ARC Review: Magisterium by Jeff Hirsch

Publisher:  Scholastic Press

Publication Date:  October 1st, 2012

On one side of the Rift is a technological paradise without famine or want. On the other side is a mystery.

Sixteen-year-old Glenn Morgan has lived next to the Rift her entire life and has no idea of what might be on the other side of it. Glenn's only friend, Kevin, insists the fence holds back a world of monsters and witchcraft, but magic isn't for Glenn. She has enough problems with reality: Glenn's mother disappeared when she was six, and soon after, she lost her scientist father to his all-consuming work on the mysterious Project. Glenn buries herself in her studies and dreams about the day she can escape. But when her father's work leads to his arrest, he gives Glenn a simple metal bracelet that will send Glenn and Kevin on the run---with only one place to go.
With MAGISTERIUM, Jeff Hirsch brings us the story of a complex, captivating world that will leave readers breathless until the very last page.

(Courtesy of Goodreads)

I haven't read Jeff Hirsch's acclaimed debut, The Eleventh Plague, yet, but it is up there on my list of already-published books to read.  When I got an advance copy of this, his second book, I was really excited.  Because I had heard so many fabulous things about The Eleventh Plague, I went into Magisterium with pretty high expectations, and I was not disappointed!

My first impression of this book was great!  It has one of the most fabulous covers I've seen this year.  The art is beautiful in a kind of dark, foreboding way, and it has a gorgeous combination of colors.  I'm not usually overly impressed with Scholastic's covers, but they really delivered with this one.  Honestly, I was a tiny bit afraid that what was between the covers would have a difficult time measuring up to what was on the outside (kind of like people sometimes, you know?)...

Fortunately, the story was good too.  It's extremely original; very different from everything else out in the YA book world right now.  First off, I'm having hard time classifying it.  It kind of fits within several different genres, while not really fitting into any single one completely.  It has dystopian elements for sure, or rather, utopian-unless-you-step-out-of-line elements.  It also has elements of sci-fi, with the protagonist's life ambition being space travel and her father being a mad scientist type.  The genre I most closely identified it to was Fantasy, though.  On one side of the "Rift" you have your technological utopia/dystopia, while on the other side, the side most of the novel takes place on, it is pure fantasy.  It too lived under an oppressive leadership, but this one was fashioned from magic, rather than technology.  Those with the most "Affinty" ruled, and those with less were forbidden to use it, or risk death as traitors to the Magistra.  Each side of the Rift had its advantages, technology on one side, magic on the other, but what was cool was that each side's strength only existed its own side of the border, and became useless the moment one crossed it.  This made for a peaceful, if tense, arrangement between the two governing entities; the people just accepted the lies they were told about what existed on the other side of the border.  Everything changed when the protagonist's scientist father created a device to make the wearer able to cross the border, and still be able to retain his/her strengths from the other side.  Both sides get word of this device, and want it, and that is when the adventure really begins.  Unstable alliances are made, betrayal lurks around every corner, and all out war ensues...

The plot was really good.  I liked how the story played out, and there weren't any questions left unanswered in the end, but at the same time, it was written in an open-ended sort of way, leaving room for a possible sequel.   I also really liked the characters.  The protagonist, Glenn, was great.  She was strong, smart, and principled, but also very human.  She had a couple of really selfish moments, and in a way, those were what made me connect with her.  I also really liked Kevin, her BFF and sort-of love interest.  There were a few times I questioned his intelligence and mental stability, but in the end I got him.  The old witch, Opal, was another character I thought highly of.  She was tough and cunning, and I liked that she helped Kevin and Glenn, even though she knew who they were and what it could cost her.  My favorite character, however, was Aamon.  Not only was he a fantastic creature, a feast for the imagination, but he was a kick-ass warrior, and kept me guessing as to what his motivations were right up until the very end.

This book did have a few issues, but they ended up not being all that major.  The pacing of the story wasn't very even.  There were times when it felt very disjointed, making me feel like I was reading a different book.  The same fantastical descriptions that really brought this book to life at some times, dragged it down at others.  There were times when I felt like some of the elaborate constructs of the setting and plot and were unnecessary, slowing the story down, while at others, I was absolutely enthralled and couldn't stop reading.  Then there were times when I was confused because I felt there wasn't enough description.  I also sometimes felt like some things were rather predictable, especially Glenn's strange connection to the Magisterium.  That said, there were a few reveals that took me by surprise, even if the timing was a bit convenient.

