ARC Review: Jane Austen Goes to Hollywood by Abby McDonald

Publisher: Candlewick Press

Publication Date:  April 23rd, 2013

Abby McDonald gives L.A. the Jane Austen treatment in this contemporary take on Sense and Sensibility.

Hallie and Grace Weston have never exactly seen life eye to eye. So when their father dies and leaves everything to his new wife, forcing the girls to pack up and leave San Francisco for a relative’s house in shiny Beverly Hills, the two sisters take to their changing lot in typically different styles. Shy, responsible Grace manages to make friends with an upbeat, enterprising girl named Palmer but still yearns for her old life — and the maybe-almost-crush she left behind. Meanwhile, drama queen Hallie is throwing herself headlong into life — and love — in L.A., spending every second with gorgeous musician Dakota and warding off the attention of brooding vet Brandon. But is Hallie blinded by the stars in her eyes? And is Grace doomed to forever hug the sidelines?

(Courtesy of Goodreads)

It's no secret.  I love a good retelling.  I love it when an author takes a beloved classic, and puts a modern spin on it.  I have only one requirement- they had better do the original work justice.  Sometimes I get nervous when an author reimagines an especially loved story, and that was the case here.  Sense and Sensibility is one of my favorite Jane Austen novels, and while I was looking forward to reading Jane Austen Goes to Hollywood, I was also a bit apprehensive...  Well, I'm not going to go out on a limb like I did when I reviewed The Trouble With Flirting by Claire LaZebnik, a modern retelling of Mansfield Park, and say that it is better than the original (read my review HERE), but it was cute and super-fun, and I was completely charmed by it.  I felt like Abby McDonald did a fine job modernizing the much loved classic, while keeping to the general themes of love, loss, and coming of age.

Hallie and Grace move to L.A. after their father dies and everything is left to his new wife, forcing them out of their home, and away from all they know.  While L.A. is not rural Devonshire, the setting of the original story, I feel like Grace and Hallie experienced the same kind of loneliness and isolation that Marianne and Elinor did because L.A. is such a superficial place, and in the end status trumped all else in both settings.  The ways they dealt with those feelings, as well as the romantic feelings each had toward their respective love interests, were very similar to the girls in Sense and Sensibility.  Hallie was as much the drama queen that Marianne was, and Grace and Elinor were similarly stoic and responsible.  As far as the other characters are concerned, I loved how Abby McDonald reworked them. The fact that Dakota was a musician was fantastic, and I thought it was great that Theo was the evil stepmother's kid brother.  I though Palmer was great, and my only complaint about her was that we didn't see enough of her.  Same goes for Amber, who ended up being one of my favorite characters.

As far as the plot is concerned, I thought it flowed really well.  It never got boring, and I really liked how everything turned out.  I especially liked that the author gave a little "where-are-they-now" page at the end, citing what happened to all of the characters down the road.  It gave me a sense of closure, while also making me laugh.  In the end, this book was light, funny, sweet, and just what I needed after the sob-fest that was the ending of Clockwork Princess, which I read right before this.  Honestly, my only real complaint about Jane Austen Goes to Hollywood was the cover.  I think the could have done a lot better... Still, if you are a fan of Jane Austen and enjoy a good retelling, I recommend you give this book a go.  I think you will be pleasantly surprised.

My Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★  

Grade Level Recommendation:  This book is pretty clean.  There's some teen drinking, and sex is alluded to, but otherwise there's nothing that could be considered objectionable.  This book is perfect for grades 6 and up (ages 11 and up).

ARC Review: Mind Games by Kiersten White

Publisher: HarperTeen

Publication Date:  February 19th, 2013

Fia was born with flawless instincts. Her first impulse, her gut feeling, is always exactly right. Her sister, Annie, is blind to the world around her—except when her mind is gripped by strange visions of the future. 

Trapped in a school that uses girls with extraordinary powers as tools for corporate espionage, Annie and Fia are forced to choose over and over between using their abilities in twisted, unthinkable ways…or risking each other’s lives by refusing to obey.

In a stunning departure from her New York Times bestselling Paranormalcy trilogy, Kiersten White delivers a slick, edgy, heartstoppingly intense psychological thriller about two sisters determined to protect each other—no matter the cost.

