Don’t Turn Around by: Michelle Gagnon

Don’t Turn Around by: Michelle Gagnon
Publication Date: August 28, 2012
Publisher: HarperTeen
Genre: Thriller, Mystery
Series: PERSEPHoNE Trilogy #1
Source: ARC from Publisher (Thanks HarperCollins!)
Page Count: 320
Author Website: Michelle Gagnon
Buy the Book: Amazon, Barnes & Noble

Summary from Goodreads:

Sixteen-year-old Noa has been a victim of the system ever since her parents died. Now living off the grid and trusting no one, she uses her computer-hacking skills to stay safely anonymous and alone. But when she wakes up on a table in an empty warehouse with an IV in her arm and no memory of how she got there, Noa starts to wish she had someone on her side.
Enter Peter Gregory. A rich kid and the leader of a hacker alliance, Peter needs people with Noa’s talents on his team. Especially after a shady corporation threatens his life. But what Noa and Peter don’t realize is that Noa holds the key to a terrible secret, and there are those who’d stop at nothing to silence her for good.
Filled with action, suspense, and romance, this first book in a new trilogy offers readers nonstop thrills.

My Review:

The first thing I heard about this book was that it was a techno-thriller. While I didn’t exactly know what that referred to, I was immediately interested. Don’t Turn Around is Michelle Gagnon’s first YA book and it was definitely fast paced and had a great plot. It’s something I think even adults could read and enjoy.

Noa is a runaway. She has been in the foster care system since she was a small child and has been to juvie a few times. The book begins as she wakes up, strapped to an operating table of sorts. I think this was an excellent way to hook the reader because I could not put the book down for a while after that. Noa is remarkably resilient throughout the events of the story, which is one of my favorite characteristics. She is trying to piece together what exactly happened to her when she woke up. At the same time, she can’t step out of the shadows or let her guard down for a second because there are men after her. Whatever happened to her, they weren’t intent on letting her go anytime soon.

The book switches perspectives from Noa to Peter, and then to Amanda. Peter is a rich kid with an internet hacking site called /ALLIANCE/. He and other members of the site track down organizations or groups who are working against ethics, rights, or the law, and take them down in the most creative way possible. I love this idea. I hope there’s something like that in real life. Noa is one of his best hackers. He asks her for a favor and from then on him and Noa are basically companions in trying to figure out who’s responsible for Noa’s capture.

The next perspective is Amanda’s. She is Peter’s ex-girlfriend and lost her brother to drugs. I think that the book would’ve been the same or better without her point of view. I don’t think it brought anything special to the storyline.

While goons are chasing their every move, Peter and Noa fight for their lives and the truth and they won’t stop until they find what they’re looking for. Michelle Gagnon’s Don’t Turn Around is an enjoyable thriller with people on the run and lives at stake. It kept me on edge most of the time!

Official Rating:

Three and a half Un-Birthday Cakes!

 

Don’t forget to get No Escape, a Don’t Turn Around Story for your e-book or mobile device!

 

Wentworth Hall by: Abby Grahame

Wentworth Hall by: Abby Grahame
Publication Date: May 1, 2012
Publisher: Simon and Schuster BFYR
Format: Nook Book
Genre: England, Contemporary, Historical Fiction
Page Count: 276 (Nook Book: 155)
Cover Rating: 7/10
Buy the Book: Amazon, Barnes and Noble

Summary from Goodreads:

The prettiest people often have the ugliest secrets…
Eighteen-year-old Maggie Darlington has turned into an entirely different person. The once spirited teen is now passive and reserved. A change Lord and Lady Darlington can’t help but be grateful for.
It’s 1912, and the Darlingtons of Wentworth Hall have more than just the extensive grounds to maintain. As one of Britain’s most elite families, they need to keep up appearances that things are as they have always been… even as their carefully constructed façade rapidly comes undone.
Maggie has a secret. And she’s not the only one… the handsome groom Michael, the beautiful new French nanny Therese, the Darlingtons’ teenage houseguests Teddy and Jessica, and even Maggie’s younger sister Lila are all hiding something. Passion, betrayal, heartache, and whispered declarations of love take place under the Darlingtons’ massive roof. And one of these secrets has the power to ruin the Darlingtons forever.
When scandalous satires start appearing in the newspaper with details that closely mirror the lives of the Darlingtons, everyone is looking over their shoulder, worrying their scandal will be next. Because at Wentworth Hall, nothing stays secret for long.