Overall, despite my minor misgivings, I really liked Magisterium.  It was unique and packed with adventure.  I can't give it five stars because of the aforementioned problems with execution, but I still feel like it is well worth a read by anyone who is a fan of Dystopia and/or Fantasy.  If a second book is ever written, I will definitely read it.

My Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★  

Grade Level Recommendation:  Violent, but otherwise squeaky clean.  This is appropriate for readers grades 4 and up (ages 9+).

**Don't forget to enter my GIVEAWAY for a SIGNED copy of Lauren Oliver's fabulous new book, THE SPINDLERS! Click HERE to enter! US/CAN. Ends 10/20/2012.**

Commentary and Review: Skinny by Donna Cooner

Publisher:  Point

Publication Date:  October 1st, 2012

Find your voice.

Hopeless. Freak. Elephant. Pitiful. These are the words of Skinny, the vicious voice that lives inside fifteen-year-old Ever Davies’s head. Skinny tells Ever all the dark thoughts her classmates have about her. Ever knows she weighs over three hundred pounds, knows she’ll probably never be loved, and Skinny makes sure she never forgets it. 

But there is another voice: Ever’s singing voice, which is beautiful but has been silenced by Skinny. Partly in the hopes of trying out for the school musical—and partly to try and save her own life—Ever decides to undergo a risky surgery that may help her lose weight and start over.

With the support of her best friend, Ever begins the uphill battle toward change. But demons, she finds, are not so easy to shake, not even as she sheds pounds. Because Skinny is still around. And Ever will have to confront that voice before she can truly find her own.

(Courtesy of Goodreads)

Review:

Skinny was a difficult book to read, but a powerful one nonetheless.  Usually YA books concerning weight and food issues deal with anorexia and/or bulimia; Skinny deals with the opposite- Ever is 15 years old, 5'6" tall, and is over 300 pounds.  Ever deals with anything and everything negative that happens in her life by eating.  She knows she shouldn't have that fourth muffin or that second Snickers, but she can't help it.  Add to that the vicious little voice in her head who goes by the name Skinny.  Every time something happens that Ever doesn't like, Skinny pipes up to mess with Ever's head.  When Ever has something horrible happen to her in public, as a result of her weight, she makes the decision to undergo Gastric Bypass surgery.  This book follows Ever on her journey to, through, and post surgery.  It celebrates her triumphs, but also makes the reader aware that this was no risk-free, easy fix, which was really important, in my mind.  There were a couple of issues that plagued me though...  The first is a biggie- Ever isn't very likable.  She is actually pretty mean and self-absorbed.  She has a negative view of herself and has put up walls because of it, and much of the time, those walls were made of pure vitriol.  That said, Ever did come around some, but I never really felt like I liked her much.  Sure, I was rooting for her, but I still didn't like her much.  Second, I felt like the whole thing had a little bit of a fairy-tale element that I think detracted from what the story COULD have been.  The romantic element was a bit cheesy and I felt like Ever had a little bit too easy of a time adjusting socially after the surgery- high school is NOT like that...  Aside from those issues though, I think Donna Cooner did a great job with the feelings.  I've never been overweight, so I can't be sure, but in the end notes it says that she had similar success with Gastric Bypass.  I'm sure that is one of the reasons for her intimate knowledge of Ever's mindset, and I think that's awesome because this book needed to be written.  The best part for me was when Ever confronts Skinny in the end because I never expected what came with it.  Really powerful!

My Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★  

Grade Level Recommendation:  This is primarily a book for girls, and it is a book all tween and teen girls should read.  It's pretty clean, and although there are some intense emotional moments, the content is fine for 5th grade and up (ages 10+).

