Dead to You by Lisa McMann

From Good Reads:

Ethan was abducted from his front yard when he was just seven years old. Now, at sixteen, he has returned to his family. It's a miracle... at first. Then the tensions start to build. His reintroduction to his old life isn't going smoothly, and his family is tearing apart all over again. If only Ethan could remember something, anything, about his life before, he'd be able to put the pieces back together. But there's something that's keeping his memory blocked. Something unspeakable...

My thoughts:

I just finished reading this book in one afternoon-- it is the type of story that grabs you and you can't put the book down until you know what happens. I don't want to put spoilers in my write up so all I will say is that hours later I am still pondering the ending. This would be a great book to discuss! This one is going to be popular with my student patrons!

Cinder by Marissa Meyer

2012 Debut

From Good Reads:


Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth's fate hinges on one girl... Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She's a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister's illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai's, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world's future.


My thoughts:

The start to another great series!!  Cinder, a loose retelling of the Cinderella story, is set sometime in the future in a place called New Beijing.  Cinder lives with her step mother and two step sisters and desperately would love to go to the festival ball... but can't because she is a cyborg and is not allowed by her step mother.  While all of this sounds familiar to the fairy tale there is a LOT more to this story.  The population of New Beijing is in danger due to a terrible plague that is killing so many.  There is also danger of potential war if an agreement is not worked out with the Luna population that live on the moon.  Cinder, a gifted mechanic, meet Prince Kai who needs her help to repair an android who just may have information that will save New Beijing.

Cinder is a fast paced, interesting, and well written novel.  I loved the cover art with the picture of a leg in a red high heel with the metal cyborg part showing.  I anticipate this will be a very popular book with my students.  I definitely have the rest of the series on my TBR pile as the books release.  While it is hard to wait, the conclusion to Cinder is satisfactory- a must for me in series books.  Highly recommended.

First Date

2012 DAC

From Good Reads:


The orphaned daughter of missionaries, Addy Davidson discovers God's unexpected plans for her life when a reality TV show turns her quiet existence on its head.




My thoughts:
The premise behind "First Date" is really cute- a reality tv show for teenage girls all trying to win a prom date with the President's son.  The main character, Addy, is encouraged to participate in the contest by her guardian/uncle and her school principal but she really does not want all the attention the show brings.  Many aspects of this novel are a bit unrealistic, but that did not detract from the appeal of the story for me.  I found this book to be thoroughly enjoyable.  In fact I felt a few moments of panic when it seemed the E Galley had only downloaded half the book to my Nook! Thank goodness I got the problem resolved and was able to read the rest of the book!

Addy is a very like-able girl and I really liked her dedication to her principles and religion.  I also liked the fact that she was not made to seem perfect.  Addy is a devout Christian but she struggles with how to share her beliefs with the reality show she is on.  First Date is a very refreshing  read about a teenager with strong values and a sense of purpose in her life that is not tied up in a boy for happiness.  The fact that the teenager finds a nice boy just makes the story romantic and delightful! 

Author website:

http://www.kristamcgee.org/

A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness

From Good Reads:
This is an extraordinarily moving novel about coming to terms with loss. The monster showed up just after midnight. As they do. But it isn’t the monster Conor’s been expecting. He’s been expecting the one from his nightmare, the nightmare he’s had nearly every night since his mother started her treatments, the one with the darkness and the wind and the screaming. . . .

This monster, though, is something different. Something ancient, something wild. And it wants the most dangerous thing of all from Conor.
It wants the truth.

Patrick Ness spins a tale from the final story idea of Siobhan Dowd, whose premature death from cancer prevented her from writing it herself. Darkly mischievous and painfully funny, A Monster Calls is an extraordinarily moving novel about coming to terms with loss from two of our finest writers for young adults.

My thoughts:


A Monster Calls is a masterpiece. I was captivated by the story behind this book- that Siobhan Dowd had the idea but was not able to write the novel before dying from cancer. I LOVED the author forward where Patrick Ness explained why he was at first hesitant to write someone else's story and why he ultimately did. I am so happy that I loved the actual book as much as I loved the backstory to the book. 

The emotion in this book is so powerful and the black and white illustrations are magnificent. It is pretty unusual to have illustrations in a YA novel and they really help to capture the horror and hope of this story. 

I am anxious to see what my student readers think of this book. I suspect they will really like it, although for different reasons than me. As a mother I found myself relating to how Conor's mother must feel. You hear about adult titles that appeal to a YA market, well I think this is a YA title that will also appeal to an adult market. 

As I said at the start of this review-- it is a masterpiece.

Top Ten Tuesday 1

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.  This week's topic is the Top Ten Books That Would Make Great Book Club Picks.  This is actually my very first time posting a Top Ten Tuesday and I happen to be in a unique position to address this particular topic.  I am lucky enough to run a book club at my high school with the awesome blogger at Indie's Book Shelf  and we decided to co-post a top ten list this week.  We actually posed a similar question to our students in our club, and they, along with the two of us, compiled this list.  In no particular order.  

Top Ten (or at least Ten Really Good) Book Club Book Picks:

1.  Unwind by Neal Shusterman:

There is plenty to discuss with this book, it appeals to boys and girls, and it is extremely exciting and well-written.  Lots of fun to be had by a book club!