Teaser:

“  Peering into the crack of the open door, Nora saw Maggie sink into the ripped leather couch, weeping.
    Nora decided to let Maggie have her moment of grief in private. When she was sure that Teddy was gone, she scampered back down the dark, moonlit hall, to her room.”

My Review:

Whenever I hear about a book set in the Roaring 20’s or early 1900’s, I must read it. That was the main thing that made me read this book. It was also portrayed to be about a family with lots of dark, ugly secrets. I thought, what could be a better combination? It didn’t turn out to be as amazing as I hoped for, but it was still a good read and I’m glad I read it. Any brief trip to the 20’s is great to me!

Wentworth Hall is the title of the book and also the name for an enormous estate owned by the Darlington family. They are old money, but these days things aren’t looking so good for them financially. The book starts off with Maggie Darlington returning from a year long stay in France. With her new maturity and worldliness, her family notices that she has also grown uncharacteristically indifferent towards everyone. She used to be a fierce horsewoman with a no-nonsense attitude. Her sister Lila and some of the house staff grow curious as to what happened in France to change her so.

Lila, the sixteen year old sister of Maggie, is the baby of the family. While she has matured into a young woman, her parents and everyone seem to think she should still be treated like a little girl. Maggie has always had the spotlight with boys and people in general. As much as Lila tries, guys just fall head over heels in love with Maggie and leave Lila by the wayside.

Nora, the ladies maid to Lila and Maggie, is all about gossiping and learning secrets about the Darlington's and whoever else. The book switches perspectives between most of the main characters, which I didn’t particularly enjoy in this book, but it was okay. Terrible satires about the Darlington family are posted in a newspaper and it could be any one of the family or staff. This was a very mysterious element of the story that kept me guessing!

As for the secrets in Wentworth Hall, they weren’t exactly what I expected. I expected them to be darker, or something. But rest assured, they are definitely juicy and scandalous!

I’ve heard this book heavily compared to the popular British television show, Downton Abbey, and while I like the show better, this book is certainly for fans of the show. It focuses a lot on the house staff as the show does and has secrets galore!

Wentworth Hall was a rather short read. I both liked and didn’t like that. Some details could have been better explained but it ended well. It was a fun and quick read for those of you who like that sort of thing.

Official Rating:


Three Un-Birthday Cakes

Like the 1920’s? Here’s some books you may like:

(Click on the image for more info!)

        

 

Unspoken by: Sarah Rees Brennan

Unspoken by: Sarah Rees Brennan
Publication Date: September 11, 2012
Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers
Format: e-ARC (Thanks Netgalley & Random House!)
Genre: Mystery, England, Romance, Magic
Series: #1 in The Lynburn Legacy
Page Count: 370
Author Website: Sarah Rees Brennan
Buy the Book: Amazon, Barnes and Noble

Summary from Goodreads:

Kami Glass loves someone she’s never met . . . a boy she’s talked to in her head ever since she was born. She wasn’t silent about her imaginary friend during her childhood, and is thus a bit of an outsider in her sleepy English town of Sorry-in-the-Vale. Still, Kami hasn’t suffered too much from not fitting in. She has a best friend, runs the school newspaper, and is only occasionally caught talking to herself. Her life is in order, just the way she likes it, despite the voice in her head.
But all that changes when the Lynburns return.
The Lynburn family has owned the spectacular and sinister manor that overlooks Sorry-in-the-Vale for centuries. The mysterious twin sisters who abandoned their ancestral home a generation ago are back, along with their teenage sons, Jared and Ash, one of whom is eerily familiar to Kami. Kami is not one to shy away from the unknown—in fact, she’s determined to find answers for all the questions Sorry-in-the-Vale is suddenly posing. Who is responsible for the bloody deeds in the depths of the woods? What is her own mother hiding? And now that her imaginary friend has become a real boy, does she still love him? Does she hate him? Can she trust him?

My Review:

I haven't read Sarah's Demons Lexicon Trilogy, but I might now! She writes with such wit and humor and realness. Unspoken was the best of mystery, secrets, and England, that I've seen in YA in a long time!

