into chaos, she discovers the extent of her father's genius—and madness—in her own blood.

Inspired by H. G. Wells's classic The Island of Dr. Moreau, The Madman's Daughter is a dark and breathless Gothic thriller about the secrets we'll do anything to know and the truths we'll go to any lengths to protect.

(Courtesy of Goodreads)

If you looked up the definition of "Gothic Novel", you might find a picture of The Madman's Daughter, but while this book may be just that, it is so much more...  I will admit that when I decided I was interested in reading this book for review, I had no idea what it was about, or even which genre it fell into.  I liked the cover.  And I liked the little blurb on the cover, "In the darkest places, even love is deadly."  Between those two things I was pretty much sold.  It didn't matter that I'm not really into Gothic Thrillers or Historical Fiction.  It didn't really matter to me that it was inspired by The Island of Dr. Moreau by H.G. Wells, a book I never really liked much.  I gave The Madman's Daughter a chance because I liked the cover.  That is something HarperCollins does so well; They lure me in with their gorgeous covers, making me want to read books I normally wouldn't pick up, and you know what?  I've yet to be disappointed, and this book is no exception.  The Madman's Daughter was phenomenal!  I could not put it down, and now I am chomping at the bit for the as-of-now unnamed, second book in the trilogy, which will be based upon The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson (which I did quite enjoy).  So... What did I like so much about The Madman"s Daughter?  Let's see...

First off, the characters were great!  I really liked Juliet.  She was strong and independent, and she had a lot of spunk for a girl living in the era that she did.  As for the love interests, I adored everything about Montgomery.  It seemed like Megan wanted us to have mixed feelings about him, but I never did.  As for Edward, I just always knew there was something off about him, but I never expected him to be the man he turned out to be.  Juliet's father, Dr. Moreau was brilliantly written as well.  His descent into madness (well, further descent, as it becomes clear that he has always been a bit mad) was an awesome ride.  I would have to say that the "natives" of the island were the most interesting characters though.  They were so key in the unfolding of the mystery and the pace of the story, that collectively, they were a single character, in addition to their own individual stories.  Which brings me to the next reason I loved this book!  The story- it was creepy as hell.  The world building is so good, that even the parts in London had me feeling like there was something lurking in every shadow, but London was nothing compared to the island.  Then there was the fact that Megan Shepherd is really a master at writing suspense.  I spent much of the time reading this book with knots in my stomach, ready to jump at the turn of the page.  All that aside though, it was the story that made this book.  It starts out by painting a picture of what Juliet's life has been like since her father had been run off with accusations that he performed a number of unnamed medical atrocities.  First she lived with her mother, who out of necessity, became the mistress of a wealthy man- basically a high-class prostitute.  When Juliet's mother died, she was turned out onto the streets to fend for herself, as her extended family wanted nothing to do with the daughter of a madman.  She got a job cleaning at the university and a room at a boarding house, but things were far from easy for her.  While spending the evening out with some students at the university, she inadvertently comes across one of her father's drawings, and this sparks the hope in her that he is still alive.  She traces the drawing back to a pub where she finds not her father, but the now grown house boy from her childhood, Montgomery, who is in town getting supplies to take back to the island inhabited by her long-lost father.  After a situation occurs that puts Juliet on the run, Montgomery is forced to take her along with him, to the island in the Pacific, where her father is staying.  Well, the island is full of surprises and oddities, with the natives being the only a small fraction of it.  The story unfolds with surprising fluidity given the fact that this is Megan's debut, and I found that even the unbelievable ended up appearing completely plausible.  There was action, romance, mystery, and intrigue, and I could not stop turning the pages.  In the end, I was left, mouth agape, wondering what had just happened.  Then I experienced a bit of denial, looking for more pages that HAD to be there.  Then I was just heartbroken... I do hope for resolution in book number two, but something tells me it will take a totally different direction than I expect it to, and that I will be singing its praises because of it...

My Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ½ 

Grade Level Recommendation:  I think this book is fine for middle school and up, although I think older readers will appreciate it more.  For this reason, I say it's best suited for grades 8 and up (ages 13+). 

