Nightspell - Leah Cypress - 2011

Nightspell (Mistwood #2) by Leah Cypress

Published: 2011 - HarperCollins

Age Group: Young Adult

Read: October 3, 2011

3 out of 5 Stars: I liked it, but...

Reason for Reading: I really loved Cypress's first novel, Mistwood, and I was excited for her second book, especially since it is a companion novel to the first (though they are both stand-alones).

On GoodReads: "A stand-alone companion novel to the much-acclaimed MISTWOOD. When Darri rides into Ghostland, a country where the living walk with the dead, she has only one goal: to rescue her younger sister Callie, who was sent to Ghostland as a hostage four years ago. But Callie has changed in those four years, and now has secrets of her own. In her quest to save her sister from herself, Darri will be forced to outmaneuver a handsome ghost prince, an ancient sorcerer, and a manipulative tribal warrior (who happens to be her brother). When Darri discovers the source of the spell that has kept the dead in Ghostland chained to this earth, she faces a decision that will force her to reexamine beliefs she has never before questioned - and lead her into the heart of a conspiracy that threatens the very balance of power between the living and the dead."

My Thoughts: I really liked the plot of this fantasy story. I also really liked the three main characters, siblings Darri, Varis, and Callie. I thought those three really made the story work. I also enjoyed Prince Kestin, because I just can't resist a good dead prince. I thought the history behind Ghsotland and the spell was really interesting and rather different, too. The problems I had with the story were that it felt rushed, and I couldn't really put my finger on why. Like, the story was well thought out, but maybe the inner workings were pushed too much. I'm still not sure, but it just didn't feel very polished, especially compared to Mistwood. I still really enjoyed it though, and I am looking forward to more stories from Leah Cypress.

Recommended To: Lovers of YA fantasy, those who read & enjoyed Mistwood, and Kristin Cashore's books Graceling and Fire.

Books Read This Year: 79 of 100

You Against Me - Jenny Downham - 2011

You Against Me by Jenny Downham

Published: 2011 (US) - David Fickling

Age Group: Young Adult

Read: September 26, 2011

4 out of 5 Stars: I liked it

Reason for Reading: I loved Downham's previous book, Before I Die, so I was really excited to see she had another book out.

On GoodReads: "If someone hurts your sister and you're any kind of man, you seek revenge, right? If your brother's been accused of a terrible crime and you're the main witness, then you banish all doubt and defend him. Isn't that what families do? When Mikey's sister claims a boy assaulted her at a party, his world of work and girls begins to fall apart. When Ellie's brother is charged with the crime, but says he didn't do it, her world of revision, exams and fitting in at a new school begins to unravel. When Mikey and Ellie meet, two worlds collide. Brave and unflinching, this is a novel of extraordinary skillfulness and almost unbearable tension. It's a book about loyalty and the choices that come with it. But above all it's a book about love - for one's family and for another."

My Thoughts: Because I loved Before I Die so much, I was really anticipating this book. It was very different from her other book, but I did really like reading it. I was pulled in by the conflict between love for your family and love for another (an outsider). Reading about Mikey and Ellie as they try to navigate these ideas and boundaries was really interesting. I have to say, I really liked Ellie. I thought she was written so convincingly, and I could feel the struggle she felt about her brother and what he may or may not have done. Mikey was such a sweet brother, I don't know how realistic he was, but it was sweet to read about how he took care of his sisters. From about halfway through the book I knew the ending wasn't going to wrap everything up all nice and tight, but I was disappointed to be correct. I wish there had been a resolution with the trial. From my personal journal: "It felt like one of those books I'd love, but that also annoyed the crap out of me."

Books Read This Year: 78

Twisted - Sara Shepard - 2011

Twisted (Pretty Little Liars #9) by Sara Shepard

Published: 2011 - HarperTeen

Age Group: Young Adult

Read: September 23, 2011

4 out of 5 Stars: This series is such a guilty pleasure for me

Reason for Reading: I was intrigued at how Shepard would continue the series, since book 8 had been noted as the last of the PLL series.

On GoodReads: "It’s been a year since the torturous notes from A stopped and the mystery of Alison DiLaurentis’s disappearance was finally put to rest. Now seniors in high school, Aria, Spencer, Hanna and Emily are older, but they’re not any wiser. The Pretty Little Liars have more secrets than ever - twisted secrets that could destroy the perfect lives they’ve worked so hard to rebuild.

