Science Fiction, Dystopia, Romance, Mystery, Adventure... There's a little bit of everything mixed into this debut novel by author Beth Revis.
Across the Universe is told by two narrators Amy & Elder. The book begins with Amy about to be frozen in cryogenic sleep for a 300 year journey on the ship Godspeed. Our second narrator is Elder, the future leader of the ship Amy's frozen body is traveling on.
This was a fast paced book full of twists and turns, lies and deceptions. I had a hunch fairly early on who the murder was but there were other story elements that took me by surprise. There is a great cast of characters who are all flawed but likable. As is the case with most first books in a series the ending left many unanswered questions that I'm assuming will be addressed in future books.
Fans of young adult dystopian books are likely to enjoy this one. I found it to be a unique, entertaining story and I'm definitely looking forward to reading the sequel.
Content: just a couple instances of mild language and then some substitute swear words similar to what was done in the Maze Runner. Some sexual content including an attempted rape scene and some animalistic type mating practices that occur during "The Season". Not overly graphic but I wouldn't let a young teen read it.
The Sequel A Million Suns was released today January 10, 2012.
The 3rd book Shades of Earth will be released in January of 2013.
Title: The Fine Art of Truth or Dare
Author: Melissa Jensen
Series: None
Publisher: Speak
Released: February 16, 2012
Website: http://www.melissajensen.com/
Book Summary:Pretty in Pink meets Anna and the French Kiss in this charming romantic comedy.
Ella is nearly invisible at the Willing School, and that's just fine by her. She's got her friends - the fabulous Frankie and their sweet cohort Sadie. She's got her art - and her idol, the unappreciated 19th-century painter Edward Willing. Still, it's hard being a nobody and having a crush on the biggest somebody in the school: Alex Bainbridge. Especially when he is your French tutor, and lessons have started becoming, well, certainly more interesting than French ever has been before. But can the invisible girl actually end up with a happily ever after with the golden boy, when no one even knows they're dating? And is Ella going to dare to be that girl?
I loved the way this book was written, it was quite witty. It starts off with Ella sharing her undying love for Edward Willing. The only problem with this is that he died...long ago, as in years before Ella was even born. Through the course of the book she has many an interesting conversations with her idol Edward. If only she could find someone alive who could live up to Edward. Of course there is always her crush Alex Bainbridge, but he's a "Philitte" who will likely never notice her.
Ella and her friends Sadie & Frankie attended Willing School where they are at the bottom of the social ladder. Sadie has money but has a less than perfect body, Frankie is gay and Ella is a scholarship student with a scarred body. This leaves the three of them nearly invisible among the many elite students (Philittes) who attend Willing. At least they have each other and their close friendship with many a game of Truth or Dare.
When Alex is assigned to be Ella's French tutor Ella finally has a chance to be noticed by Alex.
I loved the first couple chapters but then found it really slow going for a while. It picked up again by mid book and I enjoyed the story. I ended up really liking many of the characters: Sadie, Ella & especially Alex. I liked Frankie too but I just don't enjoy reading about same-sex relationships and was a little turned off by how often his relationships were mentioned.
Full of many great quotes and laughs I'm sure this will be a hit with those who enjoy contemporary young adult literature.
Rating: 3.5 Stars - Good Book
Content: a little language include 1 use of the f word, one of the main characters is gay so there many conversations about who he was dating/liked, one of the characters makes crude comments to and about Ella, a scene where a shirt is removed but done to show a scar, etc.
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The Teen Book SceneAlso by Melissa Jensen:
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Title: Outside In
Author: Maria V. Snyder
Series: #2 of 2 Insiders Series
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Released: March 1, 2011
Website: http://mariavsnyder.com/
Book Summary:Me? A Leader? Okay, I did prove that there's more to Inside than we knew. That a whole world exists beyond this cube we live in. And finding that led to a major rebellion - between worker scrubs like me and the snobby uppers who rule our world. Make that ruled. Because of me, we're free. I thought that meant I was off the hook, and could go off on my own again - while still touching base with Riley, of course. He's the one upper I think I can trust. But then we learned that there's outside and then there is Outside. And something from Outside wants In.
I wouldn't go so far as to say I was disappointed with this sequel because I did like it. I just didn't love it like I hoped I would. Being such a fan of Maria's Study Series I had high expectations for this book and this sequel didn't quite live up to those high expectations.
Outside In was full of action and adventure and plot twists. There was a lot going on in this story but I finished the book not really understanding exactly how everything had played out. It seemed like there could have been a little less going on and little more detail and back story filled in. The first book Inside Out was a clean read while Outside In had content I wish wasn't included.