Unspoken hooked me from the first pages. Kami Glass has always wanted to be a reporter, revealing the juiciest stories and much as she's tried, there is nothing special to be found about her town of Sorry-in-the-Vale. Or so she thinks. Just as school begins and Kami starts the school newspaper, the town's mysterious founding family, the Lynburns, return to town. All of the townspeople are wary around them. Naturally, this sparks Kami's curiosity, especially when she meets Ash Lynburn, the new boy at school.

Ever since Kami can remember, there has been a voice in her head of a boy named Jared. She was never alone with his presence in her mind, a constant comfort, even though she knew he wasn't real. Ash Lynburn has a brother named Jared. Coincidence? I think not. When Kami discovers that the voice in her head belongs to a very real person, she is overwhelmed with an onslaught of emotions; she doesn't know how to feel about it. Neither does Jared.

Soon after the Lynburns return, strange things start happening in Sorry-in-the-Vale. Everyone, including Kami's friends and parents, are telling her to stay away from Ash and Jared, that they are bad news, without explaining why. Her curiosity peaked, Kami begins spending more time with the boys and delving into the towns uncovered secrets, all the while stepping into a world that there will be no turning back from.

Kami's friend Angela, is one of my favorite "best friend" characters. She is brutally honest all the time and never holds back how she feels about anything. Now, I've seen these traits in characters before and it has been portrayed badly, but Sarah perfected Angela, I think.

There is definitely a love triangle in Unspoken, for those of you who don't like those. Personally, I usually like them and this one especially! There is so much complexity to Jared and Kami's relationship that she doesn't really know how to deal, but she knows that whatever she feels for him, it is strong. Ash is always right there for Kami, she doesn't have to worry about his voice inside her head and he is just there, without the issues she has with Jared. I cannot wait to see how this plays out in the next book!

There is a massive cliffhanger at the end of this book, so prepare yourself! Its all quite worth it, though. I absolutely recommend this!

Other books by Sarah Rees Brennan:

Fury by: Elizabeth Miles

Fury by: Elizabeth Miles
Publication Date: August 30, 2011
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Format: Nook Book
Genre: Contemporary, Mythology
Series: #1 in The Fury Trilogy
Author Website: Elizabeth Miles
Buy the Book: Barnes and Noble, Amazon

Summary from Goodreads:

It’s winter break in Ascension, Maine. The snow is falling and everything looks pristine and peaceful. But all is not as it seems... Em is thrilled that the guy she’s been into for months is finally noticing her. But if she starts things with him, there’s no turning back. Because his girlfriend is Em’s best friend. And on the other side of town, Chase’s social life is unraveling and the stress of his home life is starting to take its toll. But that’s nothing compared to what’s really haunting him. Chase has done something cruel....And it’s only a matter of time before he’s exposed. In Ascension, mistakes can be deadly. There are three girls—three beautiful, mysterious girls—to choose who will pay. Em and Chase have been chosen.

 

Teaser:

“Sometimes sorry isn’t enough. She didn’t know what the note meant. Not really. But she could tell by the cold, black feeling deep in the put of her stomach that it was true.”

 

My Review:

Whenever I see a book that is remotely related to Greek mythology in YA, I cannot resist picking it up! The same was the case with Fury. While it didn’t have as many mythological elements in it, I think it made for a good mix of contemporary and mythology.

The story follows Emily Winters and Chase Singer, switching perspectives. They are both normal high school students. When three gorgeous new girls arrive in their town of Ascension, Maine, things start to get strange. Immediately, I knew that the girls, Ty, Meg, and Ali, had to be the Furies of Greek mythology. I loved how there is no aspect of myth in the story until the Furies arrive and that Chase and Em have no idea what’s going on behind the curtain, so to speak.

Em and Chase both have a dirty secret, hence the Furies arriving in town. Em’s best friend, Gabby is dating the guy that Em has been secretly crushing on for months. Finally, she has a chance to be with him while Gabby is away for winter break. Em thinks that as long as Zach breaks up with Gabby the minute she returns, everything will be alright. This kind of bothered me a bit; how hopelessly naïve Em is that she thinks her friend will forgive her for getting together with her boyfriend while she was away. Still, it was a big mistake, but not big enough to suffer the Furies wrath over.

Chase has a secret of his own, which I spent a good portion of the book anticipating. One of the Furies, Ty, latches onto Chase and he practically melts in her presence. Little does he know, he is being lured into a trap!

