ARC Review: Touched by Cyn Balog

Publisher:  Delacorte Books for Young Readers

Publication Date:  August 14th, 2012

Nick Cross always listens to the voice in his head. Because if he doesn't? Things can go really, really wrong. Like the day he decided to go off script and saved a girl from being run over . . . and let another one drown. Trying to change the future doesn't work.

But this summer at the Jersey Shore, something's about to happen that Nick never could have predicted. He meets a girl named Taryn and finds out about the Book of Touch. Now the path that he thought he was on begins to shift . . . and there's no way to stop things from happening. Or is there? 

In a life where there are no surprises, nothing has prepared Nick for what he's about to discover--or the choice he will be forced to make. . . .

(Courtesy of Goodreads)

Disclaimer:  This review is going to be very short and sweet.  This is the type of book that even the smallest details will likely be spoilery, so I am avoiding them at all costs...

Well, this book was just full of surprises!  I have to admit that I was expecting something a whole lot more creeptastic, based on the cover and the font that the title is printed in. That said, I'm not disappointed with this book either.  Unexpected is sometimes a good thing, and this is one of those times.  The story moved along a nice pace, with new twists revealed at precise moments when I was beginning to feel like something new was needed for this book to hold my interest.  The romance could have been cliche, but ended up not being so, because the author wove in plausible explanations and details.  The characters were unapologetically flawed and achingly human because of it.  I liked that the future was constantly changing based on Nick's decisions whether to stay on of go off "script".  It not only kept things fresh, but really highlighted the agony of what life must have been like for him.  As far as the Book of Touch, and Taryn's involvement- that kind of threw me for a loop.  I feel like she should have told him everything from the beginning, and not revealed a little at a time.  But then, I guess the story's pacing would have suffered for it, so that part is forgiven.  I think that my favorite part of this book was how it ended.  It was unexpected and very satisfying.  There were some things that made me sad, but it fit well, and it kept me thinking about the book after I finished. 

Overall, Touched was a solid read.  It wasn't one of my favorite books ever, but I liked it.  It was entertaining and thought-provoking, and I like that it was a stand-alone; the world needs more of those!  If you like a twisty-turny mystery, with an ending you won't ever see coming, the check this book out!

My Rating: ★ ★ ★ ½ 

Grade Level Recommendation:  This book is pretty clean.  There is innocent romance and some sad parts, but it is perfectly fine for the average 5th grader (ages 10 and up).

ARC Review: Don't You Wish by Roxanne St. Claire

Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers

Publication Date: July 10th, 2012

When plain and unpopular Annie Nutter gets zapped by one of her dad's whacked-out inventions, she lands in a parallel universe where her life becomes picture-perfect. Now she's Ayla Monroe, daughter of the same mother but a different father—and she's the gorgeous, rich queen bee of her high school. 

In this universe, Ayla lives in glitzy Miami instead of dreary Pittsburgh and has beaucoup bucks, courtesy of her billionaire—if usually absent—father. Her friends hit the clubs, party backstage at concerts, and take risks that are exhilarating . . . and illegal. Here she's got a date to lose her V-card with the hottest guy she's ever seen.

But on the inside, Ayla is still Annie.

So when she's offered the chance to leave the dream life and head home to Pittsburgh, will she take it?

The choice isn't as simple as you think.

(Courtesy of Goodreads)

This book shocked the hell out of me!  From the synopsis and cover, I thought I was in for a light, fun, summer read.  I was expecting a Gossip Girl-ish type book; wildly entertaining, but with the depth of a mud puddle.  I was right about it being entertaining, but I couldn't have been more wrong in my assumption that it would shallow!  This is a classic case of, "Don't judge a book by its cover"!  This book was not only well written, but it was intelligently written.  Sometimes I wonder if some of the YA I read is dumbed down, so I absolutely love it when an author gives her readers credit, assuming that they are as smart as she is.  Roxanne St. Claire does this.  There is a lot of talk about physics and parallel universes, and the main characters are smart.  This was such an unexpected surprise for me!  Onward...