(Courtesy of Goodreads)

I will start this review by saying that I loved Kiersten White's Paranormalcy series, and Mind Games was nothing like it.  It is almost like a different author wrote Mind Games.  That's not to say that I didn't like it.  I did.  Just not even close to as much as I did the former.  Now, with that out of the way, I can get down to my reasons why I liked Mind Games, but also why I didn't LOVE it...  I'm a bad-news-first type of person, so I will start with the things I didn't like.

First off, I really wasn't into the format.  There were two points of view, Fia's and Annie's, and the chapters alternate between the two of them.  That is something I can deal with, and even like in most cases.  What I didn't like was that along with the alternating POVs, the story also jumped between past and present.  I found it very confusing. I found it too hard to keep track of both whose POV I was reading and when it was taking place, at the same time.  Another thing that bothered me was the fact that it took a good bit of time get into this book.  That said, I suspect that had something to do with my getting used to the format.  I will say that once the story picked up, it was quite riveting.  Finally, I have to say that I thought the ending wasn't great.  I felt like there were too many question left unanswered and not enough closure.  I know this is the first book in a series, but there were some questions that I felt needed to be answered in this book.  Hopefully, book number two proves me wrong, and that there is good reason for my lack of closure, but right now I see it as a flaw. (I will totally retract this statement if I'm given good reason to in book number two!)  Now, on to the "likes"...

First and foremost, I LOVED the cover.  I always rave about HarperTeen's covers, and this one is no exception.  Absolutely stunning.  So what about what's between those pretty pieces of cardboard?  Well... I loved the premise of this book.  A private school for girls with special abilities- seeing the future, reading minds, feeling the emotions of others- to name a few.  I loved the secrecy behind who the man funding the school was, and what happens to the girls upon "graduating".  I loved that no one could see him, and I loved that no one knew what his motives were.  Those questions kept me turning pages.  I also liked the characters.  I really liked James a lot, right from the beginning, but I especially liked him when we learned more about him toward the end of the book.  I think I like Fia, although to be honest, I still have too many questions about who she is to say for sure.  We never really find out exactly why she is so important, and that bothered me.  Annie was alright.  I didn't dislike her, I just thought she was maybe a bit bland.  I liked her enough, but she wasn't very exciting.  We didn't get to know Adam very well, but I have a good feeling about him.  I feel like there is still loads of development left to go on all of the characters, but so far, so good.  The pacing went both ways.  I mentioned earlier in my review that the story was slow to start, but it really did pick up abut 1/3 of the way through, and when it did, it really did.  The action was really well done, and I was on the edge of my seat for most of the 2nd half of the book.  Of course, writing action is one of Kiersten's strengths, as evidenced by the Paranormalcy books, so I wasn't expecting anything less.

Overall, I would say that although Mind Games didn't hold a candle to Paranormalcy, I still really enjoyed it.  It was a short, quick read that left me wanting more (both in a good way and in a bad way). I will definitely pick up the second book of the series next year because there is no way I am going through life without knowing the answers to all of my questions!

Rating:  ★ ★ ★ ½ 

Grade Level Recommendation:  This book was pretty clean.  There were a few make-out scenes, and a good bit of violence, but it was pretty benign otherwise.  Appropriate for 6th grade and up (ages 11 and up).

ARC Review: If You Find Me by Emily Murdoch

Publisher:  St. Martin's Griffin

Publication Date: March 26th, 2013

There are some things you can’t leave behind…A broken-down camper hidden deep in a national forest is the only home fifteen-year-old Carey can remember. The trees keep guard over her threadbare existence, with the one bright spot being Carey’s younger sister, Jenessa, who depends on Carey for her very survival. All they have is each other, as their mentally ill mother comes and goes with greater frequency. Until that one fateful day their mother disappears for good, and two strangers arrive. Suddenly, the girls are taken from the woods and thrust into a bright and perplexing new world of high school, clothes and boys.

Now, Carey must face the truth of why her mother abducted her ten years ago, while haunted by a past that won’t let her go… a dark past that hides many a secret, including the reason Jenessa hasn’t spoken a word in over a year. Carey knows she must keep her sister close, and her secrets even closer, or risk watching her new life come crashing down.

