I have been obsessed with Michelle Hodkin‘s debut series ever since I first read an early copy of THE UNBECOMING OF MARA DYER in June of 2011 and stayed up way too late because I couldn’t stop reading and woke up too early after a late night because I needed to know what would happen. It instantly became my most often recommended book to all of my friends and students.

Instead of just sharing my thoughts about the final book, I’ve put my thoughts from all three books in the same place in the hope that if you haven’t yet listened to my recommendation to read. this. book. now., this will inspire you to now that you can read through the whole trilogy at once (and not have to wait over three years like I did!).

Mara Dyer wants to believe there’s more to the lies she’s been told.

There is.

She doesn’t stop to think about where her quest for the truth might lead.

She should.

She never had to imagine how far she would go for vengeance.

She will now.

Loyalties are betrayed, guilt and innocence tangle, and fate and chance collide in this shocking conclusion to Mara Dyer’s story.

Retribution has arrived. 

Oh how I love this series! The ending was worth the wait for Michelle to get it just right, and she did. There were expletives said, sections reread, mind blown, paragraphs & lines savored, questions answered, connections to the previous books, smirks on my face, cheers in my head, and fulfillment felt as I read through this final chapter in the Mara Dyer saga.

Mara Dyer believes life can’t get any stranger than waking up in a hospital with no memory of how she got there.It can. 
She believes there must be more to the accident she can’t remember that killed her friends and left her strangely unharmed. There is.
She doesn’t believe that after everything she’s been through, she can fall in love. She’s wrong.

THE UNBECOMING OF MARA DYER is one of the most interesting books that I have read in awhile. It blew my mind, kept me on my toes, crawled under my skin, tugged at my heart, and won’t get out of my head. It is a multi-layered story: part psychological thriller, part epic teen romance, part high school story, part mystery, part family dynamics, and part suspense. Oh, and I can’t forget the slight paranormal tendencies (in the mental sense not creatures) underlying the events of this book. It is a page-turning, hard to put down, want to know what will happen and how the main character will figure it all out kind of book. It starts with a note from Mara setting up the premise that she’s going to be telling you her story (under a pseudonym) of why her life is not normal. It’s definitely a book you have to read with an open mind so you can just go with it. At times I thought, “oh, this is like ___” only to find out I was wrong, but I could definitely see the influences of other YA books, but done with unique twists. There are lots of “what is going on?!” and “did that just happen?!” moments, but that’s what made it so much more readable.


Michelle Hodkin (a debut author!) has an engaging writing style that is a nice balance of descriptive, exciting, humorous, suspenseful, sarcastic, and intelligent. It just draws you in without even realizing it and you find yourself negotiating “just one more chapter before I go to sleep” fifteen times in a row until you can’t keep your eyes open anymore. Parts of this book (especially the dialogue) were so smile to myself entertaining I found myself rereading them just to soak them in more and deeply process the subtle references and entertaining quality.


And the main character Michelle has written in Mara? Not the most reliable, or most sane, but she’s got an awesome sass to her that I love, and underneath her insecurity and unsureness has a strength and integrity that drew me to her even more. Mara doesn’t remember what happened the night the building collapsed and her friends were killed. One of the best parts of this book is the way that Mara’s memories of that night start to come back to her. We get flashbacks through her dreams as she gets them – leaving us feeling as unsure as Mara does about what’s going on – but eventually we finally get the whole story of that night and the story comes together really well. It’s written in the way that makes you feel like the character is feeling at that point in the book – you’ll be scared, hopeful, worried, confused, happy, and freaked out when Mara is feeling that way as you go through the story with her.


Should we talk boys now? How about my newest (and quite possibly best ever) literary crush – Noah Shaw. Really, after reading it, I sigh just hearing his name. I love, love, love Noah’s character. He’s got a great way of talking (and lots of hidden secrets to come) and interacting and being that is just captivating. The parts I found myself rereading the most were the interactions between Mara and Noah. Now, I should warn you, at first I was a little skeptical because he seemed like the stereotypical bad boy, insta-crush, jerk to girls, love interest character, but there’s much, much more than meets the eye (or rumor mill as the case may be) with Noah Shaw. Don’t let his early interactions fool you – there is an epic sort of romance that develops between Mara and Noah that will have you swooning by the end.


Secondary characters deserve a mention too – maybe because I have two brothers myself and am the middle/only girl, I really enjoyed Mara’s relationship with her brothers – especially her older brother Daniel. He’s great. He watches out for her, covers for her, protects her, and pushes her to get out there. I want a big brother like him. We also see Mara at her new school after they move out of state and meet her new friend Jamie. He is awesomely sarcastic and witty and good comedic relief. He also serves as commentary to set the stage for what’s going on in the new school’s dynamics. I enjoyed reading both Daniel’s and Jamie’s characters; I would have liked a little more of Jamie though.


This book all leads up to an ending that is unexpected and left me wondering What?! How did that happen?! It made me want to go back and reread the whole book with that new perspective and see if it changed my thoughts on earlier parts of the story. It ends at a point that added a final cliffhanger of a twist and left me hoping that there would be more – and there will be a sequel (thank goodness because I need answers!) You may feel a little off balance at the end of this one, but I truly think that’s part of the reason that it is so good. I want my stories to surprise me once in awhile and this one was definitely surprising. Be on the lookout for THE UNBECOMING OF MARA DYER in September!

Mara Dyer once believed she could run from her past.She can’t.
She used to think her problems were all in her head.They aren’t.
She couldn’t imagine that after everything she’s been through, the boy she loves would still be keeping secrets.She’s wrong.
In this gripping sequel to The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer, the truth evolves and choices prove deadly. What will become of Mara Dyer next?

I’m not totally sure how to express my feelings about this book because there are so many! My immediate thoughts at the end of it included some unprintable words because I was so blown away. I obsessively loved THE UNBECOMING OF MARA DYER when I got an early read of it last year, and was eagerly anticipating reading the sequel, THE EVOLUTION OF MARA DYER, and was extremely lucky to be able to get an early copy loaned to me, and it completely lived up to the anticipation I had going into it. This was a strong second book that definitely matched up to my love of the first book.


I adore Michelle Hodkin, but I finished this book feeling like she’s a diabolical genius of a writer. It surprises me that she wasn’t a writer before this, and I hope she continues to be one for a long time. Maybe that’s part of the reason that I enjoy her writing so much, it came from a spark of an idea for a story, and because her background is diverse, there’s a spark to the writing that just really clicks for me. The way the writing is paced, the intelligence to it, the unreliable narrator, the mood, the witty banter, the uncomfortable suspense of not knowing what’s going to happen, the love and support of family, the heart at the center of this chaotic psychological thriller, and, yes, the romance, too…it all grabs me and doesn’t let me go. I read 544 pages in two days (and those were teaching/working days!) because I just couldn’t stop reading. It’s a long book that doesn’t feel long. It’s a sequel that keeps the story moving, but is interesting in its own right. So much was revealed in this book about what’s really going on with Mara and Noah and everything that happened. I appreciated that we were given so much information and many questions were answered, but some still are not and more were created that make me anxious to see where this is all headed.