  

2.  Everybody Sees the Ants by A.S. King:

We've been mulling this book over as it deals with a timely topic for high schoolers:  bullying.  Again, the appeal for both male and female readers, as well as the multiple discussion opportunities, makes this a good choice for our kids.

3.  After by Amy Efaw:

Dealing with a very controversial issue is exactly what books are for, and having a supportive group in which to discuss these topics makes that experience even more valuable.  This novel deals with a teenager who is put into juvenile detention for abandoning her newborn baby in a Dumpster.  Though it is gruesome, the ending leaves a LOT to be discussed - we had many students who enjoyed reading this over the summer as part of the Virginia Reader's Choice list.

  

4.  Infinity by Sherrilyn Kenyon:

This one was a student pick.  Though sometimes series can be tough to do with a club, the high level of action and suspense would make it a fun group read.  I haven't read this book yet, but a high school vampire slayer sounds right up my alley!

5.  The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson:

Ok, haven't read this one either... pretty sure it was our girlies' answer to Infinity. Again, though, the summary on Goodreads and on the book jacket have put it in my TBR pile.  Romance, revolution, and a mysterious prophecy - sign me up!

6.  Not as Crazy as I Seem by George Harrar:

Another student pick, one that deals with Devon Brown and his struggle to fit into high school with OCD.  Again, I haven't read the book, but I admire the students' sensitivity in selecting this one.  Tolerance and compassion are excellent lessons, and two our school is focusing on this school year.  Discussing both the plot as well as learning about something new would be a great way to meet as a club.

7.  Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi

This book won the 2010 Printz Award is absolutely fantastic.  While I have a little bit of a hard time selling this book to kids, no one who has read it dislikes it.  I really enjoyed the writing in this dystopian thriller.  The fact that there is a strong male protagonist in this novel is a real strength as well.  

8.  The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin:

This is a great psychological thriller that I know kids will have fun discussing.  The ending of this book is unreal too- it really lends itself to a great book club discussion of what we think may come next.  Knowing that book two is coming in the fall sets the club up to read and discuss the sequel too!

9.  Divergent by Veronica Roth:

Our book club actually read and discussed this novel as a group.  We enjoyed talking about how this society came to be, what faction we would be in if we had to choose, and what we think will happen in the next book, Insurgent.

10.The Bitter End and/or The Hate List by Jennifer Brown

Both of the fabulous realistic fiction novels by Jennifer Brown are prime for discussion!  The Hate List deals with the aftermath of a high school shooting and The Bitter End is about a teenage girl who finds herself in an abusive relationship with her boyfriend.  


What tips and tricks do people have for running a YA book club?  We are in our first year, and any help would be welcome!

Lola and the Boy Next Door

Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins
338 pages
Published: 9/29/2011
Publisher: Dutton Books

From Good Reads:


Budding designer Lola Nolan doesn’t believe in fashion . . . she believes in costume. The more expressive the outfit -- more sparkly, more fun, more wild -- the better. But even though Lola’s style is outrageous, she’s a devoted daughter and friend with some big plans for the future. And everything is pretty perfect (right down to her hot rocker boyfriend) until the dreaded Bell twins, Calliope and Cricket, return to the neighborhood. 

When Cricket -- a gifted inventor -- steps out from his twin sister’s shadow and back into Lola’s life, she must finally reconcile a lifetime of feelings for the boy next door.


My thoughts:


LOVED IT! This was even better than Anna and the French Kiss, which I also loved. Stephanie Perkins really has a knack for creating a character on paper who seems real. The premise behind this story is not original, but Lola makes the story unique. I loved her confidence and all her cool costumes. I also loved her insecurity and indecision that made her such as authentic character. Although this is a romantic girl falls for the boy next door book, it is also so much more. I found myself thinking of parental love and what makes good parents as I read about Lola's Dads and all their rules. I thought of sibling love and how important the sibling bond can be as I read about Calliope and Cricket's relationship. The book also made me think about forgiveness and how important it to be accepting and tolerant of the people in your life as I read about Lola's birth mother, Nora. This simple story has many, fun, layers. 

I read Anna and the Boy Next Door in one sitting into the wee hours of the morning and I just did the same thing with Lola. These books consumed me and I did not want to put them down until I reached the end. It was also fun to read about characters from Anna and the French Kiss  (Anna and St Claire) in Lola and the Boy Next Door. 

A five star review for me! I anxiously await Stephanie Perkins next book!

Stand Alone Reading Challenge

The bloggers at Icey Books and I Like These Books are hosting a Stand Alone Reading Challenge that I have decided to participate in.  I personally love to read a series but I really need some good, new titles to booktalk to library patrons who want a standalone.  I looking forward to reading:

The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith 

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green 

Fracture by Megan Miranda 

Wanderlove by Kirsten Hubbard 

Don't Breathe a Word by Holly Cupala 

The Disenchantments by Nina LaCour 

The Story of Us by Deb Caletti 

Try Not to Breathe by Jennifer R. Hubbard 

Dead to You by Lisa McMann

Love? Maybe by Heather Hepler 

Cracked by K.M. Walton 

Double by Jenny Valentine

Where it Began by Ann Stampler

Someone Else’s Life by Katie Dale 

Second Chance Summer by Morgan Matson