(Courtesy of Goodreads)

Lately I've been in a weird pattern when it comes to books; It seems that almost every book I've picked up recently has been really slow to start.  I can't tell you how many books I have on my nightstand that are set aside 1/3 of the way in because I wasn't feeling the pull that I like to feel. (Actually, I can... That number is eight.)  Although the slow starters that I have been able to finish have ended up being very good, I think I will always prefer the early hook.  I am attentionally challenged, and if there isn't something to grab me early on, I lose patience.  I'm sure I miss out on a great number of amazing books because of this, but I also think that gives me an advantage when reviewing books that target the teen audience, because teens are very instant-gratification oriented.  But we can save all that for another post.  My point here is that I think If You Find Me has gotten me out of that slow-to-start funk.  I was drawn into this book from the very first chapter, and it did not let me go until the final page.  In fact, If You Find Me still hasn't let me go.  It is a story that is as happy as it is heartbreaking, and I found myself experiencing a broader range of emotions in 256 pages than I ever thought possible.  Fear, joy, anger, excitement, heartbreak, love, loss, happiness, grief, inspiration, disgust, optimism, melancholy.  And that list doesn't even come close to covering them all...

The story begins with Carey and Nessa fending for themselves, living in a camper, deep in the Obed Wild & Scenic River National Park, waiting for their meth-addicted mother to return from a trip to the  nearest town to get supplies.  Carey is full of worry because it has been over a month since she left, and they are running low on food.  It's not their mother who comes to their rescue, though.  It's a social worker and Carey's father, the man their mother kidnapped Carey from, ten years prior.  Carey has only vague memories of life before the woods, and Nessa knows nothing else.  The girls are taken from the only life they know, harsh as it had was, to a modern world, overnight.  They go to live with their father, his wife, and her daughter, and although these changes are all for the better, Carey is as fragile as she's ever been.  She has deep, painful secrets, physical and emotional scars, and a great deal of internal conflict.  She knows the changes she and her sister are going through are best, especially for six year-old Nessa, but she doesn't know how to trust that it isn't all a dream- a rug ready to be pulled out from under them.  Her story is an intense emotional rollercoaster, as debut author Emily Murdoch deftly alternates her present situation with her memories of life in the woods- the good ones and the horrifying- in a voice that made Carey seem so real and vulnerable;  This book read more like a memoir than it did fiction.  If You Find Me touched me deeply, as I felt every one of Carey's emotions to my core.

This was very much Carey's story, but she wasn't the only phenomenally drawn character.  Nessa was amazing as well.  She was a picture of the resiliency of small children, and it brought me a tremendous amount of joy to see her grow as a result of the love that surrounded her, after having such a harrowing start to her life.  It was wonderful to see that growth through Carey's eyes, because in reality, Carey was the the mother that Joelle, their biological mother, never was.  I adored Melissa, their stepmother, who went well above and beyond, and as a side note, I thought it was great to see a stepmother portrayed in a positive light.  Carey's father was a character that took me some time to warm to.  I had a great amount of admiration for him because of the fact that he never treated Nessa any differently than he did Carey, despite the fact that she wasn't his, but otherwise, I was unsure of him because I was viewing him through Carey's eyes, and she only had the lies her mother had told her of him to go on.  Initially he was rather closed off, but as he opened himself up, it became clear that he was the way he was was because of the uncertainty he endured for so many years.  As a parent, I can't even imagine being in his shoes.  What I liked best about his portrayal was that much of what we learned about him came from the snipes and jabs that seemingly self-absorbed stepdaughter Delaney threw out from time to time.  And speaking of Delaney...  She was such an important character, and although she was so unlikeable much of the time, I thought Emily Murdoch did a flawless job making sure that the reader understood why she was the way she was. In the end, I was almost as sympathetic toward her as I was toward Carey and Nessa, because although her life was a cake-walk compared to theirs, she had to endure her own feelings of inadequacy in the shadow of the kidnapped (and then found) daughter, and that could not have been easy.  Finally, there was Ryan.  I don't want to spoil, so I won't say much about him, but his character was great, and a perfect addition to Carey's story.