Interestingly, I didn’t think this book had as much of the creepy feeling as the first one, but it definitely had suspenseful and psychological tension to it. Favorite characters were back, and new intriguing ones were introduced. Family support and love is still central to the relationships that hold Mara together. And I can’t forget the romantic storyline between Mara and Noah Shaw, which because of their unique abilities, becomes even more difficult for them to manage. At its heart, there are questions of truth, reality, trust, faith…all the things that make for a conflicted character who is just trying to hold it all together against odds that seem stacked against her.


As much as I loved this book, there was one thing bugged me. There was a clue fairly early on to a twist that seemed so obvious to me, and Mara is very intelligent, and so it seemed like she should have realized it, but I guess she is dealing with quite a bit of psychosis stuff at this point, so I should cut her some slack for not catching it. I’m still thrilled there is going to be a third book, THE RETRIBUTION OF MARA DYER, coming in 2013, especially after the twists and reveals of the ending of this book! Not sure how I’ll be able to wait so long!

I’ve been anxiously awaiting the final installment in Laini Taylor’s DAUGHTER OF SMOKE & BONE series, especially since reading the second book, DAYS OF BLOOD & STARLIGHT over a year ago, and the final book, DREAMS OF GODS & MONSTERS comes out tomorrow! Laini’s writing is beautiful and literary and draws the reader in, and this fantasy world creates an epic story.

Title: DREAMS OF GODS & MONSTERS
Author: Laini Taylor
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Release Date: April 8, 2014
Number of Pages: 528
Source of Book: egalley from publisher

        By way of a staggering deception, Karou has taken control of the chimaera rebellion and is intent on steering its course away from dead-end vengeance. The future rests on her, if there can even be a future for the chimaera in war-ravaged Eretz.

Common enemy, common cause.

        When Jael’s brutal seraph army trespasses into the human world, the unthinkable becomes essential, and Karou and Akiva must ally their enemy armies against the threat. It is a twisted version of their long-ago dream, and they begin to hope that it might forge a way forward for their people.
        And, perhaps, for themselves. Toward a new way of living, and maybe even love.
But there are bigger threats than Jael in the offing. A vicious queen is hunting Akiva, and, in the skies of Eretz … something is happening. Massive stains are spreading like bruises from horizon to horizon; the great winged stormhunters are gathering as if summoned, ceaselessly circling, and a deep sense of wrong pervades the world.

What power can bruise the sky?

        From the streets of Rome to the caves of the Kirin and beyond, humans, chimaera and seraphim will fight, strive, love, and die in an epic theater that transcends good and evil, right and wrong, friend and enemy. 
        At the very barriers of space and time, what do gods and monsters dream of? And does anything else matter?

In honor of the release of this final book in the series, I’m re-sharing my recommendation for book one in case you missed it, so you can start at the beginning and go on this stunning and shattering journey from the first words.


My original recommendation for DAUGHTER OF SMOKE & BONE:
Laini Taylor’s writing is beautiful, but in that way that it doesn’t jump out at you and take you out of the story, it is just woven subtly in as part of the story and you don’t realize how beautiful it is until you get to a stopping point and heave a deep sigh of relaxation from having enjoyed the writing and been lost and wrapped up completely in the world she created. The artistry with which she weaves storylines together between the two different main characters and between the present with flashbacks of backstory is enticing. There is a twist in the plot about two-thirds of the way through that almost changes the books into a different story, but it’s of utmost importance to our understanding and works so well the way Laini has written it.


And the setting…the book mainly takes pace in Prague and in Laini’s deft hand, the mystery, history, and beauty of this city lives and breathes its own life into the novel. There are exotic settings around the world (and in fantasy realms) throughout, and each one is written to evoke its own individual mood for the reader and the characters situations.


Karou is a kick-butt girl, but is struggling with feeling lonely as she discovers that the world with the “monsters” she thought she understood is not what she was led to believe. As she interacts with Akiva, the angel she encounters on one of her errands, it becomes obvious that she has some kind of pull toward him, and he to her. Little does she know that even as he tries to destroy all she holds dear, he might actually hold the key to her figuring out who (or what) she really is – what she’s been seeking to find out for awhile. Toward the end as we discover, along with Karou, what has really happened, it is shocking in the best possible way for a novel.


This is definitely a fantasy book for fans of fantasy. It has a unique take on the angel mythology and the backstory and world Laini has created is entrancing. Pre-order it now so you can escape into Karou’s world in September! I know I’ll be anxiously waiting for the next book indicated by the “…to be continued” ending to delve back into the artistry and uniqueness of the story Laini Taylor has created.

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Title: SPLIT SECOND

Author: Kasie West
Publisher: HarperTeen
Release Date: 2/11/2014
Number of Pages: 360
Source of Book: ARC from agent

I’m not posting the summary because there are spoilers if you haven’t read PIVOT POINT yet.

My thoughts: Loved, loved, loved! Fantastic follow-up continuing the story from PIVOT POINT. Having both Addie & Laila’s voices/perspectives in alternating chapters was perfect in getting to know more about the Compound. And Trevor is back in a big way, and we get to meet Connor – both of whom have become favorites. Kasie West writes relatable characters, great guys, sweet romances, and intriguing stories.


I’ve also had many students read it already since we’ve had an advanced copy of the book, and they all loved it also. 

Author: Patrick Carman
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books (a HarperCollins imprint)
Release Date: November 1, 2011
Number of Pages: 336

          When Will Besting approaches Fort Eden for the first time, he knows something isn’t right. With more terrifying secrets at every turn, he discovers a hidden fear deep inside himself, a dark mystery a thousand years in the making, and the unexpected girl of his dreams. But can he save everyone from the dangers of Fort Eden before it’s too late?
          Patrick Carman’s Dark Eden is a provocative exploration of fear, betrayal, the power of memory, and the mystery of love.

From acclaimed author Katie McGarry comes an explosive new tale of a good girl with a reckless streak, a street-smart guy with nothing to lose, and a romance forged in the fast lane
        The girl with straight As, designer clothes and the perfect life-that’s who people expect Rachel Young to be. So the private-school junior keeps secrets from her wealthy parents and overbearing brothers…and she’s just added two more to the list. One involves racing strangers down dark country roads in her Mustang GT. The other? Seventeen-year-old Isaiah Walker-a guy she has no business even talking to. But when the foster kid with the tattoos and intense gray eyes comes to her rescue, she can’t get him out of her mind.

        Isaiah has secrets, too. About where he lives, and how he really feels about Rachel. The last thing he needs is to get tangled up with a rich girl who wants to slum it on the south side for kicks-no matter how angelic she might look. But when their shared love of street racing puts both their lives in jeopardy, they have six weeks to come up with a way out. Six weeks to discover just how far they’ll go to save each other.

First Thought:
I seriously adore all of Katie McGarry’s books! Once I start, I can’t stop reading them.

