ARC Review: Middle Ground by Katie Kacvinsky

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Publication Date: November 20th, 2012

In this provocative cautionary tale for teens, the sequel to Awaken, seventeen-year-old Maddie’s rebellion against the digital-only life grows dangerous. Maddie is in Los Angeles, trying to stay out of trouble. But one night, a seemingly small act of defiance lands her in the place she fears the most: a detention center. Here, patients are reprogrammed to accept a digital existence. Maddie is now fighting for her mind, her soul, and her very life. Once again, Katie Kacvinsky paints a disturbing picture of our increasingly technology-based society.

(Courtesy of Goodreads)

When I first began reading this book, I wasn't really sure how I was going to feel about it.  I absolutely LOVED its predecessor, Katie Kacvinsky's debut, Awaken (read my full review HERE), and I had high hopes for this one.  I couldn't wait to see what direction Maddie's life would take, and whether her relationship with and feelings for Justin were real.  Well, Middle Ground started out a bit shaky for me.  Not to get spoilery, but during the first few chapters I felt like Maddie was being needlessly reckless, given the situation she was in, and I didn't see anything working out at all like I was hoping it was going to.  I started to feel a sense of dread and pending disappointment, and I was not liking it one bit.  THEN... The story made this crazy turn in a direction that I never imagined it would go in, and I was beyond impressed.  I don't want to give anything away, because I want you to feel those same feelings I felt when I was reading this.  I stopped trying to predict what was going to happen next, and just went with it, and it was brilliant.

I loved the characters and dialogue in Awaken, and I thought those elements were even better in Middle Ground.  I also loved how inside Maddie's head we were in Middle Ground.  I felt like she was really detached in Awaken, and in Middle Ground her soul is laid bare through the horrors she endured for her cause.  It was captivating.  I found the story original, well-paced, action-packed, and intellectually stimulating; Not an easy combo to come by.  As with its predecessor, the social commentary was amazingly subtle, yet absolutely compelling.  Finally, I really enjoyed how the romantic element worked out.  I had some misgivings about the relationship between Maddie and Justin after book one, and while things didn't play out the way that I expected them to in this book, I was happy nonetheless.  My only disappointment with this book was that I had hoped to see more of Maddie's mother, as I had grown to really like her in Awaken.  Perhaps there will be a book #3...

If you haven't read Awaken yet, do yourself a favor and pick it up.  It is a plausible, well-drawn dystopia, that really keeps you thinking long after it is over.  That, and you need to read it before you can begin reading its even more brilliant sequel...

My Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 

Grade Level Recommendation:  I stand by my recommendation for Awaken; 5th grade and up (ages 10+).  There is some romance, but nothing graphic.

Review: First Comes Love by Katie Kacvinsky

Publisher:  Houghton, Mifflin, Harcourt BYR
Publication Date:  May 8th, 2012

Like his name, Gray is dark and stormy. Dylan, a girl always searching for what’s next, seemingly unable to settle down, is the exact opposite: full of light and life. On the outside, they seem like an unlikely couple. But looks can be deceiving and besides, opposites attract.

What starts as friendship, turns into admiration, respect and caring, until finally these two lone souls find they are truly in love with each other.

But staying in love is not as easy as falling in love. If Dylan and Gray want their love to last, they’re going to have to work at it. And learn that sometimes love means having to say you’re sorry.

(Courtesy of Goodreads)

I really enjoyed Katie Kacvinsky's 2011 debut, Awaken.  I thought it was a smart, thought-provoking Dystopia that had valid social commentary, without being preachy.  When I saw First Comes Love in the HMH catalog, I assumed that it was the sequel to Awaken, which is also due out this year.  When I found out it wasn't, I was a little disappointed.  THEN I found out it was a Contemporary Romance, and I was both repulsed and intrigued.  I'm not a big fan of Contemporary Romance (although I will admit that I have come across a few really great ones of late), but I liked the author's writing in Awaken well enough, that I decided to give it a shot.   When I received it in the mail, I immediately had a negative impression; the cover just did not grab me.  I know it was an ARC, but the cover was the final cover, and it just seemed really cheap to me.  Now that I've read the book, I feel that way even more strongly; they could have done better.  That said, this book is kind of the epitome of the saying, "Don't judge a book by its cover!", because the book was quite good.