If You Find Me is hands-down, one of the best books of this nature that I have ever read.  It is a heartbreaking story that ends with a message of hope.  Although I would love to know more about what Carey's future holds, I feel like I got proper closure to this chapter of her life.  One thing I know for sure is that I will be on the lookout for more of Emily Murdoch's writing, because she has talent I have a good feeling will endure.

My Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★  

Grade Level Recommendation:  This is a tough one.  First I want to say that I think there is great crossover appeal to the adult market, as I know many adults (non-YA readers) who would like this book.  There are somewhat graphic descriptions of the sexual abuse, prostitution, and sexual assault of children.  Carey endured horrible things, much of the time with the knowledge that if she didn't do them, Nessa would have to.  That said, I think that this book has a very positive message of hope and the possibility of overcoming any obstacle.  If I had to make a blanket statement, based on content, I would say this book is for ages 15 and older (grades 10 and up), but I would also encourage the evaluation of each reader as an individual, because I feel like many younger students would have the maturity to handle the graphic parts of the story.  I am able to say this; This book is not appropriate for anyone younger than 8th or 9th grade.

ARC Review: Spellcaster by Claudia Gray

Publisher: HarperTeen

Publication Date; March 5th, 2013

When Nadia’s family moves to Captive’s Sound, she instantly realizes there’s more to it than meets the eye. Descended from witches, Nadia senses a dark and powerful magic at work in her new town. Mateo has lived in Captive’s Sound his entire life, trying to dodge the local legend that his family is cursed - and that curse will cause him to believe he’s seeing the future … until it drives him mad. When the strange dreams Mateo has been having of rescuing a beautiful girl—Nadia—from a car accident come true, he knows he’s doomed. 

Despite the forces pulling them apart, Nadia and Mateo must work together to break the chains of his family’s terrible curse, and to prevent a disaster that threatens the lives of everyone around them. Shimmering with magic and mystery, New York Times bestselling author Claudia Gray’s new novel is sure to draw fans of the Hex Hall and Caster Chronicles series, and fans of the hit CW TV show The Secret Circle.

(Courtesy of Goodreads)

I will start this review by saying that although I had Spellcaster on my TBR, I wasn't eagerly awaiting it  like a lot of bloggers I know.  That's not to say I wasn't excited when it came in a random, unexpected package from HarperTeen one day.  You see, although I'm not quite a fangirl of Claudia Gray's (yet), I am slightly familiar with her work, having read her werewolves-on-the-Titanic stand-alone, Fateful, which was very good.  I've never read her wildly popular Evernight series, but I have to say that after reading Spellcaster and Fateful, I'm inclined to pick it up (if I ever get caught up on my review reading).  That statement alone should tell you that I enjoyed Spellcaster; It did have a few problems for me, but overall, I thought it was a great read.  So, without further ado...

I guess I will start with the things I didn't like, which are few.  First off, I feel like HarperTeen let me down with that cover.  I mean, it's okay and it's pretty, but I expect a lot more from them.  The first thing I think of when I think of HarperTeen as a publishing house is that they consistently have the best, most eye-catching covers.  I have more HarperTeen titles on my shelves for the covers alone, than any other publisher, and I've DEFINITELY read a huge number of their titles that I might not have otherwise read, because of the covers.  (Yes.  My name is Karis, and I am a cover whore.)  The next thing on my list of "things that bothered me" was that I felt like the first third of the book was a bit on the predictable side.  There were several things I saw coming a mile away.  That said, after the first wildly unpredictable revelation, they really just kept coming, right up until the end.  And that leads me to my final gripe, which is the ending.  It's a doozie of a cliffhanger, and while I usually enjoy a well-done cliffhanger, I felt like this one was just cruel.  I was left with so many unanswered questions, and really, no answers to speak of.  So there are my "things I needed to bitch about".  Now for the good stuff...