There’s something so addictive about Katie McGarry’s writing style…I’m drawn into these stories immediately and lose sleep staying up too late reading them. McGarry has a way of writing wounded characters who are finding their first love in such a real way that you are rooting for them to work through their issues and find happiness. Her books are mature in the themes that they deal with, and her characters’ home lives are nowhere near perfect, and the way in which they struggle with their issues, feelings, and relationships feels very real. The books deal with serious issues without being preachy. They have romance. They have friendships. They have major family issues. They have excitement (especially this one with the drag racing that occurs). Most of all, they have heart. That heart comes through more clearly because of the way McGarry writes the multiple perspectives of her characters. Once again, true to her style, we get the male voice and female voice in alternating chapters. And there are some chapters that are so deftly connected in the place one ends and the next begins that it led to gasp-worthy moments. Getting that first person voice of each main character as they delve into the relationship, and seeing how damaged they are, allows the reader to connect even more.

One of the really fun parts of reading CRASH INTO YOU, the third book in the series, is that the main characters from the first two books (PUSHING THE LIMITS and DARE YOU TO) are brought in as major secondary characters as Isaiah gets his turn to tell his story. And Isaiah is not what you may have thought from the parts of him we saw from other characters’ perspectives in the first two books. I loved that Isaiah was different than expected, and getting to know more about him made my heart break for him. He is so much more than I thought, and that’s a wonderful surprise. Then we get to meet Rachel, a girl with a dysfunctional family on the inside who tries to make all appearances on the outside seem perfect. These two, from different sides of town, as opposite as they may seem at first, connect in a way that is what both of them need. But things are never easy in situations such as this.

I hope we keep getting more stories in this world with these characters. I’m excited Rachel’s brother West gets to tell his story next (which means he’ll be finding someone special) in TAKE ME ON, but I really hope we get more from Logan sometime soon, too! Whatever it is, whoever the characters are, I know I’ll read whatever Katie McGarry writes next!

Final Thoughts: If you’ve read and enjoyed the first two books, you’ll definitely want to read this one when it comes out! And if you haven’t, what are you waiting for?! If you like a good romance with layered characters who need to find the right one to support them, check out Katie McGarry’s books.

I feel like I’ve been with this series for a long time. Back in early 2011, there was a ton of buzz about this debut book called DIVERGENT coming out in May. And the author, Veronica Roth, had an ARC contest on her blog. And I won it! I got to read it in March 2011, and I knew then that it was going to be big. I shared the book with students and we all agreed it was going to be a really, really long wait for the next book (one of the downsides of being lucky enough to get an advanced reader copy).

So I spent the next year anxiously awaiting the May 2012 release of INSURGENT. I was extremely lucky that a kindhearted and generous editor let me know she was sending me a hotly anticipated ARC of the second book – and that it would be sent out a month before the release to avoid spoilers. So I got my copy of DIVERGENT out knowing that I would want to reread it before getting book two since it had been so long since I read it, and I was again drawn right back into that world. And then a package came in the mail addressed in this way.

I set to reading it right away, and as I was reading INSURGENT, I couldn’t help but think this was really something special I got to be a part of, and what a feeling that is to have as a reader. I loved book two also and with the big reveal at the end I knew something crazy was coming. And then began the long wait for book three. What would be the title? What would happen? Who will be cast as Four in the movie? Why has the release date been pushed from spring to fall?! (Well, obviously because the author wanted to make sure it was the right book).

I’ve been eagerly anticipating October 22nd since it was announced as the release date for ALLEGIANT. I even preordered the ebook so I would have it right away since there were no midnight releases in my area (and I knew I’d have to teach). I’ve been reading DIVERGENT aloud to my 8th graders (in anticipation of a field trip to see the movie in March), and we weren’t done as of Friday, so I brought the book home and finished reading ahead myself because I knew that I wanted to reread the first two books because it has been so long since I read them. I wanted to really wrap up my experience with this series in the best way I could without being confused about details. This weekend, I reread INSURGENT for the first time (was I ever glad I did – there was so much I had forgotten!). And as I talked to my students on Monday, I shared my excitement for the release of ALLEGIANT with them.

I told them I wasn’t sure if I was going to stay up past midnight so I could start reading or just get up extra early in the morning, but that while they were on the computers typing first drafts of papers today in the library computer lab (an inadvertent lesson planning win), I would of course be available for help/questions, but I would also be reading every spare moment I had. Well, I ended up getting up at 4am (How appropriate. Ha!) to start reading because I was so excited I couldn’t sleep any longer. After 2 1/2 years, I was finally going to find out how this journey would end. I read for awhile, got ready for school, and headed in. My librarian also got the ebook, so we talked back and forth in our excitement all day. Every class that came in, students asked me if I had it, if I was reading it, and how far I was. By the end of the day, I was only 80 pages from the end, so I decided to just stay in my classroom to finish it.

*I’m going to talk about ALLEGIANT, and it’s spoiler-free, but if you don’t even want a hint of an idea about my feelings, you might want to skip this part.
At 4:30 this afternoon I finally did, and there were many tears. I was so grateful that a couple of my students who have read DIVERGENT and INSURGENT were in after-school activities in classrooms near mine so I could go talk to them right away. I was an emotional wreck after the events in the story, and I needed someone to talk to (without spoiling anything) who would understand how I could be crying over a book, and they did.

I know some people may not like events that happen in this book, and as devastated as I may be about certain things, I know that I trust authors to do what’s right by the characters and the stories they create. I’ve loved their books and writing for a reason, so even if it’s not what I might have hoped for, I know that it’s being true to what has to happen to tell the story completely. Especially in dystopian books, these are harsh times and bad/sad things have to happen. I think this book will require some processing time and stepping back to appreciate it for what it is, without gut reactions of not understanding why certain choices were made. But here’s the thing: If I didn’t care so much, I wouldn’t be upset or in tears or in disbelief, and it’s because of what the author has written that I care so much. I’ve always thought: I may not always get a happy ending in a book, but it’s the hopeful ending I really want so I can feel comfortable leaving these characters behind and knowing they’re going to be okay. After this long with these characters and this world, I’m so glad I got to finish my time with them in one big stretch like this, and that I was left with some hope at the end.

Happy Book Birthday ALLEGIANT and Veronica Roth! Thank you for the memories and emotions and experience I got to have reading your books, and especially for the connections I’ve been able to make with students through your words and stories.

Title: THE TESTING
Author: Joelle Charbonneau
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children
Release Date: June 4, 2013
Number of Pages: 336
Source of Book: ARC from bookseller in anticipation of author visit

Keep your friends close
and your enemies closer. Isn’t that what they say? But how close is too
close when they may be one in the same?

The Seven Stages War
left much of the planet a charred wasteland. The future belongs to the
next generation’s chosen few who must rebuild it. But to enter this
elite group, candidates must first pass The Testing—their one chance at a
college education and a rewarding career.

Cia Vale is honored
to be chosen as a Testing candidate; eager to prove her worthiness as a
University student and future leader of the United Commonwealth. But on
the eve of her departure, her father’s advice hints at a darker side to
her upcoming studies–trust no one.

But surely she can trust
Tomas, her handsome childhood friend who offers an alliance? Tomas, who
seems to care more about her with the passing of every grueling (and
deadly) day of the Testing. To survive, Cia must choose: love
without truth or life without trust.