When I started reading First Comes Love, I wasn't sure I was going to like it.  My first impression was that it was going to be a been-there-done-that, opposites-attract, YA love story.  It wasn't.  It was deeply touching, full of raw hurt and emotion.  The characters were beautifully rendered to the point where though I wasn't sure I liked them at first, I learned to love them as I got to know them.  At first I thought Dylan was the type of girl who is really insecure, but tries a little too hard to project a carefree, quirky image.  Well, she turns out to be the real deal, and I kind of feel like an ass for judging her so as quickly as I did... As for Gray? Well he always came off to me as the sexy damaged guy, and while it was annoying to me, the length of time it took to find out why he was so damaged, I always felt like it was legit.  He was kind of a jerk at the beginning, but I guess he maybe had the same first impression of Dylan as I did... As for the romance?  It moved slowly, in an honest, imperfect, and entirely believable way.  Katie Kacvinsky did a wonderful job capturing the ups and downs of young love. I think it is really difficult to get a handle on the swirl of feelings, innocence, desire, uncertainty, and apprehension that go along with first love, and I think she nailed it because she recognizes that it isn't ONLY about the romance.  Dylan and Gray had lives before and apart from each other, and it was really interesting to find out, bit by bit, who they were as individuals, through their emerging feelings for one another.

In the end, this book exceeded my expectations.  I was happy with the story and was satisfied with the ending.  The only complaint I have is that the story is over.

My Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★  

Grade Level Recommendation:  This book has some swears, sex, and tough issues.  Also, the characters are college age kids, more mature than most.  I think this book is best suited  for grades 9 and up (ages 14+).

Review: Croak by Gina Damico

Publisher: Graphia/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Publication Date: March 20th, 2012

Sixteen-year-old Lex Bartleby has sucker-punched her last classmate. Fed up with her punkish, wild behavior, her parents ship her off to upstate New York to live with her Uncle Mort for the summer, hoping that a few months of dirty farm work will whip her back into shape. But Uncle Mort’s true occupation is much dirtier than that of shoveling manure. 

He’s a Grim Reaper. And he’s going to teach her the family business. 

Lex quickly assimilates into the peculiar world of Croak, a town populated entirely by reapers who deliver souls from this life to the next. Along with her infuriating yet intriguing partner Driggs and a rockstar crew of fellow Grim apprentices, Lex is soon zapping her Targets like a natural born Killer. 

Yet her innate ability morphs into an unchecked desire for justice—or is it vengeance?—whenever she’s forced to Kill a murder victim, craving to stop the attackers before they can strike again. So when people start to die—that is, people who aren’t supposed to be dying, people who have committed grievous crimes against the innocent—Lex’s curiosity is piqued. Her obsession grows as the bodies pile up, and a troubling question begins to swirl through her mind: if she succeeds in tracking down the murderer, will she stop the carnage—or will she ditch Croak and join in?

(Courtesy of Goodreads)

What a pleasant surprise this book was!  When I first heard about it, I wasn't sure it would be my thing, but by the time I was through the 3rd chapter, I knew that I was going to LOVE this book.  Of course, I was right.  Croak is GREAT!  It had a little bit of everything; sometimes that can make a story a bit muddled and hard to follow, but that was not the case here.  Croak was extremely well written and the different elements of the story fit together seamlessly.  This book had humor, mystery, intrigue, drama, romance, realism, and fantasy rolled into one truly phenomenal adventure.

I think my favorite part of this book was definitely the characters.  The protagonist, Lex, was smart, witty, insecure, and pretty kick-ass.  I enjoyed watching her morph from a confused teenage delinquent into a happy girl who has found her place in the world.  She was very real and easy to relate to.  Then, of course, we had the boys.  I loved that Driggs and Uncle Mort were both crush-worthy; Driggs for the teenage girls, and Mort for their YA reading moms...  The supporting characters in the town of Croak were also great.  We didn't see Lex's parents and twin sister much, but what we did see of them made for a few good laughs.  Lex's Civil War obsessed mother was awesome, naming her daughters after Civil War battles (Lexington and Concord).  The characters were all wonderfully developed, each with the right amount of emotion and humanity.

Obviously, the story was great, or I wouldn't be writing this gushfest, but the it wasn't the only thing that was great.  The creativity and amazingly detailed world building were first-class.  The town of Croak had so many brilliantly named businesses (a butcher called "Dead Meat", a florist called "Pushing Daisies").  I think one of my favorite parts was when all the teens were hanging out in the dorms and playing board games because instead of playing one at a time, they took them all and played a bizarre board game mash-up that involved Monopoly, Clue, Twister, Battleship, Chutes and Ladders, etc.  I found myself laughing out loud at some of the rules.  I also loved the real quality of the relationships, especially the awkward growing attraction between Driggs and Lex.