I really enjoyed Claudia's writing style.  She writes in a kind of poetic way.  I usually don't write down quotes, but I found myself doing just that while reading Spellcaster.  My favorite?  "Something else looked through the crow's stolen eyes and recorded it all.  The crow flew on, unknowing, enslaved, and blind."  That line made my skin crawl, and was definitely the one that hooked me. Also, Claudia doesn't dumb things down.  She uses big words and in doing so, makes me feel like she believes her readers to be intelligent.  That makes me happy.  So much YA is written with content for teens and up, but at a 4th grade reading level.  I love it when an author gives her readers some credit.  They DO read books for FUN, for Heaven's sake.  They must be smarter than average, right?  I also loved the way this story flowed.  For the most part, it moved at a pretty even pace that kept me turning pages well into the night. There were a few slow points, but in hindsight, they were necessary.  The buildup really made the big moments stand out.

The characters and the story itself were the highlights of this book for me.  The story was equally character driven and plot driven, so I'll start with the characters.  I really liked Nadia and Mateo, and I loved Verlaine and Elizabeth.  Nadia was interesting because she was so insecure, but so strong-willed at the same time.  It was like she was in constant conflict with herself.  As for Mateo, I found him a bit whiny at first.  "Oh, the curse.  Oh, I'm doomed to go crazy."  Blah, blah.  But it was like, once he found out that the curse was actually a real thing, he manned up, and then I liked him.  Verlaine was headstrong and she made things happen, and I love characters like her.  That girl had a tough life, but she never let her circumstances undermine her.  Elizabeth was just...  Well, read the book, and you'll see.  The story?  Well, it is a witch story, which is my favorite kind of Paranormal. That said, it was very unique (I don't think it is anything like Hex Hall or The Caster Chronicles, both of which I adored, by the way.).  I was really intrigued by the idea of the Steadfast, and I thought it was brilliant that the ingredients for each spell were a series of personal memories.  Witches could only gain strength as they lived life; That was cool.  I also thought the rules of being a witch were interesting, and I am curious to see how they come into play in the next two books.  I'm also quite intrigued with the mystery surrounding Nadia's mother, who is also a witch, and who unexpectedly left her family in the middle of Nadia's training.  There was a lot of foreshadowing going on in reference to her, but no answers at the end.  I predict she will play a huge role in the continuation of this story.

Overall, I thought this was a solid beginning to a trilogy that I am really going to enjoy right up to the end.  I have a lot of unanswered questions right now, and although I find that somewhat bothersome, given my impatient nature, it guarantees that I will read book number two, Steadfast (March, 2014).

My Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★  

Grade Level Recommendation:  This book was pretty clean.  There was some teen drinking, but other than that, it was pretty mild.  There was very innocent romance, no sex (although it was alluded to at one point), and no language.  I would say this book is fine for grades 6 and up (ages 11+). 

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: Poison by Bridget Zinn

Publisher: Disney/Hyperion

Publication Date:  March 12th, 2013

Sixteen-year-old Kyra, a highly-skilled potions master, is the only one who knows her kingdom is on the verge of destruction—which means she’s the only one who can save it. Faced with no other choice, Kyra decides to do what she does best: poison the kingdom’s future ruler, who also happens to be her former best friend.

But, for the first time ever, her poisoned dart . . . misses.

Now a fugitive instead of a hero, Kyra is caught in a game of hide-and-seek with the king’s army and her potioner ex-boyfriend, Hal. At least she’s not alone. She’s armed with her vital potions, a too-cute pig, and Fred, the charming adventurer she can’t stop thinking about. Kyra is determined to get herself a second chance (at murder), but will she be able to find and defeat the princess before Hal and the army find her?

Kyra is not your typical murderer, and she’s certainly no damsel-in-distress—she’s the lovable and quick-witted hero of this romantic novel that has all the right ingredients to make teen girls swoon.

(Courtesy of Goodreads)

What a breath of fresh air this book was!  Seriously.  When it came in the mail, I looked at the cover, and immediately (mis)judged it as something that was going to be really silly and juvenile, and I am happy to admit (as long as no one tells my husband) that I was totally wrong.  Poison is a really well-written YA Fantasy that will likely have a very broad readership.  It's got great characters, a well paced plot, an innocent romance, lots of unexpected twists, and a whole lot more.  Also, it is squeaky clean, so it's perfect for those advanced elementary school age readers who want to venture into some more challenging books, without losing their innocence.  Poison is one of those all-ages reads that would be great as a read-aloud to kids, but also engaging and smart enough for the most jaded YA readers, myself included.  