The Furies of Greek myths are hideous female creatures, determined to mete out justice in the manor they see fit. In Fury, they attain the perfect disguise, beautiful girls. While Chase falls head over heels for Ty, Em is not to easily fooled. The girls keep leaving red flowers in their wake, as a sort of warning sign. Ty, Ali, and Meg are very mysterious girls, even in their disguises.

I cannot wait for the sequel, Envy, to come out!

 

 

Pandemonium by: Lauren Oliver

Pandemonium by: Lauren Oliver
Publisher: HarperTeen
Publication Date: February 28, 2013
Genre: Dystopian, Romance
Page Count: 375
Author Blog: Lauren Oliver
Buy the Book: Amazon, Barnes and Noble

Summary from Goodreads:

I'm pushing aside the memory of my nightmare,
pushing aside thoughts of Alex,
pushing aside thoughts of Hana and my old school,
push,
push,
push,
like Raven taught me to do.
The old life is dead.
But the old Lena is dead too.
I buried her.
I left her beyond a fence,
behind a wall of smoke and flame.

Lauren Oliver delivers an electrifying follow-up to her acclaimed New York Times bestseller, Delirium. This riveting, brilliant novel crackles with the fire of fierce defiance, forbidden romance, and the sparks of a revolution about to ignite.

Teaser:

“ If you take, we will take back. Steal from us, and we will rob you blind. When you squeeze, we will hit.

This is the way the world is made now.”

My Review:

Pandemonium is a poetic story of resilience and what someone is willing to go through to stand up for what’s right. In a world under a horrible illusion, Lena is one of the few who has seen the truth, but not without a cost.

Lena is one of the most resilient characters I have ever seen in YA. She comes from a regular family in Portland, where she lived well and had sufficient means. She goes from that lifestyle to living underground with the Uncureds, never sure if they have enough food to get by and having to work all day. Lena and all of the people around her are against the deliria. They are roughing the wilderness because they won’t succumb to the government’s horrid procedure that each citizen is required to receive.

Pandemonium switches Lena’s perspective from her in present day to her half a year (or so) ago. I wasn’t sure if I’d like this at first, but then found that it was kind of essential in getting the whole story out and a very clever thing for Lauren to do.

Undercover, Lena is working with Raven, the woman who rescued her following the events of Delirium, and Tack, a member of their group. Together,they are just like any other family living in New York City, only they are wearing deep masks.

Mourning the loss of Alex, Lena struggles at times to make it through, but she always prevails, always finds a way to move forward. She meets Julian seemingly by chance and starts to believe that there is more than meets the eye for the poster-boy of Deliria Free America, an organization Lena Morgan Jones is a member of. He is afraid of the procedure and if he will survive it. Once he gets to know Lena, he begins to realize that not all Uncureds are hostile and what his father has been teaching him all his life is a lie.

I loved reading conversations between Julian and Lena. I think they have amazing chemistry. Fair warning, Pandemonium has a wicked cliffhanger, so prepare yourself for jaw-dropping, yelping, and other declarations of blissful frustration.

I cannot wait to read Requiem in 2013!

Other books by Lauren Oliver:

 

Review: Virtuosity by: Jessica Martinez

Virtuosity by: Jessica Martinez
Publication Date: October 18, 2011
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Page Count: 294
Format: Nook Book
Genre: Contemporary, Music, Romance
Author Website: Jessica Martinez
Buy the Book: Amazon, Barnes and Noble

Summary from Goodreads:

Now is not the time for Carmen to fall in love. And Jeremy is hands-down the wrong guy for her to fall for. He is infuriating, arrogant, and the only person who can stand in the way of Carmen getting the one thing she wants most: to win the prestigious Guarneri competition. Carmen's whole life is violin, and until she met Jeremy, her whole focus was winning. But what if Jeremy isn't just hot...what if Jeremy is better?

Carmen knows that kissing Jeremy can't end well, but she just can't stay away. Nobody else understands her--and riles her up--like he does. Still, she can't trust him with her biggest secret: She is so desperate to win she takes anti-anxiety drugs to perform, and what started as an easy fix has become a hungry addiction. Carmen is sick of not feeling anything on stage and even more sick of always doing what she’s told, doing what's expected.