I did like watching Trella grow and change especially in her relationship with her mother and Riley. She makes some stupid decisions at times but learns from her mistakes. I did like this book and don't regret reading it.
I'm going to start on Maria's Glass & Healer series soon to see if they better capture the magic I felt while reading the Study Series.
Rating: 3.5 Stars - Good Book
Content: Some language and sexual content, no sex scene but clothes were off
Source: Download from Audible.com
Also by Maria V. Snyder:
Inside Out - Book #1 in the Insiders Series
Study Series (One of my favorites - although this is adult not YA)
Glass Series
Touch of Power
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Title: With a Name Like LoveAuthor: Tess HilmoSeries: NonePublisher: Farrar Straus GirouxReleased: September 27, 2011Website: http://tesshilmo.com/
Book Summary:When Ollie’s daddy, the Reverend Everlasting Love, pulls their travel trailer into Binder to lead a three-day revival, Ollie knows that this town will be like all the others they visit— it is exactly the kind of nothing Ollie has come to expect. But on their first day in town, Ollie meets Jimmy Koppel, whose mother is in jail for murdering his father. Jimmy insists that his mother is innocent, and Ollie believes him. Still, even if Ollie convinces her daddy to stay in town, how can two kids free a grown woman who has signed a confession? Ollie’s longing for a friend and her daddy’s penchant for searching out lost souls prove to be a formidable force in this tiny town where everyone seems bent on judging and jailing without a trial.
With a Name Like Love is a wonderful middle, grade historical fiction, read that reminded me of Little House on the Prairie.
Ollie's dad is a traveling preacher. Every three days her family moves on to a new town. That's the way life is, the way it has always been and the way it seems like it will always be. At least until the family arrives in Binder, Arkansas. When Ollie befriends lonely Jimmy Koppel the family's way of life is turned upside down and they find themselves in a battle to help Jimmy and his mother.
This book is a heartfelt story that would make a great read aloud.
Content: Clean
Rating: 4.5 Stars - Highly recommend
Source: Review Copy
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on 1/27/2012
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Title: Inside Out
Author: Maria V. Snyder
Series: #1 of 2 in the Insider Duet
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Released: April 1, 2010
Website: http://mariavsnyder.com
Book Summary:Keep Your Head Down.
Don't Get Noticed.
Or Else.
I'm Trella. I'm a scrub. A nobody. One of thousands who work the lower levels, keeping Inside clean for the Uppers. I've got one friend, do my job and try to avoid the Pop Cops. So what if I occasionally use the pipes to sneak around the Upper levels? The only neck at risk is my own…until I accidentally start a rebellion and become the go-to girl to lead a revolution.
Maria Snyder's Study Series has been one of my long time favorites so I was excited to finally get around to reading Inside Out. This book ended up being far different from the Study series but I still enjoyed it.
It's hard to say much about this one that isn't a spoiler. Inside Out is a dystopian story with a science fiction twist. There were many things that were similar to several other dystopian books I've read recently, it helped to remind myself that this one was written prior to those books.
Maria Snyder proves once again that she is a great writer. Great characters and lots of twists and turns made for a fun read. There was romance in this book but it wasn't the main focus, more of a side story.
Although I definitely enjoyed the Study series more than this one I can't complain because this was a great young adult book. As soon as I finished I started in on the sequel.
Rating: 4 Stars - Great Book
Content: Clean - there may have been a mild swear word or two but I can't remember anything else
Source: Download from Audible.com
Also by Maria Snyder:Outside In - Sequel to Inside Out
Study Series (One of my favorites - although this is adult not YA)
Glass Series
Touch of Power
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on 1/28/2012
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Title: The Scorpio RacesAuthor: Maggie StiefvaterSeries: NonePublisher: ScholasticReleased: October 18, 2011Website: http://maggiestiefvater.com/Book Summary:It happens at the start of every November: the Scorpio Races. Riders attempt to keep hold of their water horses long enough to make it to the finish line. Some riders live. Others die.
At age nineteen, Sean Kendrick is the returning champion. He is a young man of few words, and if he has any fears, he keeps them buried deep, where no one else can see them.
Puck Connolly is different. She never meant to ride in the Scorpio Races. But fate hasn’t given her much of a chance. So she enters the competition — the first girl ever to do so. She is in no way prepared for what is going to happen.
Technically classified as young adult fantasy this book seemed real. The water horses in this book are based on mythological creatures but Maggie wrote them in such a way that I wouldn't be surprised to see them coming up out of the sea the next time I visit the ocean. A testament to what an amazing writer Maggie is.