So you get it... I have much love for this book, and although I briefly mentioned my reasons above, her is where I will elaborate.  I thought this book was a lot of fun.  The themes weren't heavy, and I didn't go to bed hashing the events I just read out in my head.  The story was fast-paced and full of action and adventure, with a lot of funny events along the way.  The story went back and forth between adventure and fun, with little twists here and there to keep the reader on her toes, but not so many that it became confusing.  It was fresh and original.  There was no real love triangles or insta-love, which is almost unheard of in YA.  I would like to give you an overview, but there is too much potential for spoilers, so I will leave it at this... You will want to keep turning the pages because you are intrigued by the story and at the same time, having fun.

The characters were also great, and there were many, but I'm only going to talk about a few.  Kyra is a pretty kick-ass heroine; Lethal with her poisons, a well trained fighter, and super smart, but she is also kind of awkward and insecure, and I loved that.  Over time on the run, she had become a very solitary person, so when Fred comes along, she doesn't quite know what to do with him.  And speaking of Fred... Such a cutie.  I could not, for the life of me, figure out why she was always trying to get rid of him, because I thought he was just great.  He made me laugh, and he got her out of more than one bind.  My favorite was Rosie the pig though.  I wish I could reach into the book and grab her to keep as my own pet.  She provided just what this book needed to keep it light, and fun.  I mean, come on, what is there not to like about a tiny, magical pig?

The last thing I must mention is the world in which this story took place.  I thought the author did a great job drawing the reader in by really bringing the setting to life with her words.  Her descriptions were great, and she really captured not only the physical environment, but the emotional climate.   The main characters covered a lot of ground in their travels and adventures in this book, and I always thought the world-building was solid.  In the Fantasy genre, worlds are often either way overdone, or not built up enough.  This book had a whole lot of "just right" going on.

The only thing that sucks about this book is that it will be the only one.  Sadly, the author, Bridget Zinn, passed away shortly after writing Poison.  It is such a tragedy that her life was cut short, before she got to share more of her amazing talent.

My Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ½ 

Grade Level Recommendation:  Like I mentioned before, this book is squeaky clean.  No cursing, sex, or other inappropriate content.  This book is 100% suitable for all ages.

ARC Review: Notes From Ghost Town by Kate Ellison

Publisher:  EgmontUSA

Publication Date:  February 12th, 2013

They say first love never dies...

From critically acclaimed author Kate Ellison comes a heartbreaking mystery of mental illness, unspoken love, and murder. When sixteen-year-old artist Olivia Tithe is visited by the ghost of her first love, Lucas Stern, it’s only through scattered images and notes left behind that she can unravel the mystery of his death. 

There’s a catch: Olivia has gone colorblind, and there’s a good chance she’s losing her mind completely—just like her mother did. How else to explain seeing (and falling in love all over again with) someone who isn’t really there?

With the murder trial looming just nine days away, Olivia must follow her heart to the truth, no matter how painful. It’s the only way she can save herself.

(Courtesy of Goodreads)

Okay, I'm not going to lie and say that I loved Kate Ellison's debut, The Butterfly Clues, because I didn't.  Honestly, I'm not sure I even finished it; Goodreads says that I didn't...  I'm certain I started it, and found myself underwhelmed, but that was over a year ago, AND I know it got starred reviews from Booklist and School Library Journal, plus it has an almost 4-star average rating on Goodreads, so I know other people liked it, so I may go back and give it another go.  Why?  Because Kate's second novel, Notes From Ghost Town, was UH-MAY-ZING!  I really, really loved it. A lot.  I just did a giveaway of both books, and the winner of that giveaway is one lucky girl!