First Thought: Oh my goodness!

SO good! An engrossing, thrilling, intriguing, suspenseful story set in a well-built future world.

I really enjoyed reading THE TESTING. I was engrossed it in from the start. At first, I was a little worried that it would be too reminiscent of THE HUNGER GAMES and DIVERGENT, but as I got into it, I realized that it was completely it’s own creation of this world, while maybe feeling like an homage to those great dystopians that have come before it.

It was so hard to put THE TESTING down. Joelle Charbonneau wrote a well-paced plot, and once I got to certain parts throughout, it was impossible not to keep reading so that I could find out what would happen and who would survive. I very much liked the main character, Cia, and was pulling for her throughout the book. She is smart, while still being young and sometimes making decisions that made me want to yell at her, but her intelligence and insights are what keep her going. In a game of who can you trust, she learns to really think through all situations, but that doesn’t mean she figures all of it out. In a contest of who can make a great leader, it is difficult to know exactly what the officials might be looking for, but staying true to oneself and one’s upbringing can always been seen as the right path. Cia’s path is not easy, her decisions are not easy, her ability to live with herself after what she has to do to survive will not be easy, but she stays true to herself which is an admirable quality.

The world-building was done well in giving the reader enough information when necessary, but also keeping us guessing about some things. The scenes of explanation are smoothly entrenched in what is happening in the story and propel the plot forward, but also give us enough insight into how things might have come to be this way. The overall idea behind The Testing is so smart, and so manipulative, and scary at the same time. I just hope all of the characters that I have come to like will make it through this series.

And, yes, there is an element of romance, but in a brutal contest that is set up to kill off candidates who are not worthy, and a system that is set up to make you question the ulterior motives of everyone around you, and in a world in which all may not be as it seems, how can one be sure of anything that happens during The Testing or trust one’s own memories? That remains to be seen.

Final Thoughts: I’m calling it now – I think this is going to be the next big dystopian series…it will at least fill that hole left behind from the end of the The Hunger Games and the upcoming end of the Divergent series.

Title: THE PROGRAM
Author: Suzanne Young
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Release Date: April 30, 2013
Number of Pages: 416
Source of Book: ARC from Publisher

In Sloane’s world, true feelings are forbidden, teen suicide is an epidemic, and the only solution is The Program.

Sloane
knows better than to cry in front of anyone. With suicide now an
international epidemic, one outburst could land her in The Program, the
only proven course of treatment. Sloane’s parents have already lost one
child; Sloane knows they’ll do anything to keep her alive. She also
knows that everyone who’s been through The Program returns as a blank
slate. Because their depression is gone—but so are their memories.

Under
constant surveillance at home and at school, Sloane puts on a brave
face and keeps her feelings buried as deep as she can. The only person
Sloane can be herself with is James. He’s promised to keep them both
safe and out of treatment, and Sloane knows their love is strong enough
to withstand anything. But despite the promises they made to each other,
it’s getting harder to hide the truth. They are both growing weaker.
Depression is setting in. And The Program is coming for them.

Title: DUALED
Author: Elsie Chapman
Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers
Release Date: Febrary 26, 2013
Number of Pages: 304
Source of Book: ARC from publisher at NCTE

You or your Alt? Only one will survive.

The
city of Kersh is a safe haven, but the price of safety is high.
Everyone has a genetic Alternate—a twin raised by another family—and
citizens must prove their worth by eliminating their Alts before their
twentieth birthday. Survival means advanced schooling, a good job,
marriage—life.

Fifteen-year-old West Grayer has trained as a
fighter, preparing for the day when her assignment arrives and she will
have one month to hunt down and kill her Alt. But then a tragic misstep
shakes West’s confidence. Stricken with grief and guilt, she’s no longer
certain that she’s the best version of herself, the version worthy of a
future. If she is to have any chance of winning, she must stop running
not only from her Alt, but also from love . . . though both have the
power to destroy her.

Elsie Chapman’s suspenseful YA debut weaves
unexpected romance into a novel full of fast-paced action and
thought-provoking philosophy. When the story ends, discussions will
begin about this future society where every adult is a murderer and
every child knows there is another out there who just might be better.

First Thought: So much suspense! Could not stop reading until I found out how it would end.

DUALED was an intense, kill or be killed, fight to the finish. I had to keep turning pages to know what was going to happen with West and which Alt would survive the final confrontation. The basis of this world where each is born with an Alt and gets “activated” sometime between 10 and 20, and then has only 30 days to hunt down and kill the Alt, or be killed, or both be destroyed after the time ends lends itself to a ticking clock of suspense in the background driving the momentum of the whole story.

In a world full of killers and surrounded by guns, are you the hunted or the hunter, or both at the same time? Which one will be smarter, stronger, or just luckier in the end? When 50% of the population must be killed off, can you ever feel safe with your family and friends, or know that they’ll stay around? All of these drive the plot of this story in this dystopic future, which I want to know even more about.

We’re given glimpses into the world, and how it came to be, and what might be outside, and what led to them being there, and who might be against the way they live…which makes me so glad there is a sequel coming in 2014 so we can find out what happens next. Although I figured I knew how the story would have to end, that didn’t stop my heart from pounding, my gasping out loud, or my yelling at the characters to stay safe and smart and not give up. I enjoyed spending this time with West and Chord, and although it was frightening at times, it was a well-developed world that was created down to the tiniest details of how things operate for idles vs. actives vs. completes.


Final Thoughts: So glad there’s going to be a sequel to this “HUNGER GAMES to the nth degree meets…something” world of this story.

Title: REQUIEM (Book 3 in the DELIRIUM series)

Author: Lauren Oliver
Publisher: HarperTeen
Release Date: March 5, 2013
Number of Pages: 400
Source of Book: ARC from publisher (Thanks HarperCollins School & Library!)

Now an active member of the resistance, Lena has been transformed. The nascent rebellion that was under way in Pandemonium has ignited into an all-out revolution in Requiem, and Lena is at the center of the fight.

After rescuing Julian from a death sentence, Lena and her friends fled to the Wilds. But the Wilds are no longer a safe haven—pockets of rebellion have opened throughout the country, and the government cannot deny the existence of Invalids. Regulators now infiltrate the borderlands to stamp out the rebels, and as Lena navigates the increasingly dangerous terrain, her best friend, Hana, lives a safe, loveless life in Portland as the fiancée of the young mayor. Requiem is told from both Lena’s and Hana’s points of view. The two girls live side by side in a world that divides them until, at last, their stories converge.