ARC Review: Uses For Boys by Erica Lorraine Scheidt

Publisher:  St. Martin's Griffin

Publication Date:  January 15th, 2013

Anna remembers a time before boys, when she was little and everything made sense. When she and her mom were a family, just the two of them against the world. But now her mom is gone most of the time, chasing the next marriage, bringing home the next stepfather. Anna is left on her own—until she discovers that she can make boys her family. From Desmond to Joey, Todd to Sam, Anna learns that if you give boys what they want, you can get what you need. But the price is high—the other kids make fun of her; the girls call her a slut. Anna's new friend, Toy, seems to have found a way around the loneliness, but Toy has her own secrets that even Anna can't know.

Then comes Sam. When Anna actually meets a boy who is more than just useful, whose family eats dinner together, laughs, and tells stories, the truth about love becomes clear. And she finally learns how it feels to have something to lose—and something to offer. Real, shocking, uplifting, and stunningly lyrical,  Uses for Boys  is a story of breaking down and growing up.

(Courtesy of Goodreads)

Uses For Boys came as a total shock for me.  I've mentioned before that YA Contemporary is not my favorite genre, and although the genre seems to top my annual "Best of" list every year, and although there are several authors of the genre who I call favorites, I dislike far more YA Contemporaries than I like.  It has to be something special for me to love it.  When this book arrived in my mailbox unexpectedly, I thought, "Oh! Pretty cover!", but I wasn't sure I would read it.  Then I saw it was blurbed by the fantastic Ellen Hopkins, who happens to be one of my favorites in any genre, and I was sold.

Here's the deal.  Uses For Boys is ugly.  It's raw, gritty, real, and heartbreaking.  The protagonist, Anna, is one that just tears you up.  She is disconnected and naive.  She is so lonely and desperate for love and attention, and she relies heavily on the only guidance she has ever received... The poor example of her self-absorbed, bed-hopping, several times married mother.  Her reality is stark, cold, and unforgiving, and although she experiences a small bit of light and hope through her sometimes friendship with Toy, and fledgling relationship with Sam, as the reader, I was left wondering if it would ever be enough.  When I picked this book up, my expectations were based on the cover, and the cover told to me expect a YA Romance.  Well, nothing could have been more misleading.  This book is a coming-of-age story about a girl who is coming of age under the harshest of circumstances.  Anna's voice was tragic and and crushingly despondent.  I had so many feelings while reading this book, and I have to say, that the good ones were few and far between.  I can't say that I enjoyed this book, because much of it was difficult to read, from a subject-matter standpoint, but I found it compelling nonetheless.  I thought it was extremely well written in a beautifully simple way that is not often found, especially in YA.

My Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ 

Grade Level Recommendation:  This book is for high school students and up.  There are harsh circumstances, many instances of drug and alcohol abuse, abortion, and many sexual encounters, including sexual assault.  I would say this book is best suited for ages 15 and up (grades 10 and up).

ARC Review: Splintered by A.G. Howard

Publisher:  Abrams/Amulet Books

Publication Date:  January 1st, 2013

This stunning debut captures the grotesque madness of a mystical under-land, as well as a girl’s pangs of first love and independence. Alyssa Gardner hears the whispers of bugs and flowers—precisely the affliction that landed her mother in a mental hospital years before. This family curse stretches back to her ancestor Alice Liddell, the real-life inspiration for Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Alyssa might be crazy, but she manages to keep it together. For now.

When her mother’s mental health takes a turn for the worse, Alyssa learns that what she thought was fiction is based in terrifying reality. The real Wonderland is a place far darker and more twisted than Lewis Carroll ever let on. There, Alyssa must pass a series of tests, including draining an ocean of Alice’s tears, waking the slumbering tea party, and subduing a vicious bandersnatch, to fix Alice’s mistakes and save her family. She must also decide whom to trust: Jeb, her gorgeous best friend and secret crush, or the sexy but suspicious Morpheus, her guide through Wonderland, who may have dark motives of his own.

(Courtesy of Goodreads)

This book was just... WOW!  I am going to try to find words to express how much love and adoration I have for this book, but honestly, there just aren't really any to do it justice.  I was blown away for so many reasons...