Aria’s jealous of her boyfriend’s new exchange student. Spencer’s getting a little too cozy with her soon-to-be-stepbrother. Hanna’s one scandalous photo away from ruining her dad’s Senate campaign. And Emily will do anything to get a swim scholarship.

Worst of all: Last spring break in Jamaica, they did something unforgivable. The girls are desperate to forget that fateful night, but they should know better than anyone that all secrets wash ashore … eventually."

My Thoughts: I was a bit annoyed when I head that the series would be continuing, since my copy of book 8 claims it's the last one, but upon seeing that the 9th book was out, I felt I had to keep going with the series. I am really glad I did. I love these 4 girls, they are so unique and sometimes so vapid, but also very innocent. They all feel so very human. The story is really twisted, there's a new A in town, and I really have no idea who it is, or why they are out to get the girls. I really do just enjoy reading these books, they go by quickly but are so charming and so exciting.

Books Read This Year: 77 of 100

Please Ignore Vera Dietz - A.S. King - 2010

Please Ignore Vera Dietz by A.S. King

Published: 2010 - Alfred K. Knopf

Age Group: Young Adult

Read: September 19, 2011

5 out of 5 Stars: Loved it

Reason for Reading: John Green recommended it. It's a Printz Honor book. I had heard nothing but great things. It really felt like a "must read."

On GoodReads: "Vera's spent her whole life secretly in love with her best friend, Charlie Kahn. And over the years she's kept a lot of his secrets. Even after he betrayed her. Even after he ruined everything. So when Charlie dies in dark circumstances, Vera knows a lot more than anyone—the kids at school, his family, even the police. But will she emerge to clear his name? Does she even want to? Edgy and gripping, Please Ignore Vera Dietz is an unforgettable novel: smart, funny, dramatic, and always surprising."

My Thoughts: This book was sweet, and sad, and funny. I really liked Vera and Charlie trying to figure out what happened between them and what went wrong. At times, it was really difficult to read when Charlie was pushing Vera away. The chapters from the point of view of the pagoda were placed at just the right times, and were so funny. The whole story had so many funny parts paired up with really sad parts. I think the best part was how truthful the story felt. The best relationship examined in the book is that between Vera and her father. Reading the book, I could really see them transform and become the people the other needed them to be.

Quote from the book: "I mean, I ignore plenty of stuff, like school spirit days and the dirty looks i get from the Detentionheads while I try to slink through the halls unnoticed. But there's something about telling other people what to ignore that just doesn't work for me. Especially things we shouldn't be ignoring.

Hear that girl in your class is being abused by her stepfather and had to go to the clinic? Hear she's bringing her mother's pills to school and selling them to pay for it? Ignore. Ignore. Ignore. Mind your own business. Don't make waves. Fly under the radar. It's just one of those things, Vera.

I'm sorry, but I don't get it. If we're supposed to ignore everything that's wrong in our lives, then I can't see how we'll ever make things right."

Wolves, Boys and Other Things That Might Kill Me - Kristen Chandler - 2010

Wolves, Boys and Other Things That Might Kill Me by Kristen Chandler

Published: 2010 - Viking

Age Group: Young Adult

Read: September 15, 2011

4 out of 5 Stars: I really (really!) liked it

Reason for Reading: This was a random Borders pick up. I saw the title and wanted to know if it was about real wolves or werewolves. I was incredibly (and pleasantly) surprised that it was about actual wolves.

On GoodReads: KJ Carson lives an outdoor lover’s dream. The only daughter of a fishing and wildlife guide, KJ can hold her own on the water or in the mountains near her hometown outside Yellowstone National Park. But when she meets the shaggy-haired, intensely appealing Virgil, KJ loses all self-possession. And she’s not sure if it’s a good thing or a bad thing that they’re assigned to work together on a school newspaper article about the famous wolves of Yellowstone. As KJ spends time with Virgil, she also spends more time getting to know a part of her world that she always took for granted . . . and she begins to see herself and her town in a whole new light.