First thought: Satisfying ending to this series
-Different from DELIRIUM and PANDEMONIUM, I loved the dual perspective voices of Lena and Hana – gave a great insight into what was going on outside the walls in the Wilds and inside the walls with the Cureds.
-The way Lauren Oliver used the length of chapters to enhance the suspense and urgency in climactic parts or the complacency in other parts was masterful…also the way the chapters end and the next one starts is seamless and helps the story flow so well.
–Lauren Oliver’s writing style is beautiful and literary and pulls me into the story and the setting.
-I’ve enjoyed this entire series and the whole idea of this society and amor being a disease…it’s an interesting commentary on the way feelings can interfere with thinking.
-The way the whole storyline comes together in the end and we see how Lena and Hana learn the lessons they learn and have their new perspectives on the world and their lives was great…especially in thinking about the choices we make in life and what those may mean for us.
-You know going into it that hearts might get broken, but the whole time you’re a little unsure of whose hearts those may be and some may surprise you—of course, that’s what happens when you choose love over a lobotomy.
-Dealing with very broken characters here who have had their worldview completely shaken and they have to figure out how to survive in a new world.
Final thought: The things we would do for those we love…

Title: LET THE SKY FALL
Author: Shannon Messenger
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Release Date: March 5, 2013
Number of Pages: 416
Source of Book: ARC from publisher at NCTE

A broken past
and a divided future can’t stop the electric connection of two teens in
this “charged and romantic” (Becca Fitzpatrick), lush novel.

Seventeen-year-old
Vane Weston has no idea how he survived the category five tornado that
killed his parents. And he has no idea if the beautiful, dark-haired
girl who’s swept through his dreams every night since the storm is real.
But he hopes she is.

Seventeen-year-old Audra is a sylph, an air
elemental. She walks on the wind, can translate its alluring songs, and
can even coax it into a weapon with a simple string of commands. She’s
also a guardian—Vane’s guardian—and has sworn an oath to protect Vane at
all costs. Even if it means sacrificing her own life.

When a
hasty mistake reveals their location to the enemy who murdered both of
their families, Audra’s forced to help Vane remember who he is. He has a
power to claim—the secret language of the West Wind, which only he can
understand. But unlocking his heritage will also unlock the memory Audra
needs him to forget. And their greatest danger is not the warriors
coming to destroy them—but the forbidden romance that’s grown between
them.

You can see the just released book trailer here.

First thoughts:

Loved
this book! Action, romance, snark, caring, excitement, entertaining
writing, and a unique twist on mythological/paranormal add up to one awesome book.
– Love, love, love Shannon Messenger’s writing style and the attitude she brings to her characters. It’s like I’m talking to a friend.
– I so enjoy dual perspective POV books and this one is no different. Multiple perspectives are important for this story, and the guy voice is really well done. Vane brings sarcastic humor and Audra brings the kick-butt-ness.
– The mythological aspect of the sylphs who are Windwalkers is unique and intriguing and something I haven’t read about before. Fascinating how they can talk to the wind and have it do things for them.
– As the story goes on, it becomes more and more clear what Vane and Audra’s connection is and why it is inevitable. It was fun to follow along with their back-and-forth dynamic and learning their story along the way as Vane learned his history with Audra.
– Family is at the heart of this book and finding one’s own strength through connections with others.
– Characters were relateable in their situations and why they built the walls they did.
– The action scenes with the way Windwalkers battle and fight were exciting.
– Ending is where it needs to end, but leaves it open for the next book. The biggest battle is not yet through. They need to find their own strengths first before it can really come to a head with the villains. 
Final thoughts: I adore Shannon Messenger’s writing and her books and look forward to much more from her!

Title: UNRAVEL ME (sequel to SHATTER ME)
Author: Tahereh Mafi
Publisher: HarperTeen
Release Date: February 5, 2013
Number of Pages: 480
Source of Book: ARC from publisher at ALA

Juliette’s world is beginning to unravel.
Everything is falling apart changing. 

Juliette has escaped to Omega Point-the headquarters of the rebel resistance. There she discovers other people with abilities. Abilities they have learned to control. And for the first time in her life, Juliette has hope. Hope that she can have a life with Adam. Hope that her touch can be used to save instead of destroy.

But Juliette is only just beginning to understand the depth of her power, and she’s struggling to fight the desire to use it. She’s still haunted by her past, terrified for her future, and too tempted by Warner, who still wants Juliette more than she ever thought possible. 

In this exhilarating sequel to Shatter Me, Juliette has to make life-changing decisions between what she wants and what she thinks is right. Decisions that might involve choosing between her heart-and Adam’s life.

I am not ok. Reading UNRAVEL ME was an intense experience of emotional upheaval. I was angry I was blown away I was amazed I was hopeful I was hurt I was shocked I was upset I was having to take breaks because the emotion was so intense. I read it 400 pages in one day because I couldn’t leave these characters until the end. The title is appropriate because I felt just as unraveled by this book as many of the characters did throughout.

Quick Take: I LOVE Tahereh Mafi’s unique writing. I’m emotionally invested in her characters. I hate what some (okay, fine, maybe only one thing one) of them did. This book destroyed me (but in a good way)-it tore me up and then mostly stitched me back together. UNRAVEL ME is an intense reading experience.

Writing style: Tahereh Mafi has this incredibly unique (and effective!) writing style. I loved it in SHATTER ME, and I love it even more in UNRAVEL ME. Emotions swirl off the page and into my psyche. There
is so much going on internally in this book with these characters, and I
was sucked right into it because of the way in which it’s written. There is a bit of a stream-of-consciousness to the style and I am drawn to that. It makes for a sense of urgency and confusion and heart-which is what’s happening in the book. It makes the internalness of the conflict for Juliette even stronger because we are so in her head by how it’s written. Mafi also has the most brilliant and effective use of personification I’ve ever read. The way in which she describes things and the figurative language she uses just speaks to me and draws me into this world.

Characters: OK, so the thing is I care a lot about these characters. I feel as if I’ve been through the rough times with them and I want them to come out on the other side more complete. And that really shows the genius of Tahereh Mafi’s writing. That being said, I do NOT agree with all of the decisions that they make (one in particular)! I get that they’ve gone through hell and back and that they’re confused and tortured, but still, there are some things that I just can’t agree with no matter how angst-filled the teenager is. OK. Rant over. Beyond that it is really showing the psychological damage done to Juliette and Adam and Warner because of the situations they’ve been forced into throughout their lives-and things aren’t being made any easier for any of them in this book. UNRAVEL ME seems to really be about Juliette’s ability to figure out how to harness her strength and become a more stable person. She needs to decide who she wants to be and how to get there. She needs to learn to rely on others to help support her, but to find her strength on her own as well. While all of that is going on, we’re also discovering sympathies for some of the other characters as well as we get to know more details about what they went though. I still think Kenji is one of my all-time favorite “sidekick” characters-he brings the much-needed comic relief to the story, but also is the one to put it all in perspective and keep the focus on what it should be. And he’s a good friend.  I’m glad we get so much Kenji in this book and hope we get even more in the next.

Plot: The one thing that UNRAVEL ME has that SHATTER ME didn’t is more outside world building. We get to understand how their world came to be the way it is, and a little bit more about these special powers some people have. There is a battle brewing with the resistance and it’s going to come to a head. But, this book overall seems to be more about the characters to me. There is a major plot point in this book that I really didn’t like. I have to put that out there. It’s alluded to in the synopsis above, and I don’t want to spoil anything too much, but I think it could be kind of controversial to readers and I’ll be interested to hear more thoughts about whether people liked it or not. Personally, I get it-the writing and the emotion and the thoughts and the scenes Mafi used leading up to it help me to intellectually get it, but my heart and emotions and soul are not accepting of it. This book is full of emotion, and I think that is the stronger part of the book even over the plot of what’s happening. However, if a book can make me feel so much, it has to be a strong story and writing (which I think it is).