The initial reason I was drawn to this book was the cover.  I don't think they come any more stunning!  The art is absolutely eye-popping, and I would have wanted to read this book no matter what it was about; It just happened to be a bonus that it is a retelling of one of the greatest books ever written, Alice's Adventures In Wonderland.  I'm always in the market for a great retelling of a much-loved classic book, because I think so many authors have been influenced by these stories, and oftentimes, their perspective is creative genius.  The Fairy-tale Retelling has actually become a genre of its own, and it seems that the Classic Retelling is moving in that way.  I've recently read some great Jane Austen retellings (The Trouble with Flirting and Epic Fail, both by Claire LaZebnik, and For Darkness Shows the Stars by Diana Peterfreund), and several authors have retold the amazing L. Frank Baum's fabulous stories of OZ (most notably, Gregory Maguire's brilliant Wicked, Son of a Witch, etc.), but Alice has been rather untouched (although I have to say that I adore Frank Beddor's The Looking Glass Wars trilogy).  I was so excited when I read the synopsis of Splintered because the potential for a great, imaginative story stemming from Alice and her adventures, is limitless...

Well, I'm sure you've gathered from my introduction to this review, A.G. Howard TOTALLY pulled it off.  I was completely sucked into this story; It was almost as if I went down the rabbit hole myself...  So why was is so brilliant?  Since there are so many reasons I loved this book so much, I am going to bullet point them...

• Characters- The characters in this story were fantastic!  The main character, Alyssa, was very real; A damaged, insecure teen who isn't really sure who she is, or where her life is headed.  She grows a lot throughout the story, and it was great to be along for the ride.  Two other characters who I was really drawn to were Morpheus and Jeb.  Jeb is Alyssa's neighbor, BFF since childhood, protective older brother figure, and secret love interest.  He is a major player in this story, and I loved the way his character developed, and the way his relationship with Alyssa grew.  Morpheus is an extremely complex character.  He has so many facets, that as the reader, you will find it impossible to form a concrete opinion of him until the very end, and maybe not even then, and I love that.  Alyssa's mother was also interesting, although I never formed any kind of attachment to her like I did the aforementioned.  Some of the best characters were some of the crazy creatures and oddballs of Wonderland.  I even loved the baddies...
• Story- AMAZING!  I was completely enthralled.  Like, seriously, for real...  I could not put this book down.  It pulled me in from page one, and got better and better (I actually tweeted the author about 150 pages in to ask if there would be a book two, because I knew I wouldn't be happy when it ended!).  I knew very early on that this would be one of those books that I wanted to slow-read to have it last longer (even though there was no way I could possibly do that), because I was going to be so sad to have to leave the world and the characters behind.  The pacing was perfect, and the plot was riveting.  I loved how everything unfolded; How each character's closely guarded secrets were revealed, and how those secrets tied so well into the tasks that Alyssa and Jeb had to complete to save her mother and herself.  I even enjoyed the love triangle, which is usually something I detest in YA.  The romantic element was expertly done.  I have to admit that some of my favorite parts of this story were the betrayals (and perceived betrayals), and the profound sacrifices that some of the characters were willing to make for one another.  There were also some really epic twists- ones that I never saw coming- that made this story even more fantastic.
• World Building- I just can't even.  Splintered has some of the best world building I have ever read.  The images my mind produced while reading this book were so vividly detailed, so remarkably original, and oftentimes, so disturbingly grotesque, that I still haven't let go of them, and likely won't for a very long time.  The landscape of Wonderland that A.G. Howard paints is phenomenal.  I dare say that her depiction was even more vibrant than that of the original author, Lewis Carroll, which is saying A LOT.

I am going to go out on a limb and say that even though it is only January, this book will make my top five for 2013 (as of now, it is tied for the number one spot with Victoria Schwab's The Archived).  I loved it so much.  If you are a fan of the original, you MUST get a hold of Splintered right now.  You won't be sorry that you did.

My Rating:  ★ ★ ★ ★ ★  

Grade Level Recommendation:  There are a few scenes in this book where the romance gets a little hot and heavy (no sex though), but otherwise this book is pretty clean.  I say it's fine for 5th grade and up (ages 10+).