Sometimes, being on top just means you have a long way to fall...

Teaser:

“I stopped thinking and knocked.

I only had a few seconds to regret it before the door swung open. There stood Jeremy King, one hand on the knob, the other holding a cup of Dr. Pepper up to his mouth. His tuxedo shirt was open at the neck, his jacket and bow tie were behind him, strewn over the armchair.”

My Review:

Initially, upon buying this book, I thought it would be centered on the struggles of substance abuse and overcoming it. For me, Virtuosity was much more about the extreme stress of being one of the world’s best violinists and following your own dreams, as cliché as that may sound.

I think the last line of the summary, “Sometimes, being on top just means you have a long way to fall…” serves as a good tagline for the themes in this book. Carmen Bianchi is still only a teenager and is facing the challenge of her career, The Guarneri Competition. On this competition sits her future in music and the famous Guarneri violin as a prize. The pressure is intense and overwhelming.

On top of all the pressure from her career is her mother. She is a constant weight on Carmen’s shoulders, always pushing her and pushing her to her limits. Her mother is living vicariously through Carmen, I think.

When Carmen begins to see Jeremy more often, a dangerous endeavor, she opens herself up to the world beyond competitions and lessons. Dangerous because she knows Jeremy is her only competition and it is never a good idea to flirt with the enemy. Even as her mother warns her about his intentions, Carmen can’t quite separate herself from him.

Jeremy opens up to Carmen like he has with no one before and reveals parts of his life that aren’t even hinted at in his biographies. With him by her side, she feels like her life doesn’t have to be all about music anymore, that she can live her own life out from underneath her mother. I love that Jeremy created that for her. They are incredible together.

I thought I might be disappointed that this wasn’t about substance abuse to me so much as it was about Jeremy and Carmen’s relationship and her becoming independent. It did have quite a bit about how she struggled with the drugs but I thought the former things were more important and pronounced in the story.

Virtuosity is a wonderful contemporary with tales of romance and discovery presented in a very truthful form. I connected with each character well and enjoyed reading about them.

Official Rating:

Four Un-Birthday Cakes!

 

Review: Harbinger by: Sara Wilson Etienne

Harbinger by: Sara Wilson Etienne
Publication Date: February 2, 2012
Publisher: Putnam’s Sons BYR
Page Count: 309
Format: Hardcover
Genre: Mystery, Fantasy, Dystopian
Cover Rating: 8/10
Buy the Book: Amazon
Author Website: Sara Wilson Etienne

Summary from Goodreads:

Girl, Interrupted meets Beautiful Creatures in this fast-paced thriller.
When sixteen-year-old Faye arrives at Holbrook Academy, she doesn't expect to find herself exactly where she needs to be. After years of strange waking visions and nightmares, her only comfort the bones of dead animals, Faye is afraid she's going crazy. Fast.
But her first night at Holbrook, she feels strangely connected to the school and the island it sits on, like she's come home. She's even made her first real friends, but odd things keep happening to them. Every morning they wake on the floors of their dorm rooms with their hands stained red.
Faye knows she's the reason, but what does it all mean? The handsome Kel tries to help her unravel the mystery, but Faye is certain she can't trust him; in fact, he may be trying to kill her - and the rest of the world too.
Rich, compelling writing will keep the pages turning in this riveting and tautly told psychological thriller.

My Review:

The cover is what drew me in to read Harbinger. Then, when I read the synopsis, I was hooked. Honestly, this book wasn’t at all what I expected it to be. It had a lot of great mystery that kept me flipping the pages, but I was just a bit disappointed with it when I finished.

Faye has had these hallucinations since she was a child and almost drowned, visions of tides of water cascading into her presence. Her parents have finally had enough and send her to Holbrook Academy, a school for teenagers with mental issues that sits secluded on a mysterious forested island.

There, she is introduced to her new “Family”, or the students she will be interacting with and getting to know throughout her time at Holbrook. Maya, Nami, Zach, Damion, and Kel al have very unique personalities and back stories that I enjoyed and laughed out loud reading. Kel, who Faye meets in solitary, is mysterious and seems to understand Faye in a way that nobody else ever has. So they naturally develop a relationship and a habit of sneaking out at night.