So...  Why did I love this book so much?  Well, for starters, it was a ghost story.  I really like ghost stories, and I like romantic ghost stories in particular.  This one was better than most, though.  You see, this one felt more real to me because even though the ghost boy and the living girl loved each other, there was no continuing the romance from the other side because, are you ready for this?  HE.  IS.  DEAD.  And you can't carry on a relationship with someone who is dead.  As much as I loved book series' like Anna Dressed In Blood by Kendare Blake and Hereafter by Tara Hudson, this one felt more real than fantasy...  I also liked that there was the whole schizo, psychotic break thing to add to the drama.  Is Olivia really seeing Stern, or is she just as batshit crazy as Mom?  I mean, she did also go colorblind when she kissed him right before he was murdered...  Because I had to work all of this out, I felt compelled to keep reading this book, and it did not disappoint...

Another reason this book was so awesome had to do with the characters, of which there were many.  That said, I'm only going to mention a few.  I already mentioned Olivia, the protagonist, a very real picture of a teen girl who is dealing with WAY too much for a girl her age- batshit crazy mom, trying to hide the fact that she might be right there with her, the fact that her mom is going on trial for the murder of her BFF/love-of-her-life, the upcoming nuptials of her dad to someone he met in "My Significant Other is Crazy Support Group", and more.  The poor girl.  No wonder she's such a mess...   There is also Raina, the third in her and Stern's BFF trio, and her only real remaining friend.  Raina is a mixed bag of good friend and self absorbed, but much of that has to do with how well Olivia is hiding her possible-crazy.  Stern is complicated, mostly because he is a ghost who can't remember details, but who knows he loves Olivia, and also that her mom didn't kill him, but not how to clear her.  There's Wynn, the stepmom's little girl, who Olivia adores, and who, more than once, helps Olivia hold it together just by existing.  Finally, there's Austin Morse.  He is the son of Olivia's dad's boss, way over-privileged, super-hot, and suddenly, inexplicably into Olivia.  I loved how well drawn the characters were, but also, how their details were fed to us over the course of the book; Woven into the plot seamlessly.

Finally, I loved the story and the manner in which it was told.  Kate Ellison knows how to write a Murder-Mystery!  This book would make an excellent movie, because it was thrilling, and the pacing was phenomenal.  I loved that the romantic element was there, but not the entire plot.  There were familial issues, mental health issues, social issues, and legal issues as well.  Everything was rolled up into this story that could have gone so wrong, had just one little thing been off.  Fortunately, that was not the case at all.  I don't often cry during books, but I must say that the final pages of this book slayed me (and before you rush to back of the book to read them, understand that it was because of the content of the ENTIRE book leading up to them).  I actually cried when I read them.  I loved the way this book ended, and I am always happy when an author writes a stand-alone that is THIS good.

Overall, I have to say that Notes From Ghost Town has been one of my favorites this year, which is something I never expected considering my experience (or maybe, non-experience) with The Butterfly Clues.  Because of this, I think I will go back and give that book another go!

My Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Grade Level Recommendation:  There's some teen drinking, and Olivia makes some poor choices that are more implied in this book, than outright stated, but I would still say this is a book for upper middle school aged students and over.  Grades 7 and up (ages 12+).

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: The Trouble With Flirting by Claire LaZebnik

Publisher:  HarperTeen

Publication Date:  February 26th, 2013

Franny's supposed to be working this summer, not flirting. But you can't blame her when guys like Alex and Harry are around. . . .

Franny Pearson never dreamed she'd be attending the prestigious Mansfield Summer Theater Program. And she's not, exactly. She's working for her aunt, the resident costume designer. But sewing her fingers to the bone does give her an opportunity to spend time with her crush, Alex Braverman. If only he were as taken with the girl hemming his trousers as he is with his new leading lady.

When Harry Cartwright, a notorious flirt, shows more than a friendly interest in Franny, she figures it can't hurt to have a little fun. But as their breezy romance grows more complicated, can Franny keep pretending that Harry is just a carefree fling? And why is Alex suddenly giving her those deep, meaningful looks? In this charming tale of mixed messages and romantic near-misses, one thing is clear: Flirting might be more trouble than Franny ever expected.