Due to the fact that I loved Maggie's Mercy Falls werewolf series, the Scorpio Races has been high on my want to read list. Although completely different than the Mercy Falls series the Scorpio Races did not disappoint. The Scorpio races is less romance and more about the horses, the island, the people and the races themselves.
I found myself rooting for both Kate and Sean and hoping somehow they could both win the race. Ultimately I found the ending of the book to be very satisfying.
There is some violence in this series due to the fierce, untamed nature of the water horses (but violence in books doesn't bother me the way sex and language does).
I started Maggie's Books of Faeries series but never got further than the first chapter of Lament. I think I'm going to give that series another try because this book proved to me that Maggie is a phenomenal writer.
Rating: 4.5 Stars - Highly Recommend
Content: some language and violence
Source: Download from Audible.com
Also by Maggie Steifvater:
The Wolves of Mercy Falls
Books of Faerie
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Title: Girls Don't Fly
Author: Kristen Chandler
Series: None
Publisher: Viking Juvenile
Released: October 13, 2011
Website: http://www.krischandlerstories.com/
Book Summary:Myra is used to keeping her feet firmly on the ground. She's got four younger brothers, overworked parents, and a pregnant older sister, and if Myra wasn't there to take care of everyone, they'd probably fall apart. But when her boyfriend unceremoniously dumps her, Myra feels like she's lost her footing. Suddenly she's doing things she never would've a few months earlier: quitting her job, applying for a scholarship to study birds in the Galapogos, and falling for a guy who's encouraging her to leap from her old life . . . and fly.
Set in the Salt Lake City area, Girls Don't Fly is full of intelligence, humor, and is a refreshing change of pace for teen readers.
I thought Myra was a character who was easy to relate to. Her story rang true and reminded me of many of the feelings, doubts and insecurities I remember having in high school. The story was a cute, quirky coming of age, contemporary family drama.
Set outside Salt Lake City, UT and written by an
LDS author I expected this to be LDS fiction but it was not. This could have been a book set in any town, anywhere. Other than a mention or two of the religious kids who went to church on Sunday there was no mention of anything about Mormons in this book.
Each chapter begins with a tidbit of knowledge about birds that ties into that chapter. Very clever.
Girls Don't Fly was an enjoyable, quick read.
Rating: 4 Stars - Great Book
Content: Some language
Source: Review Copy
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Title: Snow Flower and the Secret FanAuthor: Lisa SeeSeries: NonePublisher: Random HouseReleased: February 21, 2006Website: http://www.lisasee.com/
Book Summary:In nineteenth-century China, in a remote Hunan county, a girl named Lily, at the tender age of seven, is paired with a laotong, “old same,” in an emotional match that will last a lifetime. The laotong, Snow Flower, introduces herself by sending Lily a silk fan on which she’s painted a poem in nu shu, a unique language that Chinese women created in order to communicate in secret, away from the influence of men. As the years pass, Lily and Snow Flower send messages on fans, compose stories on handkerchiefs, reaching out of isolation to share their hopes, dreams, and accomplishments. Together, they endure the agony of foot-binding, and reflect upon their arranged marriages, shared loneliness, and the joys and tragedies of motherhood. The two find solace, developing a bond that keeps their spirits alive. But when a misunderstanding arises, their deep friendship suddenly threatens to tear apart.
Fabulously written but heart-wrenching. One of those haunting books that make me shake my head and wonder what posses people to carry on traditions that are wrong on so many levels. This book was really quite depressing. It captured so many emotions and painted such vivid pictures in my mind. Some of those pictures are beautiful but others are horrific.
This was the selection for my book group this month. It's a great choice for a book club, I'm sure we'll have some very interesting discussions next week.
This beautifully written book is one that lovers of Historical Fiction should pick up. I felt transported back to a time period that I am extremely grateful I do not live in.
Rating: 4.5 Stars - Highly Recommend to Adults
Content: This is historical fiction and has many details that are far from pleasant to read about from physical and emotional abuse to the breaking of bones during Chinese foot binding. Some language, sex, abuse and implied lesbian relationship.
Source: Library
Also by Author Lisa See
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on 1/31/2012
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Title: Midnight in AustenlandAuthor: Shannon HaleSeries: Austenland was a stand alone, this is a follow-up novelPublisher: BloomsburyReleased: January 31, 2012Website: http://www.squeetus.com/stage/main.html
Book Summary:When Charlotte Kinder treats herself to a two-week vacation at Austenland, she happily leaves behind her ex-husband and his delightful new wife, her ever-grateful children, and all the rest of her real life in America. She dons a bonnet and stays at a country manor house that provides an immersive Austen experience, complete with gentleman actors who cater to the guests' Austen fantasies.