Sneaking out at night isn’t a good thing, though. Faye and the rest of her family wake up in bed every morning with their hands soaked with blood and strange symbols painted in blood on their floor. I was instantly curious about what this was all about. It was so strange and gave me that panging feeling you get when there’s a good mystery coming on.

However, as Harbinger progressed toward the end, I  was fairly disappointed with how it turned out. The story turned in a direction that wasn’t very intriguing at all. I can see it being an amazing story if it only went another way. If this book ends up being the first of a series, I can still see myself reading the second book just to see where it goes from the ending of Harbinger.

Official Rating:

Two and a half Un-Birthday Cakes

 

Review: Anna and the French Kiss by: Stephanie Perkins

Anna and the French Kiss by: Stephanie Perkins
Publisher: Dutton
Publication Date: December 2, 2010
Format: Paperback (with flaps)
Page Count: 372
Genre: Contemporary
Buy the Book: Amazon

Summary from Goodreads:

Anna is looking forward to her senior year in Atlanta, where she has a great job, a loyal best friend, and a crush on the verge of becoming more. Which is why she is less than thrilled about being shipped off to boarding school in Paris - until she meets Etienne St. Clair: perfect, Parisian (and English and American, which makes for a swoon-worthy accent), and utterly irresistible. The only problem is that he's taken, and Anna might be, too, if anything comes of her almost-relationship back home. As winter melts into spring, will a year of romantic near - misses end with the French kiss Anna - and readers - have long awaited?

My Review:

This year I have set a goal to read more contemporary novels and this one was at the top of my list. I’ve heard that Stephanie Perkins is like the Queen of Contemporary, so I just had to read one of her books. Anna and the French Kiss did not disappoint! From the gorgeous and romantic Paris nightlife to the even more gorgeous Etienne St.Clair, this book was fabulous all around!

I was shocked at the beginning when Anna was being sent to a boarding school in Paris and she wasn’t happy about it. I mean, who wouldn’t want to live in Paris for a year? But then, as I got to know her life and character more, I understood that it was taking her away from her friends and her potential boyfriend, and that it was her parent’s wish, not hers.

Anna Oliphant is seemingly the only new student in the senior class of the School of America in Paris. She doesn’t know much in French besides the basics that everyone knows like merci, and au revoir. So, naturally, she stands out.

A group of artsy students take her under their wings and they become best friends fast. Among this group is the history buff and swoonworthy Etienne St. Clair (St. Clair for short). From first glance, he has Anna’s heart. She can play the whole best friends game, but for how long? The tension builds throughout the whole book and it was so frustrating (in the best way)!

While Anna is falling more and more in love with St. Clair in Paris, she has a life in Atlanta that’s nagging at her. Her co-worker at a movie theater there, Toph, and her were about to become serious just before she left. Her previous life across the pond is becoming less of a priority than her new Paris life, especially after she visits home on her break.

St. Clair shows her Paris and all of the places that inspire him. While they watch movies and explore the city, he lets her into his life in a way he doesn’t to most people. About his lame excuse for a father and how he’s American, British, and a little French. There’s a catch to him that Anna can’t stop herself from thinking about. St. Clair has a girlfriend, Ellie. Anna knows that he must feel something for her and wonders why he stays with Ellie.

The complexity of the characters in Anna and the French Kiss is outstanding to say the least. With Anna dealing with her feelings for St.Clair and him trying to figure out his personal life in general, I found that I had a profound connection with the main characters, as well as some of the minor ones.

As Anna lives and loves in the City of Light, she discovers a new part of herself as well. St. Clair and Anna make for a pair that will make you laugh hysterically and bring goosebumps to your skin.

Official Rating:

Five Un-Birthday Cakes!

 

 

Review: I Hunt Killers by: Barry Lyga

I Hunt Killers by: Barry Lyga
Publication Date: April 3, 2012
Publisher: Little Brown Books for Young Readers
Series: Jasper Dent #1
Page Count: 359
Format: Hardcover
Buy the Book: Amazon

Summary from Goodreads:

What if the world's worst serial killer...was your dad?
Jasper (Jazz) Dent is a likable teenager. A charmer, one might say.
But he's also the son of the world's most infamous serial killer, and for Dear Old Dad, Take Your Son to Work Day was year-round. Jazz has witnessed crime scenes the way cops wish they could--from the criminal's point of view.
And now bodies are piling up in Lobo's Nod.
In an effort to clear his name, Jazz joins the police in a hunt for a new serial killer. But Jazz has a secret--could he be more like his father than anyone knows?