Overall, I have to say that this is one of my favorite debuts of 2012, and I have a feeling that it will stay near the top for the remainder of the year.  This book completely drew me and made me smile almost the entire time I was reading it.  Fortunately, the sequel to book, Scorch, comes out on September 25th, so there isn't very much of a wait as far as sequels go.  One thing is for certain; I will be eagerly awaiting its release!  

My Rating:  ★ ★ ★ ★ ★  

Grade Level Recommendation:  There is some cursing, and definitely some death.  There is romance, with heavy make-out scenes between two of the supporting characters, earning comments like, "Get a room!", but otherwise, this book is pretty clean.  I would say this book is (conservatively) fine for 6th grade and up (ages 11+), but I would have no problem allowing my 5th grader to read it, and probably would have let her in 4th grade.

Review: Never Eighteen by Megan Bostic

Publisher: Graphia

Publication Date: January 17th, 2011

Austin Parker is on a journey to bring truth, beauty, and meaning to his life.

Austin Parker is never going to see his eighteenth birthday. At the rate he’s going, he probably won’t even see the end of the year. The doctors say his chances of surviving are slim to none even with treatment, so he’s decided it’s time to let go.

But before he goes, Austin wants to mend the broken fences in his life. So with the help of his best friend, Kaylee, Austin visits every person in his life who touched him in a special way. He journeys to places he’s loved and those he’s never seen. And what starts as a way to say goodbye turns into a personal journey that brings love, acceptance, and meaning to Austin’s life.

(Courtesy of Goodreads)

Get out the tissues, because even though you know from the beginning that this book is going to end with the death of the protagonist, it still hits you like a ton of bricks when it happens.  This book is so beautifully written and with such depth that, as the reader, you form intense bonds with the characters.  It will feel like a punch in the gut when Austin dies; you will relate to Kaylee, because you will feel like you lost a good friend.  This book is a difficult read because it makes you face your own mortality, but it is also a very uplifting and inspiring read because it makes you think about the people in your own life- relationships, burned bridges, things that you would not want to go unsaid if something were to happen to you tomorrow.  It gave me a lot of hope as I followed Austin in his quest to make right the wrongs in his life, to try to get through to people that needed a wake-up call, to experience at least a few of the things he wanted to experience before he died.  I found myself wondering if I would want to know if I had only a short time to live, or if I would want death to come instantly.  Is the suffering that a slow death, like that of a cancer patient, worth being able to tie up those loose ends?  I still don't know, but it makes me grateful for the time I have and eager to make sure the people in my life know that I love them.  This book is powerful in that thought-provoking way, but it is more...

Megan Bostic does a fantastic job with the character development in this book.  As I mentioned before, I bonded with Austin and Kaylee.  They became more than characters in a book to me.  The supporting characters were also very well well rendered; Austin's mother made my heart break, his grandmother, his peers; everyone in the story, no matter how small their role, contributed to the emotional roller-coaster ride.  I really love the idea of this story and the way in which it was told.  I'm an adult, and a parent, so I have a different perspective than this book's "target" audience might, but I really feel like Megan did a great job getting her message to younger readers.  Yes, there is some content that some readers would find objectionable; a lot of older reviewers like myself- parents, teachers, librarians- took issue with some of the issues that are touched on in this book (language, teen drinking, abuse, homosexuality, rape, drug use, and sex), and it's recommended age of 12+, but I don't at all.  Twelve year-olds are well aware of all of the above; they all use the language (don't even TRY to tell me that YOUR perfect angel doesn't), they know much more about sex and sexuality than we give them credit for, and are well aware that many teens drink and use drugs.  This story wouldn't be so real and credible if it were cleaned up, and quite frankly, it's really not about any of those things at all, but about Austin's journey.  It's not supposed to be a pretty or easy read, but one that is supposed to stay with you, and I really think it will.  I read this in June, and I'm writing this review in December, and it's still very fresh.  I have a feeling that it always will be.  Thank you NetGalley and HMH Children's/Graphia for the opportunity to review this wonderful novel!

My Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★  

Grade Level Recommendation:  As I mentioned before, there is some mature content, but I feel the "recommended" age of 12+ is accurate.  I think that it would actually behoove many indestructible 12 year-olds to read this book.  Normally, I would say that a book with themes like these would be more appropriate for HS students because I would be afraid a less mature student would be able to wrap the heads around them, but Austin's voice is such that I think a 7th or 8th grader would be fine.  Grades 7 and up.

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