Commentary:

 What really struck me, what I found most thought-provoking about Skinny, was that even though Ever was teased some by the kids at school, most of the bullying Ever endured came from within.  Ever's biggest bully was herself and her internal dialogue with Skinny.  October is National Bullying Prevention Awareness Month and I was going to re-post a review of a book on the subject, that I have so much love for, called Dear Bully: 70 Authors Tell Their Stories (read that review HERE), but as I read Skinny, it started to dawn on me that for some of us, WE are our own biggest bully.  I was never really bullied in school, but I sure beat myself up when I didn't measure up to my own impossible standards, and I think there are A LOT of people out there like me; especially girls and women.  Destructive self-talk is so damaging to the soul, but it is never addressed as "bullying", even though is often has the same end result- depression, suicide, emotional scarring...  Some of the most "perfect" people I know have some of the lowest self-esteem and are some of the most emotionally damaged, but it all comes from within.  I guess what I'm saying is that in honor of National Bullying Prevention Awareness Month, to make sure that you are not only working to prevent people from bullying other people, but also thinking about how you treat yourself and how those around you do the same.  Sometimes a kind word is all that is needed to battle that bully inside someone's head...

A big shout out to Amy at Lady Reader's Bookstuff and Jodie at Uniquely Moi Books for hosting an awesome National Bullying Prevention Awareness Month event!  For more great posts and giveaways, stop by either of their blogs!

Review: A Mutiny In Time (Infinity Ring, Book #1) by James Dashner

Publisher:  Scholastic

Publication Date:  August 28th, 2012

Scholastic's next multi-platform mega-event begins here! History is broken, and three kids must travel back in time to set it right! 

When best friends Dak Smyth and Sera Froste stumble upon the secret of time travel -- a hand-held device known as the Infinity Ring -- they're swept up in a centuries-long secret war for the fate of mankind. Recruited by the Hystorians, a secret society that dates back to Aristotle, the kids learn that history has gone disastrously off course. Now it's up to Dak, Sera, and teenage Hystorian-in-training Riq to travel back in time to fix the Great Breaks . . . and to save Dak's missing parents while they're at it. First stop: Spain, 1492, where a sailor named Christopher Columbus is about to be thrown overboard in a deadly mutiny!

(Courtesy of Goodreads)

Back in January, when I heard that James Dashner was writing the first book in a series similar in format to The 39 Clues, I knew that I had to check it out.  I've been reading The 39 Clues with my son for about 8 months and although they aren't my favorite books (he LOVES them), I love the idea behind them, and I love how each one is written by a different popular MG author.  I also love that they have an interactive, internet-based component; If anything is going to get video-game obsessed boys reading, it's books that incorporate technology.  Well, this new series, Infinity Ring, is set up the same way, but this time the series is written by popular YA authors.  Obviously, this first book, A Mutiny In Time, is written by James Dashner, author of the acclaimed Maze Runner trilogy.  I love his writing, but if I'm honest, I have to say that I'm most excited for books two and three, which are written by Carrie Ryan (The Forest of Hands and Teeth trilogy) and Lisa McMann (Wake trilogy, Cryer's Cross, etc.), respectively.  Now that I've read the first book, I'm even more excited for future installments!

Much like The 39 Clues, history plays a huge role in this series, but at the same time, it is vastly different.  The setting is an oppressive dystopian society where everything you do is monitored by the government, where people who question it just disappear.  But it's more than that; They have altered things so that natural disasters abound and everything is just not quite right with the world physically.  Dak and Sera are different from other kids their age; Dak is a total history nut and Sera is a complete science genius.  They understand each other and because of that they have an intense bond of friendship.  When Dak's parents, brilliant scientists themselves, go out of town, Dak and Sera break into their lab to find out what they've been working on and find the Infinity Ring.  When they find it, it doesn't work, but Sera's brilliant mind figures out the missing piece, and chaos ensues!  This device makes time travel possible, and for their government, this development could change everything.  They are recruited by a secret organization called the Historians.  They have been waiting centuries for the opportunity to go back and set history right, to change the "great breaks", and now is their chance.  First stop?  1492, on board the Santa Maria, to make sure that Christopher Columbus discovers the New World...