Teacher/Parental Warning: This book is not so appropriate for middle schoolers in my opinion. There are certain scenes that are pretty intense/descriptive, so this one won’t go in my classroom library. The 14 and up categorization by the publisher is pretty accurate in my mind.

So, yes, if you liked SHATTER ME, you’ll definitely want to read UNRAVEL ME. I recommend setting aside some time come February because this is a book that will likely be hard to put down once you start. Based on the ending and where everyone ends up and the thoughts of Juliette on the last page, it’s going to be a long wait to get my hands on book three!

Title: SCARLET (Lunar Chronicles #2, sequel to CINDER)
Author: Marissa Meyer
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends (a Macmillan imprint)
Release Date: February 5, 2013
Number of Pages: 464
Source of Book: Signed ARC from publisher at ALA

Cinder returns in the second thrilling installment of the New York Times-bestselling
Lunar Chronicles. She’s trying to break out of prison—even though if
she succeeds, she’ll be the Commonwealth’s most wanted fugitive.

Halfway
around the world, Scarlet Benoit’s grandmother is missing. It turns out
there are many things Scarlet doesn’t know about her grandmother and
the grave danger she has lived in her whole life. When Scarlet
encounters Wolf, a street fighter who may have information as to her
grandmother’s whereabouts, she has no choice but to trust him, though he
clearly has a few dark secrets of his own.

As Scarlet and Wolf
work to unravel one mystery, they find another when they cross paths
with Cinder. Together, they must stay one step ahead of the vicious
Lunar Queen who will do anything to make Prince Kai her husband, her
king, her prisoner.

I think I enjoyed SCARLET even more than CINDER. Much of that has to do with the way Marissa Meyer wrote the characters of Scarlet and Wolf and how much I enjoyed reading their parts of the story. I do love a story told in multiple voices, and the way in which the stories of Scarlet and Cinder started off on opposite sides of the wold and slowly worked their way together was well done. However, I was enjoying Scarlet and Wolf so much early on that I rushed through the Cinder chapters a little bit to get back to the ones I was enjoying more. As it went on though, I remembered why I liked Cinder, especially with her new sidekick (who is quite entertaining), and as I saw how it was all coming together, it was hard to stop reading.

The way Marissa Meyer has created this world in which her characters live, and how their stories are all coming together (and will continue to do so in the final two books of the series) is intriguing to me as a reader. It is a complicated, well-drawn world, but it has characters that I really start to care about quite a bit. These characters are flawed and scared and insecure, but they are girls who become strong in their struggles. Both Scarlet and Cinder are having to become stronger than they every imagined they would have to as they find out more and more about what’s going on in their larger world. They also sometimes have to rely on and sometimes have to save those who are traveling this journey with them.

One of the most interesting things about this story is the way that Meyer weaves in elements of the original fairy tale, but in a totally modern twisty way. If you read CINDER, I absolutely recommend that you read SCARLET. I enjoyed seeing where Cinder’s story is headed with the new information she learned at the end of the first book, and I was drawn even more into the story by the introduction of Scarlet and Wolf and the discoveries that are made with the two of them and everything they have to go through in this story. I can’t wait to see where they all end up in the next book, CRESS, based on Rapunzel, coming in 2014, and then WINTER, based on Snow White , in 2015. It’ll be a long wait, but if this book is any indication, it will be worth it.

Title: THROUGH THE EVER NIGHT (sequel to UNDER THE NEVER SKY)
Author: Veronica Rossi
Publisher: HarperTeen
Release Date: January 8, 2013
Number of Pages: 352
Source of Book: ARC from the fantastic Harper Collins School & Library reps during the “Day of Awesomeness” at NCTE

It’s been months since Aria last saw Perry. Months since Perry was named Blood Lord of the Tides, and Aria was charged with an impossible mission. Now, finally, they are about to be reunited. But their reunion is far from perfect. The Tides don’t take kindly to Aria, a former Dweller. And with the worsening Aether storms threatening the tribe’s precarious existence, Aria begins to fear that leaving Perry behind might be the only way to save them both.

Threatened by false friends, hidden enemies, and powerful temptations, Aria and Perry wonder, Can their love survive through the ever night?

In this second book in her spellbinding Under the Never Sky trilogy, Veronica Rossi combines fantasy and dystopian elements to create a captivating love story as perilous as it is unforgettable.

I was absolutely enamored with Veronica Rossi‘s debut book, UNDER THE NEVER SKY, and it stuck with me for a long time, so I was very anxious to get the sequel, THROUGH THE EVER NIGHT. I loved this second book too, most especially being back in this world with these characters. THROUGH THE EVER NIGHT has the same beautiful writing and imagery
and unique world-building from the first book, but we find out even
more about how this world came to be and what might be going on as it
disintegrates even further.

So much of this story is about the family relationships and how they affect Aria and Perry and Roar and everyone else that has been dependent on their families to help them survive in this environment. As we begin to delve deeper into these stories and what’s happening with these characters, Rossi also gives us more detail about how this world came to be the way it is and the difficulties the people are truly facing in this environment. There is real life or death at stake here and it makes everything feel that much more urgent and every moment more suspenseful.

Rossi has written a series that is truly a love story at it’s heart, and things are not easy for Aria and Perry, as they are both wanting to look out for each other, and be together, but that may not be what’s actually best for either one of them. Perry is coming into his own as a leader of his tribe, one of what I feel is the strongest elements of the book, which means having an “outsider” at his side may not be beneficial. And, of course, there are other side plots happening that require attention from each of them. I really just want them to get over themselves and stop trying to protect each other
and just be together to protect themselves together. They do support
each other so much though and it’s obvious they’re meant to be, it just might not be easy to get there.

The plot for this story is well done for a second book, with quite a lot going on, while at the end still leaving it clear where it’s headed for the third book, INTO THE STILL BLUE. I know I’ll be anxiously waiting to get my hands on the final book in this trilogy to see where they all end up.

Title: PRODIGY (sequel to LEGEND)
Author: Marie Lu
Publisher: Putnam Juvenile (a Penguin imprint)
Release Date: January 29, 2013
Number of Pages: 371
Source of Book: ARC from author signing ALA

June and Day arrive in Vegas just as the unthinkable happens: the Elector Primo dies, and his son Anden takes his place. With the Republic edging closer to chaos, the two join a group of Patriot rebels eager to help Day rescue his brother and offer passage to the Colonies. They have only one request—-June and Day must assassinate the new Elector.

It’s their chance to change the nation, to give voice to a people silenced for too long.

But as June realizes this Elector is nothing like his father, she’s haunted by the choice ahead. What if Anden is a new beginning? What if revolution must be more than loss and vengeance, anger and blood—what if the Patriots are wrong?