My Review:

What compelled me to read this book was Jasper (Jazz). I love stories with characters who have to prove that they aren't who everybody assumes they are. Also, there's the murder mystery. You will be in for an adventure when you pick this one up.

To Jasper Francis Dent, taking up the family business is nothing to be proud of. His father, Billy Dent, also known as the Artist and several other nicknames, is America's worst and most widely heard of, serial killer. Everybody in the small town of Lobo's Nod looks at Jazz as if he's a ticking time bomb and it's only a matter of time before he picks up where Billy left off before he was locked up.

When a woman's body turns up with signs Jasper is frighteningly familiar with, he decides that he can't just sit around when he knows there is another serial killer active in his town. So he decides that if the police won't believe him, he'll take things into his own hands. Someone is copying his dad's pattern and he's the only one who can catch the killer. But he discovers some chilling things about himself and his past along the way.

Be forewarned if you are squeamish that this book contains a fair share of disturbing scenes. It got to be a bit much for me once or twice, but it was tolerable to me most of the time.

Jazz's determination to see who's behind the killings was one of my favorite things about the story. It held the message that no matter what people say about you, if you really want to and are willing to do what it takes, you can prove them wrong.


With his loyal companion and best friend, Howie, Jazz sets out to learn the pattern of the serial killer who calls himself the Impressionist. Meanwhile, he's dealing with his senile grandmother and his own issues. As he becomes closer and closer to the crimes, he learns some things about himself that he'd rather leave in the dark. Howie and Connie, his girlfriend, know his heart and have faith that he can pull through.

I Hunt Killers is full of crime and mystery and personal discovery. I am highly looking forward to the second installment of Jasper Dent's journey!

Official Rating:



Three and a Half Un-Birthday Cakes!

    Other Books by Barry Lyga:

   

Review: Between Shades of Gray by: Ruta Sepetys

Between Shades of Gray by: Ruta Sepetys

Publication Date: March 22, 2011

Publisher: Philomel Books

Page Count: 344

Format: Hardcover (Thanks Hannah!)

Buy the Book: Amazon

Summary from Goodreads:

Lina is just like any other fifteen-year-old Lithuanian girl in 1941. She paints, she draws, she gets crushes on boys. Until one night when Soviet officers barge into her home, tearing her family from the comfortable life they've known. Separated from her father, forced onto a crowded and dirty train car, Lina, her mother, and her young brother slowly make their way north, crossing the Arctic Circle, to a work camp in the coldest reaches of Siberia. Here they are forced, under Stalin's orders, to dig for beets and fight for their lives under the cruelest of conditions.Lina finds solace in her art, meticulously-and at great risk-documenting events by drawing, hoping these messages will make their way to her father's prison camp to let him know they are still alive. It is a long and harrowing journey, spanning years and covering 6,500 miles, but it is through incredible strength, love, and hope that Lina ultimately survives.Between Shades of Gray is a novel that will steal your breath and capture your heart.

My Review:

I am so glad to have read this book. It enlightened me on so many things that I knew vaguely about but had never really grasped. This story gives a us a glimpse of what thousands of people were forced to live through because of Stalin and the NKVD.

True, this was a bit of a hard read, but I loved every piece of raw emotion it portrayed. Lina and her family are captured by the NKVD  (Soviet police) and taken to live in the most despicable living conditions imaginable with hardly any food and endless labor. 

Through it all, Lina remains strong and cares for her mother and brother more than herself. Early on in their brutal journey, the three are separated from their father. Lina decides to draw her location on any surface she can find and pass it on in the hopes of it eventually reaching him. The hope in Between Shades of Gray is one of it's best qualities. It made me realize that hope is what keeps people going in times like Lina's.

Most of the events in the story are to the point. There isn't much elaboration of emotions. This makes it unique from other historical, etc. books I've read. Even without that, I connected with Lina and her point of view.

When they settle into the first town, Lina meets a bunch of new people. She forms a friendship with Andrius, a boy her age. They understand each other. With all the people in the camps, they are bonded by their situation, which allows some mutual understanding among everybody. There is a slight romance between them. I kind of wish there was more interaction between them. 

If you like historical books that are truthful, you'll love Between Shades of Gray!