The story was great.  It had somewhat of a Freaky Friday vibe, but it was so much better.  It flowed well, and the pieces fit together perfectly.  Because of some of the complex elements of this story, it could have gone very wrong, and become confusing, but Roxanne St. Claire held it all together and it worked so well.  Everything made sense and I enjoyed reading every page.  It was paced well, and it never dragged, and while there were a few tense moments, they were always nicely balanced with just the right amount of levity.  I also liked that it was a stand-alone novel, with a concrete conclusion.  Sometimes it's just nice  when the story ends with one book, and it's even better when the story ends the way this one does...

As for the characters, the ones who were meant to likable were, and the villains were just as they should have been.  I was definitely rooting for Annie/Ayla all the way, and Charlie was as great as they come as far as underdog crushes go.  I loved the side story involving Charlie's sister, Missy; she was spunky and helped to put a lot of things in perspective for not only the characters, but the reader as well.  As far as the villains go, Bliss takes the cake!  What a witch!  Of course, she isn't the only one, but I want you to read the book yourself, so I won't tell you everything...

Finally, I need to touch on the worlds that Roxanne St. Claire builds... She either lived the rags-to-riches thing, or did a lot of research, because she really nails both ends of the demographic spectrum.  The got the designer brands and the Miami socialite lifestyle right, but she also seemed to really nail the Walmart side of things too.  She also really understands the social hierarchies in the teenage bubble called "high school".  It all felt very authentic, even painfully so at times.

Overall, I thought this book was brilliantly done.  I went into it without high expectations, and was so delighted when it turned out to be one of my favorites so far this year.  That feeling when a book truly surprises you is so awesome.  If you want a smart, fun, well written summer read, look no further!

My Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★  


Grade Level Recommendation:  Okay, so this book has teen drinking, drug use, sex, shoplifting, and language.  Ayla's friends are not really very good girls.  In fact, they are as vile as teenage girls can possibly be, but at the same time are on top of the social ladder.  That said, I would not want anyone younger that about 9th or 10th grade picking this up.  For example, I wouldn't want my mature-for-her-age, but still immature 6th grader to think these behaviors are the path to social success.  Ages 14 and up.

Review: Diary of a Parent Trainer by Jenny Smith

Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers

Publication Date: June 12th, 2012

MEET KATIE SUTTON, WORLD AUTHORITY ON HOW TO HANDLE GROWN-UPS.

A must read novel for anyone requiring tips on how to control this bizarre species by (undiscovered) genius Katie Sutton - a fabulous, funny new teenage character who rivals Georgia Nicholson with her wit.

Katie is an expert on operating grown-ups. She knows exactly how to get the best out of them, so she decides to write a guide to help the world's long-suffering teenagers do the same.

But then Katie's mum starts dating the awful Yellow-Tie Man. Suddenly Mum is acting completely out of character and totally out of control! For everyone's sake, Katie needs to use all her expertise to get rid of him - and quick!

(Courtesy of Goodreads)

This book is classed as a YA title, but I don't think it is going to appeal to the majority of YA readers; I would class Diary of a Parent Trainer as a Middle Grade or Middle School read. It was a fun, very cute book, but it was definitely a bit on the juvenile side. I loved the Brit humor and the characters were just great. They were very real and the story, written as a series of diary entries, disguised as a "how to" for dealing with adults, was really funny, insightful, and much deeper than the synopsis and title imply. This book is more of a coming of teenage (it's a bit too young to be a "coming of age" novel) story that deals with not only what it's like to be a middle school aged girl, but one who is dealing with her mother dating someone after the death of her father. It has a really positive message that is masked with humor and wit, which is exactly how this type of book needs to be written if readers are going to get anything from from it. Tweens and teens don't want to be preached to, and this book never comes off that way; readers will absorb the message without ever realizing that it was there, and I LOVE that. Honestly, kids will have such a great time relating to all of the funny, very true, things that the protagonist observes about grown-ups, that they will never catch on that they are learning valuable life lessons at the same time. That said, there are a few mentions of "snogging" (the setting is in England), a spattering of language here and there, and some allusions toward sex (although no outright mentions), so some parents might not want their middle grade child reading this, and that is where I am struggling... Although I liked this book, I can't really say that it has a very wide audience, which is a shame. The average reader over the age of about 13 is going to think this is a kid's book, and they wouldn't be wrong. Because of this, my rating is reflective of what I would think if I were reading it as a person of the audience it is best suited (girls, ages 9-13).  As an adult reader, I would probably give it more like 3 stars.

My Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ 

Grade Level Recommendation: As I mentioned above, this is a book best suited for upper middle grades (4th or 5th) through about 7th grade. 

ARC Review: Lies Beneath by Anne Greenwood Brown

Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: June 12th, 2012

Calder White lives in the cold, clear waters of Lake Superior, the only brother in a family of murderous mermaids. To survive, Calder and his sisters prey on humans, killing them to absorb their energy. But this summer the underwater clan targets Jason Hancock out of pure revenge. They blame Hancock for their mother's death and have been waiting a long time for him to return to his family's homestead on the lake. Hancock has a fear of water, so to lure him in, Calder sets out to seduce Hancock's daughter, Lily. Easy enough—especially as Calder has lots of practice using his irresistible good looks and charm on unsuspecting girls. Only this time Calder screws everything up: he falls for Lily—just as Lily starts to suspect that there's more to the monsters-in-the-lake legends than she ever imagined. And just as his sisters are losing patience with him.
(Courtesy of Goodreads)

I was really excited when I got the opportunity to review Lies Beneath. I like mermaid stories, I thought the cover was great, and I am a total sucker for books told from a male POV. Win on all accounts, right? Not quite. First I should comment on the cover... Um,the protagonist is a merMAN, so why is a merMAID on the cover? That little discrepancy made me dislike a cover that I initially really, REALLY liked. Now that that's covered (no pun intended), let's move on to the important stuff...

I started out really loving this book...  I plowed through the first half with gusto, not able to put it down, but toward the middle it kind of sputtered for me.  It did redeem itself somewhat in the end, with its unexpected conclusion, but there were 70 or so pages where it dragged somewhat, and that sort of tainted it for me...  That said, I will tell you that if you are into lengthy descriptions of how the bad boy nefariously woos the good girl, accidentally falling in love with her, then the parts of the book that bugged me won't bug you.  You'll love it!  The story was good; quite different from the other mermaid stories I've read.  You see, mermaids are cold-blooded creatures, supposedly incapable of feeling positive emotions on their own.  Feelings like joy, happiness, elation?  Not in their emotional spectrum.  The only way they can feel these much craved emotions are by absorbing them from their "prey", human victims, who they kill by draining, then hide at the bottom of deep water; they are consummate predators.  This all comes into play when Calder, our main character, and his three sisters prepare to collect on an old life-debt, and need pretty Lily Hancock to get close to their target, her father.  Should be a piece of cake for hottie Calder, right?  Not so much...

I like my bad boys, but Calder didn't really do it for me.  He was kind of creepy, if I'm being honest.  When I was reading the book, I couldn't help thinking that he thought more like a girl than a guy.  On the surface he was cocky as they come, but he was actually pretty insecure.  Add to that the fact that he was essentially a stalker, and I just couldn't find him appealing.  He made me think better of him by end of the book, winning me over to a point, but he's just not a "swoon-worthy" leading man by my terms.  Lily, on the hand, was great.  She's the type of girl I wouldn't mind having for a daughter.  Headstrong, but not to a fault, responsible, smart, and principled.  Definitely too good for Calder... The sisters were great too; I actually consider Pavati a favorite character, but I didn't feel like they were used enough in the story (it isn't coincidence that the parts of the story I liked best heavily involved them).  They really added the sinister element to the story that set it apart from other mer-tales I've read.  They were what they were supposed to be- cold-blooded predators- and that is something I can respect, even if I don't necessarily like it.