Everyone at Pembrook Park is playing a role, but increasingly, Charlotte isn't sure where roles end and reality begins. And as the parlor games turn a little bit menacing, she finds she needs more than a good corset to keep herself safe. Is the brooding Mr. Mallery as sinister as he seems? What is Miss Gardenside's mysterious ailment? Was that an actual dead body in the secret attic room? And-perhaps of the most lasting importance-could the stirrings in Charlotte's heart be a sign of real-life love?
The follow-up to reader favorite Austenland provides the same perfectly plotted pleasures, with a feisty new heroine, plenty of fresh and frightening twists, and the possibility of a romance that might just go beyond the proper bounds of Austen's world. How could it not turn out right in the end?
I'm a huge Shannon Hale fan.
I love Jane Austen.
Cross the two and inevitably you will come up with something I will love.
I got a kick out of reading Austenland and am looking forward to the upcoming movie. Austenland was a stand alone book so I was both surprised and excited when I heard there was a sequel coming out.
Shannon Hale entertains me. Her books draw me in and make me laugh. There is no denying I had high expectations for this book. In all honestly, through the first half of this book I was a little disappointed. I wasn't relating to the characters, I wasn't falling for the love interest, I wasn't laughing... But this was Shannon Hale so there was no way I was going to put the book down so I kept reading. It took me until nearly the half way point of this book to really start loving it. Don't get me wrong, it was a good book but my expectations were really high. By the half way point I finally started laughing and relating to the characters and falling for the love interest. I'm not sure why there was a delay for me, but I'm glad I stuck with it because it was worth it.
Midnight in Austenland is based upon Austen's Northanger Abbey which is not one of my favorite Austen novels. Like the book it's based on, Midnight in Austenland is a little more mystery and wild run away imaginings than some of Austen's other book. Not a bad thing but I would obviously prefer more swooning Mr. Darcy moments instead of over-active imagination ramblings.
Midnight in Austenland is a fun, lighthearted read that fans of Austen & Hale should definitely read!
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on 2/3/2012
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Title: The Body FinderAuthor: Kimberly DertingSeries: Book 1 of 4Publisher: HarperTeenReleased: March 16, 2010Website: http://www.kimberlyderting.com/
Book Summary:Violet Ambrose is grappling with two major issues: Jay Heaton and her morbid secret ability. While the sixteen-year-old is confused by her new feelings for her best friend since childhood, she is more disturbed by her "power" to sense dead bodies—or at least those that have been murdered. Since she was a little girl, she has felt the echoes that the dead leave behind in the world... and the imprints that attach to their killers.
Violet has never considered her strange talent to be a gift; it mostly just led her to find the dead birds her cat had tired of playing with. But now that a serial killer has begun terrorizing her small town, and the echoes of the local girls he's claimed haunt her daily, she realizes she might be the only person who can stop him.
Despite his fierce protectiveness over her, Jay reluctantly agrees to help Violet on her quest to find the murderer—and Violet is unnerved to find herself hoping that Jay's intentions are much more than friendly. But even as she's falling intensely in love, Violet is getting closer and closer to discovering a killer... and becoming his prey herself.
This was a creepy, suspenseful, romantic read. A great mix of mystery, romance and fantasy.
Most of the book is told from Violet's point of view. Violet hears "echoes" of both the dead and of those who've killed others. For the most part this unique ability usually finds her digging up the bones of dead animals but occasional she stumbles across something much more horrifying. No one knows of her ability except for her family and childhood friend Jay.
I loved watching Violet's relationship with Jay develop into something more than just friendship. I'm a succor for the "best friend turned more than friend" kind of relationships.
Most of the story is told from Violet's perspective but there are short snippets thrown in that are written from the mind of a serial killer, that's that creepy part.
For those who scare easily you might not want to read this while home alone at night. I don't scare easily and enjoy an occasional suspenseful, creepy book so I thoroughly enjoyed this one. I'll definitely be reading the sequels.
Rating: 4.5 Stars - Highly Recommend
Content: Some language including 1 F word. No sex but some passionate making out. Creepy & suspenseful.
Source: Download from Audible.com
Also by Kimberly Derting
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This book sounds really, really interesting! Thanks for the review. :) I love mysteries.
Janiera @This is From my Heart