This book is full of action.  From the beginning it is adventure and turmoil, and it doesn't ever end.  Earthquakes wreak havoc on class trips to the Smithsonian, government agents and secret societies battle, often with kids caught in the middle, technology rules, and then... We are thrust into 15th century and everything is different for the characters, but the adventures only intensify.  Boys will be drawn to this series because of this, but because Sera is smart and pretty kick-butt, girls will enjoy it too.  There is danger around every corner for our characters and it kept me on the edge of my seat- I read this book in a day.  And speaking of characters...  I've already touched on Dak and Sera, but there are some other great ones as well.  There is Riq, a slightly older boy- smart, attractive, and constantly at odds with Dak.  Then there are the Historians- adults who help the kids on their quest.  They exist both in the present and in the past.  Some are obvious, while others are not, and since I don't want any spoilers in this review I will just say that the adults really add to the story, and give it a touch more plausibility (as much as can be given to a story about time travel).

The only thing that nagged at me a little was some of the language used to describe some of the tech and physics.  Some of it was over my head (and I am a science nerd), so I can't imagine it will make sense to most MG and YA readers.  I'm sure most fans of The 39 Clues will pick this book up, and I'm not sure some of the younger fans will follow those parts as well.  I think as the action picks up, they won't care, but they may be lost for a few chapters.

Overall, I think this book is a fantastic beginning to what promises to be a ridiculously popular series.  I'm eager to read my copy of book number two, Divide and Conquer, by Carrie Ryan.  It releases on November 6th, so keep you eyes peeled for my review in upcoming weeks!

My Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★

Grade Level Recommendation:  Other than some violence, this book is squeaky clean.  This book is suitable for any age you consider The 39 Clues appropriate for.  I would say 2nd or 3rd grade and up (ages 8+).

**Don't forget to enter my GIVEAWAY for a SIGNED copy of Lauren Oliver's fabulous new book, THE SPINDLERS! Click HERE to enter! US/CAN. Ends 10/20/2012.**

No Wonder...

So, you may remember last fall when I was MIA for a week, as I immersed myself in the world of Scholastic Book Fairs, as the chairperson of my daughter's school book fair.  Well, this past week, I've done the same, but for the spring version, but I was good.  I planned ahead.  I wrote a bunch of posts, and scheduled them so that they would automatically go up in my absence.  I was so proud of myself!  BUT...  I'm not that great with this type of thing, and silly me, I forgot to actually click "Publish" after I scheduled them (I was wondering why my phone wasn't chirping with all of your wonderful comments).  

I'm not going to post them all now, and totally flood your reader with YA Litwit.  Instead, I'm going to post them throughout the week, along with my planned reviews.  Good news is that I have less work to do this coming week (I have eight posts in my queue!!), which means I can read more.   I DID find time to read the amazingly awesome third book in Holly Black's Curse Workers trilogy, Black Heart.  It doesn't come out for another month, so look for my review in about 2 weeks, but if you're a fan, go ahead and pre-order it because it was great.

As for the book fair, in case you're wondering...  It went really well.  The best part for me was that I got to tell a bunch of Jr. High students about the many books we had for sale that I love.  If you read my blog, you know that I love nothing more than talking about books, and it's just gravy when someone actually buys what I talk about (which a lot of the kids apparently did).  Some of the books I highlighted were Matched and Crossed by Ally Condie (my review), The Forest of Hands and Teeth and The Dead Tossed Waves by Carrie Ryan (read my review of book #3, The Dark and Hollow Places, HERE), Cinder by Marissa Meyer (my review), Clockwork Angel, City of Ashes, and City of Bones by Cassie Clare (read my reviews of Clockwork Prince HERE and City of Fallen Angels HERE), Everlost and Everwild by Neal Shusterman (read my review of book #3, Everfound HERE), Heist Society by Ally Carter (my review), Reckless by Cornelia Funke, The Maze Runner by James Dashner, Paranormalcy by Kiersten White (read my review of book #2, Supernaturally, HERE), and Legend by Marie Lu (my review).  As far as I know, all the titles I talked about sold out, so I am thrilled!  I love to see kids reading for pleasure!  I also picked up a few books for the Reader Girlz upcoming annual event, Rock the Drop, which promotes teen literacy (click the link above for more info on last year's event!)

So, even though my house is a mess and I haven't posted a review in far too long, I think this was a great week!  Keep your eyes out for some great content this week, including a giveaway, my audio reviews of Firelight by Sophie Jordan and Fever by Lauren DeStefano,  fun weekly memes, and reviews of Another Faust by Daniel and Dina Nayeri, Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews, and The Goddess Test by Aimee Carter.  

Happy Reading to all of you!