I really loved LEGEND when I read it last year, and many of my students did as well, so I was eagerly anticipating getting to read PRODIGY. I was so excited when I saw that Marie Lu would be at ALA signing books, and I got in line early to buy another copy of LEGEND and get an advanced copy of PRODIGY. Little did I realize I would be in for a heart-pounding, pit-in-my-stomach, anxiety-filled ride through this book…and I didn’t want it to end. But it had to, and it was heart-breaking. I so want to know what is going to happen to these characters next and where Marie Lu’s imagination is going to take this story.

Ten Things I Hate/Love About PRODIGY
*Okay, fine, it’s not really hate, it’s really love/love even more, but that didn’t have the same flow to the wording or parallel structure or interest for creating this list*
1. It was impossible to stop reading, but it’s exciting because the action never stops
2. The political intrigue and never knowing if I could trust the politicians, but it was intriguing and made for an important plot for this second book in the series
3. It had me full of anxiety, my heart was pounding the whole time I was reading it
4. Trust issues with some of my beloved characters, but they’re still with each other and fighting for each other
5. All is not as it seems, but we get to learn so much more about the Republic and the Colonies and all that is going on in this world with travel from LA to Vegas and then Denver
6. I was an emotional wreck, but it has so much emotion because I care about these characters
7. The characters have to go through so much, can’t they catch a break and be happy?, but the motivation is always about families and protecting their own
8. Seemed to be lots of foreshadowing, but where has their information been coming from…I just wasn’t exactly sure where it would end up, so it was surprising
9. Marie Lu broke my heart in the end – it was shocking and unexpected and expected all at the same time, but I want my characters to be happy, but I have to trust in the author that they will be and this is the journey they’re meant to go on
10. I was left with so many questions: (Will the Republic fall? Will the United States unite and become whole again? Will June and Day both be OK? So many questions & emotions!) and now I have to wait SO long for the third book, but I’m so excited and anxious for the final chapter in this series!

Oh, this book. It is so good. It is emotional. It is frustrating. It is so good. I loved it, and I hope you do too. If you haven’t read LEGEND yet, go get it because you’re going to want to read this series, and you can get PRODIGY at the end of January!

Day three is to where I’m sharing my adoration for the Young Adult series books. It seems to be more and more popular to have trilogies nowadays, and I’ve been reading and anticipating so many fantastic series that I wanted to give those second and third novels their own place – not competing against first books or standalones. Hence, today’s list. If you
haven’t read these, you should definitely add to your To Be Read list!
Titles link to my reviews.

Disclaimer: I read a lot of books this year, but there are still quite a
few well-received young adult series books I didn’t get to. This is by no means an
exhaustive list of the quality young adult series books that came out in 2012. 

INSURGENT (DIVERGENT #2) by Veronica Roth
 

THE EVOLUTION OF MARA DYER (sequel to THE UNBECOMING OF MARA DYER) by Michelle Hodkin

RIFT (NIGHTSHADE prequel #1) by Andrea Cremer
BLOODROSE (NIGHTSHADE #3) by Andrea Cremer

TIMEPIECE (HOURGLASS #2) by Myra McEntire

HALLOWED (UNEARTHLY #2) by Cynthia Hand

NECROMANCING THE STONE (NECROMANCER #2) by Lish McBride

REACHED (Matched #3) by Ally Condie

CITY OF LOST SOULS (The Mortal Instruments #5) by Cassandra Clare
CLOCKWORK PRINCE (The Infernal Devices #2) by Cassandra Clare

Original Cover

The thrill ride that began in Cold Fury kicks into high gear in Flicker & Burn, as the threats to Sara Jane Rispoli come at her from all directions. She continues the desperate search for her missing family, but this time she’s on the run from creepy beings with red, pulsing eyes and ghostly white skin chasing her through the streets of Chicago in black ice cream trucks – they can only be described as Ice Cream Creatures. They're skeletal and ferocious, hell-bent on catching or killing her, but also a weird link to her family, a clue to where they might be and who has them.

While Sara Jane battles these new pursuers, she learns painful lessons about the phenomenon that possesses her, cold fury. At the same time, she’s uncovering buried secrets about the misdeeds of her family – old murders and blood vendettas – that might be connected to the disappearance of her mom, dad, and brother. The mysteries, violence, and constant state of chasing or being chased could be the undoing of her relationship with handsome Max Kissberg. Despite the love growing between them, Sara Jane can’t tell him the truth about her life, and fears for his safety.

Not only do the Ice Cream Creatures display the grisly amputated finger of her mom to prove their viciousness, and not only does Lucky, the Outfit Boss of Bosses, whistle in Sara Jane for a sit-down with deadly consequences, but her gorgeous cousin, Heather Richards, enters the scene, as well. All that matters to Sara Jane is saving her family and keeping everyone she loves alive and safe. But the forces she encounters, both external and the ones crackling inside of her, fight her every step of the way.

Title: CRASH (Visions, book 1)
Author: Lisa McMann
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Release Date: January 8, 2013
Number of Pages: 256
Source of Book: ARC from publisher at NCTE

If what you see is what you get, Jules is in serious trouble. The suspenseful first of four books from the New York Times bestselling author of the Wake trilogy.

Jules
lives with her family above their restaurant, which means she smells
like pizza most of the time and drives their double-meatball-shaped food
truck to school. It’s not a recipe for popularity, but she can handle
that.

What she can’t handle is the recurring vision that haunts
her. Over and over, Jules sees a careening truck hit a building and
explode…and nine body bags in the snow.

The vision is
everywhere—on billboards, television screens, windows—and she’s the only
one who sees it. And the more she sees it, the more she sees.
The vision is giving her clues, and soon Jules knows what she has to do.
Because now she can see the face in one of the body bags, and it’s
someone she knows. Someone she has been in love with for as long as she
can remember.

In this riveting start to a gripping series from New York Times bestselling author Lisa McMann, Jules has to act—and act fast—to keep her vision from becoming reality.

This is a must-get book – I can’t wait to get this into the hands of teens because I think they’re going to eat it up. I adore Lisa McMann and have enjoyed all of her other books, so I was excited to see she’d be signing advanced copies at NCTE this year. Ever since I read the synopsis of this book, I knew I wanted to read it…and it totally lived up to, and exceeded, my expectations. The great thing about Lisa McMann’s young adult books, just like in the WAKE trilogy, is the ease with which she writes that makes for a fast read and in a style that engages my more hesitant student readers as well. CRASH was unputdownable and I read it in one day, which was good because I was dying to know what would happen and how it would all turn out.

The plot of this story is suspenseful and fast-moving. There are layers to what is going on with family and school and the visions and romance and everything that’s happening that keep the reader going. The reader goes along with Jules as she tries to figure out what exactly is happening to her, and we find out more about her home life as we go along as well as what’s happening to her at school and with the boy she’s been in love with since she was a kid. This all comes to a head in the last third of the book as the visions become more insistent and Jules realizes time is running out for her to figure out what’s happening and save the people she cares about.