(Courtesy of Goodreads)

Oh, Claire LaZebnik, I so love the way you write!  Each time I read one of your books, I come away with a overall feeling that all is right with the universe, and that true love really does exist.  Trust me, THAT is a huge accomplishment, because I am possibly one of the most jaded people ever when it comes to love.  I absolutely DETEST Valentine's Day, get totally grossed out when my friends express their gushy feelings toward their significant others on Facebook, and believe that the true and everlasting love of a single person is a total myth.  Now, a true and everlasting love of cupcakes, well, that is another story...  Moving on.

About a year and a half ago, I reviewed Claire's YA debut, Epic Fail, and LOVED it (read my full review HERE). Claire has several other Chick Lit titles under her belt, as well as some non-fiction titles dealing with Autism (check out her Goodreads profile HERE), but I believe that YA is her forte; She has a real knack for understanding the minds of the characters she writes, as well as those of her target audience.  Plus, I love that her YA novels have been loose retellings of Jane Austen novels, because I believe that they will open the minds of a new generation to reading those dusty, old, WONDERFUL books!

So, The Trouble With Flirting?  All I can say is that I adored it.  (Actually, that isn't ALL I can say, but it sounded good.)  I just happened to be sick the day after I received it in the mail *coughs*, and read it straight through in one sitting!  It is a loosely based, modern retelling of Mansfield Park, and I thought it was near perfect.  Mansfield Park isn't my favorite of Jane Austen's books, nor is it my least favorite; Actually it falls right in the middle for me.  That meant one very important thing for me while reading The Trouble With Flirting... I had an open mind to the story, because I didn't feel a tremendous urge to compare and nitpick, as it pertained to the original, because this story is very loosely based on the original, and if it had been, say, Emma, I may not have been so okay with liberties.  That said, I am not going to do a play-by-play comparison. I'm just going to tell you the reasons I loved it.

Obviously, I was drawn to it because it's a modern retelling, so the story was big for me.  I loved it.  I loved that the protagonist, Franny, was at this summer theater camp, not as an actress as she would have liked to have been, but as an assistant to the costume designer, her spinster aunt.  You see, Franny's family can't afford to send her to college, let alone an expensive summer camp, so she is spending her summer earning money to help fund her education.  When Franny arrives at the Mansfield Summer Theater Program, she runs into her old friend from middle school, Julia Braverman.  This is when she finds out that Julia's brother, Alex, is also there; Alex, Franny's forever-crush, and the first boy she ever had it bad for... As Franny catches up with Julia and Alex, she meets other students and begins to build an awkward social life (after all, she is "the help", and these teens are all rich, beautiful, and sophisticated).  Enter Harry Cartwright, a roguish ladies man, who has the eye of every girl at Mansfield, except Franny, who is firmly pining for the attached Alex.  Well, of course, that means Harry sets his sights on the one he can't have, Franny... The story continues in ways that I wouldn't have expected it to, and it left me feeling very satisfied in the end.  Honestly, if you had asked me at the beginning, I would have said that, without a doubt, I knew how it would end, and it makes me happy to know that I would have been dead wrong.

Something else I really loved about this book were the characters and character development   Claire went out of her way to show us that people aren't always who they appear to be on the surface, and that everyone should be given the benefit of the doubt.  I became so caught up in the details of each character, that I found myself thinking of them as friends.  The interpersonal relationships between the characters would not have been so key had the characters themselves not been developed so well.  Of course, I loved Franny.  She was just a great girl.  Sure she was insecure and made a few poor choices, but she always owned up to them, and tried to fix any damage she may have caused.  Aunt Amelia really surprised me a lot, as did Isabella, and the boys.  I only had one character pegged from the beginning, and that was Marie; She was pretty much the very necessary, if cliche, romantic antagonist.

Like I said before, I found this book to be near perfection.  It was light, sweet, and so upbeat, I couldn't help but close it with a ginormous smile on my face.  It was like the feeling you have when you've just finished an airy, delectable pastry; Satisfied, yet craving more.  That is exactly how I feel about Claire's writing, and I can't wait to read what she has coming next!

My Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★  

Grade Level Recommendation:  This is perfectly fine for middle school and up.  There are a couple of hot and heavy make-outs, and some mention of a few morally questionable girls, and there are a few characters who smoke and drink, but overall, it it pretty benign stuff.  I would say it is fine for grades 6 and up (ages 12+).

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+).