My Thoughts: In my hand-written book journal, the first two sentences I wrote for this story were, "I loved K.J. I felt like K.J." And I really did. I felt that K.J. was so similar in some ways to me when I was her age, and I felt that she was written in such a (wonderful) way that I was reminded of who I was as a teenager, and I was transported into K.J.'s life. The subtle comparisons of wolves and humans were really well done, they weren't obvious, but they made a point. I thought the insight into her relationships with her father, her town, and the wolves were all developed magically. And again, I was just so excited that this was about real wolves. It made me want to go pick up a bunch of books about wolf habits.

Quote from the book: "I would laugh at all my provincial inmates, but I’m too busy lusting. I’m not usually interested in a guy with “take a number” on his forehead, but this guy doesn’t have a forehead — it’s buried in messy blond hair. And he’s not one of the twenty guys I’ve known my entire pubescent life. he smiles like the Fourth of July. What’s a dumb girl to do but get in line with everyone else not in his league? I guess journalism just became my most beloved class.”

Girl in the Arena - Lise Haines - 2009

Girl in the Arena by Lise Haines

Published: 2009 - Bloomsbury USA

Age Group: Young Adult

Read: September 13, 2009

Reason for Reading: I picked up this book because I had read a good review of it and thought it sounded interesting.

GoodReads blurb: "Lyn is a neo-gladiator’s daughter, through and through. Her mother has made a career out of marrying into the high-profile world of televised blood sport, and the rules of the Gladiator Sports Association are second nature to their family. Always lend ineffable confidence to the gladiator. Remind him constantly of his victories. And most importantly: Never leave the stadium when your father is dying. The rules help the family survive, but rules—and the GSA—can also turn against you. When a gifted young fighter kills Lyn’s seventh father, he also captures Lyn’s dowry bracelet, which means she must marry him... For fans of The Hunger Games and Fight Club, Lise Haines’ debut novel is a mesmerizing look at a world addicted to violence—a modern world that’s disturbingly easy to imagine."

My Thoughts: I don't know how I feel about this book and this story. I liked a few of the characters, Lyn in particular, and her friend and his family. However, I felt like the description and back of the book give off a false pretense about what the book is. I was expecting a sort of dystopian future where the world reverts back to gladiator fights for entertainment and the settling of arguments. But instead it's basically our present day lives, but with gladiator fighting added in as a sport, kind of like football. The explanation of how this came to be was very strange, and the execution of the story felt unnatural. I don't know if this was supposed to be a sort of social commentary novel about how much sports players get paid but the how many negative effects there can be, if so, I don't think it fulfilled its purpose. Though the actual writing and language was well written, and as I said, I really did like Lyn. I'm not sure if there is a specific group I would recommend this to.

Divergent - Veronica Roth - 2011

Divergent (Divergent series #1) - Veronica Roth

Published: 2011 - HarperCollins

Age Group: Young Adult

Read: September 10, 2011

4.5 out of 5 Stars: I'm kind of obsessed with this book

Reason for Reading: The description sounded fantastic (see below), and I had a chance to look it over when it first arrived at the library I volunteer at. I couldn't get the thought of it out of my head, so I set my mind on giving it a try.

On GoodReads: Beatrice "Tris" Prior has reached the fateful age of sixteen, the stage at which teenagers in Veronica Roth's dystopian Chicago must select which of five factions to join for life. Each faction represents a virtue: Candor, Abnegation, Dauntless, Amity, and Erudite. To the surprise of herself and her selfless Abnegation family, she chooses Dauntless, the path of courage. Her choice exposes her to the demanding, violent initiation rites of this group, but it also threatens to expose a personal secret that could place in mortal danger. Veronica Roth's young adult Divergent trilogy launches with a captivating adventure about love and loyalty playing out under most extreme circumstances.

My Thoughts: I couldn't get enough of this book! I thoroughly enjoyed following Tris as she waivered on her decision to switch from Abnegation to Dauntless, as she learned what it meant to be Divergent, and as she made friends with some of the other transfers. Four was one of my favorite characters I've read recently, he was intriguing and moody and kind of a bad@ss. Roth's writing sucked me in, and I was surprised at how well done the training and fight scenes were - they felt very genuine. I am very excited for the next book in the series, Insurgent, to come out next year. I honestly can't say enough about this book, it was exhilarating to read.

Quote from the book: "My heart beats so hard it hurts, and I can't scream and I can't breathe, but I also feel everything, every vein and every fiber, every bone and every nerve, all awake and buzzing in my body as if charged with electricity. I am pure adrenaline.”