I so enjoyed the characters in CRASH. Lisa McMann has written relatable, entertaining, and endearing primary and secondary characters in this story. The voice of Jules is fantastic, especially the sarcastic top 5 lists throughout. I’d want to be friends with her for sure. There is also so much humor in this story, especially in her interactions with her family, that kept me engaged throughout. Her family situation is not always the best, but her sibling relationships are something everyone would hope for. She has an incredible older brother in Trey, who happens to be gay, which is handled in such a subtle, matter-of-fact, honest, realistic way which I really loved. I really felt like I was reading about real teens and real things that would happen to them, with the added context of the fantasy elements of the visions added in.

CRASH is a book for readers who like romance, quick-reads, suspense, mystery, science-fictiony/fantasyish predicitons of the future, family stories, and those who just want an engaging, fun, exciting read.  I’m super happy to hear that there are going to be four books in this series. I definitely want more of this story and engaging world Lisa has created in the Visions series!

Title: JUST ONE DAY
Author: Gayle Forman
Publisher: Dutton Juvenile (a Penguin imprint)
Release Date: January 8, 2013
Number of Pages: 320
Source of Book: ARC from publisher at NCTE

A breathtaking journey toward self-discovery and true love, from the author of If I Stay
When sheltered American good girl Allyson “LuLu” Healey first meets
laid-back Dutch actor Willem De Ruiter at an underground performance of Twelfth Night in
England, there’s an undeniable spark. After just one day together, that
spark bursts into a flame, or so it seems to Allyson, until the
following morning, when she wakes up after a whirlwind day in Paris to
discover that Willem has left. Over the next year, Allyson embarks on a
journey to come to terms with the narrow confines of her life, and
through Shakespeare, travel, and a quest for her almost-true-love, to
break free of those confines.

Just One Day is the first in a sweepingly romantic duet of novels. Willem’s story—Just One Year—is coming soon!

I have been waiting for a new Gayle Forman book since I ever since I read WHERE SHE WENT (twice!) because I really enjoy reading books in her voice and the way in which she writes that draws me into stories. I appreciate her way of making me feel as if a city is another character in the book and the way in which she writes a single day as worthy of an entire book. That is what I was hoping for in JUST ONE DAY, and I got that plus so much more.

This is a smart book. It has intelligence and humor and emotion and all of the feelings. It’s a coming-of-age story for a new generation, with a bit of Shakespeare and Paris and travel and college life and family drama and best friends growing apart and romance and missed connections and finding what’s right for what you want not what others want for you. It’s a journey of finding oneself that takes more than just one day. There were some shocking moments and some moments that were so real and true to life that I felt utterly connected to these characters. And some of the characters were so great. Beyond the main characters, there were others that came into Allyson’s life who I really wanted to stick around and hang out with. Some true friendships were developed, and others ran their course and started to drift apart, and that’s what happens in real life.

The romance that develops between LuLu and Willem during their one day in Paris is endearing. The little moments throughout their day made me fall in love along with them. As someone who loves to travel internationally, I appreciated the way in which each city’s character was drawn on the page. Some I have been to, and some I haven’t, but after reading JUST ONE DAY, I felt as if I had been on a trip to each of them.

I was reading the end of the book during my students’ independent reading time in class, and they knew I had 15 pages left, and when I was almost to the end I heard them laughing, and then I finished and made some “what?!” hand gestures because of the very ending of the book, and then they all started laughing louder and told me that my face and reactions were really funny as I was reading the end of the book. Yes, that is what happens at the end of this one. You’ll want to throw the book on the floor, and then pick it up and hold it close. It’s heartbreaking and hopeful all at the same time, and it left me desperate for the sequel, JUST ONE YEAR. I’m glad we get two Gayle Forman books in the coming year, and I hope we get even more soon! This is definitely a book to get in January.

Title: THE LIAR SOCIETY: LIES THAT BIND
Author: Lisa and Laura Roecker
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Release Date: November 6, 2012
Number of Pages: 320

Just when Kate Lowry
thought she had life at elite private school Pemberly Brown figured out,
she cracks open a fortune cookie to find a message from her best friend
Grace–who’s supposed to be dead.

Another Sister Gone

A
classmate has gone missing, and Kate soon realizes that the
disappearance is tied to the secret societies that rule her private
school. Her best friend died for their secrets, and there’s no way
she’ll let them get away with it twice. It’s up to quirky outsider Kate
to get some answers, but in a school where every answer leads to more
questions and nothing’s as it seems, who can she trust?

Guest post generously provided by Sourcebooks.

Thanks to Sourcebooks (love them!), I get to giveaway one copy of THE LIAR SOCIETY: LIES THAT BIND. Enter below.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Title: ALTERED
Author: Jennifer Rush
Publisher: Little, Brown
Release Date: January 2, 2013
Number of Pages: 336
Source of Book: ARC requested from publisher

When you can’t trust yourself, who can
you believe?

Everything about Anna’s life is a secret. Her father
works for the Branch at the helm of its latest project: monitoring and
administering treatments to the four genetically altered boys in the lab below
their farmhouse. There’s Nick, Cas, Trev . . . and Sam, who’s stolen Anna’s
heart. When the Branch decides it’s time to take the boys, Sam stages an escape,
killing the agents sent to retrieve them.

Anna is torn between following
Sam or staying behind in the safety of her everyday life. But her father pushes
her to flee, making Sam promise to keep her away from the Branch, at all costs.
There’s just one problem. Sam and the boys don’t remember anything before living
in the lab—not even their true identities.

Now on the run, Anna soon
discovers that she and Sam are connected in more ways than either of them
expected. And if they’re both going to survive, they must piece together the
clues of their past before the Branch catches up to them and steals it all
away.

I had no idea what to expect when I opened ALTERED by Jennifer Rush; I just knew that the summary sounded really good. I had just finished two other incredible books, so I was hesitant to start one I hadn’t heard much about yet for fear I would be disappointed, but I had no reason to be worried with ALTERED. I was hooked on this heart-pounding story from the first page. Once I started, I didn’t want to stop reading. This was a one day read for me because it was so action-packed and surprising that I just wanted to keep going to find out what was actually happening until the very end. ALTERED has all the best of the medical alterations sci-fi intrigue, secret organization, on-the-run types of stories, with a uniquely interesting backstory of how these boys and Anna got there.

ALTERED is an addictively good, completely intriguing story. I loved the journey I was taken on from the start of learning about the lab, to the escape, to being on the run, to the mystery of their past, to the unexpected reveals, to the relationships built and broken and repaired, to the place the characters are left at the end. Jennifer Rush has given the reader an exciting blend of family drama, relationship building, hot boys, guns and weapons, action-packed fighting sequences, mystery, suspense, and outmaneuvering of the organization chasing them. There were several scenes when I literally gasped out loud. The whole group of core characters has a dynamic that is endearing, and their interactions are so engaging. Love those boys! ALTERED is a twisty novel full of gasp-worthy moments, action, loveable characters, and a little bit of a romance to tie it all together.

I’m so glad to hear that there will be another book following this one! There is a definite ending, so I wasn’t sure because it could have been that this story is complete, but it is left at a spot that had me hoping there would be more time with these characters and more to discover at this point in their story. I’ll be anxiously awaiting the follow-up book from Jennifer Rush to spend more time with Anna, Sam, and the boys!