Official Rating:

Four Un-Birthday Cakes!

Review: The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by: Michelle Hodkin

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by: Michelle Hodkin
Publication Date: September 27, 2011
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
Page Count: 452
Series: #1 in Mara Dyer
Buy the Book: Amazon

 Summary from Goodreads:

Mara Dyer doesn't think life can 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 mysteriously unharmed.There is.She doesn't believe that after everything she's been through, she can fall in love.She's wrong.

My Review:

 Before reading this, I had heard all of the blogger and reader hype that said it was revolutionary and just flat out amazing. When I first read the summary, I didn't think much of it and thought it sounded like an overused plot theme. I was very wrong. Mara Dyer blew me away! It's almost strange how much I love this book. I found that it embodies the very best I've ever seen in YA literature. It's possible that I would recommend this to a complete stranger.

 It starts out in a kind of creepy way and hints a little bit of what happens later. Mara lost her friends when a building crashed and her family decides to move away. She thinks that maybe a new place will clear up all the blurriness of the night of her friends deaths. Little does she know, its only the beginning.

 Naturally, with a new place comes a new school. And with a new school comes new people. Enter Noah. Rumors about him fluttered around and made him out to be a total jerk. This is Mara's first impression as well but then she gets to see a side of him that nobody else really does. Noah, for sure, goes on my list of best male protagonists ever. He is arrogant and utterly sarcastic sometimes and then he's sweet. The relationship between Mara and Noah inspires me still in my own writing.


Death seems to be following Mara everywhere she goes. Is she going crazy? The more she discovers about herself and what she's capable of, the more crazy and terrified of herself she feels. All of the mystery had a sort of whimsical quality to it. Mara has dreams that slowly piece together what happened the night of the accident, which is kind of the linchpin of the whole story.

 Mysterious things kept happening around every corner and there wasn't a moment when I wasn't completely entranced. One thing that stood out in this book was that no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't predict a thing. I really value when an author has the ability to make a book unpredictable.

 One thing I didn't like too much was the vagueness. It was clear that something was special about Mara but I got confused in certain parts. Overall, this book is one of my all time favorites. I cannot wait for the Evolution of Mara Dyer, coming to bookstores on October 23, 2012!

 

 Official Rating:



Five Un-Birthday Cakes!

Review: Cinder by: Marissa Meyer

Cinder by: Marissa Meyer

Publicaiton Date: January 3, 2012

Publisher: Feiwel and Friends

Page Count: 387

Format: Hardcover

Series: Lunar Chronicles #1

Buy the Book: Amazon

Summary from Goodreads:

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

 My Review:

From what I was hearing about this book from other bloggers and websites, I thought it was just going to be a retelling of Cinderella in a futuristic, cyborg world. This was so much more! It had mystery and sabotage that I certainly wasn't expecting.

Cinder is a mechanic in New Beijing, one of the best. She has the typical Cinderella background with no biological parents, a wicked stepmother and two stepsisters. There's one catch. She was made a cyborg and has a mechanical system keeping her alive. 

Through every chapter, my mouth dropped open several times as new secrets and mysteries were revealed. Cinder keeps learning things about her life she never knew and that the life she thought she had was a lie. Her stepmother volunteers her for a cyborg-only medical research program searching for a cure to a disease that has ravaged New Beijing. Thinking she is going to die, she goes in and cannot be more awestruck at what she learns.

There's this whole other race seeking dominance over humans, called the Lunars. They have this ability to basically brainwash any human and are vile and manipulative. The Lunar Queen is seeking to marry Prince Kai and gain power over the Earthens.

Kai and Cinder meet seemingly by chance when he visits her mechanic shop. He has no idea she is a cyborg, which adds an intriguing element to their relationship. Cyborgs are abominations according to most.  Kai asks Cinder to attend the ball with him and she declines. She can't imagine  someone like him being seen with her.  

Let me just say, I love love love Kai. He is young and about to become king after his father dies of the deathly plague. Unlike the commoners, he tries endlessly to escape the mind games of the Lunar Queen and her subjects. He knows she is up to much more than she says.

The dystopian setting in this book is one of my favorites. Even though there is a plague ravaging the population, gadgetry and machines are rampant and creatively imagined. 

Official Rating:

  Four and a Half Un-Birthday Cakes!