Lies Beneath is the first book in a series (Deep Betrayal comes out next year), and I will probably read it.  I'm curious as to what Anne Greenwood Brown has in mind since I felt like the story wrapped up quite neatly.  I really did love the ending; it took me by surprise and it was quite well thought out.  If the entire book read as well as the ending, this would have been a five-star book for me, but alas, it didn't.  I enjoyed it, it just wasn't a favorite.  If you're a fan of Paranormal Romance  novels, if you're a fan of the Twilight series, or if you love merpeople, you will love it more than I did.

My Rating: ★ ★ ★ ½ 

Grade Level Recommendation:  There was some teen drinking, talk of seduction, and a few swears, but nothing over the top.  This is fine for grades 6 and up (ages 11+).

Review: Bad Taste In Boys by Carrie Harris

Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers

Publication Date: July 12th, 2012

Someone's been a very bad zombie.
Kate Grable is horrified to find out that the football coach has given the team steroids. Worse yet, the steriods are having an unexpected effect, turning hot gridiron hunks into mindless flesh-eating zombies. No one is safe--not her cute crush Aaron, not her dorky brother, Jonah . . . not even Kate! She's got to find an antidote--before her entire high school ends up eating each other. So Kate, her best girlfriend, Rocky, and Aaron stage a frantic battle to save their town  . . . and stay hormonally human.

(Courtesy of Goodreads)

Okay, so I am firmly Team Zombie (if you don't know what I'm talking about, go read the fantabulous Zombies Vs. Unicorns); they are probably near the top of  my list of favorite paranormal creatures.  When a new YA about zombies comes out, I am always eager to read it.  When I saw this book, I had a double urge to read it because of the cover.  It's awesome.  

Carrie Harris is a 2011 debut author, so I didn't have much by way of expectations, but I decided to give it a go because of the aforementioned reasons, plus the authors that blurbed this book are awesome!  You can't go wrong when the fabulous Andrea Cremer (Nightshade, Wolfsbane), Kiersten White (Paranormalcy, Supernaturally), and Jeri Smith-Ready (Shade, Shift) all give a book positive, gushing reviews like these:

"With this laughing, shrieking riot of a debut, Carrie Harris captured my heart...and my braaaaiins." -Andrea Cremer

"Kate Grable is my new hero. Thanks to Harris's darkly funny, twisted, and sexy tale of high school drama gone un-deadly wrong, I know who I'm calling during the next zombie apocalypse. Science nerds have never been so cool." -Kiersten White

"BAD TASTE IN BOYS is a nonstop romp, with more mayhem than a mall full of mocha-chugging monkeys. I loved watching Kate try to keep her sensible, scientific head amidst rampaging zombies and amorous football players (often the same people). Bring me my next dose of Carrie Harris NOW!" -Jeri Smith-Ready

So, I read it and I really, really liked it.  I liked Kate, the main character A LOT.  She was smart, nerdy, driven, angsty, and best of all, funny!  The supporting characters were great too.  Carrie did a great job with her descriptions, and I could totally picture her lame-ish/awesome brother with his foam sword, her swoon-worthy love interest, her troglodyte-ish football player/zombie ex, the takes-it-a-bit-too-seriously football coach, and her bubbly BFF.  

I laughed many times throughout this book, and am still kind of smirking as I write this review.  The book was an easy read; the plot moved quickly and there was lots of action to go with the laughs.  I loved that Kate is a normal teenage girl with teenagey things on her mind (boys, homework, fitting in), while still managing to be a little different from the norm.  There were a few holes, and a few parts felt a tiny bit rushed, but overall I thought it was really well done.  

Carrie's next book in this series, Bad Hair Day, comes out November 13th, 2012 and I will definitely be reading it for Shanyn over at Chick Loves Lit's Sophomore Reading Challenge.

My Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ 

Grade Level Recommendation:  Pretty mild.  Standard zombie stuff (killing and eating of humans, appendages falling off, etc.).  A couple of make-outs mentioned.  Teen drinking.  Overall though, I think Kate is a great role-model, so I would say this book is fine for grades 7 and up (ages 12+).